After everyone left, the two men nervously lowered their heads and stared at their toes, afraid that Yun Zhi would pursue the matter of their intention to cheat.
After a long while, Yun Zhi finally spoke slowly.
"I truly did not expect both of you to pass the trials and become disciples of the Ask Dao Sect."
"In all three trials, both of you ranked near the top. Especially in the third trial—one of you came first and the other second. Taken together, your results were the best."
"But that doesn't mean you were the best performers in this batch. For example, there was Man Gu of the Ancient Barbarian Tribe, whom you met, and Tao Yaoye, whose Ascension Immortal Body ranked behind you, as well as Li Haoran with his Fire Spirit Root... All of them were geniuses no less talented than you."
Meng Jingzhou wore a smug grin and nudged Lu Yang with his eyebrows. "An Ascension Immortal Body is far rarer than a single spirit root, yet Eldest Senior Sister said it 'ranked behind us.' That shows how highly she thinks of us."
Lu Yang helplessly explained, "Eldest Senior Sister probably meant that Tao Yaoye was behind us when we were lining up for the first trial."
"Although you performed well, you must not become arrogant or complacent. Once you formally begin cultivating, you'll still need to keep your feet firmly on the ground and guard against pride and impatience."
Hearing Eldest Senior Sister's increasingly stern tone, the two hurriedly promised that they would work diligently in their future cultivation and would not dare slack off.
Seeing that they did not sound perfunctory, Yun Zhi's expression softened slightly. "Since you helped me along the way, I'll give you each an opportunity."
"Meng Jingzhou, you possess a Pure Yang Spiritual Root. Your qi and blood soar to the heavens, making you the bane of ghosts and monsters. Among the eight elders, the Third Elder is most deeply versed in this path. You may take him as your master."
Meng Jingzhou was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister."
"Lu Yang, you possess a Sword Spirit Root and are a natural seed of the sword path. In our sect, the one most skilled in the sword path is naturally Master, who is also the Sect Master. You should take him as your master."
"But didn't you just say that the Sect Master has never liked teaching disciples..." Lu Yang said softly.
He noticed that when Eldest Senior Sister spoke to Meng Jingzhou, she had said, "You may take him as your master," while to him, she had said, "You should take him as your master." The implications were clearly different.
"It's fine. I can decide the matter of accepting you as his disciple on his behalf." Yun Zhi's casual tone made Lu Yang pause. She made it sound as if the Sect Master would have to agree even if he did not want to.
"I'm only making a suggestion. Like the other disciples, you'll have a one-month adjustment period. After that month, you can decide whom to take as your master."
After saying this, Yun Zhi flew toward Heaven Gate Peak, where the Sect Master resided.
Heaven Gate Peak, the council hall.
A smooth water mirror hovered in the air. Under the effects of the spell, its contents could be seen clearly from any direction, displaying the entire process of the three trials.
Eight figures alternately nodded and shook their heads, praised and cursed. They held different opinions about the disciples who had passed the trials, and when the discussion grew most heated, they nearly came to blows.
There had been precedents for this. Several of the eight figures were hot-blooded by nature; when they could not win an argument, they would start fighting with spells. What was clearly supposed to be a process of commenting on juniors and selecting disciples would ultimately devolve into an emotional clash between mighty cultivators, leaving the entire Ask Dao Sect wide-eyed.
In view of this, none of the eight figures' true bodies were present. Even if they really lost their tempers, they would not be able to fight.
"Man Gu is a fine lad. He has the pure bloodline of the Ancient Barbarian Tribe, is invincible among those of the same rank with his brute strength, and has a simple mind as well. He is perfectly suited to inherit my legacy."
"It's a pity that he's too simple-minded. The Ancient Barbarian Tribe perished precisely because of that. If we get the chance in the future, we can focus on nurturing him."
"What do you mean, suited to inherit your legacy? My branch of artifact refinement hasn't had a suitable successor in ages. Man Gu is single-minded in everything he does. It's only right for him to join my branch!"
The two elders argued until they worked themselves into a rage, and then... rolled up their sleeves and continued glaring at each other.
The other elders ignored the two fools and continued their commentary. "An Ascension Immortal Body is impervious to all techniques, flawless and peerless, capable of ascending into an immortal. It's truly been a long time since we last saw one. If we calculate the time, when the previous Ascension Immortal Body appeared, we had only just joined the Ask Dao Sect."
"It's a pity that the previous Ascension Immortal Body cultivated too impatiently. Before she could make a name for herself on the Central Continent, she became desperate to cultivate her immortal body to completion. Her agitation attacked her heart, and she died without treatment."
"Sixth Elder, you're the most familiar with immortal bodies among us. Perhaps this girl is fated to become your disciple."
"Li Haoran with his Fire Spirit Root is a fine candidate for both alchemy and artifact refinement. It's just that his personality is too restless, and he can't calm his mind. In the third trial, he strained himself to climb higher, determined to surpass Man Gu at the front. He exhausted his strength early, and later, the others pulled ahead of him instead, leaving him as the last to clear the trial."
"As for that Meng boy and Lu Yang, one has a Pure Yang Spiritual Root and the other a Sword Spirit Root. Both are first-rate seedlings, and their methods of clearing the trials were ingenious enough to leave people marveling. Such fine seedlings... Big Brother, how about you put in a little effort and take them in?"
"Exactly, exactly. You only have Dai Bufan as a disciple now, and Dai Bufan has already graduated and no longer needs your instruction. If you accepted two more geniuses at this point, and they achieved something in the future, wouldn't that make another fine tale to tell?"
"Get lost, get lost, get lost. All you know is how to evade the important points and focus on the trivial. With the way they cleared the trials, once I take the two of them in, don't expect me to have a peaceful day again. I only want to retire safely and peacefully now, become a Supreme Elder, and live out my days. Don't make trouble for me!"
"Second Elder, why don't you take them in?"
"Do you believe I'll take you in first?"
The eight elders were exceedingly gracious. Faced with two geniuses possessing single spirit roots, not one of them showed the slightest inclination to accept them.
Damn it. Whoever takes these two in can forget about living peacefully for the rest of his life.
"Hey, look! Yun Zhi is giving those two advice. One is to become the Sect Master's disciple, and the other is to become Third Elder's disciple?!"
Everyone turned their gazes toward the Third Elder. The Third Elder sighed resignedly. Yun Zhi's suggestion was not wrong; he was indeed the most suitable person to nurture a Pure Yang Spiritual Root.
Among the eight figures, the Third Elder was the most eye-catching. He was not tall, but his body was packed with muscle, and his qi and blood blazed like a torch in the darkness. He was clearly a body cultivator.
It was said that when he was young, his qi and blood had been so vigorous that he could not control them. He would often run to the spirit fields, shove the ox demons aside, and plow the fields himself.
"Speaking of which, has the Sect Master been in seclusion for nine years?"
"Seems like it."
The group remembered that they still had a Sect Master. Having one and not having one did not seem to make much difference.
"Then how is the Sword Spirit Root supposed to become his disciple?"
As they were speaking, they saw a graceful figure riding a cloud toward them. The mist dispersed, revealing the figure of Eldest Senior Sister.
"Yun Zhi greets all of you martial uncles."
Everyone hurriedly rose and returned the greeting. With the Sect Master in seclusion, Yun Zhi exercised authority in his stead and managed the entire sect, placing her status above that of the eight elders.
"Yun Zhi knows that all of you martial uncles have disciples you favor, but accepting a disciple involves extremely weighty karma and cannot be forced. When they choose their masters, I ask that you do not interfere excessively."
The elders naturally understood this point and chuckled. "Of course, of course. But for the Sword Spirit Root to become the Sect Master's disciple—is that the Sect Master's intention, or yours...?"
At the mention of the Sect Master, Yun Zhi's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of displeasure surfaced. She replied coldly, "Is there a difference?"
The eight elders fell silent. There really was no difference.
Just kidding. With you making the decision, how could the Sect Master dare object?
Before you continue