"Brother Tan, you didn't come here just to say these things, did you?"
Tan Zongzhao shook his head and laughed, "Of course not, I'm not that bored. I'm just here to tell you a few things."
Everyone looked over.
Tan Zongzhao and said, "First of all, it was my master who asked me to remind you. Judging from your personalities, you probably don't like being restrained, right?"
Without waiting for Xiao Hei and the others to answer, Tan Zongzhao continued, "According to Master's words, if that's the case, you shouldn't accept any elder's invitation to become their disciple or a guest of their tutelage. Once you're labeled that way, many things will become beyond your control..."
At this point, Tan Zongzhao quickly waved his hand to excuse himself, saying, "Of course I'm not making veiled accusations, and I didn't say anything bad about my master. My master is an exception, but it's hard to say about the other elders."
Ye Qiubai, standing to the side, smiled and said, "So, Brother Tan, you mean you want to join the Grand Elder's sect?"
Tan Zongzhao smiled but remained silent.
Shi Sheng scratched his head and said, "But if that's the case, wouldn't outsiders already think we're the Grand Elder's people?"
Mu Fusheng gave a thumbs up and said, " Senior Brother Shi's thinking is getting more and more agile. It seems that following Second Senior Sister and the others has caused his thinking to stagnate for a while."
As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black."
Ye Qiubai looked at Mu Fusheng and smiled, "I think Second Senior Sister would be very happy to hear what you said."
Mu Fusheng: "..."
Tan Zongzhao and said, "That's true, but it's just what people say. I'm just repeating my master's original words to you."
Everyone nodded.
"And also, if you want to continue cultivating in the secret realms later, the contribution points I've given you will definitely not be enough."
Tan Zongzhao gave each of them 1,000 contribution points, which would cost 100 points per day in the cultivation secret realm.
I've already spent 300 yuan in seven days... what kind of cultivation can I possibly achieve?
"Therefore, there are two most direct ways to earn contribution points. The first is to go to the Inner Tower to accept missions. The Inner Tower is divided into nine levels. The higher the level, the more difficult the missions and the richer the rewards... Of course, missions will also be issued by other branches and elders."
"The second is Cloudsoaring Platform, which has a challenge mechanism where you can bet contribution points to challenge opponents, and the winner gets all the contribution points. Of course, there's also a gray area: betting on opponents through odds."
Tan Zongzhao and said, "However, I still suggest you take on some missions for now. You've already made enough of a splash; if you stir up any more trouble, it'll only attract more attention, and then you won't have any peace."
After saying this, Tan Zongzhao farewell and prepared to leave.
Ye Qiubai and the others escorted him to the door.
However, as soon as he reached the door, he saw a large crowd of onlookers, and the one in the lead made Tan Zongzhao frown.
"He is He Xiangwang, the Second Elder's personal disciple. He's the one who stirred up all this trouble these days."
He Xiangwang stepped forward, glanced at Tan Zongzhao, and then said with a smile, "Let bygones be bygones. You all know I wasn't targeting you."
Ye Qiubai stepped forward and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, fellow Daoist? Are you here to apologize?"
At this point, Ye Qiubai deliberately glanced at He Xiangwang's hands and said, "I didn't see any gifts either!"
Everyone around gasped in shock.
How dare he be so disrespectful to the Second Elder's personal disciple? Is he just a newborn calf that's not afraid of tigers, or is he simply lacking common sense?
He Xiangwang's expression turned slightly cold, but it quickly transformed into a smile as he spread his hands and said, "Don't be so aggressive. Although I didn't bring much this time, it will definitely be of great help to you all in the future."
His next words stunned everyone present.
He Xiangwang looked at Xiao Hei, "Master wants to take you as his disciple. Not an ordinary disciple, but a disciple to be accepted into the inner circle."
A disciple who has secluded himself!
Even Tan Zongzhao couldn't help but frown, and his opinion of the Second Elder rose even higher.
Sure enough, those who can reach this position are all ruthless characters.
This will not only minimize the impact of public opinion on the Second Elder's reputation, but also confirm the attitude of Xiao Hei and his group.
If he were to nod in agreement, it would be a tremendous boost to the Second Elder's power.
Refusing would at least reduce public opinion... However, there's probably a hidden murderous intent involved; if they refuse, there's a high chance they'll attack Xiao Hei and his group.
However, the attitude of Xiao Hei and the others was predictable.
Without a second thought, Xiao Hei shook his head, looked coldly at He Xiangwang, and said, word by word, "Your master is not worthy to accept me as a disciple."
His tone was calm, yet it conveyed extreme confidence!
If anyone else had received this invitation, they would probably have eagerly agreed, and certainly wouldn't have refused so calmly as Xiao Hei did!
He Xiangwang's smile vanished completely at that moment, replaced by an undisguised chilling killing intent. "Refusal is a small matter, but have you considered the consequences of saying those words?"
"We're just here to test you, why bother with all the pretense?" Xiao Hei saw through their intentions at a glance and sneered without hesitation, "Whatever underhanded tricks they use, we'll take them."
He Xiangwang nodded and left amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.
Now that this has happened, the Second Elder's disciples will have a legitimate reason to take action against Xiao Hei and the others in the future, and it will not implicate the First Elder.
What disciple would allow others to insult their master?
This is a matter of dignity!
Although Tan Zongzhao already knew that Xiao Hei and the others would refuse, he still breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing their reply. He patted Xiao Hei on the shoulder and said, "If they make a move against you, remember to contact me anytime."
Xiao Hei nodded, "Thank you."
At this moment, Tan Zongzhao glanced behind him and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Alright, trouble's here. Remember what I told you."
After saying that, he left immediately.
A moment later, Feng Ye indeed arrived, looked at Xiao Hei and said, "I didn't expect you to be so arrogant."
Before Xiao Hei could speak, he said, "Alright, now that you've recovered, let's spar again."
Xiao Hei was about to nod subconsciously when Mu Fusheng, understanding his senior brother's personality, immediately stopped him and said with Xiao Hei smile, "Brother Tan told my senior brother not to spar with you yet, otherwise it will attract too much attention."
"Hey!" Feng Ye's eyes widened as she stared angrily in the direction Tan Zongzhao had left, "That guy, I helped him with such a big favor, and instead of thanking me, he ruined my plans!"
"Then what are you going to do? It's nothing more than cultivation; you might as well spar with me."
Ye Qiubai smiled and said, "Miss Feng, we're new here and don't have enough contribution points, so we'd like to take on some missions."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ye thought for a moment and then looked at Xiao Hei with a smile, "How about this, I won't force you. With the amount of missions you've completed so far, you can only accept missions in the first three levels. I'll take you directly to a higher level, but after completing the missions, you'll have to spar with me, how about that?"