Weapon seller in the world of magic

Even Mark’s expression shifted slightly.

Hei Zhenyu continued calmly, as if he were speaking of ordinary weather. ”Because of that incident, I intend to take a tenth disciple. His Majesty himself put in a word, asking me to give preference to the Lan Sect.”

Shock flickered across the faces of the elders.

Lan Yujin’s eyes widened first, then lit up with unmistakable excitement. Before anyone else could speak, he rose slightly from his seat and said eagerly, ”Our sect is the strongest in the entire Azure Frost Dominion, Your Grace. Talent is something we do not lack. If you wish, I can immediately order all potential disciples to present themselves. You may choose anyone you desire.”

The two grand elders exchanged glances, their breathing subtly quickening.

Mark leaned back slightly, fingers resting on the armrest. ”What is the exact reason you are taking the tenth disciple, Lord Hei?”

Lan Yujin’s expression darkened immediately. He half-rose from his seat, voice sharp with reprimand. ”Lan Zhen... how dare you speak to Lord Hei in such a tone—”

Before he could finish, Mark turned his head and shot him a cold, cutting glare.

”Grand Elder Lan,” Mark said calmly, but every word carried weight, ”Should I remind you that I currently sit in the seat of Sect Master. Every disciple in this sect is under my protection. Even if the Jade Emperor himself comes here and asks for one of them, I cannot simply hand them over. I want to hear the reason.”

The hall froze.

The two grand elders stiffened, their hearts pounding. To them, this was dangerously close to open defiance.

Hei Zhenyu, however, did not grow angry.

Instead, he looked at Mark with clear surprise, then a trace of interest.

Before anyone else could react, Mark suddenly spoke again, his voice shifting into a strange tongue the elders could not understand. ”I’m sorry,” he said in English from his past life and a language only Hei Zhenyu couldn’t understand as a fellow earthling, his tone much lower. ”Things are not stable in the sect. I need to establish my authority. I can’t appear weak right now.”

Hei Zhenyu’s brows lifted.

Then, to the utter confusion of everyone else present, he replied in the same language.

”It’s fine,” Hei Zhenyu said calmly. ”I understand. As for the reason, keep this to yourself.”

The grand elders exchanged startled glances.

They could hear the sounds, but the meaning was completely lost to them.

Lan Yujin frowned deeply. A divine language? A tongue of the gods?

Hei Zhenyu continued, still in English, his voice steady.

”I was summoned to the Heavenly Palace recently. That’s the real reason I couldn’t attend your wedding. The Jade Emperor himself called me.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Hei Zhenyu went on, ”The gods are planning to launch a grand tournament about ten heavenly years from now. The participants must be below the Transcendent Realm.”

Mark immediately understood.

Hei Zhenyu sighed faintly. ”All nine of my current disciples have already broken through the second Transcendent stage. They’re no longer eligible.”

Mark’s gaze sharpened. ”So you need a new disciple who hasn’t crossed that threshold.”

”Yes,” Hei Zhenyu replied. ”But that’s not all.”

His tone hardened slightly.

”I ended up clashing with the Jade Emperor during the discussion. He implied that humans can never truly rival celestials in such events.”

A faint, dangerous smile appeared on Hei Zhenyu’s lips.

”I disagreed,” he said. ”Strongly. I challenged that belief outright.”

Mark let out a slow breath.

Hei Zhenyu continued, ”So now, I intend to prove it. I want to raise a disciple who can enter that tournament and stand against the chosen of the heavens themselves.”

The English conversation ended there.

Hei Zhenyu turned back to the others and spoke in the common language once more.

”The reason I seek a tenth disciple,” he said calmly, ”is because I need someone untainted by the Transcendent Realm. Someone with potential, resolve, and the will to fight gods without bowing.”

The elders felt their scalps tingle.

Lan Yujin swallowed hard.

”So this is not merely a matter of inheritance,” one of the grand elders murmured. ”It is a confrontation with the Heavenly Palace itself...”

Hei Zhenyu nodded once. ”Exactly.”

His gaze lingered on Mark, sharp and assessing.

”Now tell me, Sect Master Lan... do you believe your sect has someone who can shake the heavens?”

”Lan Yichen.”

The moment Mark’s words fell, the temperature in the Sect Master’s Hall seemed to drop several degrees.

Lan Yujin’s eyes widened in shock. ”Lan... Yichen?” he blurted out, unable to hide his reaction.

Mark turned his gaze toward him, brows slightly knit. ”What? What happened?”

The second grand elder cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking. ”Sect Master... ahem, I mean—” he quickly corrected himself under Mark’s calm stare, ”—Grand Elder Yujin has already selected Lan Yichen as his personal disciple.”

Yujin nodded stiffly, his expression complicated. ”When the child turns three heavenly years old, he is meant to formally enter the sect under my tutelage. That is why I was... alarmed.”

Mark blinked once, then exhaled slowly. ”I wasn’t aware of that arrangement.” He paused, then continued evenly, ”But the imperial palace is already eyeing Yichen as he is only extremely talented, but even has ties to royalty. They wish to betroth him to the Emperor’s granddaughter. In that case, becoming Lord Hei’s disciple would be the safest path for him.”

The grand elders fell silent, clearly shaken.

Hei Zhenyu leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the armrest as he considered the matter. ”Your reasoning is sound,” he said after a moment. ”But bloodline, background, and political value alone are not enough. I do not accept disciples lightly.”

His gaze sharpened. ”I will need to inspect this Lan Yichen personally.”

Mark nodded without hesitation. ”That’s only fair.”

Just as the matter seemed settled, Lan Yujin suddenly spoke again, a faint smile appearing on his aged face. ”Then... what about your son, Lan Zhen?”

Mark’s brow lifted at once. ”My son?”

Yujin’s smile widened, carrying a hint of calculation. ”I heard that your son is only half Yichen’s age, yet already stands at the fifth tier. And he grew up in the mortal realm, no less. Such a child’s potential is terrifying. If he were to become Lord Hei’s disciple...” Yujin let the sentence trail off meaningfully.

Hei Zhenyu’s eyes flicked back to Mark, this time filled with genuine surprise. ”Your son is already fifth tier?” he asked slowly. ”At that age, such growth is absurd. He must be a reincarnation of a deity... or something even stranger.”

Mark’s expression darkened slightly.

”No,” he said calmly, though a trace of coldness crept into his voice. ”My son carries the power of Chaos.”

The hall stiffened.

Mark continued, ”While he was still in my wife’s womb, a certain... unpleasant deity implanted the Orb of Chaos into her.”

Hei Zhenyu was taken aback, and so were the grand elders. For a brief moment, the Sect Master’s Hall fell into a strange silence.

”Orb of Chaos?” they reacted almost in unison.

Mark nodded calmly. ”It was later extracted from her. But that’s another story.”

He paused, then continued evenly, ”Because remnants of chaos energy merged with his soul, his early growth rate is indeed terrifying. But that also means—”

”He can never become a transcendant,” Hei Zhenyu finished quietly.

Mark glanced at them and nodded. ”That’s right. He cannot become immortal. So there is no need for him to train under an existence like you, Lord Hei. And neither do I want him to struggle endlessly just to defy a destiny that was forced upon him.”

He added in a softer tone, ”Worst case, I can send him back to the mortal plane to manage affairs there. As long as he reaches the ascendant realm, he can live for several thousand years. That is already a good life.”

What Mark said was only half the truth.

In reality, he deliberately painted his son as a dead-end path. On Earth, Lu Shan would be viewed as an unparalleled treasure. But here, in the Ice and Fire Plane, someone who could never transcend would slowly fade from the gaze of gods and saints. That was exactly what Mark wanted.

However, Lan Yujin clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest.

The old man’s expression shifted, his eyes moistening as if struck by sudden grief. ”He was the host?” he said with a sigh. ”That is... truly tragic. Poor child.”

He turned toward Hei Zhenyu with urgency. ”Lord Hei, you have traveled across countless worlds. You have fought gods and demons alike. Surely, there must be some way to help my descendant?”

Mark stiffened slightly.

He knew his great-grandfather too well. The sorrow on Yujin’s face was real enough to convince outsiders, but behind it lurked calculation. If even a sliver of hope existed, Yujin would grab it and use it to bind Lu Shan to the sect forever.

Hei Zhenyu shook his head slowly.

”Unfortunately,” he said, ”there is no way.”

He stood up, his voice carrying the weight of ancient knowledge. ”The Cosmic Orbs were born with the universe itself. They predate gods, laws, and even the Heavenly Dao. Once merged with a mortal, their influence cannot be erased completely.”