The moment the young attendant finished speaking, Chen Yang straightened his robes and prepared to follow him out.
Behind him, Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua stood beneath the eaves, their eyes carrying a hint of envy and anticipation.
Yet they remained well-behaved, ready to watch Chen Yang depart and wait for him to return and share what he witnessed at the assembly.
However.
The young attendant's gaze swept over Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua. After a brief assessment, he spoke:
"These two Junior Sisters are already Senior Brother Chen's attendants, and their cultivation has reached the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm, which qualifies them as Outer Sect Disciples. They may accompany you as well."
Chen Yang was momentarily taken aback. He stopped in his tracks, turned back to look at the attendant, and confirmed: "Attendants… can also attend the Sect Assembly?"
The young attendant nodded and patiently explained:
"Of course. For this assembly, the Sect Master, all Foundation Establishment Elders, the Personal Disciples of the Elders, inner disciples, and Outer Sect Disciples are all required to attend. As for Menial Disciples, unless there is a special reason, they may only stand at the outer perimeter and listen from afar. These two Junior Sisters have sufficient cultivation and hold the status of attendants — accompanying Senior Brother Chen is entirely within the rules."
Only then did Chen Yang understand. He turned to look at Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua.
Xiaochunhua's face instantly burst into an expression of enormous delight — she nearly leapt into the air, chirping excitedly: "Really?! We can go too?! Wonderful! We get to broaden our horizons!"
She grabbed Liu Yiyi's hand and shook it with glee.
Liu Yiyi was not as outwardly expressive as Xiaochunhua, but a bright gleam still flickered in her eyes. She gave a gentle nod and said softly, "Thank you for letting us know, Senior Brother."
She tightened her grip on Xiaochunhua's hand, signaling her to calm down.
Seeing this, Chen Yang said to the attendant: "Then please, lead the way."
"Senior Brother Chen is too polite. Please follow me."
The young attendant bowed slightly and led them forward.
Their courtyard was not far from the main plaza of Qingyun Peak, and after a short while, the group arrived.
At this moment, the Qingyun Peak Plaza was already packed with people, a dense sea of figures.
The disciples were roughly divided into several areas according to their status.
At the very front was the Personal Disciple area — few in number but radiating deep, profound auras. Behind them was the more populous inner disciple area, and further back still was the even larger crowd of Outer Sect Disciples.
At the outermost edge of the plaza stood the densely packed Menial Disciples, all dressed in uniform gray robes, able only to stand far back and crane their necks to see.
Chen Yang led Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua to find a spot in the inner disciple area.
He swept his gaze across the crowd and quickly spotted a number of familiar faces.
In the direction of Jade Bamboo Peak.
Zhao Yanran stood alone, her posture upright and elegant, her water-blue long dress accentuating her delicate beauty.
Yet the slight tilt of her chin carried an air of cold arrogance that never seemed to leave her.
She seemed to sense Chen Yang's gaze and cast a cool glance his way, her expression complex and unreadable.
Their eyes met for an instant before Chen Yang immediately looked away.
Over at Qin Valley.
Lin Yang still wore that languid, carefree look of his, leaning against a stone pillar with half-lidded eyes, as though the surrounding commotion had nothing to do with him.
There always seemed to be a faint, intangible sense of detachment hovering around him.
When he noticed Chen Yang's gaze, a faint smile played at the corner of his lips.
Caught looking, Chen Yang quickly averted his eyes.
Senior Sister Zhuxiu and Zhou Shan from Crimson Glow Peak had also arrived.
Zhou Shan sat in a specially made wooden wheelchair, pushed by Senior Sister Zhuxiu.
When the two of them spotted Chen Yang, they nodded at him from a distance with friendly smiles.
Chen Yang quickly nodded back in return.
As time passed, powerful auras began to descend one after another onto the tall stone platform at the front of the plaza.
Flashes of light — some riding magical weapons, others treading through the air directly — landed upon the high platform.
These were the Foundation Establishment Elders of the Verdant Wood Sect!
Their attire varied, their bearing extraordinary. Some radiated sharp brilliance like unsheathed blades; others were deep and reserved like ancient, still pools; some were warm and refined like learned scholars; and others were cool and transcendent like immortals of the moon palace.
Men and women alike, thirteen in total, each taking their position. An invisible pressure spread outward, and the plaza, which had been somewhat noisy, quickly fell silent.
Chen Yang did not recognize these Elders, but he could feel the overwhelming power emanating from them — a power that made one's heart tremble — and he could not help but feel both reverence and longing.
Foundation Establishment Stage!
For him, it was still a realm he could only look up to.
The disciples all waited for the last — and most significant — figure to arrive.
The Sect Master!
The master of Qingyun Peak!
The arrival of Core Formation cultivator Ouyang Hua.
However.
Time passed little by little, yet the central seat of honor on the platform remained empty.
Not only had the Sect Master not arrived, but as Chen Yang counted, he noticed that two positions among the Foundation Establishment Elders on the platform also appeared to be vacant.
The Silver-Haired Senior was nowhere to be seen, and as for the other absent one…
He recalled what Senior Sister Zhuxiu had let slip before, and immediately understood — the other absentee was most likely Elder Zhu Dayou of Crimson Glow Peak!
"Sure enough, neither the Sect Master nor Elder Zhu came…"
"The rumors seem to be true then — between those two, it seems…"
"Sigh, when will this dispute ever end? Without Pills, cultivation is so difficult…"
"Exactly — the price of Pills in the market has gone completely mad…"
The hushed murmurs of nearby disciples drifted to his ears, confirming Chen Yang's suspicions.
He couldn't help but recall that day at Crimson Glow Peak, when Senior Sister Zhuxiu had revealed the secret of the Seventh Rank Demon Dragon's demon core.
The rift between the Sect Master and the Elder of Crimson Glow Peak had apparently become an open secret.
Chen Yang mused inwardly: "This may be bad news for other disciples, but for me, it might not be without opportunity. At least these past few days selling demon cores has earned me quite a few spirit stones."
However, he also noticed…
As Pills grew scarce, more and more disciples were heading to the back mountains to hunt low-ranked demon beasts, hoping to obtain demon cores as a substitute for cultivation.
This had increased the supply of demon cores in the market, and the rate at which prices were rising had noticeably slowed.
This business, it seemed, would not last much longer.
Just as everyone was buzzing with speculation about whether today's assembly would proceed as planned…
Whoosh!
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A fierce sword light, like a white ribbon tearing through the sky, came streaking in from the distance. Its speed and momentum far surpassed that of any Elder who had arrived before it!
The sword light halted abruptly above the platform. Its radiance faded, revealing a slender, cool figure.
Silver hair like snow, a face as cold as frost, an otherworldly bearing — it was the Elder of Spirit Sword Peak, Shen Hongmei!
"It's Elder Shen!"
"What a swift Flying Sword! What a powerful presence!"
"Elder Shen is the foremost sword practitioner of our Verdant Wood Sect!"
Below the platform, a wave of low gasps and admiring exclamations broke out.
Chen Yang looked up at the familiar silver-haired figure on the platform, and his heart gave a jolt as well.
He had known that Shen Hongmei was a Foundation Establishment Elder of high standing.
But seeing her now — riding her Flying Sword with breathtaking presence, presiding over the assembly — he felt far more directly just how much weight this Senior carried within the sect.
Xiaochunhua, standing beside Chen Yang, had her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly agape. She tugged at Chen Yang's sleeve, lowering her voice, her tone full of admiration and awe:
"Senior Brother Chen! Look! That Senior — she… she's standing on a Flying Sword! That's incredible! I hope that someday I can reach such a high cultivation level and look that amazing!"
Liu Yiyi's eyes also showed a flash of awe as she gave a gentle nod.
Shen Hongmei's gaze swept calmly over the dense crowd below.
Her gaze was not particularly sharp, yet it carried a natural authority.
Wherever it passed, the murmuring ceased instantly, and the plaza fell so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
Her cool, clear voice reached every disciple's ears:
"For today's Sect Assembly, the Sect Master has taken ill and is unable to attend. Therefore, this assembly will be presided over by me, Shen Hongmei, in her stead."
At these words, though no one dared speak aloud, countless disciples wore expressions that said: just as expected.
A Core Formation cultivator falling ill?
This excuse was far too perfunctory, and it only further confirmed the rumors of discord between the Sect Master and Elder Zhu of Crimson Glow Peak.
Chen Yang too sensed the undercurrents surging beneath this calm surface.
The delicate relationships among the sect's upper echelons…
Shen Hongmei seemed unconcerned with the disciples' reactions and continued to preside over the agenda.
She first summarized the sect's restoration efforts following the demon beast rampage of the past few days, then her tone turned grave:
"During this demon beast crisis, the disciples of our Verdant Wood Sect should have stood together and repelled the enemy as one. Yet during that time, some inner disciples disregarded the bonds of fellowship, acted selfishly, and shrank from battle — truly disappointing!"
The chill in her words caused several inner disciples who had chosen to keep their heads down at the time to lower them once more.
"However, in times of peril, true character is revealed. There were also many inner disciples who demonstrated the spirit of comradeship — fearless in the face of danger, bravely coming to the aid of their fellow disciples. They are worthy of being held up as examples!"
Shen Hongmei's tone shifted as she began to announce rewards: "The following disciples distinguished themselves during the demon beast rampage and are hereby awarded ten high-grade spirit stones each as encouragement!"
"Ten high-grade spirit stones?!"
A wave of sharp, collective inhales rose from below the platform.
Had this been Chen Yang from a few days ago, he might not have had a concrete sense of what that reward meant.
But after hustling in the market for several days, he had long since learned the exchange rates between spirit stones.
A single high-grade spirit stone was worth a full several hundred low-grade spirit stones!
Moreover, high-grade spirit stones contained Spiritual Energy that was exceptionally pure and dense. They were commonly used by cultivators at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm and above, or for setting up advanced Formations — and their actual value often carried a premium on top of that!
Ten high-grade spirit stones were worth a staggering amount.
All the effort he had put into hunting demon beasts and selling demon cores over the past several days had earned him roughly three thousand low-grade spirit stones — enough to exchange for perhaps four or five high-grade spirit stones.
Chen Yang's heart burned with eagerness.
His gaze was fixed intently on the platform.
Soon.
One disciple after another was called by name, each stepping forward with a beaming smile to receive from the hands of a steward Elder those crystalline high-grade spirit stones radiating dense Spiritual Energy.
Senior Sister Zhuxiu went up.
Zhou Shan was pushed up in his wheelchair by Senior Sister Zhuxiu.
Several inner disciples who had fought side by side at the entrance of Butterfly Valley that day also went up…
Even Lin Yang had his name called.
Lin Yang, still wearing that languid expression, sauntered up to the platform, accepted the spirit stones, casually tucked them into his robes, and showed no particular joy or displeasure on his face.
It was as though he had merely collected something inconsequential, and then sauntered back down again.
With each name called, Chen Yang's heart rose a little higher, his gaze following Shen Hongmei and the steward Elder closely.
However.
By the time the rewards were fully distributed and the steward Elder stepped back, he had not heard his own name.
Chen Yang froze, standing in place, somewhat at a loss.
Why…
Was there no mention of him?
He had defended the valley, nearly losing his life to the beasts — did that not count as a contribution?
Zhou Shan and Senior Sister Zhuxiu had received theirs — why had he alone been overlooked?
Was it because he had ultimately been saved by Lin Yang, and so his contribution had been discounted?
Or was there another reason?
An inexplicable sense of confusion welled up within him. It was not entirely about those ten high-grade spirit stones — more than anything, it was the feeling that his efforts had gone unrecognized.
He stared blankly at the platform, his emotions in turmoil.
The rewards segment concluded, and Shen Hongmei spoke again, her voice carrying across the plaza:
"Next, the Elders will each select a number of disciples to take as Personal Disciples, to be carefully guided and cultivated, in hopes that they will become pillars of the sect in the future."
At these words, every inner disciple below — and even some outstanding Outer Sect Disciples — instantly straightened their backs, their eyes blazing with intense eagerness!
To become the Personal Disciple of a Foundation Establishment Elder meant access to superior cultivation techniques, higher-quality resources, and more direct guidance — it was the opportunity countless disciples dreamed of!
Chen Yang also temporarily set aside the disappointment in his heart and rekindled his hope.
He couldn't help but direct his gaze toward Shen Hongmei on the platform.
His heart was full of anticipation.
If he could become the Silver-Haired Senior's Personal Disciple, not only would he be able to study advanced sword arts and the coveted aerial flight technique —
He would also receive her guidance regularly…
Just imagining that scenario made Chen Yang's heart beat a little faster.
He kept his eyes fixed on Shen Hongmei, hoping to catch even a flicker of her attention.
One Elder after another began calling names. Each disciple called out was overjoyed, stepping out from the crowd amid the envious gazes of others to stand behind their new master.
Chen Yang watched as many familiar faces were chosen — including fellow disciples who had fought alongside him during the demon beast rampage.
His gaze never left Shen Hongmei.
However.
Shen Hongmei simply stood calmly on the platform, her gaze sweeping the entire assembly, without lingering on any single disciple — and she did not call out a single name.
"Why hasn't Elder Shen chosen anyone yet?"
"I've heard Elder Shen's sword arts are peerless — if one could become her disciple…"
"Stop dreaming. Elder Shen has extremely high standards, and rumor has it she may be next in line to become Sect Master. She's too busy — she probably won't be taking any more Personal Disciples."
"Right, she already has two Personal Disciples — Senior Brother Song Shufan and Senior Brother Feng Zikun. Both are top-tier cultivators with a real shot at Foundation Establishment…"
The surrounding murmurs reached Chen Yang's ears, and the anticipation in his heart gradually cooled, replaced by a creeping unease.
Sure enough.
When most of the Elders had finished making their selections, Shen Hongmei finally spoke. Her clear, resonant voice cut through the crowd's speculation:
"Spirit Sword Peak currently has no plans to take on new Personal Disciples. All inner and outer disciples should focus on diligent cultivation and hard training. Do not indulge in idle speculation or harbor wishful thinking."
These words were like cold water poured over his head, shattering the last remnant of Chen Yang's hopes.
A deep, heavy sense of disappointment enveloped him.
He wasn't sure why, but toward this Silver-Haired Senior, he had always felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.
Over the past few days, he had occasionally let himself imagine becoming her disciple.
Now that hope had crumbled, the feeling was truly bitter.
He lowered his head and let out a soft sigh…
Was it truly because his aptitude was too mediocre?
Just then.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the one remaining Elder on the platform who had yet to select a disciple.
Elder Song Jiayu of Jade Bamboo Peak.
This Elder was beautiful and elegant, with a cool and striking bearing. Standing there, she was like a solitary orchid blooming in a quiet valley.
"It's Elder Song of Jade Bamboo Peak!"
"Is she going to take a Personal Disciple too? She's never taken one before — all her disciples have been registered disciples."
"Rumor has it Jade Bamboo Peak only accepts female disciples — looks like the Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters here have a chance!"
In an instant, all the female disciples in the assembly — especially the registered disciples of Jade Bamboo Peak — had eyes blazing with fervent hope.
Zhao Yanran, standing among the crowd, straightened her back even further, her face wearing an undisguised confidence and anticipation.
She had long since heard the news that her master intended to take a Personal Disciple. For this, she had trained relentlessly, breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm and refining the Jade Ripple Art to ever greater mastery.
Among Elder Song's many registered disciples, her cultivation ranked near the top. This position of Personal Disciple was hers to claim!
She had even already planned it out.
Once she became a Personal Disciple, her status and standing would be entirely different.
To meet a Personal Disciple was to meet an Elder.
When that day came, even Chen Yang would have to bow to her as a disciple would to a superior!
She would make him regret his rejection and indifference today!
Up on the platform.
Shen Hongmei gave a soft, deliberate cough — as if offering a prompt.
Beside her.
Elder Song Jiayu of Jade Bamboo Peak, cool and composed, stepped forward.
Her gaze swept over the many eager female disciples below. Her lips parted, and her voice rang out like jade striking stone — clear and cold:
"During the recent demon beast uprising, Jade Bamboo Peak too felt the bonds of fellowship. For the sake of the sect, and with an eye toward the future, I wish to cultivate several disciples to shoulder great responsibilities. I have heard that during the crisis, a female cultivator from Qingyun Peak by the name of Xiaochunhua, heedless of her own safety, opened the shelter gate for many Menial Disciples when the demon beasts attacked. Her character is pure and kind, and her courage is commendable. I have decided to take her as my Personal Disciple."
Her words fell.
The entire assembly first went silent.
Then erupted into an uproar!
Xiaochunhua?
Who was that?
No one had ever heard of her!
Most disciples — including many inner disciples — found the name completely unfamiliar.
And Xiaochunhua herself, standing right beside Chen Yang, was utterly dumbstruck.
She stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, pointing at her own nose, looking at Chen Yang, then at Liu Yiyi, and stuttered: "Me… me? Xiaochunhua? Is… is she talking about me? Senior Brother Chen, Sister Liu, did I hear that wrong?"
Before anyone could recover from this first surprise.
Song Jiayu's voice had barely faded.
And Shen Hongmei beside her gave another soft, deliberate cough — as if in reminder.
Song Jiayu paused, then continued her announcement:
"There is one more. Her name is Liu Yiyi. During the demon beast rampage, within Butterfly Valley, she engaged the low-ranked Shadow Wolves that had broken in to protect the sect's spirit medicine, guarding the herb plot. Her conduct is commendable. I have decided to take her as my Personal Disciple as well."
Liu Yiyi?!
Even Chen Yang was completely stunned. He snapped his head around to look at Liu Yiyi beside him, who was equally frozen in disbelief.
Liu Yiyi's face was a picture of utter incredulity.
She had never imagined that her name would be spoken by a Foundation Establishment Elder — let alone in the context of being taken as a Personal Disciple!
Yet this was still not over!
Shen Hongmei gave yet another soft, deliberate cough.
Song Jiayu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, a hint of displeasure crossing her face.
But she continued nonetheless, her tone carrying an air of absolute, unquestionable resolve:
"Xiaochunhua, Liu Yiyi — from this day forward, you two shall follow me to Jade Bamboo Peak, reside beside my cave dwelling, remain by my side, and cultivate day and night without fail!"