Result

Having made his choice, Lu Ye felt his body and mind relax.

He had always been broad-minded. Back when Evil Moon Valley had abducted him and made him a Mine Slave, he had quickly accepted reality as well.

No matter how bad things were now, they could not get much worse. At most, he would miss this chance to enter a sect and cultivate.

Since the results would be announced soon, those who had submitted their choices did not disperse. They gathered together and waited quietly.

Meanwhile, the cultivators in the valley suddenly became busy. Figures flew back and forth through the air, constantly entering and leaving the nearby peaks.

Lu Ye did not know what they were doing, but it looked as though something unexpected had happened. Still, he was merely a minor cultivator awaiting fate's judgment. It was not his place to worry about such matters.

Half a day later, when Mustache, who had collected everyone's choices, appeared again, Lu Ye knew the results were out!

Mustache walked straight to the front of the crowd, holding a list in his hand. Once everyone's attention was on him, he called out, "Righteous Qi Sect, Cui Dayuan!"

Amid the crowd, a solidly built youth froze when he heard his name. Then he leaped three feet into the air, cheering with joy, his excitement written all over his face.

Those around him looked at him enviously, while those who knew him offered one congratulations after another.

Mustache did not pause, nor did he pay any attention to the clamor below. He continued, "Azure Jade Sect, Lu Tianyi, Dong Peng!"

"Strange Wood Mountain, Zhao Wenlin, Tang Ni, Gao Rui..."

"Burning Moon Mountain..."

Mustache's voice was not loud, yet no matter how boisterous and noisy the crowd became, his words still reached everyone's ears clearly.

One sect after another was called, one name after another announced. Everyone whose name was called rejoiced. It meant they had completely cast off the identity of Mine Slave and gained the means to change their fate. Never again would they suffer endless oppression with no strength to resist, as they had before.

At the back of the crowd, Lu Ye listened quietly, his expression calm. He did not share the anxiety of those around him, seeming somewhat out of place amid the atmosphere.

Just as he had expected, the two First Rank Sects that had come this time had not taken many disciples. Righteous Qi Sect had accepted only one, while Azure Jade Sect had taken two. They were likely only making a token gesture. The ones truly recruiting were the sects ranked fourth through seventh, and the lower a sect's rank, the more disciples it accepted. The one that took the most had accepted over twenty people.

Yu Xiaodie's name was called as well. Along with several others, she had been accepted into Hundred Flowers Valley.

The little girl's face flushed red with excitement, but unfortunately, there was no one to share her joy.

More and more sects were announced, and those whose names had not yet been called gradually grew anxious.

At last, the final name was read. Mustache put away the sheet of paper and said, "Those accepted by the various sects, remain where you are. Your senior brothers and sisters will come to collect you shortly. I hope that after entering your sects, you cultivate diligently, so that one day you may fight shoulder to shoulder with me."

"Senior Brother, is that all?" someone asked in a trembling voice. Naturally, the one asking had not heard his name.

There were around ten people like him whose names had not been called. This meant they had missed this chance to enter a sect and cultivate. Their expressions were all dazed and despondent, and one woman was even sobbing softly.

Lu Ye was among those ten, but he was not particularly upset. He had already made his choice, and he had chosen only Crimson Blood Sect, the lowest-ranked one. If he had been eliminated even with that choice, then it meant no choice he made would have produced a result.

He had heard that cultivators without sects could become Rogue Cultivators. Without a sect's protection, cultivation would be more difficult, but the advantage was that they were carefree and unfettered, free as drifting clouds and wild cranes.

Thinking of it that way, it was not so bad.

Besides, he still had the Talent Tree, an advantage no one else possessed.

While his thoughts wandered wildly, Mustache had already raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd toward somewhere in the distance.

In that direction stood an old man who had appeared at some unknown time. His eyes were fixed on Lu Ye. It was Old Man Tang.

Old Man Tang had appeared the moment Mustache began announcing the results, and he had been observing Lu Ye from the shadows ever since.

For certain extremely special reasons, Crimson Blood Sect had not accepted a disciple for a full thirty years. If it suddenly recruited someone now, it would surely stir the sensitive nerves of certain people.

But if this disciple only possessed One Leaf talent, it seemed not to matter much. His talent was too poor; he was destined to achieve nothing in the future, so he would not draw the attention of those with ulterior motives.

Old Man Tang had not wished to accept a disciple in the first place, but the Alliance rules stood before him, and he could not refuse. It truly left him caught between a rock and a hard place.

That was why he had come personally to take a look at Lu Ye.

Among more than a hundred people, Lu Ye was undoubtedly somewhat unique. Those whose names had been called cheered jubilantly, while those eliminated looked as though their parents had died. Only he had stood there quietly from beginning to end.

Recalling the scene when he had seen Lu Ye in the dark Mine Cave, Old Man Tang let out a faint sigh. Under Mustache's watchful gaze, he nodded lightly.

With the Alliance rules before him, he truly had no way to refuse. Since that was the case, he could only accept him first. Later, he could ask his old friends for a favor and send him to cultivate at another sect.

Having received Old Man Tang's answer, Mustache smiled faintly.

Looking at the person who had asked earlier, he said, "Oh, right, there is still one more sect!"

His expression turned solemn as he shouted, "Crimson Blood Sect, Lu Ye!"

Lu Ye's thoughts had already drifted beyond the heavens. Upon hearing his name, he could not help but freeze, then looked up at Mustache.

Their eyes met, and Mustache smiled slightly. "Congratulations, Lu One Leaf!"

This never ends, Lu Ye thought, the corner of his eye twitching.

Mustache added, "All right, now I'm done. Those whose names were not called, come with me."

"Senior Brother!" Lu Ye raised a hand and shouted.

Mustache turned back. "What is it?"

Lu Ye stared at him. "May I ask Senior Brother's honored name? And what is your cultivation level?"

Mustache stroked the mustache by the corner of his mouth and looked at him with interest. "What? You want to beat me up?"

Lu Ye's face remained expressionless. "I would not dare. I merely wish to remember Senior Brother's kindness today."

"You've got ambition!" Mustache chuckled. "Then listen well. I am Leshan of Righteous Qi Sect. As for my cultivation, Cloud River Stage, Seventh Layer. Remember it?"

Another one from Righteous Qi Sect. Lu Ye nodded. "I'll remember!"

"Then cultivate diligently, Lu! One! Leaf!"

Leshan led those whose names had not been called away, gradually disappearing into the distance. The few of them were filled with regret. Had they known this would be the outcome, they would have chosen Crimson Blood Sect. Perhaps they could have entered it, which would have been better than being alone and without support now.

What they did not know was that if they had also chosen Crimson Blood Sect, even Lu Ye would have been eliminated.

Crimson Blood Sect had not accepted a disciple for a full thirty years. If not for the Alliance rules, Old Man Tang would not have relented this time either.