Chapter 48: Competing for Disciples

This kind of entry examination often consists of several stages. It conducts a comprehensive assessment of a cultivator’s physique, talent, comprehension, and character. Only by passing all the stages does one qualify for entry. This time, only true disciples are being recruited, and the standards are raised significantly. It’s almost an elimination of one for every entry, and very few can pass the first stage. Brother Cheng initially wanted to personally oversee this grand event; he thought that such a large scene was very impressive, and the weather and attendance were perfect for showing off. But Ji Linghan voluntarily took over the task, with a determined attitude, saying that the Sect Leader shouldn’t lower himself to handle such minor matters. Jiang Cheng had no choice but to relent. He’s not dumb; he actually knew Ji Linghan’s intent. With her in charge of the selection, his hope of recruiting more beauties against the odds and turning the Feixian Sect into a yin-over-yang paradise would fall through. Thinking of this, he felt a bit melancholic. Although some stages of the entry examination involve arrays for automatic detection, due to the sheer number of participants, the process still seemed overwhelming long. After three days and nights of work, out of hundreds of thousands of applicants, 55 people finally stood out. These 55 individuals all excelled in physique, talent, comprehension, and character, reaching the level of true disciples in terms of talent. Ji Linghan, Luo Yuan, and others were pleasantly surprised; this number far exceeded their expectations. It’s known that in the past, recruiting one or two true disciples in one go was already very good. The cultivation levels of these 55 varied. Some were still young and in the Condensing Vein Realm. Others had reached the Energy-Introducing Realm. Jiang Cheng’s arrangement for these disciples was to make them third generation disciples. With the reconstruction of the Feixian Sect, the first generation, of course, is him as the Sect Leader. The second generation is Ji Linghan and her 21 members, all in the Gathering Yuan Realm. After the recent surge in sect spiritual energy, everyone’s cultivation level increased even faster. Currently, the weakest among the 21 has reached the Gathering Yuan Seventh Layer. And Ji Linghan has even broken through to the Soul Splitting First Layer, on par with the previous elders’ cultivation level. At this rate, it won’t be long before all 21 breakthrough to the Soul Splitting Realm is imminent. Because of their continuous breakthroughs, Jiang Cheng received some points as rewards. Other people’s breakthroughs were worth dozens of points, but when Ji Linghan broke through to the Soul Splitting Realm, the system unexpectedly awarded 3000 points. The newly recruited third-generation disciples will become their apprentices. What, you ask why Brother Cheng doesn’t personally take on disciples? He’s busy showing off everywhere; where’s the time to nurture disciples like a hands-on parent? Isn’t it wonderful to be an ancestor who worries about nothing? After the 55 new disciples entered the core area of the sect, their faces were all filled with shock. Then came the euphoria. Before, they sensed during the assessment at the mountain gate that the concentration of spiritual energy there unexpectedly reached Tier Three. Now, everyone suddenly realized that the spiritual energy concentration in this core area had increased another level. It’s ridiculously high, making it hard for them to move, wishing they could sit down immediately to cultivate endlessly. "This, this..." A disciple asked tremblingly, "Elder Luo, is this possibly a Level 4 Spirit Vein?" The apprenticeship ceremony hadn’t happened yet, so they couldn’t call anyone Master or Senior Uncle. Before taking them in, Jiang Cheng promoted them all to elders. Luo Yuan was not much older than them, but hearing himself called elder still made him feel wonderfully content. Unexpectedly, he rose to senior status so quickly. He lightly coughed, mimicking Brother Cheng’s typical pose of showing off, with hands behind his back, head held high, calmly stating, "Exactly Tier Four." "Wow!" "Oh my gosh, it’s truly a Tier Four Spirit Vein!" "A Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, such a concentration of spiritual energy could probably only be found over at Feiyun State, right?" "That’s right, I’ve heard that neither the Red Sun Sect nor the Duanmu Family has anything above a Tier Three Spirit Vein." "Fortunately, I registered this time!" "Training here, my cultivation will surely progress by leaps and bounds..." The newcomers were extremely excited; at this moment, they wished they could always belong to the Feixian Sect. However, there was always an exception among them. Qi Cang stood in the middle of the 55 individuals, outwardly full of surprise, but inwardly sneering non-stop. Yes, he had infiltrated successfully. The Feixian Sect has a Three-Eyed Tiger of unknown power; attacking recklessly is clearly unwise. Disguising as a newcomer and entering the Feixian Sect in a legitimate manner is a smarter strategy. As for what to do once inside, he had plenty of methods. First, he had to investigate what Jiang Cheng’s mysterious opportunity truly was, and find ways to seize it. Secondly, how does he control that Three-Eyed Tiger? Eliminating the Red Sun Sect suggests that the tiger demon’s power is at least at Celestial Fate Ninth Layer, possibly higher! How could a tiger demon this strong be subdued by someone in the Spirit Platform Realm? There must be a reason behind it. If he could uncover the source, then—replacing Jiang Cheng as the new master of that tiger demon wasn’t impossible! Once he had the tiger demon as a spirit pet helper, would the position of Master of the Eight Clouds Hall still be in question? He left no room for error; before infiltrating, he had his confidants create a fake identity as a local cultivator from Qinglan Prefecture, eliminating any traceable issues. And the entry process went quite smoothly. With his talent, passing the true disciple assessment was a breeze, wasn’t it? Originally at the Spirit Platform Eighth Layer, he used various means to suppress it to Energy-Introducing Sixth Layer. Even so, among a group of talented disciples, he still stood out. At this time, everyone gathered at the square in front of the hall. The newcomers couldn’t contain their excitement, looking around in all directions. Even the older members couldn’t remain calm. So many promising seedlings, which would become their disciples? Luo Yuan was the first to step forward, approaching a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. "Lin Ning, I wish to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?" The young girl’s name was Lin Ning; she had a delicate appearance and eyes like frosty mist, giving off a unique air of aloofness and pride. Luo Yuan favored her, not because of her outstanding appearance and demeanor, but because of her talent. This assessment consisted of four stages, and Lin Ning ranked first in each, remarkable enough to invoke envy in her peers. Her talent was possibly not inferior to Ji Linghan’s. Throughout the assessment, she constantly amazed everyone. Though only fifteen years old, she was already past Energy Introduction, having reached Spirit Formation Ninth Layer, not far from Luo Yuan and others in the Gathering Yuan Realm. Such a rare gem would excite anyone, eager to have her under their tutelage. However, before Lin Ning could respond, others weren’t willing to accept it. Yin Xiaoxue shoved Luo Yuan aside and then cheerfully squeezed over. "Lin Ning, following him might not be convenient; we’re both women. With my guidance, you’ll progress rapidly!" Luo Yuan, exasperated, glared at her through gritted teeth. "Junior Sister Yin, are you trying to compete with me?" Taking on a disciple means a lifelong teacher-student bond that cannot be changed, and he wasn’t going to back down. "So what if I am?" Yin Xiaoxue was equally determined.