Chapter 6: A Comic Book Is Still a Book!
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Seeing Zuo Ruotong quietly watching him, Li Ang couldn’t help but swallow hard. The pressure he felt now was immense, even more intense than when he faced an HR during job hunting. But then again, in terms of combat power, not even a hundred HRs could compare to this Great Ying Immortal standing before him.
For a moment, the side hall was engulfed in an eerie silence. Li Ang didn’t know whether he should stand or sit. Time passed like this until a voice devoid of emotion finally echoed through the hall.
“I thought you had something to say to me, young one.”
Zuo Ruotong spoke first.
Hearing this, Li Ang quickly knelt down: “I have admired the San Yi Sect since childhood and sincerely hope that Sect Leader Zuo will accept me as your disciple!”
With that, he kowtowed deeply.
Li Ang felt no embarrassment at his behavior. After all, seeking apprenticeship was never shameful.
Seconds ticked by as Li Ang remained kneeling, not daring to look up to see Zuo Ruotong’s expression. Only when cold sweat began to cover his body did the voice of the San Yi Sect leader sound again.
“You may rise. I have some questions for you.”
At these words, Li Ang’s heart skipped a beat, but he still stood up to prepare to answer.
Zuo Ruotong looked at the fair-skinned youth before him and asked calmly, “Did someone force you to deliver those words to me?”
Known as the Great Ying Immortal, Zuo Ruotong could easily tell that the person before him was an ordinary man, both in temperament and cultivation. The messages relayed by his disciple earlier clearly indicated a deep understanding of his situation.
And also… of the Reverse Life Third Level.
So it was no wonder Zuo Ruotong was suspicious.
But Li Ang only shook his head slightly and said, “No one forced me. Those words were mine.”
He then added, “Though I only learned them from books.”
Comics were still books, after all.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Ruotong was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows slightly.
In his view, Li Ang’s explanation was not impossible. The ancestors of the San Yi Sect often traveled seeking opportunities when attempting to break through to the Reverse Life Third Level. If any hand-written texts were left behind and happened to fall into this young man’s hands, although unlikely, it was not impossible.
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After a brief silence, Zuo Ruotong asked again, “Did the book say anything else?”
“There’s no road with an end worthy of reaching the heavens,” Li Ang recalled the original story as he answered, “A ball is a ball, a person is a person; a ball will never become a second head.”
Li Ang did not possess a photographic memory, so he only remembered the gist.
Seeing his demeanor, Zuo Ruotong’s suspicion deepened somewhat.
“I see...” he said softly.
“Would you mind showing me that book?”
Li Ang was taken aback.
Setting aside where he would produce the book “Under One Person,” even if he had it, he wouldn’t dare show it to Zuo Ruotong.
Before Li Ang could think of an excuse, Zuo Ruotong shook his head slightly and said, “Forget it. Just pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Since you have obtained the hand-written texts left by the San Yi Sect’s ancestors, we are bound by fate.”
“I agree to your apprenticeship, but according to tradition, you must first undergo training in the lower courtyard.”
At this, Zuo Ruotong’s gaze flickered briefly.
He did not say what would happen if the training was not passed, for when that time came, he would arrange matters for Li Ang, fulfilling the bond between them.
As for why he did not ask to see the so-called hand-written text, it was partly because he could tell by his perception that Li Ang had no place to hide anything, and partly because those were merely the words of predecessors.
Hearing this, Li Ang breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter what, he finally had a chance to engage in a profession imbued with extraordinary power.
But soon, a thread of doubt crept into his mind.
After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke up: “Sect Leader, about what I said earlier…”
Li Ang thought that having revealed the impossibility of the Reverse Life Third Level achieving immortality, Zuo Ruotong would have some reaction, yet he seemed completely unfazed, as if he had heard nothing.
Upon hearing this, the normally calm expression of Zuo Ruotong broke into a faint smile.
Then, the Great Ying Immortal softly said, “There will always be those who come after.”
The “those who come after” referred to the successive generations of the San Yi Sect, including Zuo Ruotong himself.
Until one personally verifies whether the Reverse Life Third Level truly cannot reach immortality, he would not give up so easily.
Recalling the Great Ying Immortal’s demeanor in the original story, Li Ang fell silent.
After a while, he said, “Sect Leader, on my way here, I heard that Quan Xing seems to have intentions against the San Yi Sect…”
Li Ang wanted to reveal that the leader of Quan Xing, Wu Gensheng, and the troublemaker Li Muxuan intended to infiltrate the San Yi Sect, but lacking proof, he could only speak cautiously.
Upon hearing “Quan Xing,” Zuo Ruotong’s eyelids lowered slightly, his thoughts unreadable.
After a moment, his calm voice echoed through the hall.
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“I understand. You may leave now.”
Hearing this, Li Ang pressed his lips together and said no more. After kowtowing once more, he turned and walked toward the door.
Just as he was about to open it, Zuo Ruotong’s voice came from behind him.
“Don’t speak of today’s conversation to anyone.”
Li Ang froze, then nodded firmly. “Understood, Sect Leader.”
With that, he pushed open the door and walked out.
Li Ang pondered why Zuo Ruotong would emphasize this. Much of it was likely because not everyone in the San Yi Sect was as magnanimous as Zuo Ruotong. If others had overheard, life would become difficult for him.
Stepping out of the side hall, Li Ang saw the young man who had brought him up the mountain still waiting. He stepped forward respectfully.
“Senior Brother, the Sect Leader has instructed me to undergo training in the lower courtyard first.”
The young man was momentarily stunned, then looked at Li Ang with some surprise. He hadn’t expected this older youth to actually receive leniency from their master.
“I see. Come with me.”
But since the Sect Leader had his reasons, the young man quickly accepted the reality and led Li Ang toward the small courtyard below the mountain.
At the very moment Li Ang stepped into the courtyard, the long-silent profession panel suddenly popped up with a notification.
It was profession information.
——
[Profession: Entry-level Qi Refiner]
[Employment Conditions:
1. Mental Strength attribute reaches 1.1 (√)
2. Participate in the disciple selection ceremony of any Xuan Sect (√)]
[Upon Employment:
1. Attribute growth
2. Gain profession skill — Qi Control
3. Gain profession specialty — Calm and Composed
4. Special bonus:
Slightly increased reading speed when reading Taoist scriptures]
——