Immediately, Han Xuanji's gaze swept over his seven personal disciples, and his tone became solemn:
"Now that Lin Feng has joined my sect, you, as his senior brothers, should take good care of him, help each other, and cultivate together. Do not disgrace the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace."
"Your disciple will remember your teachings!"
Everyone bowed in unison in response, their voices loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire Mystic Heaven Hall.
As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of congratulations erupted in the hall.
Li Taiqing stepped forward first, cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Feng, and smiled:
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Lin! From now on, you are a legitimate direct disciple of my Mystic Heaven Dao Palace. May we help each other on our cultivation journey and jointly comprehend the Great Dao."
Jiang Hao patted Lin Feng on the shoulder, his tone cheerful:
"Not bad, not bad, we've gained another junior brother. Don't cry if you lose a competition in the future, your senior brother won't hold back. But if anyone dares to bully you, I'll be the first to object!"
The other disciples in the hall also gathered around, offering their blessings one after another, their tone full of sincerity.
Lin Feng bowed deeply to the crowd, his voice still tinged with a sob, yet unwavering:
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow disciples."
Watching this scene, Chen Yan was filled with envy. He quickly stepped forward, knelt down before Han Xuanji, and respectfully kowtowed three times, his tone earnest yet tinged with trepidation:
" Heavenly Venerable Excellency, I, Chen Yan, have longed to join the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace ever since I met Brother Lin. I also yearn to follow Heavenly Venerable Excellency in cultivating diligently. I humbly request Heavenly Venerable Excellency to accept me into the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace. Whether I am in the outer or inner sect, I will be diligent and conscientious, abide by the sect rules, and never disgrace the prestige of the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace!"
Han Xuanji looked down at Chen Yan, not surprised by his actions. After thinking for a moment, he did not refuse him, but he did not accept him as his personal disciple.
"You are sincere and have a heart for the Dao. Your Root Bone is also quite good. Since you are determined to enter my Mystic Heaven Dao Palace, then you should first enter the inner sect for cultivation. I hope you will not betray your original intention."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan was overjoyed and bowed again, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Thank you Heavenly Venerable! This junior will certainly do my utmost!"
As the noise in the hall subsided, Han Xuanji slowly raised his hand, and the gentle aura around him gradually disappeared, replaced by an air of majesty.
His gaze slowly swept over all the direct disciples in the hall, his voice heavy and resounding throughout the entire Mystic Heaven Hall:
"I have summoned you all here today not only to hold the initiation ceremony for Qingxuan, but also to inform you of something of utmost importance."
Upon hearing this, everyone composed themselves, bowed, and listened attentively. Even the usually restless Little White obediently lay down at Han Xuanji's feet, no longer chattering.
Han Xuanji remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness that was difficult to detect:
"The undercurrents in the Chaos are stirring, as you should have sensed. The various ancient forces of the Chaos are eager to make their move, and my Mystic Heaven Dao Palace, for certain reasons, has been regarded as a thorn in the side by many forces of the Chaos."
Before long, the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace may become the common enemy of the entire Chaos. At that time, countless Chaos powerhouses will swarm in, regarding every disciple of the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace as an enemy. At best, their cultivation will be completely destroyed; at worst, their souls will be scattered and they will never be able to recover.
Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence; even the air seemed to freeze.
Lin Feng was deeply shocked. He had never imagined that he would face such a deadly crisis so soon after becoming a disciple of his master.
Although he was shocked, he was not afraid.
The other disciples were the same; their expressions were serious, but they did not show any fear.
Han Xuanji, observing the expressions on everyone's faces, softened his tone slightly, but it remained solemn:
"This matter is perilous, and I am not absolutely certain that I can protect you all. You are all prodigies; if you do not get involved in this calamity, you will surely become powerful beings in the Chaos Realm in the future. Therefore, I do not require you to defend the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace to the death. If anyone wants to leave the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace, I will not stop them."
"You must know that there are many powerful beings in that Chaos, such as the Devil Ancestor. Don't underestimate the Devil Ancestor's strength. His true form is an unparalleled giant, a tyrant of the Chaos. Moreover, there are many ancient Chaos Devil God eyeing the Chaos covetously, including some powerful beings whose cultivation levels are even higher than mine."
As soon as Han Xuanji finished speaking, Li Taiqing stepped forward, knelt down, and spoke with unwavering determination, his voice even trembling with emotion:
"Master! Are you trying to send us away? Ever since we became your disciples, we have regarded the Dao Palace as our home and you and all our fellow disciples as our family!"
Now that the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace is in peril, how can this disciple desert? Even if a Chaos chaos lies ahead, this disciple is willing to follow Master, to live and die with the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace, and will never retreat a single step!
"Master, this disciple does not wish to leave either!"
Jiang Hao immediately knelt down as well; the usually cheerful and tough man was now choked with emotion.
"My current cultivation and achievements are all thanks to my master's meticulous guidance. Now that danger is imminent, I am willing to face this perilous situation with my master and everyone else. Even if my soul is scattered, I will never be an ungrateful wretch!"
Yun Wuji and his other disciples also knelt down, their voices choked with emotion.
"Master, your disciple is willing to live and die with the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace!"
"Master, we will never abandon you! Even if we become enemies of Chaos, we will always follow you!"
"Master, do you not believe us? Our loyalty to you is as clear as day and night!"
The disciples, as if they had been humiliated, spoke to Han Xuanji with such a strong tone for the first time.
It's just using the harshest tone to say the softest words.
Lin Feng also immediately knelt down, his words ringing out firmly:
"Master, I have only recently become your disciple and have not yet repaid your kindness and the care of my fellow disciples. Now that the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace is in trouble, how can I back down?"
Even facing a thousand armies, this disciple is willing to fight alongside Master and fellow disciples, sharing life and death!
Even Chen Yan, caught up in the atmosphere, knelt down and blurted out his thoughts:
" Heavenly Venerable Excellency, although I have only recently entered the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace, I am aware of the importance of repaying kindness. Since the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace Mystic Heaven Dao Palace taken me in, I am willing to live and die with them and will never desert my post!"
Even Little White jumped up, her tone a mix of grievance and determination:
"Master, Little White won't leave! Little White wants to stay with you. Although I'm not strong enough, please don't look down on me!"
At this moment, Little White was the most panicked. Among everyone, he was the weakest. What if he really got kicked out?
The thought of this possibility in the future completely eroded Little White's " Master White " demeanor, making him utterly humble.
Seeing his disciples kneeling in unison, some even with tears streaming down their faces, Han Xuanji was suddenly struck by a jolt of surprise, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes, and a touch of feeling deeply moved.
He had only mentioned it casually, partly because he didn't want to force his disciples to get involved in the calamity, and partly as a subconscious test. He never expected that his disciples would react so strongly.
Human hearts are unpredictable. Han Xuanji see that these disciples were sincere and devoted. He didn't know if their loyalty would change in the future, but at least for now, they were absolutely loyal. They would never doubt him even if he asked them to die.
Han Xuanji quickly raised her hand and gently helped them up one by one, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible apology:
"Alright, alright, get up, it's all Master's fault."
He gently rubbed Little White's head, then looked at the disciples' reddened eyes, his tone softening considerably:
"Master knows your loyalty and has never doubted you. He only said those things earlier because he didn't want you to lose your lives in vain because of the danger facing the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace."
This was the first time the disciples had heard Han Xuanji speak in such a tone. Their grievances vanished instantly, and they wiped away their tears, bowing in response:
"Disciples know Master's good intentions! But we disciples are truly not people who are afraid of death."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly and waved his hand:
"No need for formalities. Although this matter is dangerous, with such loyal disciples as you, I am confident that I can protect the Mystic Heaven Dao Palace and each and every one of you."
The catastrophe has not yet arrived; we still have time to focus on our cultivation and improve our strength. There is no need for excessive anxiety.
After the disciples had completely calmed down, Han Xuanji's gaze swept over them again, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat playful, and his tone much more relaxed, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the hall:
"Alright, let's not dwell on these heavy matters. I have a question for all of you: has any of you ever even considered the position of Heavenly Emperor?"
There's no need to hide anything; just tell the truth.