“Senior, if it doesn’t offend you, allow this humble junior to call you master!” Shen He cried out with determination and humility, pressing his forehead firmly to the ground in the most respectful gesture he could perform.

Kneeling, for a young man raised with the belief that ‘beneath a man’s knees lies gold’, was not something done lightly.

The old man could see the resolve in the boy’s eyes and couldn’t help but stroke his beard, pondering whether or not he should accept him.

“Young man,” the old man began, catching the boy’s attention, whose face still touched the dirty ground. “Raise your head,” he requested.

But Shen He remained obstinate, keeping his face glued to the ground.

Appreciation appeared in the old man’s eyes.

‘The boy knows what he’s doing. He chose to remain humble and persistent rather than lift his face at the first chance to escape a humiliating posture. But even though his personality is good… his roots…’

Despite the good impression, the old man couldn’t ignore the fact that the youth’s five-element roots were almost hopeless.

“Boy… I’ll be direct with you. Your roots… they weren’t made to tread the path of immortality. It’s better for you to return to your family and enjoy the years you have left with them, so you won’t regret it later.”

The old man said, his heart heavy, seeing in the young man a shadow from the past that still weighed on his soul.

Those were the words he wished he could have spoken back then to the figure in his heart. But due to stubbornness, he ended up losing more than he could ever recover.

As he looked at the boy who still kept his head to the ground and clenched his fists tightly, the old man’s heart wavered.

“Senior, I will never give up. Please, I only ask that you do not give up on me either. Even if everything is in vain in the end, I’ll still die satisfied knowing I tried everything… and that there was someone out there who tried for me too.”

The young man pleaded, his voice bitter but filled with unwavering resolve.

The old man’s hand trembled at those words, and he couldn’t help but hide it behind his back.

Once again, that figure took shape before his eyes, and those words seemed to come from him.

‘I can’t help but see his figure in this boy… from all I’ve seen, their personalities are so alike. Could it be… that I’m still alive because the heavens are giving me a second chance to make up for my regrets?’

The old man’s heart raced, and his eyes filled with sorrow.

He looked at the youth again, and his heart finally decided.

“Are you truly willing to lose everything for a hopeless dream?”

The old man asked, with a solemn gaze.

The youth’s heart trembled, but even with his face to the ground, he nodded firmly.

“Even if I die in the next second, I will not regret it.”

Shen He spoke, his eyes shining like flames.

“Very well.”

The old man sighed and then smiled at him.

“If you had met anyone else in this world, your chances of reaching the peak of cultivation would be zero. But you were lucky to meet me. With me, perhaps you can walk a path no one else with a mixed root has ever walked.”

He spoke with confidence, and Shen He was filled with hope. He lifted his face from the ground, looking at the old man with disbelief and overwhelming joy.

He couldn’t believe he had managed to find such a powerful master willing to accept him.

But then, he remembered something that made his heart race and his face turn bitter.

“Master, I… I lack the items required to serve you tea for the disciple acceptance ceremony…”

Shen He admitted, helpless.

The old man merely smiled and shook his head, indifferent.

“Just do what you can for now. The tea ceremony is meant to show submission, respect, and admiration for your new master. But, as the name says, it’s just a ceremony — an event. I’m more pragmatic and expect you to demonstrate those three points in practice, day by day, not with a one-time vow or empty display.”

He spoke with serenity, but also with firmness.

“Yes, Master!”

Shen He replied with determination and engraved his master’s words into his heart.

Then, before the old cultivator’s eyes, he placed both palms on the ground and struck his forehead against it.

He lifted his head, showing his bleeding forehead, and once again bowed, striking it again.

For the third time, he repeated the gesture, but this time, did not rise.

“Master, accept the three bows of this humble disciple.”

Shen He declared, respectfully and emotionally.

The old man, with his hands behind his back, looked seriously at the kneeling youth. After a few seconds, he nodded, his heart slightly conflicted as he thought of that figure.

“From now on, you are my disciple. Rise, Xiao He.”

The old man smiled and asked him to stand, using a nickname that meant something like “Little He.”

Becoming someone’s master was like becoming a second father or mother. That’s why the decision to accept a disciple couldn’t be made lightly by either side.

To understand the weight of this, there was a saying: ‘Master for a day, father for life’, showing the seriousness of the bond between master and disciple.

With his heart racing with joy, Shen He stood up, supporting himself on his knees, still trembling with excitement, and took a deep breath.

Letting go of his knees and clasping his hands together, he bowed respectfully for the first time as an official disciple.

“Disciple Shen He greets Master.”

He said with a solemn gaze, despite the happiness filling his heart.

“Good.”

The old man smiled faintly, satisfied with Shen He’s respect and good manners.

“Master… what is your name?”

The youth then asked, slightly embarrassed.

Indeed, accepting someone he had just met as a master was reckless. But he was in a difficult situation, and everything pointed to that old man being an expert. He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

At the very least, the aura the old man exuded without even trying was countless times stronger and more majestic than what he once felt when he saw the lord of Black Rock Mountain during a ceremony he attended with his father in the past.

“My name must not be spoken casually. Just call me Master. And do not reveal anything about the necklace to anyone, understand?”

The old man looked at him seriously and commanded.

Shen He’s heart pounded, and he didn’t dare to ask further.

“Yes, Master. I’m sorry…” He nodded quickly, a little worried that he might have offended his new master.

“It’s alright, just remember what I said. Let’s talk about something else. You’re here on this mountain to join a sect, correct?” The old man nodded gently and changed the subject.

“Yes, Master. Before, I didn’t know what to do about the necklace. Even though I feared revealing it and ending up hunted by enemies trying to take my head to obtain it, when news came of a Golden Core sect accepting five-element roots, I couldn’t help myself. In desperation, I decided to join and reveal the truth about the necklace. Maybe, in such a powerful sect, they would have a way to remove it… without cutting my head off first,” Shen He admitted helplessly.

“That necklace is not something an ant like a Golden Core sect could comprehend. Luckily, I awoke before that happened. Otherwise, your head really would have been chopped off because of it.” The old man shook his head at the naivety of his disciple.

“Gulp!” Shen He swallowed hard and rubbed his throat, uncomfortable.

He knew revealing the necklace to the Infinite Dao Sect was risky, but hearing from his master that it would have been certain death made him feel like he had narrowly escaped a grim fate.

“Master, now that you’re here, I no longer need to join the Infinite Dao Sect. What should we do now?” Shen He asked after calming down.

“You’re right. A mere Golden Core sect isn’t even worthy of receiving a single step from my disciple. Besides, that sect has a major issue. It’s not normal for a sect to accept disciples of any elemental root, choosing only by quality.” The old man furrowed his red eyebrows, just like his hair, and spoke with a tone of suspicion.

“Well… there are two divided opinions about this sect. Some believe it discovered a magical cultivation method capable of working with any spiritual root, which is why they focus only on quality. But that opinion is mostly held by people like me, who have high-quality roots and don’t believe we’re inferior to others, but are hindered by having five-element roots,” Shen He said seriously, looking toward the still-empty center of the plaza, awaiting the arrival of the Infinite Dao Sect, scheduled for today.

“Do you believe that?” the old man followed his gaze and asked, his expression unreadable.

Shen He slowly lowered his gaze, his heart heavy, and spoke in a low voice.

“When there’s no hope… clinging to illusions is the only way to keep going…” he murmured, his gaze complicated.

“And now that you have hope? What do you think?” the old man asked, looking him in the eye.

Shen He’s gaze gradually became firm.

“Now, I believe in the second theory. A sect that appeared out of nowhere on Black Rock Mountain and accepts any root. Newly recruited disciples that, after just one month of cultivation, show up in public after breaking through multiple levels. Everything points to a demonic sect, producing cannon fodder through blood-ignition techniques and life-force consumption, preparing for a war not far off. These disciples likely won’t live more than a few years, and their cultivation will probably stop at Qi Refinement — if they’re even alive. A few months ago, they took them all away, and no one knows if they’ve already died in battle.” Shen He’s eyes turned dark as he clenched his fists and responded.

The old man observed him, intrigued.

“Even knowing that, you still intended to join?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

But Shen He showed neither fear nor hesitation.

“That sect seems to have a method of reading the hearts of cultivators, only allowing good people in as disciples. Those who believe in the first theory take this as further reason to join. Those who believe the second theory deduce that the blood-ignition technique requires a good heart to function. I was ready to enter… and ready to take my own life if I was forced down a path of no return,” Shen He said with determination.

The old man watched him for a moment and nodded in satisfaction.

“Good. I also believe that sect walks a twisted path, going against the righteous dao. In millions of years, no one has ever heard of someone cultivating so quickly with a five-element root in a proper manner, without stacking up countless treasures to do it. And I find it hard to believe that a sect located in the desert has access to so many resources to nurture so many disciples,” the mysterious master explained, confident in his thoughts.

He was merely testing his new disciple. During the years he had been attached to Shen He, although unconscious, his mind had already been awakening, and he was aware of the things Shen He had experienced and of his personality. He also knew of the Infinite Dao Sect, which had appeared recently.

“Master, then should I leave immediately?” Shen He nodded and asked.

He feared becoming a target of that strange sect if he remained.

The old man pondered for a moment and shook his head.

“No, we’ll stay and observe. There’s no reason to be afraid. If anything happens, I can use a portion of my soul’s power to get you out of here safely,” he decided, explaining with confidence.

Shen He sighed in relief at his master’s certainty.

But just as he was about to say something, he saw the old man furrow his brows and fix his gaze on the horizon.

He followed his master’s gaze but saw nothing, feeling confused.

“Master, what is it?” he asked, puzzled.

“Xiao He, it seems we underestimated the conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes…” the old man said, still staring into the horizon, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep