CH 022 Is This Protection?

Facts have proved that although Feng Qingxiu's eyes were not so good, unable to recognize his idol even after so long, his brain was still worthy of recognition.

He closed his eyes deeply, tried to calm his roiling emotions, kneeled down in the hall respectfully, and kowtowed three times to the person above under the eyes of countless people.

"Disciple Feng Qingxiu, pays respects to Master." Although there was a hint of excitement in his voice, the tone remained stable in the end.

This brought him a trace of appreciation in the hearts of everyone. It was a kind of cultivation in itself to remain so steady in the face of extreme happiness or extreme sorrow.

But it only ended here!

As soon as the Sect Leader asked him if he would refuse him for the third time, even the Sect Leader’s prestige could not suppress the criticism in the whole hall!

Three times?

Was he kidding them??

Who was this guy! How dare he refuse the Sect Leader! And three times??

Besides, if you were really that unyielding then how come you don't continue to refuse, huh?? One should try to do even better after having already achieved a fair degree of success! You already played the role of the white lotus flower so why don't you play the role to the end?

What knee are you bending!

Where did this coquettish thing come from!

Even seducing the Sect Leader, and actually playing hard to get on top of it all! What beautiful and refined act was this???

Even the chief elder Yan Zhao couldn't keep his face from twitching. He quietly tugged at his junior sister, and asked, "Shui Xian, is this really the Sect Leader? And not a vessel already possessed by some celestial demon, right?"

"If you want to know, then go ask the Sect Leader." Bai Shuixian was also panicked, "What exactly happened to the Sect Leader?"

Lady Ji Mingyu, who was standing not far away, also felt so aggrieved she wanted to cry.

Why was it him?

How did this coquettish thing do it? Would he tell on her and say bad things about her to Father?

I never actually bullied him! Can I not carry this pot?

She also wanted to ask, but she didn't dare.

Other peak masters also communicated and whispered among themselves.

The Sect Leader swept his gaze over them indifferently, and succeeded in making them shut their mouths, and then under the eyes of everyone, he issued an order: "If this is the case, then come up here."

Feng Qingxiu raised his head to look at that familiar face. The other looked as cold and aloof as always.

But he suddenly recalled how he once smiled and asked "Really?"

When their eyes met, his confusion and anxiety suddenly seemed to be swept away.

No matter the reason why he accepted him as his apprentice, it was not important. Since the choice was made, whether the road ahead was thorny or bumpy, it was all his.

He got up, and step by step, he walked forward calmly.

From a hundred meters away, he arrived by his side.

This was the main hall of Kun-Lai, this was the Master of Kun-Lai.

This road led to supreme glory, supreme power, and supreme fame and fortune.

There were also endless dangers.

But what did that matter? He was able to come close to him in the end.

This was the celestial being who he had admired since he could recall, the Xing Dao Master who guided the path of cultivation, the true god who guarded the Western Continent.

Compared with outside objects, what was more important than this?

When he stood by Ji Yunlai's side, the eyes of the great hall's disciples all showed their dissatisfaction and lack of acceptance, but in the end they still bent their knees under the urging eyes of the elders.

"Congratulations to the Sect Leader, congratulations to Eldest Senior Brother!"

"Congratulations to the Xing Dao Master, for finding such a good apprentice." The guests also came forward to express their congratulations.

For a while, all kinds of congratulations sounded, praising the little nobody, Feng Qingxiu, up to the skies. Hearing this, the surrounding disciples were very disdainful.

One of the disciples kneeling on the ground—one of Kun-Lai's seven proud talents, the girl in the yellow robes, had a weird look on her face, and whispered to the friend next to her: "Why does it feel like we are at a wedding with the bride walking up to the groom step by step, and everyone congratulating the newly married couple..."

You Jia rolled his eyes at her and whispered: "Shut up!"

The Sect Leader was not such a superficial person.

"There must be an inside story." Yimeng Qingnu frowned slightly, and looked at the friend next to her.

The young man dressed in black robes looked dazed, for once revealing an expression of difficulty: "Senior Sister, this one really can't be dissected on your operating table."

That was the Sect Leader's apprentice. Catching him for you to dismantle a few times—even if you can put him back, could we really survive the Sect Leader's sword? Big Sis, where did your confidence even come from!

"Being timid and afraid, how can you achieve the Dao," Yimeng Qingnu snorted, "Forget it, we'll find his blood relatives then. Smash 10,000 spiritual stones at them and I don't believe that his family won't have any mortals who won't be willing for me to take apart."

"..." The young man was speechless. Ten thousand spiritual stones were the annual earnings of a well-off minor sect. What is so amazing about using money to bribe mortals? You think you're so amazing just because you can use public funds?

***

As for the pair of master and apprentice in the hall, both were secretly shocked by the power that Kun-Lai had shown.

Ji Yunlai had lost his memory and under the threat of his own self who possessed memory of the past millennium, he had no interest in retrieving it. Therefore, although he had some impression of Kun-Lai’s power and influence, the feeling was by no means as deep as now.

Feng Qingxiu was even worse off. After all, he was still too young and had just stepped onto the path of cultivation.

This was practically tens of thousands of immortals making their pilgrimage to Kun-Lai!

From as far as the sects in the Eastern Continent, who actually arrived four years in advance after they heard of the news...

Don't even mention the Nascent Soul cultivation level being the most common in the 72 main peaks of Kun-Lai—when cultivators of this level were the precious pillars in minor sects.

And don't even mention those easily neglected Demigod level cultivators—they were the backbone of a sect. Whether a sect could last two hundred years depended on whether there was a strong Demigod level cultivator, otherwise after the Nascent Soul cultivators passed, the sect would be adrift and subsequently fall apart.

And definitely not to mention the terrifying Synthesis level cultivators—possessing even one such cultivation level cultivator would elevate the sect to top tier. And Kun-Lai had a dozen of these terrifying cultivators.

Take for example, the foreign sect envoys who came here.

Those who could come were basically the backbone of their respective sects, and the representatives of many of the minor sects and mid-level sects were even directly their sect leaders——even though the minor sects could only drink spiritual tea at foot of the mountain and were not qualified to stand in the main hall.

After the Great Xuan tribulation, a lot of cultivation classics were lost and powerful cultivators met their deaths. Only after a millennium passed did the cultivation world barely regain its vitality.

The most prosperous land of the human race was the Central Continent, which was rich in spiritual energy and countless spiritual treasures and resources. It was also where the foundation of the cultivators existed. The three major sects were all located in the Central Continent. Among the remaining four continents, the Eastern Continent came second, and was considered relatively prosperous. The Southern Continent came third and also had enough resources to support the livelihoods of cultivators. The Northern and Western Continent were located far from the coast, and thus were bitter cold and arid places. Back then, only minor and mid-level sects were found in these two places.

But 600 years ago, the Kun-Lai Sect emerged in the Western Continent, attracting water energy from the South Sea, turning the desert-like landscape into a lush and water-filled land. After many years, the Kun-Lai Sect, which had only a little more than ten people back then had now become a major cultivation sect in the hearts of the people.

As a result, countless unaffiliated cultivators and minor sects began to quietly settle in the Western Continent, not seeking to gain fame and fortune, but only to support their livelihoods.

The attitude of the other sects was more that of secret competitors and enemies. After all, Kun-Lai had risen too fast, and the Central Continent's sects could not help but become on guard, for fear that it would become another Great Xuan Dynasty.

Previously, the situation of the Central Continent's three major sects sending their envoys over to investigate the matter of the Great Xuan secret realm was so that they could see if Kun-Lai had any weaknesses.

The existence of a weakness they could exploit depended on whether the Sect Leader of Kun-Lai was still in Seclusion or not.

If he was, they could then scheme further, if not, then they would have to cease for now.

There was one Human Immortal in each of the three major sects, and along with the Sect Leader of Kun-Lai, they were called the Four Sages of the human race. They were the key to fighting against the Great Sages of the spirit demon race. So if not as a last resort, they would not fight each other.

Nowadays, the power and influence of the Western Continent's Kun-Lai Sect have begun to faintly radiate into the Central Continent, causing the Central Continent's sects to become even more vigilant.

For example, at this moment, some guests began to make vague complaints about how Kun-Lai's disciples were domineering and arrogant, snatching and occupying opportunities from others.

"I heard that our disciples are acting more and more arrogant and domineering recently?" Hearing the complaints of a foreign guest, Ji Yunlai looked at Yan Zhao indifferently.

"It's common to feel arrogance and pride along with success." Yan Zhao sneered. "Our Kun-Lai had struggled in the Central Continent, suffering countless deaths and injuries for hundreds of years in order to establish our present power. And yet those unaffiliated cultivators who pick other's peaches want to be treated on an equal footing as soon as they arrive? Are they worthy?"

Cultivation was difficult and resources were limited. Though it might still be possible to talk about first-come, first-serve within the sect. But for outsiders, who were they kidding?

Within Kun-Lai’s scope of power, even if it was a bone, it still belonged to Kun-Lai. And if unaffiliated cultivators and other sects want in on the share then fine, go to the Outlands and get it yourself!

Ji Yunlai nodded and no longer paid attention to the matter. Instead, he and his apprentice continued to watch the various performances and gift presenting. Each peak could be said to have gone to much effort to prepare for this ceremony, it really broaden one's horizons.

But no matter how much he enjoyed it, it did get old after a while. After watching it for a whole day, Ji Yunlai didn’t want to stay any longer, because originally, the celebration was to be three days.

Feng Qingxiu's injury had not fully healed and after such a strained day, although his face was as usual, the faint fatigue on his countenance could not escape his eyes.

So he didn't say anything and just flicked his long sleeves, took his new apprentice, and left the hall in a blink of an eye.

Leaving behind a group of elders and peak masters looking at each other.

"What do you mean he has changed back to his past self? Was Senior Brother so willful in the past?" However, Yan Zhao's expression lightened up a lot, "He is still so capricious as ever, at least his situation hasn't deteriorated!"

"Well… it is still good even if the change is little." Bai Shuixian reluctantly said, and at the same time waved her hand for the ceremony to continue. The pomp and prestige could not be lost. It was no big deal, the several of them would remain to oversee the ceremony, so long as their senior brother was happy.

"Feng Qingxiu's background has been checked." The cold-looking young man on the side said, "There is nothing unusual, but the Mountain Patrol Bureau discovered that the Sect Leader had made contact with him before January."

"Why didn't they report it?" The expressions of the other elders instantly darkened.

"They dare not. Besides, they had a difficult time believing it, right?" The young man smiled helplessly.

This was true, who would believe that the Sect Leader of Kun-Lai would be taken by such an ordinary child. Yan Zhao shook his head: "Forget it, we can only worry about it for nothing. After all these years, Kun-Lai Mountain is the only thing we can help him worry about."

Bai Shuixian turned her head and said to the several outstanding talented disciples: "You all must keep yourselves in check, don't provoke your new senior brother."

Then she saw the several disciples nodding their heads obediently, without any objection, appearing to be resolutely agreeing.