What is it? You're not willing?
Ian Song said with a teasing tone. Unless you were an idiot, no one would refuse an offer like this.
"I am! I am willing!"
Lana Snow replied excitedly, her expression like a bride being asked by a priest if she would marry.
Ian nodded and made it official: "Since Sect Master Lana Snow has no objections, let's settle it then."
"Thank you, Senior Azure."
Lana Snow knelt down in gratitude. Behind her, the seven elders and the six Golden Core generation disciples led by Yun Gu also knelt. If not for Senior Azure, the Jade Maiden Sect would have been destroyed countless times during this period. Now, with three Nascent Soul experts arranged as guest elders, their gratitude was beyond words. All they could do was perform the most sincere ceremony to express their thanks.
"You may all rise." Ian Song raised his hand to help them up.
Seven and a half minutes later.
Lana Snow and the others had already left, leaving only Elder Wei Ying and the two former Miao Clan guest elders at the scene.
"That's right!"
Hearing Ian's question, the two hurriedly replied:
"Reporting, sir. I am Cliff Lin."
"Reporting, sir. I am Mason Zhou."
Ian nodded. "You two have been cultivating for quite some time, haven't you?"
Cliff Lin replied, "I've been cultivating for over 1,200 years."
Mason Zhou quickly added, "I've been cultivating for nearly 1,500 years."
Hearing this, Ian Song smirked. "Cultivating for so long, and that's all the progress you've made?"
At Ian's comment, both men looked embarrassed.
Cliff Lin said, "Sir, while it's true our aptitude is lacking, the real reason is that we don't have any advanced cultivation methods!"
"That's right!"
Mason Zhou nodded in deep agreement. "The technique I first cultivated could only reach the peak of late Golden Core. The later methods I had to deduce myself at great effort. To reach my current realm without falling into qi deviation is pure luck!"
Cliff Lin sighed, "My situation is a bit better than Old Zhou's. My original method could reach early Nascent Soul, then I broke through to mid Nascent Soul by force with pills and spirit crystals. Going further is basically impossible!"
Seeing how pitiful the two sounded, Ian couldn't help but ask, "Did you never consider buying a stronger cultivation method?"
"Of course we thought about it."
Mason Zhou said gloomily, "But the higher the grade, the more expensive the method, and most of the time you can't buy it even if you have spirit crystals. For example, Out-of-Body level techniques are so rare and powerful that just owning one can establish a major clan. They're extremely expensive, starting at a hundred thousand high-grade spirit crystals. I've lived over a thousand years but haven't even saved a thousand crystals, let alone a hundred thousand. So even if an Out-of-Body technique was put in front of me, I couldn't afford it!"
"Yeah, they're just too expensive. We can't afford them!" Cliff Lin added with a sigh.
Hearing their complaints, Ian couldn't help but think of the vast number of techniques in the Divine Temple's Library Pavilion. Even the weakest technique there could reach the immortal realm—any random one could sell for a fortune.
"If you had a chance to cultivate a method that could reach immortality, but you'd lose some freedom, would you accept?" Ian asked.
The two glanced at each other, then Cliff Lin asked tentatively, "What exactly do you mean, sir?"
"That's right—just as you guessed. I can give you a method that can let you cultivate to the immortal level, but it's not free. I'll plant a restriction in your mind so you must remain loyal to me forever and never betray me." Ian explained.
A cultivation method that could reach the immortal realm!
Upon hearing this, both men's eyes lit up with uncontrollable excitement.
"Sir, are you serious?"
Ian nodded.
"No need to think it over, I'll swear loyalty to you!" Cliff Lin said eagerly.
"Me too!"
Mason Zhou immediately voiced his stance, afraid that if he was a step slower, Ian would refuse him.
"You don't want to reconsider?" Ian asked.
"No need to reconsider!" the two replied in unison, their expressions determined.
"Very well, in that case, relax your minds and I'll plant the restriction!"
"Alright!"
Once they relaxed their minds, Ian sent two Puppet Mastery Divine Art brands into their bodies.
"Now, I'll teach all three of you a cultivation method!"
With that, Ian took out three jade slips and tossed one to each of them, then sent them off to study on their own. The methods in the slips were all ones he had recorded himself, containing the first half of three techniques from the Library Pavilion.
Once they master the first half, they'll be able to undergo tribulation and become immortals.
The next day.
Ian transformed back into Second Fool and pretended to cultivate diligently, but sensed someone triggering the hidden restriction he'd set outside Splendor Palace. Activating his clairvoyance, he saw Leah Ling waiting outside.
"Didn't I tell that girl to go back and cultivate? Why is she here again?"
With a flicker, Ian appeared inside Splendor Palace, transformed into Senior Azure, and called out, "Come in, girl!"
Soon, Leah Ling came in, but her face was tinged with anxiety.
"Greetings, Senior Azure."
"What's the matter?" Ian asked.
"Senior Azure, my cultivation broke through again. I've reached the seventh layer of Qi-Refining." Leah said, nearly in tears.
"Isn't breaking through a good thing? Why the long face?" Ian said, exasperated.
Leah was on the verge of tears, stammering, "But... isn't this too fast? I only reached the sixth layer yesterday. I've heard that advancing too quickly leads to qi deviation. Senior Azure, will I fall into qi deviation?"
Seeing Leah's worried face, Ian was speechless. The Nether Phoenix Art was perfectly tailored for her physique, so rapid breakthroughs were normal and safe; there was no risk of qi deviation.
"Don't worry, girl. You won't fall into qi deviation!"
"Ah, that's wonderful!" Leah Ling burst into a smile and bounced over to Ian's side. "Senior Azure, let me give you a massage!"
"Sure!"
As Ian enjoyed Leah's massage, Senior Azure's fearsome reputation was spreading rapidly throughout Yuyang Commandery.
In just a few days, she cut down the Miao Clan's patriarch Skye Miao, killed the Wind Division master and two elders of Yuhua Sect, and finally slaughtered the Yuhua Sect master and three elders.
Such terrifying achievements were beyond what most early Out-of-Body experts could accomplish. For a time, Senior Azure seemed poised to become the number one powerhouse in Yuyang Commandery!