154: Chapter 153 Processing

Li Xiaoyao walked into the Sect Masters Hall and bowed.

"Sect Master, the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony has concluded. This is the register of the newly recruited Disciples."

Lin Chen took the register and casually flipped through a few pages.

Fifty-one thousand, two hundred and thirty-seven Disciples.

Lin Chen nodded, closed the register, and set it aside.

Both the quantity and quality were better than he had anticipated.

Li Xiaoyao spoke again:

"Sect Master, there is one more matter. Wang Yu of the Ancient Desolate Divine Hall and Xuanyuan Yao are still being held in custody."

Lin Chen leaned back against his chair, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.

The System had already alerted him the moment Xuanyuan Yao entered Xuanqi City.

He hadn't paid it much mind at the time, assuming the Ancient Desolate Divine Hall had also come to participate in the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony.

After all, Taixuan Sect did not consider backgrounds when recruiting Disciples.

Even if someone was from the Ancient Desolate Divine Hall, as long as their Heart-Nature passed the test, they could still join the Sect.

However, he hadn't expected the Ancient Desolate Divine Hall to actually dare to use tricks and attempt to cheat.

"Bring them up," Lin Chen said, setting down his teacup.

Li Xiaoyao acknowledged the command and turned to leave.

As Lin Chen sat alone in the hall, the System's voice suddenly resonated in his mind.

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for completing the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony mission. The number of recruited Disciples far exceeds expectations. Mission Completion: Excellent.]

[Mission rewards are now being issued: Time-Space Tower upgrade (current maximum time flow rate increased to 1:50).]

[Diamond-grade Summoning Card ×2]

[Platinum-grade Summoning Card ×3]

[Immortal Artifact ×2]

[Sect Reputation +1.5 million. Remaining Reputation: 1.74 million.]

Lin Chen's eyebrows twitched. Reputation increased by 1.5 million all at once?

He glanced at the explanation on the System panel. This portion of reputation came not only from the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony but also from a series of events, including the arrival of the immortal king chariot in Shenwu City and the seven Peak Emperor Realm experts intimidating the entire crowd.

Calculated this way, 1.5 million reputation points wasn't actually that exaggerated.

Suppressing his inner excitement, he looked at the other rewards.

The Time-Space Tower had upgraded again. With a 1:50 time flow, the Disciples' Cultivation speed would double once more.

With two Diamond-grade Summoning Cards and five Platinum-grade cards, his combat power was about to skyrocket.

There were also two Immortal Artifacts. Although he didn't know what they were yet, one could never have too many Immortal Artifacts.

Footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

Li Xiaoyao walked in, bringing Xuanyuan Yao with him.

Xuanyuan Yao kept his head lowered, lacking even a shred of the prestige of an Emperor.

Lin Chen glanced at him and spoke in a flat tone:

"Ancient Desolate Divine Hall, you certainly have a lot of nerve."

Xuanyuan Yao's entire body trembled as he fell to his knees with a thud. At this moment, his dignity as an Emperor didn't matter; he only wanted to survive.

"Immortal Lord, please appease your anger! This matter... this was not my intention. It was the command of the Temple Masters. I was merely following orders!"

"Speak. What exactly does your Ancient Desolate Divine Hall want to do?"

Xuanyuan Yao hesitated for a split second, but only for a split second.

He then revealed everything:

"Immortal Lord, the Temple Masters wanted to take advantage of the Immortal Sect's recruitment to send people to infiltrate the Sect and steal its Cultivation Techniques and secrets."

Lin Chen frowned. "Steal Cultivation Techniques and secrets? For what?"

Xuanyuan Yao swallowed hard and lowered his voice even further. "For... for that plan."

"The Temple Masters witnessed the Immortal Lord's arrival in Shenwu City with their own eyes and concluded that there must be Immortal Laws within the Immortal Sect."

"If they could steal an Immortal Law, the success rate of that plan would greatly increase."

"What plan?"

Xuanyuan Yao kept his head down:

"The Great Temple Master once obtained a grand array from the Desolate Ancient era in a certain ruin, called the Immortal Refining Array."

"Their target... is Juexian Ridge."

Lin Chen's eyebrows rose. Juexian Ridge.

Xuanyuan Yao continued:

"Within Juexian Ridge lies the vengeful body of that fallen True Immortal."

"The Temple Masters want to use the Immortal Refining Array to refine that True Immortal's body and absorb the True Immortal power within it, thereby breaking through to the True Immortal Realm."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Lin Chen leaned back, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

Juexian Ridge, the Immortal Refining Array, breaking through to True Immortal.

The Ancient Desolate Divine Hall's ambition was certainly not small.

Lin Chen asked, "Where is the headquarters of your Ancient Desolate Divine Hall?"

Xuanyuan Yao was stunned. He lowered his head and said in a strained voice, "Immortal Lord, this... I truly do not know."

Lin Chen's face turned cold, and his tone darkened. "You don't know?"

Xuanyuan Yao trembled and hurriedly explained:

"Immortal Lord, please appease your anger! I really don't know!"

"The five Temple Masters act with extreme secrecy. The Ancient Desolate Divine Hall is unlike any other power on the continent; it is not a fixed Sect or clan, but rather recruits members through secret invitations."

"In most cases, the members within the temple do not even know each other's identities."

"Every time I contact a Temple Master, either they initiate the contact or messages are passed through specific methods. I have never known their specific location."

Lin Chen looked at him without speaking.

Xuanyuan Yao's heart beat faster and faster. He didn't know how Lin Chen would deal with him.

Would he be killed, tortured, or imprisoned?

Every possibility made his blood run cold.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Finally, Xuanyuan Yao could no longer take it, and his voice carried a plea:

"Immortal Lord, I truly only know this much. I beg the Immortal Lord to spare my life. I am willing to give my all for the Taixuan Sect until my dying breath!"

Before Lin Chen could speak, Li Xiaoyao, standing to the side, frowned and let out a cold snort:

"Insolent! How the Sect Master chooses to handle you is not for you to bargain over."

Xuanyuan Yao shuddered and didn't dare say another word.

Lin Chen looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

A Middle Stage Emperor Realm expert—it would indeed be a waste to just kill him.

But this kid's loyalty was highly questionable!

If he could betray the Ancient Desolate Divine Hall today, he could betray the Taixuan Sect tomorrow.

He thought for a moment and asked the System in his mind, "System, is there any way?"

[Ding—There is a type of Medicinal Pill in the Reputation Mall called the Heart-Control Pill, priced at 200,000 reputation points. Those who consume this pill will be completely controlled by the host, their life and death depending on the host's single thought. The Emperor Realm is no exception.]

Lin Chen's heart stirred. 200,000 reputation points in exchange for an Emperor was acceptable.

With a thought, he said, "Exchange."

[Ding—Exchange successful. Current reputation balance: 1.54 million.]

A pitch-black Medicinal Pill appeared out of thin air in Lin Chen's palm, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

Xuanyuan Yao didn't know what had happened; he only saw a pill suddenly appear in Lin Chen's hand, and his heart sank. He had a very bad premonition.

Lin Chen handed the pill to Li Xiaoyao. "Give it to him."

Li Xiaoyao took it and walked over to Xuanyuan Yao.

Xuanyuan Yao's lips trembled. He wanted to say something but didn't dare, and eventually, he opened his mouth.

Li Xiaoyao stuffed the pill into his mouth, and it dissolved instantly.

Xuanyuan Yao felt his entire body stiffen, as if an indescribable sensation had entered his body.

It felt as if something was being held in someone else's hand, and his life was no longer his own.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the fear and bitterness in his heart—regardless, his life was saved.

Lin Chen looked at him and said in a flat tone:

"From now on, your life and death depend on my single thought. Do you understand?"

Xuanyuan Yao prostrated himself on the ground, his voice raspy:

"This subordinate understands! From now on, I will surely serve the Taixuan Sect with all my heart, without any divided loyalty!"