A Peerless Genius and a Fateful Departure

Having prepared, Lin Tian was returning to his abode when he once again saw Zhang Yu being bullied by three female disciples.

He possessed no martial arts skill, merely knowing how to chop firewood. His merit points, earned as a new disciple, had long since been extorted from him.

Only after the three women departed did he rise to collect the firewood.

As Lin Tian approached, he hastily feigned nonchalance, yet the footprints on his clothes betrayed his ordeal.

“Here are two ingots. Take them,” Lin Tian said, feeling pity for him. He pulled two golden ingots from his pocket.

“How can I? I won’t take them!” Zhang Yu declared stubbornly.

“Don’t you wish for revenge? Use them to post a mission; they’ll be more than enough.”

“I will personally eliminate those mountain bandits!”

“Eliminate mountain bandits? The last time, an inner disciple squad took on a mission to eliminate mountain bandits, and they all perished. You can’t even defeat me, so how do you plan to exact revenge?” Lin Tian asked, his voice tinged with feigned mockery, his expression unreadable.

“Who, who said I can’t defeat you!”

“Very well. If you can land a single punch on me, I’ll believe you. If you can’t, then accept the ingots.” Lin Tian discarded his sword, waiting for him to make his move with bare hands.

Zhang Yu successfully fell for the provocation. Though he was half a head shorter than Lin Tian and possessed no martial arts, how could he possibly fail to land a single punch?

Dropping the dry firewood he held, he charged forward at full speed, swinging his fists.

To Lin Tian, he appeared no different than a little brat.

Employing his Flowing Water Movement Technique, he continuously evaded. Zhang Yu swung his fists for a long while, yet he couldn’t even touch the hem of his clothes. Lin Tian then delivered a high kick, striking him directly on the chin.

Thump!

He was sent sprawling with a single kick, his head ringing. Perhaps accustomed to being beaten, he quickly scrambled back to his feet.

This time, Zhang Yu did not punch. He rushed to Lin Tian and suddenly extended both hands, locking around his waist! He had intended to lift him directly, but a powerful knee strike sent him reeling, his eyes rolling back.

Even so, Zhang Yu’s hands remained locked tightly around Lin Tian’s waist. He, in turn, dared not strike him too harshly; a slightly heavier kick just now would have resulted in more than minor injuries.

With no other recourse, Lin Tian tapped a pressure point on his neck, and Zhang Yu instantly went limp, collapsing to the ground.

He was temporarily unconscious. Lin Tian felt he might have overdone it, so he carried him back to his quarters.

****

The original four-person dwelling was occupied only by Zhang Yu. However, upon opening the door, he discovered three other people sleeping inside.

These outer disciples all looked over. Seeing Lin Tian carrying Zhang Yu into the room, their faces were filled with confusion.

“Senior Brother, this is the male disciples’ quarters. Is something the matter?”

“Zhang Yu lives here, right?” Lin Tian thought he had entered the wrong door, but seeing a wooden basin on the ground confirmed he was in the correct place.

“Ah, that kid? Yes, yes, yes. Did he offend Senior Brother? Feel free to beat him as much as you like; it’s none of our business.”

“Hmm…” He pondered for a moment.

It seemed inappropriate to leave him here. Lin Tian decided to take him back to his own dwelling; after all, he would soon be heading to the mountain peak for cultivation.

****

Having settled Zhang Yu, he packed all the wooden crates of ammunition into his storage bag, preparing to depart for the mountain peak.

“Cough, cough…”

“Awake?”

“Where is this…?” Zhang Yu looked around. The room was much more spacious than his previous quarters, and a faint, fresh scent emanated from the bedding.

“You’ll live here from now on. Take these ingots and learn two martial arts.”

Without waiting for his questions, Lin Tian turned and exited the room.

****

Time flowed like water, swiftly passing by.

Lin Tian’s departure lasted half a year. He remained oblivious and unconcerned about the many events that unfolded within the sect during that time.

One early morning, just as dawn broke, Luo Tao arrived at the dwelling and gently knocked on the door:

“Luo Tian, the cultivators are about to arrive to select disciples! Hurry, let’s go!”

“Who is it?” Zhang Yu rubbed his eyes and rose to open the door.

Upon seeing Zhang Yu, Luo Tao panicked, seizing him by the collar.

“Why are you, a mere boy, in my sister’s dwelling?! Are you courting death?!”

He rushed into the room, but Lin Tian was nowhere to be seen. Even the wooden crates meant for ammunition had vanished.

“Where did he go?!” Luo Tao demanded, turning back to Zhang Yu.

“Senior Brother left half a year ago. He told me to live here. I don’t know where he went either.”

“Oh, no!” Luo Tao exclaimed, greatly distressed. He should have asked him where he was going to cultivate last time.

“Is something wrong, Senior Brother Luo Tao?”

“The cultivators are coming to select disciples today. He has been curious about immortals since he was a child and desperately, desperately, desperately wished to become a cultivation disciple! It was precisely for this reason that he came to Mount Mufu…”

“So that’s it. Don’t worry, Senior Brother Luo Tao, we’ll search together…”

Mount Mufu was vast. After searching for a long time, they found no trace of him. At noon, a group of new disciples, including them, was summoned to the plaza.

There were over a hundred disciples in total. Cultivators came once every five years, and everyone present harbored a glimmer of hope. Luo Tao stood with the stout young man, his heart pounding with anxiety. If Lin Tian missed this opportunity, he would have to wait another five years.

Accompanied by the Sect Leader, a white-robed old man slowly emerged. The crowd wished to scrutinize him but dared not look him directly in the eye.

“These are the new disciples from the past five years. Please, Celestial Immortal, take a look.” The Sect Leader’s expression was fawning; they had never seen him in such a deferential posture.

The old man swept his gaze over the crowd, then walked to the first row and spoke to a disciple.

“Give me your hand.”

The disciple’s expression was tense, his palms slick with sweat. The old man clasped his wrist, then shook his head before moving on to the next person.

Several individuals met the same fate. They understood this meant they had not been chosen, and their spirits immediately plummeted. Some even left on the spot, withdrawing from the sect.

The old man selected disciples regardless of whether they were inner or outer, accepting anyone with a spiritual root and decent aptitude. However, finding even one person with a spiritual root among tens of thousands was rare, let alone one with suitable aptitude. Such individuals were practically nonexistent.

The plaza fell silent. The old man had already reviewed more than half the disciples, yet not a single one had been accepted. When it was Luo Tao’s turn, he, too, held a faint hope. If he became a cultivator, he could personally guide his younger sister.

The old man clasped his wrist, shook his head once more, and moved on. Luo Tao’s face registered disappointment. Though he had mentally prepared himself, a part of him still found it difficult to accept.

“Eh?!” The old man exclaimed in surprise. Everyone’s gaze immediately shifted towards him. Had someone been chosen?

The disciple he was holding was short and dark-skinned, clearly a country bumpkin. Everyone recognized him: it was Zhang Yu, the one who was constantly bullied!

Zhang Yu looked bewildered. The old man held his hand firmly, laughing repeatedly. “Excellent, excellent! A single wood-attribute spiritual root! What a peerless genius!”

The surrounding people were secretly astonished. Even the Sect Leader was visibly moved; to be called a genius by this old man surely meant exceptional aptitude!

Those who frequently bullied him now shrank their heads back, while others cursed him enviously under their breath.

“That kid got incredibly lucky!”

“If he can be chosen, why can’t I?”

“Damn it! He wouldn’t come back to get revenge on us, would he?”

For a time, those who knew him had ashen faces, their hearts filled with a myriad of complex emotions.

“What is your name?”

“Zhang Yu.”

“Good! Good! Go pack your belongings and come with this old man.”

“Yes!”

Zhang Yu’s heart pounded with excitement. He never imagined he would be chosen. Heaven truly had not abandoned him. Looking towards Lin Tian’s dwelling, he yearned to see the girl one last time.

But time waited for no one; he could only hope for a chance to return in the future.

None of the remaining disciples were chosen, yet the old man’s face remained wreathed in smiles.

When Zhang Yu returned with his luggage, the old man made a single gesture, and a pile of items vanished into thin air. Then, grabbing Zhang Yu by the collar, he soared away on his sword.

The crowd watched with envious eyes, wishing they were the ones being taken away.

Before departing, Zhang Yu turned and cast a deep look at Mount Mufu, his once resolute gaze now turning cold.

****

Somewhere on the mountain peak, Lin Tian sat in meditation, slowly exhaling. His eyes were incredibly sharp; even the Sect Leader did not possess such an imposing aura.

His Qi Gathering Technique had reached the third layer. All his spirit stones and herbs had been consumed, yet he remained unable to break through to the fourth layer.

“It’s time to descend the mountain. I wonder if Qin Jiu has found the uranium mine…”