novelFormally Becoming A Zephyr Sect Disciple
| ← Ch.243 | Ch.245 → |
Translator: Minotauruz
The Greater Sects had visited the Dawn Sect today with the goal of earmarking their Chosen Disciples, not to formally receive new disciples.
Even though the terms "formal disciple" and "Chosen Disciple" comprised nothing more than a one-word difference between the two, their meanings were vastly different. Becoming a Chosen Disciple of a Greater Sect meant that one had earned themselves the right to enter that corresponding Greater Sect. It was no different from Chen Feiyu's present position, or that which Ye Xiuwen had earlier been in.
If they were unable to breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation by the time they reached the age of thirty-five, they would automatically lose their right to enter these Greater Sects. Generally speaking, Greater Sects would never accept a disciple to attain the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation before the age of thirty-five.
In this regard, until one formally becomes a disciple of the Greater Sect, they would not be able to call the respective sect elders a "master", notwithstanding their stature as a Chosen Disciple. Thus, the fact that Jun Xiaomo had addressed Tong Ruizhen as "master" was evidently a glaring error and mistake on her part.
That said, Rong Ruizhen did not mind this at all. Everyone could hear that there was joy and heartiness in his laughter, and it was completely devoid of any traces of indignation or disdain.
What did this mean? This meant that Tong Ruizhen had tacitly approved of her "error".
This tacit approval made every single one of the Dawn Sect disciples stare at the two with their mouths wide open.
To begin with, Tong Ruizhen was a person who hardly concerned himself with trifles. Furthermore, he had wholeheartedly longed to take in Jun Xiaomo as a disciple of his. Thus, when he heard Jun Xiaomo address him as "master", he was truly over the moon.
Jun Xiaomo had displayed her aptitude and proficiencies with her formation arrays and talisman throughout the course of the group battles, and Tong Ruizhen sincerely believed that Jun Xiaomo was a rare talent in the field of formation arrays. It would be too much of a waste if he did not make her his disciple.
The more he looked at the little fellow cultivator before his eyes, the more he grew fond of her. As his hearty laughter gradually subsided, he chirped, "Little fella, since you've already addressed me as 'master', then we may as well see things through and complete the change of master ceremony here and now."
Jun Xiaomo's lips curled into a radiant smile and she nodded in agreement.
Despite that, a sect elder of the Zephyr Sect seated in front furrowed his brows as he interjected, "Old Tong, are you certain that you want to accept her as a disciple now? Her cultivation level..."
In other words, Jun Xiaomo's cultivation was only at the sixth level of Qi Mastery, and it might be putting the cart before the horse if he accepted her as a disciple here and now.
In fact, he was not the only sect elder who thought this way – practically everyone else held the same view as well.
A cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Mastery formally becoming a Greater Sect disciple was something completely unprecedented and unheard of. Even if the disciple happened to be the descendant of a sect elder within the Greater Sect, he would never be considered a formal disciple of the Greater Sect before he attained the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation. This was an unwritten rule within the spiritual cultivation world.
That said, Tong Ruizhen simply snorted as he rebuffed them all, "So what if she's only at the sixth level of Qi Mastery? Who is to say that she can't employ formation arrays at the sixth level of Qi Mastery? Who is to say she can't draw talismans at the sixth level of Qi Mastery? This young lady is a genius in these fields. It would be a waste to let her squander her time on those ridiculous and fanciful combat techniques."
Ridiculous and fanciful combat techniques... The audience was completely speechless. It felt as though they had just been pierced with an arrow that was shot in the dark. After all, of all the cultivators present today, the only person who did not practice those "ridiculous and fanciful combat techniques" was none other than Tong Ruizhen.
The other sect elder of the Zephyr Sect sighed with some measure of resignation in their hearts. Given Tong Ruizhen's personality, they knew that he would most certainly kick up a big fuss if they did not cave in on this matter.
"Alright, since that's the case... Jun Xiaomo, are you willing to formally become a disciple of the Zephyr Sect?"
Jun Xiaomo looked back at the Grand Elder of the Zephyr Sect seated at the front of the Discussion Hall. Then, she bowed politely as she sincerely responded, "Yes. Junior is willing to be a formal disciple of the Zephyr Sect."
The Zephyr Sect's Grand Elder nodded his head before turning to He Zhang, "Then we must trouble Sect Leader He to preside over the formalities."
Jun Xiaomo would only become the formal disciple of the Zephyr Sect once the formal ceremonies had been completed. This was an absolutely necessary procedure.
He Zhang was slightly taken aback. Moments later, he managed to find it within himself to eke out a smile that was stiffer than stone as he quipped back, "It... it is our honour to do so."
That said, He Zhang knew full well that deep within his heart, he had hoped that all of this was nothing more than theatrics, or simply an amusing comedic skit. He sincerely hoped that after everything was over, someone would skip over to his side and tell him that all of it was false.
Who could have expected that after several twists and turns, Jun Linxuan would still come out on top of everything? Today, two Heavenly Disciples were shown favor by the sect elders of the Greater Sects, of which one had even formally become a disciple of the Greater Sect.
He felt as though a lump was now lodged in his throat, choking and stifling him.
Yet no matter how displeased He Zhang was with the present turn of events, he knew that he still had to maintain his pretenses and do what he needed in front of the esteemed sect elders from the Greater Sects. Thus, he drew a deep breath and he did his best to sound sincere as he asked Jun Xiaomo, "Dawn Sect disciple, Jun Xiaomo, step forward and receive your orders."
"Yes." Jun Xiaomo calmly responded, before coolly making her way to the center of the Discussion Hall.
"We shall now conduct the change of master ceremony. Once the ceremony is completed, you will formally become the disciple of the Zephyr Sect." He Zhang looked at Jun Xiaomo with a soulless stare as he spoke.
"Yes." Jun Xiaomo hung her head down and did her best to suppress the laughter in her heart.
The more displeased He Zhang was, the more overjoyed Jun Xiaomo's heart felt. As expected, it was important to be made a formal disciple of a Greater Sect – just the look on He Zhang's face already made everything worthwhile.
He Zhang stood up, faced Jun Xiaomo, and picked up a scroll beside his hands. Then, he began to read a lengthy passage from it.
This passage detailed everything that had to be done in order to complete the formal change of master ceremony. Earlier, He Zhang had sent off his most delightful disciple with his greatest blessings to a Greater Sect.
But now, he was about to use the same passage to send off the disciple he loathed the most to yet another Greater Sect.
The experience of vacillating between an intense high and an intense low was like falling from the mirth of floating among the stars into the mires in the depths of the abyss. His heart was presently a completely train wreck.
Although it was a last-minute suggestion, the entire ceremony was still only completed after one full hour.
Even when the formal ceremony ended, most of the Dawn Sect disciples still found everything incredibly surreal, as though everything had been nothing more than a dream. That said, this were not a pleasant dream, nor a nightmare – it would have been none other than a ridiculous dream of extremities. In this dream, Jun Xiaomo had actually been made a formal disciple of the Zephyr Sect – one of the top three Greater Sects in the spiritual cultivation world.
Several Dawn Sect disciples couldn't help but pinch themselves, wondering whether they were deep in slumber. As they yelped in pain from their vicious nip on their own skins, they began to realize that these events were nothing more than the harsh, cold reality.
A sour jealousy began to flow from the depths of these disciples' hearts. That said, these disciples knew that there was nothing that could change the reality as it stood.
"This concludes the agenda for the day. May I invite the esteemed sect elders to make your way over to the Lotus Pavilion? We have prepared some delectable delights for your pleasure."
He Zhang truly lived up to his name as the Sect Leader. Despite the fact that he was so maddened that he was on the brink of throwing up blood, he still managed to maintain the smile on his face until the very last moment.
The respective sect elders from the Greater Sects nodded their heads, before they followed the usher who led the way as they slowly made their way towards the Lotus Pavilion. Tong Ruizhen patted Jun Xiaomo's shoulder, before informing her that she should prepare to depart for the Zephyr Sect in three days' time.
"Yes, master." Jun Xiaomo responded obsequiously.
Tong Ruizhen eyes curled up in delight as he walked away with a skip in his step. It was evident that receiving Jun Xiaomo as his formal disciple had thoroughly made his day.
"Martial sister, congratulations."
"Xiaomo, congrats, congrats."
Once the sect elders from the Greater Sects departed, Jun Xiaomo found herself immediately accosted by all of her martial brothers from the Heavenly Peak as they began to shower her with their congratulatory words.
"Thank you, martial brothers." Jun Xiaomo smiled as she received her martial brothers' sincere blessings.
Beside them, the disciples of other Peaks glared at Jun Xiaomo with unwillingness in their eyes as their lips quivered, as though they were about to spew a string of contemptuous and vile statements. Yet, they held their lips back at the very last moment, suppressed their indignation, before taking their leave from the Discussion Hall with a stomach full of hot air.
The disciples who were standing outside the Discussion Hall had been there for quite some time now. Given the distance between where they were and where the proceedings took place, they were completely unaware of the matters that had transpired within the Discussion Hall. That said, the news of Jun Xiaomo becoming the formal disciple of the Zephyr Sect spread like wildfire throughout the Heavenly Peak as soon as the meeting had concluded for the day.
Those who saw Jun Xiaomo as a thorn in their sides felt that Jun Xiaomo had struck gold by sheer, dumb luck. It was the kind of luck like those who chanced upon unguarded meat pies along their journeys in the wilderness.
Why couldn't they have such dumb luck and chance upon such large meat pies on their cultivation paths as well? Hateful! Truly hateful!
Of those who hated Jun Xiaomo, Qin Shanshan was the one who reacted the most intensely. She clutched onto Yu Wanrou's arms as she cried out shrilly with disbelief, "What's going on?! How did Jun Xiaomo become the formal disciple of a Greater Sect?! Sister Wanrou, didn't you say that you had a way to deal with her?! How could things have ended up this way?!"
Yu Wanrou had already been in a foul mood to begin with. Faced with Qin Shanshan's relentless interrogation, Yu Wanrou's blood began to boil once more. She furiously wrested her arm free from Qin Shanshan's grasp as she stared straight back into Qin Shanshan's eyes and spoke in a low, stern voice, "Enough. How would I know the answer to your insipid questions? And mind your volume. Do you want the entire world to know that we're scheming against Jun Xiaomo?!"
Qin Shanshan glared back at Yu Wanrou furiously, "I've truly misjudged you. Here, I'd thought that you would put on a good showing. Yet in the end, all you did was to benefit that cheap slut of a woman Jun Xiaomo."
Yu Wanrou drew a deep breath and glanced around at her surroundings. As soon as she ascertained that nobody was looking over, a cold grin crept up the corner of her lips as she barked back at Qin Shanshan, "Since you think that my ideas are useless, then you try and come up with something on your own. It would be best if you let the world know that you're scheming against Jun Xiaomo. That way, you'd be able to ride on her fame as well."
"You!" Qin Shanshan fury had come to a head. She had never expected Yu Wanrou to be to brazen and unrestrained with her.
She was Qin Lingyu's sister after all!
Yu Wanrou glared at Qin Shanshan once more, before she flicked her sleeves and took her leave.
So what if she was Qin Lingyu's sister? She had already secured her entry rights to the Limitless Sect, and she no longer had any reason to act obsequiously as a little mistress to Qin Lingyu.
She would soon surround herself with several cultivation companions. At that time, Qin Lingyu would count for nothing more than one of the many! Hah!
On the other side, several martial brothers from the Heavenly Peak immediately made their way over to congratulate Jun Xiaomo as soon as they heard the news that Jun Xiaomo had formally become a disciple of the Zephyr Sect.
This was particular the case for Wei Gaolang, who leapt around excitedly, yelling at the top of his lungs. Those who didn't know better might well have thought that he was the one who had become a formal disciple of the Zephyr Sect instead.
"Alright, why are you still such a hot-tempered little brat?" Jun Xiaomo patted Wei Gaolang's head with some measure of exasperation. That said, her heart was filled with warmth.
As soon as everyone's joy and excitement subsided, Chen Feiyu was immediately reminded of the little twist in the Discussion Hall.
"That's right, martial sister Xiaomo, I'd been meaning to ask why you'd declined the Greater Sect's invitation earlier on, and then changed your mind later?"
This was the question on most people's hearts in the Discussion Hall as well. They were completely unaware of what transpired between Jun Linxuan and Jun Xiaomo back then, and what Jun Xiaomo was thinking when she rejected the invitation to begin with.
"Haa--?! Martial sister, you'd actually rejected a Greater Sect's invitation?! Why..." Wei Gaolang had been waiting outside the Discussion Hall earlier, so he was not aware of such a twist in the proceedings.
Jun Xiaomo raised her eyebrows quizzically as she looked at the martial brothers around her who were eagerly waiting for her response.
"About that..." Jun Xiaomo paused for a moment, "It's a secret."
Jun Xiaomo smiled mischievously as she whispered the latter part of that sentence, leaving all of the Heavenly Peak disciples speechless.
Martial sister's ability to irk people is simply... top-notch. Sigh, we really don't know whether to laugh or get mad about her response...
| ← Ch. 243 | Ch. 245 → |