Mission: Seduce the Master!

Frankly, Xie Qing could be considered a genius, especially given his talents and learning speed. Even techniques that took others a lifetime to master were a matter of seconds for him.

However, for the first time in his life, he encountered a technique he couldn't understand.

"Black... magic? What the hell?"

Not a single word in this book made sense to him. It was as if he were reading some strange novel.

"Maybe... it's because I don't have the aptitude?"

The chances of this were high. In most cases, if a cultivator didn't have the aptitude for a particular technique, they would have trouble learning it.

And it seemed that Xie Qing had no talent for devilish arts—though it would be surprising if he did.

Moreover, there was a feeling that something deep within his body rejected the idea of studying dark arts.

"Hmm..."

Tilting his head to the side, Xie Qing began to think about how to get out of this situation. He narrowed his eyes.

"What a problem..."

***

While Xie Qing was busy thinking about how to learn the dark arts, the elders of the inner court were very busy.

"..."

Silence hung in the Elders' Pavilion. Zhao Zedong, who usually had a haughty and indifferent demeanor, was now kneeling and sweating profusely.

Not only him, but all the elders of the inner court were kneeling, their heads bowed.

In front of them, a man sat on a chair. He had short gray hair and red eyes. His appearance was neither handsome nor ugly—just average. If you saw him on the street, you would simply pass by.

However, no one dared to underestimate him. For he was an elder of the main court. And his cultivation level...

Divine Transformation.

"Interesting. So, you're telling me that an elder of the inner court died like a dog from his own technique? That's such an embarrassing death that I'd rather have killed him myself. What a disgrace, what a horror!" said the man—the elder of the main court, with a stern gaze, looking at the elders of the inner court and turning his gaze to Zhao Zedong: "Hey, you.

I entrusted you with the task of taking care of the inner court elders. So what is this? Why are there now rumors that one of the inner court elders has died? How do you explain this?"

"This..."

Zhao Zedong sweated. His back was drenched in cold sweat. In truth, he himself didn't fully understand where this rumor came from. All the elders kept their mouths shut and even signed a contract, but... um...

"I-I... don't know, sir. All the elders signed a high-level blood contract. Therefore, they couldn't tell anyone about it."

"Oh, really? For your information, this technique is not perfect, and hints can be given without fear of death. So here's the next question—are you sure there's no rat among you bastards?"

"This..."

The old man didn't know what to say. Indeed, he didn't quite understand how to react to this situation. His first suspect was Xie Qing, but... this guy signed a contract that forced him to keep quiet.

So it was impossible. Although the shackles weaken on strong cultivators, on a weakling like Xie Qing, these shackles are like the will of the Heavenly Dao. So this option was immediately dismissed.

"Sir, I swear to resolve the situation immediately..." Zhao Zedong said, gritting his teeth. He bowed his head even lower and bowed: "Due to our foolishness, such an incident occurred, leaving a stain on the history of our sect. In return, this old man is willing to offer you a medium-quality Qi Concentration Obsidian..."

"Oh?"

The elder of the main court suddenly paused, and his eyebrows raised.

"Seriously?"

"This junior wouldn't dare to lie to you..."

"Hehe..."

The elder of the main court smiled and sat back. Then he said, "Alright, let me see it."

"As you command."

As expected, even a cultivator of Divine Transformation found it hard to resist the temptation of Qi Concentration Obsidian, which had astonishing effects. When the inner court elders brought an obsidian the size of a boulder...

"Ho..."

The elder of the main court smiled and licked his lips. He couldn't believe his eyes—such a large obsidian? This was the first time in so many years. It seemed he didn't come here in vain.

"Good. This will be a significant reason why I shouldn't punish you," the elder of the main court said calmly.

"The lord is merciful!"

Zhao Zedong sighed in relief as he watched the ticking time bomb leave. Although he was the king of the inner court, before the elder of the main court, he was nothing more than a humble disciple.

This was the strict hierarchy of the Sect of Bone Circle. The main court was the highest place, where all disciples, including the elders, aspired to be.

However, this was extremely difficult. Incredibly difficult.

The main requirement to become an elder of the main court was to be a cultivator of Divine Transformation. And that was an extremely challenging task.

Only one out of a hundred thousand cultivators at the Spiritual Ascension level could reach this stage. This was because even the smallest mistakes on the path of cultivation could become serious obstacles.

That was why this was an insurmountable wall. For Zhao Zedong, the Spiritual Ascension level was the end.

"Haaah..."

***

Tang Xun. That was the name of the man who had recently taken a large piece of obsidian from the inner court.

In the main court, he was not an insignificant figure. Thanks to his strength and disciples, he was at the top of the main court.

And now he was a bit puzzled. Who... was this person?

Devilish Qi. Extremely aggressive energy that could consume its own user. At this moment, this aggressive energy... was behaving unusually calmly, being controlled by the youth.

He was a handsome young man with long white hair and a slender body. And now he was sitting not far from the gates of the main court, cultivating.

"Is this a disciple of the inner court?" Tang Xun noticed, seeing the flow of Qi around the youth. He fell silent as he realized how good the control of this guy was: "Strange. He has such a good cultivation level—fourth stage of Soul Integration. He could have become a disciple of the main court. And considering his control over Qi, it's even stranger that he is still here..."

Tang Xun had a knack for taking talented individuals under his wing. Thanks to this, he had nurtured many geniuses who elevated his status as an elder. That's why he felt a strange tingling in his hand.

"This... what talent!"

His hand. Every time it itched, it could only mean one thing—a very talented person was nearby!

So, he decided to approach the young man and talk to him.

"Hey."

***

Xie Qing opened his eyes and looked at the man in front of him. No Qi emanated from him, but...

"My sixth sense. It's screaming danger. This guy... I can't beat him!" Xie Qing's face threatened to darken, but he caught himself in time.

Then, standing up, the youth politely bowed, clasping his hands. As expected, this brought a smile to the strange man's face.

"Haha, what a polite disciple. I am Tang Xun. And you are?"

"This disciple is named Cheng E, sir."

"Cheng... E? Hmm... unique name."

Tang Xun's smile almost faltered when he heard the youth's name. However, he didn't dwell on it.

"I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Yes, sir. I joined the inner court about half a year ago..."

"Oh? Impressive..."

Tang Xun rubbed his chin. The longer he looked at this guy, the better he felt.

He was pleasing to the eye.

"Young man... I have a proposal. Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes?..."

Xie Qing responded with a questioning tone. He didn't know what this man wanted from him, but the next question only confused him more.

"Would you like to become my disciple?"

Tang Xun smiled confidently. Upon closer inspection, he saw that this disciple indeed had excellent talent. Moreover, his handsome appearance would certainly please the ladies.

Xie Qing fell silent. This was a rather difficult choice for him. After all, his Master was Xu Mei. And a Master, like a parent, should not be betrayed. Therefore, he was a bit confused.

Tang Xun saw his hesitation but did not get angry. He simply smiled patiently.

"I know it's hard for you to make a decision. However, if you agree, I will show you my capabilities. Then it will be easier for you to decide."

"If it is not too much trouble for you, sir."

"Haha, of course not!"

Tang Xun's cheerful laughter was accompanied by a smile. He looked towards the gates of the main court and commanded, "Open the gates."

"Y-yes, Elder..."

The guards were, frankly, surprised by Elder Tang Xun's behavior. He usually walked around with a cold expression, as if the whole world belonged to him. Therefore, his friendly demeanor startled them.

However, duty was duty. Opening the gates, Tang Xun turned and extended his hand with a smile.

"Come on, junior. I will show you that I am worthy of being your Master."