Chapter 11: Be My Disciple!

"Master, in this village the children with any aptitude have already been taken by all the major sects; those left are either mortals without a spiritual root who cannot cultivate, or people with extremely poor aptitude. Why waste your time on them? You'd be better off returning to cultivate; perhaps you could still breakthrough the Foundation Establishment in this life and live a few more decades."

The girl hurried to keep up, her voice like a white spirit, but tinged with some doubt.

"Little One, that's wrong. You see, you were also picked up by me from a trash heap, yet now you are equally gifted, standing graceful and elegant."

The old man heard this and immediately became displeased, directly retorting.

Then the old man cleared his throat lightly and continued: "Although disciples from each sect come each year to collect children of appropriate age and test their spiritual root aptitude, that doesn't mean they never miss anyone!"

After speaking, he looked at the girl, as if indicating something.

Then the old man seemed to recall something; his previously hunched body bent further as he looked at the girl, a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "After the major sects have made their selections, the leftovers, though possessing extremely poor spiritual root talent, leave us no choice but to take them."

At this point, he gave a self‑deprecating laugh: "Of course, I can't just say others have poor aptitude; it's also rare to go decades without breaking through the Qi Condensation Phase."

The girl, hearing this, lost the mischievous look on her face, a trace of gloom flashing in her eyes.

However, in an instant the old man returned to his usual demeanor, continuously holding a mirror to photograph passing children, commenting as he went—"this child is too dark," "that child is too short," and so on.

Suddenly, the old man's hand holding the mirror trembled, and the mirror abruptly began emitting a milky white light.

It hadn't ended yet; seven rays of red, orange, red, green, cyan, blue, and violet burst successively from the mirror, instantly turning the surroundings into a fairyland.

When the old man saw the milky white glow, excitement flashed in his eyes.

Yet, the next instant he saw the subsequent rainbow rays, and his gaping mouth remained open, unable to close, until the girl tugged at his sleeve; only then did he recover and look toward the direction the mirror was pointing.

A filthy beggar, his whole body dirty, was supporting himself on a wheat stack with both hands, struggling as if trying to stand.

The old man's eyes flashed brightly; in a few long strides he reached the beggar and abruptly said, "Become my disciple!"

After a hour of rest, Su Chen was forcing himself to support his body, trying to stand. A somewhat lewd face flashed before his eyes, and a sudden sentence echoed in his ears, startling him; he instinctively stepped back, but the wheat stack blocked him, preventing the retreat.

He leaned against the wheat stack, looked at the two, sensed the extraordinary aura they exuded, and finally understood something.

However, he was puzzled: why had these two cultivators already seen through his spiritual root without touching him, yet still wanted to take him as a disciple?

Su Chen looked at the old man, a bewildered glint in his eyes: "What? Take me as a disciple?" He then pointed at himself as if feigning ignorance.

The old man produced the mirror again, shone it on Su Chen once more, as if still confirming, then reached out and seized Su Chen's arm, beginning to assess his spiritual root.

"It turns out to be a rare Grade‑A aptitude, no, it should be top‑grade A!"

The old man saw Su Chen frown slightly, thought he had hurt him, and immediately released his arm, yet the excitement in his eyes did not fade at all, appearing even more intense.

He looked at Su Chen as if gazing upon a priceless treasure, suddenly seeming to recall something.

His previously hunched posture suddenly straightened, the mirror was slipped into his sleeve and vanished, and his formerly lewd demeanor instantly disappeared,

replaced by the bearing of an ethereal, Daoist master.

The old man placed his hands behind his back and calmly said, "Young friend, you and I are fated. To be frank, I am a celestial immortal from the heavens; I descended this mountain seeking someone with a great destiny linked to me, then to take as a disciple. Are you willing?"

As he spoke, he muttered an incantation, and instantly a crimson flame rose from his fingertips.

The girl saw this, curled her lip in disdain, as she had previously been deceived by the old man using the same method.

Su Chen's face twitched at the sight; although he feared revealing his own cultivation and dared not use spiritual sight to probe the old man's level, based on his past life's experience he roughly judged that the old man's cultivation had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment.

His master in his previous life, however, was the strongest of Blue Star, a Core Formation master. Still, he dared not refuse, for refusal would surely arouse suspicion.

Thus, Su Chen immediately put on a look of sincere fear and uncontrollable joy, and said, "Immortal, celestial being, can you truly take me as a disciple?"

The old man, seeing Su Chen like that, a self‑satisfied glint in his eyes, said, "Of course, I see your leg cannot move; take this pill and you should recover quickly."

The old man had noticed Su Chen's leg injury at first glance.

While speaking, he took out a pill and handed it to Su Chen; Su Chen took it, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, which he quickly suppressed. He had just briefly used spiritual sight to scan it and found no issue.

Seeing Su Chen obediently swallow the pill, the old man showed a satisfied expression and asked, "What is your name?"

After taking the pill, Su Chen instantly felt a gentle warmth and tingling spreading through his previously numb right leg.

Hearing the old man's question, he replied without hesitation, "Su Chen, I am Su Chen."

After a short while, he stamped his foot and stood up; Su Chen felt all his injuries had healed, and his body seemed restored to peak condition.

He immediately bowed gratefully to the old man, a sincere bow with no pretense.

The old man, seeing this and hearing his name, nodded appreciatively, praised the name, then gestured for Su Chen to follow him away.

Su Chen, suddenly playful, asked with some confusion, "Master, shall we walk back? You're an immortal, why don't you fly?"

The old man heard this, and the smile on his face instantly stiffened. His cultivation today was only at the eighth layer of the Qi Condensation Phase, and flying a vessel posed no problem.

However, the Spiritual Power consumption for the Qi Condensation Phase was far too high, and the speed too low, making it hardly worthwhile.

The girl, hearing Su Chen's question, was first startled, then couldn't stop giggling.

Only after the old man glared did she compose herself.

The old man, after many thoughts, turned his head seriously toward Su Chen and said, "I do this to train you; if you cannot even ascend my immortal mountain, it only proves that we, master and disciple, are not destined."

Having said that, he lightly flicked his sleeve and continued forward, exuding the demeanor of a lofty master.

Su Chen, hearing his master use such an excuse, felt both amused and exasperated, but simply replied "yes" and followed.