Ai Xue's voice rang out at an inopportune moment.
Ye Qiubai frowned slightly and looked at Ai Xue on the high platform.
Ai Xue raised her chin, meeting Ye Qiubai's gaze without showing any weakness.
"This approach seems somewhat inappropriate, doesn't it?" Ye Qiubai said calmly.
Ai Xue smiled dismissively. "Inappropriate? What's inappropriate about it? A master accepts a disciple, and the disciple pays homage to the master. It's a two-way choice. How can you force someone to become your disciple?"
"Moreover, since the master selects those with good talent to become disciples, the disciple also has the right to choose a master who is stronger and more suitable than others."
Ai Xue's words are correct.
This approach is indeed quite disgusting.
She wasn't thinking about training her disciples in a fair and just competition; instead, she wanted to solve the problem at its root!
Ye Qiubai nodded. "You're right."
Then he looked down at Mu Shi and smiled, "So, what's your choice?"
Mu Shi chuckled and scratched his head, then looked at Ai Xue and said from afar, "I'm sorry, Immortal Master, I've already become a disciple of Immortal Master Ye. If I were to switch to another sect now, my father would smash my head with a stick."
As he spoke, Mu Shi subconsciously covered his head.
It looks like he's been beaten quite a bit...
Ai Xue stared coldly at Mu Shi. Although Mu Shi was a little scared, he looked away for a moment. But when he saw Ye Qiubai's encouraging look, he widened his eyes and met Ai Xue's gaze with trembling eyelids!
Ai Xue didn't deliberately exude any pressure, but after staring at him for a long time, Mu Shi, who was just an ordinary person, felt as if his eyes were on fire!
At this moment, Ye Qiubai stepped in front of Mu Shi and looked at Ai Xue calmly, saying, "Isn't it a bit ungentlemanly to treat an ordinary child like this?"
Upon hearing this, Ai Xue snorted coldly, "Since that's the case, then I'd like to see what's so special about this disciple you've taken on!"
Having said that, he ignored them and continued accepting disciples on the high platform.
It took a full half day for the "farce" on the platform to finally come to an end.
In the end, Ai Xue took in a total of four disciples!
On the other side, Hong Ying Ning Chenxin, and the others also joined Ye Qiubai.
The result was somewhat surprising.
Mu Wan'er, her face full of displeasure, stomped her foot and angrily said, "I originally found a disciple who was compatible with the way of alchemy, but that Ai Xue actually stole her away!"
Mu Fusheng laughed and asked, "How did she steal it?"
Of all those present, only Mu Wan'er's disciple was snatched away in public.
Mu Wan'er said indignantly, "It's because she didn't think alchemy was very useful; it didn't have the same powerful feeling as Ai Xue's being surrounded by flames. And then she was kidnapped!"
Jiang Qingluan wiped her sweat and said, "My side was almost snatched away too. I only managed to hold on by showing some of my strength, otherwise I wouldn't even have had the chance to participate in this test."
Hong Ying smiled and said, "Since she could be abducted, it proves that she doesn't have the fortune to become your disciple. In a sense, this is a good thing."
A lack of resolve and switching allegiances is a grave mistake!
If such a person is taken as a disciple, then no matter how powerful they become, they may still do things that are detrimental to the master or even the sect in the future.
However, this test cannot be considered a true apprenticeship; it is merely a year of instruction.
That's why Ai Xue didn't care about all that.
To her, the disciples she has taken in now are merely pawns in her game. Once it's all over, whether they harm one side or benefit another will be none of her concern.
"But what should we do now?" Mu Wan'er said with a mournful face, "If we don't receive a disciple, won't the test just fail like this?"
Mu Fusheng suppressed a laugh and said, "It's alright. We have so many people here, and we've already taken in so many disciples, that's enough."
Mu Wan'er glared at Mu Fusheng and said, "What do you know! Even if I can't take over the stone house in the end, I still want to experience what it's like to teach disciples!"
have to.
This was Mu Wan'er's true purpose.
Hong Ying couldn't help but laugh and said, "In that case, let's find another one. There's bound to be someone suitable."
Mu Wan'er said helplessly, "But there are too few people with the aptitude for alchemy!"
Alchemist, like array masters and talisman masters, are on a path that requires special talent to pursue.
It can be said that these three types have far fewer people than sword cultivators!
Moreover, this group consists of ordinary mortals who have never even practiced cultivation, let alone understood it... Finding someone with alchemy aptitude in this group would be extremely difficult!
Mu Wan'er waved her hand and said, "Never mind, I'll go look for it again."
After saying that, Mu Wan'er began to stroll around the village.
Ye Qiubai and his group still needed to test and assess their newly accepted disciples, and they also began searching for a suitable place.
Those villagers who weren't chosen could only watch with envy as they continued to work with their hoes and other tools.
At this moment, deep in the mountains, Ye Qiubai looked at Mu Shi in front of him and then tossed him a wooden sword.
Mu Shi quickly took it, looking at Ye Qiubai blankly.
Ye Qiubai said, "You can practice your swordsmanship with this wooden sword these days."
Mu Shi was slightly taken aback, then looked at the Sword Dao, "Immortal... Master, are you just practicing with a wooden sword?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qiubai smiled and said, "Listen carefully, what I'm about to say is one of the most basic and important points for sword cultivators."
"As a swordsman, once you reach a certain level in Sword Dao, everything in the world—whether it's a wooden sword or an iron sword, a leaf, a flower, or a tree branch—can become a sword in your hand. For example..."
Ye Qiubai bent down slightly and picked up a thin twig from the ground.
The branches were so thin that they looked as if they could be broken by a gust of wind.
However, Ye Qiubai swung the tree branch at a boulder in front of him!
The slender branch struck the boulder, and in an instant, the boulder was split in two!
Before Mu Shi's dazed gaze, the boulder fell to both sides, its cross-section as smooth as a mirror!
After standing there stunned for several minutes, Mu Shi immediately came to his senses and said loudly to Ye Qiubai, "I understand, Master!"
"Alright." Ye Qiubai nodded and said, "Your talent is decent, but whether you can become a sword cultivator depends on your Creation."
"I will certainly not disappoint my master!" Mu Shi brandished his wooden sword and said fiercely, "That Niu Zhong, I will make him regret switching allegiance to another sect!"
Whether intentionally or genuinely feeling the other was a good match, Ai Xue actually took Niu Zhong as her disciple.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qiubai laughed and scolded, "Sword cultivators must remember not to compare themselves to others!"
Mu Shi: "Oh... I understand."
"However, sometimes it's necessary to prove one's strength and talent, which is perfectly acceptable."
Mu Shi: "..."
What's that saying again?
Double standards?