txolops Chapter 70 A Tricky Mission
Chapter 70 A Tricky Mission
"Disciple Zhang Tie requests an audience with Master!"
At the summit of Lingxian Peak, Zhang Tie disembarked from the flying boat and respectfully bowed towards the pavilion.
A moment later, the wooden door to the attic opened, and Han Jianshan walked out, nodding slightly at Zhang Tie.
"Excellent! You've mastered the Mysterious Spirit Technique in just three months! That's a wonderful surprise for me!" A hint of surprise flashed in Han Jianshan's eyes.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to cultivate the Mysterious Spirit Technique. It took him a full year to successfully enter the field, and now, more than three hundred years later, he has only just reached the pinnacle.
I remember back then, it took Qi Xuan three years to barely master the basics, but this Zhang Tie only took three months?
"Show me what you've got?"
Zhang Tie took a deep breath and used the Xuanling Secret Technique of Spirit Control. He extended his divine soul and manipulated a wisp of spiritual energy from the peak, condensing it in his palm. The spiritual energy swirled in Zhang Tie's palm, forming a small vortex.
Han Jianshan stared at the vortex in silence for a moment, but his eyes grew brighter as he looked at Zhang Tie.
"Great, much faster than I expected!"
Zhang Tie withdrew his magic and respectfully said, "This disciple is of dull talent and has presumptuously tried to teach my master!"
Han Jianshan waved his hand, not taking the bait. He looked at Zhang Tie with deep eyes, seemingly hesitating about something. In the end, he decided to tell the kid, otherwise the kid would always feel a distance between them!
Don't be fooled by Zhang Tie's current respectful demeanor. Having cultivated for hundreds of years, how could Han Jianshan not see through Zhang Tie's thoughts?
Given how smart this little guy is, he's clearly not the kind of person who believes in free lunches!
Furthermore, given Zhang Tie's cultivation speed, he will definitely master the Xuanling Secret Technique within a hundred years.
Han Jianshan strolled to the stone pavilion and sat down, looking at Zhang Tie: "Zhang Tie, do you know why I took you as my disciple?"
Zhang Tie's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real topic was coming.
"This disciple does not know, but this disciple does know that Master accepted this disciple not because of this disciple's aptitude!"
Han Jianshan nodded, without denying it.
"You're very clever. I won't hide it from you. My taking you as my disciple is indeed related to the Mysterious Spirit Technique. This technique concerns an ancient site and is the key to unlocking it. I estimate that there's something I need in that site!"
Han Jianshan got straight to the point, paused for a moment, and then continued, "Your senior brother also cultivates this secret technique, but he is skilled in talismans and his talent in magic is not as good as yours. He has only just achieved minor success after a hundred years of cultivation. And to open that ancient site, at least two Core Formation cultivators who have mastered the Profound Spirit Secret Technique are needed!!!"
Zhang Tie remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he processed the massive amount of information.
Ancient ruins? If something could interest someone like Han Jianshan, who is at the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation, it must either be something that can improve one's cultivation or something related to the Nascent Soul stage. Considering that the Profound Spirit Secret Technique was created by a Nascent Soul cultivator, the things in the ancient ruins are very likely related to the Nascent Soul stage!
"Disciple understands!"
"Aren't you going to ask about any historical sites?" Han Jianshan asked Zhang Tie with interest, teasingly.
"Master will naturally tell me when it's time for me to know! My cultivation is too low now, so it's useless for me to know!" Zhang Tie said honestly.
Han Jianshan looked at Zhang Tie and remained silent for a long time.
"Alright, I'll tell you when your cultivation reaches the Core Formation stage, or when your Profound Spirit Secret Technique reaches its peak!"
After learning the details of accepting disciples and the "Mysterious Spirit Technique," Zhang Tie's doubts lessened somewhat.
Han Jianshan also offered some guidance on the difficulties Zhang Tie encountered in his cultivation. This advice greatly benefited Zhang Tie, and many of the problems that had previously been causing him trouble were easily resolved.
Only then did Zhang Tie realize the benefits of having a good teacher. Although Han Jianshan took him as a disciple because of that ancient site, the master-disciple relationship still existed in reality.
Just as Zhang Tie was about to take his leave, Han Jianshan seemed to have thought of something and called out to him.
"Zhang Tie, the Yan Family Fortress is holding a treasure-hunting tournament, giving the younger generation of the seven sects a chance to exchange skills. They've also sent me an invitation. Your senior brother and I are both Core Formation cultivators, so we won't go. You can go in my place!"
"Yan Family Fortress!?" Zhang Tie's voice rose slightly involuntarily, a surge of emotion welling up within him.
He knew this place all too well.
In the original story, Yan Family Fortress was the spark that ignited the war in Yue Kingdom, comparable to Seraphim in the previous life!
Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, joined forces with the Yan Family Fortress and used the Treasure Hunt Conference as a pretext to wipe out all the cultivators from the seven sects who came to participate. Almost all the cultivators from the seven sects who rushed to the Yan Family Fortress were wiped out, with only Han Li managing to escape by sheer luck.
"What's wrong! Don't you want to go?" Han Jianshan put down his teacup and glanced at Zhang Tie.
Zhang Tie quickly composed himself, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This disciple dares not, but my strength is too weak, and I am afraid of disgracing Master."
"It's just a formality, not a competition. You probably wouldn't even look at those magical artifacts at the treasure hunt!" Han Jianshan knew that this disciple had quite a few good magical artifacts.
As for Zhang Tie's claim of low strength, Han Jianshan's eyes widened in surprise. This kid was too good at hiding his true abilities; it was as if he hadn't been the one who caused that mess with the Xie family.
Han Jianshan waved his hand dismissively and tossed Zhang Tie a brocade box: "Here's the gift. You should go out and explore more; cultivation isn't something you can improve by just staying in seclusion!!!"
Seeing this, Zhang Tie had no choice but to take the brocade box and put it into his storage bag.
"Go ahead and go find it as soon as possible!"
"......yes!"
Zhang Tie returned to his cave, his brows slightly furrowed.
He really didn't want to join in the fun!
The Yan Family Fortress was a massacre. Wang Chan was ruthless and had Core Formation cultivators protecting her. This was Zhang Tie's biggest worry.
But he couldn't disobey his master's orders; he couldn't very well say that he knew something bad was going to happen at Yan Family Fortress!
"Let's take it one step at a time. If things go wrong, we can just send a gift and run! Wait, the Yan Family Fortress has already pledged allegiance to the Ghost Spirit Sect, what's the point of sending a gift?!"
Zhang Tie wasn't in a hurry to set off; there were still half a month until the treasure hunt!
First, he went to the market and bought a mid-grade magic artifact-level shape-changing mask. He put it on his face and injected spiritual power into it. The mask seemed to come alive. Just by sticking to his skin, Zhang Tie's face began to change. His originally young face became a cultivator with dark skin and a short beard, who looked to be in his early thirties.
Then Zhang Tie used the Spirit Concealment Technique to suppress his cultivation level from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to the early-Foundation Establishment stage. After confirming that there were no flaws, he nodded in satisfaction.
The black crow crouched in the corner of the cave, tilting its head as it watched Zhang Tie transform into a different person, and let out a low, puzzled cry.
"Let's go!"
Zhang Tie leaped onto the Black Crow, which flapped its wings and burst out of the cave, flying towards Yan Family Fortress.
The speed of the black crow was much faster than that of a flying boat, and the speed of a high-grade demon beast was comparable to that of a high-grade magic weapon flying boat. The mountains and rivers beneath his feet rushed past, and Zhang Tie recalled the events of Yan Family Fort in his mind.
"Han Li will probably show up too!"
According to the original plot, Han Li should also bring Dong Xuan'er to Yan Family Fortress to represent Li Huayuan and Hong Fu. Zhang Tie felt a surge of anticipation. It had been seven or eight years since they parted ways at Tianwu Mountain. He wondered how that kid was doing!