The registration process to join the Heavenly Pool Palace was simple. Moreover, with Xu Lang, a titled Celestial Emperor, accompanying them, everything went smoothly.
“This is the cultivation place of those under my care,” Xu Lang, the Verdant Prairie Celestial Emperor, said as he led Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er to another floating island. Then, he brought them to a vast mountain range where several courtyards could be seen. There were also a few cultivators flying in the sky.
“I have six prodigious disciples… These people you see are their families and friends,” Xu Lang said as he looked at the mountain range, “There are ten peaks here. The tallest peak in the middle is my cultivation place. Six of the other nine peaks are already occupied by my prodigious disciples. You can pick any of the three remaining peaks as your cultivation place.”
After a moment, Xu Lang continued to say, “You can rest for a day or two before going to the Sword Trial Pavilion to register for the assessment of prodigious disciples. Being a prodigious disciple in the Heavenly Pool Palace comes with a lot of benefits.”
“Prodigious disciple?” Duan Ling Tian’s eyes lit up. Previously, he had heard people talking about the prodigious disciples in the Heavenly Pool Palace. However, he was unaware that one would have to go through an assessment to become a prodigious disciple?
“How do I pass the assessment?” Duan Ling Tian asked curiously.
“By challenging other prodigious disciples of your age… It’s similar to the disciple selection’s test. Those between 200 and 300 years old are considered a group. In each group, there will be ten prodigious disciples. If you and Huan’er want to become a prodigious disciple, both of you would have to challenge those two at the final place.”
“You can check the ranking at the Sword Trial Pavilion when you go there for your assessment,” Xu Lang explained.
“We’ll go to my cultivation place for now. I’ll summon my prodigious disciples and introduce you to them. The seniority of my disciples is based on when they joined me, unlike other Celestial Emperors who based seniority on strength.”
By the time Xu Lang finished talking, they had already arrived at his cultivation place.
There is a wide platform and a palace at the highest peak of the mountain range.
Xu Lang led the duo into the palace’s main hall before he sent out a few messages.
Soon after, the sound of wind whistling rang in the air. A few figures appeared in the hall in just a blink of an eye.
Someone chuckled. “Teacher, where did you find our Seventh Junior Brother?”
Following that, a fat man dressed in a red robe appeared. His features seemed like they were squished together due to the fats on his face. He looked around the main hall with his tiny eyes before he finally saw Duan Ling Tian.
“Your Seventh Junior Brother just joined the Heavenly Pool Palace today,” Xu Lang said.
At the same time, another two people walked into the hall.
An elegant woman dressed in a blue robe with a gentle gaze looked at Duan Ling Tian. She was fairly beautiful. She greeted Duan Ling Tian immediately. “Hello, Seventh Junior Brother, I’m your Fourth Senior Sister.”
The other person was a young man dressed in black who carried a sheathed sword on his back. His expression was hard and cold when he turned to look at Duan Ling Tian. However, his eyes seemed kind. He nodded as he said, “Hello, Seventh Junior Brother.”
“Seventh Junior Brother, this is our Second Senior Brother… He’s the strongest among us. Although he’s not even 1,000 years old, he’s already a powerful Celestial Emperor!” the red-clad fat man said happily, introducing the black-clad young man to Duan Ling Tian. After that, he began to introduce himself, “As for me, I’m your Sixth Senior Brother.”
After a beat, the red-clad fat man said with a grin, “If you can defeat me, you can call me by my name!”
Swoosh! Swoosh!
At this moment, another two people appeared in the main hall. They were a beautiful woman with an alluring body who was dressed in a red robe and a young man who was dressed like a scholar.
“Are you our Seventh Junior Brother?” The red-clad woman with an alluring figure approached Duan Ling Tian immediately.
Duan Ling Tian’s eyes widened in shock as the red-clad woman reached out and boldly tipped his chin up. “Not bad, you’re quite handsome… Seventh Junior Brother, are you interested in embarking on an epic romance with your Third Senior Sister?”
The red-clad woman’s actions annoyed Huan’er who was standing next to Duan Ling Tian. She scoffed before she tried to slap the woman’s hand away.
The red-clad woman was fast and moved her hand before Huan’er could reach her. “Yo? Is this our sister-in-law? Sorry… I didn’t see you earlier. However, why are you wearing a veil?” As soon as she finished speaking, she reached out and removed Huan’er’s veil.
With this, Huan’er’s peerless beauty was revealed to everyone in the hall.
The main hall was as silent as a graveyard at this moment.
The red-clad woman was the first to regain her senses. She exclaimed, “I didn’t expect to meet someone as beautiful as our Eldest Senior Sister! No, no, I should say I didn’t expect to meet someone more beautiful than our Eldest Senior Sister.”
As soon as the red-clad woman finishes speaking, the black-clad young man scoffed, causing the red-clad woman to smile sheepishly. Then, she said apologetically, “Second Senior Brother, I was just joking. It’s a joke!”
At this moment, the young man who was dressed like a scholar smiled and said to Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er, “Seventh junior brother, sister-in-law, Third Senior Sister bears no ill intention. Anyway, I’m your Fifth Senior Brother, Ouyang Qi Fei.”
Subsequently, Xu Lang the Verdant Prairie Celestial Emperor took over and began to formally introduce his prodigious disciples to Duan Ling Tian. He pointed at the black-clad young man and said, “Duan Ling Tian, this is your Second Senior Brother, Lu Ji.”
Lu Ji nodded at Duan Ling Tian with a stiff smile on his face.
“This is your Third Senior Sister, Hu Mei,” Xu Lang said as he looked at the red-clad woman.
Hu Mei winked at Duan Ling Tian in response and only stopped joking around when she saw Huan’er glaring at her.
“This is your Fourth Senior Sister, Wen Wan’er,” Xu Lang said as he turned to look at the blue-clad woman.
Wen Wan’er nodded and smiled gently at Duan Ling Tian. Her smile reminded one of the gentle spring breeze caressing one’s face.
Xu Lang looked at the young man who was dressed like a scholar and said, “This is your Fifth Senior Brother, Ouyang Qi Fei. He has introduced himself earlier. He’s also the most normal among your seniors.”
As soon as Xu Lang finished speaking, the red-clad fat man feigned an exaggerated sad expression and said, “Teacher, how can you simply make things up? You’re my teacher, after all. Tell me, how am I, Hong Fei, abnormal? If you don’t explain yourself, I won’t let go of your thigh!” As soon as he finished speaking, he rolled toward Xu Lang like a ball and really hugged Xu Lang’s thigh.
“Get lost!” As titled Celestial Emperor, it was naturally easy for Xu Lang to get rid of Hong Fei. A powerful energy surged out of his body and carried Hong Fei away, sending Hong Fei crashing against one of the pillars in the hall.
Boom!
A thunderous noise rang in the air, and it felt like the ground even trembled a little.
Nevertheless, Hong Fei was fine. A dark yellow energy had shielded him. He continued with his act. “Teacher, how can you treat me like this?”
The corners of Duan Ling Tian’s lips twitched as he watched the scene in front of him. It seemed like Xu Lang’s prodigious disciples did not treat him like a master or a teacher; it seemed more like they were a group of friends.
“Little Junior Brother, are you curious why we act so casually?” Hu Mei, the red-clad woman and Duan Ling Tian’s Third Senior Sister, asked with a smile. “Actually, all of us respect him a lot. However, he’s really down-to-earth and treats us like friends. We can’t reject the only thing he asked of us. If you treat him like an elder, he would be unhappy. So just treat him like how you would a friend.”
“Hu Mei, you’re the one who corrupted Fatty, and now, you want to corrupt Duan Ling Tian as well?” Xu Lang said sternly.
Even then, Duan Ling Tian could tell Xu Lang was also playing along with them. It was obvious Xu Lang was not angry at all.
At this moment, Wen Wan’er, Duan Ling Tian’s Fourth Senior Sister, said with a gentle smile on her face, “Little Junior Brother, you’d get used to this once you stay with us long enough. Although teacher is a titled Celestial Emperor, he’s very friendly.”
“Alright.” Duan Ling Tian nodded. At the same time, warmth inexplicably suffused his heart. For a moment, it felt like he was home. Perhaps, it was due to this group of people’s interaction that was similar to how one would interact with one’s family.
During their journey here, Xu Lang had been rather serious. However, Duan Ling Tian thought, perhaps, this was the only place Xu Lang could be himself.
Hong Fei, Duan Ling Tian’s Sixth Senior Brother, sighed before he lamented, “Now that we have a Seventh Junior Brother, I’m no longer the baby of the group. I’m just the extra that no one loves.”
“Fatty, you’re wrong. It’s not like anyone loves you even before Seventh Junior Brother’s arrival,” Hu Mei said. Then, she sized Hong Fei up before she added, “If you’re as cute as your Seventh Junior Brother, perhaps, I would have loved you… Alas, with your appearance, I just can’t do it…”