Late at night, Ye Chen left the little spiritual garden, found a serene place, sat on a rock in lotus position and tried to fathom the mysteriousness of the true fire in his elixir sea.
He benefited a lot from the true fire: restoring his elixir field, opening up the elixir sea and refining his vital energy. Compared with his cultivation foundation in Zhengyang Sect, the current one was more secure.
“It is really marvelous.” Ye Chen whispered. He closed eyes to refresh himself and became more clearheaded than ever.
Soon thin spiritual energy pooled and formed an energy whirlpool centering around Ye Chen and also controlled by him. The energy absorbed by Ye Chen rushed into his elixir sea through his acupoints, and was refined by the golden true fire.
Ye divided the true fire into millions of trails, some infused into meridians, and others enwrapped bones. In a word, the fire was used for the refinement of bones and meridians.
After a long time, his meridians widened and softened imperceptibly. The scars of meridians on his bones smoothened as well, and even some golden sparkles lingered above them.
Ye Chen had no idea what time he jumped off the rock. After the refinement, the ease he had was never experienced before.
“Very well.” Shouting delightedly, he strode down, with rushing vital energy gathering in his palms and even lightening wandering among his fingers.
“Rushing Thunder Palm.” Ye Chen screamed and stroke a rock.
Bang!
The strong palm cracked the rock with thunders.
With an overwhelming impact and vociferous sounds, the mystic attacking skill practiced by Ye Chen was called the Rushing Thunder Palm.
The skill required its practitioner to have a strong body; otherwise it would hurt the practitioner’s meridians and bones while destroying his enemies.
That was the shortcoming of the Rushing Thunder Palm.
But Ye Chen could ignore the shortcomings.
After the refinement, the strength of body and the toughness of meridians and bones could totally help Ye Chen avoid the harm.
Morning dawned soon.
As rosy dawn appeared in the east, Ye Chen opened his eyes.
Exhaling turbid Qi, he turned over, got up with a ruddy face, and regained stamina and steady breath.
Ye Chen walked out of the little garden after taking a simple breakfast.
In front of him were endless stairs ascending to the top of the Spiritual Mountain and extending into clouds. Ye could not see the limit.
Taking a deep breath, he walked on the stairs. Ye Chen could feel tremendous energy flooding towards him while taking each step.
With the last step, he raised his head and stared at the world that majestic mountains in the distance and towering ancient woods stood, misty spiritual energy and clouds floated, and cranes sometimes flew through clouds.
“I find the feeling that I once experienced in Zhengyang Sect.” Smiling, Ye Chen greedily inhaled the spiritual energy in the air.
He took the route Zhang Fengnian told him.
In the early morning, spiritual energy and the essence of sun and moon were the purest. Ye Chen saw many diligent disciples sitting on rocks in lotus position for breathing exercises and cultivation. When he passed them, they glimpsed at him in a hurry and continued their practice.
Ye arrived at Jiuqing Pavilion after turning several corners.
Several disciples entered or left the pavilion. When they saw Ye Chen, a stranger, each of them would look over him, and disdained him while finding his cultivation base the first level of Qi condensation.
“Here it is.” Ye Chen looked up at the pavilion, and went inside, presenting his recommendation letter.
In the hall, Sect Elder Qingyi received the recommendation letter. Before opening the it, he looked Ye Chen up and down while learning that Ye was introduced by Zhang Fengnian.
While the sect elder measured Ye Chen, Ye Chen also looked him over secretly.
Ye Chen whispered himself, “This man’s countenance is strange.”
Ye Chen was right. With eyes, nose and mouth slanting in different directions, the face of the sect elder contorted. Ye even had a desire to rectify the positions of those organs.
He looked away from the sect elder.
Except the Sect Elder Qingyi, there were another three people sitting there. One was big-bellied, one was gaunt, and the other could be counted as a normal person. They chatted merrily. It seemed that they were not the sect elders here, but came here for a visit.
They were the chief masters of three main peaks belonging to Hengyue Sect’s outer schools: Zhong Laodao, Ge Hong and Immortal Qingyang.
After reading the letter, the Sect Elder Qingyi passed it to the three chief masters, and smiled, “Senior brothers, the little friend named Ye Chen was introduced by Zhang Fengnian. I would like to ask you to discuss Ye’s master selection. Who is willing to be Ye Chen’s master? Please give Zhang Fengnian a face. ”
“Oh? Zhang Fengnian rarely recommends disciples to us.” The letter passed through the three’s hands, and they began to look Ye Chen up and down.
“How old are you?” Big-bellied Zhong Laodao gazed at Ye Chen.
“Sixteen years old.”
“Sixteen.” Zhong raised his eyebrows, “A sixteen-year-old cultivator only reached the first level of Qi condensation. Your talent is so…”
Coughing and standing up, he patted his big belly, “Eh, I have something to handle in Tianyang Peak and need to leave now.”
With his words unfinished, plump Zhong ran quickly out of the hall, fearing to be dragged by Sect Elder Qingyi and to take Ye Chen as his disciple.
Ge Hong stood up with hands on his back after Zhong left, and cast a glance at Ye Chen with scorn. “ Diyang Peak never wants a wasted man.”
Ge left the hall as well.
Sect Elder Qingyi had to fix his eyes on Immortal Qingyang, “Senior brother Qingyang, please give me a face and take Ye Chen as your disciple.”
Immortal Qingyang frowned, and shook his head slowly, “Junior brother Qingyi, the gap between his level and the demand of Renyang Peak is huge. His talent is too poor to enter Renyang Peak. Sorry, I cannot comply with your request.”
“But…”
“I have other matters to deal with and need to leave.” Immortal Qingyang rushed out with a flick of sleeves.
Three chief masters left one after another. Their intentions that all of them refused to take Ye Chen as disciple were obvious.
It was not hard for Ye Chen to understand. How unbelievable it was that a sixteen-year-old cultivator only arrived at the first level of Qi condensation. They would be laughed at if they could not instruct such a poor-talented disciple well.
Would they return and compete for Ye Chen if they learned his talent?
Seeing three chief masters leaving one by one, Sect Elder Qingyi looked embarrassed.
He coughed and looked at Ye Chen with a smiling face, “Little friend, are you willing to be an intern disciple?”
“It is all right. Maybe I will be a regular disciple one day. ”
“Very well.” From his sleeves, Sect Elder Qingyi took out a white jade card with vital energy lingering around his fingertips and carved ‘Ye Chen’ on it. He passed the card to Ye, and smiled, “Little boy, this is your jade card.”
Except the card, Sect Elder Qingyi also took out an encapsulated jade bottle, from which Ye Chen smelled the scent of medicine. Undoubtedly, inside the bottle was the spirit liquid assisting cultivation.
“Interns do not have access to robes or cultivation methods of our sect. There is only one bottle of jade spirit liquid for you.”
“Thank you, sect elder.” Ye Chen answered and received the spirit liquid. It did not matter whether he had a robe or not.
“All right, now you can go to the Spirit Tools Pavilion to fetch one tool!” Patting Ye’s shoulder, Sect Elder Qingyi smiled and said tenderly as if he were Ye’s peer, “Little boy, work hard! I will see your performance in three months.”