"Young brother, would you be willing to join my Beast Peak? If you agree, I'll immediately petition the Sect Master to grant you the position of Elder of the Beast Peak," Elder Qingxuan said with great excitement, grabbing Lin Tian's hand. His tone had shifted, addressing Lin Tian as a peer, showing the regard he now held for the young man.
Upon hearing this, the crowd was left astounded. The rules of the Xuanwu Sect were rigid, and the advancement of an Elder was an arduous process. Yet here, Qingxuan was offering Lin Tian the rank of Elder, something unprecedented since the founding of the Sect. Even if the Sect Master rejected this request, Lin Tian could, from this point forward, command tremendous influence within the Beast Peak.
"I think I'll have to decline," Lin Tian said, awkwardly pulling his hand away. He knew that being an Elder meant access to greater resources, but if he accepted, it would certainly stir resentment among the other disciples of the Beast Peak. The position of Elder might seem like an honor, but it would also bring unnecessary complications.
More importantly, the resources of the Xuanwu Sect, although far superior to those of his former Lin clan, still held little appeal to him. At this stage, his progress in cultivation relied solely on the spiritual liquid. The Sect's resources, though better, offered no real advantage to him.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of disappointment appeared in Qingxuan's eyes. He hadn't expected Lin Tian to reject the allure of the Elder's position. However, though Lin Tian had no intention of joining the Beast Peak, Qingxuan had not given up. He took out a token and handed it to Lin Tian.
"This is the token of an Elder's assistant at Beast Peak. With it, you will have free access to the Beast Peak at any time, without obstruction."
"Alright then," Lin Tian said with a reluctant sigh, taking the token.
When Lin Tian arrived at Qi Peak with the token in hand, the crowd erupted in surprise. They hadn't expected such a spectacle, and as a result, the number of disciples applying to join Qi Peak increased dramatically. It was a far cry from the previous forced selections, where the Qi Peak was considered the least desirable. By the end of the selection process, the number of disciples in Qi Peak even ranked third, while Beast Peak ended up at the very bottom. This outcome was something none of the Elders had anticipated.
Upon returning to Qi Peak, the disciples were completely dumbfounded. This was the first time they had seen so many new disciples join the Qi Peak.
"Elder, what is going on here?" Zhao Xufeng stepped forward from the crowd and asked Elder Zhong Wukui.
"This is all thanks to this young man," Zhong Wukui said with immense pride, casting a glance at Lin Tian. Without him, Qi Peak would never have seen such a scene.
"This young man? What exactly happened?" Zhao Xufeng asked, perplexed.
"Find out for yourself," Zhong Wukui said with a mysterious smile. "Now, quickly arrange their accommodations. As for the course on refining fire, let Zhao Zhenjie handle it."
After giving these instructions, Zhong Wukui departed. Zhao Xufeng led the new disciples to their quarters and then brought them to the Qi Peak training grounds.
When they arrived, Zhao Zhenjie was already waiting for them. Upon seeing the new disciples, he immediately adopted a high-and-mighty attitude.
"I heard that among you, there is someone who, upon entering the Sect, demonstrated extraordinary talent in beast taming and was granted the position of assistant Elder at Beast Peak," Zhao Zhenjie began, his tone stern. At this, all eyes turned toward Lin Tian.
"However, this is not Beast Peak; this is Qi Peak. No matter how impressive your talent in beast taming is, now that you are here, you must put aside your clever tricks. Refining is not something you can master in an instant. To succeed in it, you must take it one step at a time, grounded and steady." With these words, he cast a pointed look at Lin Tian.
Lin Tian, meeting his gaze, felt a pang of frustration. He knew he was gaining some notoriety within the Sect, but being singled out in this way was hardly pleasant.
"Next, I will teach you the method of refining the fire of artificing." Zhao Zhenjie said, and immediately began his demonstration. As he recited the incantations, the disciples followed suit, attempting the technique.
Lin Tian, too, began to channel his spiritual power, trying to refine the artificing fire. However, after only a brief moment, his brow furrowed in confusion. According to Zhao Zhenjie's instructions, the fire he should be refining in his palm should be red. But the flame that appeared was orange instead, and its temperature seemed much higher than what Zhao Zhenjie had described.
Despite his efforts to control the temperature of the flame, the color and heat of the fire remained unchanged.
"Could it be that I made a mistake in my method?" Lin Tian wondered, extinguishing the flame in his palm. He couldn't understand why, despite following Zhao Zhenjie's method, the result was different.
Just as he was about to consider it further, Zhao Zhenjie leisurely strolled over, casting Lin Tian a mocking glance.
"I thought I was supposed to be impressed by the genius beast tamer. But it seems you can't even manage the most basic task of refining fire?" Zhao Zhenjie sneered.
Lin Tian was speechless. Refining the fire of artificing was a basic skill in Qi Refining, akin to a beginner-level martial art technique—it was simple and easy to learn. Yet, in the span of a few moments, many disciples had already successfully refined their flames.
"Fine, fine. I'll teach you once more," Zhao Zhenjie said impatiently, observing Lin Tian's furrowed brow.