Chapter Fifteen : The Elders Scramble for a Disciple
The first round was merely the most basic of tests. What Lingyue Sect truly sought were disciples with outstanding talent—those with exceptional roots and perception.
But before testing those traits, there was something even more important: the detection of special physiques.
Anyone found to possess a rare physique would automatically pass the rest of the entrance exam. Not only that, an elder would take them in as a disciple on the spot—an instant leap to the top, enough to make everyone else green with envy.
The inner sect elder in the blue robe, who had been silent until now, raised his hand.
Whoosh...
A dazzling radiance descended from the sky and quickly dispersed. Then, shimmering starlight began to fall like fireflies in the night, drifting in the air as if searching for something.
Moments later, they found their target and surged toward it all at once.
They gathered around Lu Chenlong.
This celestial display could only be seen by the three elders—none of the spectators nor Lu Chenlong himself could sense anything amiss.
When they saw Lu Chenlong's figure faintly glowing with starlight, the three elders exchanged smiles of satisfaction.
"There's one. Not bad."
But then, the gray-robed elder suddenly cried out, "No—wait! There's another one!"
The three turned in surprise.
A torrent of starlight flooded toward another youth—a striking young man. The stars wrapped around him in dense layers, completely obscuring his figure.
The radiance pouring off him was so intense, so blinding, that he appeared like a small sun.
Compared to this brilliance, Lu Chenlong's light was utterly eclipsed.
"W-what kind of physique is this? How can it be so dazzling?!"
"Junior Sister Su's physique ranked among the top of the spiritual bodies, but even the light she gave off back then doesn't compare to this!"
"Could it be… a Sacred Body?!"
In the Great Qi Dynasty's long history, a Sacred Body had only ever appeared once. None of them had seen it with their own eyes, so they had little concept of its true power.
The elder in the blue robe snapped out of his awe, his expression suddenly solemn.
"I'm taking him to see the Grand Elders and the Sect Master. You two handle things here."
With a wave of his sleeve, he whisked Fang Mu Ge away.
The crowd had no idea what had happened—only that the blue-robed inner sect elder had vanished in an instant. Given that there were still over seven thousand people on the platform, few noticed the sudden disappearance of Fang Mu Ge.
But Fang Ting did.
"Where did Mu Ge go?"
He was momentarily alarmed and instinctively moved to step forward, before quickly calming himself.
"The leading inner sect elder is also gone. He must've sensed Mu Ge's powerful talent and took him away."
With that thought, Fang Ting let out a breath of relief. He had briefly lost his composure out of concern. But this was Lingyue Sect—no one would dare make a move here.
The two outer sect elders remained in place, and the exam continued.
Fang Mu Ge, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening. In a daze, he'd been carried off by the blue-robed elder before he could react.
A transmission from the elder sent a shockwave through the sect's spiritual awareness network. In an instant, powerful auras awakened across the sect. Even though they weren't deliberately exerting pressure, the sheer weight of their presence made it hard for the blue-robed elder to breathe.
"Are you sure it's a Sacred Body?"
"I'm not certain. But its glow completely outshines even the most powerful spiritual body we've ever encountered—by tens of thousands of times."
As he finished speaking—
Boom!
From the forbidden grounds of Lingyue Sect, figures began flying out of their seclusion. Some were so ancient, half their bodies had already been buried in coffins—yet they still pried open the lids and rose.
When Fang Mu Ge came to his senses, he found himself surrounded by a group of people.
Each one exuded an air of serenity and wisdom, looking like immortal sages. Their faces were lit with smiles as they gazed at him as if he were a priceless treasure.
They were none other than the Grand Elders of Lingyue Sect—mighty figures who had once stirred the very foundations of the dynasty. A single stomp from any one of them could shake the entire Great Qi.
These were people who had climbed over mountains of corpses to achieve their current power and prestige.
But now, they were rubbing their hands together, beaming like doting uncles, their eyes full of affection—as if trying to charm a child into coming home with them.
And the most disturbing part was that, after centuries of emotional restraint, their sudden exaggerated expressions looked stiff and unsettling.
"Young man, how would you like to be my disciple?"
"Senior Brother, you should take a break. Teaching a disciple is hard work—leave him to me."
"Kid, I'm a master of artifact forging. Whatever magical treasure you want, I'll make it to your exact specifications. Come with me."
"Artifacts are just external tools. I can teach you unmatched martial techniques—skills that will make you invincible among your peers!"
"Hah! And you, who couldn't even beat me, dare talk about invincibility?"
"Excuse me? Who did I lose to?!"
"You, you, you! It was you!"
"You need a beating, that's what you need!"
"Fine! Let's go! Who's scared of you?!"
Before long, they were bickering like children—flaring nostrils, red faces, and rolling up sleeves like they were ready to throw punches.
Just then, a white-bearded old man who had been silent all this time finally stepped forward.
"Enough! Let me speak. I'm the senior-most among us. I suggest I take him as my disciple."
"To hell with that! What's seniority got to do with anything?!"
Fang Mu Ge stood dumbfounded in the middle of it all, feeling like a rare commodity everyone was scrambling to snatch up.
He had never seen anything like this before.
Yet, not knowing who these people were—what rank, status, or power they held—he didn't feel particularly excited. Just... speechless.
I mean, I know I'm a genius, but isn't this a bit much? You guys are ancient—and acting like toddlers. If you want him so bad, why not just fight it out already?!
In one corner, a figure remained silent all along—the current Sect Master of Lingyue Sect.
"Senior uncles, senior masters… may I—"
He'd barely begun to speak before someone barked, "No! Shut up and get lost!"
His face flushed red, then green, then back again. He closed his mouth awkwardly and lowered his raised hand in defeat.
Though he was the Sect Master in name, he wasn't the strongest person in Lingyue Sect. These Grand Elders were from his master's generation. On a normal day, they'd show him some respect—but not in a situation like this. They didn't even pretend to listen to him.
He could only sigh helplessly.
Luckily for him, Fang Mu Ge had no idea who he was. If he did, he'd probably laugh himself sick.