Chapter 127: Getting Registered

"Many in the clan do believe that it was the founder who made it, so you aren’t wrong. However, you aren’t right either," Elder Lei said while walking with a steady pace.

"???"

A frown appeared on Yi Chen’s face when he heard Elder Lei’s puzzling reply, and he asked the next moment, "Elder Lei, what do you mean?"

’So, am I right or am I wrong? What’s with this middle state...’ Yi Chen thought while looking towards Elder Lei inquisitively.

"Do you know the name of the clan’s founder?"

Instead of answering Yi Chen’s question, Elder Lei asked him another one.

"Uhm...yes, I do. It’s Clan Founder Feng Mong Li," Yi Chen answered after a thought. He had heard this from Qin Yao during one of their conversations.

"Right," Elder Lei nodded at his words and continued, "It’s widely believed that just like all the other major clans, our Qi Absorption Art was also created by our founder. However, that’s not how it came into existence, and the real truth is something which is only known by a small percentage of elders in the clan."

Hearing this, Yi Chen suddenly asked, "Then why is Elder Lei telling me this? I’m not even part of the clan yet."

At this question, Elder Lei momentarily glanced towards Yi Chen to check his expression before retracting his gaze back on the road.

"Because it’s something you should know," without clarifying any further in this regard, Elder Lei continued, "In the written records that no longer exist, the clan founder had clearly stated how he acquired the Crimson Fire Arts."

"What happened to the written records?" Yi Chen asked when he noticed Elder Lei pausing.

Turning towards Yi Chen, Elder Lei answered, "I burnt it."

"Oh..."

Being slapped with such a sentence, Yi Chen couldn’t make himself ask any follow-up questions, and Elder Lei finally began his explanation.

"I won’t be going over everything that was written, but only the crux of the matter, which you should know.

The exact origin of the Crimson Fire Arts lies somewhere deep inside the Valley of Death.

Founder Feng Mong Li was once forced to escape into this mist-covered valley that spanned several thousand kilometres to save his life, clearly knowing that escaping into the valley was no less than death.

After battling tens of demonic beasts and losing his sense of direction when Founder Feng Mong Li was about to accept his fate, a mysterious voice entered his ears.

He was unable to understand what was being said, but somehow could feel the direction from which it was coming.

Therefore, he decided to walk in that particular direction.

What followed afterwards was completely erased from his memory, and when Founder Feng Mong Li regained his consciousness, he was already out of the Valley of Death, and his mind was somehow fully versed with the Crimson Fire Arts."

Hearing the long story, Yi Chen couldn’t help but wonder why he was being told this.

And as if he knew what he was thinking, Elder Lei said the next moment, "Now, why did I say that this is something you should know?

The answer lies in your quick Comprehension of the Crimson Fire Arts.

Seeing your pace, it won’t be wrong to assume that your understanding of the Crimson Fire Arts would reach a level that would match most of the Clan’s elders within a year.

When that happens, remember the story I told you about just now. It will help answer your questions."

Elder Lei stated.

"...uhm, Elder Lei, can’t you just answer it now?" Yi Chen asked with a wry smile on his face.

After hearing such a detailed story, he wasn’t expecting to be slapped with a cryptic explanation right at the end by Elder Lei.

To this, instead of answering, Elder Lei’s steps came to a pause as he turned towards Yi Chen.

Under his expressionless stare, Yi Chen couldn’t help but feel pressured and ended up stammering, "I-It was just a s-suggestion...I can wait..."

Elder Lei didn’t react to his words and instead said, while glancing ahead, "We’ve arrived."

It was only then that Yi Chen’s gaze fell on a building that was in front of him.

Surrounded by stone walls on which faces of several beasts Yi Chen had never seen before were carved, the building was four times the height of an average man.

His gaze then landed on the black tiled roof hovering from the top ridge, and then went down towards the flying eaves, which made the whole building exude an elegant yet domineering presence.

On a wooden plaque in front of the building, the following words were written.

’Recruitment Hall,’

It was only then that his gaze fell, and he noticed the lines of cultivators that were lined up outside the building.

The line started from the entrance of the building, where a clan official was taking in some records and stretched several meters outside the walls.

’So long...’

With a rough estimate, Yi Chen felt that there would be almost fifty people who were lined up one behind the other.

’From the looks of it, we’ll have to wait for almost thirty minutes before it’s our tur-’

This thought had just entered Yi Chen’s mind when he saw Elder Lei’s figure, who was standing next to him, moving.

Not caring about the fifty men long line, he kept walking forward. Seeing this, Yi Chen too followed after him like an obedient child while glancing at the murmuring people from time to time.

"Who are they?"

"Why are they breaking the line?"

"Are they someone important?"

Basking under this attention, Yi Chen felt his heart swelling up a little.

’So, this is how it feels to cut in line...I finally understand why those bastards on earth regularly did it,’ Yi Chen thought as his chin subconsciously rose a little.

A few moments later, they arrived at the front of the line, and the moment the official saw Elder Lei’s appearance, he sprang up from his seat and greeted him with a respectful bow.

"Greetings! Ninth Elder!"

His voice echoed in the surroundings and quietened all the murmurs among the people in the queue.

Elder Lei nodded at the official and said while pointing towards Yi Chen.

"He’s at the Fifth Level of Meridian Refinement Stage, get him registered as an external disciple and also draft a nomination letter for the Azure Sect’s entrance test," Elder Lei stated.

"Yes, Ninth Elder!" The official nodded and immediately busied himself with the tasks.

Turning towards Yi Chen, he guided him to his seat and began the registration process.

Five minutes later, Yi Chen was handed a red medallion, which represented his status as an external disciple of the Feng Clan.

"Here’s the draft you asked for, Ninth Elder," The official soon handed the nomination letter, which Elder Lei wanted with Yi Chen’s name and other particulars.

"Alright," Elder Lei took the nomination letter and soon walked out of the recruitment hall along with Yi Chen.

"Let’s go. There’s still a place you need to go." With that said, Elder Lei guided Yi Chen in the northern direction, and soon they stopped in front of a three-storeyed building. Unlike the recruitment hall, the environment around it was much more serene.

On the top of the building, the following words were written.

’Flying Dragon Hall,’

Before Yi Chen could even ask what this place was, Elder Lei began speaking.

"After reaching the Fifth Level of Meridian Refinement Stage, all disciples of the clan get the right to enter the Flying Dragon Hall to choose skill books of their choosing.

Like the name suggests, after learning them, you’ll be able to utilise your innate Qi externally to enhance your fighting capabilities. However, be aware to choose only the skill books that align with the nature of your Qi. If not, then you would only be able to use one-fourth of the skill’s power."

Hearing Elder Lei’s explanation, Yi Chen’s eyes glimmered in excitement.

’I can finally try some cultivation skills!’ Yi Chen thought in jubilation.

Although his cultivation had enhanced considerably during this period, a huge part of him longed to be able to use the eye-catching and sky-shattering skills which he had read about in novels.

Seeing the excited expression on Yi Chen’s face, Elder Lei didn’t keep him waiting for long. Gesturing towards the Flying Dragon Hall’s entrance, he said, "When you enter the hall, you’ll find an elder standing at the reception. Present your medallion to him and follow his instructions thereafter.

I’ll be leaving now to take care of other things, so you may take as much time as possible to decide on a skill book of your choosing. Remember to select only the skills that match the nature of your Qi, understand?"

"Yes," Yi Chen nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright," Elder Lei nodded, and his figure vanished from Yi Chen’s sight the very next moment.

’So fast...’ Yi Chen couldn’t help but think in amazement. The next second, he shifted his attention towards the Flying Dragon Hall and rushed towards it with a grin apparent on his face.