Mu Yan stood frozen in disbelief. At the brink of death, how could a young man—seemingly his peer—suddenly appear and ask to take him as a disciple?
Was this some sort of hallucination?
But Elder Li's voice rang swiftly in his mind. "Mu Yan, this man is powerful. Incredibly powerful!"
Mu Yan's heart trembled. If even Elder Li spoke with such gravity, this newcomer had to be an extraordinary force of nature.
"What are you dazing for? If you become my disciple, I'll resolve your current predicament. Otherwise, I'll be on my way."
Ye Chen's tone was calm, almost indifferent.
"Senior, I…"
Mu Yan was still dazed, unable to grasp what was happening.
From a distance, the seductive woman of the Ghostshade Pavilion stared at Ye Chen with venomous intent. "Stranger, this is Ghostshade Pavilion's affair. Step aside, or suffer the consequences."
The Ghostshade Pavilion was infamous throughout the realm, their strength formidable. Rumor had it that an Immortal Emperor even backed them. The woman lifted her snowy neck with pride, her stance arrogant and unrestrained.
She believed that once the Pavilion's name was invoked, this interloper would retreat in fear.
Mu Yan, on the other hand, grew tense. At the very least, this senior didn't mean him harm. But if he fled from the Pavilion's reputation, then Mu Yan's fate would be sealed.
Just as everyone assumed Ye Chen would yield, he remained utterly expressionless, as if he hadn't even heard the threat.
"Mu Yan. Age: eighteen. Born with a supreme fire spiritual root. Talent: Immortal Grade. With proper guidance, your minimum future is the True Immortal Realm."
Ye Chen recited the information blandly.
Mu Yan and Elder Li were both dumbstruck. The truth of his innate talent was known only to the two of them—how could this senior discern it at a glance?
"To disregard me—you're the first!"
The seductive woman shrieked, her beautiful face twisted with fury.
Dark energy poured from her body. Dozens of black chains slithered like vipers through the air, lashing toward Ye Chen in unison.
"Careful, Senior! Her attacks are strange and deadly!"
Mu Yan cried out instinctively—only to see that his warning was completely unnecessary.
The moment the chains neared Ye Chen, they exploded into fragments without warning.
"What terrifying strength…"
Elder Li's voice quivered in Mu Yan's mind once more.
The woman staggered back several paces, her expression filled with dread.
With her Soul Transformation Realm cultivation and the Pavilion's sinister arts, she was practically invincible among her peers.
Yet this stranger hadn't even moved, and her entire assault had been shattered. What kind of monstrous power was this?
"Form the array!"
She shouted, and her companions swiftly formed a grand formation. Waves of crushing power surged toward Ye Chen—it was an attack on par with the pinnacle of the Soul Transformation Realm.
"So noisy."
Ye Chen frowned in irritation. With a single glance, the void before him tore open. A powerful suction erupted, swallowing every member of the Ghostshade Pavilion into the rift.
"Save me—!"
The woman screamed in panic, but before the plea finished, her body vanished into the swirling vortex.
Moments later, the rift sealed itself.
Silence.
"He tore space apart? No… he didn't even lift a hand—just a look… What kind of strength is this?"
"Mu Yan, I must retreat into slumber. If I remain exposed, he may sense my presence."
Elder Li's voice faded, hiding himself so deeply that even contact with Mu Yan ceased.
He dared not take chances before such an unfathomable powerhouse.
"Tear space…?"
Mu Yan looked utterly lost. At his current Foundation Establishment level, he had no concept of what such a feat entailed.
"Many thanks for your aid, Senior. I will never forget this grace! I am honored to become your disciple."
Mu Yan dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
"Good. From today onward, you are my first personal disciple."
Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction.
Immediately, the system responded with new notifications:
[Disciple successfully accepted!]
[Rewards: Five True Immortal Summoning Cards.]
[Reward: One Grand Hall.]
[Reward: One Ten-Thousand-Year Enlightenment Tea Tree.]
[Reward: Primordial Chaos Body.]
[Reward: Imperial-Level Technique: Flame God Codex.]
Such a wealth of rewards—simply from accepting one disciple!
Ye Chen was elated.
"Come, let us return to the sect."
With a wave of his hand, an invisible force enveloped Mu Yan, and they stepped through the void.
When Mu Yan regained his senses, he stood at the foot of a vast mountain.
Looking up, he saw an enormous gate towering over a hundred zhang high. The plaque read: "Kunlun Holy Land", its golden characters radiating profound Daoist rhythm that drew the soul inward.
"What an awe-inspiring gate! Master… are we truly a Holy Land?"
Mu Yan's heart surged with emotion. This gate alone spoke volumes—the Kunlun Holy Land was clearly no ordinary sect.
In the Desolate Immortal Realm, only forces founded by Immortal Emperors dared claim the title "Holy Land."
Could it be that Kunlun was one such exalted legacy?
But… he had never heard of a Kunlun Holy Land in this world before.
As he passed through the gate, Mu Yan felt as though his entire being had been cleansed.
Every trace of fatigue and injury vanished; his energy and spiritual power surged to their peak.
Even the bottleneck at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment began to loosen—he was on the verge of advancing to the eighth!
Mu Yan was awestruck. If this was the effect of just the sect gate, how astonishing must the Holy Land's full resources be?
But once inside, his jaw dropped. Before him stood… a barren, unremarkable hill.
Where was the sect?
That grand gate below—was it a façade?
"Master, where is… our sect?"
He asked hesitantly.
"Oh, right. We're a hidden sect, recently emerged. Infrastructure's still catching up. Just focus on cultivating—everything else will follow."
Ye Chen smiled with narrowed eyes.
Mu Yan's heart skipped a beat. His master looked suspiciously like a cunning merchant squeezing labor out of underpaid workers…
Even his tone had the air of a shady boss.
"Main hall—materialize!"
Ye Chen ignored Mu Yan's thoughts and summoned the grand hall from the system's space.
The world quaked. Purple qi cascaded from the void, multicolored clouds adorned the heavens, and the very laws of the Dao stirred—as though creation itself was beginning anew.
Before Mu Yan's stunned gaze, a colossal palace descended. Spanning thousands of li, it engulfed the entire mountain range. The earth trembled beneath its weight.
Mu Yan swallowed hard. A palace summoned from thin air? What kind of technique was this?
Ascension Realm? Tribulation Stage? A True Immortal perhaps?
Had he just apprenticed under a living legend?
"Just a minor display. In time, you'll understand." Ye Chen patted his shoulder, worried his jaw might stay unhinged.
Mu Yan felt a fire ignite in his chest. Before meeting his master, his life goal had been to reach the Ascension Realm—perhaps even challenge the Tribulation Stage.
But Ye Chen's effortless miracles had taught him the truth: there's always a higher peak.
He now believed that even the strongest Tribulation cultivators couldn't match his master's terrifying might.
"Master, I swear—I will never disappoint you!" Mu Yan clenched his fists, face flushed with excitement.
Ye Chen strode into the palace. "Come. There are matters I must explain to you."
Mu Yan eagerly followed behind, brimming with awe.