Chapter 23: Becoming a Disciple of the Elder

Only those present knew how much of a storm the incident with Yue Cuan had stirred within the upper echelons of the Lingzhen Sect.

Sect Leader Daoist Tusheng had personally confiscated the "Sun-Swapping Spirit-Stealing Great Method." The four inner sect elders were in unanimous agreement on this matter; there was no other reason than the fact that this evil technique, which stripped others of their spiritual roots, was too insidious to be allowed to circulate even in the slightest.

"Furthermore, the outer sect disciple Zhao Chun, after having her Wood spiritual root extracted by Yue Cuan, has unexpectedly transformed into a dual Gold and Fire spiritual root. I wish to induct her as an inner sect disciple. What do the elders think?"

The first to speak was a white-haired elder named Ge Xingchao. His long eyebrows arched as he said, "We do not yet know if this evil technique will hinder her cultivation. To rashly bring her into the inner sect—if she fails to even reach Foundation Establishment in the future, would that not be a laughingstock?"

"Spiritual roots are innate; it only depends on how the disciple utilizes them. I have heard that her temperament is resilient; she did not show fear even before the evil cultivator Yue Cuan. This shows she is a fine talent," Qiu Jianying interjected, nodding and offering much praise for Zhao Chun.

Another elder, Wu Yunzhang, lowered his eyes and said, "It might be fine to bring her in to test the waters first. If she reaches the appropriate age without achieving Foundation Establishment, she can simply be returned to the outer sect."

Ge Xingchao quickly looked toward Li Shu—the one of the four Yuan Condensation elders who had not yet spoken. Seeing that Li Shu remained noncommittal, appearing to be resting with eyes closed, he grew irritated and said, "Then let her in! If she cannot achieve Foundation Establishment later on, she should hurry back to the outer sect and not occupy the resources of others!"

Daoist Tusheng nodded with a smile, knowing that Ge Xingchao was habitually prone to such temperaments and liked to voice dissent.

"There is one more matter. Zhao Chun is entering the inner sect at a young age. Logically, she must find a mentor to guide her. Are any of you willing?"

The room fell silent for a moment. Ge Xingchao was naturally unwilling; he held his teacup with both hands, nestled in his seat, watching to see how the other three would act.

Wu Yunzhang acted as if he had heard nothing. It was Qiu Jianying who raised an eyebrow and said, "Among the elders, only my lineage has yet to take a disciple, so perhaps..."

Before she could finish, Li Shu opened his eyes and interrupted, "I recall that Niece Qiu possesses the Water attribute! How could you teach a disciple with dual Gold and Fire spiritual roots?"

Having been cut off, Qiu Jianying’s expression soured, and she said coldly, "Not all of Elder Li's disciples are Gold spiritual root cultivators."

"No, no!" Li Shu shook his head repeatedly and looked toward Daoist Tusheng. "Cultivators with Gold spiritual roots are already rare. Very few of my disciples share my attribute, for that very reason. Now that we have encountered one with dual Gold and Fire cultivation, it is quite a rare opportunity. Senior Brother, you should leave her to me."

From the initial deliberation of whether or not to admit her to the inner sect, to the current dispute between two elders, this development left the remaining three somewhat bewildered.

Qiu Jianying did not know why Li Shu was opposing her, and said indignantly, "How many disciples has Elder Li taken? If not twenty, then at least fifteen? Quality matters more than quantity; do not ruin their paths of cultivation."

"Does Niece think I am misleading my students?" Li Shu countered.

"If the Elder truly thinks so, then I..."

Seeing the argument escalating, Daoist Tusheng waved his hand and said, "Enough! Let us stop here!" He was also quite conflicted; after careful consideration, he cast an apologetic glance toward his disciple, leaving everything unsaid.

Annoyed that he always favored others, Qiu Jianying turned her head away, refusing to look further. She indeed heard Daoist Tusheng say, "Then that disciple shall be placed under Junior Brother Li's lineage."

After the Sect Leader left his seat, she was the first to rise and left the great hall in a fury, her dissatisfaction clear to all the elders.

Ge Xingchao walked back with Li Shu and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother, why did you take that disciple? Her Gold and Fire roots are only slightly compatible with yours."

Li Shu glanced at him and replied, "Whether I take her or not matters little to me. I simply did not want to give Qiu Jianying more leverage. In recent years, Wu Yunzhang has also been leaning toward her side; once she breaks through to the late stage of Yuan Condensation, who else will have a say?"

"Then why admit her to the inner sect at all? Why not just leave her in the outer sect?"

"You foolish head. The Sect Leader raised this matter today because he intended to let her into the inner sect. It would be improper to defy his will. Once she is under my lineage, if she is good, I will nurture her to set an example; if she truly cannot be helped, I will simply ignore her." Li Shu did not truly value Zhao Chun; he only intended to let her cultivate on her own after taking her as a disciple to see what her aptitude was actually like. He had many dual-root disciples and did not lack one with an uncertain future.

Zhao Chun, of course, could not know of the maneuvering among the upper echelons.

Hearing from the messengers that an inner sect elder wished to take her as a disciple, she felt joy in her heart.

From a preparatory disciple to being under the lineage of a Yuan Condensation elder, she had essentially ascended to heaven in a single step, causing quite a stir in the Thirty-Nine Courtyards and even the entire outer sect.

No one failed to envy her for this opportunity, yet none knew the dangers that lay behind it. Had it not been for the protection of the bead, she would have long since perished at the hands of Yue Cuan.

Thinking of the bead, Zhao Chun pulled it out from her person. Since the incident that day, it had returned to its transparent state, as if nothing had happened.

However, the longing emanating from her dantian was so real that it only strengthened her conviction that the bead was a treasure, one she dared not reveal to outsiders.

The day she left Xuan Cao Garden, Lian Jing had said solemnly, "I hear outsiders saying you obtained dual spiritual roots because of a treasure. Regardless of whether that is true or false, someone has set their sights on you. Be extremely careful in the inner sect. Endure as much as you can; only when you have strength will others dare not look down on you."

The matter of Yue Cuan could not be spread, but the Liao siblings and Zhao Chun had to provide a pretext. Recently, rumors had circulated in the Lingzhen Sect claiming that their group had encountered a heavenly and earthly spiritual object on their journey that could create dual spiritual roots, which was then fought over by evil cultivators. The evil cultivators had killed the Liao siblings and intended to target others.

In the moment of crisis, Meng Han had managed a counter-kill against the evil cultivators, saving everyone's lives. By facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator while only at the late stage of Qi Refinement, he had gained considerable fame.

As for Zhao Chun, she was the one who had surreptitiously consumed the heavenly spiritual object while Meng Han was fighting the evil cultivators. Although she gained dual spiritual roots and entry into the inner sect because of it, she was ultimately viewed with disdain.

Though these rumors were full of holes, many believed them. Perhaps there truly were peerless geniuses capable of killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refinement, but that was certainly not something Meng Han could achieve. Furthermore, if Zhao Chun had truly committed such an unrighteous act, why would she still travel back to the sect with Meng Han to meet the elders?

It was simply that some people felt aggrieved and insisted on casting mud at her.

Knowing that arguing was futile, Zhao Chun did not waste her breath. Rather than spending energy on verbal disputes, she would rather focus on cultivation. Once her strength increased, who would dare gossip about her?

Meng Han was also reliable; the storage bag she had asked him to buy arrived the day before she headed to the inner sect.

Although she could not use it openly, she could place her belongings inside, which gave her some peace of mind.

The daily necessities, clothing, and accessories of inner sect disciples were all provided by the sect. Zhao Chun had nothing particular to bring, so she merely carried a bundle containing forty or fifty Essence Stones for show, held the small potted seedling sent by Zhou Pianran, and followed the attendants.

The inner sect was located west of the Guantian River, occupying half of the Hidden Valley. Aside from the Shangyan Hall where the Sect Leader resided and the halls of the four elders, the vast remaining area was inhabited by fewer than two thousand disciples.

Thus, everyone had an independent courtyard where they could find tranquility.

Elder Li Shu had a total of nineteen disciples, meaning Zhao Chun had eighteen senior brothers and sisters above her. Those who could join an elder's lineage were all dual-root cultivators; among them, she was just another face in the crowd.

Using his quiet cultivation as an excuse, Li Shu prevented Zhao Chun from paying him a formal visit. He only bestowed a meditation cushion that could help one settle the mind and calm the spirit as a gift for joining his lineage, stating that when she reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement and was about to attempt Foundation Establishment, she could come to him to request a spiritual item to serve as her foundation for spiritual qi.

Her senior brothers and sisters were also quite busy; they sent Essence Stones and medicinal pills as greeting gifts through messengers, but none appeared in person.

Zhao Chun had a vague feeling that this sect lineage did not particularly welcome her.

Perhaps due to the external rumors, her brow furrowed slightly.