Elder Daochen's choice of disciples had always been a hot topic within the Tongshan Sect.
After all, he was the chief among the elders and had high standards. Even if it meant leaving the disciple seat vacant, he would never lower his criteria.
Better to have none than to settle for less.
For decades, Daochen hadn't taken on any disciples, leading the members of the Tongshan Sect to believe he had given up.
Unexpectedly, he quietly made a big move. When he finally decided to take disciples, he took three at once.
Three young men of similar age appeared at the forefront of the martial arts arena, and the only one who seemed to have any talent was Shen Bozhou.
He looked like the most normal one.
Among the remaining two, Li Fengchan was not unfamiliar to some disciples, but no one expected Daochen to take her as a disciple.
Among those who knew Li Fengchan, almost none could accept this fact. Li Fengchan's talent in cultivation was quite mediocre, with nothing commendable, at least in their impression.
Moreover, her background was awkward. Her biological father had been defeated in a duel with Dao Yun, the second elder of the Tongshan Sect, and died in depression. By rights, the Tongshan Sect should still hold a grudge against her.
So why would she choose to become Daochen's disciple?
As for the one in the middle, it was even more absurd. He seemed boneless, with his arms held by two people on either side, his head hung low, face unseen, looking utterly listless as if ready to leave this beautiful world at any moment.
"??"
Could it be that Elder Daochen took this heap of uselessness as a disciple just to humiliate the other disciples of the Tongshan Sect?
The disciples' faces showed signs of discontent.
The most frustrated and dissatisfied among them was senior brother Huang Lianyu.
As a High-Grade Wood Spirit Root, Huang Lianyu had shown extraordinary talent and potential from a young age. He came from a prestigious cultivation family, renowned in the Cultivation World since his great-grandfather's generation.
Before joining the sect, Huang Lianyu had specifically gathered a wealth of information to choose a good teacher for himself. He had heard of Elder Daochen's profound Daoist skills and his invincible "Six Styles of Tong Mountain." Admiring Daochen's talent and character, he chose the Tongshan Sect among many others.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Clearly, he had more options.
Yet, Elder Daochen refused to take him as a disciple, something Huang Lianyu still couldn't accept. He couldn't understand what Daochen found lacking in his background, aptitude, and diligence.
Now that Daochen had taken disciples, and they were such mediocre ones, Brother Yellow was grinding his molars in frustration.
The junior brothers and sisters behind him were already whispering.
"The Grand Elder is finally taking disciples?"
"Could it really be these three?"
"They all look so foolish. Elder Daochen refused to take our own Brother Yellow, so where did he pick up these three unwanted ones?"
"Shh! Keep it down. Can't you see Brother Yellow's face is already off?"
"The tall young man on the left is passable, and Li Fengchan barely makes the cut, but what's with the half-dead one in the middle? Did Elder Daochen take him as a disciple because he saved the elder's life?"
"Maybe the Grand Elder has some special connection with him?"
"Nonsense. What kind of connection could justify this? Taking disciples like this is a mess. I think the Grand Elder's reputation is at stake."
Among the disciples, some gossiped, some watched the spectacle, but none were convinced by these three.
Some even dared to ask directly.
"Disciple begs pardon, but I'm truly puzzled. May I ask the Grand Elder, what extraordinary qualities do these three possess that made you take notice?"
This disciple was likely a fan of Brother Yellow, sensing the drop in senior brother's mood and feeling it unjust, thus overstepping the rules to ask.
Although Sect Leader Wu had his own opinions about the Grand Elder taking disciples, the sect's rules couldn't be disrupted. The disciple's tone was quite bold, almost insubordinate.
Wu Zhengang huffed and glared, intending to reprimand the disciple, but Elder Daochen chuckled lightly, seemingly unprovoked.
"I met these three young friends while wandering down the mountain. We got to know each other and hit it off. As I grow older, it's time to choose a suitable successor for myself. I think they are quite good."
Elder Daochen's favoritism towards the three was evident, and this attitude made the other disciples feel even more unjust.
Why could they, just by chatting with the elder, easily obtain the coveted position of the elder's true disciple?
Huang Lianyu's brow furrowed tighter.
Because of Daochen's unreasoned favoritism, the disciples felt some discontent. A burly male disciple stepped forward, bowing to both the sect leader and the elder before speaking.
"Sect Leader, Elder, disciple Li Changhua, dares to request a spar with these fellow disciples."
Li Changhua was a disciple of the Sword Hall, with some reputation within the sect. He hadn't been in the Tongshan Sect for even a year, yet he had already shown his abilities. Given time, when the elders took disciples, he would surely have a place.
Like Huang Lianyu, Li Changhua also came from a prestigious family, though without the same level of family renown.
The Tongshan Sect had many descendants from such noble families, with intertwined influences, extremely complex. Often, a simple matter would become muddled with the involvement of a few disciples and their backing forces.
The Tongshan Sect had reached its current state partly due to these reasons.
Li Changhua stepping forward to "request a spar" was essentially a provocation. Sect Leader Wu was annoyed but couldn't offend the family behind him.
He glanced at Elder Daochen, who then looked at the seemingly lifeless young man.
The young man wore a robe of deep purple, though without any embroidery, those who understood quality could tell the garment was valuable.
Unfortunately, the wearer was careless, creating many wrinkles, loosely draped over him, probably due to a rushed morning.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of Tongshan Sect disciples, this person could still close his eyes and doze off, showing how composed he was.
Elder Daochen saw that Tao Mian hadn't woken, so he turned to glance at Shen Bozhou.
Shen Bozhou understood, leaned down, and whispered softly in Tao Mian's ear—
"Time to eat."
"!"
Little Tao Immortal instantly opened his eyes.
"??"
Although he expected this scene, Shen Bozhou still had a moment of silence.
Alright, whatever works, as long as he's awake.
When Tao Mian woke up, he looked slightly confused.
Where was he?
So many people.
He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the angry Sect Leader Wu, the smiling Elder Daochen, hundreds of silly disciples, and the most dazed one standing at the front.
Tao Mian was puzzled.
"What are we doing? Morning exercises? That tall fellow in the front row, are you confident you can jump better than the others?"
Hi everyone, if you like this novel and want to read more in advance, please support me on PawRead.
Discord:https://discord.com/invite/ua2A852bws