Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 74

The news that a fourteen-year-old boy with five spiritual roots had joined the Tianshan Sect quickly sparked widespread discussion. Not only were the new disciples eyeing him warily, but even some senior disciples took notice. What’s more, he had become the disciple of the exalted Immortal Master, drawing even more attention from those wanting to see if there was anything extraordinary about him. But upon seeing his frail figure, weak enough that he couldn’t even kill a chicken, dressed in ragged clothes that couldn’t even fill out the sect’s robe, many lost interest and assumed some mistake had been made.

Disciples who had been in the Tianshan Sect for years knew full well that Immortal Master was the most powerful among his peers, and naturally, he was revered by many. Before he went into seclusion, countless young people had tried to follow in his footsteps, but among the thousands, the Immortal Master had only ever accepted one disciple, a fact that had once caused a great stir in the sect. However, shortly after, the Master unexpectedly went into seclusion for a hundred years.

Most people thought that after this retreat, the Immortal Master would accept a disciple with extraordinary talent, perhaps a single-rooted genius, to carry on his legacy. As a result, the entire sect kept a close eye on the new disciple. Yet no one could have predicted that the chosen disciple would be someone with five spiritual roots. It wasn’t just the sect that found this laughable; even disciples from other sects would likely find it amusing.

Even the newly initiated disciples, though not as familiar with the sect’s history, had mixed feelings about this boy who had struck such fortune. They felt a combination of resentment and jealousy.

Entering the sect had not been easy for them, and not everyone had the chance to become a disciple under a master. Most of them started as outer disciples, receiving only a small amount of spirit stones. Without the guidance of a master, they could only do menial tasks for their senior brothers and sisters in the hopes of picking up some scraps of knowledge.

Yet this boy, who originally didn’t even have the qualifications to enter the sect, was not only accepted but was also made a disciple of the Immortal Master. Naturally, this caused complaints among the disciples, and many began to gossip, both openly and in secret.

Jiang Hanzheng was well aware of this. While he was overjoyed and grateful for his good fortune, he couldn’t help but feel disheartened by the rejection and hostility from his peers.

He had come from a poor background. The village where he had lived for over ten years was struck by a plague. His parents and neighbors all fell ill, and while he survived, he was left with nowhere to go. Alone, he wandered with nothing but a sack on his back. One day, during his aimless journey, he stumbled into a cave out of hunger and, in desperation, swallowed the beast core of the Scarlet-eyed Beast whole. The beast chased him for miles, and just when he thought he was going to die, a god-like figure appeared and saved him.

It was then that he felt a glimmer of hope reignite in his life. So when he saw the recruitment for the Tianshan Sect, he climbed the mountain ladder despite the setting sun, even knowing that he was overestimating his abilities. With nothing left to lose, he thickened his face and begged the steward to let him join the sect.

Meeting that person again, gaining his favor, and entering the sect—a place that thousands dreamed of—had been a whirlwind of blessings that left him dizzy and floating in disbelief. Yet amidst this series of joys, he had forgotten that he was still alone. The rejection from his peers and the disdain from senior disciples weighed heavily on him, leaving him confused and pressured in this unfamiliar sect.

In his moments of helplessness, his thoughts always drifted back to that person. But he had heard that his master preferred solitude, so he dared not disturb him. He feared that even the slightest annoyance would make him lose the only bit of reliance he had left.

He walked on thin ice, trembling with fear, not daring to get close to He Lang. Little did he know, He Lang was also feeling troubled by the situation.

Although his new disciple was exceptionally respectful toward him, there was a persistent distance and coldness between them. They had only met a few times, and every time they did, the boy would only greet him from afar, never asking questions or making small talk. His obedient and well-behaved manner was evident, as he tried not to burden He Lang in the slightest. While He Lang felt relieved by this, he also felt a tinge of disappointment.

He had hoped to grow closer to this disciple, but he always felt as if he was being kept at arm’s length. Every move he made seemed to trigger the boy’s vigilance and fear.

He suddenly asked Guatu, “At this rate, there won’t be any emotional entanglements between me and the mission target, right?” Looking at Jiang Hanzheng’s current state, He Lang couldn’t imagine him turning out like the men from his previous worlds. Surely this one would be under his control.

Guatu twitched its whiskers, half-smiling. “Host, anything is possible.”

Images of the men from previous worlds flashed in He Lang’s mind, bringing a faint sense of irritation. Each of them had been fiercely controlling and difficult to deal with. At first, none of them had been that way, but in the end, they all turned out the same—obsessive. But as he looked at Jiang Hanzheng now, He Lang found it impossible to imagine him becoming like that.

“Are you hinting at something?” He Lang lowered his gaze at Guatu, feeling that its words carried hidden meanings, causing him to overthink.

“The host is finally starting to understand,” Guatu said, wiping its face in satisfaction.

He Lang was baffled. What had he come to understand???

In any case, things couldn’t continue like this. Since the disciple wasn’t making a move, it was up to him to take the initiative.

He assigned Jiang Hanzheng the task of tending to the spiritual plants around his residence every day, which naturally increased their chances of meeting.

Although they didn’t always speak, just seeing each other more often allowed He Lang to sense that his disciple’s fear was slowly dissipating. Jiang Hanzheng was gradually getting used to being around him.

At the same time, He Lang didn’t neglect his own cultivation. To better guide Jiang Hanzheng, he went back to the basics and reviewed relevant texts, while also searching for methods that could help his disciple advance more quickly in his training.

One day, He Lang prepared a soft chair by the spiritual field, planning to read while watching his little disciple water the plants. But after waiting for a long time, Jiang Hanzheng was nowhere to be seen, which struck He Lang as odd.

The boy always arrived on time, working diligently with an attitude that suggested he would never slack off, even at the cost of his life. But today, he was unexpectedly absent, without any warning—completely unlike his usual self.

Sensing something was wrong, He Lang set out to find him.

It turned out his intuition was correct.

Jiang Hanzheng didn’t intentionally avoid going, but he truly was helpless and unable to make it.

He was halfway along the mountain path to his master’s residence when he was suddenly stopped. The blatant disgust and disdain confronting him made things clear—this was, without a doubt, someone looking to cause trouble out of jealousy or dissatisfaction.

The first time he encountered such a situation, he was terrified. But as it happened more frequently, he became somewhat numb. Most of the new disciples bullying him were of a similar level and lacked skill, so the conflict was mostly verbal and physical scuffles.

But this time was clearly different. The man before him wore a well-fitted, light purple robe and had a dignified appearance. He was tall, handsome, and at a glance, was obviously not an ordinary outer disciple or newcomer. Just standing there, the overwhelming pressure Jiang Hanzheng felt made him almost collapse to his knees. If not for him straightening his spine and forcing himself to stand, he might have already buckled under the weight of the aura.

Jiang Hanzheng swayed a few times before he slowly recognized him as the much-praised Liu Yihan, Senior Brother Liu, among the new disciples.

He hesitated for a moment, then quickly squeezed out a greeting between clenched teeth: “Greetings, Senior Brother,” as he slightly bowed his head in respect, hoping that this person wouldn’t make trouble for him so that he could quickly meet his master and water the spirit herbs.

However, it was clear that the man before him had no intention of letting things go his way. Seeing his urgency to get up the mountain, Liu Yihan’s expression inexplicably darkened as he spoke in a low voice, “What? In a hurry to meet the Supreme Master?”

Jiang Hanzheng didn’t understand what Liu Yihan was getting at. He thought that mentioning his master might give him a pass, so he nodded honestly.

But contrary to his expectations, the young man before him seemed suddenly provoked. Grabbing Jiang Hanzheng by the collar, he threw him to the ground, demanding furiously, “Why? Why do you get to become the Supreme Master’s disciple?!”

When Liu Yihan first joined the sect years ago, he had dreamt of becoming the Supreme Master’s disciple. But he knew that the Supreme Master rarely took on students, and his only previous disciple was beyond anyone’s reach. Liu Yihan had considered himself not good enough and had suppressed his desires. But now, seeing this worthless boy with inferior spiritual roots call the Supreme Master his teacher so easily, how could he remain calm?

He had triple spiritual roots—not the best, but certainly not bad either. He was worlds apart from this boy. He still remembered when he first entered the sect, he didn’t even know how to guide spiritual energy into his body. But through hard work, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage and was one of the most outstanding disciples of his generation. Yet, he had never been able to get close to the Supreme Master.

His long-cherished dream seemed unattainable, while this unremarkable kid had achieved it effortlessly. His powerlessness turned to rage, and upon seeing this weakling, he was filled with a madness to choke the life out of him and vent his hatred.

Jiang Hanzheng noticed the violence in Liu Yihan’s eyes and, enduring the pain throughout his body, tried to flee. But Liu Yihan easily grabbed him again.

Liu Yihan’s gaze was dark, full of malice, as he looked at Jiang Hanzheng’s twisted expression from the pain. He spoke with intense jealousy, “I want to see what’s so special about you.”

Grabbing Jiang Hanzheng by the neck, he lifted him into the air, watching as his limbs flailed, refusing to let him down. Liu Yihan’s eyes scanned him like he was inspecting livestock, the mockery on his lips growing.

“So, you have a beast core from a Red-Eyed Beast inside you. No wonder you’ve got a bit of power. But it hasn’t been fully absorbed yet. Taking it out wouldn’t be impossible. Without that power, I’d like to see what the Supreme Master would still value in you!”

A flash of excitement crossed Liu Yihan’s eyes as he realized he had found a way to destroy Jiang Hanzheng. He switched to gripping Jiang Hanzheng’s neck with his left hand while gathering a mass of unknown energy in his right palm. As his malicious intent surged alongside his spiritual power, he felt a sick sense of satisfaction.

His actions caused quite a disturbance, and anyone with slightly higher cultivation would notice the unusual fluctuation in spiritual energy. He Lang, who had been searching for Jiang Hanzheng, suddenly opened his eyes wide, sensing something wrong. With a thought, his body teleported to the scene. He didn’t even have time to process his sudden ability before he saw his small disciple, pitiful like a helpless animal, being choked by a young man.

His heart clenched tightly, and in a harsh tone, he shouted, “Stop!”

He had immediately understood Liu Yihan’s intentions and grew even more anxious. If that man forcibly extracted the core from Jiang Hanzheng’s body, not only would he lose his yet-to-develop power, but his meridians would be severely damaged by the violent method. If his foundation were ruined, his path to cultivation would be destroyed.

The sharp command made Liu Yihan’s body freeze, his blood running cold, his limbs turning numb. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect such a drastic turn of events in just a blink of an eye.

**Author’s note**: You all really caught on to Senior Brother’s key point. I thought no one would notice, orz.