Chapter 1291: Chapter 32: Fu Yang Sect (Part 2)
Zhao Yang did not resist, allowing himself to be led. After a short walk, the two arrived in front of Jing You. Qiu Guang bowed and said, "Master Jing, I have brought Junior Brother Zhao to you."
Jing You looked Zhao Yang up and down and said, "You are Zhao Yang? Come onto my Flying Boat; I will take you to see the Sect Leader."
Zhao Yang bowed and said, "This humble one has heard that seeking a master requires sincerity, and I wish to ascend the peak on foot to pay my respects to the Sect Leader."
Jing You was momentarily stunned and then impatiently said, "The Sect Leader cannot wait for long. Come with me."
He grabbed him, pulling Zhao Yang onto the Flying Boat, then with a flick of a token, soared into the sky, flying towards the peak.
Moments later, they arrived at the peak. Jing You withdrew the Flying Boat and led Zhao Yang into the Cave Mansion. Upon seeing Zhang Yan, he bowed and said, "Master, Zhao Yang has been brought."
After entering the Cave Mansion, Zhao Yang saw a Daoist sitting on a cushion, recognizing him as the Sect Leader, his heart stirred. However, he quickly suppressed his feelings, knelt down, and said, "Disciple Zhao Yang, pays respects to the Sect Leader."
Zhang Yan looked over, gave him a glance, and said slowly, "Are you the one who refused Junior Wen’s kindness, wishing to take me as your master?"
Zhao Yang, anxious at heart, bowed his head and said, "Yes, it is this disciple."
Zhang Yan said indifferently, "For all disciples of Han Yuan Sect, they must first cultivate the ’One Qi Cleansing Scripture’ in the Lower Court. After achieving some mastery, they may enter the Upper Court to open the meridians. This rule cannot be broken. If you wish to take me as your master, you must first cultivate in the Lower Court along with your fellow disciples. Therefore, I cannot take you in. Considering you have traveled a long distance and your Dao Heart is strong, and with Junior Wen’s recommendation, I have made an exception to meet you, so you should return and cultivate diligently."
Zhao Yang was stunned. He was barely ten years old, having traveled thousands of miles alone to seek a master, which was truly rare. But this was all at the instruction of another, made to seem extraordinary just to attract Zhang Yan’s attention. He was told that with his talent and such exceptional behavior, he would most likely be accepted, but unexpectedly, Zhang Yan only said one sentence to him before ordering him to leave.
Seeing him kneeling and motionless, Jing You shouted from the side, "Zhao Yang, aren’t you leaving?"
Zhao Yang had a feeling that if he were to leave like this, he would miss a great opportunity. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I come not only to seek the Dao but also to seek the Sect Leader’s protection. If allowed to serve by your side, I am willing to offer a treasure trove of a great sect."
After speaking, he kowtowed heavily once more.
Zhang Yan’s expression did not change, but he smiled faintly, and said, "A treasure trove of a great sect? Zhao Yang, speak honestly, who exactly are you?"
Zhao Yang said humbly, "My father’s surname is Zhao, with given name Huan, a disciple of Fu Yang Sect. I come at his command to seek a master."
"Fu Yang Sect?"
Zhang Yan’s eyes flickered slightly. Now, he was no longer the newcomer to East Victory; he naturally knew that this sect was originally one of the eight major sects of East Victory Continent and a heretical sect at that.
After a brief pondering, he inquired more thoroughly, coming to understand that Zhao Yang’s father, Zhao Huan, because he knew of a sect-inherited treasure trove, was sought out and pressured by several fellow disciples, leading to severe injuries and a narrow escape.
Due to severe injuries and a lack of Elixir Pills, he had no choice but to dissolve his soldier and seal his Divine Soul with a secret technique.
While Zhao Yang was indeed his flesh and blood, he was too young to cultivate Mystical Skills, and had no Daoist cultivation. As a mere child lacking guidance, without Cultivation External Objects, he likely couldn’t even open his meridians. Should his father’s fellow disciples catch up to him, he’d be unable to defend himself. To avoid such a disaster, before departing, he was instructed to seek a master in the Han Yuan Sect. If he succeeded in his cultivation, he could escort Zhao Huan’s Divine Soul for reincarnation and, in turn, retrieve the treasure trove.
Zhang Yan inquired curiously, "With countless sects in the world, why did your father instruct you to specifically come to Divine House Mountain seeking me as a master?"
Zhao Yang replied earnestly, "Because the Sect Leader exchanged three Mystical Artifacts for Spirit Grass, my father heard of it and once visited Divine House Mountain, knowing that the Sect Leader is from the Outer Continent, and once defeated five with one, his Daoist cultivation profound and incomparable to common ranks, hence he sent this disciple to seek a master."
This was just the surface reason. The Fu Yang Sect had numerous enemies in the past, with few trustworthy people. Zhang Yan, being an Outer Continent cultivator, bore no grudge with his sect, and even if his identity were revealed, he wouldn’t take his life because of it.
At this moment, Zhao Yang kowtowed again, saying, "If the Sect Leader is willing to take this humble one as a disciple, I am willing to offer that treasure trove in exchange for an opportunity."
He was now extremely afraid that Zhao Huan’s fellow disciples would find him. If he were just a regular Lower Court disciple of Han Yuan Sect, even if captured, the sect might not stand up for him. But if he became the Sect Leader’s disciple, it would be different. With Zhang Yan’s Daoist cultivation, he could certainly protect him.
The treasure trove was indeed appealing, but one must still be alive to enjoy it. Rather than holding onto it, it was better to use it in exchange for an opportunity.
Zhang Yan pondered for a while, finally saying, "You and I have no master-disciple fate, but I can choose a reputable master for you. You may depart now."
Zhao Yang was somewhat disappointed to hear he could not join Zhang Yan’s tutelage, but then reconsidered. Since it was the Sect Leader’s recommendation, it should not be too lacking. Calming himself slightly, he kowtowed in salute and then withdrew.
Ten days later, Zhang Boyant returned from outside the mountain to the War Sect. Without needing to announce, he went straight to Zhang Yan’s Cave Mansion. After greeting and taking a seat, he produced a wooden box, placing it on the table, saying, "On this trip outside, I met the Sixth Prince of Chu again. Upon hearing that the Pavilion Master was looking for the Three-flavor Spirit Grass, he ordered me to deliver this item."
Zhang Yan took the wooden box, raised an eyebrow and said, "Snake Ring Essence?"
This box of Snake Ring Essence could yield useful White Moon Ying Fruit for three years, although for cultivation, it was like a drop in the ocean. However, the implication behind it was clear; this indicated that he had what they sought.
He smiled slightly, seemingly unbothered, casually placing the wooden box aside, then turned to Zhang Boyant and said, "Daoist Zhang, you have cultivated for hundreds of years, yet you have no disciples to pass on your teachings to. This seems improper. Under my Mountain Gate, there is a disciple with excellent talent and a firm Dao Heart. It just depends on whether you are willing to accept him."
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... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
