Mortal Alchemy

Chen Ping was somewhat surprised by Wang Funi's temperament.

Chen Ping smiled, "Alright, I respect your decision."

Wang Funi held the Immortal Order, which was enough to become a disciple of a Nascent Soul elder. If Chen Ping wanted to maintain a good relationship with Wang Funi, he had to respect her decision.

He shouldn't bully her just because she was young.

Who knows, Wang Funi might reach the Golden Core stage in the future, while Chen Ping was still in the Qi Refining stage. That would be wasting a good hand.

Wang Funi turned and left with Chen Ping, not even glancing at her grandparents, harboring deep resentment towards them.

Just like Chen Ping back then.

Chen Ping first took Wang Funi to Yunbing Market, bought her a set of Ice Silk clothes, and treated her to several excellent spirit meals.

He coaxed the little girl into quickly regarding Chen Ping as her closest person.

After all, since her parents passed away, Chen Ping was the only one who had been kind to her.

This cost him another forty to fifty spirit stones.

Afterward, Chen Ping summoned the White Jade Flying Boat, took her aboard, and arranged a good private room for her.

Chen Ping took her slowly towards the Eastern Xuan Sect.

On the way, Chen Ping explained many precautions and common knowledge of the cultivation world to her.

As for cultivation techniques, Chen Ping dared not impart them.

Chen Ping respected her very much, and the little girl could feel this, becoming even more attached to Chen Ping.

This eleven-thousand-mile journey took Chen Ping twenty days to reach the outside of the Eastern Xuan Sect.

Arriving outside the mountain gate of the Eastern Xuan Sect, Chen Ping told Wang Funi: "Miss Wang, beyond these hundred thousand steps is the mountain gate of the Eastern Xuan Sect."

"Once I send you to the Eastern Xuan Sect to become a disciple, my mission will be complete."

Hearing that Chen Ping was going to separate from her, the little girl panicked and cried.

Chen Ping smiled and said, "Miss Wang, I am at the Mu family near the Eastern Xuan Sect. You can come to the Mu family to play when you have time. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

After several consolations from Chen Ping, Wang Funi was slightly relieved.

The White Jade Flying Boat slowly flew over the hundred thousand steps.

Until it disappeared into the clouds, various auspicious lights appeared before them, and streamers of light constantly flowed across the sky.

A huge mountain peak was engraved with the words 'Eastern Xuan Sect'.

Below was an ancient and grand hall, guarded by dozens of patrolling cultivators.

Chen Ping put away the White Jade Flying Boat and took Wang Funi's hand forward.

"Halt, who comes there? What is your intention in coming to the Eastern Xuan Sect?" A sharp-spirited cultivator shouted loudly.

Chen Ping cupped his fist and said:

"Senior, this junior is Chen Ping of the Mu family. While seeking opportunities for breakthroughs, I discovered the holder of the Immortal Order and have come to bring her to become a disciple of a Nascent Soul master!"

"Immortal Order?!" The Eastern Xuan Sect cultivator was shaken and said to Chen Ping, "Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist, I will report to the master immediately!"

The titles are Golden Core True Person, Nascent Soul Master, and Transformation God Lord.

A moment later, a vast, sky-covering aura descended from within the Eastern Xuan Sect.

It was a Nascent Soul, along with dozens of Golden Core auras.

The gatekeeper exclaimed, "It's the lineage of Master Yaoguang!"

The leading Nascent Soul cultivator was Master Yaoguang, followed by dozens of Golden Core True Persons, who were her disciples, including direct disciples and nominal disciples.

Chen Ping only glanced at Master Yaoguang with the corner of his eye. She was incredibly beautiful, as if she were a true fairy.

Chen Ping didn't even dare to straighten his back, but cupped his fist and said, "Greetings to all the seniors of the Eastern Xuan Sect. This junior is Chen Ping of the Mu family. I accidentally discovered Miss Wang outside. She holds the Immortal Order, and I couldn't bear to see such a pearl lost, so I brought her to seek apprenticeship."

"Mm." Master Yaoguang responded indifferently, took a few steps forward, and said to Wang Funi in an extremely gentle voice:

"What is your name?"

"Wang... Wang Funi..."

"A good name. Are you willing to become my disciple and cultivate in the Eastern Xuan Sect in the future?"

Wang Funi nervously looked at Chen Ping and replied to Master Yaoguang: "I... I am willing..."

"Good disciple." Master Yaoguang smiled charmingly and hugged Wang Funi, skin to skin:

"From now on, you will be my ninth disciple."

Being held by Master Yaoguang, Wang Funi, in her childish voice, bowed cutely: "Disciple greets Master."

Seeing this scene, Master Yaoguang couldn't help but smile, amused by her, and the disciples behind her also laughed happily.

Master Yaoguang took off the Immortal Order from Wang Funi's neck and casually threw it to someone: "Go register Funi's identity."

Then she was about to leave with Wang Funi when Wang Funi suddenly said:

"Master, why can't Brother Chen Ping cultivate with us in the Eastern Xuan Sect?"

Master Yaoguang stopped and glanced coldly at Chen Ping, seemingly pondering whether Chen Ping had taught her these words to conveniently ask for benefits?

Chen Ping was drenched in cold sweat, shouting in his heart, 'Grandma, don't harm me.'

He didn't teach Wang Funi to say that.

Master Yaoguang said, "Funi, people cannot be treated the same. Not everyone is qualified to cultivate in the Eastern Xuan Sect."

"But..." Wang Funi innocently said, "Everyone else is not good to me, only Brother Chen Ping is good to me..."

"Can I go play with Brother Chen Ping in the future?"

Master Yaoguang was naturally unwilling. Low-level cultivators were like ants, countless in number. For a long-lived figure like her, with a lifespan of eight hundred years, contacting a Qi Refining cultivator was a waste of her life.

However, considering that Chen Ping had brought Wang Funi to seek apprenticeship, she would ignore Chen Ping's calculation of deliberately pleasing Wang Funi and building a relationship.

In the future, she must never let her disciple waste time contacting low-level ants.

Master Yaoguang forced a smile: "Of course you can."

"He was good to you before, but in the future, this Palace and your senior brothers will be good to you."

Wang Funi showed a happy expression: "Okay."

Afterward, dozens of streams of light soared into the sky and left this place.

Chen Ping was soaked in sweat. He felt like his underwear had been seen through. Fortunately, he was now at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, not the fourteenth or fifteenth.

The cultivation technique of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining was not worth mentioning to someone like Master Yaoguang.

The guarding cultivator said to Chen Ping:

"Fellow Daoist, you can leave now. After the sect verifies the situation, the reward will be sent to you."

"Yes, yes, Senior, this junior will take his leave." Chen Ping summoned the White Jade Flying Boat and left.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If Mu Xingling hadn't deceived him through Meng Huang'er, he could have joined the sect under a Nascent Soul master and become a junior brother to a group of Golden Core True Persons.

When he preempted Mu Xingling in Foundation Establishment and took back the Immortal Order, he would come to join the Eastern Xuan Sect then.

In this path of immortality, one step behind leads to step after step behind. Fortunately, Chen Ping still had a chance to remedy the situation.

Chen Ping looked back at the mountain gate of the Eastern Xuan Sect and clenched his fists:

"I must achieve Foundation Establishment!"

Leaving the mountain gate of the Eastern Xuan Sect, Chen Ping first went to Baisha Market.

He needed to sell his possessions to exchange for spirit stones and cultivation resources to prepare for the upcoming closed-door breakthrough to the fourteenth level of Qi Refining.

...

Author's Note: Here, I would like to explain that many readers are a bit confused here, asking why the male protagonist doesn't reveal his identity.

This book is a realistic and cruel world of cultivation. If revealing his identity were useful, it would be a Dragon Aotian story. Moreover, there was foreshadowing before. After Mu Xingling was exposed, the Eastern Xuan Sect did not send anyone to find the male protagonist, which shows that the male protagonist is not important. What is important is the Immortal Order. If you follow this logic to deduce the plot, you will understand.