Somewhere on Sword Inquiry Peak...
The elders and Peak Masters of the Seven Peaks and Thirteen Halls, accompanied by a group of newly admitted disciples, were gathered in an open area just outside Wendao Square.
Though the atmosphere was calm, the shock in their hearts remained as turbulent as a surging river crashing against the shore.
Li Qingshan, in particular, felt a complex mix of emotions and a sense of daze.
He had originally thought Xu Xian had brought a massive disaster upon himself. He never expected the boy to solve the remnant game, have an epiphany regarding the sword stele, and even alert the five senior uncles in the mountain.
It was a bittersweet realization.
He was glad to have brought back a great talent for the sect.
He was saddened because it seemed he had merely paved the way for someone else to reap the rewards.
Xu Xian already possessed a sword spirit root, a talent found once in ten thousand. Now, he had even gained enlightenment from the sword stele.
He could no longer be that boy’s master.
He simply wasn't worthy.
The surrounding elders gradually came to their senses and began commenting on the matter, offering their various opinions—though they mostly stuck to the same rhetoric.
'Who would have thought?'
'I could tell from the start that he was extraordinary.'
'This boy is a true talent.'
'Heaven blesses the Wendao Sword Sect; the heroic spirit of the Sword Ancestor finally has a successor,' and so on...
Someone stepped forward and complimented, "Junior Brother Qingshan, you have truly performed a great service for the sect this time. Another merit has been added to your name in the Immortal Pavilion Register. Congratulations!"
Li Qingshan, who usually enjoyed acting profound in front of others, uncharacteristically gave a bitter smile in the face of the praise.
"Heh."
He didn't have the slightest desire to keep up appearances.
"What is it? The person you brought back had an epiphany at the sword stele—are you not happy?"
Li Qingshan gave the speaker a cold look, flicked his sleeves, and abruptly walked away.
"Where are you going?" someone called out.
Li Qingshan did not respond.
"Aren't you going to pick a disciple?"
Li Qingshan still didn't answer, his figure already vanishing from everyone's sight.
"Heh... ignoring people now, is he?"
"Enough, stop provoking him. He’s likely feeling quite depressed right now."
"What’s there to be depressed about? This isn't a bad thing. Besides, Qingshan might not have been able to handle that child anyway."
"Alright, alright, let's get back to business."
By now, the mountains and rivers were bathed in the dusk of the setting sun. The sky held a somber golden hue as the sun dipped toward the west. After the brief interlude, things returned to their proper course. Under the organization of the elders, the apprentice recruitment ceremony proceeded hastily in the clearing before them.
The protagonist of the day was destined to be Xu Xian; the others were merely supporting roles.
"It is getting late. Everyone, settle down, settle down. First, I must congratulate you all on becoming members of our Wendao Sword Sect. Our sect consists of the Seven Peaks and Thirteen Halls. Today, elders from every peak and hall are present. The choice is now in your hands; you may choose any peak or hall to join. If there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask..."
The new disciples began talking all at once, asking about everything.
What were the Thirteen Halls?
Which were the Seven Peaks?
Who was who?
What did they all do?
The elders each brought out a cloth banner inscribed with the names of their respective peaks and halls. The disciples pulled their thoughts away from Xu Xian's feat and began the difficult task of choosing among the elders.
No matter how formidable Xu Xian was, that was his business. They were just bystanders watching the spectacle; it had nothing to do with them.
However, the choice before them now was their own concern.
Choosing a peak or hall was much like a student choosing a major. Unless something unexpected happened, they would live out the rest of their long lives based on today's choice.
Naturally, none of them dared to be careless.
Some had long favored a particular mountain and chose without hesitation.
Others were indecisive, making comparisons before finally selecting a mountain they were relatively satisfied with...
Zhang Yang and Lin Qianqian were among them, of course.
However, the two of them didn't seem to be in a hurry.
They were still looking toward Wendao Square. Though they were separated by dozens of miles, they were trying to see how Xu Xian was doing in the center of the square.
The two of them felt the weight of today's events most deeply.
They had traveled together for half a day.
One moment they were calling each other brothers.
The next, everything had changed.
They had started at the same starting line, but while they had blinked, Xu Xian had already run far ahead. When they looked up again, he seemed to be standing at the finish line!
As for them...
He was already beyond their reach.
They had originally intended to join Zhijian Peak.
After all, Xu Xian had been brought back by the Peak Master of Zhijian Peak.
Unfortunately, Li Qingshan had left.
In the end, they could only settle for the next best thing and choose among the remaining six peaks and thirteen halls.
While Xu Xian was still in his epiphany at the square, Lin Qianqian naturally became the most dazzling presence among the remaining recruits. Upon learning that she hadn't decided which peak to join, the group of elders pulled out all the stops.
They exhausted their rhetoric, offered every benefit they could, painted the grandest visions, and promised the world.
"I will personally take you as my disciple!"
"I'll make you a direct disciple! I'll give you immortal techniques, medicinal pills, and spirit artifacts!"
They were more generous than the last, arguing until their faces were red.
Because of this...
Two short-tempered elders almost came to blows. The scene was truly a spectacle.
Perhaps it was because several ancestors in the Ancestral Peak had woken up today that these elders were being relatively restrained. In previous years, they would have started a duel right in front of the new disciples.
Ultimately, Lin Qianqian chose to join Tianjian Peak, apprenticing under its Peak Master to become a third-generation disciple.
The seniority within the Wendao Sword Sect was as follows:
The Sword Ancestor.
The Sword Ancestor's disciples.
The disciples of the Sword Ancestor's disciples.
These elders were the disciples of the Sword Ancestor's disciples, making them second-generation disciples. Those beneath them were, naturally, the third generation.
In the cultivation world, there was always a tradition of respecting one's elders. 'Elder' did not merely refer to age; seniority in the hierarchy was also vital.
In comparison, Zhang Yang was much less impressive.
After all, the starting standard for recruitment into the Wendao Sword Sect was a mixed spirit root.
In other small sects, such a person might be a one-in-ten-thousand genius, but in the Wendao Sword Sect, they were nothing special. The 'cultivation geniuses' with mixed spirit roots that the world marveled at numbered over tens of thousands in this sect.
Here, a mixed spirit root was merely the baseline.
Single-attribute spirit roots, mutated spirit roots, and innate Saint Bodies were the truly scarce resources. Naturally, only such people had the chance to become third-generation disciples.
The others, after being taken back by the various peak elders, would be handed over to suitable juniors within the mountains to be taken as disciples. Consequently, they became fourth, fifth, or sixth-generation disciples.
Zhang Yang benefited from his actions in the First Inquiry of the Heart, where he went down the well to save someone. This earned him a lot of favor in the eyes of the elders.
Standing out among the mediocre, he wasn't fought over, but he was lucky enough to join Zhujian Peak as a third-generation disciple.
As for the others... they weren't worth mentioning.
When everyone had finished their selections, the elders of the various mountains led the new disciples away from Sword Inquiry Peak one by one.
Their path of immortal cultivation officially began at this moment.
They were full of yearning and youthful energy.
They swore to attain the Dao and become immortals, seeking longevity and eternal life. They aimed to become great cultivators and, like the Sword Ancestor of old, make their names known across the world and suppress the eight desolations. Their ambitions were indeed high...
As for Xu Xian, they couldn't help but ask their respective elders about him.
The elders' reply was: 'Stop your blind worrying. Xu Xian is no longer on the same path as you.'
Some elders even said, 'For a long time to come, Xu Xian will be the target you all chase on your path of cultivation...'
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