If not for the Yan Clan arranging things in advance, these recruits would have joined the Fire Cloud Clan and cultivated the horrible demonic manual to become bloodthirsty maniacs.
So the idea that one need not go through a test to become a Yan disciple was just a hoax.
“Great Elder!”
Before long, dozens of people stood in rows in front of Chi Yanzi. They all now knew who this old man was. Afraid of slighting him, they all got down on one knee as a display of respect, obedience and royalty.
“Hey, old man. It’s a mission accomplished. When will I get my reward?” Han Tian came up to him, thick-skinned.
Chi Yanzi glared at him. “I have no say over you. Go ask that old fag!”
“Miser!” Han Tian pouted. “What about your granddaughter—”
“Get the hell out of my sight!” Chi Yanzi burst out before Han Tian could finish his sentence. He blew and a violent wind came, rolling up Han Tian and throwing him a thousand feet away. Han Tian was crying out in pain.
He clambered to his feet and snarled. When he saw the nerd behind the great elder, he was dumbfounded for a second. “Who is this guy? Where is Wutian?”
Those genius teens sucked through their teeth, marveling at the power of the great elder.
Next, their hearts skipped a beat as they saw the two humans and a beast. Were they not Guyu’s sister and the little beast? They were standing behind the great elder. Could there be some kind of relationship between them?
Besides, where in the holy hell was Guyu?
Chi Yanzi’s eyes scanned around. “The Guyu that you saw is actually Wutian, the one wanted by the Fore Cloud Clan. In order to save you all, he killed Elder Wu, the censor of the Fire Cloud clan, Huoshi, the young master, Liuyan, the disciple of their great elder, and dozens of their nucleus disciples. Meanwhile, Wutian was fatally wounded and died soon after that.”
“What? Guyu is Wutian?” Some of the teens came from distinguished backgrounds and knew about the wanted list.
“It was said that he was expelled because he had stolen the secret manual of the Fire Cloud Clan. Could that be the Spirit-Devouring Demonic Manual?” Someone speculated.
“Very likely. If not, how the hell did he become so powerful, killing dozens of powerful fighters of the Fire Cloud Clan, including one great cultivator of the Meridian Growth period?”
“Nah, that is just crap. If Wutian had really stolen the demonic manual, why the hell did he save us?” someone rebutted.
“Wutian? Who is Wutian? I have never heard this name before. Can he fight?” Some teens from more remote villagers were more ignorant.
“Badass? Didn’t you hear what the great elder said? He had killed nearly all the Fire Cloud people before he could save us. Bear in mind that he was just about our age and yet he possessed such a level of strength. So what do you say?”
“Wutian is dead?”
Han Tian looked at the nerd in suspicion. The corner of his lips curled up when he realized who the nerd actually was. That old man thinks I don’t know? He let out an evil smile and was ready to extort the great elder.
Chi Yanzi put up his hand, and everyone became quiet. “Wutian was faithful and righteous. He sacrificed his life for the Yan Clan, and that makes me sad. So I have taken in his young sister and little beast. From now on, they will be my disciples.”
“What?”
There was again a commotion. This was big news, no doubt. Being able to stay beside a person with such a high stature like the great elder, an existence that even surpassed the clan master; what lucky persons they were!
Everyone else was envious and jealous at the same time.
Especially Han Tian, his eyes wide open, looking at Chi Yan in disbelief. Did the old man hit his head somewhere today? For the first time, he is taking in disciples.
Hold on a second! Since Shishi and Little Thing have become his disciples, then Wutian must have…
Thinking of this, Han Tian became indignant. He ran up to the great elder and cried foul. “I have long been wanting to become your disciple, yet you have never spared a glance at me. Am I any less good than these… these two sons of a bitch? You had better give me an explanation.”
Chi Yanzi said nothing but struck out a palm. Han Tian cried in pain as he was sent flying away again. Those genius teens looked at each other, struck dumb. Who was this guy? He even dared to talk to the great elder like that.
Chi Yanzi let out a smile. “The test in Ironstone has started. You all won’t be able to take part now. But, I have arranged another special session. Anyone who could safely arrive at Ironstone from here will become a Yan disciple.”
Those teens were excited, hopping from one foot to the other like little girls and rushing toward Ironstone.
Han Tian staggered back. His expression could not have looked worse. “I need an explanation, old man!”
Chi Yanzi shook his head and chuckled. “You are talented, Han Tian. I have wanted to take you in as my disciple, but you belong to that old fag. I couldn’t steal you from him.”
Han Tian’s face twitched. Apparently, he was not too happy with this explanation.
“Yan Yangzi, Han Tian. Your two keep an eye on those teens. They may not be as talented as you two are, but they are talents in their own right. The clan needs them. So you two must not let anything happen to them.” Chi Yanzi instructed.
“Yes, Master!” Wutian replied after a bit of hesitation. He had yet gotten used to his new name.
“Yan Yangzi, huh? What a name!” Han Tian pouted.
A beam of light rose in the air and engulfed Han Tian in it. His injury rapidly healed. It did not take long before his wound cured, scab formed and dropped off. His skin was revitalized and lustrous and smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Only then Han Tian broke into a smile.
Saying nothing, Chi Yanzi took out an emblem from his Mustard Pouch. Only the size of his palm, white, and as smooth as a mirror, the emblem glowed in his hand with some text appearing on the surface.
“I will give you this emblem. It represents your identity.” Chi Yanzi’s hand shuddered and the emblem landed in Wutian’s hand. His face avuncular as he gave Wutian a few more instructions. Before the Shishi and Little Tian knew what happened, Chi Yanzi waved and they faded into a rainbow, disappearing from sight.
“Let me down, freaking grandpa Master. I want to be with my brother…”
“Caw, caw!”
What was left was a pair of protesting voices resounding in the air.
Wutian pulled back his eyes and looked at the emblem. On one side of the emblem, the text read: Yan Yangzi. When he flipped it to the other side, he got a weird expression on his face when he saw the text read: Thatched Hut.
“What are you staring at, Wutian, I mean Yan Yangzi? Do you know how precious this emblem is? If you show it off in the clan, it will surely cause a sensation.” Han Tian pouted, wiping the drool from his chin as he looked at the emblem enviously.
“You may call my real name in private.” Wutian kept the emblem underneath his clothes, then sped off to catch up with the genius teens.
For some reason, he still could not get used to the name Yan Yangzi. It just sounded weird to his ear.
Han Tian rolled his eyes. He caught up with Wutian and explained to him. “You must not have known the meaning of the suffix ‘zi’ in your name. Only those disciples with strength ranked within the top five and endorsed by the great elder will get his suffix. As talented, handsome and hardworking as I am, I don’t even get one. Yet you have gotten this privilege as soon as you stepped into the clan.”
“How many people have this suffix?”
“There are only two currently. One is my senior, Zhang Jian, a Fire Being. He is nineteen but his cultivation base is in the Meridian Growth period. He has been given the title: Huo Chanzi. The other is my second senior sister, Chu Yiyan, a triple being of Fire, Wood, and Water. She is only eighteen and known as the most beautiful disciple in the clan. She has just entered the Meridian Growth period and been given the title: Luo Shenzi. Now, there is a third person, and that is you.”
“That’s badass!” Wutian was stunned. He quietly kept these names in mind.
They followed the teens from behind. Wutian was asking many questions about the Yan Clan. He figured it might help to know more about it since he was going to be a part of it.
Han Tian was not stingy either. He told Wutian what he knew.
The headquarters of the Yan Clan was at Lake Jade, built by its founder Kong Lingzi over a thousand years ago. His cultivation base had reached its peak, and he was an apex fighter in Greendragon and well-known across the entire continent.
Not only that, he was a Fire Being. Although just a single being, his Fire elemental power was immeasurably potent. He had defeated many so-called peerless fighters. That had become a legend and was still being told until today.
Back then, the Yan Clan was strong-so strong that they were known as the top clan in Greendragon.
But as it got strong and famous, it also got itself enemies. Other sects had been coveting their status, and the Yan Clan had made many horrible enemies.
Five hundred years ago, their enemies joined hands with three other major sects to attack the Yan Clan. Kong Lingzi fought the grand masters of the three major rivals in a bloody battle. The air in the entire Greendragon subcontinent was stinking with blood. That was how horrible it was back then.
But with his unbeatable strength, Kong Lingzi finally defeated and killed the three grandmasters of the rival sects. His enemy crumpled, but at the same time, he suffered from fatal injury. It was said that he died not long afterward.
The founder grandmaster of the Fire Cloud Clan was one of those killed in the battle back then.
The Yan Clan achieved victory, but it was also a tragic one. Thousands of their disciples had sacrificed their lives, including those elder-class great cultivators. The Yan Clan fell overnight and became some third tier sect. But even a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. After a few hundred years, the Yan Clan finally regained a strong foothold in Greendragon. But they could never return to its glorious days.
Nevertheless, the Yan Clan was still a force to be reckoned with. Its influence spanned across half of the Redsun mountain range. It had tens of thousands of disciples, and about 60,000 elder-class figures, terrific by any measurement.
The clan had countless geniuses. According to Han Tian, he was one of the best direct disciples in terms of aptitude and talent. But in terms of strength, he could not even make it to the top ten.
This was only his peers of his age, excluding those veterans who had been cultivating for decades.
There was a hierarchy in discipleship. The registered disciples were under the supervision of more senior disciples who were known as the censors. Intern disciples were under the supervision of elders of censor. Nucleus disciples were under the manual-keeper elders. Canonized disciples were under the nine great elders. And direct disciples were overseen by the clan master.
No matter who they were, what backgrounds they had, or how talented they were, all recruits had to start their discipleship as a registered disciple.