Elder Min’s Test

After hearing from Haoxuen and the others about the genius Unran of Goyou Cave, I felt that I was still far too immature. Objectively speaking, we were both thirteen, and my qi level was higher, so I did not think I needed to feel immature.

However, I felt that my mental age was forty-one, adding the thirty-seven years of my previous life to the roughly four years that had passed since I regained my memories of that previous life. Unran was thirteen, yet I was forty-one and our abilities were nearly the same, and that made me feel immature.

“There’s no point thinking about strange things. First, I have to decide whom to study under.”

It had nearly been a year since Sect Leader Wei told me to decide on a senior to study under. The time had come to decide.

I truly wanted to become Elder Shanshi’s direct disciple, but unless one of his direct disciples gave up on the path to becoming an Immortal, no slot for a direct disciple would open. So it seemed impossible for me to become Elder Shanshi’s direct disciple.

In that case, the next candidates were Elder Min and Elder Mon. However, Elder Mon apparently had no intention of increasing her disciples. She said that even her current number of direct disciples was already more than she could handle, so it was no good.

So I decided to go ask Elder Min. When I went to Elder Min’s workshop, Elder Min was reading a book with a difficult expression on her face.

“Elder Min, may I have a moment?”

Elder Min raised her face from the book and turned her eyes toward me.

“Do you need something?”

“It is about time I decide on an elder or high disciple to study under, and I would like to ask you, Elder Min.”

Elder Min looked me over, as if appraising me.

“Are you really fine with me?”

“Of course.”

“I want to focus on making works more than instructing juniors.”

As an instructor, Elder Min could not be rated very highly. That was because she would not teach unless I asked her questions. I thought she did not have the desire to raise disciples.

“I do not mind as long as you answer my questions.”

“If that is the case, very well. But when I take a disciple, I make them undergo a test, so you will take it too, Kou.”

“Yes. What kind of test is it?”

“Create a work within one month that you yourself can consider your finest, then show it to me. This is a test I conduct to see the talent of the person I will take as a disciple.”

“I understand. What should I make?”

“Thinking about that is also part of the test.”

I thought it was a difficult problem. I had to think about what I myself could do, and within that range of what I could do, I had to make the finest treasure tool possible.

If I made a simple treasure tool and brought it to her, she might say, “Is this all you can make?” And if I tried to make a difficult treasure tool and failed, I would go past the one-month deadline.

After leaving the workshop, I headed to the Main Hall. In the Main Hall library, I searched for books on treasure tool crafting and began examining them one after another. Among those books were some that described how to make various treasure tools. However, many treasure tools required spiritual power to make, so the things I could make were limited.

“The things I can likely make are mostly weapons. Also ignition tools and lighting, I suppose.”

Surprisingly, lighting was also included. Why had Elder Mon wanted the oil lantern I had thought up? I understood after examining the lighting described in the book in detail.

It said that to use that lighting, qi had to continue being poured into it. It seemed to be a lighting treasure tool that was fine for a short time, but could not be used for a long time.

“Isn’t there anything?”

As I searched further, I found a treasure tool called a Deer-Thrust Plate. It was a plate made by bonding red metal and black metal together. It had the property of advancing in the direction of the red metal when qi was poured into the plate.

Just then, Haoxuen entered the library.

“Senior Brother Kou, what are you looking at?”

“A book on treasure tool crafting.”

“Are you making something?”

“I am searching for what to make.”

I told him that it was a test from Elder Min. When Haoxuen heard that I was becoming Elder Min’s disciple, he looked surprised.

“I thought you would study under an elder or high disciple skilled in martial arts.”

“Those kinds of elders and high disciples already have many disciples.”

“What about Senior Brother Bowen?”

“That senior brother has no issues at all with his character or martial skill, but he also instructs the outer disciples.”

Bowen was a serious Taoist practitioner who had reached the middle phase of the Spirit Formation Stage. However, because he was the sect leader’s favorite, he was handling several duties at once. Apparently, he was not in a situation where he could take on a new disciple.

“Come to think of it, he did not instruct us even once during the trip. Maybe he does not like instructing itself. But I heard Elder Min is the same.”

“Elder Min will teach me if I ask her questions. Besides, I am interested in treasure tool crafting.”

Haoxuen nodded as if convinced.

“By the way, have you decided what to make?”

“I was thinking about whether I could make something using this.”

I pointed at the picture of the Deer-Thrust Plate in the book. Seeing that, Haoxuen tilted his head.

“A Deer-Thrust Plate? What use is this? Even if qi is poured into it, it does not seem to produce much force, does it?”

As Haoxuen said, the force with which the Deer-Thrust Plate moved forward when qi was poured into it was not very impressive. Even a disc-shaped Deer-Thrust Plate about twenty centimeters in diameter could only lift a load of around two kilograms at most.

“Even if the force is weak, I think a splendid treasure tool can be made depending on how it is devised.”

“What kind of treasure tool?”

“It has not taken a clear form yet. I will tell you once it becomes clear. By the way, what did you come to the library for?”

“I heard that Lightness Skill was next, so I thought I would read books about Lightness Skill.”

Haoxuen was serious. He probably intended to prepare in advance.

“That is a good attitude. I will think a little more.”

Haoxuen went to search for books on Lightness Skill, so I thought about what to make using the Deer-Thrust Plate. If this propulsive force were converted into rotational motion, perhaps it could even cause an industrial revolution. I thought that for only an instant, but I remembered that the energy source was qi and gave up.

Ordinary people could not use the power of qi. A power source using qi would probably never spread throughout the world. Was the Deer-Thrust Plate no good? However, even if I did not have an idea now, it seemed likely that I could use it for something in the future. I memorized the descriptions about the Deer-Thrust Plate using my instant memory ability.

Well, fine. More importantly, I had to think about what to make. At that moment, I thought of using the materials I had on hand.

“That’s right. I have the Thunder Bear’s lightning horn and the Black Wind Tiger’s fang. If I use those, I should be able to make a weapon.”