The Elder meeting ended shortly.
Xiao Ran spent the whole time browsing through the chat without listening too closely to the meeting. Thanks to his ability to multitask with his Art of Resonance, he paid attention to the meeting agenda as well.
Like the last meeting, he managed to keep an ear out for Chunwa and Qiuchan’s introduction of each individual while he was staring at the sword fence in scrutiny.
There were three topics to this meeting.
The first was the prevention of Wraiths.
Other than the maintenance and security of the mountain guarding array, Zongzhi Mountain was conducting the seventh census of its disciples. Their emphasis would be placed on checking the physique of Inner Disciples and Trainers. Anyone who resembled any traits of Apostles or Wraiths would be expelled or seized for investigation.
The second topic was investigating Ye Fan.
Luosheng would lead an investigating team from the Commandment Hall to examine Ye Fan’s origin and source of cultivation methods, as well as his relevance to the Apostles.
The third topic was Xiao Ran.
Firstly, a Heaven-Tier merit was recorded under his name, and he could pick up 500 spirit stones as a reward. Next, he had passed the disciple challenge and every disciple in the sect now had to address him as Junior Uncle.
Subsequently, both Wraith incidents and the news that Xiao Ran had a Divine Saint’s Faculty were to be kept confidential and be reported with a delay to the Cultivation Alliance. A stable and safe environment would be established for Xiao Ran’s rapid growth until he successfully took on a sword and became an independent Sword-Wielder.
Finally, Yinyue Zhenren would conduct a dissection and herbal bath for Xiao Ran within two days to cleanse his spiritual meridians and secure his dantian foundation in order for him to undertake his sword training as soon as possible.
Xiao Ran noted that the sect had shown him enough respect when it came to the first three decisions. The dissection and herbal bath were supposed to be about cleansing spiritual meridians and fortifying his dantian foundation but were, in fact, a body check.
Since he knew that it was unavoidable, in a way, the sect still regarded him with sufficient honor.
These decisions were drafted by Commandment Elder Huangfu Qun and voted on by the other Elders.
Xiao Ran successfully took a glimpse at Zongzhi Mountain’s nonpareil unity and high regard for talent during the voting process this time.
Father and son Huangfu looked like they were stern and hostile, sometimes even like they had ulterior motives, but they were unexpectedly loyal and true to the sect.
The Huangfu Clan was a renowned family. If they stayed at the Cultivation Alliance’s headquarters, it would definitely provide them with more benefits than staying on Zongzhi Mountain.
Zongzhi Mountain was located in an arid land. As the sect that was declining the most among the five top forces of the Cultivation Alliance, its number of sect disciples, quantity of territory sub-sects, as well as population and guarding area of the mortal realm were just behind the Exalted Nation, surpassing the Rivergate, the Saint Devil Sect, and the Chaotic City.
This miracle was no lesser than Xiao Ran’s home country in his previous life. Despite the abject poverty and its underdeveloped state, this country fed 21% of the world’s population using only 7% of the world’s farming area.
Xiao Ran had not understood it in the past, but he did now.
This was unity.
The Commandment Elder dared challenge the Sword-Wielding Elder, whose ability triumphed over his.
The Inner Disciples dared challenge a senior Direct Disciple.
The Medicine Elder and the Sword-Tempering Elder respected him, never disregarding him because of his cultivation base, or lack thereof, just because they saw a little sparkle in him.
There was also a weirdo like Chen Gongxing, who clung to the inner sect and vehemently refused to get promoted, all to inspect the quality of the Inner Nucleus Disciples…
What was more, his seemingly unbridled and laidback master had risked her life by going to a perilous place alone just to seek a divine pellet for him.
This was different from the strict upgrading and survival of the fittest that ruled over the dark cultivation world that Xiao Ran had imagined. It was also unlike the dog-eat-dog Dao-Ending Period.
Xiao Ran, who had lived three years in the mortal world, knew better than anyone in the sect that this was a world that was rapidly breaking down.
Time waited for no man. A paradise would ultimately turn into ruins.
Only by becoming someone strong and powerful who could take things into his own hands as fast as he could would Xiao Ran have a say and protect who he needed to before actual hell came.
On the square in front of the Ruling Tower, Elder Gu, who managed the sect’s treasury, had been waiting for some time by the time the meeting ended. He had personally brought Xiao Ran 500 spirit stones and a pennant of merit.
This was a huge sum of assets in the Dao-Ending Period.
Even Chuyan, who had been born a princess, widened her eyes when she saw the money, wanting to borrow it from Xiao Ran to buy some clothes and makeup so she could woo the Sword-Wielding Elder with her beauty.
Xiao Ran lent her one spirit stone, asking her to buy some meat to grow fatter. Being so thin would not provide her with any strength to work.
In public, Chuyan refrained from exploding because she was a junior. She merely put on a pure smile that said “f*ck you”.
Chunwa and Qiuchan, whose seniority was adequate and who were older than Xiao Ran, rode on his shoulders again with a jolt without feeling any fear.
One girl was sitting on his left and right shoulder respectively, half of their buttocks sitting in the air while their four little stubby legs swung rhythmically, thumping Xiao Ran.
“Can you plant strawberries for us when you go to the Hundred Herb Hill this time?”
How could he plant strawberries for little girls? Xiao Ran said no directly.
“No!”
Both girls were relentless.
“Help us! It’s not like a piece of meat will be cut from your body.”
“We’ll get scolded by Master if we plant strawberries, but if you do it, Master will be overjoyed.”
When Yinyue Zhenren was mentioned, Xiao Ran was incredibly anxious. His mood to plant strawberries was gone.
Before going to the Hundred Herb Hill for his dissection, he unconsciously checked the interface of his system to confirm what he had. Nothing could go missing after the dissection.
“Host: Xiao Ran.”
“Cultivation Base: Qi Refining (Peak Great Perfection).”
“Master: Lingzhou Yue.”
“Devotion Points: 18.”
“Skills: Art of Resonance, Max Level Farming, Max Level Constructing, Max Level Cooking, Max Level Brewing.”
“Items: Spirit Stone x503, Black Salvation Ring x1, Direct Disciple Interspatial Ring x1, Direct Disciple Sword x1, Break Buckle x1, Paper Kite Talisman x4, Zongzhi Mountain Disciple Uniform x1, Incomplete Myriad Resonance x1, some grains and seeds, some bread and tea leaves.”
“Store: Accessible through concentration.”
Seeing that he only had 18 DP left, Xiao Ran felt empty. He was starting to miss his master…
As he left the Ruling Tower, Yinyue Zhenren seemed to notice his worry.
“No need to be worried about your master. She’ll be back when you wake up.”
While her words dispelled his worry, they also created a new one for Xiao Ran. His face fell in an instant.
“What do you mean… when I wake up?”
Yinyue Zhenren ignored him then, turning around gracefully and taking a glance at Chuyan, nodding contentedly at her gifted spiritual meridians and talent, as well as her pure and adorable looks.
“What’s your name?”
Chuyan looked up at the master of her master’s master and immediately swooned at her grace and allure, thinking that she would not have to worry about not being able to entice the Sword-Wielding Elder if she had a goddess’ aura like this.
Got it, she would go back and draw a little flower symbol between her brows—No, she suddenly thought that she was short and looked a little meek. She might not be able to own it if she drew it between her brows. Maybe she could draw it around her lower abdomen. If the Sword-Wielding Elder unintentionally caught a glimpse of it when she bathed, the former would not be able to hold herself back, and what was done could not be undone.
Spiraling down this track of thoughts, Chuyan was close to giving birth for the Sword-Wielding Elder.
Yinyue Zhenren frowned.
“What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
Chuyan jolted out of her daze and quickly cupped her fist.
“Chuyan meets Senior Great Granduncle.”
Yinyue Zhenren gave her a slight nod.
“What a good young successor. Go back to the Sword-Wielding Mountain and watch your farm. When your Grandmaster returns, have her meet me on the Hundred Herb Hill.”
After being humiliated by Xiao Ran’s single spirit stone just now, Chuyan’s mood visibly brightened when she saw the man feel exasperated and hopeless, as though he was about to serve his sentence.
“Okay.”
She then stuck a small part of her tongue out at Xiao Ran sweetly before riding her sword with a flash and leaving the central mountain.
Yinyue Zhenren got onto her sword as well and asked Xiao Ran, “Do you want me to take you?”
Do you want me to butcher you?
Want me to butcher you?
Butcher you?
Xiao Ran looked terrible. He quickly replied, “Thank you for your offer, Senior Uncle. This disciple is in the Qi Refining stage now and can ride a sword on his own.”
Yinyue Zhenren chuckled and flew off with a flap of her sleeves.
“Keep up then.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Ran rode his sword and followed her tight, speeding in the clouds and across the mountains.
Thanks to the experience of riding a paper kite and picking up the Art of Resonance, in addition to refining Qi now, riding a sword was not too much of a challenge for him.
Both girls were still hanging on his shoulders, not afraid of catching a cold despite the zooming breeze or their haunches hanging off several kilometers up in the sky.
Chunwa and Qiuchan frowned in unison.
“Why are you shaking?”
Xiao Ran chuckled dryly and answered, “What do you mean? This is sword-riding with resonance. The sword blade flies by resonating with the air, so it’s high tier. Don’t spew nonsense if you know nothing, kids.”
Chunwa retorted, “I meant, why is your body shaking?”
Glowering, Xiao Ran was not about to tell them that it was because he was frightened of Yinyue Zhenren. He instead said, “It’s because I’m so thrilled about riding a sword for the first time!”
“Oh, it’s your first time, that’s why.”
Both girls nodded thoughtfully as though they had realized something.
“Everyone shakes during their first time.”