Today You Take Pride in the Sect; Tomorrow the Sect Will Take Pride in You

"Could it be that the Moon Embracing Sect was about to rise again, like dead ashes rekindling?"

Aboard the Peach Blossom Sect's flying vessel, Elder Zhou's expression was grim.

Elder Wu pondered. "Xiao Ling'er may have entered the sect already skilled, but to possess such strength and temperament at her age, she truly is a genius. Still, a genius who has yet to mature is nothing more than a genius."

"We can find an opportunity..."

Elder Zhou nodded. "Indeed."

"Still, I was worrying too much. And even if she does mature, so what? A sect has never relied on just one person. Which of the Moon Embracing Sect's five elders is weak? Yet isn't the Moon Embracing Sect still at the bottom of the third-rate sects?"

"The Moon Embracing Sect has few disciples, and their abilities are uneven. This year, they only recruited Xiao Ling'er. Even if she grows up, at most she will keep the Moon Embracing Sect barely clinging to life."

"Perhaps it won't even be able to cling to life."

"What do you mean, Elder Zhou?"

"Human nature."

"We cultivators judge everything by strength. With Xiao Ling'er's talent, perhaps it will not take many years before the Moon Embracing Sect can no longer offer her any help."

"When that time comes, whether she will still care about the Moon Embracing Sect is anyone's guess."

"That makes sense." Elder Wu nodded in agreement.

Yet they both knew perfectly well.

Those words were merely comforting themselves—self-consolation, in short, self-pleasure.

Everything rested upon a "perhaps," but who knew what the future held?

"If there is an opportunity, we still need to..."

Elder Wu raised a hand and lightly drew it across his throat.

"Exactly!"

"..."

"Back to the mountain."

With a wave of Lin Fan's hand, everyone returned to the mountain.

Along the way, he spoke calmly. "You have all seen it."

"On the Immortal Martial Continent, strength has always been king."

"If you are strong, then even if you slap their disciples in front of their elders, they can only swallow their shattered teeth with blood. But if you lack strength, the outcome of today's matter would have been reversed."

The disciples agreed deeply and nodded, while an urgent desire to grow stronger spread through their hearts.

At the same time, the seven mascots looked at Xiao Ling'er with especially envious eyes...

Then Lin Fan continued, "For now, when we encounter these third-rate sects, the five elders stand before us, shielding us from wind and rain."

"But elders are people too. They grow old, they are injured, they die. And there are far, far too many people stronger than them."

"If one day they grow old, if they are gone, or even if their lifespan runs out, what should we do?"

Everyone's hearts sank as they fell into thought.

Xiao Ling'er took a deep breath. "Today, the sect shields us from wind and rain. In the future, we shall shield the sect from wind and rain, and shield those who come after us from wind and rain!"

"Good."

Lin Fan smiled. "This is how a sect's legacy is passed on, generation after generation."

"Generation after generation, the previous generation gives selflessly for the next, while the next generation also has its own mission."

"Today, you take pride in the elders and in the sect."

"In the future, the sect will take pride in you!"

Boom! The moment those words fell, the disciples' minds buzzed, and goosebumps rose from head to toe.

"I hope that one day, you too can become elders—shielding the sect from wind and rain, suppressing injustice for those who come after, and sweeping away every obstacle."

"I truly look forward to that day."

Lin Fan spoke those words from the bottom of his heart.

Since he was here, he might as well make peace with it. Since he had become the sect master, he had to shoulder the responsibility!

And the healthy development of a sect could not be separated from everyone's combined efforts.

Perhaps the seven mascots had originally been destined to achieve nothing, but from this day onward—or rather, from the moment he became sect master—everything had changed.

Now, a disciple with a Protagonist Template had already joined the Moon Embracing Sect.

As the saying went, when one person attained the Dao, even the chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. Even if they could not ascend, even if they received only the tiniest shred of benefit, it would be enough for them to rise.

Becoming top-tier powerhouses might be difficult.

But becoming the backbone of a sect would not be much of a problem!

Besides, if luck was on their side, more disciples with Protagonist Templates would join in the future. With them leading the way, why worry that the sect would not flourish?

"We look forward to it as well."

Wu Xingyun spoke at that moment, her expression filled with melancholy. "In terms of combat strength, I am currently the strongest in the Moon Embracing Sect. But I sincerely hope that you can grow as quickly as possible, surpass us, and walk farther and farther down this path—leaving us far behind, until old fools like us cannot even see your backs anymore."

"When that day comes, I will not be upset, nor will I grieve, much less feel jealous."

"On the contrary, even if I were dead, I would still smile in the underworld."

Su Xinghai smiled. "I feel the same."

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back. "So cultivate with all your might, little ones."

Chen Erzhu chuckled foolishly. "I ain't got much learning, and I'm clumsy with words, so... me too."

Duan Qingyao cast a spell, gathering vast swathes of clouds and mist that carried everyone into the skies ten thousand meters above. "The view from high places is far more splendid than the view at the foot of a mountain. Even if not for the sect, if you simply wish to stand higher, you must not slack off."

Every disciple was deeply moved.

Xiao Ling'er's eyes had turned red in particular.

What they did not know was that the elders standing at the front felt the same way.

They knew more than the disciples, and precisely because of that, they had more doubts and more things they could not understand.

For instance, why had Lin Fan been so forceful just now?

But now, they roughly understood.

At the same time, they finally became certain that this was the Moon Embracing Sect's last chance!

They were also certain that Lin Fan was the only sect master in all these years who had allowed everyone to see hope.

"Could it be that, before I die, I will truly see the Moon Embracing Sect rise again?!"

If that were true, merely imagining that future scene was enough to make their breathing quicken.

"Even if I do not see its rise, if I can merely witness the Moon Embracing Sect begin to thrive and start climbing uphill, I will die without regrets."

After that day, the disciples' cultivation became visibly more diligent and more earnest.

There was naturally no need to mention Xiao Ling'er. The life of a hot-blooded genre protagonist needed no explanation; even if she suddenly declared, "Do not bully the young because they are poor," one day, Lin Fan would not be the least bit surprised.

The seven mascots, however, seemed as though their Ren and Du meridians had been opened.

Their cultivation did not soar by leaps and bounds, and their talent did not change, but diligence... at the very least, it could make up for some clumsiness.

The growth of Xiao Ling'er, their little junior sister, would also spur them on deeply, making them grit their teeth and chase after her.

Combined with the boost from the seventh-grade Core Condensation Pills, their progress naturally far surpassed anything before.

Li Changshou also successfully handled the matter.

He sold part of the seventh-grade Core Condensation Pills and obtained more than a hundred thousand Origin Stones—enough to support the sect's small number of people and the Sect Protecting Grand Formation for some time. At least for the near future, they would not have to worry about Origin Stones.

The five elders became even busier...

Because Xiao Ling'er required more spiritual herbs and materials.

Yet although they were busy, they accepted it gladly.

Perhaps the Moon Embracing Sect's only problem at present was that it had too few disciples and was too small in scale, making it overly quiet and lacking in competition.