Chapter 26: Recruiting the Third Disciple (Part Two)

The war between the Celestial Wolf Clan and the Spirit Fox Clan was on the verge of erupting. Although the Spirit Fox Clan was bolstered by their ancestral protective formation, their overall strength was inferior to that of the Celestial Wolves. Soon, the fox clan’s formation was breached. The Celestial Wolves were overjoyed and prepared to surround and annihilate them.

Meanwhile, Liao Chen arrived, traveling by flight-magic, led by Ling Xi and the others. They heard the sounds of battle from afar. Hu Ling'er’s heart tightened, and she implored Liao Chen to intervene immediately.

"Master, the Celestial Wolf Clan is cruel and vicious; my kin are in grave danger. Please, Master, strike now!"

Liao Chen comforted her: "Do not worry, my good disciple. With me here, your clan shall not be wiped out by the Celestial Wolves."

With a sudden shift, he appeared above the fox clan. He extended a hand, and a massive palm manifested in the void, descending upon the Celestial Wolf army below. Pi Zhanpeng, the patriarch of the Celestial Wolves, witnessed this and immediately guessed that a powerful master was aiding the foxes. He ordered his clansmen to retreat from the territory at once. But it was too late. One after another, giant palms descended from the heavens, crushing the unstoppable wolf warriors; in an instant, they suffered heavy casualties.

Pi Zhanpeng could no longer afford to hesitate and immediately activated a teleportation talisman to flee. However, after the talisman was activated, it failed to transport him. It felt as if the entire space had been locked down; he could not break through the restraint.

It is over! Pi Zhanpeng knew this person was no ordinary expert. Holding onto a final sliver of hope, he shouted toward the void: "Which senior is attacking my Celestial Wolf Clan? I am Pi Zhanpeng, the current patriarch. If my clan has offended you, we are willing to offer compensation. I beg you to grant us a chance to atone for our sins."

Liao Chen appeared, his voice cold: "The Celestial Wolf Clan has bullied my disciple, Hu Ling'er, and deserves to die. I promised her that I would resolve this crisis for the fox clan, so today, the Celestial Wolf Clan must be eradicated!"

Without waiting for the wolf patriarch to plead further, a giant palm descended again, heading straight for Pi Zhanpeng. The regret in Pi Zhanpeng's heart was immense. Had he known this would happen, he never would have dared to provoke the fox clan. But the die was cast, and there was no point in dwelling on it. He closed his eyes, waiting for death.

BOOM!

With a deafening sound, the giant palm pressed down, grinding Pi Zhanpeng and the nearby wolf warriors into dust. The remaining Celestial Wolves lost all desire to fight and fled for their lives. At that moment, the Fox Clan Patriarch ordered the elders to lead their disciples in clearing out the remnants of the wolf clan. As the saying goes, one must pull the weeds by the roots to prevent them from growing back. The patriarch understood this well; he did not want his people to suffer at the hands of the wolves ever again.

Ling Xi and the others, who had followed closely behind, watched from afar as Liao Chen displayed such divine power, and they were filled with awe. If they could befriend such a powerhouse, the fox clan could ride the wind and break the waves, becoming an unstoppable, formidable sect of spirit cultivators. Of course, if they were to become enemies, the consequences would be unimaginable—total destruction.

Ling Xi looked at Hu Ling'er and asked, "Young Mistress, do you really know nothing about this person?"

Hu Ling'er nodded. "Sister Ling Xi, I was fleeing for my life when Master suddenly appeared before me. I haven't had the chance to learn about his background."

Ling Xi sighed and approached the patriarch, briefly introducing what she knew about Liao Chen.

Hu Baoshan walked up to Liao Chen, bowing deeply. "I, Hu Baoshan, Patriarch of the Spirit Fox Clan, on behalf of my people, express our deepest gratitude for your life-saving grace, Senior. Please, move to our main hall for a seat."

Liao Chen nodded and followed the fox clan to the main hall. The patriarch had his best tea served to him, but Liao Chen glanced at it without reaching for the cup.

The patriarch finally realized that his guest was a man of high standards who looked down upon the tea he considered a treasure. Ling Xi, standing nearby, explained: "Senior, this is our clan’s meticulously cultivated White-Brow Heart-Cleansing Tea. It is considered a top-tier spiritual tea even across the entire Qianyuan Continent."

Liao Chen offered an "Oh," and took a casual sip. He found it mediocre—compared to his own Enlightenment Tea, it was nothing but dregs. However, he kept this to himself to save their face.

Hu Baoshan did not mind that the guest looked down on his tea; cultivators were often eccentric, and perhaps he simply disliked tea. He tentatively asked, "May I ask which sect you hail from, Senior? Thanks to your help, we avoided a catastrophe. My clan has no way to repay such a debt. If there is anything in our clan that catches your eye, please, take it."

The patriarch was at his wit's end; since the guest didn't care for their best tea, he truly had nothing better to offer. The Celestial Wolves had wanted to destroy the foxes not just for Hu Ling'er, but for the profits from the spirit tea. With Liao Chen uninterested, Hu Baoshan could only pray that he wouldn't ask for something too excessive.

Liao Chen said casually, "Patriarch, if you want to thank someone, thank your daughter for being a good child. I promised her I would resolve this crisis, and the condition was that she take me as her master. Now that your crisis is averted, you have no objections to me taking Hu Ling'er away, do you?"

"Also, I am from the Chenguang Sect of the Myriad Demon Mountains. If you miss your daughter, you can go there to find her!"

Hu Baoshan was stunned to learn he was from the Chenguang Sect—wasn't that the very sect he had once encouraged his daughter to join? Thinking of this, he immediately called Hu Ling'er over and ordered, "Ling'er, pay your respects to your Master at once!"

Hu Ling'er hurried over and knelt before Liao Chen on both knees. "Disciple Hu Ling'er pays respects to Master!"

Liao Chen smiled slightly. "Rise, Ling'er. I am Liao Chen, known by the title 'Invincible Ancestor.' From this day forward, no one but your Master may bully you, or I will surely annihilate them."

"Yes, Master!" Hu Ling'er was overjoyed, though she felt a touch of curiosity about her master. Could he truly be invincible, as his title suggested? She kept the thought to herself, not daring to speak it aloud.

System: "Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully taking an apprentice. Reward: 50 million cultivation experience points, 1,000 top-grade Thunder-Sound Swords, 1 million top-grade Tier 6 Peiyuan Pills, 1 million top-grade Tier 6 Marrow-Cleansing Pills, one copy of the god-tier technique 'Heavenly Dao Illusion Arts,' one plot of sect medicinal fields, and one Mission Tower. Rewards have been distributed; please check your inventory."

Liao Chen was thrilled to hear the rewards. While the other items were of little use to him, the experience points were treasures for his advancement. He checked Hu Ling'er's constitution via the system, which revealed she possessed a Nine-Star Innate Illusion Spirit Body. Combined with the Heavenly Dao Illusion Arts, she could easily fight those stronger than herself.

Liao Chen turned to Hu Ling'er: "Ling'er, I officially accept you as my disciple. As a welcoming gift, I bestow upon you this top-grade Thunder-Sound Sword. Since you are already at the Divine Ability Realm, I am giving you 100 top-grade Tier 6 Peiyuan Pills and 100 top-grade Tier 6 Marrow-Cleansing Pills. If you run out, just ask me for more. Furthermore, your constitution is a rare Innate Illusion Spirit Body; this 'Heavenly Dao Illusion Arts' manual will suit you perfectly. Cultivate diligently."

Hu Ling'er, stunned by her master's generosity, accepted the gifts and knelt once more.

Hu Baoshan, watching his daughter acquire such a wealthy master, could not help but feel envious. Even the entire fox clan couldn't produce a single top-grade magic weapon, let alone hundreds of top-grade Tier 6 pills that were priceless in the market. It was no wonder Liao Chen hadn't cared for their tea.

A bold idea formed in Hu Baoshan's mind: he would move the entire fox clan to the Myriad Demon Mountains to seek the protection of the Chenguang Sect. He shared his thoughts with Liao Chen, who did not object. Liao Chen allowed the fox clan to move near the sect, tasking them with helping to recruit disciples. Hu Baoshan agreed wholeheartedly, promising to give his all. Liao Chen then took Hu Ling'er and returned to the sect.