The Heavenly Sword Sect's Disciple Recruitment Assembly

"Master, when can we take a break?"

"You wretched disciple, haven't you been sleeping this whole time?"

Hearing Su Wan'er's complaint, Li Shouyi turned and glared fiercely at her. Under his protection, these two rotten disciples had started sleeping the moment they boarded his flying sword.

He was the one who had been controlling the flying sword all along, and he hadn't said a word!

Yet you, you wretched disciple, still dare to complain?

"Master, why don't we go down and get something to eat?"

"That would give you a chance to rest, too."

Su Wan'er grinned, but how could Li Shouyi fail to see through her little scheme?

She was simply craving food and wanted to go down for a bite to satisfy her appetite.

Li Shouyi thought that was fine, too.

He could go down and gather information to see where would be suitable for building a sect.

In the Cultivation World, founding a sect wasn't as simple as throwing up a couple of buildings wherever you pleased.

You had to apply to the Dao Alliance first. Only with its permission could you establish your own sect.

And that wasn't even the most outrageous part. The most outrageous part was that you also had to pay the Dao Alliance a fee in Spirit Stones every year.

Otherwise, the Dao Alliance would revoke your Sect Founding Token.

Thinking of this, Li Shouyi cursed inwardly.

Fuck.

What a bunch of bandits.

While he was pondering this, they arrived at a city where cultivators gathered.

"Master, hurry and follow me."

Su Wan'er sniffed the air and followed the aroma straight to the largest restaurant in the city.

This innate skill left Li Shouyi utterly dumbfounded. He looked his disciple over carefully and thought to himself.

She must have been a sow spirit in her previous life. Otherwise, her nose couldn't possibly be this sharp.

The restaurant buzzed with voices and was packed with customers.

Li Shouyi carefully sensed their cultivation and found that they were all below the Golden Core stage.

"Waiter, we'd like to order."

"Coming! What would you like to eat, beautiful lady?"

"Bring us one of every signature dish you have. I'll let you know if that's not enough."

The waiter visibly froze for a moment, then broke into a delighted smile. "Certainly! Please wait a moment."

He thought he had landed some distinguished customers today.

If he served them well, he might get a few Spirit Stones as a tip later.

"Master, does that arrangement work for you?"

"You wretched disciple, you've already ordered everything. What, am I supposed to cancel it now?"

"Hehe, Master really does dote on me and Senior Sister."

Seeing Li Shouyi's displeased expression, Su Wan'er hurriedly put on a smile, poured him a cup of tea, and continued, "Master, where are we going to build our sect?"

Li Shouyi took a sip of tea and said calmly, "I'm not sure yet. We need to apply to the Dao Alliance first. Even if things go quickly, it'll take at least a month."

"Huh?"

Su Wan'er froze, then asked miserably, "Why does it have to take so long?"

At that moment, all the junior brothers and sisters Su Wan'er had been imagining vanished.

From now on, she could only slowly improve her cultivation each day through the karmic ties she had previously formed with her fellow disciples in the Cloud Cliff Sect.

Thinking of that, Su Wan'er decided this wouldn't do. Just as she was about to ask Li Shouyi whether there was any way to establish their sect sooner,

Li Shouyi cut her off.

"Quiet."

After speaking to Su Wan'er in a low voice, Li Shouyi listened intently, his face grave, to what the cultivators in the restaurant were discussing.

"Say, which lucky fellow do you think will take first place at the Heavenly Sword Sect's disciple recruitment assembly this time?"

"If you ask me, the most likely candidate is the Jiang Household's genius swordsman, Jiang Xiaoyu."

"Bullshit! I think Young Master Murong of the Murong Household has the best chance."

Li Shouyi listened carefully to their conversation and eventually learned something.

The Heavenly Sword Sect, one of the Five Great Sects, would soon hold a disciple recruitment assembly.

Hearing this news, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

With a sect as large as the Heavenly Sword Sect, its recruitment assembly is bound to have all sorts of people mixed together.

I could go there and pick up the overlooked bargains!

He didn't care about geniuses at all. What he, Li Shouyi, wanted were the useless good-for-nothings nobody paid attention to.

He acted as soon as the idea struck. Having made up his mind, he told Su Wan'er and Lin Shuishui, "Once we're done eating, we'll head straight to the Heavenly Sword Sect. I'll recruit two disciples there to be your junior brothers or sisters."

But when he turned around, he was greeted by the sight of two figures wolfing down food.

Watching the pair fight over food like starving dogs, several veins bulged on Li Shouyi's forehead as he thought to himself.

They're my disciples. I chose them. I need to learn patience.

And so, Li Shouyi calmly and elegantly began snatching food from the hands of his two beloved disciples.

"Junior Sister, stop stealing my chicken drumstick."

"Senior Sister, eat this instead. This is the famous flying duck of our Cultivation World."

"No, I want the chicken drumstick."

By the end of the meal, Li Shouyi was covered in grease, grains of rice, and a few bits of greens.

A while later, both girls let out satisfied burps.

"Burp... Waiter, the bill."

Only after saying this did Su Wan'er remember Li Shouyi's presence.

When she saw the stains covering her master, she froze.

Su Wan'er swallowed, then cautiously tugged at Lin Shuishui, hoping to find someone to share the wrath Li Shouyi would unleash next.

But after tugging for a while, she heard faint snoring.

Sure enough, when she turned to look, Lin Shuishui had fallen asleep on the table.

"M-Master, have you finished eating?"

"Pay the bill, then bring your senior sister and follow me."

Li Shouyi's entire face was dark as thunder. After saying that,

he silently turned and flew toward the outskirts of the city.

Seeing this, Su Wan'er's heart went cold.

She dropped a bag of Spirit Stones, hoisted Lin Shuishui onto her shoulder, and silently followed Li Shouyi.

"Dear guests, your squirrel-shaped fish is here."

"Huh? Where did everyone go?"

The waiter thought the customers had skipped out on the bill, but when he saw the bag on the table, he hurried over in alarm and opened it.

The gleaming Spirit Stones inside made his eyes widen, and he swallowed.

Then he nervously glanced around. Once he saw that nobody was paying attention, he quietly tucked the Spirit Stones into his clothes.

Zhang San and Li Si had been close friends for years.

Both were at the qi refining stage. More importantly, it had taken them twenty years of cultivation to reach that realm.

Their cultivation talent was firmly in the realm of utter trash.

Having been poor since childhood, neither could afford to stay in the city.

They planned to make do with a night out in the wilderness, but both were extremely timid, and they were currently lighting a fire.

They had just set up their campfire when they suddenly heard a piercing scream.

"Ah! Master, I was wrong! Please stop setting me on fire!"

"You weren't wrong. I was wrong. I should never have taken in a rotten brat like you."

"It's scorched, Master! My butt is scorched!"

"Stop trying to fool me. Do you think I didn't see you transferring all the damage to other people?"

This bizarre exchange instantly put Zhang San and Li Si on edge.

They looked toward the voices and saw someone scorched black from head to toe, their features impossible to make out, charging madly toward them.

The two hurriedly drew their swords and pointed them at the figure. "What foul creature are you? Reveal your true form at once!"

"Get out of the way! You two, stop blocking me!"

The dark figure rushed up and delivered a kick to each of them, sending both flying and landing face-first in the dirt.

Out of the corners of their eyes, they saw a man wreathed in flames chasing after the dark figure, his features equally impossible to make out.

"Su Wan'er, you wretched disciple! Stop right there!"

"No! Not unless you swear you won't burn me anymore, Master!"

"Still talking back? Today, I'll follow Lord Lao's example and lock you in a cage to refine you for seven times seven—forty-nine days! Let's see if I can burn the water out of that brain of yours!"

After the pair left, Zhang San and Li Si exchanged a glance, swallowed, and cried out in terror, "Ghosts!..."

Li Shouyi, however, had no idea that, in his effort to discipline his wretched disciple Su Wan'er, he had missed two cultivation "geniuses."