Chapter 15: External Sect Experience

"No! Ping'an, why are you in such a rush to descend the mountain? You could prepare for a few more months,"

In the wooden tower, upon hearing the message from Wei Yanzier, Li Dazhi, who had hurried back, paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind him.

Li Ping'an was standing in front of a bronze mirror, putting on an Immortal Treasure inner armor.

He kept adjusting the twenty-plus Storage Magical Artifacts attached to the inner armor, checking the items stored in each, and repeatedly pondering the order of their use during Magical Combat.

Li Ping'an was well aware of the gap between theory and practice.

He had been cultivating on the mountain for three years, and his only real Magical Combat experience was a simple clash with a disciple from Elixir Dust Peak, leaving him always slightly unsure about his current strength.

Therefore, adhering to the principle of being well-prepared, Li Ping'an carried most of his possessions on him, carefully arranged and categorized.

"Dad, I'm just going to deliver a letter,"

Li Ping'an said with a smile:

"You've arranged everything up to this point for me, I can't get cold feet now."

"No!"

Li Dazhi sighed:

"To be honest with you, I am waiting for an old Heavenly Immortal to come out of seclusion. I have found out that this old Heavenly Immortal is indeed capable of taking you as a disciple!

"We're not seeking anything extravagant from this senior, just to formally become an Inner Sect Disciple would be enough!"

With his hands behind his back, Li Ping'an asked calmly, "Dad, am I lacking in techniques?"

"Of course not, I have all the main cultivation techniques of the Wanyun Sect, even the Divine Skills that can only be used after becoming an immortal. I've managed to acquire many for you!"

Li Ping'an then asked, "What about Treasure Spirit Stones, do I lack those?"

Li Dazhi looked up with pride: "As long as I'm here, would you ever fall short?"

"Then Dad, look," Li Ping'an spread his hands, "Techniques, wealth, companions, location—aside from companions, I lack nothing else. With your protection as a disciple of the grandmaster, does it make a big difference whether I take a master or not in terms of cultivation environment?"

"Certainly not much of a difference."

Li Dazhi blinked, feeling something was off, and after a moment, he couldn't help but laugh and scold:

"Isn't it just that you've been moping around because you couldn't find a master?

"I've said before, I can guide you in cultivation, and your grandmaster wouldn't bother with such trifles. Besides... these past two years, it's you who have been enlightening me, and I've received quite a bit of praise from your grandmaster because of it.

"Ping'an, wouldn't it be better to wait a few more months to see if that old Heavenly Immortal comes out of seclusion?

"The Elders of the outer sect won't force you to take part in the trial!"

"Dad, those understandings were your own realizations while instructing me; they have nothing to do with me."

Li Ping'an gently reminded his father, then he sighed:

"I want to take a master because I seek a further and deeper path, not to seek a master's protection.

"The Qi Cultivator's practice resonates with the laws of heaven and earth; it is profoundly mystical and can immerse one to forget all troubles.

"Over these three years, I've perused many of the sect's texts. What I know, see, and hear has vastly changed from three years ago. However, the more I understand, the more I realize how difficult the path to immortality is.

"That's why I want to take a master, and I want to take one who will truly spend time teaching me."

Li Dazhi watched his son, with a thousand words in his heart, but in the end, all he could say was, "Alright, don't put too much pressure on yourself; after all, you will definitely be stronger than me."

"Alright, Dad!"

Li Ping'an turned to face his father and bowed his head in salute:

"Father, please continue your cultivation within the sect at ease, I'm going to participate in the outer sect trial!"

"Always with these pointless formalities!"

Li Dazhi muttered under his breath, despite his worried heart, he knew he could not change his son's mind and simply waved his hand lightly.

"Go then, go. When the wings are strong, they are meant to fly out."

Li Ping'an turned and walked towards the small door on the second floor of the wooden tower.

Li Dazhi quickly followed, repeatedly admonishing:

"Be sure to be careful on the road, the outside is not like the inside of the sect, there are evil cultivators who rob and block the road everywhere! It's not like the law-abiding society we have back home!"

"Keep away from those scantily clad female cultivators in the East Continent; it's a place teeming with fish and dragons, and many enchantress cultivators practice the Secret Technique of Sun Harvesting and Yin Nourishing; a handsome, tender-skinned male cultivator like you is exactly to their taste!"

"If you ask me, you should just hurry up and form a dual cultivation partnership with Ningning. I've collected more than a dozen dual cultivation techniques for you, which can rapidly increase your cultivation level..."

Li Ping'an, stepping on a sword sheath and slowly rising into the air, couldn't help but cover his eyes with his hand and quickly left his father's barrage of sound.

Until behind him came another call:

"Ping'an! Come back soon!"

Li Ping'an turned and waved his hand, then, identifying the direction, he headed toward the main peak.

Li Dazhi stood at the doorway for a while, his prosperous face mostly filled with regret.

His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, counted, calculating the various preparations he had made for his son's trial.

In the past three years, he had used the 'Father-Son Unity' Divine Skill to transfer power to Li Ping'an three times.

—This was also the main reason why Li Ping'an's cultivation speed was slightly ahead of Ningning Mu's.

Over these years, Li Dazhi himself lost track of how many Magic Artifacts and treasures he had managed to acquire for his son.

In any case, it was enough.

Of course, the reason Li Dazhi could be temporarily at ease was because he had a trump card—

He had already found a True Immortal, a Yuan Immortal, to serve as his son's temporary bodyguard, covertly escorting Li Ping'an for this trip back and forth.

Given the current circumstances, this was all he could do for his son.

"Sigh!"

Li Dazhi sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over Li Ping'an's room, walking over to the bed, and picking up the two Disciple robes that Li Ping'an had just discarded, folded them neatly at the foot of the bed, then sat on the bedside lost in thought for a while.