Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Chapter 342: Chapter 192: Tie Fu

As Elder Chang Chun sat down, he casually took the stack of apprenticeship applications from Sun Jian. Feeling its thickness, he asked in confusion, "Why are there so many applications?"

Sun Jian smiled. "It must be because your alchemy skills are so profound, Master. Many people wish to become your disciple. The Peak Master and the other Elders received less than half the applications you did."

"Cut the flattery."

Elder Chang Chun thought for a moment and quickly understood why he had received so many applications this year. ’The Peak Master is only accepting one disciple, so most people don’t dare to apply. That old coot Li Yang’s reputation is in the gutter, and male disciples avoid him like the plague.

’Chi Song is in seclusion, and Dan Yang is with the Noble Faction, so I’m the only one left for them to choose.’

As he thought this, he opened the first application.

"Disciple Zhao Chunhe, twenty-one years old. I have studied the Alchemy Dao since childhood and have learned to refine Qi Blood Powder and brew Body Tempering Soup..."

’Studied the Alchemy Dao since childhood, yet at twenty-one, all he can make is Qi Blood Powder and Body Tempering Soup? How dare he flaunt something so shameful as an accomplishment?’

Elder Chang Chun immediately labeled the man a good-for-nothing and tossed his application aside.

In his opinion, someone like this was worse than a complete novice to the Alchemy Dao. With a novice, you could at least take a gamble on their latent talent.

’A twenty-one-year-old who can only brew Body Tempering Soup is, without a doubt, utter trash.’

"You’ve gone through these applications, haven’t you?" Elder Chang Chun asked. "Are there any promising candidates?"

"Yes!"

Sun Jian stepped forward and pulled out a few applications. "This one is Jiang Yuan. He can consistently refine Qi Gathering Pills, so he’s considered to have reached the entry level of the Alchemy Dao.

"This one, Han Feng, is ranked fourth among this year’s Ten Heroes. He achieved Marrow Cleansing at the end of his three-year term as an Outer Disciple and took first place in this year’s Outer Sect tournament.

"He was recruited by the Ding Family and studied the Alchemy Dao with their Pill Master for a year. His success rate for refining Qi Gathering Pills is now nearly eighty percent. His talent for alchemy is quite good.

"And this one is Zhang Jing. His father is a Pill Master, and he can already produce four refined pills per cauldron when making Qi Gathering Pills."

Elder Chang Chun listened, very satisfied with all of these candidates.

He was especially impressed with Han Feng. ’His Martial Arts Talent is remarkable, and to think his alchemy talent is just as good. After only one year of study, his success rate with Qi Gathering Pills has already reached eighty percent.’

’With just a little guidance, he’ll become a true Pill Master. His talent is better than the other two.’

"Why isn’t this Xu Yang considered a promising candidate?"

Elder Chang Chun suddenly asked, "He achieved Marrow Cleansing at the end of his three-year term, so his Martial Arts Talent is good. He has also studied pharmacology. With some training, he might be able to achieve something."

Sun Jian hurriedly explained, "Master, there’s something you don’t know. This Xu Yang comes from a farming family, and unlike Han Feng, he hasn’t been recruited by any great family.

"His so-called ’study of pharmacology’ was nothing more than buying some pill formulas at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion and trying to figure them out on his own."

Hearing this, Elder Chang Chun’s brow furrowed slightly.

Although he wasn’t an old stick-in-the-mud from the Noble Faction like Dan Yang and didn’t discriminate against disciples based on their background, he knew that someone from a farming family had almost no chance of becoming a Pill Master.

Medicine King Peak offered a discount on the ingredients Pill Masters used for practice, but the disciples still had to pay the bulk of the cost. The Sect didn’t provide them for free.

’So, someone with no backing won’t even have the money to buy ingredients for practice. How could they possibly become a Pill Master?’

"With his talent, he could achieve far more if he focused solely on his martial training. Pursuing alchemy is putting the cart before the horse."

’Diverting what little money he has to alchemy will only slow down his cultivation progress.’

’Alchemy doesn’t just burn through money; it’s also incredibly time-consuming.’

’Gathering herbs, cultivating Spirit Medicines—these all take a great deal of time. Without a powerful faction supporting him, it’s nearly impossible to achieve anything.’

With barely a moment’s hesitation, he tossed Xu Yang’s application aside.

’It wasn’t that he looked down on Xu Yang’s talent, but that he felt the boy shouldn’t be distracted by learning alchemy.’

After reviewing all the applications, he selected one more person. He put this candidate’s application with those of the three Sun Jian had recommended, deciding to accept all four as his disciples.

...

「Three days passed in a flash.」

Early in the morning, everyone who had submitted an apprenticeship application gathered at the foot of the Four Peaks. Most wore anxious expressions, while only a small few appeared calm and confident.

Soon, a disciple descended from Beast King Peak, the first to arrive. Holding a register, he began to call out names, "Chen Yu!"

The first name called was Chen Yu, ranked ninth among the Ten Heroes.

Beaming, Chen Yu ran out from the crowd and stood behind the Inner Sect Disciple.

He called out a dozen more names, including Zhang Yong’s, but by the time he finished, Sun Tao’s name had not been among them.

"Junior Brother Xu, am I really that bad?" Sun Tao asked, completely crestfallen, his voice thick with frustration.

’Even though I had the courage to risk my life for Beast King Peak, they still rejected me.’

’Even if I applied to the other peaks, the result would be the same. Waiting a few more years won’t change anything, either.’

’Unless I achieve Marrow Cleansing or spend a fortune greasing palms, there’s no way I’ll ever enter the Inner Sect.’

’I can already see the end of my path on the Martial Dao.’

At twenty-two or twenty-three, an age that should be full of hope, he had instead been dealt a crushing blow.

"Senior Brother Sun, where there’s a will, there’s a way," Xu Yang could only offer. "You’re still young. You still have a chance."

’Without some unexpected lucky break,’ Xu Yang thought, ’Sun Tao’s journey on the Martial Dao is pretty much over. With his level of talent, it’s nearly impossible for him to achieve Marrow Cleansing on his own.’

’Beast King Peak didn’t reject him without reason.’

’At this stage of the Martial Dao, you can’t rely on resources alone. You need talent, too.’

Sun Tao wasn’t the only one in despair. So were the many others who had applied to Beast King Peak only to find their names uncalled.

After finishing the list, the disciple from Beast King Peak didn’t leave. Instead, he waited where he stood.

He had to wait for the representatives from the other peaks to appear, and for those who failed to be chosen to then submit their applications to Beast King Peak.