After Accidentally Entering the Forbidden Land and Forming a Bond with the Grandmaster - Chapter 18

Officially Taking His Wife as His Disciple.

Chu Lanci, his face a flush of peach blossom red, leaned in again. As soon as he drew near, Xie Zhuo wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. As they touched, the messy instructions from earlier ceased to matter. Only the embrace felt real.

Chu Lanci kissed him once more. He could not quite describe the feeling, but there was a hint of reverence in the gesture. He offered a quick kiss and tried to pull back, but Xie Zhuo held him in place. The man looked down at him but did not continue the kiss. Instead, he reached out with a long, slender finger and gently brushed Chu Lanci’s lips. Xie Zhuo had not intended to do anything specific, but watching Chu Lanci talk incessantly with those reddened lips had stirred a certain restlessness in his heart.

How could such a small mouth hold so much? And to claim he had improper thoughts about him, was he not just asking for trouble? Like a cute, tempting little rabbit that only knew how to munch on carrots, Xie Zhuo wanted the boy to come and play. He released him with a meaningful look, his expression returning to its usual indifferent mask.

Seeing that nothing further was happening, Chu Lanci breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost wanted to ask if a master-disciple bond carried any specific weight in the cultivation world. Among mortals, teachers and students generally did not marry. However, he decided against asking redundant questions to avoid causing trouble.

“Master is leaving now. If anything happens, send me a voice transmission,” Xie Zhuo instructed.

Chu Lanci nodded obediently. Xie Zhuo smiled slightly. Noticing that Chu Lanci still seemed very nervous, he said, “Rest assured, as long as I am in Qianshan, I will protect you. No matter what happens, I am here for you, even if we were to end our relationship, understood?”

Chu Lanci nodded with deep gratitude. Xie Zhuo gave a faint smile and turned to leave.

After Xie Zhuo left, Chu Lanci remained in the small hut, excitedly planning his future as a powerful sword cultivator, one as great as his Master. He had beautiful visions for the future, imagining himself progressing step by step from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, just as his Master had described. This excitement helped soothe the awkwardness of marrying a man. It was no big deal, Chu Lanci thought.

Despite his internal pep talks, when the day to test his spiritual roots arrived, he cautiously asked Wei Daoping, “Senior Brother Wei, who is your master?”

“My master is the Sect Leader,” Wei Daoping replied.

What a coincidence, Chu Lanci thought. “Are there many people here who have entered into master-disciple marriages?”

Wei Daoping let out a couple of laughs. “Junior Brother, since you have already agreed, just marry him with a peaceful mind. This is an opportunity that others could only dream of.” He was offering sincere advice. If it were him, he would be more than willing. If the other disciples found out, they would be mad with jealousy. That was Xie Zhuo! Was he not worth sacrificing oneself for?

“I know, Senior Brother,” Chu Lanci replied. Whenever he felt unhappy, he would comfort himself by saying, “Chu Lanci, do not be ungrateful for your blessings.” One had to learn to be content to be happy.

Wei Daoping glanced at his pure junior brother. He did not know what the Sect Leader saw in him. Granted, he was very beautiful and young, but there were many such people. To form a bond with the world’s number one cultivator was practically the same as ascending to heaven on the spot. He suspected Chu Lanci actually wanted this very much and was only acting humble to make them envious. He really wanted to tell him not to flaunt it in front of the other brothers, or all of Qianshan would end up hating him.

“It is best that you know,” Wei Daoping added. “Remember to be a bit more modest.”

Chu Lanci did not catch the underlying bitterness. Instead, he followed Wei Daoping’s lead. “I understand. Do not worry, Senior Brother, I will be modest.”

Wei Daoping was speechless. He thought his junior brother was a bit slow and unable to read people’s expressions. He continued, “Do not be upset by what I am saying. I am likely not the only one who thinks this way. Since you caught the Sect Leader’s eye, everyone will assume you were the one seeking to climb the social ladder. They will not believe the Sect Leader initiated it. Think about it. What kind of person is the Sect Leader? Would he voluntarily ask to marry you?”

Chu Lanci recalled their conversation from the previous day. “But I already tried to dissuade Master yesterday. It was Master himself who insisted on the marriage.” He refused to take the blame for this. He had given his best advice, so people could not resent him later. He was penniless; it was his Master who chose to pursue him.

Wei Daoping was once again at a loss for words. He wondered if the Sect Leader was truly that thirsty. “Really? The Sect Leader?”

Chu Lanci nodded like a woodpecker. Wei Daoping felt a bit speechless. It seemed this junior brother had some hidden charms, and he should not underestimate him.

While they talked, they arrived at the Reception Hall responsible for sect recruitment. Chu Lanci saw that many people were there to test their spiritual roots. With so many people around, he grew nervous, fearing he would be exposed. Back when he had nothing, he had nothing to fear. Now that he had Xie Zhuo backing him, he did not want to be a burden.

However, with Wei Daoping making the arrangements, everything went smoothly. When Wei Daoping checked him in, he specifically mentioned Xie Zhuo. Upon hearing that name, the manager in charge of entry immediately changed his expression and said, “Let him go first, then. Let him go first.”

Just like that, Chu Lanci bypassed the long queue and moved to the front. Next was the spiritual root test. Chu Lanci was incredibly anxious, but he managed to steady himself. He cheered himself on, though his hands still shook because he had tested countless times before, and it had always resulted in failure. The spiritual root plate had always emitted a yellow light. But this time, the moment his hand touched it, the color shifted from yellow to green, and then from green to azure.

Then, Chu Lanci heard someone shout, “Single spiritual root, Wood attribute! Test passed. Proceed directly to the Inner Sect!”

As soon as those words fell, the crowd below gasped. “A single spiritual root! That is incredible.”

“It has been a long time since a single spiritual root appeared. Another genius has been born.”

“Some people are just born lucky. We cannot compete with that.”

Chu Lanci’s ears burned as he listened to these comments. He silently resolved that once he entered the Inner Sect, he would work hard to prove he was worthy of such praise. He could not be a useless person; he had to cultivate properly. After passing the test, Wei Daoping handled the rest of the arrangements. He was issued an immortal badge and the robes designated for Inner Sect disciples. Chu Lanci accepted them one by one and stored them in his spiritual ring.

Wei Daoping glanced at the ring. “Did the Sect Leader give that to you?” He was envious. Such a fine spiritual ring was surely a first grade or even divine grade artifact. It could automatically gather spiritual energy from a hundred miles away and could not only protect its master but also evolve along with their cultivation level. To give it to a rookie like Chu Lanci was a waste of a great treasure.

Chu Lanci looked down at the ring and gave a casual hum of agreement.

“Next is the disciple selection ceremony. The four great elders of Qianshan will choose their disciples, and of course, the Sect Leader will as well. Note that the Sect Leader’s master-disciple bond is marked by a deep black color. Do not choose the wrong one.”

“I understand,” Chu Lanci replied.

They entered a much larger hall. The vaulted ceiling was so high it seemed to reach the sky, flanked by massive white jade pillars. Hundreds of cultivators stood in solemn rows on either side, arranged by their respective ranks. Someone new like Chu Lanci had no idea where he stood in the hierarchy.

But among the crowd, he immediately spotted Xie Zhuo sitting majestically in the center. He was dressed formally today in a wide black robe cinched with a dark gold patterned leather belt. The flame mark on his forehead glowed slightly brighter than usual. His expression was cold and dignified, making him look like a deity stepped out of an ancient mural. Chu Lanci thought that this must be what Xie Zhuo was truly like, a leader of the righteous path. Whenever he wished, he could hide all his underlying rebellious nature.

The master of ceremonies shouted, “New disciples, pay your respects to the Masters!”

Chu Lanci was hidden among dozens of cultivators. He knew some of them had spent a very long time in the Outer Sect before finally earning a chance for promotion. Unlike them, he had truly turned from a sparrow into a phoenix. Following the lead of the others, he knelt to pay his respects. Afterward, the master of ceremonies began to read the rules that the masters and disciples of Qianshan had to follow.

Chu Lanci clearly heard the rule stating that masters and disciples were forbidden from forming marriage bonds. Hearing this, he could not help but look up at Xie Zhuo. For some reason, he could sense a slight, disdainful upward curve at the corner of Xie Zhuo’s mouth. It turned out there were rules, but Xie Zhuo simply did not care about them. Or perhaps, while he maintained a righteous and smooth exterior, he was actually dismissive of them in his heart.

Once the reading was finished, the elders turned to Xie Zhuo and said respectfully, “Sect Leader, please choose first.”

Xie Zhuo did not hesitate. “Since that is the case, I shall choose first.”

Chu Lanci’s heart hammered in his chest. He had never known that being chosen could be so thrilling. He looked up at Xie Zhuo, and Xie Zhuo looked back. Their eyes met. Then, Xie Zhuo pointed at him and said, “You.”

Chu Lanci looked around and saw there was no one else near him. It was really him! That one word, “you,” made Chu Lanci feel as though he had been blessed by the heavens. He felt profoundly grateful and, following the master of ceremonies’ command, knelt to pay formal respect to his Master.

“The rest of you may choose now,” Xie Zhuo said as he stood up. His wide robes made him look exceptionally tall and slender. His words held a hint of arrogance, yet no one could find any fault in them.

The elders quickly agreed. They were suspicious but said nothing because anyone could see that Xie Zhuo had picked the worst candidate. The worst one was Chu Lanci.

In truth, Chu Lanci did not know that everyone in Qianshan was secretly watching him, trying to figure out what game the master and disciple were playing. Upon seeing Chu Lanci in person, they suspected that Xie Zhuo’s game was simply being blinded by beauty. A genius sword master who had been imprisoned for a hundred years had emerged only to engage in dual cultivation with a young, beautiful mortal who lacked any spiritual roots. To be honest, almost no one believed this relationship would last, just as no one believed Chu Lanci would be able to survive for long in Qianshan.

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