The female cultivator, upon hearing Zhang Yan’s name, showed a slight expression of surprise. She examined him carefully and said politely, "Brother, please wait a moment. I will go inform the True Master."
Zhang Yan nodded slightly. The female cultivator left to go inside, while he controlled the cloud beneath him and descended at the palace gate. Several maids at the steps in front of the gate, who had just heard him announce his background, now realized this young Daoist was the one who achieved the first-class Elixir Formation. Their beautiful eyes all looked at him with curiosity.
However, Zhang Yan paid no attention to them. He stood motionless and carefully studied the grand palace of Shouming.
The location was, after all, the dwelling place of a Cave Heaven True Master. Underfoot, rare flowers and exotic plants were scattered across the ground; dew hung from the eaves like jade curtains, treasure-light and auspicious aura glittered like bright pearls reflecting the moon. Fragrant scents wafted to the nose, and calming melodies faintly echoed in the air.
Around the palace and towers, green phoenixes and yellow cranes danced gracefully. Above the roof tiles, hundreds of rare birds and strange fowl soared and circled the skies. Compared to the cold and barren scene when he visited twenty years ago, it was now transformed entirely.
Not long later, the female cultivator returned swiftly through the clouds. She greeted him with a "Wan Fu" salute and lightly laughed, "The True Master invites Brother Zhang to enter the hall for a meeting."
Zhang Yan performed a slight bow and said, "Much obliged."
Leading the way, the female cultivator walked ahead. Zhang Yan flicked his sleeve and followed her inside. After passing through the inner hall, they proceeded along an ornate palace corridor, crossing nine layers of grand palace gates, until eventually arriving at a gilded courtyard adorned with jade beams, silver embellishments, and radiant decorations, brimming with extraordinary brilliance.
The female cultivator adjusted her hair and turned back to speak with a smile, "Brother, please wait here. The True Master will arrive to meet you shortly."
Zhang Yan gave a slight nod and stood with hands clasped behind his back in the grand hall. His purpose in seeking True Master Peng was to gain her assistance in cultivation, as well as her backing to support his ascent to the position of one of the Top Ten Disciples.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; instead, it was a carefully laid plan.
This True Master Peng had only stepped into the Cave Heaven Realm a little over twenty years ago, making her the one with the least established foundation among the Ten Great Cave Heaven True Masters. She had not yet had the time to nurture any disciples under her own lineage.
Moreover, Zhang Yan noted a significant detail—although this True Master had originated from the Peng Family, none of her disciples were of Peng lineage, nor even from noble families. Her most prized apprentice was merely Qin Nan.
Currently, within the Mingcang Sect, the direct disciples of each Cave Heaven True Master were at least in the Hua Dan Realm, and their mindsets and Daoist cultivation vastly surpassed ordinary disciples.
Even Master Sun, who had achieved Cave Heaven the latest among the quartet of senior True Masters, had Ning Chongxuan—someone of remarkable innate talent—under his tutelage.
Yet, under True Master Peng’s guidance, the most advanced disciple in cultivation was Qin Nan, while the others were no more than mediocrities.
This, however, was not entirely her fault. As someone from a noble family who had broken ties with her clan long ago, she could not select disciples from within her original sect. The apprentices she had taken earlier were merely maidservants who followed her during her defection. Rather than disciples, they were closer to attendants serving her needs.
As such, this meant that True Master Peng’s disciples lacked the qualifications to compete for the position among the Top Ten Disciples.
Perhaps Qin Nan could contend, but she would still require twenty-four more years of cultivation. Moreover, she was not a True Disciple, nor did she have the backing of Qi Yuntian’s lineage, unlike Ning Chongxuan. Although part of True Master Peng’s discipleship, Qin Nan was neither a noble family member nor a direct lineage apprentice. Her circumstances bore some resemblance to Zhang Yan’s earlier experiences, meaning her chance of securing the position was slim.
True Master Peng, if she wished to change her fortunes, had only one option—to accept a disciple from the Peng Family.
However, Zhang Yan believed this possibility was exceedingly small. This was not mere baseless conjecture but rooted in a remark Qin Nan had inadvertently let slip.
Years ago, when Zhang Yan and Xie Zongyuan led five others into the Sea Eye Demon Cave to cultivate, hoping to break through into the Xuan Guang Realm, they had unexpectedly encountered Qin Nan outside the gates of Shouming Palace. At the time, this woman had just been taken in as a disciple by True Master Peng and mentioned in passing that she had become Peng’s closed-door disciple.
Closed-door disciple! ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩
This implied that True Master Peng did not intend to accept any more students in the future.
Given Qin Nan’s temperament, fabrications and deceit were far beneath her character. Her statement reflected True Master Peng’s genuine intention. Moreover, all of True Master Peng’s actions since then had consistently confirmed this notion.
After Qin Nan, True Master Peng indeed had not taken on another disciple.
Furthermore, reflecting on the past, when True Master Peng was expelled from her clan, the sect leader had felt sympathy for her plight and arranged for her to reside in the Shouming Palace.
Although this location connected directly to the Sea Eye Demon Cave and was desolate to the point of resembling exile, ordinary people avoided it like the plague. To True Master Peng, however, it was merely commonplace. Without this Daoist field, she likely would not have achieved her current success. The weight of this favor cannot be considered light, and she is unlikely to oppose the lineage of the sect leader who bestowed it upon her.