Chapter 1602 - Compete To Take Disciple

The three disciples had used the treasures to break through smoothly to the third-level Origin Conversion Realm, standing two levels above Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie sensed them the instant they appeared, and a longsword slipped into his hand as a cold smirk rose on his lips.

"Brat, how dare you steal our limelight! Die!"

The three attacked together without hesitation, and the shockwave they unleashed crushed down on Liu Wuxie like a mountain.

The elders in the main hall watched everything with perfect clarity.

"Should we stop this farce?"

The Immortal Slaughter Palace needed talent now more than ever, and losing even one person would be a devastating blow.

"No need to interfere for now," Sima An replied with a shake of his hand.

The Immortal Slaughter Palace might lack elite disciples, but they wouldn't meddle in their fights. After all, only fights could fuel their growth faster.

"Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish," Liu Wuxie roared. He had come to the Immortal Slaughter Palace to kill, and he struck swiftly with no intention of sparing the trio.

He needed to make enemies, especially among the other disciples in the Immortal Slaughter Palace. That would give him a reason to cut them down. He also didn't have to worry about killing them. As long as he performed well enough, even the sect's upper echelons would find ways to protect him. This was a foolproof plan.

"This is our Immortal Slaughter Palace's sword technique," Sima An exclaimed the moment Liu Wuxie unleashed his sword technique. This sword technique could only be cultivated by those who reached the higher levels of the Origin Conversion Realm.

The three attackers froze for an instant as the sword aura from that technique locked onto them without mercy.

"Quick, stop him!" Fan Gaojie spoke, urging Sima An to intervene. The three disciples had connections to him, and among the disciples promoted this time, many threads led back to the sect's upper echelons.

In the past, the Immortal Slaughter Palace's competition had been intense, and even with connections, they still had to claw their way up the ladder.

However, the intervention came too late because the sword aura split into three and condensed into three sword rays that severed the trio's heads.

Hissing voices echoed through the main hall as shock spread at Liu Wuxie's decisive killing.

"This brat's personality is really twisted with violence." Their investigation had revealed that Meng An was known for his violent temper and vindictiveness.

After killing them, Liu Wuxie bent down and collected the treasures the trio had obtained from the ninth floor. When he opened them, rare treasures greeted him one after another. He refined them in one swoop without hesitation, and his aura rose as he smoothly reached the second-level Origin Conversion Realm.

By then, more and more people had climbed to the ninth floor, but those who arrived later found no rewards left to claim.

When the other disciples entered the ninth floor, shock flashed across their faces as they stared at the three corpses on the ground.

"It's Tu Pao's three brothers! They're dead!"

"How is this possible? The three brothers had reached the third-level Origin Conversion Realm, and how could they possibly be killed?" More people stepped on the ninth floor, but they only gathered around the edges, not daring to get close to Liu Wuxie.

Several miscellaneous disciples roared as they stepped forward to confront Meng An. "Meng An, how dare you kill someone in the assessment!"

"Not convinced?" Liu Wuxie asked, withdrawing his aura, his expression openly provocative. If they weren't satisfied, they could step forward to fight him.

Not one person stepped out. They all understood that if the three brothers couldn't even beat Meng An, charging in would only mean death.

"Wait for the sect's punishment! Even if your uncle is the inner sect's elder, he also won't be able to protect you!" Many disciples' cultivation had been higher than Meng An's, and resentment flared when they realized he had surpassed them.

Liu Wuxie ignored their threats.

A voice echoed through the Myriad Profound Pagoda as a gate appeared. "The assessment has come to an end!"

Once everyone stepped through it, they returned to the martial field.

Liu Wuxie emerged first and led the way out. Some disciples still fought with the puppets outside, and they weren't even qualified to enter the Myriad Profound Pagoda.

Many elders left the main hall and hovered above the martial field. The sight of so many elders appearing at once instantly changed every disciple's expression.

The moment the elders appeared, all their gazes locked onto Liu Wuxie.

“Meng An, are you willing to become my disciple?” Sima An began without a preamble.

He did not concern himself with Meng An’s temperament; such matters could be refined slowly.

Another elder at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm stepped forward. "Sima An, how dare you get ahead of me?!" His tone was hostile, as if old grudges simmered between him and Sima An.

Gong Yangbo said, stepping forward, "Meng An, it's better if you become my disciple. I promise that you'll reach the Primal Origin Realm within a year."

The surrounding elders turned to Liu Wuxie with envy as they watched so many of their peers scramble to take him as a disciple.

"Become my disciple, and I guarantee that you'll reach the Primal Origin Realm in six months!"

"Don't listen to them! If you take me as your master, I guarantee that not only will you reach the Primal Origin Realm within a year, but I'll pour everything into nurturing you!" Voices called out one after another, leaving the surrounding disciples dumbstruck.

"What's wrong with these elders? Why are they fighting over Meng An? Is our talent any inferior to his?" a disciple at the first-level Origin Conversion Realm asked, indignation written across his face.

Liu Wuxie naturally captured every expression around him, and a faint smile rose on his lips.

"Meng An, don't listen to them. They already have disciples, but I don't even have a single one. If you become my disciple, I'll do my best to groom you," Sima An offered again.

The elders who had spoken earlier already had disciples under them, but none of them would refuse a monstrous prodigy like this. The higher their disciples' status climbed, the greater their own prestige became.

"That's enough. Let Meng An decide," Niu Yichang said as he stepped forward to shut everyone up.

It was beneath their status as elders to bicker in front of so many ordinary disciples. If word spread, the Immortal Slaughter Palace would become a laughing stock.

Silence fell, and everyone waited for Meng An's choice.

"Do I really have to make a choice?" Liu Wuxie asked, wearing an innocent look. He knew he would offend the other elders no matter who he chose, and that was exactly what he wanted. He only needed to act the part.

"You don't have to feel any burden about it. None of us will blame you regardless of your choice," Sima An said, sensing Meng An's worry, and tried to ease the pressure he felt.

The other elders nodded in acknowledgement as well.

Liu Wuxie lifted his head and swept his gaze over the elders. They were all upper echelons of the Immortal Slaughter Palace, and becoming any one of their disciples would mean rising swiftly in rank.

"I'm willing to become Senior Niu Yichang's disciple," Liu Wuxie said, making a choice that stunned everyone.

Niu Yichang held considerable status in the Immortal Slaughter Palace, with cultivation at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm. Yet his damaged dantian would begin to leak true essence within a few years at most.

"Hahaha! I'll let you know that choosing me is the best decision you've made!" Niu Yichang roared with laughter, delighted that Meng An had chosen him.

"Meng An, you should think carefully again. Elder Niu Yichang has issues with his body, and he won't have that much energy to nurture you properly," Gong Yangbo said, stepping forward and urging Meng An to reconsider.

"Gong Yangbo, what do you mean by that? What issues do I have? Do you want to spar with me?" Niu Yichang roared. Everyone in the Immortal Slaughter Palace knew his fiery temper, ready to explode with the slightest spark like gunpowder.

Few elders stayed close to Niu Yichang throughout the entire Immortal Slaughter Palace, and that was part of why Liu Wuxie had chosen him.

Niu Yichang held a high status and carried a violent temper. He was known for being overprotective of those close to him and for having few friends. That perfectly matched Liu Wuxie's requirement.

As Niu Yichang spoke, he was already moving to strike.

"So be it. Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Gong Yangbo shot back, his temper flaring as well.

"Both of you, that's enough. Didn't we all agree that none of us will interfere with who he chooses?" Sima An snapped. Even with disappointment in his eyes, he still respected Meng An's choice.

Liu Wuxie laughed hard to himself, because this was exactly what he aimed for. His goal was to spark conflict within the Immortal Slaughter Palace's ranks.

No sect ever remained truly harmonious within, and the Heavenly Dragon Sect wasn't an exception either. Some supported him, and many disliked him in that sect, yet it was enough as long as the majority stood behind him.

Whether a sect master or patriarch, they would support a few factions if none existed to balance the two sides. That balance allowed factions to restrain one another. It worked like governing a country, where multiple factions made it easier to achieve control.

For a force as large as the Immortal Slaughter Palace, with hundreds of elders at the Heaven Gaze Realm, how could they possibly stay united? Old grudges from youth festered, and even without grudges, uneven resource distribution would still carve rifts.

Now that they had lost Meng An, the other elders could only choose from the remaining disciples. Those disciples did not match Liu Wuxie's aptitude, but they weren't entirely useless either.

After a round of selection, hundreds of elders had chosen disciples. Like Liu Wuxie, they would all receive personal nurturing from those elders.

"Meng An, let's go," Niu Yichang said as he grabbed Liu Wuxie by the shoulder, leading him away from the martial field to bring him back to his residence. They rode clouds, and Liu Wuxie followed Niu Yichang to a vast mountain where the entire peak belonged solely to him.

"I'll be honest that I have never taken a disciple before, and this means that I don't have any experience in teaching one. But you don't have to worry. As long as you don't do anything outrageous in the Immortal Slaughter Palace, I can deal with everyone for you," Niu Yichang said bluntly.

"I will do my best and won't disappoint the Master's nurturing," Liu Wuxie said, bowing with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He had already secured the first step, and the second would come next.

Niu Yichang tossed a porcelain bottle to Liu Wuxie. "This pill is for you, and it'll aid your breakthrough to the higher levels of the Origin Conversion Realm." Since he had taken Liu Wuxie as his disciple, he naturally had to nurture him properly.

"Thank you, Master!" Liu Wuxie said as he accepted the porcelain bottle. As he opened it, a smile spread across his lips.

"A sixth-grade spiritual pill!" Sixth-grade spiritual pills carried such powerful medicinal effects that even cultivators at the Primal Origin Realm could make an unconditional breakthrough of one level after consuming one.

"I don't have any low-grade spiritual pills on me, and this is the worst one I have. I'll make a trip to the sect's vault later to find some treasures for you," Niu Yichang said with a grin. He had reached the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm, and he had carried that sixth-grade spiritual pill for a long time because it no longer held much use for him.