Chapter 23 Lin Qingyu: Xiao Chen, you’ve let yourself go!

Chapter 23 Lin Qingyu: Xiao Chen, you’ve let yourself go! "You brat, why are you chickening out right from the start?" Chu Feng had originally planned to give this kid a taste of authority, but the moment he opened his mouth, he begged for mercy. "I actually liked that rebellious attitude of yours before." Cao Youqian: ??? Why is this master not playing by the rules? "Misunderstanding, Master, it's all a misunderstanding. I'm actually quite a gentle person." Seeing this guy being so timid, Xiao Chen instinctively stepped aside. Even if Cao Youqian were given the courage of a bear or a leopard, he still wouldn’t dare act rashly in front of his master. Chu Feng waved his hand. "Alright, go rest now." With that, he headed straight for his room. Xiao Chen called out, "Master, you haven’t taken your spirit stones yet." "Aren’t those your spirit stones?" Chu Feng turned back with a smile. Xiao Chen respectfully said, "Master, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have won so many spirit stones at all. Please accept them as my filial offering." Hiss... Cao Youqian inhaled sharply in his heart; those are my spirit stones! Why don’t you all just hand them back to me instead? Chu Feng revealed a thoughtful expression and casually picked up one of the storage pouches. "Since it's your offering, I'll just take a bit. Keep the rest for your own cultivation." "Thank you, Master." Xiao Chen obeyed this master completely. In his eyes, there was a deeper meaning behind everything his master did. After Chu Feng left, Xiao Chen also gathered all the storage pouches and rings from the stone table. Cao Youqian looked at the now empty stone table and bled internally. He wanted to ask Xiao Chen to leave him just a little, but didn’t dare to say it. It was only after Xiao Chen disappeared that he remembered something important. Master hadn’t assigned him a place to live yet? He looked at the empty surroundings, gritted his teeth, and randomly picked a room to spend the night. The next morning. After finishing his early cultivation, Xiao Chen went to the Merit Hall to claim his reward for the outer sect competition. When he arrived, Lin Qingyu and the others happened to be arriving as well. Everyone greeted each other. An elder of the Merit Hall came out from inside. "Everyone, the chiefs of the major institutes are already inside waiting for you. Go on in." "Yes, sir." As the champion of the competition, Xiao Chen naturally led the group. Upon entering the Merit Hall, they saw that the chiefs of the eight major institutes, including the Carefree Sword King, were already seated inside. "We greet the institute chiefs." "No need for formalities." The Carefree Sword King was the first to speak. "Thank you, Chief." He waved his hand and said, "Bring out the rewards." "Yes, sir." Very soon, the Merit Hall staff brought out several boxes. Unlike the rewards for the other top ten disciples, the top three each had a large chest in front of them. Upon opening, each contained several treasured artifacts. "You three may each choose one item as your reward." Without hesitation, Xiao Chen selected a treasured sword. Lin Qingyu and King Kong each chose a treasured sword and a pair of gauntlets, respectively. The Carefree Sword King said, "Next, you may choose which inner institute you wish to join." The disciples were all visibly pleased upon hearing this and quickly made their choices. Almost no one chose a different institute. Soon, only Xiao Chen hadn’t made his decision. Looking confused, he looked at the chiefs and respectfully asked, "Why is there no option for the Miscellaneous Dao Institute?" The room instantly fell silent. Everyone, including the eight institute chiefs, stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy so obsessed with the sword that it made him stupid? Even now, he’s still thinking about that shabby Miscellaneous Dao Institute? Don’t you want to become stronger? The Carefree Sword King spoke up, "The Miscellaneous Dao Institute has never had an inner institute, so it's not an option. You can choose from the eight main institutes." "If you join this old man's Heavenly Spirit Institute, I am willing to take you on as a registered disciple and grant you the treatment of a core disciple. As long as you reach the Heaven Origin Realm, I will formally take you as my personal disciple and pass on all my life's knowledge to you." When he finished speaking, the expressions of those present varied. Lin Qingyu and the others looked at Xiao Chen with a mix of envy and jealousy. Why did this guy catch the eye of the Heavenly Spirit Institute’s chief? If he really joins, the gap between us will only widen. But the other institute chiefs were not pleased. They immediately voiced their discontent. "Carefree Sword King, you’re playing dirty, not following the proper procedure." "Xiao Chen, if you’re willing to join my Weapon Refining Institute, we can craft a custom spiritual sword just for you. You’ll enter under me directly as a core disciple." "......" Seeing the eight institute chiefs scrambling over Xiao Chen... The other nine outer sect top ten disciples were left dumbfounded. One collective thought appeared in their minds: Seniors, were we really called here to receive rewards? Not to get heartbroken? It took a while for the chiefs’ voices to quiet down. They were all people of status, and at a gathering like this, it was words over fists. All their eyes turned to Xiao Chen, watching to see what choice he would make. Xiao Chen bowed to the elders. "Thank you for your kind offers, seniors. But Xiao Chen will remain in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute for life." Silence fell again. The Merit Hall turned into a still frame. Everyone stared at Xiao Chen with disbelief in their eyes. The Carefree Sword King was the first to recover and said, "Give us a reason?" Xiao Chen respectfully replied, "Reporting to senior, to this disciple, Master is like a second parent. Without my master, there would be no Xiao Chen today. If I were to leave the Miscellaneous Dao Institute just because I won the outer sect competition, it would be unfilial." The Wendao Institute emphasizes reverence toward Heaven, Earth, monarch, and master. Loyalty and filial piety are the foundation of every disciple. Though the institute chiefs were dissatisfied with this explanation, none of them could force Xiao Chen otherwise. After all, no one wants to take in an unfilial disciple. What if he betrays you in the future? The Carefree Sword King nodded slightly. "Very well. But let me ask—was this decision your own, or was it something your master told you to do?" "Reporting to senior, it was my own decision. I did not discuss it with my master." Xiao Chen answered with sincerity. "Since you’ve made your choice, I won’t force you. But staying in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute means you’ll only receive outer sect resources. Make sure you understand that." The Carefree Sword King paused, then added, "Of course, you can still go back and talk with your master. We’ll give you a month to reconsider." Xiao Chen replied with courtesy, "Thank you for your kind offer, senior, but once I’ve made a decision, I do not go back on it." Though the institute chiefs were displeased by his words, none of them intended to take their anger out on a disciple. The Carefree Sword King waved his hand. "Alright, now that you’ve all received your rewards, return to your respective institutes." "We take our leave!" Everyone bowed toward the eight institute chiefs and turned to go. Xiao Chen had just stepped out of the Merit Hall when Lin Qingyu blocked his path. With a confused expression, he asked, "What is it?" Lin Qingyu spoke with arrogance, "Xiao Chen, I didn’t think you would stoop so low. You’re no longer worthy of being my rival. Hmph!" With that, he flung his sleeves and turned to leave. King Kong and the others gave Xiao Chen a brief look as if wanting to say something, but ultimately left quickly. From the moment Xiao Chen chose to stay in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, they no longer lived in the same world. The only one happy in the crowd was Tang Feng. His mood today had swung like a pendulum, but in the end, things turned out well. He made it into the inner sect, and Xiao Chen would now be crushed under his feet. Xiao Chen paid no attention to Lin Qingyu’s words and walked straight toward the Miscellaneous Dao Institute... ==================================================================================== Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44