Li Chen stepped through the grand gates of the Azure Leaf Sect again—this time under a different title.
Core Disciple.
The title carried weight. It opened doors ordinary outer disciples could only dream of: access to superior resources, private training halls, medicinal herbs, and privileges previously reserved for the descendants of minor clans. And perhaps most importantly—he could have attendants.
Xu Ming trailed beside him, wide-eyed.
"You… you mean I'll serve you?" Xu Ming asked cautiously.
Li Chen tilted his head, expression bland. "Yes. Your job is simple: carry my sword, prepare my meals, fetch herbs if needed, and generally avoid dying while I cultivate."
Xu Ming's jaw dropped. A lifetime of hardship, orphaned at fifteen, surviving three months on sheer stubbornness and scraps of cultivation talent… and now this?
"This… this is a miracle," Xu Ming whispered.
Li Chen shrugged. "Consider it divine providence. You help me survive, I help you grow stronger. Fair trade."
Xu Ming's grin was almost childlike. "I… I can't thank you enough. I really can't. I've been struggling to get by ever since… everything happened. And now… with access to a core disciple's resources…"
Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "Don't get sentimental. Just stay alive, and don't drop the sword in a battle. That's all I ask."
Xu Ming bowed quickly. "Yes, master!"
The title of sword carrier came with its own perks. Core disciples' attendants were provided with lodgings near their masters, access to medicinal herbs, and permission to accompany their master into training areas—something ordinary disciples were strictly forbidden from doing. Xu Ming, for the first time since his village was destroyed, felt like he had a real chance to cultivate and survive.
As they walked deeper into the sect, Li Chen carried himself with the calm of someone completely unremarkable—deliberately keeping his aura low, sword qi coiled. The elders had locked his aptitude for a reason: if the small world sensed the full measure of his presence, no one here would survive.
Xu Ming, however, was bubbling with quiet excitement. Every hall, every herb garden, every training hall represented opportunity. Opportunity he hadn't had before.
"This is… unbelievable," he muttered again. "You've… you've saved my life, Li Chen."
Li Chen's lips twitched, almost imperceptibly. "I didn't do it for you. I did it to make sure someone doesn't die trying to carry my sword."
Xu Ming laughed. "Fair enough, master. But… I'll make sure your sword never touches the dirt. I swear it."
Li Chen sighed, already imagining the headache of tempering this overly enthusiastic sword carrier. "Good. That's your only requirement."
In the grand hall, other core disciples and their attendants watched them pass. Whispers followed:
"Who is this outer disciple-turned-core disciple?"
"Why does he have a five-element boy with him?"
"Is he… dangerous?"
Li Chen ignored them. Survival came first. Cultivation second. Reputation—well, that could wait.
Xu Ming's mind, however, was racing with plans. Access to the core disciple's resources meant he could finally harmonize his five-element Chaos Physique. With Li Chen as a shield and teacher in the shadows, he might finally reach heights the lower realm had deemed impossible.
For Xu Ming, this partnership was not just luck—it was salvation.
For Li Chen… it was just a little less boring to have someone carry his sword.
And together, they would walk a path no one in the lower realm was ready to witness.