"Ordinary talent?" The other Grand Elder, Wu Shuo, laughed scornfully. "He's only at Body Refining Level Four at thirteen. Put kindly, his talent is ordinary. Put bluntly, he's a martial arts good-for-nothing!"
"Body Refining Level Four? Any odd-job disciple in our Ten Thousand Stars Sect could crush him!"
The Ten Thousand Stars Sect had odd-job disciples, outer disciples, inner disciples, and elite disciples.
A super sect of the Great Feng Dynasty like the Ten Thousand Stars Sect required even its odd-job disciples to be at least at Body Refining Level Four.
And they weren't ordinary Body Refining Level Four martial artists. Of a thousand candidates at that level who took the entrance examination, only one would pass.
So Wu Shuo wasn't exaggerating. If Zhou Cheng were an ordinary martial artist at Body Refining Level Four, one of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect's odd-job disciples really could crush him.
The Ten Thousand Stars Sect's leader, Su Huang, mused, "Master accepted Zhou Cheng as his final disciple. Perhaps Zhou Cheng has some exceptional quality."
The Grand Elder Shi Fei shook his head. "I heard Zhou Cheng and the patriarch hit it off, and drank together all night."
As Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others talked, a Ten Thousand Stars Sect disciple came in to report that a young man named Zhou Cheng was waiting outside to see the sect leader.
Zhou Cheng?
Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and more than a dozen others exchanged glances.
Su Huang thought for a moment, then told the disciple to bring Zhou Cheng inside and arrange lodgings for him.
After the disciple left, Grand Elder Shi Fei spoke up. "Sect leader, are we really going to let Zhou Cheng become the next leader of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect?"
Su Huang looked at Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others. "Master isn't here. We'll discuss it after he returns."
Originally, his eldest disciple, Gao Yi, had been the likely successor to the position of sect leader, and Su Huang had high hopes for him. Now Xing Yao had suddenly declared that Zhou Cheng would take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect in the future. This left Su Huang deeply displeased with Zhou Cheng.
By then, a Ten Thousand Stars Sect disciple had escorted Zhou Cheng and his companions into the sect.
"Is your sect leader not here?" Zhou Cheng asked the disciple casually.
The disciple smiled. "The sect leader and the Grand Elders are discussing something. They can't spare the time."
Can't spare the time?
It seemed Su Huang didn't think much of him.
That was only natural. Su Huang's own disciple had been set to take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, and now Zhou Cheng had suddenly appeared and cut in. Of course Su Huang would resent him.
Zhou Cheng asked, "What about your patriarch?"
The disciple hadn't expected Zhou Cheng to ask about their patriarch so suddenly. He smiled. "How could disciples like us know anything about the patriarch?"
Then he led Zhou Cheng and the others to a courtyard set aside for them.
The courtyard was quiet, with several rooms that had been kept quite clean.
After arranging lodgings for Zhou Cheng and the others, the disciple left.
Zhou Cheng stood in the middle of the courtyard. The sun blazed overhead, making the green jujube tree in the courtyard shimmer with fresh color. Zhou Cheng sprang up, plucked a jujube, wiped it off, and took a bite. It was quite sweet.
Zhou Cheng had agreed to meet Xing Yao in ten days. The day after tomorrow would be the tenth day, so with nothing else to do, he practiced saber techniques, fist techniques, and footwork with Qin Meng and Lin Ru.
His three martial skills had now reached the peak of mastery.
He was only a hair's breadth away from reaching the realm of perfection.
A night passed.
The next day, all three of Zhou Cheng's martial skills broke through to the realm of perfection.
Just as Zhou Cheng's three martial skills had all reached the realm of perfection, Xing Yao finally returned to the sect from his errand.
As soon as Xing Yao arrived, Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others came to see him, as they had agreed.
"Master, are you really going to accept Zhou Cheng as your final disciple?" Su Huang asked.
He was rather restrained in Xing Yao's presence.
"That's right," Xing Yao replied.
Su Huang hesitated, then said, "I heard Master intends to have Zhou Cheng take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect in the future."
Xing Yao didn't answer right away. He blew the tea leaves from his teacup and took a sip before saying, "I do have that in mind." Then he asked, "What, are you unhappy about it?"
He knew exactly why Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others had all agreed to come see him.
Su Huang hurriedly replied, "This disciple wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't dare?" Xing Yao's eyes were cold.
At that moment, Grand Elder Shi Fei stepped forward. "Patriarch, I've made careful inquiries. Zhou Cheng is thirteen and only at Body Refining Level Four. That kind of martial arts talent is truly ordinary. If we let him take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect in the future, won't the whole world laugh at us?"
"Besides, if someone like him leads the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, the disciples will never accept it."
Xing Yao looked at Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others. "I think you're the ones who won't accept it."
Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others said nothing.
"Have the invitations been sent out?" Xing Yao suddenly asked.
"They've all been sent," Su Huang replied, lowering his head.
"Has Zhou Cheng arrived?" Xing Yao asked.
"He has," Su Huang replied. "He arrived yesterday."
When Xing Yao learned Zhou Cheng had been put up in the courtyard reserved for visiting guests, he gave a cold snort. "Su Huang, you may be the current leader of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, but don't forget who passed the position of sect leader on to you, or who founded the Ten Thousand Stars Sect."
"I'm not dead yet. What, are you already starting to ignore me?"
Su Huang hurriedly said, "This disciple wouldn't dare."
Xing Yao's expression was cold. "You may all leave."
Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others took their leave.
Watching them go, Xing Yao looked weary. Though he was an absolute grandmaster, he was advanced in years, and his qi and blood were beginning to dry up. If he couldn't break through to the King Realm within ten years, his life force would keep fading away.
He couldn't hold out much longer.
Su Huang had led the Ten Thousand Stars Sect for many years, and his influence had steadily grown. In recent years, his attitude toward Xing Yao had gradually changed.
"King Realm," Xing Yao murmured, sighing to himself. Breaking through to the King Realm was no easy feat. Even Shaolin, with its thousand-year legacy, had no King Realm powerhouse at present.
Xing Yao got up, picked up some wine, and went to Zhou Cheng's courtyard.
The master and disciple drank together just as they had that night, one cup after another.
With a master like Xing Yao, it seemed it'd be hard not to become a drunkard.
Night fell before Xing Yao finally left Zhou Cheng's courtyard. He told Zhou Cheng that the Apprenticeship Ceremony would be held as scheduled the next day, and that he should get a good night's rest.
As Xing Yao left Zhou Cheng's courtyard, Gao Yi stood respectfully before Su Huang in his own courtyard. He said, "Rest assured, Master. Tomorrow, I'll make Zhou Cheng back down."
Su Huang gave a quiet acknowledgment. "Be sure to show restraint. Don't embarrass your grandmaster."
"I will," Gao Yi replied.
"How is the investigation into your younger brother's death going?" Su Huang asked.
Some time ago, Gao Yi had gone to the Dafeng Capital to investigate what had happened to his disciple, Gao Jun.
Gao Yi shook his head. "We only know the killer used a saber. There are no other clues. But there was a Xiantian Grandmaster by his side. I'll investigate everyone one by one. Sooner or later, I'll find the killer!"
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