The Master-Choosing Ceremony

"Finished?"

Feng Zhuo slowly rose to his feet and brushed nonexistent dust from his sleeves.

The morning light slanted across his strikingly beautiful face, tracing its sharp contours. Beneath swordlike brows that swept toward his temples, his phoenix eyes shone like cold stars, their outer corners tilted slightly upward, giving him an innate sharpness.

"Junior sister, I don't quite understand what you mean."

A mocking curve touched Feng Zhuo's lips. "All I did was swallow one of my own pills, and that means I deliberately made things difficult for you?"

Su Ruanruan's heart tightened. Why wasn't he following the script?!

Then her face turned pale. "Senior brother, you've misunderstood. I only..."

"Only what?"

Feng Zhuo suddenly stepped forward, frightening Su Ruanruan into stumbling backward. "You only thought I should gratefully accept your low-grade pills and praise you for being exceptionally gifted?"

Su Ruanruan's eyes reddened instantly. "I-I didn't mean that..."

"Then what did you mean?"

Feng Zhuo took another supreme-grade Rejuvenation Pill from his storage ring and toyed with it between his fingertips. "Could it be that you think I, Feng Zhuo, am short of those few pills of yours?"

In the sunlight, pill patterns flowed across its surface, and Spiritual Qi pressed against those nearby.

A chorus of gasps immediately rose from the crowd.

"I..."

Su Ruanruan hurried to explain, but Feng Zhuo's smile suddenly vanished, and his gaze turned icy. "If you truly meant to give me pills, junior sister, why care about their grade? And if you care about their grade, why pretend to be generous?"

With a flick of his finger, the valuable pill landed at Su Ruanruan's feet with a smack and rolled into the dust.

"I'll make myself clear today: your things are too filthy for me."

The entire place fell silent.

Su Ruanruan could hold herself together no longer. She covered her face and fled.

Feng Zhuo watched her retreating figure coldly as he straightened his cuffs at an unhurried pace.

This was only the beginning.

He would collect what she owed him from his previous life in this one, principal and interest!

A crane's cry pierced the air outside the hall just as the senior brother in charge arrived at last. Holding a list, he called out eight names, among them Su Ruanruan and Feng Zhuo.

Then he said, "Junior brothers and sisters, the Root Bone test is over. Come with me to meet the venerables of the peaks!"

It both got Su Ruanruan out of her predicament and gave Feng Zhuo a way to back down.

Having returned through rebirth, Feng Zhuo's thoughts were in disarray. He still had to worry about how to become a disciple of Carefree Peak, and he had no wish to remain entangled with Su Ruanruan.

After taking several Rejuvenation Pills, he still ached all over, but the stamina he had spent climbing the Heavenly Stairway had been fully restored, so it would not hinder him.

His robes were engraved with formations and remained spotless, and color had returned to his pale face.

A Body-Cleansing Instruction later, there was nothing amiss with his appearance.

Satisfied, Feng Zhuo hurried after them.

The youths held their breath and lowered their heads, their hearts taut with nerves.

The Peak Masters of the Supreme One Divine Sect's main peaks accepted personal disciples, but none with less than high-grade aptitude.

Thus, everyone in this group had at least high-grade Spirit Root aptitude.

Feng Zhuo vaguely remembered that in his previous life, besides himself with his Heavenly Wood Spirit Root and Wood Spirit Body, there had also been Su Ruanruan, who had dual wood and fire Spirit Roots but was born with a Sword Heart, among those with supreme-grade aptitude.

There were also Ye Qingyu, who had a single fire Spirit Root with a purity of ninety-five, and Yun Li, who had a single ice Spirit Root with a purity of ninety.

Together with the four fellow disciples of high-grade aptitude, Feng Zhuo's group numbered exactly eight.

The Supreme One Divine Sect had six disciplines-sword, formation, pill, artifact, body, and law-each with its own main peak. The other branch peaks were all attached to the main peaks.

In his previous life, the Peak Master of Pill Peak had taken three personal disciples, including Feng Zhuo and Su Ruanruan, while each of the other five peaks had taken one.

If things remained the same in this life, Feng Zhuo would have to think carefully about how to refuse Chixiao and instead take a master on Carefree Peak.

"Sect Master, Peak Masters, all eight are present: four with high-grade aptitude and four with supreme-grade aptitude. This disciple will take his leave."

The senior brother in charge raised his hands and bowed.

Lingxiaozi, Peak Master of Heaven-Soaring Peak and Sect Master of the Supreme One Divine Sect, waved a long sleeve. Aside from Feng Zhuo and the other seven disciples, only the six Peak Masters remained.

True Venerable Lingxiao of Sword Peak was at the Integrated Body Early Stage; Dao Lord Xuanji of Formation Peak was at the Void Refinement Initial Stage.

Primordial Lord Chixiao of Pill Peak was at the Spirit Transformation Peak; Dao Lord Tiangong of Artifact Peak was at the Void Refinement Initial Stage.

Dao Lord Taisu of Law Peak was at the Void Refinement Peak; Dao Lord Bayue of Body Peak was at the Late Void Refinement Realm.

Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Refinement, Integrated Body, and Mahayana.

Cultivators on the Profound Firmament Continent had only eight major realms in all, yet here, great powers at the sixth and seventh levels could be seen with ease.

Above the seats of honor.

Chixiao was the first to speak. "Senior brother Lingxiao, I recently happened upon a few Origin Returning Pills. Might you allow me to choose a beloved disciple first?"

Origin Returning Pills were sixth-tier pills intended for Void Refinement cultivators. They increased a Void Refinement cultivator's chance of breaking through a minor realm by thirty percent.

Apart from Chixiao himself and Lingxiaozi, the other four were all Void Refinement cultivators who could make use of the pills.

Dao Lord Bayue in particular had little over a thousand years left before the end of his lifespan.

If this Origin Returning Pill succeeded in helping him break through the Late Void Refinement Realm, he could also spend those thousand years striving for integrated body cultivation.

The sect would then gain another True Venerable with the fighting strength of the Integrated Body Realm.

"Does anyone object?"

"No objections."

The exchange of divine thoughts was over in an instant.

Feng Zhuo and the other seven did not know what deal the six Peak Masters had made in secret. They only heard a young venerable speak.

"Who is Su Ruanruan? I am Chixiao, Peak Master of Pill Peak. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

Seeing that Chixiao had first chosen Su Ruanruan, who was born with a Sword Heart, rather than Feng Zhuo, who had a Heavenly Wood Spirit Root, Lingxiaozi did not speak up to stop him.

As the master of the sect, no matter how much he wanted to take Su Ruanruan into his peak, he had to put the sect's interests first.

A delighted smile instantly blossomed on Su Ruanruan's face. She was about to step forward and bow when she suddenly bit her lip and nervously twisted the hem of her robe in both hands.

Feng Zhuo's brow twitched. Here it comes.

Primordial Lord Chixiao said, "Are you unwilling?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

Su Ruanruan hurriedly fell to her knees, her eyes reddening at once. "It's only... only..."

She timidly raised her eyes, then hesitated to speak.

"Speak."

"Primordial Lord, could you have mistaken the name? I only have dual fire and wood Spirit Roots, and neither has a purity above ninety. I was merely born with a Sword Heart..."

Su Ruanruan's voice grew softer and softer. "When it comes to talent for alchemy, senior brother Feng Zhuo's Heavenly Wood Spirit Root and Wood Spirit Body are the truly..."

Chixiao's gaze sharpened abruptly. "Did he tell you that?"

Su Ruanruan trembled all over and lowered her head without speaking.

That reaction was more convincing than any defense.

Feng Zhuo lowered his eyes as he watched the performance.

No one had heard their earlier conversation in private, so whether Su Ruanruan's words were true or false was entirely for others to judge.

But it suited him perfectly.

Chixiao said in a deep voice, "Who is Feng Zhuo?"

"This disciple is here."

Feng Zhuo calmly stepped out of the line, his red robes snapping in the hall.

Facing the oppressive might of a Spirit Transformation great power, he held his back straight, his gaze as calm as still water.

Chixiao's scrutinizing gaze scraped over him like a blade.

An ordinary disciple's legs would have been trembling under such a stare, but the youth before him-

His brows were like sharp swords, his eyes like cold stars, and the faintest hint of a smile even lingered on his lips.

His unhurried bearing made it seem as though he faced nothing more than an ordinary elder.

On the raised platform, the five Peak Masters nodded inwardly.

Primordial Lord Chixiao, however, disliked Feng Zhuo's manner and let out a derisive laugh. "Someone from the Feng Household? A mere Spirit Transformation cultivator like me wouldn't dare teach you. You'd best find someone more worthy!"

Feng Zhuo kept silent, neither admitting nor denying it, which instead confirmed his identity as a member of the Feng Household.

Primordial Lord Chixiao gave a scornful chuckle, swept his sleeves aside, and turned to leave. "Senior brothers, senior sister Taisu, I imagine none of you thinks much of the other disciple with dual fire and wood Spirit Roots either. I'll take that disciple as well. I'll take my leave first."

He also took Su Ruanruan and the disciple with dual wood and fire Spirit Roots whom he had mentioned.

The other Peak Masters seemed long accustomed to Chixiao's way of doing things, and none spoke.

Lingxiaozi smiled kindly at Feng Zhuo. "Chixiao has always had that temper. Be a little more forgiving."

Only an Integrated Body True Venerable would dare ask someone to be forgiving of a Spirit Transformation Primordial Lord.

"I wouldn't dare."

Feng Zhuo was neither servile nor overbearing. He was glad to see this happen; he had merely displeased Chixiao, and he couldn't wait for the hypocritical old man to die.

With that matter dropped, Feng Zhuo's choice of master began to give Lingxiaozi a headache.

"Who is your elder?"

The Supreme One Divine Sect would confirm Feng Zhuo's identity afterward. For now, at the master-choosing ceremony, finding him a master naturally took priority.

"My mother is Feng Qingge."

"Qingge, that girl?"

Lingxiaozi felt greatly reassured. The Supreme One Divine Sect did not fear the Perching Phoenix Clan of the Western Region, but it had no wish to invite trouble for no reason either.

Feng Zhuo had a Heavenly Wood Spirit Root and a Wood Spirit Body. Of the six people present, the Dao Paths cultivated by five were incompatible with Feng Zhuo's Spirit Root; only Chixiao was suited to be his master.

But since his mother was Feng Qingge, things would be easier to handle.