“We pay our respects to Sect Master Leng.”
The three elders from the other sects quickly bowed, their postures extremely respectful.
Suspended in mid-air, Leng Zhiwei's expression remained indifferent. She merely gave a slight nod in response, not saying a word.
The elders grumbled inwardly. It was just a competition for a junior, yet the Qinglan Sword Sect had gone so far as to bring their Sect Master in person. It was simply making a mountain out of a molehill.
Turning their heads, they caught sight of the Qinglan Sword Sect elder snickering on the side, and a wave of frustration welled up in their chests, leaving them with nowhere to vent.
Their opponent hadn't played by the recruitment rules at all. She had secretly summoned her Sect Master to back her up long ago, yet she had put on a show of backing off earlier just to play them for fools.
Regret filled their hearts. Had they anticipated this, they would have definitely sent word to summon their own sect masters, rather than landing themselves in such a passive position.
With things having reached this point, everyone knew the competition was essentially over.
Yet, they were still unwilling to leave just like that. A tiny sliver of hope lingered in their hearts; perhaps Ye Ling herself would be unwilling to join the Qinglan Sword Sect.
With that thought in mind, the three elders retreated to the side and watched quietly.
Ye Ling looked up at the woman in palace attire suspended in the air, wondering silently if this was indeed the Sect Master of the Qinglan Sword Sect.
It really was her who had been secretly observing her earlier. No wonder her soul had sent out a warning.
Even though the woman had only released a tiny trace of her aura, it still exerted an extraordinarily heavy pressure.
High in the air, Leng Zhiwei's figure drifted down gracefully, stepping onto empty space as she descended.
Her luxurious palace attire fluttered gently in the wind. She showed no signs of arrogance, yet she naturally exuded the transcendent aura of a great sect's leader.
As her feet touched the ground, her gaze fell upon Ye Ling, scrutinizing her closely.
The young girl before her wore a neat green robe and carried a sword at her waist. She stood tall and slender, her pitch-black hair tied high in a ponytail. She looked clean and sharp, without a single unnecessary adornment.
Her features were delicate and her eyes crystal clear, though she was wrapped in a cold, aloof aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one could faintly detect a majestic, sharp sword path momentum hidden within her slender frame. It was restrained and unpretentious, but deeply rooted, like a concealed blade waiting to be drawn.
Leng Zhiwei marveled inwardly. She truly lived up to the reputation of climbing nine thousand steps, and was in no way inferior to that predecessor from three hundred years ago.
At such an age, she possessed exceptional beauty, a steadfast Dao Heart, and a profound foundation in the sword path. She was truly a once-in-a-millennium sword genius.
After studying her for a moment, Leng Zhiwei no longer hid the admiration in her eyes.
She looked at the young girl, speaking in a warm, composed tone.
“Ye Ling, I am Leng Zhiwei, the Sect Master of the Qinglan Sword Sect.”
“At just fifteen years old and with a cultivation at the Houtian Eleventh Layer, you managed to climb nine thousand steps of the Heavenly Spirit Stairs. Furthermore, your sword path has already touched the threshold of a half-step Sword Force.”
“Your sword path talent reigns supreme in the entire Heishui Commandery. Even looking across the younger generation of the Qingyun Kingdom over the past century, few can stand as your equal.”
Because the three elders from the other sects were right there, Leng Zhiwei deliberately held back. She did not expose the fact that Ye Ling had already fully mastered a half-step Sword Force, preventing her trump card from being completely revealed to the public.
Keeping her eyes fixed on Ye Ling, Leng Zhiwei continued, offering terms that countless disciples could only dream of obtaining in their entire lifetimes.
“Today, I have come in person to make an exception and invite you to join our Qinglan Sword Sect.”
“If you are willing to join us, you will not need to go through the trials of the outer and inner sects. You will be directly appointed as the sect's Tenth True Disciple.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, the Qinglan Sword Sect elder froze in shock, while the elders of the other three sects stared blankly, their faces filled with utter disbelief.
The four major sects had followed a centuries-old rule where each sect was strictly limited to nine True Disciple positions, never to be increased or decreased lightly.
Candidates for True Disciples could only be selected through rigorous layers of screening from among the top inner sect disciples who had cultivated for many years. The threshold was incredibly high, requiring a minimum cultivation of the late-stage Xiantian Realm.
Yet, Ye Ling was still in the Houtian Realm and had not even stepped into the Xiantian Realm. Despite this, Leng Zhiwei had broken the ancient tradition to create an exclusive Tenth True Disciple seat just for her.
This allowed her to soar to the heavens in a single bound, obtaining a complete set of resources reserved for True Disciples, a private cultivation cave, and all the privileges that came with the status.
Such treatment was something ordinary sect elders simply had no authority to offer.
Catching sight of the frustrated expressions of the other three sect elders, Leng Zhiwei smiled inwardly. They certainly could not match this level of sincerity and bargaining chips.
She continued her promises, “All of the sect's forbidden areas, secret realms, and complete sword path inheritances will be fully open to you, with absolutely no restriction barriers.”
“You will also enjoy a fifty-percent discount on all sect spirit stones, cultivation materials, sword-forging natural treasures, and defensive swords.”
She had her own calculations. For a once-in-a-millennium sword genius like Ye Ling, her own cultivation and horizon were limited; she was simply not fit to be her master.
Rather than forcing a master-disciple relationship and hindering the girl's future, it was better to pour the entire sect's resources into nurturing her.
In this world, there was probably only one person truly capable of guiding and teaching this girl.
Pausing for a brief moment, she threw out her final, highly enticing promise.
“If you join our Qinglan, I will make a special trip to contact Senior Su Qingyue and request her to personally guide your cultivation.”
The moment the name “Su Qingyue” was spoken, the hearts of the three other sect elders shuddered in unison.
Although she had left for a top-tier sect in the Eastern Territory to cultivate hundreds of years ago and had not set foot in the Qingyun Kingdom since, almost none of the younger generation in the four major sects mentioned her name anymore.
Yet, in the hearts of the older generation of elders, the legendary reputation of this peerless predecessor who had once single-handedly supported the rise of the Qinglan Sword Sect had never faded.
No one had expected Leng Zhiwei to make such a staggering promise, planning to invite Su Qingyue herself to guide Ye Ling's cultivation.
At this moment, the faces of the three elders turned ashen, the last trace of hope in their hearts completely extinguished.
It was over. There was no longer any room to compete. The chips Leng Zhiwei had laid out were of too high a level; they could not match them no matter what.
On the other side, Ye Ling remained calm and focused, listening intently to every single condition Leng Zhiwei laid out without missing a word.
Since this concerned all her future cultivation resources, status, treatment, and cultivation path after joining the sect, she did not dare to be careless, quietly weighing her options.
When she heard about the position of the Tenth True Disciple, she had not yet fully grasped the weight of this status.
But seeing the utter shock on the faces of all the elders present, she understood instantly that this was a top-tier privilege ordinary people could never obtain in their entire lives.
When she heard that all the sect's forbidden areas, secret realms, and supreme sword path inheritances would be open to her without any threshold, a light instantly flickered in Ye Ling's eyes, and an irrepressible joy surged in her heart.
What she desired most were top-tier sword path resources and complete inheritances, and this offer struck right at the core of her wishes.
Hearing that all cultivation resources, sword-forging natural treasures, and defensive swords could be acquired at half price, she was even more delighted, the coldness in her expression softening slightly.
Finally, when the name “Su Qingyue” entered her ears, Ye Ling's heart stirred slightly.
She wondered if this was the peerless predecessor the item spirit had mentioned, who had stepped onto the nine-thousandth step three hundred years ago and stunned the entire Qingyun Kingdom.
She had heard that this senior had long since departed to cultivate in a top-tier sect of the Eastern Territory and had not returned home for hundreds of years. She wondered what realm she had reached by now.
She had not expected that after joining the sect, she would actually have the chance to receive guidance from this legendary figure.
Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Ye Ling reigned in her emotions and spoke clearly.
“Alright, I will join the Qinglan Sword Sect.”
Rate on N.U.
