Chapter 247: Becoming a Disciple
Chu Qi needed to take her to see Master Lü Zhu first.
The reason Zhan Sheng was taking Master Lü Zhu as her master was, of course, Zhai Xiaotian.
After all, since entering the Sect, she hadn’t met any other masters who were accepting disciples.
Chu Qi’s Flying Magical Treasure was a Jade Flute. When enlarged, stepping on it felt like standing on solid ground.
Fearing she might be unsteady on the Flying Magical Treasure, Chu Qi reached out and held onto Zhan Sheng.
A gentle breeze brushed past their faces as Chu Qi steered the Jade Flute toward the Heavenly Palace.
Amidst a sea of roiling clouds and mist, several towering mountain peaks appeared and disappeared from view.
’Any scenic area back home with a view like this would be rated five-stars, easy.’
Every time Zhan Sheng saw such a dazzling and mesmerizing sight, a strange thought would surface.
’What would happen if this game suddenly disappeared one day?’
’The players would probably lose their minds.’
The Jade Flute flew toward one of the peaks. It wasn’t the tallest, but it was covered in lush green bamboo, and a massive waterfall thundered down like the Milky Way descending from the heavens.
A few small huts could be faintly seen nestled among the peaks.
The chirping of forest birds could be heard from time to time.
Zhan Sheng also saw a huge, elk-like spiritual beast with wings on its back, flying and circling between the peaks.
Chu Qi pointed at it. "That’s one of the spiritual beasts our Third Senior Sister is raising. Do you know what it’s called?"
"A Third-stage Dream Phoenix."
Zhan Sheng had memorized a lot of information over the past few days, and data on spiritual beasts was top priority.
The Dream Phoenix was a rather rare spiritual beast. They were few in number and only raised by a handful of major Beast Taming Sects.
It had the ability to pull Cultivators into dreams, and it could also allow its master to enter the dreams of those being controlled.
It could kill silently and tracelessly within dreams.
However, the Dream Phoenix’s potential for growth was low. It wasn’t the most powerful type of spiritual beast, so it was usually just kept as a pet.
Chu Qi nodded, then told her with a beaming smile about the Dream Phoenix’s origin, "We didn’t have a Dream Phoenix before. Third Senior Sister went and asked for it from her mother."
Zhan Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Third Senior Sister’s mother?"
Chu Qi nodded. "That’s right. Third Senior Sister’s mother is from the Li Yun Sect."
’Whoa.’
The Li Yun Sect was the number one Beast Taming Sect.
’If Third Senior Sister is connected to the Li Yun Sect, why would she join the Taixue Sect?’
As if sensing what Zhan Sheng was thinking, Chu Qi said, "You must be curious. Why would Third Senior Sister join our Taixue Sect when her mother is from the Li Yun Sect?"
Zhan Sheng just smiled and said, "Please enlighten me, Senior Sister."
A proud look appeared on Chu Qi’s face. "That’s because only our master, Master Lü Zhu, knows the Secret Technique to tame a certain Seventh-Rank spiritual beast. Third Senior Sister wanted to learn it, so she became our master’s disciple."
Seventh Rank.
’A spiritual beast on par with the Nascent Soul Stage.’
Not something an ordinary person could control.
And different spiritual beasts have different methods for raising and taming them. Even for a Seventh-Rank spiritual beast, not even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was guaranteed to control it.
No wonder Chu Qi was so proud.
Zhan Sheng put on an astonished expression. "Master is truly amazing."
"Of course! There are few in this world who haven’t heard of our master’s name. But Master is a very low-key person, so don’t you dare tell her I told you all this."
Chu Qi stuck out her tongue, revealing the innocence of a young girl.
She wasn’t very old, and her disposition wasn’t yet fully mature. Upon meeting her new junior sister, she found it hard to contain her urge to talk.
Zhan Sheng found it rather interesting.
’A kid this age would be completely carefree in the modern world. Then again, maybe Cultivation is just as carefree.’
Upon entering Green Bamboo Ridge, Chu Qi led Zhan Sheng to a small, unremarkable courtyard.
It was truly unremarkable.
There was the courtyard, and nothing more.
Chu Qi explained, "This is where Master usually rests. She’s normally in closed-door cultivation in her own Cave Heaven Blessed Land."
A so-called Cave Heaven Blessed Land is an extra-dimensional space for a Cultivator, also known as a small world.
It was a spatial Divine Skill that only those at the Nascent Soul Stage could master.
It was equivalent to carving out a real world from one’s own Sea of Consciousness, a place to hide one’s treasures.
You could even hide inside it yourself, which made it a life-saving Secret Technique.
As long as they didn’t encounter a Cultivator of a higher stage, it was quite difficult for someone of the same stage to kill a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.
This was also why any Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator in a Major Sect was considered a Great Power.
Chu Qi led Zhan Sheng inside. A woman in a green silk dress was already standing there. Her back alone exuded an extraordinarily transcendent aura.
’This Master Lü Zhu really lives up to her name,’ Zhan Sheng thought. ’She must love the color green.’
Master Lü Zhu turned around. Time had been exceptionally kind to her.
Her face betrayed no hint of her actual age. After all, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator was at least several hundred years old.
Some who lived long enough could even reach a thousand years old.
She had a remarkably gentle face. A smile graced her features when she saw Zhan Sheng. "Just as I’d expect from someone he recommended."
Her features held a righteous aura rarely seen among cultivators.
Even though she had already seen her that day, seeing Zhan Sheng again now, Master Lü Zhu still felt that Zhan Sheng didn’t seem like someone who came from some ordinary, small place.
It was Zhan Sheng’s first time becoming a disciple, so she didn’t know the proper way to pay her respects.
She wasn’t used to the ritual of kowtowing, so she gave Master Lü Zhu a deep bow instead. "This disciple greets Master."
"There’s no need to be bound by such worldly etiquette," Master Lü Zhu said with a laugh. "I can see you’re not used to it. You are now registered under my name, so from now on, I am your master. As your master, I should give you a few things to aid your Cultivation."
Every master gives their disciples gifts, just like how the Fifth Elder of the Sea View Sect gave Shuitan things before trying to possess his body.
Zhan Sheng wasn’t surprised at all, but she still felt a flicker of excitement she couldn’t hide.
’I’d forgotten how long it’s been since I felt this excited.’
’No, wait. I actually felt this way not long ago, after I started playing this game.’
Master Lü Zhu didn’t waste words. She stretched out her hand, and several Cultivation Technique manuals materialized on her forearm.
"This *Heart Returning Natural Seal* is our Sect’s mental method. Cultivate it well. It will increase your affinity with spiritual beasts, making it easier for you to tame them. It will also strengthen your consciousness. Once you reach the Core Formation Stage, you will be able to merge your consciousness with a spiritual beast."
This merging of consciousness wasn’t about possessing the spiritual beast.
It was about being able to control the spiritual beast’s body to move about in the outside world.
It also served to protect the spiritual beast.
But it required the spiritual beast to trust you one hundred percent. This Secret Technique was cultivated for that very purpose.
Every Beast Taming Sect has its own unique Secret Techniques.
"This *Heavenly Bamboo Technique* is my own unique Wood Element attack Cultivation Technique. Every one of my disciples has a copy. And this *Spirit Transformation Technique* is the signature Cultivation Technique of our Taixue Sect. Comprehend them well. Using them together will yield twice the results with half the effort."
The things Master Lü Zhu had given her were all foundational, but the last item was not.
In the palm of her hand was a Wood Element Flying Sword, radiating a gentle power.
"I came out in a hurry. For now, you can make do with this Earth Grade Flying Sword."