Chapter Ninety-Three: Immortal Essence Everywhere

"It’s not me, of course. I don’t have the ability to teach anyone. The one taking disciples is Little Zhu."

Who was Little Zhu?

For a moment, both Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran were puzzled. This person was not the reclusive master they had come seeking after all, but who, then, was Little Zhu?

And yet, whenever the elder spoke of Little Zhu, his tone was filled with genuine respect.

"Little... Little... Little Zhu?" Long Ruxuan asked in confusion.

"Hahaha, yes, exactly—Little Zhu!" Old Master Liu laughed at the boy’s nervousness.

"Little Zhu is immensely capable! There is nothing he cannot do. He knows every art under heaven, and everyone in our little mountain village has benefited from him!"

Old Master Liu could not praise Zhu Xiaoyuan enough.

Many things in his home had been made with Zhu Xiaoyuan’s help. Even the cane in his hand, the water dipper, and the jujube tree in the courtyard had all been personally arranged by Zhu Xiaoyuan.

At this, Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran were thoroughly stunned.

They had originally assumed that a courtyard where even the most ordinary object was of quasi-immortal artifact level must belong to an unrivaled expert—perhaps the very figure from the rumors, the one whose disciple would be granted immortal fortune.

But now this expert before them had said that everything he possessed was thanks to Little Zhu’s help.

Just how formidable must this Little Zhu be?

It was utterly unnerving.

"I’m telling you two boys, if you can become Little Zhu’s disciples, then even learning a little from him will be enough to sustain you for a lifetime!"

Old Master Liu said with a smile.

"Go on, go find Little Zhu now."

Hearing this, the two immediately rose from the ground, excitement and reverence shining in their eyes.

"Then thank you, senior!"

Even if this man was not the master they had sought, he had still pointed them in the right direction.

Old Master Liu led them out the door and told them where Zhu Xiaoyuan’s courtyard was located. Only then did the two take their leave.

...

After leaving Old Master Liu’s home, Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran were both extremely excited.

"Brother Long, we really came to the right place. This time, it’s probably a great stroke of fortune!" Lu Ran could not help saying.

He had thought that simply getting in here would cost him half his life. Who would have imagined that not only had nothing happened, but they had also gained such an opportunity?

"I think that senior from before must also be an immortal!" Long Ruxuan said.

"This is an immortal guiding us. If we ever accomplish anything great in the future, we must not forget the immortal’s help."

"Let’s hurry. No one else has arrived yet, so we still have a chance to pay our respects to Senior Zhu," Lu Ran said.

The two immediately headed toward Zhu Xiaoyuan’s courtyard.

Along the way, everything they saw left them utterly dumbstruck.

A farmer casually swinging a hoe by the roadside was using a quasi-immortal artifact!

And the matron they had just passed, carrying a shoulder pole, had nothing but Dao charm within that pole.

Most terrifying of all, even the toys in the hands of several children contained fearsome power.

Every single thing before their eyes nearly made Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran’s jaws drop.

"Who are these people... Every random thing in their hands is at least a quasi-immortal artifact. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never believe it..." Lu Ran said, his mind no longer able to think straight.

"The holy-land forces outside don’t even amount to one ten-thousandth of what this place has," Long Ruxuan sighed deeply.

Soon, following the route Old Master Liu had given them, they arrived at Zhu Xiaoyuan’s home.

Above the gate hung four characters: The Only Leisure Courtyard.

Lu Ran and Long Ruxuan stood at the entrance, staring at those four characters for a long time.

"I can’t put it into words. I just feel like there are endless mysteries hidden in there. I can’t even tear my eyes away," Lu Ran said.

"Me too. I can’t comprehend it, but I can feel an incredibly terrifying power within them."

"It’s even more extraordinary than the calligraphy and paintings left behind by my ancestors!" Long Ruxuan added.

With their current low cultivation, they could not grasp the meaning contained in those characters at all, but that did not stop them from being certain they had found the right place.

"Let’s go. We should knock and pay our respects to the senior!"

Long Ruxuan stepped forward and knocked on the door with great solemnity.

Very quickly, the gate opened, and a young woman stepped out from within, wearing a purple gauze dress that made her seem lively and charming.

Huan Yue blinked her large eyes and looked at the two people at the door. "May I ask who you two are? What brings you here?"

Long Ruxuan examined Huan Yue closely and immediately sensed a terrifying aura.

This person was so young, yet possessed such astonishing strength!

If he was not mistaken, this girl before him was only around a dozen years old!

Lu Ran politely said, "I am Lu Ran of the Myriad Sword Sect. This is Long Ruxuan of the Golden Dragon Imperial Clan. We have come to pay our respects to the senior, and we hope to become his disciples."

He finished these words with the utmost deference.

Long Ruxuan hurriedly added, "Yes, we both heard that the senior wishes to take in disciples, so we came as quickly as possible just to meet him."

Huan Yue had not expected their purpose to be this. She looked at the two of them with some surprise.

The Myriad Sword Sect and the Golden Dragon Imperial Clan.

Both were well-known forces in the Heavenly Martial Realm, and she had heard of them before.

"You came quite quickly, but you’ll have to wait a moment," Huan Yue said with a smile. "I’ll go inform my master."

With that, Huan Yue turned and went to find Zhu Xiaoyuan.

Lu Ran and Long Ruxuan stood at the gate and exchanged a look.

"Is she that senior’s disciple?"

"I think the senior we found is the real expert. That young lady is about our age, but she’s already at the Venerable level!"

"We need to be even more respectful in our attitude!" Long Ruxuan said, his expression solemn.

Lu Ran, meanwhile, was stunned.

He had never imagined that the young woman who had opened the door for them was actually a Venerable-level figure!

That was far too exaggerated.

After all, every Venerable he had ever seen had been an old man or old woman!

...

At that moment, Huan Yue was reporting the matter at the gate to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

"Master, two people have come to the gate. They said they wish to become your disciples. They’re still waiting outside. What should we do?"