Right after, another two or three people introduced themselves.
Leading them was Chen Zian, the Crown Prince of the Chen Kingdom in the Southern Region. He spoke in a slow, deliberate manner, with manners so perfect that he didn't seem like he was here to seek a master, but rather as an envoy. Beside him was Yin Ruozhuo, the young master of the Southern Region's Furong Merchant Alliance. He had a round face and smiling eyes, with a wealthy air around him that could not be hidden. Every other sentence out of his mouth was, “I will send some top-grade spiritual tea for Miss Shen to taste later.”
Within less than fifteen minutes, the seven or eight young men and women in the candidate area had lined up to fully reveal their family backgrounds.
Everyone managed their boundaries with precise measure, conveying their goodwill to associate without being so familiar as to cause offense.
These descendants of great families were all extremely proud in the outside world, but none of them were truly foolish.
Having been influenced by their families since childhood, they knew exactly who not to offend and who to befriend; they calculated these matters more clearly than anyone else.
Shen Qingci's overall aura, the guard behind her, and Elder Zhou's attitude all pointed to one thing: this Miss Shen was not to be trifled with and must never be slighted. If they could forge a good relationship, it would naturally be for the best.
Shen Qingci nodded in response to each of them, neither overly enthusiastic nor cold. She did not speak much, but every response was perfectly measured, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.
Watching from the side, Zhao Yu clicked his tongue in amazement.
He believed that after fifteen years of immersion in the Zhao royal family, his social skills were top-notch, but compared to the Miss Shen before him, he seemed a bit too try-hard.
She had quietly grasped everyone's background thoroughly, while only revealing the words “Shen family of the Northern Region” about herself, refusing to utter a single word more.
This was the true bearing of a great, noble family!!!
While they were talking in the candidate area, a young man wearing the uniform of an inner sect disciple suddenly approached from outside. He looked to be in his early twenties, walking hurriedly yet steadily.
He stopped at the edge of the blue jade tiles, cupped his hands to bow to the area, and his gaze landed straight on Shen Qingci.
“May I ask if you are Miss Shen Qingci?” the young man asked respectfully.
Shen Qingci turned around and nodded.
“I am Lin Yuan, an inner sect deacon disciple. By order of the Five Peak Masters, I invite Miss Shen to proceed to Lanyun Hall for a conversation.” After saying this, Lin Yuan added toward Shen Hanzhou, “Enshrined Guardian Shen may also come along. The Peak Masters have said there is no need for formalities.”
The candidate area instantly fell silent.
The folding fan in Zhao Yu's hand froze mid-air, and Yin Ruozhuo opened his mouth but quickly shut it.
Summoned by the Five Peak Masters at the same time.
How many years had it been since such a thing happened at the Azure Cloud Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony? Let alone all five Peak Masters, even if a single Peak Master was willing to meet an disciple who had not officially entered the sect, it would be enough to keep the entire Dengxian Market talking for three days and three nights.
But now, all five peaks had issued an invitation together, even sending an inner sect deacon disciple to personally deliver it. Such a grand display had far exceeded what the word "importance" could cover.
Shen Qingci, however, looked as calm as ever, a look of expectation flashing in her eyes. Elder Zhou had passed the message up even faster than she had anticipated.
“Thank you for leading the way, Brother Lin,” she replied straightforwardly. She turned to nod at the new acquaintances in the candidate area as a farewell gesture, then left with Shen Hanzhou, following Lin Yuan.
Once their figures had faded into the distance, Zhao Yu finally closed his folding fan, leaned toward Gu Qingyi, and smiled apologetically, “Miss Qingyi, your Gu family is known as a secluded noble clan. Have you ever seen such a grand display?”
Gu Qingyi stared thoughtfully in the direction of Shen Qingci's departure. “When my father entered the Azure Cloud Sect back then, he was personally accepted by the Sect Master, yet even he never received the honor of being summoned by the Five Peak Masters simultaneously.”
“If she is from the main lineage of the clan, it might be possible.”
Xiao Yan folded his arms and said, “That means the five Peak Masters cannot figure out the Shen family's background either, and now they all want to snatch her first.”
Once he finished speaking, everyone fell into silence. There were very few figures in the entire Southern Region who could make the five Peak Masters of the Azure Cloud Sect grow so restless.
Lanyun Hall was located deep within the inner sect of the Azure Cloud Sect. To get there from Dengxian Square, one had to pass through three mountain gates and two mountain-protecting arrays.
Lin Yuan led the way ahead, walking at a brisk pace while maintaining a distance of half a step behind Shen Qingci. As they walked, he softly introduced the layout along the way.
Shen Qingci followed at an unhurried pace, occasionally responding.
As the three of them passed through the second mountain-protecting array, a notification suddenly rang out in Shen Qingci's sea of consciousness.
[Ding! The novice quest “Convince at least fifty people of your identity as a lady of a secluded family at the Azure Cloud Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony” has been completed.]
[Calculating quest statistics...]
[Direct believers: 127 people (including two Golden Core cultivators and six Nascent Soul cultivators)]
[Belief Value obtained: 478 points]
[Quest rewards distributed: Luck Value +10, one bonus single gacha pull]
[Current Belief Value balance: 483 points]
Shen Qingci's steps paused slightly before returning to normal. 127 people—this was more than double what she had expected.
With the noble descendants in the candidate area, the rogue cultivators in the square, the outer sect deacons, and the news spread by Elder Zhou, this number was not actually that exaggerated.
She quickly did the math in her head.
According to the system's rules, the two Golden Core cultivators contributed four points each, and the six Nascent Soul cultivators contributed eight points each, adding up to fifty-six points.
The remaining 422 points came from 119 Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Some were fully convinced while others were half-skeptical, and the weighted conversion matched perfectly.
483 Belief Value points were enough for four pulls.
“By the way, System. Were the extra five points provided by Yunshang Pavilion?”
[Yes, Host. Please check the final Belief Value on your own. The system will not broadcast every single entry.]
Shen Qingci looked up at the mountain path ahead. Ancient trees blocked out the sky, spiritual mist wrapped around the branches, and the occasional silhouette of a crane glided through the gaps in the clouds. Lanyun Hall was built halfway up Wanjian Peak. Lin Yuan had just said it would take another fifteen minutes to walk there.
The single pull from the novice quest had not been used yet, which, combined with the four pulls from the 483 Belief Value points, made exactly five pulls.
She immersed her consciousness into the system.
The phantom of the roulette wheel spread out, and the pointer spun rapidly.
[First pull—!]
Gray light.
[Thank you for your patronage.]
[Second pull—!]
Gray light.
[Thank you for your patronage.]
[Third pull—!]
A blue light shone.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Mystic-grade Mid-rank magic robe, Moon-Grasping Flowing Celestial Dress.]
Woven from moonlight silk, the skirt's hem was embedded with ninety-nine moon-grasping stones. It rippled with a clear glow as she walked, coming with three passive enchantments: Dust-Repelling, Heart-Clearing, and Mind-Calming.
The corner of Shen Qingci's mouth curved slightly. This came at the perfect time. As a direct descendant of a great family, she could not just wear the Starry Abyss robe over and over again.
[Fourth pull—!]
The blue light flashed again, deeper than before.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: High-grade spirit stones × 100.]
In the cultivation world, a single high-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, and they were often unavailable even if one had the money. Let alone Golden Core cultivators, even for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, their entire net worth converted into high-grade spirit stones would only be around a hundred or so.
This single pull of hers was equivalent to pulling the entire net worth of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
This pull could be considered quite practical.
[Fifth pull—!]
Purple light burst forth.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Earth-grade Low-rank Everlasting Youth-Retaining Pill × 3.]
The pill cards floated in her sea of consciousness, and the description text lit up line by line: Consuming this will permanently freeze one's appearance at the moment of ingestion. The effect is permanent and irreversible.
Rate on N.U.
