Meanwhile, the disciple with the mole moved toward the two Fairy Peak disciples. He didn't dare approach the Sect Leader and elders while they were discussing matters, so he stopped at a respectful distance and began quietly explaining the events of the recruitment to them.
As the scarred disciple spoke, he lifted his hand and pointed toward Zhuo Huan.
"That disciple," he said, his voice steady, "is the one."
At almost the same time, the disciple with the mole also raised his hand, pointing in the same direction as he spoke to the Fairy Peak disciples.
Their gazes followed his gesture.
Zhuo Huan stood calmly among the rows, expression indifferent, unaware—or perhaps uncaring—that the eyes of the Sect Leader, the elders, and even the Fairy Peak had all locked onto him at once.
On that platform, without realizing it, he had already become the center of attention.?
After nearly five minutes of low, intense discussion, the Sect Leader and the elders finally came to a decision.
Their gazes settled, and the atmosphere on the platform subtly shifted.
The disciple with the mole and the scarred disciple walked back to their previous positions in front of the assembled disciples. Their expressions were now formal and focused, signaling that the true selection was about to begin.
The scarred disciple handed over a jade slip containing the registered names to the disciple with the mole.
The disciple with the mole glanced down, then spoke loudly, his voice echoing clearly.
"Doo Li. Mid Level Spiritual Root, Earth Element."
Doo Li, the disciple who had been the first to take the second test, stepped out from the row. His heart pounded as he walked forward and stood alone in front of the others, trying to keep his posture steady despite the pressure.
The disciple with the mole lifted his head and looked toward the Sect Leader, the five elders, and the two Fairy Peak disciples.
"Does anyone wish to take this disciple?"
Almost instantly, all five elders raised their hands.
A sharp intake of breath echoed among the disciples.
This meant only one thing.
Doo Li had the right to choose.
Doo Li's eyes darted from one elder to another. Alchemy Peak, Sword Peak, Formation Peak, Combat Peak, Forging Peak—each one represented power, resources, and status. After a brief hesitation, his gaze settled on the fourth elder.
"I choose the Fourth Peak," Doo Li said firmly.
The other elders lowered their hands, disappointment flickering across their faces. Several of them shot glances toward Ein Pan.
Ein Pan laughed loudly, completely unapologetic. "Looks like I'm too famous," he said with a proud grin.
The selection continued.
One name after another was called.
Some disciples joined the First Peak, drawn by the promise of pills and resources. Others chose the Second Peak, dreaming of becoming unrivaled sword cultivators. A few joined the Third Peak, fascinated by formations. Many were taken by the Fourth and Fifth Peaks, valuing strength and forging.
There were also disciples no elder chose.
Those unfortunate few were given the option to attempt the third test.
But after hearing the scarred disciple's earlier explanation, none of them dared.
They silently shook their heads, turned around, and left the sect grounds without complaint.
Throughout the entire process, neither the Sect Leader nor the Fairy Peak disciples selected a single disciple.
The black-haired girl remained expressionless, her gaze calm and distant.
The pink-haired girl stood quietly beside her, hands clasped together. Inside, she couldn't help but think, Huh, why are we even here? Master clearly told us not to take anyone.
Finally, all names had been called.
Only one person remained.
The disciple with the mole took a breath and announced loudly, "Zhuo Huan. High Quality Spiritual Root, Wind Element."
The moment his name echoed across the platform, a ripple ran through the disciples.
Zhuo Huan stepped forward calmly and stopped a few steps ahead of the others. He lifted his gaze toward the Sect Leader and the elders, his expression faintly annoyed.
"I don't care which peak I join," he thought. "I just want to live peacefully."
The disciple with the mole looked up again and asked, "Does anyone wish to take this disciple?"
Inside, he couldn't help but curse. Fuck, what kind of stupid question is that? Who wouldn't want him?
All eyes were now fixed on Zhuo Huan.
In the next instant, shock rippled through the platform.
All five elders raised their hands.
Even the Sect Leader, Luo Hanshen, raised his hand as well.
Only the Fairy Peak disciples remained still.
The sight stunned the remaining disciples. Never in their lives had they seen the Sect Leader personally competing with the elders to recruit a single disciple.
The disciple with the mole swallowed hard, then turned toward Zhuo Huan and spoke loudly, "Choose the peak you wish to join."
Zhuo Huan lifted his head and looked at the elders and the Sect Leader.
What he saw almost made him sigh.
Every elder was smiling—far too warmly. One hand was raised high, while the other pointed shamelessly at themselves, clearly gesturing for him to choose them. Some even nodded repeatedly, afraid he might overlook them.
Even Luo Hanshen was no different.
The dignified Sect Leader of the Celestial Dignity Sect was openly pointing at himself, his expression calm yet expectant, as if saying, Choose me.
Zhuo Huan's brows twitched.
Looking at their faces, he felt a headache coming on.
"Looking at their peaks," he thought irritably, "there's no fucking way I'll live peacefully. Too many people, too much bullshit."
He took a step forward, cupped his hands together, and bowed slightly, his manner polite but composed.
"May I ask something?" Zhuo Huan said calmly. "Which peak has the fewest disciples? A place where no one disturbs anyone."
He paused for half a breath, then added, "Excluding the Sect Leader's peak."
The question stunned everyone.
For a moment, the platform fell into silence.
The elders frowned slightly, clearly not understanding why a disciple with such terrifying talent would ask something like that.
Then, one by one, their gazes shifted.
All of them turned toward the Fairy Peak disciples.
Luo Hanshen followed their gaze and spoke slowly, "That would be the Fairy Peak."
He looked at Zhuo Huan with curiosity. "But why are you looking for a peak with fewer disciples?"
The two Fairy Peak disciples stiffened.
The black-haired girl's eyes widened slightly, while the pink-haired girl instinctively took half a step back. Being stared at by the Sect Leader and five elders at once made them feel extremely uncomfortable.
Before anyone could say anything else, Zhuo Huan spoke again, his tone respectful but decisive.
"Then I wish to join the Fairy Peak."
The words hit like a thunderbolt.
All the elders froze.
The Sect Leader froze.
Even the two Fairy Peak disciples froze.
Every single person on the platform stared at Zhuo Huan as if he had just said something completely insane.
The disciple with the mole snapped out of his shock and blurted out, "You can't choose that peak."
He quickly continued, "The Fairy Peak has not selected you. And more importantly, the Sect Leader himself has offered to take you as his disciple. Why would you want to join the Fairy Peak?"
Zhuo Huan looked at him calmly, his expression firm.
"It's obvious," he replied without hesitation. "Because I want to live around girls."
Silence.
Absolute, dead silence.
Some disciples nearly choked on their own breath.
The elders' expressions turned stiff, their mouths slightly open.
Even Luo Hanshen was momentarily speechless.
Zhuo Huan, however, remained completely composed. He had overheard earlier that the Fairy Peak consisted entirely of female disciples. He didn't know all the details, but he knew one thing—fewer people, fewer troubles, and a quieter life.
And if that place happened to be full of girls?
Well, that was just an added bonus.
Inside his mind, Zhuo Huan calmly concluded, "Peaceful life secured."