"Call me Master Zemuo," said the High Elder, with a cold look as he stared at the young man in front of him.
The young man was shaking, pure tears of emotion streaming down his face. This made Zemuo completely satisfied.
However, Alm and Bruno, with just one look, could see the intense discomfort he was feeling inside. Even though his disguise was flawless, Zemuo’s disdain for him was evident. The plan had been executed perfectly.
On this journey to the Phoenix Cry Sect, the two knew that without a powerful ally, it would be impossible to establish themselves, let alone gain access to the world of the Nine Red Lotuses.
Zemuo, despite his instinctive aversion, couldn’t deny the rare talent and spiritual power of the young man. In the memories he had probed, he saw that with minimal training, the guy had become the champion of a highly competitive alchemy contest.
If properly cultivated, he could become an alchemy genius, and Zemuo was only recruiting him for that reason. If the young man succeeded in the sect, his own status would rise too.
"Raoni, pay close attention. Memorize every word I’m about to say," the old man ordered, staring intensely at him. "With the power you have right now, you wouldn’t even qualify to be an internal disciple of the sect. I only believe your talent is promising. If you work hard and I invest in your training, maybe you can become something great."
Alm and Bruno silently laughed. The old man was playing a classic and effective game with a naive young man… little did he know who he was dealing with. Just by looking, they both knew exactly what he was thinking, but on the outside, they kept a respectful posture, as if they were afraid of missing a single word.
"I could easily put you as just another disciple, and you’d never get out of that position. But fate brought us together, and I decided to help you. It’s part of my duty as an Elder. Once you enter the sect, you must follow my orders. If you’re obedient, there will be benefits. If you become arrogant, know that your death will be horrible. In the Phoenix Cry Sect, even geniuses need powerful allies. Without support, you’re nothing. Got it?"
The young man nodded frantically. Inside, the two manipulative villains understood the old man’s intentions well. He wanted total loyalty. In that sect, surviving was like walking on hidden blades.
"The disciple understands. I will never forget master’s kindness and favor. If I break this oath, may the heavens punish me with celestial annihilation!" the young man swore, clenching his fists.
Zemuo’s eyes widened, satisfied with the response. That venomous oath was something no cultivator would make without thinking twice. If broken, the cultivator would lose mental stability, and the next attempt to advance in the realms would be fatal.
"Great, we’ll head back to the sect immediately." Zemuo turned and started to leave.
The young man followed eagerly. When they left the central tower, the old man waved, and a large, luxurious flying boat appeared. They both boarded, shooting off toward the sect.
"It’ll take a week to get there. Here, take this," Zemuo said, tossing a few Jade Slips. They contained basic pill recipes for disciples. "Study them. There are herbs and a furnace inside the boat. Practice nonstop until we arrive."
"Yes!"
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Quickly, the young man went to the back of the luxurious flying boat. Inside, there were a few rooms. He grabbed the Jade Slips and started reading them.
’What torture. We tried alchemy in the past… and hated every second. And now we’re being forced into it again,’ Bruno sighed.
Alm read the recipes and replied coldly: ’We read the Dao of the Alchemy God we gave to Almin. These basic pills aren’t complicated at all… but maybe…’
Suddenly, an idea struck, and a sinister smile formed in both of their eyes.
Days passed inside the boat. The young man seemed obsessed with alchemy, studying and trying to produce the recipes, even though he kept failing. Still, he seemed tirelessly enthusiastic, showing no frustration at all.
The High Elder watched the scene, and despite the constant failures, he felt more and more satisfied... though equally disturbed, not understanding why.
Alm and Bruno, on the other hand, were just acting. Internally, they were frustrated. The old man was so suspicious that he kept his senses focused on them all the time, like a venomous snake ready to strike.
Finally, the days passed, and the boat stopped.
When they disembarked, they were on a merchant planet. Zemuo led them to a teleportation formation that would take them directly to the inner sect.
As they crossed to the other side and Zemuo appeared in the formation, several people immediately rushed to greet him. Clearly, his status was high even within the sect.
All the guards at the spatial formation bowed towards him; Zemuo waved lightly. Even though he and everyone there were peak divine cultivation cultivators, their submission to the High Elder was notable.
In the Phoenix Cry Sect, cultivation itself wasn’t the most important thing; the real prestige came from alchemy skills. And Zemuo, as one of the great alchemists, represented the pinnacle of glory.
As they walked, Raoni curiously observed the people around his master. Up ahead, Zemuo noticed his gaze and commented:
"Just climbing in cultivation is useless. What’s more important is perfecting your alchemy art. Combat and other brute tasks can be delegated. Don’t feel inferior because your cultivation is low. There are countless pills that can solve that. But improving your alchemy depends solely on you. Remember, alchemy is what will define your life."
"Yes, thank you so much for the reminder, Master! The disciple will remember your words for a lifetime. Each syllable seems like a heavenly gift," the young man replied enthusiastically.
Zemuo suddenly felt something strange. Using his senses, he focused on Raoni, who was walking right behind him. His eyes widened. The young man was looking at… his ass!
The High Elder was shocked. ’What’s wrong with this kid?’ he thought, feeling a strange emotion in the young man’s gaze. He noticed a peculiar fluctuation coming from him, as if his heart was racing.
’What is this brat thinking…?’ Zemuo’s hairs stood on end. Then he remembered something. When he had probed Raoni’s memories earlier, he hadn’t found any recollection of him being interested in women. In fact, there were no memories of women at all.
He hadn’t noticed it before, but now, with Raoni staring at his ass, the connection was clear. The young man’s gaze was like that of a snake, analyzing his backside. A shiver ran down his spine.
’This bastard! No way!’ Zemuo paled. That explained the disgust he had felt from the start. That was the reason!
"Raoni, walk in front!" The High Elder said, stopping abruptly and demanding that he move ahead.
Raoni quickly stopped staring and said, "How could the disciple walk in front of you? The disciple doesn’t dare. The disciple prefers to stay here, admiring Master’s majestic back. It’s an honor for the disciple!"
Zemuo nearly spat blood from rage. His suspicions grew even more. "If I tell you to go ahead, then go ahead!"
"Yes! The disciple will go immediately!"
Raoni responded, seemingly intimidated, and walked to the front. But inside, Alm and Bruno were ecstatic. The old trick of "forbidden love" worked as always. Escaping this bastard’s close watch would be easy.
"Cinoi, I remembered I have many matters to attend to. I’ll leave Raoni under your supervision. You’ll be in charge of everything related to him," the High Elder said to one of the cultivators accompanying them.
"Me? But my alchemy skills are far inferior to yours!" Cinoi replied, surprised.
"It’s fine. Raoni is smart enough to pass the tests and move up the ranks. With his talent, all you need to do is make sure he has what he needs. If there’s any trouble, come talk to me," Zemuo replied quickly.
"Yes, thank you very much, High Elder!" Cinoi was extremely grateful. The other cultivators looked on with envy.
Everyone knew that the High Elder, being so demanding, only accepted incredibly talented disciples. Raoni was like a treasure handed to them, and his future achievements would be remarkable. Whoever helped him would have merit in his success.
Raoni, walking ahead, heard Zemuo’s words. A look of ’disappointment’ appeared on his face, as if he was about to cry at any moment. This made the High Elder sweat, and he quickly took his leave, departing in a hurry.
Inside, Alm and Bruno were laughing hysterically. As expected, bold tricks were the most effective. It would be much easier for them to act in the future.