Behind him, the four great elders erupted in an instant.
Their eyes suddenly lit up. Fixing their burning gazes on Su Yun, they stared at him as though he were a peerless treasure.
Their breathing quickened, their eyes blazing.
"Metal element?!"
"Heavens! How many years has it been? How long has Spirit Province gone without a Metal-element Heavenly Spirit Root?!"
"Unmatched in slaughter, crushing all who share his realm—this child's future is beyond measure!"
The four could no longer maintain the composed bearing of elders.
Almost simultaneously, they stepped forward.
The first elder had snow-white hair and an aged face. His bearing was broad and gentle, without the slightest trace of killing intent, yet he possessed an air of authority that inspired trust.
He was none other than the Azure Cloud Sect's Grand Elder.
The sect's second-in-command, first among all beneath the sect master.
He oversaw the sect's personnel and rules, presided over the elders' meetings, and could intervene in any matter, great or small. He had the highest seniority and the greatest prestige.
He spoke first. "Young Su Yun, I am the Grand Elder!"
"If you become my disciple, I'll grant you the highest privileges. You'll have unrestricted access to every cultivation manual in the sect, and first pick of all its resources."
"If anyone dares provoke you, I'll crush them outright. I have the final say over every appointment and dismissal in the sect. I'll make sure you can walk tall anywhere within the sect!"
As his words fell, the second elder stepped forward.
He wore a black robe, his face stern and his features sharp, with a faint, chilling aura of slaughter surrounding him.
The Second Elder, the elder in charge of law enforcement.
He held authority over the sect's laws and punishments, commanded the Law Enforcement Hall, and wielded the power to punish and execute.
His voice was cold and blunt. "I am the Second Elder."
"My Law Enforcement Hall has the strongest aura of slaughter. It's the best place for a Metal-element spirit root to temper its resolve and refine its sword intent of slaughter."
The third elder wore a blue robe. He had a mild, scholarly air, with kind eyes and a gentle expression.
The Third Elder, the elder in charge of teaching.
He oversaw the disciples' cultivation, instruction in techniques, examinations and promotions, and the sect's ceremonies.
He spoke with a warm smile, his tone gentle and enticing:
"Child, choose me."
"I oversee cultivation lessons for the entire sect. You can have any of our top instructors at your disposal, and I'll tailor a cultivation program just for you."
"I'll reserve you a place in the sect's Secret Realm and its cultivation grounds.
I'll personally keep track of your progress and make sure you never take a single wrong turn."
The last elder was slightly plump, with a kindly face and shrewd eyes. His brocade-colored Daoist robe was immaculate and luxurious.
The Fourth Elder, the elder in charge of internal affairs.
He managed the sect's storehouses, spirit fields, medicinal gardens, cave-dwelling supplies, spirit stones, and provisions, controlling all the sect's wealth and resources.
He smiled with disarming candor. "I won't say much."
"Become my disciple, and whatever heavenly treasures you want, I'll have them brought straight to you. You'll never have to worry about running short on money or supplies for cultivation."
All four elders were Golden Core True Persons.
In the entire Azure Cloud Sect, aside from the two Nascent Soul True Lords who were in seclusion, they were the strongest.
They knew full well that with Su Yun's terrifying talent as a Metal-element Heavenly Spirit Root, as long as he survived the journey and cultivated steadily, he would surely form a Nascent Soul and become a mighty figure in his own right.
Snatching him up as a disciple now meant securing the favor of a future Nascent Soul powerhouse!
None of them would yield. Their gazes met, and the air between them grew tense with the smell of gunpowder.
Below the high platform.
Everyone in the crowd was utterly dumbfounded.
They stared blankly at the four great figures vying for Su Yun on the platform.
The four elders talked over one another, crowding around Su Yun and refusing to back down. Right there, they began tearing each other down.
The Grand Elder had the highest seniority. He was the first to straighten his face and turn to the other three.
"You three should stop butting in."
"In seniority, prestige, and influence within the sect, who can compare to me?"
"Su Yun has a Heavenly Spirit Root. He's destined to reach the summit of the Great Dao, and he'll need connections and rules to pave the way. A single word from me can settle any trouble with personnel assignments."
"Under my wing, no one in the sect will dare give him the slightest grief. Which of you can promise that?"
The Second Elder immediately gave a cold snort and stepped forward, his aura turning abruptly icy.
"Grand Elder, you're speaking far too confidently."
"What good are connections and prestige? In the world of cultivation, it's strength and rules that keep people in line."
"Su Yun has a Metal-element Heavenly Spirit Root. It's suited to slaughter, and he was born for the path of battle."
"Join my Law Enforcement Hall, and I'll personally train him in the arts of slaughter. I can arrange the best path for him in training, bloody combat, and fighting enemies."
"As for you three, one of you handles rules, one teaches, and one manages money and provisions. What do you know about fighting to the death? You'll only hold back a promising talent."
The Third Elder wasn't pleased to hear that. Stroking his beard, he spoke leisurely.
"Second Elder, don't be so absolute."
"What good is knowing how to fight and kill? Cultivation calls for gradual progress. Technique, foundation, breakthroughs, opportunities in Secret Realms—which of these doesn't need careful planning?"
"I oversee the entire sect's teaching and cultivation. Every top-grade technique, every leading instructor, every spot in the sect's Secret Realms—all of it is in my hands."
"With me, Su Yun will have dedicated guidance every step of the way, from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage. He'll never take a wrong turn."
"Under your wing, he'll only learn to fight and kill. If his foundation is damaged, he may never reach the Great Dao in this lifetime. That would be the real waste of a promising talent."
The Fourth Elder wore a genial expression and cheerfully cut in, though he yielded not an inch.
"My three elder brothers, you all make good points, but what can a cultivator least do without?"
"Resources! Spirit stones! Spirit herbs! Cave dwellings and heavenly treasures!"
"No matter how gifted someone is, without resources piled high beneath them, they'll never advance their cultivation."
"I manage the sect's storehouses, spirit fields, and medicinal gardens. If Su Yun becomes my disciple, he can use as many spirit stones as he likes, take whatever spirit herbs he wants, and choose any top-grade cave dwelling."
"You three are all talk. When it comes to laying out a mountain of resources, who can match my generosity? Better to give real benefits than prattle on about the Great Dao all day."
At that, the other three elders immediately grew uneasy.
The Grand Elder frowned and shook his head.
"Fourth, all you know is how to fob people off with spirit stones and spirit herbs!"
"Young people are easily tempted by material things. If all you do is pile on resources without teaching him how to navigate the sect and deal with people, he'll offend others with no one to back him up. Then all that money won't help."
The Second Elder chimed in, his tone laced with mockery.
"Exactly. You spend all day guarding storehouses and medicinal gardens; you reek of money. What kind of master of slaughter can you produce? A Metal-element spirit root is meant to fight and subdue enemies, not squat in a cave dwelling munching spirit herbs."
The Third Elder added with a smile, "Fourth, cultivation isn't about making a comfortable living. Supplies alone are useless. Foundation, vision, opportunities—you need all of them. Your approach is too shallow to support a future Nascent Soul True Lord."
The Fourth Elder bristled and immediately shot back.
"Don't stand there and talk as if it costs you nothing!"
"Which cultivator can do without resources? Without spirit stones, how can you meditate and cultivate? Without spirit herbs to temper the body, how can you stabilize your foundation?"
"You've got rules, teaching methods, and ways of slaughtering enemies, but nothing substantial to offer. Do you expect Su Yun to follow you and go begging for scraps?"
The four traded barbs, each taking a shot at another.
Each believed he was the best choice to take Su Yun as a disciple.
Each looked down on the other three's approach.
Not one was willing to yield an inch. They were set on claiming Su Yun for themselves.
On the plaza below, more than a thousand youths gaped in astonishment.
They held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.
"My heavens... the four elders are actually arguing in public?"
"They're all Golden Core True Persons, usually so far above us. Who's ever seen them fight over someone like this?"
"Su Yun's talent is just too shocking. A Metal-element Heavenly Spirit Root—anyone would fight for him."
"If it were me, I'd be so happy I'd wake up laughing if four big shots fought over taking me as their disciple."
At the side of the plaza, a group of outer sect disciples stared on with dry throats and eyes full of envy.
"Those are the four great elders... the sect's highest authorities!"
"Seeing even one of them usually feels harder than reaching the heavens!"
"Now all four are crowding around Su Yun to fight over him as a disciple? Am I dreaming?"
"I'd burn incense in gratitude just to be a registered servant disciple working by their side!"
Someone gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"How can the gap between people be so enormous?"
"Four Golden Core powerhouses are fighting to take him as their disciple. From now on, Su Yun is truly going to soar to the heavens."