Chapter 45: Becoming an Apprentice (Part 1)

  "Hmm!"

  The woman in white robes responded lightly with a calm expression. From the way the people on the scene addressed her, it was clear that she was a Golden Elixir cultivator.

  She appeared and didn't glance at the crowd, her eyes directly fixed on Zhang Wuji who was about to leave with the elderly monk.

  "Ice Spirit Root? What great talent!"

  The woman in white's eyes lit up, and she took a step forward with her lotus-like steps. She walked to Zhang Wuji's front and asked softly, "What is your name?"

  "Disciple Zhang Wuji pays his respects to his ancestors!" Zhang Wuji replied respectfully.

  His face was calm at the moment, but his heart was extremely excited. The person in front of him was the Golden Elixir Ancestor, and if he could get her favor and be accepted as a disciple, he would immediately rise from an inner sect disciple to a core disciple of the sect, which would bring great benefits for his future cultivation path!

  As expected by Zhang Wuji, the woman in white seemed very pleased with him. She turned around and glanced at Zhang Zhenglin standing beside her, saying calmly: "I quite like this child!"

  She didn't say much more, but her intention was already very clear. Zhang Zhenglin is a shrewd person who handles things carefully, how could he not understand the reason?

  "Congratulations, Master Bai!" Zhang Zhenglin said with a big smile on his face, bowing slightly.

  The woman in white smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming with delight. She swept a glance over him and said, "I want you to expedite my disciple's identity token as soon as possible, don't delay!"

  "Master Zhang, please be at ease. I will send the identity token of Zhang Shidi to your residence tomorrow!" After being accepted as a disciple by the woman in white, Zhang Wuji's status immediately rose, and even Zhang Zhenglin, a foundation-building cultivator, could only address him as a peer.

  "Ah!" She nodded her head, and the woman in white was very satisfied. Her gaze softened as she looked at Zhang Wuji and said softly: "Wuji, follow me!" After speaking, she waved her long sleeve, and with Zhang Wuji, they transformed into a beam of white light that shot up to the sky and disappeared in an instant.

  "See off Master Uncle (Master Ancestor)!"

  As the woman in white departed, all the monks on the scene bid her farewell in unison, their expressions extremely respectful.

  "Zhang Shidi was actually directly accepted as a disciple by a Golden Elixir cultivator, what good fortune!"

  Ling Feng was amazed in his heart and felt happy for Zhang Wuji's good fortune.

  "The Golden Elixir Cultivators are the core of our sect, while these Foundation Building Cultivators can at most be considered mid-tier. When they see a Golden Elixir Cultivator, they don't even dare to breathe loudly!" Seeing the elderly cultivator's face full of frustration but not daring to raise any objections, Ling Feng couldn't help but secretly laugh.

  "The Ice Spirit Root disciple has been taken away by White Shifu, the conditions I previously set are all null and void!" Only after the white-clothed woman disappeared into thin air did the elderly cultivator speak up, saying in a loud voice.

  "Brother Wang, I knew you'd be playing tricks!"

  "We didn't compete with you, but you can't accept us as disciples. It's not our fault, it's just that your luck is bad and you met White Shifu. As for the promise of giving each of us a 300-year-old spiritual medicine, don't think about going back on your word!"

  Several monks who had previously competed with him said.

  "Cut the crap!" The elder shook his head like a rattle drum, flatly refused, and continued to select on his own, ignoring those few people.

  "Brother Wang, you're really unreliable!"

  Those monks were just teasing him and didn't take it seriously. They laughed for a while and each chose their own disciples.

  At this time, Zhang Zhenglin walked to the two monks who came with the woman in white and greeted them with a smile: "Master Ma, Master Zhuo, how did you two have the good fortune to come with Master Bai today?" His tone was tinged with a hint of teasing.

  He called Bai Shifu, whose real name was Bai Yuexian, the only female Jindan cultivator in Tianji Pavilion. She had a beautiful face and elegant temperament, and many cultivators in the sect secretly admired her, including these two in front of him!

  "Junior Zhang, how dare you speak jokingly? What status does White Shifu have that we can discuss behind his back?" The speaker was that scholar with the surname Ma. His face was gloomy and cold, his tone somewhat impolite.

  Zhang Zhenglin smiled awkwardly and said repeatedly: "Master Ma's teachings are right, I was overstepping!"

  That Master Ma didn't say much either and directly walked towards the disciples standing in the field.

  "Master Ma was previously scolded by Master Bai, and his mood is not good. You shouldn't mind it either, Junior Zhang!" Seeing him leave, the Zhuo surname cultivator's lips moved slightly as he used the transmission technique to speak to Zhang Zhenglin.

  "Who in the entire sect doesn't know Ma Dezhong's thoughts? He also doesn't know how to measure his own identity, Bai Shifu is now a Golden Elixir cultivator, does he still think she's his former junior sister?" Zhang Zhenglin had a good relationship with that Zhuo surname cultivator, so he also used the transmission technique to vent his dissatisfaction.

  "If Master Ma can really break through the bottleneck and successfully refine the elixir, there might still be some hope in his heart. Now, it's just a reflection of flowers in the water, a mere illusion that can't be reached, only adding to his troubles!"

  "Never mind him, let's take a look at the past and see if there are any disciples that catch your eye?"

  Having said that, Zhang Zhenglin pulled Zhuo surname monk over there.

  Ma Dezhong, the foundation-building cultivator, came to the front of the crowd of disciples. Before he could even speak, Ma Yan, who had been severely taught a lesson by Ling Feng and others, walked out and bowed to him, saying: "Uncle!"

  "Hmm!" Ma Dezhong saw him and squeezed out a few smiles on his cold face, nodding.

  "This cold face is a senior of Ma Yan's? It seems that he is also from the Nanling Ma family!" Ling Feng thought to himself, seeing this from not far away.

  Suddenly a strange sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and Ling Feng turned to look at the two of them, only to see Ma Yan whispering something to his uncle, while also turning around to point at him with his hand.

  "This kid must be looking for trouble with Lao Tzu! Humph, Lao Tzu is also an inner sect disciple now. Even if Cold Skin wants to cause trouble, it's not that easy!"

  Ling Feng secretly thought to himself, just then, he felt a vast divine consciousness sweep over him, no need to think, he also knew who was behind it!

  "Zhang Shidi, this kid's got talent, I'll take him!"

  Ma Dezhong looked at Zhang Zhenglin standing beside him and suddenly pointed at Ling Feng with his hand, saying calmly.

  "Damn it, Leng Pi's face wants to take me as a disciple, this is not good!" Ling Feng was shocked after hearing this, and he raised his head just in time to meet Ma Dezhong's gaze. He only felt that the other person's eyes were sharp and piercing, like a row of sharp thorns, wanting to pierce directly into his heart.

  "This..." Zhang Zhenglin's face showed a difficult expression, and he said in a tone of negotiation: "This child has already been chosen by Master Zhong Sun, Master Ma should choose another person!"

  "Hmph!" A cold hum, containing spiritual energy, was emitted, like the morning bell and evening drum, resonating deeply in the hearts of everyone present. Only to see Ma Dezhong's face with a hint of anger, saying in a cold voice: "Since Zhong Sun Tian has taken a liking to him, why didn't he take this kid away? Hmph, as long as this kid is still in his inner courtyard, he is not Zhong Sun Tian's disciple. Ma certain has the right to accept him as a disciple!"

  As soon as this was said, all the cultivators on the scene looked at each other in dismay. None of them had expected that Ma Dezhong would go to such great lengths for an inner disciple and compete with Zhong Suntian, who was known as the first person to build a foundation!

  "They say you, Ma Dezhong, never submit to Master Zhangsun. Now it seems that's indeed the case!"

  Zhang Zhenglin thought to himself for a moment, then advised: "Master Ma has many disciples and doesn't lack this one. Why must you compete with Master Zhong Sun? We are all fellow disciples of the same master; it's not worth damaging our harmony over this matter!"

  "Zhang Shidi doesn't need to say more, this kid Ma Mou has been settled!"

  Ma Dezhong spoke sternly and with a severe expression, his tone was extremely resolute. He took a step forward, stretched out his hand and grabbed towards Ling Feng.

  Seeing him coming with a fierce momentum, Ling Feng had the intention to dodge and hide, but he was powerless to do so. In his heart, he secretly felt anxious, why did his cheap uncle and unseen master not appear at this time?

  Just then, a clear and melodious male voice rang out in the hall.

  "Who is this person so overbearing? It turns out to be Master Ma!"