After the feast, Elder Huang and Elder Guo departed together for a sect meeting at the Celestial Summit Hall. Xiang Yu understood why—following such a tumultuous event, they needed to discuss the sect's future and select a new leader. None of this concerned him, though, he reflected as he placed the final support beam and stepped back to survey his handiwork.
The house hadn't suffered extensive damage, making repairs relatively straightforward. Still, he made a mental note to study formations soon. He needed better protection for his home—having it blown apart every time a fight broke out was becoming tedious.
Fortunately, his martial aunt had promised to find him some secondary profession manuals, so that particular worry was resolved. She was truly considerate, caring not only for their master but for him as well. He sincerely hoped the old man wouldn't fumble her.
"Senior brother, are you done?" Li Yao's voice came suddenly from behind him.
Xiang Yu jumped slightly, startled by her silent approach. Li Yao giggled at his reaction, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"This girl is nearly as skilled as me at concealment," he thought to himself. She moved without presence, materializing out of nowhere like a phantom. It was fortunate she was a nice girl—such abilities could be terrifying in the hands of someone with bad intentions.
Li Yao smiled warmly at Xiang Yu. She thought to herself that her senior brother looked really handsome when he worked. She had been observing him work for quite some time without his notice, admiring his focused expression and movements. Catching herself staring, she quickly brushed those thoughts aside.
"Senior brother, I got something for you," she announced, reaching for her spatial ring. So much had happened that she hadn't found the opportunity to present him with her reward from clearing the tower.
Upon exiting the Heaven-Testing Pagoda, she had received multiple treasures, though few held significant value. The most precious items were drops of both dragon and phoenix bloodline essence.
Since the phoenix seemed more feminine in nature, she had initially planned to keep it for herself and give the dragon bloodline to her senior brother. Bloodlines were renowned as powerful cultivation assets—those with rare lineages advanced more rapidly and might even unlock ancient inheritances upon reaching certain thresholds.
[You want to take the phoenix bloodline?] the Empress suddenly inquired within her consciousness.
"Yes, should I not?" Li Yao responded mentally.
[Although the bloodline of mythical creatures like the phoenix is great, it's harder to improve, and you might be treated as an outsider by both sides by being half,] the Empress cautioned. [I'll help you unlock my Human Emperor bloodline instead. It's not much weaker than the mythical bloodlines anyway.]
Li Yao considered this advice carefully. It made perfect sense—a Human Emperor bloodline would be more compatible, especially with the Empress herself providing guidance on enhancing it. The choice seemed obvious now.
"Can my brother learn it as well?" she asked hopefully.
[No,] came the Empress's flat response.
"Why not?" Li Yao pressed.
[Everyone has their own destiny. This is yours,] the Empress stated with finality.
Li Yao suspected the Empress was merely being cryptic again. "Just you wait," she thought defiantly. "If I learn it, do you think you can prevent me from teaching him?"
The Empress, not having achieved her status without extraordinary perception, clearly sensed Li Yao's thoughts but she didn't think much of it, after all, there could only be one Human Emperor in a generation.
[Why don't you give him both bloodlines instead? With his comprehension, he might be able to create something extraordinary,] she suggested, smoothly changing the subject.
"Something extraordinary?" Li Yao's interest was immediately piqued. "Is it possible to have multiple bloodlines simultaneously?"
[Who knows?] the Empress responded before retreating into Li Yao's spiritual sea.
Li Yao could only sigh at the Empress's enigmatic behavior. She always maintained this air of mystery, revealing just enough to tantalize without providing complete answers. Still, Li Yao smiled knowingly. Luckily, she was smart and figured out what the empress was implying.
The Empress was suggesting that Xiang Yu might indeed be capable of absorbing both bloodlines. With that possibility in mind, she resolved to give him both precious essences.
...
She placed two small crystal vials into her senior brother's open palms.
"These are drops of phoenix and dragon blood," Li Yao explained, her eyes bright with excitement. "If you refine them, you can obtain their bloodlines."
Reaching into her pouch, she withdrew a manual that caught Xiang Yu's attention immediately. Unlike the typical cultivation texts—ancient, weathered scrolls with faded characters—this one appeared pristine, as if freshly created and never before opened.
"Here, take this," she said, carefully placing the manual atop the vials in his hands. "This is the [High-grade Ice Palm] technique." She tilted her head slightly in thought. "You said your spiritual root is the low five elements, right?"
Xiang Yu nodded, curious where this was leading.
"Although having multiple elements might seem like a disadvantage, it also has its own advantages," she continued, her voice taking on an instructional tone. "With your comprehension, it shouldn't be hard for you to grasp an ice element technique from your water element."
He nodded again, keeping his thoughts hidden behind a grateful smile. This truly was the world of geniuses, he reflected silently. She casually mentioned it "shouldn't be hard" when in reality, developing mutated elements from basic ones represented a significant challenge for most cultivators. What Li Yao dismissed as simple would be an insurmountable obstacle for many.
Of course, with his Transcendent Dao Physique, refining any type of energy came naturally to him. Still, he appreciated her thoughtfulness in providing this rare technique. He had been wondering how to acquire ice element techniques, and now she had solved that problem effortlessly. All that remained were the wind element and perhaps light and dark—though those last two seemed beyond reach for now.
Light element techniques were exceedingly rare due to the element's scarcity. As for dark, while many demonic sect disciples utilized similar energies, they typically wielded corrupted demonic power that merely resembled true dark element rather than the pure form itself. Finding authentic dark element techniques would prove challenging, as most were likely classified as forbidden demonic arts. For the moment, he would set aside that pursuit.
As these thoughts circulated through his mind, Li Yao suddenly retrieved a glowing wooden plank from her pocket. The inscription upon it pulsed with a soft light.
"The master is calling me," she announced, already turning to leave. "Make sure to practice the technique well!" With those parting words, she activated her movement technique and soared away, her form blurring as she disappeared into the distance.
...
In the Celestial Summit Hall, all the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect had gathered to address the urgent matters facing their order.
The chamber held a solemn atmosphere as nine senior cultivators arranged themselves around the grand table: Elder Feng Wuying of the Blade Pavilion who also served as Grand Elder, Elder Zhao Liufeng of the Ethereal Wind Pavilion, Elder Guo Shantian of the Mountain Heart Pavilion, Elder Xu Yehan of the Reflection Pavilion, Elder Lei Juming of the Thundering Echo Pavilion, Elder Wu Tiangang of the Spirit Forging Pavilion, Elder Jiang Qingxin of the Meditation Pavilion, Elder Liu Shuiyue of the Flowing Water Pavilion, and Elder Huang Fengqi of the Phoenix Ascension Pavilion.
"Let's start with the most important part—we need a new Sect Leader," Elder Xu Yehan spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the hall.
Elder Guo was about to speak, but the Grand Elder placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head gently. "We all know that you and the Sect Master were sworn brothers, but the sect cannot remain without a leader," he said. "Even if it has not even been a day, we still have to do this. This isn't a clan but a sect—we have to look out for everyone's best interests."
Elder Guo nodded reluctantly. Though it pained him to select a new Sect Leader when his brother's corpse was not yet cold, he understood the necessity. The sect still had enemies; though they had won this battle, they had not yet won the war.
"Who should we select as the new Sect Leader?" Elder Huang asked, her gaze sweeping across the assembled elders.
All eyes turned toward the Grand Elder expectantly. But to their surprise, he simply shook his head. "Let you youngsters decide among yourselves," he said with finality. "I'll also be stepping down from my position as the Grand Elder."
Shocked murmurs rippled through the hall, but the Grand Elder raised his palm to quiet them. "I only stayed to look after my friend's son, but it seems I couldn't accomplish even that." His voice carried no self-pity, merely stating a fact that pained him deeply.
The elders listened in respectful silence. The Grand Elder belonged to the previous Sect Master's generation, not their own. His next words fell heavily in the quiet chamber: "I'm growing old. I'll enter retreat to see if I can breakthrough to the Golden Core stage." A pause. "If I can't, I'll just join my brothers."
Everyone understood the meaning behind his words. If he failed to achieve this breakthrough, his natural lifespan would expire, and he would pass from this world.
"I have someone to recommend for the position though," the Grand Elder continued, noticing the somber mood that had descended upon the gathering. "I recommend Elder Guo's disciple, Li Yao."
When they heard this suggestion, heads nodded in unison. Many had harbored the same thought but hesitated to voice it. Coming from the Grand Elder, however, the recommendation carried significant weight.
They had all witnessed Li Yao's overwhelming power during the recent battle. Having her as Sect Leader would provide a powerful beacon of strength to inspire confidence among the disciples. Their only reservation concerned the considerable generation gap.
All eyes turned to Elder Guo, seeking his reaction.
"My disciple is not even fifty years old," Elder Guo objected firmly. "Why should she carry the burden of the sect?"
"Elder Guo, don't be so harsh," Elder Wu Tiangang countered. "She's also an adult. I'm sure she'll understand the sect's situation."
Elder Guo gritted his teeth in frustration. These people wanted to push all responsibility onto a youngster—had they no shame? Although Li Yao possessed remarkable strength, she remained, in his eyes, just a child.
Suddenly, Elder Huang placed her gentle hand on his shoulder. "How about this—we can ask her directly. If she doesn't agree, then we'll have to abandon the idea," she suggested.
The other elders nodded in approval, seemingly satisfied with this compromise.
"Fine," Elder Guo relented with a sigh as he retrieved a wooden communication plank from his sleeve, its surface glowing faintly with energy as he activated it.
...
When Li Yao arrived at the gathering in the Celestial Summit Peak Hall, several elders rose to their feet, greeting her with the respectful address typically reserved for equals rather than disciples. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li," they said with measured deference.
These people are truly shameless, Elder Guo thought, watching his colleagues' transparent attempts to curry favor. Yet even as irritation flickered through him, understanding followed. For the sect to survive in these perilous times, they desperately needed a powerful leader. His only reservation was whether Li Yao possessed the right temperament to shoulder such a burden.
She stood in her prime—a once-in-a-generation talent with boundless potential. In his heart, Elder Guo firmly believed she had the makings of an immortal. Given sufficient time and freedom, she would undoubtedly ascend to shake the very heavens themselves.
But the sect now bore the ominous mark of the high-level Wuming Cult. An ordinary disciple might simply flee when the inevitable storm broke, but a Sect Master would be honor-bound to stand firm, even if it meant going down with the sect.
"Li Yao," the Grand Elder addressed her directly, his weathered voice carrying across the chamber, "are you interested in becoming the Sect Master?"
Surprise flashed across Li Yao's face. Clearly, she hadn't anticipated this when summoned to the elders' gathering. Her gaze swept across the chamber, taking in the expectant expressions turned toward her—some hopeful, others calculating, all intensely focused on her response.
"You needn't feel pressured," Elder Guo interjected, his tone gentle yet firm. "Just follow your heart. No one will dare blame you, regardless of your decision." Beside him, Elder Huang offered an encouraging smile.
Within Li Yao's consciousness, the Empress's voice resonated with measured caution: [What will you choose? If you become the Sect Leader, you'll be mortal enemies with the Wuming Cult.]
Li Yao surveyed the assembly once more, noting the mingled hope and desperation in their eyes. Though she could certainly flee—her power now sufficient to establish herself anywhere—such an act ran counter to her fundamental nature. With so many looking to her for salvation, how could she possibly abandon them? Besides, victory and defeat remained uncertain. The future had yet to be written.
Drawing herself to her full height, Li Yao nodded decisively. "I will fight for our sect," she declared, her voice ringing with unwavering conviction.
The Grand Elder's weathered face creased into a satisfied smile.
"What?" Elder Guo's shock escaped as an audible exclamation. How could his typically carefree, mischievous disciple agree to such a restrictive role? He had been certain she would decline.
Before he could process this unexpected development, the other elders rose from their seats in a synchronous motion, bowing formally to their new leader. "We greet the Sect Master," they intoned in unified respect.
Elder Guo glanced around the chamber, bewilderment giving way to resignation. He released a soft sigh—perhaps he truly was growing old. If she wished to remain and shoulder this burden, what could he do? In truth, beneath his concern lurked a flicker of pride. She had chosen the path of responsibility rather than self-preservation.
He had truly chosen his disciples well.
Noticing that every eye in the chamber had turned expectantly toward him, Elder Guo composed himself. A small smile softened his features as he too inclined his head in formal acknowledgment. "I greet the Sect Master."
"I wonder what Master would think," he thought reflectively. "He was deeply disappointed when the sect genius of our generation declined to become Sect Master. But this sect genius has raised an even greater talent who now takes up the mantle. I hope Master won't be too disappointed that it took this long."