116: Chapter 116 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Sixty-Four)

Deacon Chu Feng laughed upon hearing this, "It's all thanks to you. Didn't you ask me to contact Lieyang Peak to coordinate the reception earlier? I took the opportunity to build a connection with the Internal Affairs Hall here. Today's Apprenticeship Ceremony features the Peak Master and you as the main protagonists. The folks at the Internal Affairs Hall figured that since we're all family, it's safer to use one of our own, so they simply handed the greeting duties over to me."

He paused, glanced at the sky, and hurriedly urged, "Alright, alright, don't just stand here. Hurry inside. Everyone from the Chu family has arrived, along with your childhood friend Li Hao and the Core Disciples from your batch; they've been here for a while. Don't dawdle here any longer; it's not good to keep the elders waiting."

Chu Shi: "..."

He rubbed his temples, feeling speechless.

He had thought that getting up before dawn meant he was early.

He didn't expect these people to be even more eager than he, the protagonist himself.

At this moment, the eastern horizon finally brightened completely.

The first ray of golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the summit of Lieyang Peak and gilding the entire plaza in a layer of warm gold.

"Alright, I'll head in first."

Chu Shi waved at the two of them, "Cousin-uncle, Cousin, thank you for your hard work."

"Why are you being so polite with us!" Deacon Chu Feng waved his hand with a smile, "Go on!"

Chu Shi nodded and turned to walk towards the interior of the peak.

He passed through a stone archway engraved with the Lieyang pattern and quickly walked past the surrounding residences of the elders, his field of vision suddenly widening.

This was an extremely vast crimson plaza, the ground polished so smoothly that it reflected like a mirror, clearly showing one's shadow.

At the very front of the plaza, a ten-foot-high platform had been erected, upon which only a single chair was placed—that was the position belonging to Peak Master Lieyang.

Below the high platform, a circle of tiered stands surrounded it, with seats arranged according to status.

The front row was reserved for the Peak Masters and elders of other peaks, as well as guests from two other holy lands, while the rows behind were for Chu Shi's relatives and the disciples of the holy land.

At this time, quite a few people had already gathered on the plaza, chatting in twos and threes, the sound noisy but not chaotic.

As soon as Chu Shi entered, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Countless gazes fell upon him in unison, filled with curiosity, envy, awe, and scrutiny.

Chu Shi's expression remained unchanged.

He scanned the plaza and quickly spotted the Chu family members on the stands to the left.

He walked over quickly.

"A-Shi!"

Madam Liu was the first to stand up and hurried over to meet him.

She took his hands and looked him up and down, her eyes slightly red, "Good, good, very good. This outfit looks so handsome; my son has finally made something of himself."

She reached out to smooth Chu Shi's collar and touched his face, chattering incessantly, "Have you eaten breakfast? Is it cold on the mountain? Is anything uncomfortable? The ceremony will require standing for a long time later; are you tired?"

Chu Shi felt a warmth in his heart.

He grasped his mother's hand in return and said softly, "Mother, I'm fine, everything is good. I've eaten breakfast, and it's not cold."

Patriarch Chu Hongyuan stood to the side, his face wearing an unconcealable smile, his eyes full of pride and satisfaction.

He patted Chu Shi's shoulder heavily and said in a deep voice, "Good lad, you haven't disgraced the Chu family. Perform well at the Apprenticeship Ceremony later, and don't lose your manners."

"I understand, Father."

Chu Shi nodded in response.

"Brother Shi!"

A boisterous voice called out.

Li Hao squeezed through the crowd and ran over, saying with an excited expression, "Damn! Brother Shi, you look too handsome! Once you put on this purple robe, your aura is just off the charts! From now on, I'm counting on you to look out for me!"

Chu Shi laughed and kicked him, "Get lost, go cultivate properly."

The surrounding Chu family elders also gathered around, offering congratulations all at once.

"A-Shi is truly excellent!"

"Our Chu family has truly produced a prodigy!"

"From now on, the Chu family's future in the holy land will depend on you!"

Chu Shi responded to each of them with a smile, his attitude humble, showing not a hint of arrogance or complacency despite becoming the personal disciple of the Peak Master.

This made the Chu family elders even more satisfied, and their gazes towards him grew increasingly gentle.

After exchanging pleasantries with the Chu family, Chu Shi turned to receive the fellow disciples who were arriving one after another.

The Core Disciples from his batch were the first to come over, all of them wearing smiles.

"Senior Brother Chu, congratulations!"

"Senior Brother Chu, you truly deserve to be the top person of our batch; please take care of us in the future."

"Wow, Senior Brother Chu, you look so handsome today, it's explosive!"

(Actually, it's just average; not as handsome as all you honorable readers. Of course, only by a tiny bit!)

Chu Shi returned the greetings one by one, saying with a smile, "You are all too kind. I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Not long after, several senior brothers and sisters from previous batches also walked over.

Leading them was a woman dressed in a purple robe, looking to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a beautiful appearance and a gentle temperament.

She walked up to Chu Shi and smiled slightly, "You must be our Junior Brother Chu Shi, right? I am your Second Senior Sister, Su Wan."

"Greetings, Second Senior Sister."

Chu Shi bowed respectfully.

Su Wan nodded with a smile, took out a warm white jade pendant from her storage bag, and handed it to Chu Shi, "It's our first meeting, and I don't have much to give. This Cleansing Heart Pendant can calm the mind and stabilize the soul; it will be beneficial to your cultivation. Take it."

"Thank you, Second Senior Sister."

Chu Shi received the pendant with both hands and put it away solemnly.

A tall, dark-skinned man standing beside her also spoke, "I am your Third Senior Brother, Shi Lei."

His voice was muffled, and there was no expression on his face, but his eyes were very sincere, "The Eldest Senior Brother is guarding the Demon-Suppressing Great Wall and cannot get away. The Fourth Senior Brother fell in battle against the demon race three years ago. The Fifth Senior Sister is in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Silver Marrow Realm, so she cannot come either. We are here to represent the sect and welcome you to our Master's tutelage."

Chu Shi felt a slight tremor in his heart.

So that was it.

He was ranked sixth, yet only two senior brothers and sisters had come.

The Eldest Senior Brother was far away at the border, the Fourth Senior Brother had already fallen, and the Fifth Senior Sister was in seclusion.

The path of martial arts was indeed treacherous at every step; even as a personal disciple of a Peak Master in a holy land, one could not escape life and death.

He composed himself and bowed solemnly to the two of them, "Thank you, Third Senior Brother. As a newcomer, I ask for your guidance in the future if there is anything I do not understand."

"Easily done."

Shi Lei nodded and said no more.

Su Wan smiled and said, "Alright, you go ahead and get busy. The ceremony will begin shortly; we will go wait at our seats."

Chu Shi nodded in agreement and watched them leave.

Just then, two figures walked over.