CHAPTER 857: CHAPTER 857: THE DAN SECT’S INVITATION

Outside the gates of the Qingshan Sect, a short and peculiar old man stood there, his expression calm and composed.

Several figures hurriedly ran down the mountain; leading them was the Sect Leader, Jiang Zheng.

"Ah, the esteemed elder from the Dan Sect has come; truly a privilege for our Qingshan Sect. We failed to welcome you earlier, please forgive us!"

Before even drawing near, Jiang Zheng’s voice had already carried over.

Though still some distance away, he could already sense the aura emanating from the peculiar old man—an aura even stronger than Qing Xuan’s.

Obviously, this old man was a powerful expert surpassing the fifth level of the Golden Core Stage.

Accompanying the Sect Leader was Qing Xuan, whose face was also quite solemn at this moment.

However, they all knew that the Dan Sect only concerned itself with alchemy and would never get involved in any conflicts, so they were not worried that this strange old man from the Dan Sect would be detrimental to them.

To such flattery, the old man seemed immune, his expression didn’t fluctuate in the slightest.

"I’m here this time to meet your sect’s alchemist." He straightforwardly stated his purpose.

Following behind Jiang Zheng, Chen Nan slowly stepped forward upon hearing this.

"Elder, I am Chen Nan, the alchemist of the Qingshan Sect."

The old man’s eyes lit up, he took a step forward, arriving instantly in front of Chen Nan, grasping his wrist tightly.

"Are you a seventh-grade alchemist?"

"Yes, Elder, I can proficiently concoct seventh-grade elixir pills." Chen Nan replied.

The old man’s eyes revealed unconcealed shock because he had already detected that Chen Nan indeed only had the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment fifth layer,

"Strange, strange, you are merely a cultivator at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment, yet the True Qi within you is not inferior to the cultivators at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, even surpassing them."

"To be able to become a seventh-grade alchemist, it also shows you have an extraordinary talent!"

Witnessing the legend firsthand, the old man felt very excited; such a promising individual, if brought back for proper cultivation at the Dan Sect, would surely amaze the Nine Provinces in the future!

Chen Nan also knew that in becoming an alchemist, cultivation is secondary; the most important aspect is the Divine Soul Power.

For most cultivators, Divine Soul Power can only improve with the enhancement of one’s realm, without any means of training it.

Yet with Chen Nan at Foundation Establishment fifth layer, his Divine Soul Power already rivaled that of Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, which was indeed an innate gift.

"Young man, would you be willing to follow me back to the Dan Sect? I guarantee, the Dan Sect will do everything in its power to cultivate you!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned in place.

An alchemist appreciated by the Dan Sect was a great honor, much less the promise of full support.

It was practically a pie falling from the sky, a great fortune!

Though Jiang Zheng knew the rise of the Qingshan Sect hinged on Chen Nan, he didn’t speak up as he couldn’t hinder Chen Nan’s pursuit of betterment.

Going to the Dan Sect was undoubtedly much better than staying in Qingshan Sect.

Yet unexpectedly, Chen Nan did not act humbly, instead saluting the old man politely.

"I apologize, Elder, please forgive me for being unable to accept."

The invitation from the Dan Sect alone was astonishing enough, and Chen Nan’s refusal only left everyone even more stupefied.

Even the old man couldn’t maintain his calm demeanor, anxiously asking, "Why won’t you accept? You should know, once you join the Dan Sect, the resources you receive will be thousands of times more than what you have now!"

"I know this, but I am a disciple of the Qingshan Sect. If I abandon Qingshan Sect for a better opportunity, wouldn’t I also leave the Dan Sect if offered something even better in the future?"

"Moreover, my master is my benefactor. If I leave now, it would be ungrateful; I refuse to be that kind of person, so I can only refuse the elder’s kind offer. Please understand, Elder."

Chen Nan spoke quite tactfully, yet everyone understood his sentiment.

Jiang Zheng was moved to near tears; such loyalty and high talent from an unremarkably recruited disciple surely were fortunes for the Qingshan Sect.

He felt immense gratitude for persistently persuading Chen Nan to join the Qingshan Sect back then; that’s foresight!

Qing Xuan also nodded in deep satisfaction, glancing at Qing Yao as if to say, "See what your father’s choice is like?" Pride was evident on his face.

Even the old man, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but show a face of gratification, nodding continuously and saying, "Not bad, not bad, truly a promising individual. Since you wish not to leave Qingshan Sect, I won’t insist."

"But at least allow me to help you rank, how about it?"

The Dan Sect holds authority in alchemy, thus controls the ranking of alchemist grades, and alchemists recognized by the Dan Sect can be termed as disciples of the Dan Sect.

Though some seek to join Dan Sect wholeheartedly to delve into alchemy, others simply wish to prove their ability.

The latter can indeed be termed as Dan Sect disciples, yet without hindrance to their actions.

Thus, naturally, Chen Nan agreed.

"Since it’s like this, I’ll have to trouble the elder then."

Chen Nan knew clearly, if willing to join the Dan Sect, neither Master Xuanming nor Liu Ping’s grandfather would dare move against him easily.

Yet he had his own persistence and principles; now with recognition from the Dan Sect, obtaining the designation of a Dan Sect disciple was sufficient.

At least this title could somewhat intimidate the evil old dog Master Xuanming and Liu Ping’s grandfather, Liu Shenyan.

Jiang Zheng led the Qingshan Sect elders warmly welcoming the old man into the sect, preparing to throw a banquet in welcome.

Yet the old man was quite impatient, shaking his head saying, "No need for empty rituals, let’s begin now."

Chen Nan naturally had no objections, directly went to the Alchemy Room to fetch his Pill Furnace.

"Oh? A fine Pill Furnace."

Seeing the Pill Furnace, the old man displayed a hint of astonishment, for a sixth-grade pill was rare in such a small sect.

Jiang Zheng felt somewhat proud saying, "This is a legacy of our Qingshan Sect, named the ’Gathering Spirit Cauldron’."

Even Chen Nan was hearing the name of this Pill Furnace for the first time, previously simply using it for alchemy without thinking.

The old man seemed reminded, "Oh, so this is Qingshan Sect; I’ve heard of the name Green Mountain Ancestor before. What a pity such a large sect is in decline now."

The words spoke bluntly, yet Jiang Zheng was not bothered at all, looking at Chen Nan with pride in his eyes.

"With Chen Nan here now, I believe the Qingshan Sect will not continue to decline."

"That is indeed true." The old man chuckled heartily.

Soon, the disciples of the sect also gathered on the plaza here, their hearts filled with curiosity.

The old man coughed lightly twice, bringing the crowd to silence.

"Chen Nan, I now represent the Dan Sect for your examination. To become a certain-grade alchemist, you shall concoct elixir pills of that grade."

"I shall watch by your side, ensuring absolute fairness and impartiality."

Chen Nan nodded, gently placing the Gathering Spirit Cauldron before him, refraining from using the Heaven-Burning Flame, instead gathering his Pill Fire, flicking a finger to ignite the fire fiercely within the Pill Furnace.