“Ah... haha... um... well, you see, about that...”
Hearing the Grand Elder’s question, Lu Ming scratched his head.
He didn't know how to explain to the Grand Elder that he had lost the sect's sign, the large blue stone.
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao also looked at the sky and the ground, not daring to meet the Grand Elder’s gaze.
The two men and one dog felt too ashamed to face him. They had been tasked with watching the house, yet they had somehow managed to watch it disappear entirely.
“Hmm? I’m asking you guys. Where is the sect?”
Seeing their behavior, the Grand Elder's eyes flickered as he asked once more.
Having no other choice, Lu Ming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and decided to just go for it.
“Grand Elder, please don't be angry... Just listen to my rambling explanation...”
Beside him, Big Yellow raised its dog head and stretched its neck straight.
Opening its mouth, it said, “Right, right... We can make up excuses! No, no, no, I mean we can explain! We had our reasons!”
Huang Tianbao looked at Lu Ming and Big Yellow, nodding in agreement.
“Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother are right...”
Everyone looked at Huang Tianbao in speechless silence.
They hadn't even said anything yet, and he was already agreeing!
Stared at by everyone, Huang Tianbao blinked and looked back blankly.
His face was filled with confusion, and he muttered in his heart, Did I say something wrong? Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother have already made their stance clear. Is there something wrong with me agreeing with them? Oh well, whatever.
Lu Ming was also speechless. Well, this guy clearly didn't realize his own mistake.
Standing in the corner, Xue Wuchang's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
My goodness, were these three people, who were acting as obedient as little white rabbits, really the same three Sect Masters who had chased down and hacked Soul Transformation cultivators to pieces?
The contrast was too massive; they seemed like completely different people!
Where was their ferocity?
When they were chasing him, they certainly hadn't been like this.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel relieved. Thank goodness he had been smart enough just now.
He hadn't shown any disrespect to the Grand Elder.
Otherwise, these three would have beaten the absolute crap out of him.
It seemed he was still too young to understand how unpredictable the world could be.
Looking at the three clowns before him, the Grand Elder's lips couldn't help but twitch violently.
As expected of his disciples, each was more fitting of the Qingshan Sect than the last.
They really were endearing...
Not bad, not bad...
Then, the two men and the dog took turns explaining what had happened.
From discovering that the large blue stone had been stolen, to them being besieged...
“You mean to say... our sect's large blue stone is also lost?”
Hearing their story, the Grand Elder looked up at the three of them and couldn't help but cry out in shock.
Lu Ming lowered his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Yes... but we have been looking for it.”
At this point, Lu Ming looked up at the Grand Elder and promised, “Don't worry, Grand Elder. I swear, even if I have to turn the entire Eastern Province upside down and dig three feet into the ground, I will find the large blue stone. I will never let our sect's sign be lost like this...”
“Right, right, right... Even if we have to flip the Eastern Province over, we will find it...”
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao nodded in agreement.
Stroking his beard, the Grand Elder continued to ask, “You moved the sect because the Haoran Sect and the others besieged us?”
Lu Ming rubbed his nose awkwardly again.
“Yes...”
“Why would they suddenly besiege our sect for no good reason?”
This single question left Lu Ming stunned.
Damn it, it seemed like the trouble they had caused outside had ended up dragging the sect into it.
“Then where did you move the sect to?” the Grand Elder asked again.
“Um... we haven't decided on a place yet...”
With each of the Grand Elder's questions, cold sweat poured down Lu Ming's forehead.
It felt like ever since he took charge of the sect, things had never gone well.
Could it be that he wasn't cut out for managing a sect?
Seeing the state of the three, the Grand Elder suppressed the smile playing on his lips.
Then, feigning a serious expression, he said, “Cough, cough... You don't need to worry about finding the large blue stone anymore.”
“The Second Elder, Third Elder, and I will look for it.”
Hearing this, Lu Ming snapped his head up to look at the Grand Elder.
“Why don't you need us to look for it?”
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao also stared at the Grand Elder in confusion.
The Grand Elder looked at Lu Ming and swept his sleeves.
“It's like this. There is a far more important matter that requires your attention...”
“What is it?”
Lu Ming grew even more puzzled. What could possibly be more important than finding the sect's sign?
Just then, the Grand Elder fished out a fish-shaped jade pendant from his storage bag and handed it to Lu Ming.
The jade was exquisite, smooth, and translucent, with sleek lines carving out the fish's body, which glowed with a faint spiritual light.
One look was enough to tell it was no ordinary object.
“From now on, you are the Saint of the Qingshan Sect!”
Lu Ming looked at the Grand Elder in shock.
Out of nowhere, how did he suddenly become the Qingshan Sect's Saint?
Besides, with so few people in the sect, was there even a need to appoint a Saint?
Meanwhile, Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao were thrilled.
“Congratulations, Boss, on becoming the Qingshan Sect's Saint!”
Big Yellow raised its paw, bowed, and said in a deadpan manner.
Huang Tianbao also bowed and offered his congratulations.
They were genuinely happy that Lu Ming had become the Saint of the Qingshan Sect.
Lu Ming looked at the jade pendant in his hand, then at the Grand Elder.
“Grand Elder, is this the Saint token?”
It didn't look like one!
Sure enough, the Grand Elder shook his head.
“No, it's not!”
Lu Ming became even more confused. Since he was appointed as the Saint and given a jade pendant, if this wasn't an identity token, what was it?
Before Lu Ming could ask again, the Grand Elder said with a smile, “This is your betrothal gift!”
“What?”
“Woof, woof, woof?”
“A betrothal gift?”
As soon as the Grand Elder spoke, Lu Ming and the others couldn't help but cry out in shock.
Big Yellow even reverted to dog language.
Lu Ming even doubted if he had heard correctly.
How did a betrothal gift suddenly enter the picture?
“Yes, a betrothal gift!” the Grand Elder confirmed with a nod.
Shaking in fear, Lu Ming tried to return the jade pendant to the Grand Elder, but the Grand Elder refused to take it back.
The Grand Elder then said to Lu Ming, “As the thirty-eighth generation Saint of our Qingshan Sect, you have a marriage contract with the twenty-ninth generation Saintess of the Tiansheng Sect in the Central Province!”
Hearing the Grand Elder's words, Lu Ming looked at the fish-shaped jade pendant in his hand again, completely speechless.
No wonder the Grand Elder wanted to appoint him as the Saint.
It turned out it was just to get him to fulfill a marriage contract.
Lu Ming looked at him helplessly.
“Grand Elder, can I choose not to be the Saint? I just want to focus on finding our sect's large blue stone and make our sect prosper...”
Without any hesitation, the Grand Elder refused.
“No. As the Eldest Disciple of the sect, if you don't do it, who will?”
Hearing this, Lu Ming instinctively turned to look at Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao beside him.
There was a hint of plea in his eyes, hoping one of them would take his place.
But the moment Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao met Lu Ming's gaze, they shuddered in fear, quickly took two steps back, and shook their heads frantically.
Big Yellow's dog eyes rolled as it quickly refused,
“I'm a dog! I'm also the Demon Race Little Ancestor. I'm not suited to be the Saint!”
Huang Tianbao turned pale with fright, fine beads of sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. He waved his hands hurriedly and said,
“I... I am already the Saint of the Blood Fiend Tower. Being the Saint of two sects at once doesn't fit the rules.”
At the same time, he couldn't help but mutter in his heart, If even Eldest Senior Brother is refusing, I definitely wouldn't be able to handle it.
Hearing Huang Tianbao's words, the Grand Elder's eyes flashed, and he chuckled.
“Right, the two of them are indeed unsuitable. This matter has to be you. It's settled then.”
“You must work hard to marry your wife soon, so you can branch out and carry on the lineage for our Qingshan Sect...”
Seeing the Grand Elder's eyes shining, Lu Ming's lips twitched.
He didn't like arranged marriages!
Unwilling to give up, Lu Ming pleaded once more,
“Grand Elder, I really don't want to go. Can this marriage contract be canceled? Can I just not fulfill it?”
Hearing this, the Grand Elder shook his head repeatedly and sighed,
“That won't do. You don't know, but the current Tiansheng Sect is already the number one power in the Central Province, with formidable strength.”
“If our Qingshan Sect breaks the contract for no good reason, the Tiansheng Sect will feel they've lost face. If they get angry...”
“They might just march their armies eastward and wipe out our entire Qingshan Sect. When that happens, the entire Eastern Province might suffer as well...”
“For everyone's safety, you should make this small sacrifice. Besides, the Saintess of the Tiansheng Sect must be exceptionally beautiful. Countless people want to marry her but can't!”
Lu Ming opened his mouth to retort, but found himself speechless.
The Grand Elder was telling the truth. With the Qingshan Sect's current strength, they had no way of competing with the top power of the Central Province.
His heart was filled with depression. How could he be so unlucky? First, he mysteriously lost the sect's sign.
Then, he suddenly gained a fiancée he had never even met. This was simply unlivable.
Just then, the Grand Elder's voice rang out again:
“However, if you are truly unwilling, it doesn't matter. Because your status as her fiancé is actually pending, so you can let them call off the engagement...”
“Hmm? Pending?”
Lu Ming blinked, and the depression on his face dissipated slightly.
He quickly looked up at the Grand Elder and asked in confusion,
“Grand Elder, what do you mean? What does 'pending' mean?”
“It's like this. When the two sects made this marriage contract back then, they were worried that after many years, the descendants of both sides might have mismatched aptitudes, dislike each other, or have too great a disparity in strength. So, they specifically added an additional condition,” the Grand Elder explained slowly.
“What condition? Grand Elder, tell me quickly!” Lu Ming asked impatiently, a glimmer of hope igniting in his heart. If there was a condition, he might be able to escape this marriage.
Looking at Lu Ming's eager expression, the Grand Elder said word by word:
“The condition is simple. You must be one of the top geniuses of this generation on the Xuantian Continent, possessing outstanding strength.”
“Furthermore, at the Saintess's Husband Selection Assembly, you will have to face consecutive challenges from all the other geniuses. Only by standing out can you truly become the fiancé of the Tiansheng Sect's Saintess. If you lose, then sorry.”
“The marriage contract will automatically be canceled, and the Saintess will become the Dao companion of another genius.”
Lu Ming's eyes flickered, and he rejoiced in secret. If she turned out to be an ugly hag, he would just throw the match and admit defeat.
Just as Lu Ming's thoughts settled.
Boom...!
The void trembled.
A deafening roar suddenly echoed through heaven and earth, and the entire void shook violently.
The originally calm void rippled like a lake surface struck by a massive force.
Visible ripples spread outward.
Lu Ming snapped his head up to look at the trembling void.
He didn't understand what was happening.
This earth-shattering commotion immediately alarmed all the cultivators in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
They all felt the terrifying aura, and one after another, they looked up at the sky in shock.
No one understood what had happened.
The Grand Elder, however, merely let his eyes flicker, standing calmly on the spot without even sparing a glance.
In the next moment, at the center of the ripples, a faint golden light slowly blossomed.
At first, it was just a tiny speck of light, but in an instant, it turned into a brilliant wheel of light. The wheel spun rapidly, expanding continuously.
Then, everyone saw a massive projection slowly emerge from the wheel of light amidst surging mists.
The projection was not physical, yet it occupied the entire void, blotting out the sun.
Looking at the gold-robed figure, Lu Ming was somewhat puzzled.
He had no idea whose projection this was.
Just then, the projection spoke slowly, its voice echoing through the void.
“All Soul Transformation stage cultivators under a thousand years old from the Northern and Eastern Provinces, gather in the Eastern Province to participate in the Tiansheng Sect's Saintess Husband Selection.”
“Those who do not come shall be executed without mercy!”
After delivering this murderous declaration, the projection dissipated.
It gave no one any time to react.
Aside from Lu Ming and his group, everyone else was completely baffled.
They had no idea what was going on.
Why were they suddenly forcing Soul Transformation stage cultivators like them to go to the Eastern Province to participate in a Saintess's husband selection?
Meanwhile, Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao exchanged glances, looking at Lu Ming with helpless expressions.
Damn, in just a short moment, they had actually become competitors vying for their Eldest Senior Brother's wife.
After all, they were also Soul Transformation stage cultivators under a thousand years old!
As for Xue Wuchang, he was trembling all over.
It was over! Completely over!
How did he end up having to compete with the big shot for a wife?
He recalled that he, too, seemed to be a Soul Transformation stage cultivator under a thousand years old!
Smack...
Before Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao could even speak, Xue Wuchang had already lunged forward and hugged Lu Ming's thigh tightly.
“Great Sect Master, rest assured, I will absolutely not compete with you for your wife!”
“I surrender! I surrender right now!”
“Right, right... Boss, I will absolutely not compete with you for my sister-in-law!”
Big Yellow also nodded repeatedly.
Huang Tianbao merely followed suit and nodded. “No competing, no competing, absolutely no competing...”
“Get lost!”
Lu Ming snapped in irritation.
What a total mess this was!
...
Central Province.
At this moment, Ye Fan had just angrily figured out how to use a sanitary pad.
A sound transmission talisman appeared in his cave dwelling.
“Come to the main hall...”
Hearing the voice, Ye Fan knew from his predecessor's memories that this was the Sect Master.
With a dark expression, he cleaned himself up.
He walked out of his cave dwelling in a twisting, awkward manner. He wasn't used to this. Not used to it at all! Every single part of him felt completely off!
To his surprise, as soon as he stepped outside, he ran into a white-robed Soul Transformation stage cultivator standing right outside the entrance.
“Senior Sister, what's wrong?”
“How come I haven't seen you come out lately?”
Ye Fan looked at the person and instantly recognized him.
This was the grandson of the Tiansheng Sect's Supreme Elder, and a simp for Ye Qingcheng.
However, Ye Fan was clearly in no mood to deal with him right now.
He ignored him completely and walked right past.
“Ah... Senior Sister, wait for me!”
Looking at Ye Qingcheng's retreating figure, Xiao Chen's eyes were filled with obsession.
Senior Sister's walking posture had become even more beautiful.
Seeing Xiao Chen chasing after him, Ye Fan's brows furrowed slightly.
“Get lost...”
He was currently highly annoyed!
“What? I have a fiancé?”
Hearing the words of the Tiansheng Sect Leader, Ye Fan's voice nearly blew the roof off the main hall.
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