Chapter 317: One Year

Within the Taiyi Immortal Sect, in a secluded courtyard, an acre of red spirit bamboo grew. Beside the bamboo grove stood a two-story red pavilion.

Inside one of the rooms, Wang Mingren sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his eyes lightly closed. Abundant golden and red light floated within the room.

As he inhaled and exhaled, the golden and red light flowed into his body through his mouth and nose.

After about fifteen minutes, the golden and red light in the room vanished, and Wang Mingren opened his eyes.

"As expected of an Earth-grade cultivation method! My cultivation speed is much faster than before," Wang Mingren murmured to himself, his eyes filled with joy.

Dual spiritual root cultivators were not uncommon, but with proper nurturing, their chances of advancing to the Core Formation stage were relatively high. After his dual spiritual roots were detected, Xu Zihua personally arranged for his entry into the sect.

The admission procedures were somewhat complex, requiring multiple background checks. Fortunately, his background was clean and could withstand scrutiny. After gaining admission, he followed Xu Zihua to the Scripture Pavilion. As an inner disciple, he selected an Earth-grade cultivation method called the "Golden Flame Secret Tome." Of course, he only received the Qi Refining stage cultivation method at that time and swore an inner demon oath not to divulge it without the sect's permission.

Xu Zihua told him that once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he would also have to swear an oath on the Blood Soul Spirit Book, binding him not to leak the cultivation method, or else he would suffer a backlash from the book.

Immortal cultivation sects maintained very strict control over the transmission of cultivation methods. This was especially true for cultivators from cultivation families, who might copy the sect's methods for their own clans. If discovered, they would be severely punished.

Earth-grade cultivation methods were quite rare. A high-level cultivator possessing an Earth-grade method would be qualified to establish their own sect.

The Taiyi Immortal Sect strictly controlled cultivation methods of Earth-grade and above. Generally, ordinary disciples were not qualified to cultivate Earth-grade methods. If Wang Mingren hadn't possessed dual spiritual roots, he wouldn't have been eligible either.

Wang Mingren was well aware that if his family hadn't eliminated Chen Qingshu, he might not have been able to join the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Also, before Wang Changsheng and the other two left, they had given him ten thousand spirit stones, making his life quite comfortable.

"I wonder how my parents are doing," Wang Mingren thought, having left home at a young age and feeling concerned for them.

A sound transmission talisman flew in and landed before Wang Mingren.

Wang Mingren crushed the talisman, and a polite male voice immediately sounded: "Junior Brother Wang, I am Zhao Wuji from the Divine Elixir lineage. I heard that Senior Uncle Xu has taken on a new disciple. Junior Brother Xiao Tianzheng and I would like to pay you a visit, Junior Brother Wang."

"Zhao Wuji? Xiao Tianzheng? I haven't heard of these two," Wang Mingren thought. Although he didn't know them, since they were specifically visiting, he couldn't refuse to see them, especially as he had just joined the sect.

He took out a red formation plate, cast a spell on it, then stood up and walked out.

Opening the courtyard gate, Wang Mingren saw Zhao Wuji and Xiao Tianzheng.

"This junior, Wang Mingren, greets Senior Brother Zhao and Senior Brother Xiao," Wang Mingren said courteously, cupping his fists.

Zhao Wuji and Xiao Tianzheng exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

After returning to the sect, they had inquired around and learned that Xu Zihua had taken a disciple, but they were unsure of his specific aptitude. Wang Mingren was only a little over ten years old. For Xu Zihua to accept someone so young as a disciple meant that Wang Mingren either had extraordinary aptitude or was related to Xu Zihua. In either case, he was worth befriending for Zhao Wuji and Xiao Tianzheng. The Taiyi Immortal Sect had tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators combined, but few disciples were accepted under Core Formation stage cultivators.

"Junior Brother Wang, you are too polite," Zhao Wuji asked with a smile. "Junior Brother Wang, do you have an elder brother named Wang Mingjiang? And two nephews named Wang Changfeng and Wang Changsheng?"

Wang Mingren's expression tightened, and he asked anxiously, "Indeed. Senior Brother Zhao, do you know them? What happened to them?"

Xiao Tianzheng smiled slightly and said, "We encountered them when we entered the mountain range to hunt demonic beasts, Junior Brother Wang. Your three clansmen even saved my life! They are fine, all well. They mentioned that you are their clansman, Junior Brother Wang, so Senior Brother Zhao and I specifically came to pay you a visit. We haven't disturbed your cultivation, have we?"

Wang Mingren breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "No, not at all. This isn't the best place to talk. Please, Senior Brothers, come inside." Wang Mingren invited Zhao Wuji and Xiao Tianzheng into the room and entertained them warmly.

Zhao Wuji and Xiao Tianzheng didn't stay long. After drinking some tea and exchanging pleasantries, they took their leave. Wang Mingren did not slight them and personally saw them off.

"Daoist Wang and the others weren't lying," Xiao Tianzheng proposed. "With Junior Brother Wang's connection, they are worth befriending. Junior Brother Li and Junior Brother Chen have already been killed. How about we invite them to join our group to fill the vacancies? Otherwise, hunting demonic beasts with just the three of us would still be quite dangerous. Daoist Wang is a second-grade high-rank artifact refiner; he could help us repair our magical artifacts and save us some expenses."

Zhao Wuji shook his head and said, "There's no hurry. Let's first deal with the aftermath for Junior Brother Li and Junior Brother Chen. After all, they are outsiders. I'm more inclined to find fellow disciples. If there are no suitable candidates, it won't be too late to seek them out then."

"You're right," he replied. "I'll go to the Hall of Deacons to inquire again, hoping to find out the reason Junior Brother Wang was accepted into our sect." Zhao Wuji released a spirit bird, which carried the two of them away. Before long, they vanished into the horizon.

Spring turned to autumn, and a year quickly passed.

In a secret room in Taiyuan Market City.

Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. A massive ape puppet lay on the ground, its surface covered with intricate mystical patterns.

Wang Changsheng took out a black gourd and cast a spell on it. A large stream of silver liquid flew out from it. Under the control of his divine sense, the silver liquid twisted and transformed into hundreds of intricate silver runes.

"Go," he murmured, pointing his finger at the ape puppet on the ground. The hundreds of silver runes spun, then flashed and instantly merged into the ape puppet's body.

The ape puppet's surface glowed brightly, but its eyes remained vacant. Wang Changsheng wiped the sweat from his brow, took out a black porcelain bottle, and released an egg-sized green light sphere. He formed a hand seal, and silver spiritual runes lit up on the ape puppet's surface. Its mouth opened, and the green light sphere, as if guided by something, flashed and instantly entered the ape puppet's body. The ape puppet's eyeballs began to move. Its hands pressed against the floor, and its upper body slowly rose, its gaze fixed on Wang Changsheng.

"It's finally successful! A second-grade high-rank puppet beast," Wang Changsheng exclaimed, letting out a long breath of relief.

He had spent over three months repairing the Ice Flood Dragon Flag, though its power was somewhat diminished. Then, he spent over eight months refining this second-grade high-rank puppet beast. With this second-grade high-rank puppet beast, hunting demonic beasts would be much easier and safer for them in the future.

He formed another hand seal, and with a series of mechanical clicks, the ape puppet transformed into a watermelon-sized silver orb, its surface covered with intricate spiritual patterns.