"Little girl! Come sit quickly!" Sect Master Xiong enthusiastically pulled Bai Ran over.
Qiao Mu and Liang Wenjing had slipped out of the house at some unknown time.
The five elders were all present, and besides them, a middle-aged man with a white beard sat in the room.
Outside, disciples, three layers deep, peered through the windows, their expressions filled with envy as they watched the scene inside.
"That's a master of alchemy! It's rumored he's an expert from the previous realm. I'm so envious of Goddess Bai!"
"What are you envious of? Do you have Goddess Bai's talent?"
"Can't I at least fantasize?"
Bai Ran sat on a chair, the solemn atmosphere in the room making her feel a bit perplexed. "Sect Master, why did you call me here?"
Sect Master Xiong's smile stretched from ear to ear. "Little girl, introduce yourself quickly."
Introduce herself? She looked at the middle-aged man beside her. He had a long, snow-white beard and a face filled with sternness and righteousness.
"Is it because of him?" Bai Ran frowned.
Sect Master Xiong chuckled, looking at the middle-aged man. "Hahaha! Little girl is naturally unrestrained, Master. Please don't mind her."
The man spoke coldly, "No manners."
Sect Master Xiong swallowed hard, fearing the master wouldn't be pleased with the little girl. "Master, please forgive her. I will discipline her right away."
He turned around, winking at her while pretending to be angry. "This is a master of alchemy! How can you be so disrespectful? Hurry up and introduce yourself!"
Bai Ran's lips twitched. Helplessly, she chose to play along with Sect Master Xiong's act.
"This disciple admits her mistake. My name is Bai Ran, at the first stage of the Void Refinement realm."
The alchemy master, Xuan Qinghong, slowly turned his head and began to examine Bai Ran. "How old are you?"
"I just turned fifteen this year."
Just fifteen? Xuan Qinghong's eyes widened. "Fifteen years old and already at the first stage of Void Refinement?"
Bai Ran nodded. Sect Master Xiong beamed with joy. Of course, the little girl was exceptionally outstanding.
"Tell me, how many attributes do you possess?" he asked with confidence.
Attributes... should I lie? Just as Bai Ran was agonizing over it, Xuan Qinghong slowly produced a crystal-clear ball.
"Coincidentally, this old man brought a testing orb. You should try it," he said.
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow and took the testing orb, slowly infusing it with spiritual energy.
Sect Master Xiong looked at the little girl with pride. The little girl was a genius with four attributes!
The colors inside the orb slowly changed: white, gray, black...
With each color change, Xuan Qinghong's expression grew more astonished. "This!"
"Seven basic attributes! And even light and dark attributes are together!"
Upon hearing this, Sect Master Xiong turned his head dumbfoundedly. "Master... this old man dares to ask, what are seven basic attributes..."
Xuan Qinghong quickly regained his composure. "This child possesses nine attributes."
Sect Master Xiong leaped to his feet, his eyes as wide as copper bells. "Nine attributes!!!"
The five elders beside him gaped in astonishment. Bai Yan possessed nine attributes?
Bai Ran turned her face away, avoiding Sect Master Xiong's questioning gaze.
Nine attributes! The little girl had even hidden this from him! Sect Master Xiong glared at her with displeasure. He hadn't expected that four attributes would have underestimated the little girl.
"This old man has seen countless disciples. This child is the most outstanding among them all," Xuan Qinghong said, looking at Bai Ran with satisfaction. "She truly has the capital to be impolite."
Bai Ran looked up at Sect Master Xiong. "Sect Master, are you trying to sell this disciple?"
"Sell or not, Master is selecting his only disciple," Sect Master Xiong gradually recovered.
Every year, at this time, the alchemy master would meet the number one on the Prodigy Ranking. If he was pleased, the prodigy would be taken as his sole disciple.
Xuan Qinghong sat up straight. "Let me formally introduce myself. This old man's name is Xuan Qinghong, an eighth-rank alchemist, at the third stage of the Tribulation Crossing realm."
Void Refinement, Integration, Mahayana, and then Tribulation Crossing.
"Are you from the previous realm?" Bai Ran asked him.
"That's right. But this old man will select a disciple from the middle realm. When he reaches the Integration realm, he will be sent to the upper realm."
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow and a smile flickered across her lips. "What benefits are there in becoming your disciple?"
Sect Master Xiong was shocked and desperately signaled to the little girl. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
But Bai Ran completely ignored him. Xuan Qinghong slowly stroked his beard. "Benefits? In all these years, this is the first time a disciple has dared to speak to this old man like this."
Sect Master Xiong was anxious on the side, but the alchemy master's next words left him stunned.
"This child, this old man will take her," he said, standing up and looking at Bai Ran.
Bai Ran sighed. "I haven't agreed to become your disciple."
Sect Master Xiong wanted to strangle the little girl at this moment. What a great opportunity! And she wasn't cherishing it!
The elders on the side also looked at Bai Ran with worry. If she angered the alchemy master, they would completely miss this chance!
Unexpectedly, Xuan Qinghong burst into laughter. "Well said, you arrogant little brat!"
This reaction also left Sect Master Xiong baffled. Did the master like this kind of disciple?
"This will be my disciple-receiving gift to you," he said, taking out a jade pendant of emerald green, which was clearly extremely valuable.
"This jade pendant can attract spiritual energy from the air, equivalent to a high-level spirit gathering array."
Bai Ran took the jade pendant and smiled. "Thank you, Master."
After bringing Wen Yan and Jiang Ye along, the three of them left Que Tian Sect with Xuan Qinghong.
"Alas, seeing the little girl leave like this, this old man is truly a bit reluctant," Sect Master Xiong said, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
But he could not, for his own selfish desires, hinder the little girl's brilliant future.
Sect Master Xiong knew that Que Tian Sect could no longer teach her anything...
...
Meanwhile, Bai Ran and the others followed Xuan Qinghong to a place outside the Four Great Sects.
A quiet bamboo forest, a path paved with stones extended, leading to a secluded courtyard at the end.
Just as Wen Yan and Jiang Ye were rejoicing about leaving Que Tian Sect, Xuan Qinghong raised his hand and set up a barrier.
"To prevent external interference, you can also calm your mind and cultivate."
Bai Ran nodded. This made Wen Yan and Jiang Ye depressed again. They thought they could send news out, but instead, they were met with another barrier.
At this moment, Jing Feng, hidden in the shadows, was also in a difficult situation. This barrier... had even blocked him out...
"Now, without using weapons, attack this old man with all your might," Xuan Qinghong said calmly. The two beside him immediately dodged far away upon hearing this.
Bai Ran chuckled and gathered spiritual energy in her hand. "Then this disciple will not be polite."
In just a blink, she was in front of Xuan Qinghong, her fist raised.
Xuan Qinghong easily caught Bai Ran's attacking fist. Immediately, a moment of danger made Bai Ran instinctively want to retreat.
But her hand couldn't break free no matter what!
"Bang!" A sweeping kick landed squarely on Bai Ran's waist!
"Cough!" Bai Ran felt as if all her bones were about to fall apart, but the attack was not over.
Xuan Qinghong yanked her forward and slammed his right fist heavily into her abdomen.
Pain! It hurt so much she felt like she was dying! Bai Ran gritted her teeth and retreated, blood trickling from her lips.
Damn it, he really wasn't holding back at all...
However... Bai Ran wiped the blood from her lips, a strong fighting spirit appearing in her eyes... This was what would allow her to go all out!