6: Chapter 6: The Designated Personal Disciple?

On the white marble corridor outside Ningyin Hall, the morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, and the chirping of spiritual birds was crisp and pleasant.

Xiao Nianyin, supported by Xu Ruyu's arm—though she didn't actually need it, the gesture had to be perfect—walked slowly through the long corridor.

The Disciples they encountered along the way all bowed in greeting, but their gazes involuntarily drifted toward the unfamiliar man behind Xiao Nianyin, who was wearing a brand-new moon-white Disciple's uniform.

"Is that the Sect Master's Personal Disciple?"

"I've never seen him before. He looks quite clean-cut..."

"More than just clean-cut! Did you see that jade pendant at his waist? That's 'Moon-Condensing Warm Jade.' There are only three in the entire Sect!"

"The Sect Master actually gave him the Moon-Condensing Warm Jade?!"

Whispers rippled out behind the two like waves on water.

Xu Ruyu's palms were slightly sweaty.

He could sense the complex emotions in those gazes—curiosity, scrutiny, envy—but mostly a cold inspection and a faint hostility.

Especially the gazes from some of the male Disciples; they almost burned holes into him.

Xiao Nianyin seemed oblivious to it all. Only as they passed a corner did she say indifferently, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Focus your mind and calm your Qi. You are now my Personal Disciple; you must act the part."

Xu Ruyu took a deep breath and tried to straighten his back.

He could feel that dormant power within his body flowing slowly. Although he couldn't call upon it, it gave him a strange sense of security.

The two passed through several halls, and the clamor ahead gradually grew louder.

It was an extremely open plaza, its white marble floor shimmering with a gentle luster under the morning light.

Over a thousand people had already gathered in the plaza, mostly teenagers of sixteen or seventeen wearing various styles of clothing, their faces filled with tension, expectation, and anxiety.

Several high platforms stood in the center of the plaza, where Sect deacons were presiding over something.

"Today is the Sect's decennial Mountain-Opening Disciple Recruitment Grand Ceremony," Xiao Nianyin's voice came flatly. "These are the candidates who have come from various places seeking to enter my Hehuan Sect to cultivate."

Xu Ruyu realized what was happening.

So they were holding an 'entrance exam.'

The scene reminded him of when he participated in independent college recruitment years ago, except the atmosphere here was much more solemn, and the light shining in those youths' eyes was far more fervent.

When Xiao Nianyin appeared at the edge of the plaza, the originally noisy scene instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze shifted over.

The Sect Master of Hehuan Sect, a renowned Saint Realm Expert in the Cultivation World and one of the giants of the Demonic Path, had actually personally attended the recruitment ceremony? This was shocking enough on its own.

But when people saw the unfamiliar man behind her wearing the attire of a Personal Disciple, the entire plaza fell into an eerie silence.

Several Elders presiding over the ceremony quickly came forward to greet her.

Leading them was a refined middle-aged man in dark green robes; he was an Outer Sect Deacon Elder of the Hehuan Sect, surnamed Li.

Elder Li bowed deeply. "Greetings, Sect Master! We did not know the Sect Master would grace us with her presence. What are your instructions?"

His eyes involuntarily flicked toward Xu Ruyu, a hint of confusion flashing through them.

Xiao Nianyin waved her hand, her gaze sweeping over the young candidates in the plaza before finally landing on Xu Ruyu.

The corners of her lips curled up slightly into an extremely faint arc.

This subtle expression caused everyone present to freeze in shock.

The Ice Mountain Sect Master... smiled?!

Although it was just a faint trace of a smile, the object was clearly that unfamiliar man!

Xiao Nianyin ignored the crowd's shock. She cleared her throat, and her voice, though not loud, spread clearly throughout the entire plaza:

"I have come here today for no other reason than to bring my newly accepted Personal Disciple, Xu Ruyu, to see the sights."

"Personal Disciple?!"

"Xu Ruyu?!"

"The Sect Master took a Disciple?! And it's a male Disciple?!"

The entire plaza instantly erupted like a boiling pot!

The candidates whispered among themselves, their gazes toward Xu Ruyu filled with disbelief and extreme envy.

The Disciples already cultivating in the Hehuan Sect stared with wide eyes, especially the male Disciples, whose eyes were almost spitting fire.

Elder Li was also full of shock. He hesitated, "Sect Master... this... when did you take a Personal Disciple? According to Sect regulations, a Personal Disciple must go through the Core Elders' Council..."

"What?" Xiao Nianyin interrupted him, her gaze turning slightly cold. "Do I need to report to you when I take a Disciple? Do I need the consent of others?"

Her voice remained flat, but the pressure belonging to a Saint Realm Expert instantly flooded the area.

Though her cultivation was gone, the Aura she had cultivated from being in a high position for centuries, combined with the pressure she deliberately created by mobilizing her remaining internal power, caused Elder Li to break into a cold sweat instantly.

"I wouldn't dare! This Disciple wouldn't dare! Please forgive me, Sect Master!" Elder Li hurriedly bowed.

Xiao Nianyin gave a cold snort and stopped looking at him.

She turned to Xu Ruyu, her tone softening slightly with a seemingly casual arrangement:

"Ruyu, since we are here, why don't you participate in this Recruitment Competition as well."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was in an uproar again.

He's already been accepted as a Personal Disciple, yet he still has to participate in the competition? What does this mean?

Xu Ruyu was also taken aback, but he quickly realized—Xiao Nianyin was 'legitimizing' him, or rather, paving the way for him.

"Yes, Revered Master."

He replied respectfully.

Xiao Nianyin nodded, then raised her voice so everyone in the plaza could hear clearly:

"Although you are already my Personal Disciple, the formalities that must be observed should still be observed.

Lest people find an excuse to say I am showing favoritism."

"Observe the formalities?!"

"Just going through the motions?!"

"This... this is clearly an internal appointment!"

A greater commotion broke out among the candidates. The youths who had traveled great distances and endured hardships to participate in the competition now looked at Xu Ruyu with gazes that had shifted from envy to jealousy, resentment, and even anger.

Why? Why did they have to perform desperately here to fight for a limited number of spots, while this person had already been internally appointed as a Personal Disciple by the Sect Master, and the competition was just 'going through the motions' for him?

It wasn't fair!

"I object!"

A sharp voice rang out from among the candidates.

Everyone looked toward the source and saw a youth in purple-gold brocade robes with a defiant expression stepping out from the crowd.

He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, with a tall build and an innate arrogance between his brows.

At this moment, his face was flushed red as he pointed at Xu Ruyu and shouted:

"Sect Master! I am Lei Xuan of the Western Desert's Lei Family, and I possess a High Grade Lightning Spiritual Root!

May I ask what merit or ability this man has to be directly accepted as a Personal Disciple by the Sect Master? Why does he only need to go through the motions in the competition? Where is the fairness for us candidates who are struggling so hard?!"

Lei Xuan's voice was filled with indignation and resentment.

He was a direct descendant of the Lei Family, a cultivation clan in the Western Desert. With extraordinary talent, he had been the hope of his Family since childhood.

He had come to the Hehuan Sect full of confidence, intending to take the top spot and become the Sect Master's Personal Disciple—though he knew the hope was slim, he at least wanted to leave a deep impression on the Sect Master.

But now, some never-before-heard-of Xu Ruyu had suddenly popped up, not only accepted as a Personal Disciple but also receiving such blatant favoritism!

How could he accept this?

As soon as Lei Xuan spoke, several other youths who prided themselves on their outstanding talent stood up and chimed in:

"Yes, Sect Master! Please give us justice!"

"At least let him show strength matching that of a Personal Disciple!"

"If he can't even pass the Recruitment Competition, what right does he have to be the Sect Master's Personal Disciple?"

The scene became somewhat out of control for a moment.

The deacons and Elders presiding over the competition looked at each other, but none dared to speak up to stop it.

After all, Lei Xuan had the Western Desert's Lei Family behind him, and the other youths who spoke up also had significant backgrounds.

Moreover, their words, to some extent, represented the feelings of the vast majority of the candidates.

A trace of coldness flashed deep within Xiao Nianyin's eyes.

Normally, if such ants dared to question her, she would have slapped them to death long ago.

But now... she had lost her cultivation, so she couldn't easily lose her temper or strike out.

Just as she was about to speak, she felt Xu Ruyu lightly touch her sleeve.