Just as everyone waited for the old woman to speak, she suddenly threw back her head and laughed. "Wonderful! With such a heaven-sent prodigy joining our Azure Heaven Sword Domain, we shall surely usher in a thousand years of revival! I have decided that today, I will take this child as my sole closed-door disciple! What do you all think?"
Taking disciples came with its own hierarchy. The lowest rank was undoubtedly that of a registered disciple, followed by an ordinary disciple.
Above ordinary disciples came personal disciples, already an immense honor. Take Sword Master Yun Xuange, for instance—he was the personal disciple of Supreme Sword Master Yan Jueshuang.
Thus, the moment the words "closed-door disciple" left her mouth, everyone present changed expression.
Even Yun Xuange, who had always been expressionless, gave the slightest twitch of his brow.
It was said that Yan Jueshuang had accepted only three personal disciples in her lifetime. Two had fallen, leaving Yun Xuange as the sole survivor.
Now she intended to accept an outer sect disciple who had just entered the Sword Domain as her closed-door disciple. This meant that, from this day onward, the inheritance of her mantle would be completely settled.
No matter how dazzling a genius emerged afterward, they would have no chance to enter her gate. That was what a closed-door disciple meant—above even a personal disciple!
So this was no simple act of taking a disciple. It was a move that would set the cornerstone of the Sword Domain's inheritance.
"Supreme Sword Master, should we discuss this matter further?" Yun Xuange spoke. His voice remained calm, yet carried an extra note of deliberation. "A closed-door disciple bears too much weight. If word spreads, both within and beyond the domain will be shaken."
Yan Jueshuang turned to glance at him,