The golden decree of the Sect Leader faded into particles of light, leaving the Main Hall in a stunned silence. The Six Great Elders looked as if they had just swallowed a fly.
Li Wudi, however, didn't leave immediately. He dusted off his sleeves and looked around the hall with a critical eye, his gaze finally landing on the massive incense burner in front of the statue of the sect's founder, Great Emperor Ren Huang.
Specifically, he looked at the charred, blackened wooden stick resting inside it, used for decades to stir the ashes of burnt offerings.
"Elders," Wudi said, breaking the silence. "Since I am now the Prime Disciple, surely the sect should bestow a weapon upon me for self-defense?"
Grand Elder Gu Changfeng scoffed, his face still flushed with indignation. "You have a Mortal Physique and no cultivation. Giving you a spirit weapon would be like giving a pearl to a swine. You couldn't even activate it."
"True," Wudi agreed easily. "Then I'll take something simple. That stick will do."
He pointed at the incense burner.
The Elders followed his finger and frowned. That stick? It was just a piece of ironwood used by servants. It had no spiritual fluctuation. It was trash.
"You want... the fire poker?" Elder Xiong asked, confused.
"It has been bathed in the incense of the Ancestral Master for thousands of years," Wudi spouted some nonsense with a straight face. "It carries the 'weight' of the sect. It suits me."
"Take it and get out," Gu Changfeng waved his hand dismissively. To him, Wudi was just an idiot trying to act profound. "Nangong Yu! Where is Nangong Yu?"
A short, round-faced disciple with shrewd eyes scurried out from behind a pillar. He looked like a shopkeeper rather than a cultivator.
"Disciple is here, Grand Elder!" Nangong Yu bowed deeply.
"Take the... Prime Disciple... to Prime Disciple Peak," Gu Changfeng ordered through gritted teeth. "And ensure he stays there."
"Understood!"
Wudi walked over to the incense burner, grabbed the blackened stick, and weighed it in his hand.
Perfect balance.
Through the connection with the soul, the Eye of Truth activated. The interface overlaid his vision, stripping away the carbon buildup to reveal the item's true history.
[
Item: Dragon Taming Rod
Origin: The discipline rod used by the founder, Great Emperor Ren Huang, during his youth to beat unruly prodigies into submission.
Status: Sealed. Self-concealing.
]
Wudi tucked the stick into his belt and smirked at the Elders. "Gentlemen, work hard. The sect depends on you."
He turned and followed Nangong Yu out, leaving six Dao Slasher Kings trembling with rage.
Prime Disciple Peak
Despite the grand name, Prime Disciple Peak was a mess. It was a solitary peak located on the western edge of the sect, overgrown with weeds and vines. The "palace" was a dilapidated courtyard with a leaking roof.
"Senior Brother Li," Nangong Yu said with a polite, ingratiating smile. "This place is... quiet. Excellent for cultivation. If you need servants to clean up—"
"No need," Wudi cut him off. He looked at Nangong Yu. This fatty had sharp eyes. While everyone else looked at Wudi with disdain, Nangong Yu was calculating, weighing the pros and cons. A smart man.
"You can go, Junior Brother Nangong. I will summon you if I need a guide."
Nangong Yu bowed and retreated, his eyes lingering on Wudi for a second too long before he disappeared down the mountain path.
Wudi walked into the courtyard, kicked the door shut, and sat down on a dusty stone bench.
"Finally," he whispered.
The air in the room shimmered. From the shadows, the withered figure of Old Li stepped out. He leaned heavily on his cane, his eyes cloudy.
"You acted well," the old man rasped.
"I am the main actor now," Wudi replied, stretching his youthful limbs. "This body... it feels good to be young. That old shell of yours is just unpleasant to experience."
Old Li sat across from him. It was a strange sensation—one soul split in two. But Wudi was right. The old body, despite its Peak Saint power, was a decaying vessel. Wudi was the future. Wudi was the protagonist.
"Let's check the System," Wudi said. "We need to secure my growth before the trouble starts."
Old Li nodded and pulled up the interface, sharing the view with Wudi.
[
Disciple Rebate System
Current Disciple: Li Wudi
Loyalty: 100 (Max)
Generation Limit: 1/1 (Max Disciples Reached for this Era).
Available Rebates: Daily Limit (1/3).
]
"Only one disciple," Wudi noted. "Good. I don't want to share resources anyway."
"I need to teach you a cultivation manual," Old Li said. "In the novel, the protagonist Wang started with a basic technique. We need something adaptable."
"Teach me the Yin-Yang Breathing Method," Wudi commanded. "It's a Mortal Tier technique, but it balances the two energies perfectly. Great for a rebate."
Old Li reached out and tapped Wudi's forehead. He didn't just speak the words; he used his Saint spiritual sense to engrave the runes directly into Wudi's mind.
[Ding!]
[Detected Host has granted a Cultivation Manual: Yin-Yang Breathing Method (Mortal Tier).]
[System Criteria Met. Triggering Rebate...]
Both bodies held their breath. Mortal Tier was trash. But with the System...
[Calculating Rebate Multiplier...]
[...500x Rebate!]
[Congratulations! You have received: Grand Yin-Yang Scripture (Saint Tier).]
A jade slip appeared in Old Li's hand. He immediately tossed it to Wudi.
"Saint Tier," Wudi said, catching it. "The Heavenly Ancient Sect lost its high-tier manuals ages ago. This Grand Yin-Yang Scripture is enough to crush anyone here."
The Grand Yin-Yang Scripture focused on the duality of creation—using Yin to nourish the spirit and Yang to temper the body.
"I'm going to start," Wudi said. "You set up the array. If those old fogies try to spy on me, blind them."
Nightfall.
Li Wudi sat in the center of the courtyard, the Grand Yin-Yang Scripture circulating in his mind.
He popped a Royal Spirit Stone into his mouth like it was candy—a luxury that would make the Elders vomit blood if they saw it.
Crunch.
The spiritual energy exploded in his stomach. Guided by the Saint Scripture, it rushed into his dried-up Wheel of Life.
Hummmm.
A faint black and white light began to glow around Wudi's navel, spinning in a perfect circle. The surrounding weeds withered as he sucked the wood Qi out of the air to fuel his fire.
In the shadows, the withered Old Li watched silently, acting as the protector.
"In the novel, it took the protagonist three months to open his Wheel," Wudi thought, feeling the barrier in his body. "But he didn't have a Saint feeding him Royal Stones."
BOOM!
A shockwave of black and white dust blasted outward from Wudi's body. A dual-colored ocean of Qi began to churn within his dantian.
[Alert: Disciple Li Wudi has successfully opened the Wheel Sea.]
[Current Cultivation: Wheel Sea Realm - First Layer.]
"One hour," Wudi opened his eyes, a black light in his left pupil and a white light in his right. He clenched his fist, feeling the raw power of a cultivator. "Not bad."
He looked at the moon hanging over Prime Disciple Peak.
"Tomorrow, the trouble will start. The 'geniuses' of the sect won't accept a mortal Prime Disciple. They'll come to challenge me."
Wudi picked up the Dragon Taming Rod next to him and grinned.
"Let them come. I need someone to test this stick."