157: Chapter 156 The Good and Bad of True Meaning

Jiang Hanzhou looked up.

Ahead, a mountain peak rose from the ground, entirely crimson red, as if it had been scorched by blazing fire for millions of years.

On the mountainside, countless Immortal Caves were scattered like stars, some hidden within clouds and mist, some built on cliffs, and some carved directly into the mountain body.

In front of every Immortal Cave, there was a flowing Formation light curtain, isolating the inside from the outside.

At the foot of the mountain, a stream wound its way past, the water unexpectedly crimson red, gurgling as it flowed, emitting wisps of heat.

That was the Earth Fire Spiritual Spring.

"Red Fire Peak, with three hundred and twenty-seven Inner Sect Disciples," Master Xue Mu introduced as he walked. "There are eleven True Disciples. Now, adding you, that makes twelve."

He paused, then added, "However, you cannot be considered a True Disciple yet; you can only count as my Named Disciple. To become a True Disciple, you must pass the Dragon Gate Trial."

Jiang Hanzhou was slightly stunned.

"The Dragon Gate Trial?"

Jiang Hanzhou had thought that after being accepted as a Disciple, he would bypass this assessment that occurred every three years.

"Correct." Master Xue Mu nodded. "It is the iron rule of the Dragon Abyss Palace. No matter who you are, no matter who your Master is, if you want to become an Inner Sect Disciple or a True Disciple, you must pass the Dragon Gate Trial."

He stopped walking and turned to look at Jiang Hanzhou.

"The Dragon Gate Trial will begin in half a year. As a newly entered Disciple, according to the regulations, you can wait until the batch three years from now to participate."

"However—" A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, "If you want to try, it is fine to go and see the Dragon Gate Trial in half a year. You do not necessarily have to clear the levels; witnessing the methods of those Prodigies will be beneficial to you."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment.

Then he asked, "When did Master participate in the Dragon Gate Trial back then?"

Master Xue Mu was slightly stunned, then burst into laughter.

"Good lad! Want to know about your Master's glorious history?"

He stood with his hands behind his back, a glimmer of reminiscence flashing in his red eyes.

"The year I entered the sect, I had just turned twenty, at the Perfection of the Primal Form Realm. The Peak Master at the time asked me if I wanted to wait three years. I said no, and signed up on the spot."

"That session of the Dragon Gate Trial had one hundred and thirty-seven participants. Thirty were admitted to the Inner Sect, and three were admitted as True Disciples."

"Your Master—took first place."

When he said this, his tone was flat, as if he were speaking of a trivial matter.

But the light flashing in his eyes betrayed him.

That was pride.

That was complacency.

That was the confidence belonging to a powerhouse.

Jiang Hanzhou listened quietly without interjecting.

But in his heart, a flame had been ignited.

The Dragon Gate Trial in half a year.

He wanted to go and see.

He wanted to know exactly how large the gap was between himself and those true Prodigies.

...

The Master and Disciple continued forward.

Passing through a bamboo forest of crimson red, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A massive palace appeared before their eyes.

The palace was constructed entirely of crimson red rock, ten zhang high, covering several mu of land, with flying eaves and arched brackets, layered buildings and pavilions, every detail revealing antiquity and majesty.

Above the palace gate hung a plaque with three large characters written on it:

"Lihuo Hall".

"We have arrived," said Master Xue Mu. "This is my residence. You may come whenever you wish in the future."

He lifted his foot and stepped through the palace gate, with Jiang Hanzhou following closely behind.

The interior of the hall was extremely spacious, yet not luxurious.

On the wall directly facing the main entrance hung a massive painting.

In the painting was a volcano, the crater erupting with monstrous flames; within the flames, a figure could be vaguely seen sitting cross-legged, with crimson-gold light flowing around their body.

The painting just hung there quietly, yet an invisible pressure surged forward, making one dare not look directly at it.

"That was painted when I was young," Master Xue Mu said casually. "It depicts an active volcano. I went into seclusion inside for three years and comprehended the 'Heaven Fire True Intent'."

Heaven Fire True Intent.

Jiang Hanzhou's heart skipped a beat.

He knew that Master Xue Mu had condensed six types of True Intent, but he did not know that one of them was Heaven Fire.

"Sit."

Master Xue Mu sat in the main seat and pointed to the futon on the side.

Jiang Hanzhou sat down as instructed.

Master Xue Mu clapped his hands, and two young attendants walked out from the side hall, one carrying a teapot and the other carrying refreshments, respectfully placing them in front of the two.

The tea was spiritual tea, pale gold in color, emitting a faint, serene fragrance.

The refreshments were spiritual fruit preserves, crystal clear, and one could tell at a glance they were of great value.

Jiang Hanzhou picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The tea was warm and smooth, turning into a warm current after entering his stomach, nourishing his Meridians.

"Alright," Master Xue Mu set down the teacup and said solemnly, "Since you are here, let us conduct this simple apprenticeship ceremony."

He stood up, walked to the volcano painting, took a stick of incense from the wall, lit it, and inserted it into the incense burner.

Blue smoke curled up, rising into the air.

"Kneel."

Jiang Hanzhou knelt as instructed and kowtowed three times respectfully toward the volcano painting.

Master Xue Mu stood to the side, his expression solemn.

"Jiang Hanzhou, from today on, you are a Disciple of me, Master Xue Mu." His voice was not loud, but it seemed to be engraved in the Void Realm. "The Red Fire Peak lineage uses fire as its foundation, the heart as the furnace, the world as the melting pot, and one's own body as a divine weapon. I hope you walk the path holding the Dao and never forget your original intention."

"Disciple will remember this," said Jiang Hanzhou.

Master Xue Mu nodded, signaling him to rise.

The two sat down again, the solemnity on Master Xue Mu's face fading, and he returned to his bold and casual manner.

"Come, drink tea, drink tea."

He picked up his teacup and finished it in one gulp, then looked at Jiang Hanzhou, a glimmer of gratification flashing in his eyes.

"Lad, your Master just scanned your body with Divine Sense and discovered that you have already condensed three types of True Intent."

Jiang Hanzhou was slightly stunned.

He had thought that his True Intent Realm was hidden extremely deeply; he did not expect Master Xue Mu to see it clearly with just a sweep of his Divine Sense.

"Tide, Pure Yang, Metal Sharpness," Master Xue Mu counted them one by one. "Tide at two percent, Pure Yang at two percent, Metal Sharpness at one percent. Not bad, quite good."

He paused, then added, "Do you know what this means?"

Jiang Hanzhou thought for a moment and said, "It means that among those of the same rank, my combat power will be stronger?"

"Correct, but not entirely correct." Master Xue Mu shook his head. "With more True Intents, combat power is indeed stronger. But have you ever thought that the more True Intents you have, the greater the difficulty of Breakthrough?"

Jiang Hanzhou frowned slightly.

Master Xue Mu continued, "The Dragon Elephant three Realms: Primal Elephant Realm, Dragon Fetus, and Jiaotai. Every Breakthrough in a Realm requires condensing the True Intent to Perfection, and then using it to capture the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence to integrate into one's own body."

"If you have one type of True Intent, you only need to condense this one to Perfection to achieve a Breakthrough."

"If you have two types of True Intent, you need to condense both to Perfection to achieve a Breakthrough."

"If you have three types of True Intent, you need to condense all three to Perfection to achieve a Breakthrough."

He looked directly into Jiang Hanzhou's eyes and said word for word:

"Therefore, having more True Intents is not necessarily a good thing. It might cause you to waste many years."