58: Chapter 58 This sword will kill you.

"Elder, I haven't fallen yet! I still have the strength to fight!"

Seeing that Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai, the Golden Core Elder of his own Shuiyue Sect, had directly stepped in to stop the battle, Xiao Xuance couldn't help but look anxious.

He still wanted to make one last desperate struggle; even though there was a high possibility of failure, and even though he might get injured, it would at least dispel the unwillingness in his heart!

"Strength to fight? No! You don't have it anymore!"

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai looked at Xiao Xuance and shook his head, saying faintly, "Don't harbor any unwillingness in your heart. I know the true power contained in that sword strike just now better than you do. If I hadn't stepped in to stop it, you would have already been heavily injured by now, your Foundation damaged, and you might even have died from that sword. How could you still have the strength to fight?"

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai spoke the truth.

At first, he had thought that Lin Shen's strength wasn't much stronger than Xiao Xuance's, but upon seeing that final sword strike, he realized that Lin Shen had been concealing his true abilities all along.

If that strike had been allowed to pierce Xiao Xuance, then this fine sapling of his Shuiyue Sect would likely have suffered a crushing defeat and fallen here today.

"This... this Disciple's cultivation is lacking."

Listening to Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai's words, Xiao Xuance lowered his head in shame, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

How could this possibly make Xiao Xuance resigned to defeat?

He had already defeated more than a dozen people, advancing triumphantly all the way. He was clearly about to hold the arena and obtain the opportunity for guidance from a Golden Core Immortal Master.

Yet who could have known that Lin Shen, who had burst onto the scene halfway through—and who was his former ally at that—would possess such terrifying strength.

He was clearly only one step away from success!

A mere half-step away!

Success was within easy reach...

Yet all of this was destroyed by Lin Shen, making him the ultimate beneficiary. How could Xiao Xuance ever reconcile himself to this?

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai seemed to notice Xiao Xuance's reluctance. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth, and he said calmly, "Alright, I have seen your strength with my own eyes. This cannot be blamed on you; one can only say that Chiyun Valley has produced a fine sapling."

As he spoke, Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai glanced over, seemingly pondering something. After quite a long while, he finally opened his mouth to say, "If you do not have a Revered Master in my Shuiyue Sect, from now on, you will cultivate under my Sect. Start out as my Named Disciple first. If you make a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in the future and perform exceptionally well, I will consider whether to take you as my Personal Disciple!"

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai's words caused an uproar at the scene.

They cast envious gazes toward the lowered-headed Xiao Xuance on the arena stage.

Never had they expected that Xiao Xuance would turn misfortune into fortune. Having missed the opportunity for guidance from the Qin Family Ancestor, he was instead able to gain the attention of someone in the Golden Core Realm, who offered him a slot as a Named Disciple, along with the future chance to become a Personal Disciple in the Golden Core Realm.

How could everyone present not feel envious of this?

They only hated that they were not people of the Shuiyue Sect, and hated that Xiao Xuance on the arena wasn't themselves, wishing desperately to take Xiao Xuance's place on the stage!

On the arena stage.

Hearing Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai's words, Xiao Xuance was also momentarily stunned.

Then he quickly reacted, his previously reluctant expression transforming into wild joy.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Xuance hastily knelt on the ground and kowtowed three loud kowtows toward Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai in the VIP seating.

"Revered Master is above, this Disciple is willing!"

Xiao Xuance kowtowed to Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai, his voice thick with emotion as he said, "Disciple Xiao Xuance is willing to take Elder Xiong as my Revered Master. From now on, I will surely practice diligently and will never disgrace your mighty reputation, Revered Master!"

How could he, Xiao Xuance, not be excited!

He hadn't expected that even after failing—even after losing under Lin Shen's hands—he would still be able to win the high regard of Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai.

As long as he cultivated hard in the future, once he made a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment and passed the evaluation, there was definitely a very high probability that he would become Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai's Personal Disciple.

By that time, as a Personal Disciple of a Golden Core Immortal Master, he, Xiao Xuance, would be the pride of the Xiao Family, and the Xiao Family would rise because of him, Xiao Xuance!

"Mn! After the banquet ends, you will leave with me!"

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai nodded faintly.

Immediately afterward, his gaze shifted to Lin Shen at the side.

Looking at Lin Shen, Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai's eyes were filled with approval. "You are very good. I also know your Revered Master, Mo Shenggu. For him to have a Disciple like you is truly his pride."

"Thank you for your undeserved praise, Senior!"

Putting away the jinglei flying sword, Lin Shen respectfully cupped his hands toward Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai.

With this praise from him, once he returned to Chiyun Valley in the future, Mo Shenggu would definitely attach even greater importance to him.

Coupled with the fact that his Senior Brother Shen Qianfan was already dead, all the resources of Luoyun Peak would inevitably tilt toward him alone in the future.

Furthermore, the mighty reputation he had forged on the arena stage today would spread far and wide as people from various factions dispersed.

By then, with his formidable reputation outside, even Chiyun Valley would likely grant him some rewards.

After all, the Sect would definitely attach importance to a Sect Disciple who had carved out such a reputation outside and provide a certain amount of support.

Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai nodded faintly. After briefly praising Lin Shen with a single sentence, he paid him no further mind.

Lin Shen was not a person of his Shuiyue Sect. If he hadn't seen that Lin Shen possessed formidable strength and extremely high attainments in the Sword Dao, with future achievements that would definitely not be low, he wouldn't have suddenly spoken up to praise him.

Turning his head, Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai spoke with an apologetic expression to Qin Yuanming beside him, "My apologies, Fellow Daoist Qin. My intervention just now was mainly for the safety of my Sect's Disciple. It has disturbed Fellow Daoist Qin's elegant mood; I hope Fellow Daoist Qin will not take offense!"

"Hahaha, what's there to mind!"

Qin Yuanming waved his hand nonchalantly and let out a loud laugh, saying, "I should instead congratulate Fellow Daoist Xiong on taking such an excellent Disciple! Even if Fellow Daoist Xiong hadn't made a move, I would have done so myself. After all, this is my two-hundredth birthday banquet, and I certainly don't want to see blood here!"

As he spoke, Qin Yuanming looked smilingly toward Leng Qiuyue at the side and said, "Fairy Leng, my fifth brother's granddaughter is also a Disciple under your Sect. This Xiao Xuance is indeed quite good; perhaps the two of them can interact more often in the future and discuss the Dao of cultivation together!"

At this moment, Qin Yuanming had already conceived an idea.

Compared to Lin Shen, who had defeated Xiao Xuance, he valued Xiao Xuance—who had just been accepted as a Named Disciple by Seventh Elder Xiong Dahai—much more.

After all, this was Yunzhou, and the vast majority of Yunzhou's territory fell under the jurisdiction of the Shuiyue Sect.

No matter how formidable Lin Shen was, he was ultimately a Disciple of Chiyun Valley, and his Revered Master, Mo Shenggu, was ultimately at Peak Foundation Establishment. He simply couldn't compare to Xiao Xuance.

Qin Yuanming's words caused Leng Qiuyue to frown slightly. Her tone carried a hint of coldness as she said, "Although my Disciple is a person of your Qin Family, her own matters are for her to decide. I still hope Fellow Daoist Qin will not meddle blindly or play matchmaker arbitrarily."

Back when she was young, she had also been coerced by the Elders within her Family using Family responsibilities and interests.

Now, having finally made her way here through struggle to break free from the Family's control, ultimately reaching the Golden Core Realm and securing a foothold within the Shuiyue Sect, she finally had a true voice of her own.

Only she herself knew the hardships of the journey she had walked.

Now that her own Disciple might face the very predicament she had encountered before, Leng Qiuyue, having walked through the rain herself, would naturally hold up an umbrella. She did not want her Disciple to be disturbed by matters within the Family and have her Dao Heart disrupted.