The Confucian and Taoist Sages of Mortal Cultivation

"As expected, it has the Thunder Spirit Root." Lei Wanhe nodded repeatedly, a smile on his lips, and said to Zhong Ling beside him, "Nephew Zhong, you should take care of the Ascension Ceremony first."

"Once you've dealt with this, I'd like to have a chat with this disciple with the Thunder Spirit Root."

Upon hearing this, both Sect Leader Zhong and Uncle Wang below cast envious glances at Yang Qingyuan.

When Han Li and the others saw that Yang Qingyuan had just arrived at Huangfeng Valley and had already attracted the attention of a Core Formation cultivator, they couldn't help but feel envious and even jealous.

Sect Leader Zhong stepped forward, stood with his hands behind his back, and first said to Uncle Wang, "Junior Brother Wang, you've worked hard."

"You have done a great service by finding a cultivator with a unique spiritual root for our sect this time."

"A batch of Qi-Harmony Pills has just been refined in the alchemy room. You can go and collect ten of them."

"Thank you, Sect Leader." Uncle Wang said with a smile, "This Junior Nephew Yang Qingyuan is not only exceptionally talented, but also has considerable attainments in Confucianism and Taoism. He defeated a cultivator at the eleventh level of Qi Refining with his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining."

"I believe that in the future, they will definitely become the backbone of our Yellow Maple Valley."

"Confucian cultivators?" Upon hearing this, both Sect Leader Zhong and Lei Wanhe showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Lei Wanhe seemed to remember something, his face showing a look of reminiscence, but he quickly returned to normal.

Sect Leader Zhong was very curious, so he asked Yang Qingyuan, "Confucian cultivators are almost extinct in Yue Kingdom. I have never encountered a single Confucian cultivator in all my years of cultivation."

"Where did Yang Qingyuan, my nephew, learn Confucian cultivation techniques?"

Yang Qingyuan did not lie and explained, "Respectfully requesting the sect leader, when I was still a mortal, I accidentally fell off a cliff and found a Confucian cultivation inheritance at the Qi Refining stage at the bottom of the cliff, which is how I embarked on the path of cultivation."

"It's a pity that this inheritance is incomplete, containing only the content of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining. This time, I joined the Yellow Maple Valley in order to find a complete Confucian cultivation technique."

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Zhong frowned, then chuckled dryly and replied, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint my junior disciple."

"Not to mention our Yellow Maple Valley, even looking at the seven major sects of the entire Yue Kingdom, I have never heard of any sect producing a Confucian cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Yang Qingyuan couldn't help but feel disheartened, never expecting that Confucian scholars were so rare in the Yue Kingdom.

Sect Leader Zhong comforted him, saying, "Nephew Yang, there's no need to be discouraged."

"You are a cultivator with a lightning spiritual root. Even if you specialize in lightning magic, you can be invincible among those of the same level."

Helpless, Yang Qingyuan stopped mentioning Confucian and Taoist practices.

At this moment, Uncle Wang spoke up to Sect Leader Zhong, saying, "By the way, Senior Brother, this Junior Nephew Han Li is carrying our Yellow Maple Valley's Ascension Token."

"Logically, one Foundation Establishment Pill should also be taken."

Han Li then took out the Ascension Token from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

"An Ascension Token?!" When Sect Leader Zhong saw that the token in front of him was indeed a genuine Ascension Token, he was stunned for a moment, then frowned and looked troubled, thinking to himself, "There won't be enough Foundation Establishment Pills to go around."

However, he still pretended to be calm and said, "Since Junior Nephew Han Li has come with the Ascension Token, then according to the rules, he should naturally become a disciple of our Yellow Maple Valley."

"The Foundation Establishment Pill is still being refined. I will notify you to come and pick it up when it is ready."

"Each winner of the Ascension Tournament will receive one pill, and Junior Nephew Han Li will receive one pill separately."

"As for Yang Qingyuan, since he is both the winner of the Ascension Conference and has a Thunder Spirit Root, he should be given two pills according to the rules."

"Thank you, Sect Leader!" Yang Qingyuan, Han Li, and the others bowed in unison.

Sect Leader Zhong then looked at Lei Wanhe and said with a forced smile, "Senior Uncle, the Ascension Ceremony has been resolved. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Wanhe slowly stood up, looked at Yang Qingyuan, and said leisurely, "I am Lei Wanhe, a Core Formation Elder of Huangfeng Valley, and I share the same Thunder Spirit Root as you."

"I now wish to accept you as a disciple under a nominal title. What are your thoughts?"

"A so-called nominal disciple is a disciple in name only, without all those formalities. I will consider accepting you as a formal disciple after you break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li, Zhong Lingdao, Uncle Wang, and more than ten other people in the hall were shocked and could not recover for a long time.

Even Yang Qingyuan didn't expect that Lei Wanhe would propose to take him as a disciple as soon as they met.

"How is it?" Lei Wanhe narrowed his eyes when he saw that Yang Qingyuan did not react.

Yang Qingyuan is currently only at the Qi Refining stage, and he doesn't dare to refuse a Core Formation stage cultivator in front of everyone.

Moreover, he also needs to resolve the issue of his cultivation method after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Thinking of this, Yang Qingyuan clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Disciple greets Master."

Uncle Wang, who was standing nearby, quickly offered his congratulations, saying, "Uncle Lei accepting a disciple is a momentous occasion for our Yellow Maple Valley!"

Han Li and the other nine Qi Refining stage cultivators who had won the Ascension Tournament felt a pang of jealousy, as if a jar of vinegar had been spilled.

Sect Leader Zhong laughed and said, "I will prepare an apprenticeship ceremony later and invite all my fellow disciples in the Foundation Establishment stage to come and witness the ceremony."

"No need," Lei Wanhe waved his hand and replied, "I'm just a nominal disciple."

Immediately afterwards, he instructed Yang Qingyuan, "Now that you have become my disciple, you must work even harder in your cultivation and strive to raise your magical power to the tenth level of Qi Refining within two and a half years."

"Two and a half years from now, I will arrange for you to participate in a trial among Qi Refining disciples held by the seven major sects. You must perform well."

"A trial?!" Upon hearing this, Yang Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "There really is no such thing as a free lunch."

"So Lei Wanhe was so eager to take me as his disciple because he wanted to participate in some kind of trial."

Sect Leader Zhong was also taken aback for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Senior Uncle Lei, the trial you're talking about, it wouldn't be the Blood Trial, would it?"

Han Li and the others had not yet heard of the Blood Trial, but upon hearing the name, they guessed that this trial was definitely not a good thing and must be fraught with danger.

Lei Wanhe stood with his hands behind his back and replied, "That's right, it is the Crimson Trial."

"Oh dear." Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Zhong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and advised, "Senior Uncle Lei, the death rate in the Crimson Trial is so high now. Every time it opens, three-quarters of the cultivators die in the secret realm."

"How can we put a genius disciple with a unique spiritual root into the Crimson Trial?"

"If anything goes wrong, our Yellow Maple Valley will suffer a huge loss."

"That's absolutely unacceptable!"

Lei Wanhe glanced at Zhong Lingdao, and that single cold look sent chills down Zhong Lingdao's spine and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Now that Yang Qingyuan is my disciple, he must naturally follow my arrangements."

"I won't let him go to his death in vain; I will definitely prepare treasures in advance."

"Before he enters the Crimson Trial, I will naturally bestow upon him my most treasured possessions for protection."

"In that case, if he participates in the Crimson Trial again, while I wouldn't dare say he can sweep through the other six major sects, he can at least easily pick some spiritual herbs..."