In the vision within Lin Feng's mind, he had become a peak Emperor Realm expert, surpassing all others, and looking down upon the blood cloud from mid-air.
Beautiful women, power, he possessed it all.
The entire Immortal Martial Continent was abuzz with legends of Lin Feng.
But he wasn't satisfied with this. He wanted to ascend to the fabled Immortal Realm and become a true god.
For tens of thousands of years, the Immortal Martial Continent hadn't seen a God-Human Realm expert. And he, Lin Feng, swore to reopen the path to the heavens and step into that mysterious, ethereal new world.
Because decades ago, that most troublesome opponent he'd faced since his debut had achieved God-Human Realm in this very place of ruins.
He felt that the opportunity to become a god lay within Nine Abyss Peak.
However, as he dove towards the blood cloud, the dense cloud suddenly burst open, and a form condensed from a remnant consciousness, accompanied by the force of thunder, instantly passed through his forehead.
Next, Lin Feng felt himself struggling in scorching flames, his body constantly contorting until he was nothing but a pile of charcoal.
Before his death, he saw the true appearance of that figure.
It was the face he had hated and feared for over a decade.
"Phew~"
His consciousness returned, and Lin Feng couldn't help but take two steps back.
"Feng'er, what's wrong?"
"Forgive me, Master. Your disciple was just a little distracted."
Lin Feng, having regained his senses, felt as if everything was a lifetime ago, uncertain whether it was real or an illusion.
But at this moment, a voice in his mind kept reminding him: the man sitting in the guest席 and looking at you is extremely dangerous; do not approach him.
Master Zisong saw that Lin Feng was unharmed and didn't think too much of it. Instead, he consoled him gently, "Feng'er, you don't need to be nervous. Everyone present are the sect masters of the Eastern Continent. You will inevitably interact with them in the future.
Your master knows you might not be used to this now, but you'll get better."
Lin Feng nodded, "This disciple has embarrassed Master and all the seniors. I am truly ashamed."
"Hahaha, it's nothing!"
Master Zisong liked this disciple more and more as he looked at him, and couldn't help but gently stroke his head.
Just then, Shen Zhao spoke, "Master Zisong, I think your way of handling things is a bit hasty."
Master Zisong heard this and turned to look at Shen Zhao, frowning slightly, "May I ask what you mean by that, sir?"
Shen Zhao smiled and said, "Today is Qingyun Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony. I shouldn't normally raise objections in a situation like this, but what Master Zisong said earlier is truly inappropriate, which is why I've spoken up to ask about it."
Ding Bubuer immediately chimed in, "Yes, Master Zisong, we certainly congratulate you on accepting your beloved disciple. However, what you just said, aren't you afraid of disheartening all the Qingyun Sect disciples?"
Master Zisong, upon hearing this, stood proudly, "Speak directly, both of you. Don't beat around the bush. The seven major sects of the Eastern Continent are all here today. Just point out any problems directly. In what way has my behavior disheartened the disciples?"
Shen Zhao stood up and said calmly, "I heard Master Zisong say earlier that the future Sect Master position of Qingyun Sect will be handed over to this young Lin, is that correct?"
Master Zisong lightly stroked his long beard, "Indeed, so what?"
Shen Zhao said, "May I ask Master Zisong, how long did it take you to become the heir apparent from a Qingyun Sect disciple?"
Master Zisong replied, "I am rather slow-witted. Starting as an outer disciple of Qingyun Sect, it took a hundred years to become a Sect heir, and then another hundred years to take the position of Qingyun Sect Master."
Shen Zhao nodded, "Yes, I believe Master Zisong should understand the Qingyun Sect's rules better than I do, an outsider. If one wants to become the Sect heir, strength is naturally indispensable,
But it also depends on how much they've contributed to the sect, and their character. Only then can we determine the future successor. As for this little brother Lin, putting aside his cultivation talent and aptitude,
I'll just ask one question: since he joined Qingyun Sect, have his contributions been comparable to those of the Qingyun Sect disciples present?"
As soon as this was said, the other six major sects nodded in agreement.
He Lixian even gave constant praise: "Well said! How can the sect leader's choice be decided so rashly!
Even if his talent is heaven-defying, how can he become the sect leader's successor without sufficient achievements and strength?
Old man Zisong, you're really getting senile at your age, how could you make such a decision that goes against our ancestors?!"
And the other Qingyun Sect disciples finally realized that their sect leader was indeed a bit biased. Even if Lin Feng was outstanding, he hadn't made any contributions to the sect with his current strength.
Master Zisong was immediately annoyed: "This is an internal matter of our Qingyun Sect, it's not up to outsiders like you to interfere! By the way, who are you people! Who told you to come here!"
Mo Xinchen immediately stood up: "Sect Master, this young hero Shen is someone I invited."
Master Zisong said, "Elder Mo, how can you bring just anyone to my Qingyun Sect? Today is my disciple acceptance ceremony. I won't hold it against you for now. Get them to leave."
As soon as he finished speaking, the long-suffering Liang Hao couldn't hold back any longer and immediately retorted, "Old man, I advise you not to be too arrogant.
We came here today to attend your disciple acceptance ceremony, giving your Qingyun Sect a huge amount of face. You'd better not be ungrateful and make things difficult to resolve!"
Master Zisong retorted, "Who are you? By what right do you meddle in Qingyun Sect's affairs!"
Just as Liang Hao was about to speak, Shen Zhao cut in, "Who are we? Have you heard of the Public Arbitration Council!"
With that, he pointed at the purple crystal badge pinned to his left chest.
"Public Arbitration Council? Hmph..."
Master Zisong had initially thought that Shen Zhao and the others might have some backing or connections. Upon hearing that they were from the Public Arbitration Council, which was now just a name, his face was immediately filled with disdain.
"A small Public Arbitration Council dares to interfere in the affairs of my Qingyun Sect?"
As soon as he finished speaking, He Lixian immediately chimed in, "You old Zisong, you don't even take the Public Arbitration Council seriously? It seems you're becoming more and more lawless!"
"Old He, what are you trying to say?"
"Since the establishment of the various sects, the Public Arbitration Council has the right to intervene in all sect disputes and affairs. To see the Public Arbitration Council is like seeing the lord of the Nine Realms.
How can you think that because the Public Arbitration Council has declined, you can arbitrarily suppress it, or even disregard it? Does your Qingyun Sect want to make enemies with the entire Immortal cultivation world?"
Upon hearing this, Master Zisong was immediately at a loss for words.
Indeed, although the Public Arbitration Council had become a third-rate power, its authority to enforce the law on the Immortal Martial Continent had not been stripped. Even though it was only a name, it shouldn't be openly defied in public.
This matter was indeed a slip of the tongue that gave them an opening.
He Lixian, not letting up, continued his tirade: "What? Now you admit you said the wrong thing? Hahaha, old man Zisong, you've been cautious your whole life, and yet you still make mistakes."
As he spoke, he gave Shen Zhao a meaningful smile.
He naturally couldn't possibly give face to the Public Arbitration Council; he just wanted to cause trouble for the Qingyun Sect.
Anything that would annoy the Qingyun Sect, He Lixian would happily do.
Shen Zhao naturally understood that He Lixian was a master of stirring up trouble, but he wasn't worried at all.
Seeing that Master Zisong didn't speak, Shen Zhao continued, "He, Sect Master, has said everything I needed to. So, Master Zisong, are you planning to take back your words? How can the master of a sect make such a hasty decision about the future development of the sect?"
Master Zisong: "Even if you are an elder of the Public Arbitration Council, this is still an internal matter of my Qingyun Sect, how can you decide? I don't think the Public Arbitration Council has that much power!"
Ding Bubuer, instantly possessed by the spirit of a contrarian, retorted, "It seems Master Zisong really dotes on this precious disciple of his, so much so that he's willing to erase the contributions of all Qingyun Sect disciples."
Shen Zhao nodded in agreement, "There's nothing we can do. The Public Arbitration Council has always upheld justice, but in the face of such a shameless sect leader, we can only choose to lie low.
I really feel it's unfair for the Qingyun Sect disciples. They work hard their entire lives, but in the end, because of a few casual words from the person in power, they don't even have a final shred of hope."
"Those words are just disgusting!"
Master Zisong's face alternated between black and white with anger.
What made him even more speechless was that the Qingyun Sect disciples present seemed to be swayed by Shen Zhao and Ding Bubuer's words.
"That's right, I've been with the Qingyun Sect for over a decade. Although my talent is ordinary, I've worked hard for the sect, contributing quite a bit. Even if I knew I wouldn't be in line for the sect leader position, I could at least have some hope left. But now..."
"We're just ants, after all. Although that's the reality, when we heard the sect leader say that he wanted Lin Feng, a newly-entered disciple, to be the sect's heir, it's still quite a sad thing to hear."
"Perhaps Qingyun Sect isn't the right place for us? After all, we've put in so much, and what will we get in the end?"
Seeing the Qingyun Sect disciples begin to question themselves with just a few words from Shen Zhao and Ding Bubuer, Master Zisong's face immediately flushed with anxiety.
He was just about to scold them when Lin Feng tugged at his sleeve to stop him. Then, Lin Feng clasped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the disciples, saying, "Esteemed Master, Elders, senior brothers and sisters, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. To be able to be fellow disciples with you all,
is the greatest fortune of my life, Lin Feng. I also know that as a newcomer to the sect, I cannot compare to you all. Moreover, Master has shown me great favor by accepting me as his closed-door disciple,
for which I am already immensely grateful. But please believe me, I have absolutely no desire for the position of Sect Master."
Afterward, he knelt before Master Zisong, lowered his head, and shed tears. "Master, please take back your decision. Your disciple does not deserve such reward and cannot accept the position of your successor.
If Master is unwilling to retract your decision, your disciple would rather remain kneeling!"
Master Zisong immediately moved to help him up. "My disciple, there is no need for this. Your talent is the future of my Qingyun Sect. Master truly values you."
Lin Feng shook his head. "No, Master. I was born into poverty and suffered the bullying of my clan and neighbors. I remember begging on my knees for a single meal, and enduring countless cold stares to gather the money for my mother's burial.
I thought I would live out my life that way, but then I met Master, and my fellow disciples. I finally felt a warmth I hadn't known for a long time.
So, Master, I am already incredibly grateful that you have taken me in. As for the position of Sect Master, please don't bring it up again, alright?"
His words were filled with emotion, and the Qingyun Sect disciples, who had been wavering, couldn't help but feel for their junior brother again.
Lu Xuanji also glanced at Shen Zhao with disapproval, thinking, Lin Feng's life has already been so tragic, why are you still pushing him so hard?
Then she looked at Lin Feng's tearful face and was heartbroken again.
Just when the scene had once again moved everyone due to Lin Feng's tearful performance, Shen Zhao and Ding Bubuer, the two argumentative ones, immediately chimed in.
"Oh, look, did you see that? When in doubt, start crying. The green tea technique works for all ages and genders."
"It's truly horrifying. Just thinking about it at night makes me sick."
"It's just… a grown man bawling his eyes out and putting on some long-lost sentimental act in public. It's really baffling."
"It's an abstract manifestation of a lack of love since childhood. We should be understanding; after all, that's how he makes a living."
"Yeah, unlike us, our lives are so ordinary that we don't get the chance to play the victim."
"To put it in one word, disgusting!"
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