Go Comfort Her

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised when Xia Ningxue took the initiative to send him a voice transmission.

Xia Ningxue was the Holy Maiden of the Ask Immortal Pavilion and was usually cold as ice. He had never expected her to contact him of her own accord.

"This disciple of mine has mediocre talent. He only reached his current cultivation by devoting himself wholeheartedly to it, without letting anything distract him."

Lu Changsheng spoke calmly.

Although Lu Changsheng had used Transmission Empowerment to give Lin Qingzhi a cheat, it was because Lin Qingzhi had a Childlike Heart that his cultivation had progressed so swiftly.

"Mm. The Six Great Orthodox Sects will soon convene the Six Paths Assembly."

Xia Ningxue asked no further questions and merely mentioned it.

The Six Paths Assembly?

Lu Changsheng knew that whenever turmoil struck Xiazhou, the Six Great Orthodox Sects—Shushan, the Ask Immortal Pavilion, the Martial Dao Alliance, Crouching Dragon Temple, the Artifact Refinement Sect, and Boundless Temple—would hold the Six Paths Assembly to discuss how to deal with the calamity.

At the same time, the sect leaders and elders of the Six Great Orthodox Sects might exchange pointers at the Six Paths Assembly, displaying their strength and raising their sects' standing.

The Six Great Orthodox Sects had their own rankings.

The higher a sect ranked, the more say it had.

Although Shushan had ranked first for many years, it had not always held that position.

Peerless geniuses occasionally emerged among the other Five Great Righteous Sects as well.

Two hundred thousand years ago, a peerless genius had burst onto the scene, suppressed the Shushan Sect Master of the time, and established the sect now known as the Ask Immortal Pavilion.

The Six Paths Assembly was a major event, determining the rankings of the Six Great Orthodox Sects and how they would deal with the calamity.

"This time, it is the Ask Immortal Pavilion's turn to organize the Six Paths Assembly."

"Only those of elder rank are qualified to attend the Six Paths Assembly."

"Changsheng, you will come with me when the time comes."

Eldest Senior Brother Li Changye sent Lu Changsheng a voice transmission.

With his cultivation at the Dao Palace Realm, Lu Changsheng was fully qualified to participate in the Six Paths Assembly.

"Mm."

Lu Changsheng also longed to attend the Six Paths Assembly.

The sect leaders and elders of the Six Great Orthodox Sects would all attend the Six Paths Assembly, most of them prominent figures who had been famous for years. It was undoubtedly Xiazhou's grandest event.

The sect leader and some of the elders would go to the Six Paths Assembly. As for Shushan's safety, the Grand Supreme Elders would remain to guard it, so there was no problem.

"Lian, hold back on purpose and lose to Xiao Xiangdao. Your master will give you Transmission Empowerment afterward."

The Shushan Disciple Tournament was still underway. Lu Changsheng sent his youngest disciple a voice transmission, telling Lian to lose to Xiao Xiangdao on purpose.

Lian had fought barehanded from beginning to end and was at a slight disadvantage against Xiao Xiangdao, who wielded a sword.

Lian nodded. After a fierce barehanded battle with Xiao Xiangdao, she pretended she was no match for him and stepped off the arena.

"Hmph, I'm not fighting you anymore."

Lian pouted and ran back to Lu Changsheng's side.

Xiao Xiangdao put away his sword, his brows tightly furrowed.

He could not shake the feeling that his opponent had not used her full strength and seemed to be treating their match as child's play.

But Lian was only a little girl. Even if she really had treated it as child's play, Xiao Xiangdao could not very well lash out.

Of the eight disciples, the final two were Chen Yao, the Grand Supreme Elders' disciple, and Xiao Xiangdao, Eldest Senior Brother's disciple.

Chen Yao possessed the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden Physique and was at the Golden Core Realm Third Layer.

Xiao Xiangdao possessed the Spirit Sword Body and was at the Golden Core Realm Fourth Layer.

Both were among the most outstanding disciples of Shushan's new generation. Sword Qi crisscrossed the arena, destroying it yet again.

In the end, Chen Yao had exhausted a great deal of Spiritual Qi in her fight with Lin Qingzhi and was no match for Xiao Xiangdao, who claimed victory.

Li Changye merely nodded.

Li Changye also knew that if Lian, who possessed the Martial King Divine Physique, had fought with all her strength, his disciple might not have won.

Even Chen Yao, the Grand Supreme Elders' disciple, might not have lost to Xiao Xiangdao if Lin Qingzhi had not forced her to expend so much Spiritual Qi.

Moreover, the seemingly ordinary Lin Qingzhi's true cultivation might not be limited to the Golden Core Realm Second Layer.

He could only say that this generation of Shushan disciples was far too monstrous.

Li Changye was deeply gratified.

Shushan disciples were grouped into generations ten years apart. With talented disciples like Xiao Xiangdao, Lin Qingzhi, Chen Yao, and Lian in this generation, Shushan's future was promising.

"I lost..."

Defeated, Chen Yao disappeared forlornly into the crowd, the Heavenly Azure Sword on her back and her eyes reddening.

She had hoped to bring honor to her master, but had not expected to lose to Xiao Xiangdao and his Spirit Sword Body.

"Qingzhi, go comfort that Chen Yao."

Lu Changsheng noticed Chen Yao leaving dejectedly. He could not help feeling that there was something extraordinary about the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden Physique, and Chen Yao's master was one of Shushan's mysterious Grand Supreme Elders besides. It could hardly be a bad thing to win her over.

"What should I do, Master?"

Lin Qingzhi was utterly bewildered.

He did not know how.

Lu Changsheng rolled his eyes. His disciple was far too simple and honest. "Just say a few kind words to comfort her."

"Yes, Master."

Lin Qingzhi obeyed and hurried after her.

In a bamboo grove on the Rear Mountain, Chen Yao gazed at the swaying green bamboo, her green robes fluttering in the wind. From time to time, glistening tears fell, gleaming silver.

She had been only one step away from first place. With her youthful temperament, it was only natural that she felt regret.

"Who's there?"

Even so, Chen Yao still noticed someone approaching.

"Senior Sister, I mean no harm."

"It's you?"

Chen Yao looked at the newcomer. It was Lin Qingzhi, who had deliberately lost to her earlier.

"Were you crying?"

"I was not!"

Chen Yao hurriedly wiped her reddened eyes with the back of her hand, unwilling to admit it.

Lin Qingzhi scratched his head. At a loss for words, he remembered what his master had said and spoke. "Actually, with your strength, Senior Sister, if you hadn't used up so much Spiritual Qi fighting me, Senior Brother Xiao probably wouldn't have been your match. So in my eyes, you're the one in first place."

"I-is that so... Hmph, you don't have to say things like that to comfort me. It's not going to make me feel any better..."

"But it's true. Also, Master said that we cultivators should keep a low profile and must not be eager to compete and win. If you can understand that, Senior Sister, perhaps you can reach my master's realm someday."

"Are you lecturing me? Is that any way to comfort someone? You really are a fool." Chen Yao turned around, her dark hair dancing wildly in the wind through the bamboo grove. Tears still glistened in her eyes, but she smiled sweetly. "Anyway, thank you. Let's go back."

By the time Chen Yao returned to the venue with Lin Qingzhi, she was in a much better mood.

After the Shushan Disciple Tournament ended, the new generation of Shushan disciples still had to complete their first sect training mission.

The training mission required them to descend the mountain.

Once they left Shushan's protection and ventured into the jianghu, they might encounter disciples of the Demon Sects, or vicious Rogue Cultivators and members of the Demon Race.

Thus, casualties were inevitable on every training mission.

The path of immortal cultivation was fraught with peril, with nine deaths for every chance of survival.

Even Shushan elders could perish after leaving Shushan, let alone newly recruited disciples.

Lu Changsheng himself had nearly died at the hands of Black Tiger Dao Lord, a Rogue Cultivator from the Desolate Province.

All the disciples drew lots at random and formed teams of five, each led by either a senior disciple at the major completion stage of the Golden Core Realm or an elder at the Nascent Soul Realm.

The training mission would not only put their lives on the line but also develop the disciples' ability to work as a team.

After all, cultivators did not necessarily have to fight alone.

Because of her special status, Lian could not leave Shushan. Otherwise, she might alert the Four Great Demonic Sects and the Demon Race of the Desolate Province, and the difficulty of this training mission could increase ten thousandfold on the spot...

Besides, with Lin Qingzhi leaving the mountain for training, Lu Changsheng needed to keep a disciple behind. Otherwise, how could he fleece the system?

"We're on the same team?"

Chen Yao drew team number eight and discovered that Lu Changsheng's disciple, Lin Qingzhi, was on her team.