As the Five-Terrace disciples returned one after another, Ancestor Dao Shan did not spot his two young disciples until after the tenth place. Even with his profound cultivation, he could not help feeling irritated. He sent a voice transmission to the other fourth-generation elders. "The preliminary selection will take five hundred people. There is little point in ranking sword flight, so we will not list the rankings."
He stared at Ancestor Tuo Tuo, believing Wang Chong and Zhu Ying to be Tuo Tuo's disciples and fearing that this foremost fourth-generation elder would voice objections.
Although Wang Chong had declared his lineage, everyone in Five-Terrace knew that Bai Yue had left the sect to marry, while Xiao Nan was a lone ghost with no elders left above him. Bringing disciples to join Tuo Tuo was only natural, standard practice.
Ancestor Tuo Tuo smiled faintly and said, "So long as Ancestor grants some small rewards to the first and second places, it is fine not to rank them. It will save certain shallow-cultivated disciples from growing arrogant because of their rank."
Ancestor Tuo Tuo meant well. He worried that Wang Chong and Zhu Ying taking first and second place would provoke dissatisfaction among the fourth- and fifth-generation disciples. After all, their seniority was low, their elders were unimpressive, and the formidable ancestor had even married away—there was no one to protect the young calves.
At the same time, he had secured some benefits for Wang Chong and Zhu Ying. That was far more practical than a ranking.
Ancestor Dao Shan snorted coldly, thinking, To save my two young disciples' face and shut Tuo Tuo's mouth, I have to take a loss from the family coffers. What a loss.
Fortunately, Ancestor Dao Shan had cultivated the Dao for many years and was also