Over the next few days, Xu Xian was swamped with work. At Zuiwan Residence, a revolving door of Deacons and Elders from the Personnel Hall came and went.
Everything was about the Disciple Recruitment Assembly.
Every detail required Xu Xian’s approval.
Xu Xian had originally thought this wouldn't be difficult. It was just recruiting a hundred or so disciples; how much trouble could it be?
Besides, the Wendao Sword Sect had been established for nearly ten thousand years. This was hardly their first time recruiting.
It should have been a well-trodden path. He figured he could just watch from the sidelines and coast through it.
But now, Xu Xian regretted it. He realized he had oversimplified things, and he finally understood why Ye Xianyu had dumped this chore on him.
It was a personal vendetta.
An absolute settlement of a personal score.
She was getting back at him for the time he and Li Qinghan had colluded to swindle her out of 5.55 million merit points.
How petty.
The act of recruiting itself wasn't hard, but the sheer amount of trouble was overwhelming. Truly overwhelming.
Everything, no matter how small, required coordination.
He had to borrow people from other peaks to handle the promotion.
He had to approve funds and create budgets with the Merchant Hall—the expenses for disciples traveling abroad, the wear and tear on the Cloud Boats... everything had to be accounted for.
He had to coordinate with the Mission Hall to allocate merit points and issue recruitment missions.
He even had to get the Sword Suppression Hall to deploy personnel to patrol the mountain outskirts and maintain order when the time came.
With less than half a month left until the scheduled date, the Personnel Hall was still a mess of unfinished business.
The lack of manpower nearly drove Xu Xian to jump into the fray himself.
It was infuriating!
He had a massive headache.
Xu Xian had to find time to visit Zhujian Peak. After dealing with his master, he borrowed some manpower from the Forging Hall.
Thanks to the time Xu Xian had spent living on Zhujian Peak, his reputation there was incredibly high.
With Zhang Yang assisting from within, the disciples of the Forging Hall were more than happy to help.
Nearly half the peak's disciples mobilized to help Xu Xian with his busywork.
Xu Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Personnel Hall’s immediate crisis was averted.
Later.
Xu Xian visited the Baicao Garden to see Yao Xiaoxiao. The little girl was still in a deep sleep. Several eighth-stage Elders from the Elixir Hall were taking turns with Elder Yao to watch over her.
Following Xu Xian's instructions, they were constantly infusing Xiaoxiao with spiritual qi to nourish her soul.
It wasn't a major issue.
Her waking up was only a matter of time.
With any luck, she might even wake up in time for the Disciple Recruitment Assembly.
Yao Luochen, having heard from others that Xu Xian had taken charge of the recruitment assembly, immediately made a statement. He ordered the disciples of the Elixir Hall to halt their current work and place themselves entirely at Xu Xian's disposal.
If the Forging Hall provided timely help, then the Elixir Hall was the icing on the cake.
With the influx of a large amount of manpower, the recruitment preparations gradually became organized amidst the busyness.
And things began to go smoother than expected.
As time passed, the entire sect learned that Xu Xian had come out of seclusion and that he would be presiding over this year's Disciple Recruitment Assembly.
Xu Xian’s admirers from various peaks and halls responded spontaneously and with great enthusiasm.
The Merchant Hall went without saying.
If he wanted money, they gave money; if he wanted ships, they gave ships. As long as Xu Xian dared to name a number, they had only two words: "Transfer sent!"
Then there was the Sword Suppression Hall. Xu Xian was one of their own; his business was the Sword Suppression Hall's business.
As for the Supervision Hall, after the incident in Yecheng, Xu Xian had personally brought back the belongings of those who had fallen in battle. There was a bond of sentiment there.
Even in halls where Xu Xian had little interaction, his reputation preceded him.
In the battle of the Demon Suppression Abyss, more than half of the sect's elite had participated. In that great war, Xu Xian had personally led the Wendao Sword Sect's elite in a charge that leveled Spirit Elixir City.
Those scenes were still fresh in their minds. Now that their Little Grand-Uncle needed help, they naturally wouldn't hesitate.
They brought their disciples and grand-disciples, working with ferocious energy.
In just a few days, nearly the entire sect was mobilized. It was a collective effort, with everyone united as one to prepare for the recruitment.
The scale, the momentum, and the sheer level of influence were things even Ye Xianyu found herself envying.
Even Li Qinghan, with his stubborn tongue, managed to say something nice to Xu Xian’s face for once.
"You brat, you've certainly been hiding your light!"
Xu Xian naturally didn't miss the chance to show off a bit.
"This is the power of the people."
"He who wins hearts wins the sect!"
This earned him a roll of the eyes from Li Qinghan.
Later, Ye Xianyu even used this as a pretext, claiming Xu Xian was planning a rebellion. She said she didn't want to be the Sect Master anymore and told Xu Xian to take over.
Xu Xian ignored her completely, running away faster than a rabbit.
Afterward, he grumbled and cursed under his breath, 'Not even a dog would fall for your trap.'
With the recruitment process fully on track, Xu Xian finally found some leisure time. He went to Zhujian Peak to find his master and took the opportunity to forge a low-grade heaven weapon.
He quietly advanced to a seventh-rank forger.
In Xu Xian's words, it was called being low-key. He didn't want to make a scene, lest he damage the dao hearts of the other Zhujian Peak disciples.
Ruan Hao could only call him a massive show-off!
As the day of recruitment approached, the hundred miles of green mountains outside the mountain gate were covered in a sea of tents, buzzing with the sound of voices.
Everything was ready. Xu Xian couldn't help but stand at the mountain peak and sigh with emotion. "I, Xu Xian, am simply too capable!"
"A minor Disciple Recruitment Assembly was settled with just a word from me."
"Tsk tsk, being this excellent is truly a burden, isn't it?"
Lu Yuan couldn't take it anymore and left early.
He was too much of a show-off, showing off at every possible moment.
However.
It was undeniable that through this small matter, Xu Xian’s influence within the sect was shown to be unique.
Ye Xianyu was extremely pleased. She specifically ran to the Ancestral Peak to find Jiang Wanyin and bragged, "Senior Sister, Little Junior Brother has already passed my test."
Jiang Wanyin, well aware of Ye Xianyu's little schemes, said calmly, "And?"
Ye Xianyu made a bold suggestion. "Since he passed the test, why don't we pass the position of Sect Master to him?"
Jiang Wanyin curled her lip. "The Wendao Sword Sect has no precedent for a soul transformation stage cultivator becoming Sect Master."
Ye Xianyu said solemnly, "The world originally had no paths; it is only because many people have walked them that a path is formed..."
"No!"
"Why not?"
"It goes against the rules."
"Aren't rules meant to be broken?"
Jiang Wanyin’s attitude was firm. "Wait until Little Eleven has reached tribulation transcendence before mentioning this again."
Ye Xianyu went down the mountain feeling dejected.
She secretly vowed.
To ensure she could retire to the mountains early and live a life of leisure, she had to push Xu Xian to cultivate hard.
From soul transformation to tribulation transcendence.
Only three stages.
If it was fast, a few hundred years should be enough.
A few hundred years...
A few hundred years...
A few hundred years...
The more she thought about it, the more Ye Xianyu couldn't sleep all night.
A few hundred years.
This was destined to be a very long season.
Her wishful thinking was loud, but unfortunately, heaven does not always grant what people desire.
In the blink of an eye, fourteen days had passed since Xu Xian came out of seclusion. Yao Xiaoxiao still hadn't woken up, which was a bit later than Xu Xian had anticipated.
However, the Disciple Recruitment Assembly arrived as scheduled.
That morning.
Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, there was a knock on the door of Zuiwan Residence.
Disciples from the Personnel Hall came to urge Xu Xian to set out early to preside over the opening of the mountain gate.
Xu Xian said nothing and left with Lu Yuan.
Halfway there, Xu Xian remembered what Ye Xianyu had said.
She wanted him to take Lu Yuan along to 'broaden his horizons.'
Broadening horizons was a lie; letting the world see them was the real point.
Her intention in having him and Lu Yuan appear in public wasn't hard to guess.
Xu Xian suddenly stopped, looked Lu Yuan up and down, and suggested, "How about... you turn into a deer?"
Lu Yuan asked, "What for?"
Xu Xian said seriously, "I'll ride you there."
Lu Yuan: "..."
Lu Yuan pulled out a knife and handed it to Xu Xian. "Take this."
Xu Xian asked, "What for?"
Lu Yuan said solemnly, "Stab me to death!"
Xu Xian: "..."
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