Chapter Seventy-Five: Refusing Them All

Page 1 of 3

As Elder Yu neutralized that sound, both Tianming and Hengcheng quickly regained their senses.

“Is that Sect Master Xiao?” Tianming couldn’t help but exclaim when he heard the familiar voice. The joy that surged in his heart was quickly mingled with surprise—why had Xiao Tianji come here, and how did he know Tianming was inside the Heavenly Pavilion?

Gasp!

Hengcheng was equally astonished; he hadn’t expected that even the sect master would be alarmed enough to come in person. At the same time, he turned his gaze to the entrance of the pavilion.

Observing the reactions of the two, Elder Yu chuckled softly. Whether he was amused by their antics or something else, it was hard to tell.

At that moment, under everyone’s gaze—

“You old fox!”

With a shout, an old man with white hair, ordinary yet extraordinary, leaning on a cane, strode in from outside. His eyes were deep as the starry sea, and though each step seemed small, it felt as if he walked straight into the hearts of those present, as if he stood right before them.

“Sect Master!” Tianming and Hengcheng hurried forward and bowed respectfully to the white-haired elder.

Seeing this, Xiao Tianji waved his hand indifferently, paying no heed to Elder Yu. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Tianming. “I hear you experienced enlightenment for half an hour at the entrance to the Heavenly Pavilion?”

“Yes, I did.”

In front of Xiao Tianji, Tianming dared not lie and answered truthfully. Yet inwardly he wondered if the things he had gained inside were already known to Sect Master Xiao and the others. But since they hadn’t mentioned it, he assumed they didn’t know.

“May I ask why the sect master and Elder Yu are so astonished? Although I stared at that plaque for half an hour, I gained nothing from it. If anything, it’s rather a pity—so why…?” Tianming glanced at Xiao Tianji and Elder Yu and continued.

“Hahaha! You’re new to the sect, so it’s normal you don’t know. In fact, you don’t need to know—just cultivate well, young friend,” Xiao Tianji interjected before Elder Yu could speak. “By the way, Xiao Tianji is merely my title; my real name is Xun Tianxiao.”

Perhaps to prevent misunderstanding later, Xiao Tianji explained once more to Tianming.

“Thank you for telling me, Sect Master!” Tianming nodded respectfully.

In truth, Tianming didn’t care much for the sect master’s real name; to him, it was enough to know this was the sect master.

“Come, young friend! Let’s talk about what just happened,” Elder Yu said kindly to Tianming.

Page 2 of 3

Elder Yu was clearly displeased with Xiao Tianji’s behavior and promptly pulled Tianming over to his side. Seeing Xiao Tianji address Tianming as “young friend,” Elder Yu unexpectedly followed suit, leaving Tianming and Hengcheng both dumbfounded—was this really the same Elder Yu they’d just met?

“This… I’m afraid it’s not very appropriate. I’m not quite prepared,” Tianming replied tactfully, understanding Elder Yu’s intention but not wanting to refuse him outright, for he had no wish to offend such a senior figure. After all, those who could stand on equal footing with the sect master were few and far between.

“See? It seems our young friend isn’t interested in your offer,” Xiao Tianji said with a smile.

“You…!” Although Tianming hadn’t explicitly refused, the meaning was clear enough. None of those present were fools. With Xiao Tianji’s comment, Hengcheng quickly caught on as well; pointing at Xiao Tianji, his face flushed with words unspoken, Elder Yu could only sigh and shake his head.

Tianming felt a pang of guilt at Elder Yu’s disappointment and stepped back a few paces.

“Sect Master, Elder Yu, I understand your intentions, but I must respectfully decline. I wish to reach the peak by my own efforts,” Tianming said after a moment’s deliberation, bowing to both elders.

Tianming was well aware of their intentions, but since his advancement hadn’t come solely from his own cultivation, accepting their offer might cause problems in the future. Fortunately, before Xiao Tianji could formally propose, Tianming had already given a tactful refusal to their offer of apprenticeship. This way, there would be no hard feelings or awkwardness.

“The peak, is it? Very well, perhaps we were overzealous,” Xiao Tianji said with a nod.

A man of their stature, Xiao Tianji and Elder Yu easily caught the meaning in Tianming’s words. What truly surprised them, however, was that someone so young could harbor such lofty ambition. It left them both slightly shaken.

“Tianming?” Hengcheng tugged at his sleeve, worried.

Tianming’s composure only made Hengcheng more anxious. In front of these two elders, he barely dared to breathe, and yet Tianming would risk offending them to refuse their offer. Hengcheng was utterly confused.

Turning, Tianming met Hengcheng’s eyes, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled reassuringly.

“Sect Master, Elder Yu, if there’s nothing else, may I go select my martial techniques now?” Tianming turned back to the two elders, clasping his hands in a calm salute as if the previous conversation had never occurred. Hengcheng quickly followed suit, bowing respectfully.

“To each his own path. Off you go, young friend,” Elder Yu said kindly with a nod.

Xiao Tianji seemed unruffled, as if he had anticipated this outcome, yet there was still a hint of reluctance as he glanced at Elder Yu.

Page 3 of 3

“Are you satisfied now?” Elder Yu remarked, catching Xiao Tianji’s gaze.

The two exchanged a smile, both surprised to find themselves bested in the end. Yet there was nothing more to say; after all, it had been their own choice, and as sect master and pavilion master, they couldn’t possibly take offense at a disciple’s decision.

…

Meanwhile, Tianming and Hengcheng had ascended to the second floor.

“Heaven-grade, earth-grade?” Tianming exclaimed in astonishment.

As soon as he stepped in, he noticed martial arts techniques and skills of a caliber not found on the first floor. The spiritual energy here was also denser, making it clear that this area was reserved for inner disciples.

Hengcheng, for his part, was struck dumb, mouth agape and speechless.

“Hengcheng, don’t just stand there! Go pick something—opportunities like this are rare, so choose wisely,” Tianming quickly recovered and, seeing Hengcheng’s look, burst into laughter before offering a friendly reminder.

“Yes, Brother Tianming.” Startled back to his senses, Hengcheng nodded hastily.

“All right, enough with the ‘Brother Tianming.’ Just call me Tian-ge—we’re both inner disciples now, no need for so much formality,” Tianming said, a little uncomfortable with the honorifics. He hadn’t had time to address it earlier, but now he certainly would.

Hengcheng nodded again, though he said nothing more.

Just as they were about to separate, a familiar voice rang out from the second floor—it was Elder Yu.

“Each person may choose only one heaven-grade martial technique or weapon, and two earth-grade ones. Once you’ve chosen, come down for verification. Afterwards, you may copy them onto new scrolls—the originals must not leave this place! Understood?”

Hearing this, Tianming and Hengcheng turned and nodded in perfect synchronicity.

Though Tianming was unfamiliar with all the rules of the Heavenly Pavilion, he understood the reasoning: to prevent loss, to maximize access to these techniques for others, and to maintain the order and appearance of the pavilion.

Page 3 of 3