Xiao Wenchuan led Xu Luoshui to the square and helped her find her place in the line. He then leaned down and quietly gave her a few words of advice.
Only after that did he leave, returning to his original position, under the burning gazes of his fellow disciples who looked like they wanted to kill him.
He arrived just as Mu Qingling was finishing her own task as a guide and returned to her spot.
"Junior Sister Mu, is Junior Sister Xu from Lingyun Market?"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"Hmm. Did something happen to her family?"
Mu Qingling repeated the story the clone had told her.
"Take extra care of her." That was all he said before falling silent. His eyes stayed locked on Xu Luoshui.
There was something sweet about her that was hard to describe. Combined with her rare earth-grade metal spiritual root, she instantly stood out. She wasn't from a prestigious family, but she looked submissive and delicate, the kind that made people want to protect her.
She was full of charm.
If he could take her as a dao companion and bring her home, it would be a huge gain. Without the ties of a powerful family, there'd be no issue of some elder blocking the marriage for strategic reasons. Once they became dao companions, she would move in with him and rely completely on his family. That meant she would dedicate her future to him.
She had a cousin, sure, but he was a useless one. Just keep him around until he grew old and died. As long as nothing unexpected happened, with an earth-grade single metal root, the lowest she could reach was the Golden Core stage. That would be enough to protect a family for centuries.
Not to mention her figure and appearance were enough to make any man's heart skip a beat.
And this was exactly what Cheng Qian had planned. Beauty was just the first step. What truly attracted big clans was potential, power, and the ability to not cause problems. Now, a seemingly perfect female cultivator had appeared right in front of them.
The male disciples were drawn to Xu Luoshui's body and talent. Cheng Qian was drawn to their spirit stones. Everyone got what they wanted. It was a win-win.
Xu Luoshui was indeed a little manipulative. But what was so wrong with wanting a better life?
A man knows men best. After delivering this well-prepared blow, few male cultivators could stay calm.
The moment Xu Luoshui walked out, the male disciples watching the ceremony began to stir. Some were mesmerized by her looks. Others admired both her beauty and potential.
"Hmph. What kind of behavior is this? All those years of cultivation gone to waste? Just a pretty face."
That voice came again, from the Golden Core cultivator of the Yu family.
Xu Luoshui looked terrified. Her eyes were filled with fear, as if she were trying hard not to cry.
But in her mind, she was raging. 'This idiot again? Always picking on me? Fine, just wait. I'll get you back one day.'
The outer disciples who had been invited to watch the ceremony all bowed their heads, thinking Grandmaster Yu had gotten angry because they'd been staring too much.
Even the inner disciples lowered their heads, but in their hearts, they were annoyed.
'You're a Golden Core Grandmaster. Picking on a young girl like that? Have you no shame?'
Among the top inner disciples, many had their own masters and elders backing them. So they looked when they wanted to look.
'She ruined some plan of the Yu family and now you're losing your temper? What kind of Golden Core cultivator has such a narrow heart? No wonder your family has failed to take the sect master position for three generations,' The current sect master thought, glancing at Yu Shisheng, seated calmly at the top of the platform.
That man used to be his junior brother. After losing the race to become sect master, he went traveling. By some miraculous luck, he came across a rare opportunity and formed a Golden Core. Then he returned to the sect, arrogant and dismissive of everyone.
'How did a man like him manage to become a Golden Core cultivator?'
The sect master could only keep enduring for a little longer.
One major benefit of being sect master was that every forty years, a batch of resources would be gathered to refine a Gold Formation Pill.
The Gold Formation Pill, like the Foundation Building Pill, was an important supplement that greatly increased one's chances of forming a Golden Core. Even if the breakthrough failed, the pill could protect the heart and give one a second chance.
That was why the Yu family was so obsessed with winning the sect master seat.
And the reason they had the confidence to push for it was because one of the current Golden Core Grandmasters had once been an elder from the Yu family. That elder had once formed a life-and-death bond with the Yu family's old ancestor. There had even been some romantic entanglement between them.
Alone in the world now, he viewed the younger generation of the Yu family as his own descendants.
The sect master figured that was the reason behind their arrogance. But this newly promoted elder, his former junior brother, was becoming a little too presumptuous.
"New disciples, form a line and pay your respects to the Grandmasters. Three kneels, nine bows."
Pushing aside the useless thoughts he continued the ceremony.
******
"...Rites complete. All Fellow Daoists and Grandmasters may now choose their disciples."
As the words fell, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the high platform turned their eyes toward the head seat—Ancestor Haoyu.
Haoyu tapped his fingers on the armrest.
Tok, tok, tok, tok.
He was weighing his options. He was already four hundred years old and had suffered injuries during his years of battle.
Given his current cultivation, he only had a few decades left. Golden Core realm fifth layer—that was his limit. Even if by some miracle he reached the sixth, it wouldn't buy him much more time. Only breaking through to the next major realm would truly extend his lifespan.
He had once considered that Yu Shisheng, having formed his Golden Core at a relatively young one hundred fifty years, still had over two hundred years left to live. Compared to the other elders, that was a significant advantage.
What mattered most in cultivation? At his age, he had begun to see the truth.
It was survival.
Why was talent so highly valued in the world of cultivation?
Because if it took someone 150 years to go from Qi Refining to Golden Core, but another with better talent only needed 100 years, they effectively had 50 more years to cultivate as a Golden Core. That time could make all the difference.
So many cultivators had failed to reach the Nascent Soul stage not because of lack of ability, but because they simply ran out of time.
Of course, there were exceptions—those with poor talent but extremely long lives. Some didn't compete or fight, only practiced longevity techniques, and with enough resources, they too had a chance to reach higher realms.
But those kinds of people were usually descendants of powerful cultivators: Divine Transformation, Void Refining, even higher. The darlings of major forces.
In the cultivation world, if you don't fight, you don't survive.
Ancestor Haoyu no longer aimed for a higher realm. His only goal now was to pass on the sect's legacy. Yu Shisheng had seemed the most suitable for that. He was the youngest and had the best chance of protecting the sect for the longest time.
That was why he had agreed to take in the Yu family's single spiritual root genius as a disciple.
He knew exactly what the Yu family wanted: control of the sect, and maybe even to hold the Sect Master position for generations.
He didn't mind. As long as the Lingyun Sect's name stood, so would his own legacy.
As for rumors about the Yu family trying to swallow the whole sect, he scoffed. The clan-based path didn't work in the Tianyan Domain. Only in the grand empires of the Central Continent, spanning multiple domains, could a family truly rule.
Besides, after death, who cared what came next?
But now, a new choice had appeared. This girl was a surprise. Before he died, he could push her to the Sect Master position. Even those Golden Core elders who resented the Yu family's dominance would support her in his absence.
Sometimes, upholding the legacy of the sect mattered more than personal power plays.
"Xu Luoshui, are you willing to take me as your master?"
Before she could respond, Ancestor Haoyu added more. Since he had made up his mind, it was time to start suppressing the Yu family's influence. He wouldn't act directly, but he needed to make his stance clear.
"I can pass on to you the Nascent Soul cultivation technique Violet Lightning Sword Canon, which I obtained three hundred years ago from the Lingxiao Sword Sect."
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
This was a Nascent Soul-level technique from the Lingxiao Sword Sect, a force that had Void Refining experts among its ranks.
Even if it wasn't one of their core techniques, for it to be part of such a sect's collection, it had to be extraordinary.
Several Golden Core grandmasters stared at Ancestor Haoyu. In their minds, they all wondered—what else is that old man hiding?
Then, all eyes turned to Yu Shisheng. Thoughts swirled behind every gaze.
Sect Master Dong Wanhua immediately understood Haoyu's message. This was not only about paving the road for a new disciple but also a warning shot toward the Yu family.
He sent a voice transmission directly to Xu Luoshui.
"Quickly bow and thank your master."
The clone immediately dropped to her knees.
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this art."
"Good, good. Come stand beside me and observe the ceremony." With a wave of his hand, Xu Luoshui rose into the air and landed gently at Ancestor Haoyu's side.
******
Inside his cave residence, Cheng Qian clenched his fists. "Yes! Now this identity is unbeatable. The old plan of playing the social butterfly, tricking men into marriage, scamming them for betrothal gifts, and being the perfect femme fatale all in one will need a serious upgrade. Time to aim higher."
Why was he so eager to stir up trouble instead of just cultivating peacefully in the sect?
Because the clone could only reach up to the peak of the Qi Refining stage. On top of that, he still needed to replenish his essence. Without spirit stones, how was he supposed to do that?
If he didn't start raking in spirit stones now, how many years could he even keep cultivating?
Never mind whether he could even wait that long. If his clone couldn't advance to Foundation Establishment in ten, twenty, even a hundred years, people would definitely notice something was wrong.
And wasting time wasn't his style.
******
Meanwhile, when Xu Luoshui was accepted as a disciple, a voice filled with dissatisfaction sounded.
"Senior Brother Haoyu, don't you think this is a bit improper?"