Fellow Disciples for Centuries, I Hope You Will Remember Our Bond

Little C, you're still alive!!

As for Little B, you should take a break too.

Lu Ping chose A.

[You chose A.]

[You appeared calm and composed, and slightly bowed with your hands clasped.]

"Sect Master, you are overthinking it. Junior Brother has simply seen through some of the ways of the world and no longer wishes to be burdened by empty fame."

Qi Huailin waved his hand.

"You have your reasons for not competing. Your trip to the Myriad Demon Domain must have brought you immense fortuitous opportunity."

"It seems that my Profound Beast Taming Sect may produce another Spirit Transformation Divine Lord."

[He clearly misunderstood something, thinking you had already found the opportunity to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage, and therefore looked down on this mere sect Sect Master position.]

[Actually, Qi Huailin's original guess was correct. It's just that these "Zhu Wanshan" are not the same as those Zhu Wanshan."]

[You're happy to let him fill in the blanks himself, so you don't say anything.]

"My time is almost up."

Qi Huailin sighed, his tone tinged with sorrow.

"Internal strife within the sect continues unabated, and that ancestor on the Back Mountain is still delaying issuing a decree."

"Fellow disciples, if I return, the Profound Beast Taming Sect will likely fall apart."

[You sat on the Meditation Cushion opposite the Jade Bed, without responding.]

In the world of cultivation, if someone claims their "time is coming," just listen and let it go.

For Nascent Soul Cultivators, the approaching end of their lifespan is a very vague concept.

[Two or three years is "nearly", and so is twenty or thirty years.]

[Until they're on their deathbed, who knows what life-saving trump card they might still be holding?]

[Qi Huailin didn't seem to mind your silence and continued,]

"Actually, I have already found someone."

"This child has already gained the approval of Azure Feather Ancestor."

A slight stirring occurred to you.

[As expected, none of the cultivators who can reach the Nascent Soul Perfection stage are easy to deal with.]

[On the surface, they appear powerless to reverse the situation and simply allow the two factions to fight it out.]

[Secretly, he had already bypassed everyone and made the most crucial move.]

You are curious about what kind of being this so-called sect-guarding Spirit Beast is, that it could influence the succession of the Profound Beast Taming Sect Master.

"However, this child is still young, has only been in the sect for a short time, and his cultivation level is low."

Qi Huailin sighed.

"She is not yet capable of bearing the Sect Master's legacy."

"I've been hesitant to make this public because I was afraid the child wouldn't live to see that day."

Qi Huailin looked at you, his tone very frank.

"Now that my junior brother has stepped out of the chessboard, I am very gratified."

"Seeing the pillars of the sect rise and the successors emerge without end, I have no more worries."

[Qi Huailin looked at you, a hint of relief in his eyes.]

"I'm going into seclusion."

"If we succeed, then I will Great Dao to Spirit Transformation with my junior brother, and together we will strive for the position of the number one sect in the Cangxuan Central Region."

"Defeat is nothing more than turning into a handful of dust."

"At that time, I will trouble you, Junior Brother, to bide your time for a few years on behalf of the Profound Beast Taming Sect and that child."

[After Qi Huailin finished speaking, he softly called out towards the outside of the hall.]

"Qinghe, come in."

[A girl, about ten years old, walked in from outside the hall.]

She was dressed in the robes of an inner disciple, and although she was slender, her eyes were clear and bright, revealing a composure beyond her years.

The little girl walked up to Qi Huailin and bowed respectfully.

"Master."

Qi Huailin smiled kindly and beckoned her to come to his side.

[He pointed at you and said to the little girl.]

"Qinghe, this is Elder Zhu Wanshan, your future master. Quickly, perform the apprenticeship ceremony."

[The little girl paused, looked up at you, then at Qi Huailin, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, but she still obediently prepared to kneel down.]

This is entrusting an orphan to someone.

[To protect this child, Qi Huailin went so far as to have her switch allegiances and become your disciple.]

[But you didn't say anything.]

[Qi Huailin looked at your expressionless face and said another sentence, his tone pleading.]

"We've been fellow disciples for centuries; I hope my junior brother will remember me."

[You stared at the scene before you, slightly startled, and recalled the third simulation.]

[Having received the summons from the Azure Cloud Sect, you knew that this journey would be fraught with peril, so you entrusted the Greenwood Sect to Qian Dafu.]

[You even remember what you said to Qian Dafu back then.]

"We've been fellow disciples for forty years, don't let me down."

[Salty Fish, in effect.]

The slight ripples in your heart vanished in an instant.

[Options pop up.]

[A: Taking advantage of the situation, he formally accepted Qinghe as his Personal Disciple, thus securing this future Sect Master's trump card.]

[B: Politely declined the offer to take on a disciple, only promising to look after them for a while.]

[C: Assign the girl thirty-two sets of "Huanggang Secret Papers: Immortal Cultivation Foundation Establishment Chapter," and tell her she can't eat until she finishes them.]

It must be said that Qi Huailin's plan was excellent.

Making Qinghe become Zhu Wanshan's disciple was a stroke of genius.

For the real Zhu Wanshan, Qinghe was an irresistible temptation.

With the master-disciple relationship in place, Qinghe's life is at least safe.

If Zhu Wanshan has ambitions, Qinghe is an easy puppet to control; if Zhu Wanshan has no ambitions, Qinghe is the rightful future Sect Master.

Unfortunately, Lu Ping is not Zhu Wanshan.

And Profound Beast Taming Sect is merely a corner of a grand chess game.

Lu Ping chose B.

[You chose B.]

[Just as the girl's knees were about to touch the ground, you raised your hand to support her, and a gentle Spiritual Power held her up.]

"Senior brother, there's no need for that."

[You looked at Qi Huailin, your tone flat.]

The title of "master and disciple" is merely an outward appearance.

"Since she is your senior brother's personal disciple, she will always be his disciple. I will keep an eye on her for you."

"I will do my utmost to fulfill the Sect Master's request."

Qi Huailin gave you a deep look, and finally nodded.

"With my junior brother's words, I can finally rest assured."

[You left the Main Hall of Beast-Taming Peak with a girl named Qinghe and returned to Returning to Truth Peak.]

[Day Two.]

[Above the Profound Beast Taming Sect's Mountain-Protection Grand Formation, a bell tolled nine times, its sound echoing throughout the Nine Peaks and One Valley.]

[The Main Peak hall of Beast-Taming Peak.]

[Inside the main hall, the Peak Master and the elders of each hall gathered together.]

[Qi Huailin, dressed in the Sect Master's robes, sat in the main seat.]

He glanced around at the crowd below, whose expressions varied.

"I have gathered you all here today to announce something."

"I feel that my Dao Path enlightenment has come to an end, and my time is near. I have decided to begin my final retreat today, to make one last attempt."

[These words astonished everyone present.]

Before anyone could react, Qi Huailin dropped a second bombshell.

"During my seclusion, all matters, large and small, of the sect will be handled by Grand Elder Zhu Wanshan on behalf of the Sect Master!"

"To see the Grand Elder is to see me!"

The atmosphere in the main hall completely exploded.

[On the Human Respect Sect's side, Wang Guihe, the peak master of Zhanwang Peak, suddenly looked up, his face ashen, his eyes flashing...]