Ling Jun didn’t want to admit it, but he was beginning to feel a small amount of…unease, due to the way things were developing.

Despite his father’s inability to share with him the contents of the trials beforehand, Ling Jun was smart enough to know that he did well. The written portion of the test was nothing more than he had expected, and he had been able to easily answer the vast majority of the questions.

Ling Jun did not know how well the rest of the examinees performed but he knew that many of his peers failed to take their education seriously. He, on the other hand, had always taken his role as his clan’s future Patriarch with the solemnity it deserved, so Ling Jun was confident that he had to have scored well in comparison to the other clan heirs and well-educated examinees.

Of course, as far as the illiterate street children went, they weren’t even worth mentioning.

Likewise, the physical trial was another instance in which Ling Jun was certain he had done well. Despite the words of the Hall Master, it became obvious to him that the trial had not been designed with any intended end. After all, if he couldn’t complete the trial without first collapsing despite his extensive training and physical conditioning, then what hope did the rest of those taking the trial have?

He had reasoned that the trial was meant as a way for him to show his determination, and he had been proved correct after leaving the Formation. Not only had Ling Jun done well on both trials, but he was also the heir of the Ling Clan and was obviously quite talented. He had expected to complete the last trial and then have his pick of Elders wishing for him to join their valleys.

A part of him had even prepared for one of the Elders to express an interest in taking him on as a direct disciple! Some might call Ling Jun arrogant, but he would say that he simply had an accurate understanding of his worth.

And yet…

The first sign that things were not going to go as he had expected came when that orphan boy, Feng Zhi, was shown to have a special constitution! And one that even convinced the sect’s Patriarch to take some random street child as a direct disciple!

Ling Jun was ashamed to admit that he might perhaps have lost his composure once he realized what was happening.

If his father could have seen him, Ling Jun would certainly have been punished for his lack of self-control. As it was, everyone had been too busy gawking at Feng Zhi, so Ling Jun doubted that anyone had been paying him any attention, as much as that hurt to admit even in the privacy of his own mind.

The Heavens are truly unfair…

Ling Jun had been born the heir of a prominent Clan in a decently sized city, had received the best education, and the best training, and had worked to better himself every day. Yet he had been overshadowed by some random no-name orphan from the same city due to something as unpredictable as a special constitution.

When the boy had nervously attempted to strike up a conversation with him out of some unwarranted sense of companionship simply because they came from Emerald Forest City, Ling Jun had rightfully sneered at the fool and ignored him. Now there was a chance that same fool might one day become the Patriarch of his sect. How utterly ridiculous.

Despite the unfairness of the Heavens, Ling Jun had not allowed himself to become discouraged. His duty was to grow into a powerful cultivator and lead his clan to greatness; whatever happened with Feng Zhi would not change the fact that Ling Jun was far more talented than the majority of his peers and he would have his choice of Elders eager to take him on as a disciple.

He knew that he was not the greatest talent under the heavens, but he was still superior to most of his peers.

And yet…

Ling Jun was finding it hard to continue holding his composure as none of the Elders so much as glanced his way.

After the final trial, they had all been brought outside of the building by the Hall Master to find the Patriarch and Elders of the Verdant Valley Sect waiting for them. The Hall Master then went on to use some kind of strange cultivation technique that caused a strange wisp of light to emanate from his hands and rush in the direction of each new disciple.

Ling Jun had watched with some amount of amazement as the light wrapped itself around his wrist and solidify into some manner of thin, intricately crafted bracelet made of wood. The Hall Master had then gone on to explain that bracelets were actually Spiritual Tools that were given to every member of the Verdant Valley Sect for a number of purposes which would be explained to them later.

Right now, the only thing they needed to know was that the bracelet would display which Elder was interested in taking them on as a disciple. It would do this by etching the characters for each interested Elder’s name into its surface.

Ling Jun had immediately grown excited as he frantically twisted his bracelet back and forth, looking for the promised characters, only to become confused when he saw… nothing. All of this led Ling Jun to the situation that he was in now, where he was trying his best to understand the absurd circumstances that he had found himself in.

He knew, intellectually, that it was ridiculous to believe that someone as exceptional as him could be completely passed over, but Ling Jun couldn’t stop himself from worrying. He could feel a thin thread of panic begin to grow in him as he began to wonder what would happen if nobody chose him.

What did the sects even do with the useless nobodies who hadn’t been chosen by a single Elder? His father had never said anything about such people.

Ling Jun’s mind began conjuring up images of him returning to Emerald Forest City in disgrace and kneeling in front of his father and his clan, forced to explain that none of the Elders had been interested in taking him on as a disciple.

No! Calm yourself, Ling Jun! You’re not some untrained fool who panics at the first sign of trouble.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice that another cultivator had joined the patiently waiting Elder until he spoke up.

“Those of you who have not received any offers from an Elder, follow me.”

Ling Jun turned to see who had spoke, only to see the back of a cultivator wearing green robes as they walked away from them. Many of those who hadn’t received an offer shared worried glances before following the cultivator uncertainly and Ling Jun hesitated as he considered whether or not he should follow as well.

Did I really… not get chosen by a single one of the Elders?

Ling Jun lingered where he was for several more moments as he hoped that someone would realize that there had been some kind of mistake before reluctantly following after the unknown cultivator with as much dignity as he could.

Ling Jun was sure that all he needed to do was explain the situation to the cultivator and everything would then be fixed.

After catching up with the rest of the group, he was able to get a good look at the man.

He was fairly tall and well-groomed, with his hair pulled up with a wooden hairpin. He appeared to be young and fairly handsome, but Ling Jun knew that neither of those things was any surprise when it came to a cultivator. The cultivator looked through the crowd with an expression that made Ling Jun feel that the cultivator seemed somewhat… weary?

Once the man noticed him, he simply nodded lightly and waved his hand, causing some kind of flying wooden boat to appear next to him.

A Flying Tool? Is the Verdant Valley Sect really so rich that random cultivators have such valuable artifacts?

The cultivator waved his hand for a second time, causing the vines covering the Flying Tool to spread out and rapidly grow.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Many of the gathered disciples let out exclamations of shock as the vines, multiplied, grew, and wrapped around themselves as they quickly expanded the size of the boat. Soon enough, Ling Jun was looking at a large, extravagant ship that was fully capable of transporting all of the disciples present.

“Everyone, get onto the ship. I will explain your current circumstances once we reach our destination,” said the cultivator turning to look at them with an expectant expression.

I need to explain my situation before I get unto that ship…

Ling Jun walked up to the cultivator, who was patiently watching the gathered disciples board the ship, before bringing his hands together in front of his chest and bowing deeply at the waist.

“Senior, this one believes that there has been some kind of mistake,” Ling Jun said as politely as he could.

“Oh? And what mistake is that, disciple?” said the cultivator, turning to look at him with a neutral expression.

“This one’s bracelet has mistakenly shown that he has not received any offers from the sect’s Elders,” said Ling Jun, choosing his words carefully. He didn’t want to risk insulting a powerful cultivator by implying the mistake was their fault. “This one asks for Senior’s assistance in fixing this matter.”

The cultivator did not reply as Ling Jun remained in his bowed position, unable to see his expression as the silence dragged on.

“You are exactly where you are supposed to be, Ling Jun of Emerald Forest City,” said the cultivator, startling Ling Jun so much that he instinctively looked up. “I am Mo Duan, Elder of the Verdant Valley Sect. Do you believe that my valley is unworthy of teaching you cultivation?”

Yes! Of course it isn’t worthy if it’s where they send the sect’s rejects! Ling Jun thought as he felt his heart drop after being told that there hadn’t been a mistake. Naturally, he would never say something so disrespectful or foolish to an Elder of the sect.

His father had told him about a Guest-Elder who had joined the sect a few years ago by the name of Mo Duan. Nobody really knew for certain why the sect had recruited him, but most believed that it was for some kind of specialized skill and that he probably had a weaker cultivation than the other Elders.

Ling Jun’s father had certainly not spoken of the man with as much respect as he did the other Elders. Still, the man was still an Elder of the sect that he had just joined and was thus worthy of respect.

“This one apologizes, Elder Mo, he meant no disrespect,” said Ling Jun, relying on his years of etiquette lessons to make his lie sound believable. “This one would be honored to study in your valley..”

Elder Mo hummed softly before gesturing toward the ship, “Get onto the ship, disciple. Try not to worry yourself. As long as your maintain your determination to walk down the path of cultivation, opportunities will present themselves.”

“Yes, Elder Mo,” said Ling Jun, ignoring the placating words before listlessly making his way onto the ship.

He couldn’t bring himself to pay attention to any of his fellow disciples, nor did he give it much mind when the last of the disciples got onto the Flying Tool and the Elder directed it to take them away from Spirit’s Rest Valley. As the ship rose through the air and took Ling Jun away from his rightful destiny and toward a valley reserved for the mediocre, there was really only one this going through his mind.

The Heavens are truly, deeply unfair…

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In Mo Duan’s opinion, one of the most useful of his supernatural abilities was his so-called ‘spiritual sense.’ It was an ability inherent to all cultivators that allowed them to perceive the world around them through the spiritual energy that existed throughout this world. Not only did it allow Mo Duan to see things around him within a certain radius without using his eyes, but he could even use it to vaguely sense the emotions of cultivators who were either weaker than him or had poor control over their spiritual energy.

It was because of this ability that Mo Duan was able to watch as Ling Jun sulked and began feeling dejected, insecure, and even a bit angry. That was something that Mo Duan would have to deal with eventually, but he wasn’t feeling too concerned and he didn’t really see any need to coddle him.

Ling Jun had talent, resources, and he’d be getting a decent cultivation method that was well-suited for his Spiritual Root; he would be fine in the end. A little bit of angst wouldn’t kill the boy when things were going to get better for him soon.

Although to be fair, most of his new disciples were feeling fairly dejected and upset, so it probably wasn’t wise to focus exclusively on Ling Jun.

Out of a little less than a thousand new disciples, twenty-three of them were being told that they were the ones that nobody wanted. That wasn’t something that anyone would want to hear.

A part of him wanted to do something to cheer them up, but the best thing that Mo Duan could do was fix the situation in his valley so that they could have a fair shot.

It’d be up to them if they actually did something with the opportunity.

Mo Duan stopped to pick up Xiao Li, much to the kid’s surprise, before quickly flying back to his valley. Despite having two dozen teenagers on his ship, the trip was completely silent. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before they arrived and the disciples were getting their first look at their new home, Tranquil Garden Valley.

The valley was aptly named, as its general lack of development in comparison to the valleys of the other Elders allowed for plants to grow unabated. The only signs of civilization were a patchwork of small houses built along a river that flowed down from one of the nearby mountains. It honestly looked more like a small village than a place where people went to learn martial arts and magic.

I really have got a lot of work to do…

While the valley did indeed look Tranquil, Mo Duan knew that there was a lot that he would need to do if he wanted to build it into somewhere that could both benefit him and serve as a place where his disciples could truly learn cultivation.

Even as mediocre as his valley was, Mo Duan could feel a hint of awe and curiosity break through some of the kid’s despondency. Mortals did hold a rather large amount of reverence for anything related to cultivation, after all. For those of them who had come from poor backgrounds, which was probably most of them, this would likely seem like a tiny little slice of paradise

The first thing that Mo Duan did after the ship touched down in front of the tiny village was turn to Xiao Li and give him an order. The kid had been the only one who was responsible enough to remind him about the ceremony, so Mo Duan felt like he could trust him with the task. And if not, then he could always find someone else later.

“Xiao Li, organize the new disciples, show the male disciples their lodgings, explain to them how things work in the valley, and then gather everyone in the valley together. Inform them that I intend to make an announcement,” said Mo Duan as he elegantly hopped off the ship with a burst of Qi. The ship slowly formed a small gangway made from vines to allow the disciples to safely disembark. “Make certain to gather everyone, including those who are currently outside of the valley.”

Xiao Li looked at him with a bewildered expression, but he quickly pulled himself together and bowed before speaking, “Yes, Elder Mo, this one understands.”

I really need to figure out a way to get them to speak a little less formally. That’s going to get annoying pretty quickly…

“Good, instruct Xue Chenying to show the new female disciples to their lodgings,” said Mo Duan before tossing the kid two Mid-grade Spiritual Stones. For someone of Xiao Li’s current level of status and cultivation, that was practically a fortune. “Here is a reward. Perform well and there may be more in the future. I will return here in a few hours so that I can speak to all of my disciples.”

Mo Duan nearly burst out laughing at the kid’s expression as Xiao Li gaped at the two Spiritual Stones. The only reason that he didn’t was because he knew that he needed to maintain his image as a vaguely aloof immortal.

“Yes, Elder!”

Mo Duan couldn’t help but smile at the kid's enthusiasm. Although he intended on spending some time getting his valley in order, Mo Duan knew that he wouldn’t be able to dedicate all of his time to his disciples.

Not only did he need to worry about his own cultivation and fixing the problems with it that he had inherited from his predecessor, but there were simply a lot of other things that would soon need his attention. This meant that he would need to find disciples who he could delegate work to, and he hoped that Xiao Li would rise to the task.

Mo Duan nodded to the boy before he turned and began making his way further into the valley toward his house. There were certain documents about the valley and its logistics that he needed to review before he made any announcements about how he intended to change things.

As he walked, Mo Duan used his spiritual sense to take a final look at Ling Jun that forced him to let out an involuntary sigh. He could see the exact moment that Xiao Li informed everyone that they would be forced to clean their own lodgings before they were allowed to move in.

Ling Jun practically began spluttering with indignation.

I wonder how he’ll react when he learns that the disciples handle all of the menial labor around the valley. Does the kid even know how to wash his own clothes?

The boy was starting to feel pretty resentful and was pretty much just glaring and sneering at everything around him now that Mo Duan had left. He could tell that the kid was going to be a handful, but there really weren’t many other options if he wanted to teach someone the Woodland Dominion Method.

When it came to cultivation, the kid had the qualifications no matter how bad his attitude was.

But that was a problem for future Mo Duan. Besides, kids were able to change far more easily than adults, so he was sure it would be fine eventually.

The kid probably wouldn’t make any trouble over the next few hours while Mo Duan was busy reviewing documents, so there was likely no reason for him to worry that something would happen while he was gone… hopefully.