Chapter 20: The Forgotten Disciple

[Ding, Fame Value +540] "Tsk!" Su Yuan's eyelids twitched violently. Listening to the lingering system notification in his ears, Su Yuan genuinely felt a toothache coming on. So it really was a Divine Transformation expert! As expected, his unusual behavior had definitely been noticed by that old monster. He just hadn't expected the old guy wouldn't try to seize anything from him! But Su Yuan still felt lingering fear. Fortunately, fortunately this was a righteous sect. Fortunately that old monster wasn't completely ruthless. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unpredictable. The cultivation world was truly dangerous - a Divine Transformation expert could pop up anywhere! All of Su Yuan's slightly inflated pride instantly evaporated! He quietly made his way through the valley. Whenever he spotted any Immortal Seed disciples passing by, he would detour around them. Before long, he arrived at the valley entrance where two guard disciples stood watch with serious expressions. Su Yuan walked up to the entrance with complete composure. "Halt! Where are you going?" One guard disciple immediately barked at him. Su Yuan chuckled: "I'm not part of this year's Immortal Seed batch!" He released his Qi Refinement fourth layer aura. "Oh? Why do you look unfamiliar?" The guard disciple immediately relaxed. "I seem to have this innate talent where people easily forget my existence. It's quite frustrating actually!" Su Yuan said with feigned melancholy. Another disciple exclaimed in shock: "There's such a talent?" "I'm not sure either, but that seems to be the case!" Su Yuan replied. "Incredible! Such a talent... how should I put it... could actually be quite useful sometimes!" "Well, I should go report back now!" Su Yuan nodded and walked out of Immortal Seed Valley. The two guard disciples watched Su Yuan leave. One suddenly asked: "Hey, what was that guy's name again?" "No idea." "Did we even ask?" "Probably not?" "Can you be sure? He has that special talent after all!" "Tsk, does the effect work that fast?" The two disciples looked at each other in bewilderment. Su Yuan's ears twitched slightly as he thought: "These two are quite amusing." Following the sect map from the Scripture Pavilion, Su Yuan headed toward Mysterious Extremes Peak. Along the way, he saw numerous sword lights flying through the sky and even spotted people riding immortal cranes through the clouds. This made Su Yuan quite envious - he could still only manage low-altitude gliding. He made a mental note to find a sword flight technique and buy a flying sword soon! The sect was truly enormous! Even at his current speed, it took Su Yuan a full hour to reach the base of Mysterious Extremes Peak. "Halt! Who goes there?" A peak guard shouted, "This is Mysterious Extremes Peak. State your business!" "I'm an Immortal Seed here to join the peak!" The guard blinked in confusion: "So soon? I thought there were still a few days left?" "Oh, my cultivation progressed well so I came out early!" Su Yuan laughed heartily, displaying his Qi Refinement third layer aura. "Wow, impressive junior! Already at Qi Refinement third layer right out of the valley - must be high-grade spiritual roots!" "Just average, really!" Su Yuan replied modestly. "You'll need to register. Head up this path for about fifteen minutes until you see the Immortal Mystic Hall - you can register there!" "Got it, thanks senior brother!" After politely thanking the guard, Su Yuan headed up the mountain path. The guards exchanged some words: "Tsk, another year's Immortal Seeds are coming out. Wonder how many geniuses will emerge this time?" "Heard there's a supreme-grade spiritual root this batch, but sadly it's a five-element supreme-grade." "Sad my ass! With your mid-grade spiritual root, you're worrying about supreme-grade prospects?" "Uh, just showing concern for the sect's future?" "Whatever, keep guarding. Don't let any suspicious people in." "Hey, didn't we forget to check that last disciple's token? Should we call him back?" "Eh, no need. That naive demeanor - definitely never seen blood or done missions. Clearly a fresh Immortal Seed. I know these things!" "Oh, right you are!" Su Yuan soon reached the Immortal Mystic Hall. Peeking inside, he saw a middle-aged disciple sleeping soundly at his desk. Su Yuan entered. "Hello? Anyone here?" His voice was loud, but the sleeping man remained undisturbed. Looking around, Su Yuan spotted registration instructions posted nearby - first do this, then that, and finally this other thing. Su Yuan blinked. "I could do this myself!" Finding the registration books, he flipped through last year's records and noticed an empty slot for an inner disciple - presumably left for him. Su Yuan efficiently completed the procedures, obtaining a standard Mysterious Extremes Peak disciple token and leaving a wisp of his aura in the hall's registry. Checking the residential map, he selected a secluded spot, marked it as taken, and pressed his token to confirm. The token flashed white, now serving as a residence key. "All set!" Su Yuan clapped his hands, putting everything back in place. Glancing at the still-soundly-sleeping attendant, he wondered: "Do cultivators really enjoy sleeping this much?" Shaking his head, Su Yuan left the hall. Much later, the middle-aged cultivator woke up with a yawn. "After working 360 days straight, stealing some sleep during this lull feels amazing!" He wasn't worried about intruders - any legitimate visitor's token would trigger the hall's formations to wake him. With the Immortal Seeds not due for days, this was perfect napping time. Su Yuan eventually found his new residence. Mysterious Extremes Peak was large, and his chosen spot was particularly remote - it took another fifteen minutes of searching. Rounding a large boulder, the view suddenly opened up! A small valley appeared before him. At its center lay a flat area with two acres of spirit fields protected by formations, glowing faintly white. At the far end stood an elegant two-story building with dark green walls that harmonized beautifully with the lush valley foliage, creating a vibrant natural aesthetic. Approaching, Su Yuan's token emitted a ripple that automatically opened the building's door. Inside, all furnishings were neatly arranged. The courtyard contained a small pond where dozens of fish swam playfully. Hearing the door open, they gathered at the edge, mouths gaping expectantly, their eyes full of naive anticipation. Su Yuan scratched his head: "Sorry, nothing to feed you right now." Finding only some fruit scraps in his pocket, he tossed them in. The fish eagerly swarmed the bits. Chuckling, Su Yuan headed straight to the bedroom and collapsed into deep sleep. Two days later... Immortal Seed Valley. The seven Peak Masters returned to select disciples. The five-element supreme-grade spiritual root went to Spiritual Extremes Peak, while other peaks each took one high-grade disciple. After sending several disciples into the trial secret realm, the Technique Extremes Peak Master suddenly remembered something: "Siming senior brother, didn't you take in a low-grade spiritual root last year? How's he doing now?" Wang Siming slapped his forehead: "Right! I completely forgot about him!" "Forgot?" The Technique Extremes Peak Master's eyes widened. How could one forget their own disciple? "He never exited the secret realm, and then... I'm not sure what happened! Let me check!" Wang Siming contacted his peak. The Immortal Mystic Hall reported no such disciple had registered. "What's wrong?" Other Peak Masters asked curiously. "Not sure. That disciple never came to register at my peak," Wang Siming admitted. The Divine Extremes Peak Master turned to the dazed Valley Master: "Lan Si, where is that disciple?" "Who?" Valley Master Lan looked blank. "That... what was his name? Su something? Low-grade spiritual root, the one Wang selected!" "Oh! Now I remember! Never saw him after that. If he'd exited, I'd know - the valley entrance is guarded." "Could he have... died inside?" The Artifact Extremes Peak Master ventured. A heavy silence fell. Wang Siming frowned, then sighed: "He's not in the valley, and when we opened the secret realm earlier, it showed no one inside. Check your peaks - if he's not there, then probably..." Other Peak Masters quickly confirmed - no records of Su Yuan anywhere. Everyone looked solemn. "Such is fate. Though the trial realm is quite safe, there are still combat elements. Accidental deaths happen." The mood turned somber. The old Valley Master's expression darkened as he recalled that cautious, unassuming youth. All his prudence had still led to death in the end. What good was excessive caution when even the safest trials could kill? Seemingly reaching a decision, the old Valley Master announced: "Peak Masters, I shall leave the sect to gain experience. Please inform the Sect Master to discuss my replacement." With that, he cupped his hands and departed without looking back. The others were stunned by this sudden decision, though they quickly understood his change of heart. Wang Siming sighed: "That boy had decent comprehension. What a shame." Nearby, an old janitor watched the scene with an incredulous expression, nearly laughing in frustration. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at their stupidity: "You idiots really run this sect? That disciple swaggered out of the valley, into Mysterious Extremes Peak, even registered himself, and none of you noticed? Absolutely ridiculous!"