Chapter 1100: Core Disciple
“However, it definitely won’t be easy to cultivate the Nine Transference Undying Method to the seventh transference!”
Although the fourth transference made your body comparable to a low-grade immortal artifact, the peak of the sixth transference only took it to the level of a top-grade one.
The real change started at the seventh transference.
“Furthermore, in the Golden Soul Sect’s history, no one at Nascent Soul has managed to cultivate to the seventh transference.”
Fang Yuan shook his head.
Just how valuable were primordial treasures? Even in cultivation Holy Lands, they were extremely rare sect-stabilizing treasures.
In order to refine your body to that extent, the effect of items like the Golden Flame Flowing Wind Flower was less than 0.001 percent.
Even if you threw every single treasure in the Thirty-Three-Level Outer Heaven Tower into it, it still would not fill this bottomless pit!
This was Fang Yuan’s conclusion after reading the seventh transference.
“Is Sir Li Hun here? Xiao Jiuli and Chu Duo wish to see you!” A voice came from outside.
“It’s these two? Interesting!”
Fang Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he let them in.
“Why are you two looking for me?” He was sitting cross-legged and looking at them with an ambiguous expression.
Xiao Jiuli clenched his teeth and knelt on the floor. “Sir, we are willing to be under your command! Starting today, we will serve you without any complaints!”
“Oh? So, what you mean is… you’re willing to become servants?” Fang Yuan’s lips curled slightly, as though he had been expecting this.
“That’s right! Sir, you are a core disciple. You have a peak to yourself and will surely want some men to order around…” Xiao Jiuli was very direct. “Junior Brother Chu and I failed to become inner disciples in this test, but we don’t want to enter the battlefield. That’s why we’ve come here thick-skinned…”
Core disciples of the Golden Soul Sect could put some people under their protection.
In other words, they could bring ten servants to live with them inside the main sect of the Golden Soul Sect. While these spots might not seem like much in normal times, they were absolutely in high demand now.
Even inner disciples might seriously consider it, much less the outer disciple Xiao Jiuli.
“I see. I could take in two servants… but what use do you have?” Fang Yuan asked ambiguously.
“We are very familiar with the sect. And we’re willing to swear the life blood oaths to serve you for life!” Xiao Jiuli said through gritted teeth.
In fact, this was not just running away from danger. It was also a bet.
After all, he had jumped from an outer disciple to a core disciple in less than a month. No matter how you looked at it, he had boundless prospects.
“Please take us in, Sir!” Chu Duo was much more straightforward than Xiao Jiuli. He simply knelt and pleaded.
“You’re willing to make blood oaths? That’s sincere enough… Is this the limit of an outer disciple?”
Becoming a servant was merely a temporary compromise for inner disciples. However, these two were trading their lives.
As such, Fang Yuan simply nodded. “All right, I agree. Make the oath!”
…
Point Gold Peak.
This was the mountain peak that was given to Fang Yuan after he became a core disciple.
Although the Golden Soul Sect was located on Golden Mount Meru, the entire golden mountain was the size of a continent. There were many smaller worlds with vast areas such as the Golden Soul Realm. A mere mountain peak was truly nothing.
This Point Gold Peak did not particularly stand out from the forty-nine core disciples peaks, and it was even remote. However, Fang Yuan had chosen it for its rich Nomological Laws of Gravity, which was ten times stronger than the areas for outer disciples, making it beneficial for refining his body.
A cave abode was already there, so Fang Yuan moved in after Xiao Jiuli cleaned it with a bunch of men.
Also, he received two guests as expected.
“Senior Brother Tie, Senior Sister Huang, please pardon my humble dwelling and inadequate hospitality!” Fang Yuan smiled and welcomed the two core disciples who had come together.
“Haha, you’re too polite. Junior Brother, we’re both from the Iron Mountain Gate and have a connection from the start. Now that we’re both core disciples, we should help each other when we can!” Tie Xinku looked at Fang Yuan kindly.
Obviously, he was not from the Tie Kuangtu faction, and he might be the direct disciple of Immortal Iron Mountain.
“That’s right. Junior Brother Li Hun, you reached the stars overnight. I was truly shocked when I first heard about it!” Huang Yue wore a yellow palace dress, and her smile was like a hundred flowers blooming.
Tie Xinku cultivates the Myriad Poison Mixed Element Technique. Not only is his body comparable to a low-grade immortal artifact, but it’s resistant to poison as well. As for Huang Yue, her primordial bloodline is very powerful, and it seems like it can enhance her body refining techniques…
Fang Yuan was naturally well aware of the backgrounds of these two senior disciples.
The core disciples of the Golden Soul Sect were naturally outstanding.
In fact, the Holy Land sects of the Great Sage Immortal World did not have anyone who was not.
For example, the Immortals of the Golden Soul Sect had almost all cultivated their bodies to the low-grade immortal artifact level. The weak Immortals of Sixteen Countries did not even hold a candle to them.
To put things more vividly, Fang Yuan needed only one swing to kill the weak Immortals, whereas he needed a few additional swings to kill the likes of Immortal Golden Roc!
He could think about things in this manner all thanks to reaching the third transference. Not only had his strength exploded, but he could also now unlock the higher levels of the Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique.
Otherwise, it would take him some effort to kill an Immortal whose body was comparable to a low-grade immortal artifact.
In this case, the Golden Soul Sect is much stronger than the Heavenly Circuit Immortal Sect? Makes sense. After all, it occupies the richest Central Region…
Fang Yuan thought about it and felt at ease. “Haha, you’re overpraising me! Is there any other reason why you’ve come besides congratulating me?”
“We are all newly-promoted core disciples, and we should look out for and help one another…”
Tie Xinku and Huang Yue exchanged glances. Naturally, they did not know that Fang Yuan was contemplating how many swings it would take him to kill them. They said sincerely, “The core of the Golden Soul Sect lies with the core disciples, and the competition between them is cutthroat!”
“Cutthroat?!” Fang Yuan was slightly astonished. He had not spent much time in the Golden Soul Sect and was unclear about many things, so he asked directly, “Aren’t core disciples preparing to become Immortals? Why is there still competition?”
“It’s… naturally for the rankings! Our Golden Soul Sect has forty-nine core disciple mountain peaks, but including us, this generation only has thirty-one core disciples!”
Tie Xinku coughed. “Becoming a core disciple is merely the start. There’s a ranking every decade, and the resources are allocated accordingly… The older disciples have already formed groups, and they use every means at their disposal in the fight for the rankings. We three are newcomers, and it’s a special time where no Immortals are taking in disciples. We must join forces in order to survive!”
“Core disciples actually form groups to compete?” Fang Yuan nodded. “Is it for the position of sect master?”
“Junior Brother Li Hun is indeed smart!” Huang Yue smiled. “We entered the fray too late, and we don’t have a chance at attaining that position, not that we yearn for it either. We’re only seeking to protect ourselves. We will join the forces of another senior disciple in the future!”
The sect master of the Golden Soul Sect naturally had terms of office. Otherwise, given the longevity of Immortals, the system would become too rigid.
According to the rules, the sect master position would not be succeeded by the Immortal deacons, but only selected from the core disciples of the current generation.
This resulted in a situation where every generation of core disciples fought fiercely among themselves to determine the strongest.
After hearing this, Fang Yuan said nothing. However, he was laughing scornfully in his mind. A trivial sect master position is almost the same as a bone… The ones truly in charge in these Holy Lands are not the sect masters at all, but the Grand Unity elders!
The so-called Golden Soul Sect Master was nothing more to a butler in his eyes. Even so, it attracted countless young geniuses.
This was a difference in outlook and experience.
“Junior Brother Li Hun, don’t underestimate these core disciples. Each and every one of them is a dragon among men and a phoenix among women. The first three have all fought evenly with Immortals!” Huang Yue said solemnly when she saw Fang Yuan’s dismissive expression.
Core disciples were almost guaranteed to become Immortals in the future.
Naturally, they chose to remain at the Nascent Soul stage and were unwilling to break through for the sake of accumulating more strength and obtaining more during the tribulation.
Fighting evenly with Immortals was the measure of peak performance for monstrous Nascent Soul geniuses in this world. Before Fang Yuan appeared, mortals killing Immortals was basically a joke.
That was why Immortal Tai Xuan had been so shocked and had even wanted to make Fang Yuan pay for his actions.
Not only was it because his prestige had suffered damage, but most importantly, he was really frightened.
“The first three core disciples have yet to break through to Immortal?” Fang Yuan’s eyes flashed.
In fact, they would have been less scary if they had broken through.
After all, the lightning tribulation was the only chance to obtain a lot of Great Dao inspirations.
These genius core disciples were not fools. Of course, they would accumulate strength silently in preparation to soar.
However, this was playing with fire as well. If they did not handle things well, they would destroy themselves. For example, for those monstrous geniuses who managed to comprehend top nomological laws, the power of the lightning tribulation would multiply. They would have zero chance of survival, as even immortal artifact-level bodies would not save them.
I have the most say in this regard because I’m a prime example! Fang Yuan complained in his mind. Although he now had an immortal artifact-level body, the warnings in his heart had not weakened at all. Obviously, if he dared to undergo the lightning tribulation, he would be blasted into smithereens.
“That’s right. In fact, many disciples that rank below the first three have already become Immortals. But the rating criteria for Immortals increase correspondingly. They actually suffer more when it comes to the ranking!”
Tie Xinku clearly understood the rules of the system very well. “Fortunately, there’s a Demonic Tribulation now. As long as we keep our heads down, we’ll have at least a couple of decades to train! By that time, the difference between us and those at the front won’t be as great!”
Those that were able to become core disciples were all heaven’s chosens, so they naturally had their own pride.
“A couple of decades?” Fang Yuan was slightly astonished.
“Demon disasters usually last a hundred years, and the first few decades are the most chaotic… The special treatment given to core disciples is to avoid this time where it’s the most chaotic.”