Chapter Thirty-Five: Farewell to Mu Yuanshan (Vote Requested)

After returning, Xu Wen used the two-star magic cores he had harvested from the Blackwater Mountains to craft four “Devil’s Eyes.” Since he was cautious not to raise his cultivation too quickly within ten days, he chose only magic cores from two-star, eighth-rank magical beasts, stabilizing his power at the peak of two-star, eighth rank.

After all, he had already confirmed from Mixue that inner sect disciples under fifteen wouldn’t have to face those with three-star fire arts. Being at the two-star, eighth-rank peak was enough to stand out among the new generation of inner disciples in the Hortonklin family.

Only after signing the “indenture contract” with the two girls did Xu Wen reveal that he had reached the two-star, eighth rank.

“Whew.”

Shiya’s eyes sparkled; Xie Zhan and Jin Yu both sighed in unison, their expressions saying “just as expected”—after all, advancing a whole rank in ten days was intimidating. Xiang Nan was the most dramatic, shouting, “I’ll never catch up to you in this life!” and instantly drawing the wrathful glares of the three elders seated on the high dais, forcing him to cower behind the group for cover.

“Hey, were you two actually serious just now?” Xie Zhan asked conspiratorially.

“What do you mean?”

“Maids! Are you really planning to serve as his maids for three years?” He seemed unable to accept the reality.

Xiang Nan hummed delicately, “Don’t worry—a word from this young lady, not even eight horses could chase it down!”

“Exactly! It’s just washing clothes and sweeping the floor, isn’t it? What’s so hard about that? Think of it as repaying a favor.” Shiya shot a resentful glare at a certain “master.”

Xie Zhan turned to Xu Wen and pleaded succinctly, “Since we’re brothers, I’ll entrust my laundry to your maids from now on!”

“Drop dead!”

“Xie Zhan!!”

Two sharp rebukes rang out across the training ground, and six stern gazes swept over them once again.

Half an hour later, Xu Wen’s spiritual energy had fully recovered. According to the Hortonklin family’s rules, Mixue and the other two inner disciples supervising the trials paired up those qualified to compete, matching them off to determine the five strongest candidates for inner disciple status.

Afterward, all the defeated registered disciples had one chance to challenge any of the five candidates. A successful challenge meant the victor would take the candidate’s place and be open to further challenges; failure resulted in elimination. Candidates who lost a challenge had one last chance to reclaim their spot under the same rules.

During combat, contestants could use any pills they had refined themselves. Depletion of magical power, loss of ability to resist, or a ruling from the elders would all count as a loss.

Xu Wen was the first to compete, facing a fellow registered disciple named Chen Fan, whom he’d never interacted with before.

They saluted each other, stepped back to a distance of fifty meters, and waited.

“Begin!” Mixue’s command had barely left her lips when Xu Wen kicked off the ground—he didn’t even bother to raise a flame shield, charging at his opponent while summoning five fireballs that whirled and shot forward, all in less than two seconds.

On the dais, the three elders—including Elder Xu—were taken aback by Xu Wen’s imposing start and silently mourned for the registered disciple Mixue had arranged as his opponent.

“I forfeit! I forfeit!!” Chen Fan shouted, backing away and sweating profusely. He’d already been nervous when he heard Mixue pair him with Xu Wen, knowing he had no hope of winning but wanting to see Xu Wen’s strength for himself. He hadn’t expected such ferocity at the outset—no flame shield, just a barrage of fireballs coming his way. How could he possibly resist?

The fireballs veered off, striking the ground on either side of Chen Fan and leaving five charred pits.

“I acknowledge your surrender,” Xu Wen saluted the defeated Chen Fan, then turned and left the field. Thus, the first match ended swiftly.

“Beautiful!” came Xie Zhan’s thumbs-up and three excited faces from the girls.

Next, it was Xie Zhan’s turn. His opponent was even more decisive, forfeiting before even stepping onto the stage—a testament to the reputation Xie Zhan had built among the registered disciples by leading them through the Blackwater Mountains.

Perhaps by Mixue’s design, Jin Yu, Xiang Nan, and Shiya’s matches followed soon after. Though they didn’t win with the same effortless dominance as Xu Wen and Xie Zhan, each girl nonetheless displayed her prowess as a standout among the registered disciples, winning with ease.

In the end, the five candidates emerged.

Half of the twenty-two defeated chose not to challenge further. The remaining eleven didn’t spare so much as a glance at Xu Wen, ignoring Xie Zhan as well, and all crowded toward the three girls—especially Xiang Nan and Shiya, who drew particular attention.

Luckily, the three girls had solid foundations and breaks between matches, so they managed to defend their candidate status without incident until all the registered disciples lost their eligibility.

The roster of inner disciples was set, and the training came to an end.

“Those who did not become inner disciples, report to your senior brothers at the outer sect starting today to guard the Seventh Medicine Peak! Once your fire arts reach three-star level, or you can refine more than three three-star pills and all two-star pills, you will still be eligible to join the inner sect and the Hortonklin family.”

“Yes!” The hundred or so registered disciples below were roused anew and left the field under their senior brothers’ leadership.

When the assembly was over and Elder Xu had seen the other two elders off, he beckoned to Xu Wen and the others, “You five, come here.”

“From today, you are members of my Seventh Medicine Peak’s inner sect. You must train diligently and study the medicine path—don’t bring shame upon your master, understand?”

“Yes, Master!”

“These are your welcoming gifts.” Xu Wen and the others regarded the rings in their hands with delight.

Elder Xu smiled faintly. “The space isn’t large, but it’s much handier than a storage pouch; herbs you collect can be preserved for a long time. I’ve placed fire arts and alchemy manuals inside, and the cauldrons are the ones reserved for inner disciples …”

“Thank you, Master.” The four friends put on their rings, unable to stop fiddling with them in delight.

Xu Wen glanced inside—sure enough, there were only books and a cauldron. He pursed his lips, a little disappointed. Other than being interested in the advanced fire arts, nothing else caught his eye. He didn’t need the ordinary alchemy knowledge, and as a grandmaster who had once used a magic-tier cauldron, the inner disciple cauldron seemed no different except for slightly larger internal space and easier control. Nothing special.

The ring … just a low-level storage ring, with space equivalent to four storage pouches—six square meters.

Could the Hortonklin family really be this stingy?

As Xu Wen’s thoughts wandered, Elder Xu’s voice reached his ears: “Mixue, take them to settle in at Medicine Peak … Xu Wen, you stay. Come with me in a bit.”

Aha.

“There’s hope!” Xu Wen’s heart tightened—he had a hunch something exciting was about to happen in the Hortonklin family.

After Mixue and the others left, Elder Xu turned to Xu Wen, repeatedly reminding him, “Be respectful to the person you’re about to meet.”

“I understand, Master.”

A few minutes later, Xu Wen followed Elder Xu into a hall beside the training ground—one not normally open to outsiders. Outside, purple flames blazed fiercely in iron stands on either side of the doors, casting a mysterious and elegant glow that transformed the ordinary hall into something like a palace.

At the head seat inside sat a middle-aged man of noble bearing, a friendly smile on his face, his sharp eyes fixed on Xu Wen as he entered. To either side sat the two elders who had just left the training ground.

It was him!

Xu Wen’s heart skipped—he instantly recognized the man in the seat of honor as the same person who had taken Wan’er away that day: the patriarch of the Hortonklin family.

————

Less than a hundred votes away from the top fifteen on the recommendation list! Little Black wants to climb up and see the sunrise—brothers, lend a hand!