Chapter 386: Chapter 384: Taking a Master "Lou Yi, what brings you to see me today?" Bi Yaoyao was practicing with a magic treasure in the courtyard. A dazzling red light flew back and forth in the air ahead, almost too fast to be seen clearly. Soon after, with a ’whoosh,’ it hit the rockery nearby, ’bang,’ shattering it into countless pieces, with flames soaring high, an incredible display of power. This was the embryonic flying knife, Zhu Yan, a treasure Lou Yi had given her previously. Bi Yaoyao played with it joyfully, her cheeks blushing like apples, making one want to pinch them. "Let me tell you, my dad’s eyes nearly popped out when he saw Zhu Yan. He said that until now, he only had one incomplete treasure, and the Red Dragon Flame Saber is merely a top-grade spiritual artifact." Bi Yaoyao covered her mouth and snickered, whispering, "If I wasn’t his daughter, he might have just snatched it up." Ever since the trip to Master Han Yue’s cave mansion, Bi Yaoyao had started appearing more frequently in her youthful demeanor before Lou Yi. As she stood close, a faint, natural scent wafted from her, not like any perfume, but pleasantly enchanting. As for her figure, it seemed almost about to burst forth. The wide Daoist robe couldn’t entirely conceal her dramatically undulating curves, one could only describe her as extraordinarily endowed. Lou Yi took just a brief glance, then focused himself and said to Bi Yaoyao, "I asked the Four Seas Association to find Dragon Saliva Grass for me..." He recounted in detail the recent events to Bi Yaoyao. Listening intently, Bi Yaoyao’s face turned serious, her little nose wrinkled, and her fists clenched tightly, "This Elder Wang is really insidious, using false information to lure you! Luckily, you were careful, if it were me, I might have fallen for it!" "The information Elder Wang released to lure me might not be false," Lou Yi said with a smile. "You mean..." Bi Yaoyao’s eyes rolled as she quickly understood Lou Yi’s intent, patting her ample chest, "Don’t worry, leave it to me, I’ll help you find out the truth!" Bi Yaoyao’s family had considerable influence in the Zhao Kingdom’s mortal world, something Lou Yi naturally intended to utilize. After entrusting the matter to Bi Yaoyao, Lou Yi returned to his tedious cultivation life. Every day was spent either practicing the Profound Yin Technique inside a cave or outside the cave throwing punches to exercise his body. A dozen days later, changes finally appeared on Lou Yi’s attribute panel under the realm section: [Realm: Martial Master Peak (142/?), Martial Artist Peak (117/?), Mid-tier Anomaly (100/600), Three-star Body Cultivator (96/600), Qi Cultivation Third Level (600/600)] The Qi Cultivation Third Level had reached perfection, with a faint "+" sign appearing behind it. Lou Yi imagined applying a force on it: Qi Cultivation Third Level (600/600) → Qi Cultivation Fourth Level (0/600) Besides the already unblocked Yin Vein, Yangwei Meridian, and Yin Qiao Vessel, the Yangqiao Vessel was completely cleared. The fifth Dai Mai also opened several checkpoints, and once fully cleared, it would be time to break through to the fifth level. The total amount of spiritual power had impressively reached twice the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Level, and he had just entered the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage. At the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, spiritual power was abundant, allowing him to start practicing many spells that were previously impossible, like the Ghost Shoulder Slap and the Soul Capturing Technique. The changes in his mind were even more remarkable. At the moment he broke through to the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, a spark of spiritual light emerged in his mind, which gradually expanded, eventually becoming a tiny gray translucent snake. Though less than a foot long, it stood as a tripod with the hawk and the White Ape, representing the lines of magic cultivation, martial arts, and body cultivation respectively. The five-feet-long black snake on Lou Yi’s shoulder, after seeing the much smaller gray snake of the same kind, burrowed into his mind, boasting arrogantly. Unexpectedly, the gray snake instantly merged with the hawk and the White Ape, transforming into a giant gray snake over forty feet long! "Sssss..." The giant snake looked at the black snake, its green eyes emotionlessly regarding it from a high vantage point, coldly. Opening its giant mouth, as if about to swallow the black snake in one gulp, scaring the black snake back into the lump on Lou Yi’s shoulder. The divine senses of magic and body cultivation, along with the divine perception of the martial artist, were all manifestations of Lou Yi’s divine soul, inherently indistinguishable. From now on, they could transform and merge seamlessly, significantly enhancing Lou Yi’s combat power in that line of cultivation. He now, even without using martial arts and body refinement, could solely rely on his Qi Cultivation Fourth Level to remain invincible within the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, even matching some in the late-stage Qi Refining. Of course, the greatest advantage of breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage is being able to take on a master, finding a backer. Lou Yi had previously discussed this thoroughly with Bi Yaoyao, who recommended several powerful elders. Elder Tu, wielding the Soul Banner with immense mana, Elder Liu, known for the Heart-Eroding Curse, Elder Fan who possesses a demon general-level spirit pet... nearly all possessing late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. However, after careful consideration, Lou Yi did not choose them but decided to take Master He as his master. Originally named He Xiang, Master He’s Daoist name was Yan Bozi, derived from the sayings "clear skies and tranquil days, remaining leisured to aspire." But Lou Yi, having met Master He many times, knew that his personality was almost contrary to his Daoist name. A quick-tempered and very martial-spirited man, vastly different in style from the usual elders. Lou Yi had three main reasons for choosing to take him as his master. First, Master He once oversaw Lou Yi’s batch of newcomers, already having the advantage of familiarity. Moreover, Master He had previously shown appreciation for Lou Yi, the first bottle of Qi Absorption Pills that Lou Yi received was bestowed by Master He. Secondly, Master He’s personality, which Lou Yi had also inquired about with Bi Yaoyao, was as exactly he had felt before, hating evil with a fervor and being straightforward, with no airs about him. Of course, the most crucial point is being protective. It was said that he once caused a huge uproar in the Law Enforcement Hall for his disciples, offending several powerful elders there. Taking on a master requires knowing if they’d be willing to offend another elder for you. After all, on the surface, he was just an ordinary disciple with a lower-middle spirit root, far from those geniuses. Thirdly, Master He’s cultivation was at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, not very conspicuous amongst the elders, nowhere near as outstanding as Bi Yaoyao’s father. But the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation was perfect, not being the top choice for the real talents, which increased Lou Yi’s chances a lot. After all, selecting a master isn’t simply choosing who you want, it’s a mutual selection, and you must consider the other party’s attitude too. Moreover, Master He was not even two hundred years old, which relative to the Foundation Establishment Stage’s usual lifespan of three hundred years, meant he was still in the prime of life. He might have the potential to break through to the later stage in the future. Having made up his mind, Lou Yi directly headed to Wendao Peak. According to proper procedures, he was supposed to report his breakthrough to the Name Pavilion, where they would have him fill out a form for the elders’ ’preferences’ to see if any would accept him. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 But just like choosing a mentor in previous exams, the form filled out post-exams served only as a formality, most had already contacted their mentors in advance. Lou Yi, naturally, was first to contact Master He, getting his consent, then going to the Name Pavilion to complete the procedure. Master He’s cave mansion was located halfway up Wendao Peak, resembling a luxurious mortal-world estate, with white clouds enveloping its surroundings. At the entrance stood a listless old man in his fifties or sixties, hair sprinkled with white, a thin frame, wearing a purple long gown, appearing somewhat out of place. From the relatively few wrinkles on his face, one could tell he was a martial artist of considerable skill. Above the old man’s head, a black plaque bore the two golden characters ’Yan Bo’. On a closer look, one would find that although the old man’s eyes were open just a crack, his breath was extremely steady, his chest rising and falling slowly, clearly napping with open eyes. Lou Yi felt somewhat speechless, wondering if he’d made the wrong decision. But since he was already there, he clasped his hands and said, "Elder, could you please pass on a message. Disciple Lou Yi has just broken through the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, and wishes to soon pay a formal visit to Master He to perform the apprenticeship ceremony. Could you let me know if he might be available in the coming days, and when he would be free?" To take on a master, directly expressing one’s intentions at the door is very impolite. Making an appointment is crucial, providing the opposite party with a buffer time. Not far away, a black crow that was watching Lou Yi beat its wings impatiently, its scarlet eyes fixated on everything taking place. The old man shuddered awake from his nap, then opened his eyes wide to look at Lou Yi, saying nothing before turning to enter the cave mansion. A moment later, a familiar voice sounded. "No need to wait for the future, I’m free today! Come in..." ...