At the very front of the VIP seating, Yang Qinyao, the current princess of the Qingyun Kingdom's royal family, sat gracefully in her elegant position. Dressed in luxurious court robes, her features were gentle and dignified, and she exuded an aura of refined elegance.
She quietly gazed at the peerless young girl in the center of the arena, her eyes showing a gentle, respectful expression on the surface.
Yet, in the deepest depths of those gentle eyes, there was a hidden, sharp edge and a calculating look that remained completely unexposed.
Outsiders assumed she was merely attending the ceremony on orders, but only Yang Qinyao herself knew that this trip carried her own heavy, hidden agenda.
Currently, the battle for the royal succession was growing fiercer by the day. She stood on equal footing with her imperial brother, making them the two core competitors for the throne.
Her imperial brother held the backing of more than half of the civil officials in court. His foundation was solid, and he was determined to secure the throne.
His mother's clan was also one of the most powerful families below the four major sects.
On the other hand, she had no maternal clan to support her and could only rely on herself.
Now that the four major sects maintained a balance of power across the land, the royal family could only survive by depending on them. The Qinglan Sword Sect sat firmly at the head of the four sects, its momentum unmatched.
A peerless genius like Ye Ling, who appeared only once in a thousand years, was receiving an unprecedented coronation today. In the future, she would surely hold a dominant voice within the sect.
This was currently her only and most secure opportunity to break the deadlock.
Befriending Ye Ling was not a simple royal courtesy; it was the most critical trump card she was laying down for her fight for the throne.
Her imperial father's advice before her departure still rang in her ears.
“If you have the chance to form a good relationship with Ye Ling, she will be your greatest reliance in the future.”
In the middle of the VIP seating, at the very center where the prime seats were located, sat the Ye family.
The four members of the Ye family looked at the dignified and majestic young girl at the front of the high platform, their eyes filled with burning pride and glory.
The surrounding leaders of the Tongxuan Realm clans, who had originally harbored doubts, no longer held even a shred of contempt. Instead, they all frequently cast respectful glances toward the Ye family's seats.
After today, the Ye family would become the newly risen noble clan under the Qinglan jurisdiction that no one dared to offend and everyone wished to associate with.
The ceremony arena was the focus of tens of thousands of eyes.
The young girl in the blue-gold ceremonial robe took steady and composed steps, ascending toward her supreme glory.
The ceremonial music slowly faded, its lingering notes dispersing into the vast sky.
Ye Ling walked to the very center of the high platform, standing as the sole focus of the entire arena's gaze.
She exhaled softly and raised her eyes to scan the sea of people around her.
She first looked toward the Ye family in the center of the VIP seats. Seeing her parents' moved expressions, her cold eyes softened for a brief moment, and she nodded slightly.
Then, she swept her gaze over the ranks of disciples. Su Qinghan and Su Qinghe smiled at each other and quietly gave her a congratulatory gesture.
Taking in all the warmth and expectations, Ye Ling's mind completely settled.
In the next instant, a dense surge of spiritual energy swept through her body, amplifying her clear and steady voice across the entire area.
“Thank you, everyone, for traveling from afar to witness my, Ye Ling's, True Disciple investiture ceremony. My deepest thanks to you all.”
As her voice fell, she stood tall and bowed slightly, performing a solemn, formal salute.
In the next moment, the entire ten-thousand-meter arena erupted into earth-shattering applause, sweeping through like a tidal wave and echoing through the clouds.
Hundreds of thousands of disciples, clan members, and guests stood up in unison, their respect like a vast ocean sweeping across heaven and earth.
Just as the wave of sound reached its peak, a majestic and awe-inspiring voice suddenly blanketed the entire venue.
“Quiet, everyone.”
The applause stopped instantly, and the entire venue fell into a dead silence.
Dressed in her solemn black-and-gold Sect Master ceremonial robes, Leng Zhiwei stepped out of the main hall with steady strides and stood by Ye Ling's side.
Her gaze swept across the entire arena, and every word she spoke was powerful and resonant.
“Today is the only time in a thousand years that our Qinglan Sword Sect has held an investiture ceremony for a Tenth True Disciple.”
“Ye Ling is the key to our Qinglan Sword Sect's prosperity for the next several hundred years.”
Then, her voice suddenly turned freezing cold.
“From this day forth, if anyone dares to harbor ill intent or secretly harm our sect's Tenth True Disciple, Ye Ling, the Qinglan Sword Sect will retaliate with the utmost severity.”
“Regardless of their origin, regardless of their background.”
“Even if it is the other three major sects, our Qinglan will absolutely show no mercy.”
As soon as those words were spoken, Leng Zhiwei's gaze became sharp as a sword, instantly locking onto the seats of the other three major sects' elders.
Hundreds of thousands of eyes in the arena turned simultaneously, heavy gazes pressing down on the three Tongxuan Realm elders.
The three elders were all top figures who had guarded their respective territories for years, possessing minds as steady as rock.
Yet, standing here on Qinglan's home turf, enveloped by hundreds of thousands of hostile and protective gazes...
With a mountain-like pressure weighing down on them, even with their profound cultivation, their spines couldn't help but stiffen slightly, and cold sweat began to bead in their palms.
It was an incredibly suffocating feeling, but since they were on someone else's territory, they did not dare to vent their anger in the slightest. They could only force themselves to endure it.
Holding her gaze on the three of them for a moment, Leng Zhiwei chose not to press any further.
Then, her gaze shifted, and her overwhelming aura completely vanished. She suddenly let out a soft laugh.
“However, our four major sects share the same roots and have always enjoyed friendly relations, so such incidents will naturally not occur.”
“It was merely this Sect Master overthinking things just now. Please do not take it to heart.”
With just a few words, she balanced strength with diplomacy. After establishing her authority and intimidating them, she smoothly offered a way out for all parties.
She calmly brought the focus back to the main ceremony.
“Let the investiture ceremony continue.”
As time passed, the ceremony entered its final concluding stage.
Leng Zhiwei raised her hand and produced a jade pendant. It was warm to the touch and engraved with ancient sword patterns.
"Tenth True Disciple" was carved in the center of the front, while Ye Ling's name was inscribed on the back.
Holding the jade with both hands, she presented it to Ye Ling in front of the crowd.
“I bestow upon you the jade token of the Tenth True Disciple of our Qinglan Sect.”
Ye Ling raised her hand, her fingertips steadily receiving the jade token, holding it firmly in her palm.
The jade felt warm and heavy, and a faint Dao charm enveloped her. From this moment on, her status as an official True Disciple was sealed, etching her name into history.
Leng Zhiwei looked out over the crowd, her voice carrying a solemn finality.
“Today, the investiture ceremony for the Tenth True Disciple of the Qinglan Sword Sect...”
“Is successfully completed!”
...
The ceremony concluded, and the crowds dispersed.
Ye Ling did not leave with the crowd. Instead, she stood alone on the empty high platform.
She looked down at the jade token in her palm, her thumb gently tracing the carved characters of "Tenth True Disciple."
The jade was smooth and slightly cool to the touch, yet it brought a surge of warmth to her heart.
From an ordinary girl of the Ye family in Baiyun City to the Tenth True Disciple of the Qinglan Sword Sect today, she had walked this path for three years.
Over these three years, she had grown accustomed to rising before dawn to practice her sword, to swinging her sword alone in the bamboo forest until late at night, and to the strange looks and secret criticisms of others.
She had never thought about proving anything. She simply wanted to do what she wanted to do and walk the path she wanted to walk.
Standing here now, she could finally say to herself:
“This path was worth it.”
She put away the jade token and turned to walk down the high platform.
In the distance, Ye Qingxuan and Wu Wanmei were standing at the edge of the arena, waiting for her.
Her mother's eyes were slightly red, while her father looked calm, but a bright light shone in his eyes.
Ye Ling walked toward them, her steps growing a bit lighter.
The wind blew from the mountains, carrying the fresh scent of vegetation unique to the Qinglan Sword Sect.
Ye Ling looked up at the layered mountain ranges in the distance and tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword at her waist.
Becoming a True Disciple was only the beginning. Her path was still very long.
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