It's been a week since Yuan beca an inner sect disciple, and during this ti, Aqua introduced him to many people, including mbers of the Wu Family and Li Family.
As Yuan t the a mber of the Li Family, he recalled the tournant from three months ago, where a participant also bore the surna Li. However, the person he t this ti was not the sa one. Instead, he was a middle aged man nad Li Yun, and Aqua said he is 80 years old and at the peak of the Blood Purification Stage.
During their conversation, Li Yun spoke about the new disciples who had recently joined the sect, ntioning the most talented juniors of the generation. Naturally, he nad Alex and Krieger, both of whom had also beco inner sect disciples. Unlike Yuan, however, they hadn't attended the three month schooling phase, they directly advancing to the inner sect.
It was rumored that Alex had taken Grand Elder Wu Bin as his master. However, ever since arriving at the sect, Alex had completely vanished from the public eye. No one had seen or heard of him since, leading so to jokingly call him dead.
In contrast, Krieger had beco a well known and respected figure within the sect. He had joined the Discipline Hall under Grand Elder Hei Jun's direct order, proving his remarkable talent and discipline. Rumors spread that once Krieger reached the peak of the Blood Purification Stage, he would be given a Beginner Judge position,a position given to a select few. To even be considered for the Judge Hall was a huge honor, as only those personally chosen by Grand Elder Hei Jun could even dream of joining its ranks.
But as Li Yun continued discussing the promising new recruits, he ntioned several talented individuals who, within the next decade, might have a chance to beco inner sect disciples.
Among those nas, one caught Yuan's attention
Emilia.
But Li Yun didn't seem to care much for Emilia. To him, she wasn't particularly extraordinary apart from her fast cultivation speed. He casually remarked that she would only beco relevant to the sect once she successfully joined the inner disciple circles.
Apart from himself, Alex, and Krieger, there was one more from their group who had managed to beco an inner disciple,Kuang Hao.
Hearing all this information, Yuan's mind sharpened.
Sothing didn't feel right.
Every single talented new disciple with the most potential had co from his group during the trial. That was strange. Too strange.
It couldn't be a coincidence. There must be a pattern,a suspicious one.
Yuan decided that once he had the ti, he would look deeper into this matter. But for now, he kept his thoughts to himself, not revealing even a hint of suspicion.
At that mont, Li Yun smiled at him.
"So, fellow disciple Yuan, I hope these pieces of information help you reunite with your friends."
But Yuan simply nodded his head.
"fellow disciple Li Yun, I should be thanking you. You've shared a great deal of valuable information with ! Since I was directly placed into the school pavilion, I had no ti to et anyone. Then, before I even had the chance, I was promoted to inner disciple. Because of that, I missed out on everything. Please, allow to return this favor,tell what I can do for you."
Hearing this, Li Yun let out a soft sigh.
"Fellow disciple Yuan, there's no need to concern yourself over this. The information I've shared is common knowledge among the inner disciples. Even your situation is widely known throughout the sect.So, really, please,you don't owe anything. If you insist, I'll only feel embarrassed to take a favor over sothing so trivial."
Li Yun firmly rejected him.
Yuan could only sigh before smiling and saying,
"Then, Brother Yun, at least let buy you a al! If you reject even that, I fear I won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight!"
Yuan insisted on treating him to a al, and Li Yun could only accept it. After all, his Junior had invited him,how could a Senior reject sothing like this?
And so, the two of them walked toward the outer disciple area, where food was sold.
In the inner sect area, there was no one selling food. Cultivators there rarely ate daily als, as most of them sustained themselves with pills and only ate for special occasions or ceremonies. Because of this, there was no food business among the inner disciples.
However, the outer sect disciples were different.
Since they had lower cultivation realms, many of them still required normal food, so food stalls and restaurants existed only in the outer sect market.
After an hour of walking, they finally arrived at the outer sect market, a bustling place where disciples of all levels outer, inner, and even core disciples could open their own stores. Many did, but the core disciples mostly specialized in selling rare materials, pills, and other high value goods rather than ordinary food.
For Yuan, this was his first ti stepping into the outer sect market. He turned toward Li Yun with curiosity.
"Brother Yun, you've been in the sect far longer than . Please lead the way,this is my first ti here."
Li Yun glanced at Yuan and suddenly had a look of realization.
"Ah, yes! Brother Yuan never left the school pavilion, so this must be completely new to you. Then, for your first visit, we should eat at a place I loved when I was still an outer disciple."
And so, Yuan followed him as they walked deeper into the market, engaged in casual conversation. Yuan mostly listened, while Li Yun did most of the talking,but that was fine.
However, as they walked, their bright green inner sect robes imdiately drew attention.
The mont the outer sect disciples saw them, they bowed in respect.
"Greetings, Seniors!"
At first, only two disciples noticed them and bowed. But once the others saw the inner disciples walking together, more and more people paused what they were doing, stopping to lower their heads in greeting.
Then, an older man, dressed in the plain green robes of the outer sect, quickly approached them.
"Greetings, Seniors! What can I do for you? I am one of the outer sect guides assigned to assist inner sect disciples!" The older man spoke respectfully, lowering his head slightly.
Li Yun gave him a casual nod.
"We want to go to The Old Man's Fresh at."
However, at those words, the old guide suddenly froze.
His expression stiffened, and for a brief mont, he seed troubled.
Li Yun raised a brow, perplexed by the reaction.
After a short silence, the older man sighed before shaking his head.
"Excuse , Senior... but Old Man's Fresh at no longer exists."
"The owner,Old Man Hai,passed away twenty years ago."
As Li Yun heard the news, he sighed.
"So, he passed away, huh… Well, I hope he enjoyed the life he lived. There's nothing more to say about it. He was already old ,surviving this long is already a testant to his longevity."
Li Yun himself was 80 years old, and he had ntioned that Old Man's Fresh at had existed since his outer sect disciple days. That ant the old man had to be over 100 years old before passing away. Surviving that long was already a miracle from the heavens,a rare lifespan for a mortal awakaned stage.
With another sigh, Li Yun turned back to the guide.
"Haa… then, can you recomnd a good place to eat? My brother here wanted to treat to a al."
The old guide nodded imdiately and pointed toward a street nearby.
"Yes, Senior! Just around the corner, there is a restaurant with excellent at dishes. It beca well known among disciples,it's called Breezy at Restaurant."
Li Yun gave a nod of acknowledgnt. "Good. We'll go there."
And so, the two of them walked toward the Breezy at Restaurant.
The mont they stepped inside, the restaurant owner, who had been standing behind the counter, instinctively turned toward the entrance.
The mont he saw their inner disciple robes, his eyes lit up with excitent. Without hesitation, he hurried over to them, bowing deeply as he welcod them with great enthusiasm.
"Greetings, Seniors! I must thank you for honoring this humble one's establishnt!" His voice was eager, but respectful.
"Please, allow to guide you to the second floor, where you can enjoy your al without disturbance."
Seeing his enthusiasm, both Yuan and Li Yun simply nodded. Without another word, the restaurant owner personally led them upstairs.
The second floor was noticeably better than the first. There were three private rooms, ensuring privacy for those who dined there. The owner gestured for them to enter the first room, and they stepped inside.
Though the restaurant itself wasn't extravagant, it had a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The aroma of cooked at drifted through the air, adding to the warm ambiance.
Yuan took a mont to take in the surroundings, and a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
Li Yun, who had been observing him, noticed his reaction and let out a chuckle.
"Oh? Brother Yuan, have you taken a liking to this restaurant?" he asked with a teasing smile.
Yuan nodded his head slightly.
"Yes. It reminds of ho."
Indeed, everything about this place,the wooden interior, the aged furniture, the simple decorations,it all felt eerily similar to his grandfather's ho in the Illusion Forest.
However, as mories of his past surfaced, Yuan's mood slightly shifted. He quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
At that mont, the restaurant owner returned, holding a beautifully crafted teapot in his hands.
"Seniors, please try my family's special spiritual tea!" he said with a proud smile.
"This tea has been passed down through my family for generations. I hope you will find it to your liking!"
The owner carefully placed the teapot and two cups on the table, then gracefully poured the steaming tea for them.
The mont the fragrant aroma reached Yuan's nose, he imdiately noticed the difference.
This wasn't like the ordinary tea he had drunk at Old Man Viktor's house,no, this was sothing far superior.
It had an undeniable richness, yet it carried a soothing quality that seed to calm the mind with just its scent alone.
A faint smile appeared on Yuan's lips as he lifted the cup closer to his nose, inhaling deeply.
And then
For the first ti in a long while, his mind cleared completely.
All the chaos, all the calculations, all the plans that constantly ran through his thoughts,they all faded away.
His heart cald, his breathing slowed, and for once, he allowed himself to simply exist in the present mont.
Unbeknownst to him, a subtle change occurred within his azure black eyes. The faint azure hue that often shimred in his irises dimd slightly.
However, Yuan remained completely unaware of this shift.
Without further hesitation, he finally took a sip.
A smooth warmth spread through his body as the tea coursed down his throat.
"Good tea."
His simple praise was enough to make the restaurant owner beam with joy.
The man quickly bowed his head, his eyes shining with gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior! I am honored that you enjoy it!"
But Yuan said nothing more.
As the warmth of the tea settled in his body, his entire being entered a peculiar state,a state where his mind and soul felt perfectly aligned.
Li Yun, who had been quietly watching him, imdiately recognized what was happening.
"He's entering a state of enlightennt…!"
His heart clenched with a mix of awe and envy.
After all, achieving enlightennt was sothing that most cultivators could only dream of.
Even for those with great talent, experiencing a single mont of enlightennt in their entire lifeti was already considered a blessing from the heavens.
Yet, Yuan,who had only just advanced to the Blood Purification Stage,had fallen into this state naturally, all because of a simple cup of tea.
Li Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
But at the sa ti, he understood one thing clearly
After this night, he must beco a true brother to Yuan.
And so, he said nothing more.
Instead, he simply ate his al, drank his tea, and allowed Yuan to enjoy his mont of silent enlightennt.
After finishing their al, Yuan's mind gradually returned to clarity. Realizing what had just transpired, he smiled at Li Yun.
"Brother Yun, I must thank you."
But Li Yun only chuckled.
"Hehehe, what is there to thank for? If anything, I should be the one thanking Brother Yuan. Witnessing an enlightennt firsthand gave so inspiration,I believe that with a few years of preparation, I might finally be able to advance to the ridian Awakened Stage!"
Hearing this, both of them laughed heartily at their current situation.
If Li Yun had spoken even once or allowed the owner to interrupt, Yuan would have likely broken out of his enlightennt prematurely. Yet, because of Li Yun's silent patience, Yuan was able to fully imrse himself in that mont of realization. In return, Yuan's enlightennt had, in turn, given Li Yun a much needed spark of insight.
This was a fortunate exchange for both of them.
Seeing that the al had co to an end, Yuan prepared to pay for it. However, Li Yun imdiately insisted that he would cover the cost instead.
But before Li Yun could protest further, Yuan simply waved his hand dismissively and had already walked out of the room.
As he stepped downstairs, Yuan's gaze fell upon the restaurant owner, and recognition struck him.
During his enlightennt, a mory resurfaced,the owner of this restaurant was none other than Daoist Pressuring Books, the disciple who had faced Alex in the first round of the tournant.
A knowing smile crept onto Yuan's lips.
"Hello, Junior Pressuring Books. It's been a while."
Pressuring Books, standing behind the counter, looked at him with clear confusion.
"Ahh... Senior, do we know each other?"
Yuan chuckled, amused by the man's obvious act of ignorance.
"Hehehe, of course, we do. We joined the sect together, after all."
Seeing that Pressuring Books still looked unsure, Yuan's expression grew calm as he spoke in a asured tone.
"Say, Junior Pressuring Books… do you wish to work under ?"
The young man's eyes widened slightly, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected offer. He stood there, montarily speechless, his mind scrambling to process what was happening.
"Ahhh… Yes?" he finally blurted out, sounding more like a question than a proper answer.
Yuan's smile deepened.
"Good. Then I will return tomorrow around this ti. Close the restaurant when I arrive."
Without waiting for another response, Yuan casually placed five rit coins on the counter in front of Pressuring Books.
"Li Yun, I've paid," he called out, signaling that it was ti to leave.
Monts later, Li Yun descended from the second floor, nodding in acknowledgnt.
And just like that, the two of them left Breezy at Restaurant, disappearing into the bustling streets of the Outer Sect Market.
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