Chapter 1995: White Leaf Elder Wants to Accept Disciples

"Marry?" Zhang Xuan's face twitched as he instinctively took a step back, nearly scared out of his wits. "My lady, that's no way to joke! My heart can't take it..."

Truth be told, Bai Ruanqing was not ugly; on the contrary, she was very beautiful, especially her long, slender legs. But... he already had a girlfriend. What's more, this woman was a "female tyrant" who would resort to violence at the slightest provocation... Even an iron man couldn't endure that! He, for one, definitely had no masochistic tendencies.

"What's wrong with you?" Bai Ruanqing, who had been immersed in admiration, looked at him confusedly, seeing his horrified expression as if he had seen a ghost. "I'm marrying 'I Am Low-Key,' so what's with your terrified reaction?"

"Nothing..." Zhang Xuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and offered an awkward smile, secretly vowing to protect his "I Am Low-Key" identity and ensure it was never exposed.

"Elder Feng explained this sword technique to me in detail; it should be executed like this..." Ignoring his shock, Bai Ruanqing offered a few explanations, delving into the mysteries of the move they had just witnessed. Liu Lujie and the others suddenly grasped it. After listening for a moment, Zhang Xuan suppressed the urge to vomit, turned his head, and feigned deafness, focusing on himself.

His excellent swordsmanship, being misinterpreted in such a way... if he continued to listen, he truly didn't know if he could resist the urge to strike someone! Frankly, if he weren't lacking in strength, he would have long since pried open the coffin of the Clouded Sword Sect's founding ancestor to see how such a group of descendants could have been cultivated.

"Fine, if nothing else, I'll find a chance to give them some proper pointers..." After standing for a moment, Bai Ruanqing finally finished speaking. With a satisfied expression, she leapt onto the beast's back, and Zhang Xuan swiftly followed.

The core disciples' peak was not far from the inner sect, its upper half shrouded in white clouds and ethereal mist, giving it the serene feel of a secluded paradise. Sitting on the beast's back, Zhang Xuan noticed that the spiritual energy here was significantly more potent than at the inner sect peaks, which would make cultivation much more effective.

"The library is straight ahead. Here's my identity token; you can use it to enter... I'll come pick you up in three hours!" Bai Ruanqing instructed as the sacred beast landed in front of a colossal library. Known as the "female tyrant," she had always lacked patience for reading. Rather than waiting there, she preferred to deliver the medicine to her grandfather as quickly as possible, to alleviate his suffering.

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded. It was certainly better that she wasn't accompanying him, given his unique method of reading.

Like the inner sect disciples' library, entry required sufficient Sword Pavilion coins. While the inner sect charged four coins per hour, this library was ten times more expensive, at forty coins per hour. However, Zhang Xuan was now affluent and didn't mind the cost, paying 120 coins directly for three hours.

As expected, the core disciples' library contained cultivation methods and sword arts far more profound than those in the inner sect. Cultivation techniques for the Void Immortal realm were notably present. Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed as he scanned row after row, cataloging all the books in his personal library. Regardless of anything else, cultivation methods and one's personal cultivation level were paramount. As long as he could form Heavenly Dao cultivation techniques, improving his cultivation would be remarkably simple with his current wealth.

Bai Ruanqing returned to her courtyard and approached Elder Bai Ye, who lay somewhat weakly in bed. "Grandpa, I've bought the medicine..." she said, handing him the three jade bottles she had just acquired.

"Is this the medicine you gave me last time?" Taking the jade bottle, Elder Bai Ye removed the stopper and examined it carefully, looking bewildered. Numerous physicians in the sect had concocted countless precious elixirs, yet none had helped his injuries. He had expected something far more valuable to bring him back to consciousness, but this medicine was like clear water—he couldn't sense any spiritual energy, nor could he detect any medicinal properties. "This... is it really useful?" he wondered.

"It may look unremarkable, but it can heal your injuries. Take it quickly!" Bai Ruanqing said with a smile, seeing his expression. Back then, she herself hadn't recognized it, and had she not been desperate, she would never have believed that a medicine from an inner sect disciple could cure an elder's injuries.

"I'll try!" Having heard from Bai Feng and his granddaughter, Elder Bai Ye no longer hesitated. He picked up the jade bottle, tilted his head back, and drank one. As the "medicinal liquid" entered his throat, he immediately felt a significant easing of his internal injuries, which had long been intractable. The power that had been continuously rotting his internal organs grew increasingly diluted. "How potent..." His eyes gleamed with newfound hope, and with no more doubts, Elder Bai Ye opened and consumed the remaining two bottles.

"How are you feeling?" Bai Ruanqing asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice, as she watched her grandfather consume three bottles in succession. Without a word, Elder Bai Ye, who had been lying in bed, gently pressed his palm, and like a phantom, appeared in the center of the courtyard, a long sword materializing in his hand. *Zzzzz!* Sword qi whistled as the spiritual energy in the courtyard converged like a hurricane. He executed one move after another, the long sword flowing like water in his grasp. Looking at him, he seemed completely uninjured!

"Grandpa, are you completely recovered?" Seeing the old man who had moments ago been confined to his bed now practicing swordplay in the courtyard, Bai Ruanqing's eyes immediately welled up.

"I'm still some way from full recovery, but the power I couldn't eliminate before has been completely eradicated. With proper recuperation, I should be back to normal within a month!" Stopping, Elder Bai Ye's eyes gleamed with uncontrollable excitement. After such severe injuries, he had been at constant risk of death, believing his life was over. He never expected such an unassuming medicinal liquid to possess such miraculous efficacy!

"Congratulations, Grandpa!" Bai Ruanqing exclaimed.

"The person who sold you this medicine has saved my life! Do you know where he is now? I'd like to meet him!" After cultivating a little longer and feeling his spirit and energy slowly returning, Elder Bai Ye stopped and turned to ask.

"He's an inner sect disciple. I just took him to the core disciples' library!" Bai Ruanqing replied.

"The library?" Seeing her grandfather's confusion, Bai Ruanqing explained Zhang Xuan's request in detail.

"He offered such powerful medicine, only to ask to read books..." Elder Bai Ye was somewhat incredulous. "In an era where strength reigns supreme, someone still wants to read, without a restless heart... Are there truly people like that?" "Yes!" Bai Ruanqing nodded. To be honest, she too was quite surprised that he only requested to read. With such a prime opportunity, anyone else would have easily secured a place in the core by making even a modest request.

"Go to the library and check..." After asking a few more detailed questions, Elder Bai Ye nodded. Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly paused. "Wait a moment, Ah Feng!" "Master!" Bai Feng came forward.

"Here's a disguise pill. After taking it, your appearance will change for an hour. Suppress your cultivation to be similar to his, then find an opportunity to test him..." With a flick of his wrist, a jade bottle appeared in Elder Bai Ye's hand.

"Test?" Taking the pill, Bai Feng's eyes lit up. "Master, are you... considering taking him as a disciple?" As a sect elder, one wouldn't test a disciple without reason, especially not someone who had shown such kindness. There could only be one purpose for this: to take him as a disciple!

"He knew Ruanqing bought it and didn't extort her, which shows good character," Elder Bai Ye said lightly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Furthermore, he saved my life. If I merely grant him access to the library and remain otherwise indifferent, wouldn't my life seem too cheap?" After all, he was one of the three great elders of the Clouded Sword Sect, a highly renowned figure across the continent. To offer so little in return for saving his life would be quite embarrassing if word got out.

"I understand what you mean, Master!" Bai Feng smiled, recognizing his profound intentions. "Injuries from the City of Falling Traps have always been incurable. Now, the medicine he sold has healed you, Master. Even if the actual supply runs out, it will still be a great temptation to others. You fear he will face misfortune because of this, which is why you intend to take him as a disciple and give him a formal status! It's a form of protection." The City of Falling Traps, though abundant with treasures coveted by countless experts, was also exceptionally perilous. Few who entered survived, and even those who did often sustained severe, incurable injuries, eventually dying in regret. For thousands of years, countless brilliant talents across the Abandoned Continent had attempted to find a cure, but to no avail. Now, if news spreads that he possesses such healing medicine, he will undoubtedly become a target for countless covetous individuals, facing significant danger. By taking him as a disciple, others, even if they wished to harm him, would have to consider Elder Bai's reputation, thus subtly averting a potential disaster.

Taking a deep breath, Elder Bai Ye's expression grew distant. "Although it's relatively safe within the Sword Pavilion, many harbor ill intentions, so caution is still necessary! This way, it also serves as repayment for his life-saving kindness, preventing him from suffering because of it! Of course, the prerequisite is sufficient strength! If his understanding of the sword dao is too weak, taking him as a disciple would be quite embarrassing for me." "Yes, I'll go take care of it immediately!" Nodding, Bai Feng's figure flickered and vanished.

"Grandpa, are you really going to take him as a disciple?" Overhearing the conversation, Bai Ruanqing's face was a mask of conflicted emotions. "This way... wouldn't I be a generation behind him?" "Hmm, I've never taken a disciple before, but I hope this one can pass Bai Feng's assessment!" Seeing his granddaughter's dismay, Elder Bai Ye smiled. "As long as he succeeds, he'll be your martial uncle! As a junior, don't cause any trouble; I've heard quite a lot about your antics in the core!" "Martial uncle..." Bai Ruanqing gritted her teeth. She had initially found the fellow somewhat simple and endearing, but the thought of someone younger than her becoming her martial uncle filled her with immediate exasperation.

"Grandpa, since you're well, I'll go cultivate now..." Bai Ruanqing said, her eyes flickering. "Go ahead!" Elder Bai Ye waved his hand. Having just recovered, his body remained somewhat weak and needed careful recuperation.

Leaving the courtyard, Bai Ruanqing's obedient demeanor instantly vanished. A pair of fangs showed from her lips, and a fierce glint entered her eyes. "I'll go teach him a lesson first... At worst, I'll call him Martial Uncle in front of Grandpa, but when no one's around, I'll make him call me Senior Sister!" She was known as the "female tyrant" and had never suffered a loss since childhood. The thought of calling someone with lower cultivation and who was younger than her "Martial Uncle" was simply intolerable! No matter who he was, she would teach him a lesson first... Besides, Grandpa was going to assess him anyway, so this was just a premature start.

The flying sacred beast landed in front of the library once more. Due to her status, she could enter directly without a token. "Didn't he say he was reading?" Entering, Bai Ruanqing frowned. The entire library was unusually quiet, as if no one was there; she couldn't hear the rustle of pages. She walked along the bookshelves, going about halfway in, when she finally found the young man standing before a row of books. He wasn't holding a book, nor was he looking at them, but rather constantly shaking his head in their direction. "What are you doing?" she couldn't help but ask after watching him for a while and seeing he had no intention of picking up a book.

"Oh, you're here..." Zhang Xuan smiled, seeing her. "I'm looking for the books I need..." It truly was the core disciples' library; the sheer number of books was immense. Even after all this time, he had cataloged less than half. It seemed it might indeed take the full three hours to finish cataloging everything.