Chapter 350 (1/2)

”Join my family and marry my daughter!”

”No, marry my daughter instead! Also, become my disciple!”

”Stop it you lot, this disciple is mine! I can offer you a thousand low grade spirit stones!”

Zhang Dong stood surrounded by a group of old men that were involved in a shouting match. After he made a miraculous pill from the ingredients that the sect provided the old fogies went wild.

Not only were the elders from the Pill Hall here but also from the Blacksmithing Hall, the Formation Hall, and even from the Appraisal Guild. The last one didn't really have that much pull here so they had to make way for the top three halls.

He had to commend them on how much a good disciple was worth. They even started offering him their daughters, more than one at a time. If he was looking to maximize his profits he would probably end up with a large harem and a house of his own here.

Still, these people were only outer sect elders and seniors. None of them could guarantee him entrance to the inner sect. Before a fight between these old farts could break out, he needed to stop it.

He wouldn't be surprised if they made some kind of competition between each other. One where he could not refuse after the victor was chosen.

”Please Seniors and Elders, this Dai Rong is truly not worth your time. I'm but a trial disciple, I just wished to pit myself against the other seniors from the sect to see how far I could go. I will not decide on a master before finishing the competition!”

He needed to state his terms, the oldies knew what he was implying and they clearly didn't like it. From their perspective the young man was foolhardy, the last competition was not a cakewalk and a person could get injured.

There were many young masters that fell during the last competition. Anything could happen during a fight, even a maddened elder could jump in to deliver a critical blow to a disciple that was not taken yet. Without the proper protection, this youngster was putting himself in a heap of trouble while not having proper backing. After speaking his mind, it would be a loss to their face to beg and make more offers.

”Is the sect junior resolute in his decision?”

One of the high ranking pill masters asked.

”The junior is, I wish to compete with the other seniors in the last competition.”

The old man shook his head before throwing a bead towards Zhang Dong.

”Is that so, I wish you luck. I hope you can be victorious and hope that junior's greed doesn't get the best of him.”

Zhang Dong was a bit surprised by this elder who was this pill hall's master. He did not even try to offer him anything to be his disciple. It seemed that even this sect had some people with character. The rest after noticing this old man's speech started clearing out.

The disciples that were in the process of making pills mostly gave up as there was no way of winning this anymore. The lanky youth that made him his rival shrunk back after being blown away by his pill-making technique.

Four down and only one left to go. It was time to take a break as the battling competition would be taking place in the morning of the next day. Even then he had quite the hard time slipping away.

The pill-making elders started asking him about some insights. The same thing happened with the blacksmiths and the formation masters. All of them wished to know how such a youth was this knowledgeable in their arts that they spent their whole life in.

It was strange to see all these old men and women asking him for tips. He looked like a youth that was not even at the age of twenty. Knowledge was power in this world, even the old seniors threw away dignity and asked a junior for help. Advancing in their given skill was more important to some, even more than face.

For some, it was the other way around. Part of the seniors and elders were looking at him with rage. It was clear that Zhang Dong needed to get out of here otherwise, some of them could do something drastic.

'I'll go back to the cultivation cave for now…'

”Excuse me, elders. I need to go to the little cultivator's room…”

He excused himself while some of them had questions. Some of the elders and seniors tried to stop him but he used an evasive technique that made his body move like paper in the wind.

”Please wait disciple…!”

They chased after him but when they got outside he was nowhere to be seen. Zhang Dong lowered his presence and faded into the shadows and made his way back to the cultivation cave. He greeted the person that was stuck looking over the cultivation caves and returned inside.

While trying to prepare a strategy for the coming battles he heard a knock on the large door to this cave.

”Disciple Dai… are you there?”

”Elder Yusheng? Yes, I'm here.”

Zhang Dong replied while wondering what the guy wanted. He was not supposed to come back this early.

”Did you leave the cultivation cave? I've been hearing rumors of a particular disciple winning some competitions…”

'I guess he knows…'