However, it was just to confirm one or two things.
Elder Taizhen suppressed the excitement in his heart, tilted his head slightly, and secretly sent a voice transmission to True Lord Linghan.
"I'm asking you, is this girl truly not the Bloodline of some Elder left outside?"
"...Uh."
Hearing this sudden voice transmission,
True Lord Linghan was somewhat bewildered.
Why did this Old Man suddenly ask about this?
But seeing the other's solemn expression, he still quickly sent a voice transmission back.
"Naturally not, I can guarantee... this girl is indeed of Loose Cultivator origin, she doesn't even know what a Spiritual Artifact is. A few days ago when we went to Guanlan Island..."
He then briefly recounted the events on Guanlan Island.
Having received a definite answer,
the hand gripping True Lord Linghan's palm finally slowly loosened.
Elder Taizhen took a deep breath, and his flushed old face regained its usual transcendent air.
He straightened his grey robes and suddenly looked toward Jiang Yuechu gently: "Junior Friend, I see that you have an extraordinary skeletal structure and supreme Comprehension Ability; you are truly a rare Dao-cultivation genius once in ten thousand years..."
After saying that,
he began to introduce himself: "I am Taizhen, serving as the Dharma Transmission Elder of the Jieqing Sect. Although I have several mediocre Disciples under me, I have yet to find a successor for my Legacy... Would you be willing to take me as your master? I will surely teach you everything I know and protect your path on the great Dao."
"..."
Hearing these words,
the hundreds of Inner Sect Disciples in the hall looked at each other.
However, they didn't find it strange.
After all, with such terrifying talent, if no Elder took her as a Personal Disciple, that would be the real problem.
True Lord Linghan, who was to the side, was stunned.
Then his face turned red.
"No! You can't!"
He hurriedly stepped forward, blocking Jiang Yuechu, and waved his hands repeatedly.
Elder Taizhen frowned, and his originally kind face instantly turned cold: "Linghan, what is the meaning of this? Since when is it your place to interfere when I am taking a Disciple?"
True Lord Linghan was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
How could he not be anxious?
Senior Martial Uncle Wuxiang had personally seen this girl, used his own identity to give her a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, and repeatedly exhorted him when handing her over.
The meaning behind it couldn't be more obvious.
Senior Martial Uncle Wuxiang had clearly taken a liking to this girl and intended to personally take her under his wing.
If Senior Martial Uncle Taizhen intercepted her while she was in his hands,
how would he explain it when he went back?
Wouldn't he be beaten to death by Senior Martial Uncle Wuxiang?
"Senior Martial Uncle, please calm your anger!"
True Lord Linghan braced himself, facing Elder Taizhen's murderous gaze.
"It's not that this Junior wants to stop you from taking a Disciple... It's just that Senior Martial Uncle Wuxiang has already seen this Junior Friend Jiang, and moreover, Senior Martial Uncle Wuxiang personally promised her a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact and told me to take her to the treasury to choose one."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
Elder Wuxiang had already beaten him to it.
Hearing the name Wuxiang, Elder Taizhen's eye twitched violently.
That old fogey... I didn't expect him to move so fast.
Elder Taizhen gave a cold snort.
"So what if Wuxiang has seen her? He promised a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, but can I not afford one?"
"Not only will I give her a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, I'll even give her a High Grade Spiritual Artifact!"
He pushed True Lord Linghan aside and looked straight at Jiang Yuechu.
"Girl, don't worry about that old fogey. Join my lineage, and I'll never let you suffer a loss!"
Jiang Yuechu looked at the two men arguing until they were red in the face and suddenly said calmly, "Did I say I wanted to take a master?"
As soon as these words were spoken,
the hall instantly fell into a dead silence.
Elder Taizhen came to his senses and asked in disbelief, "You're not willing to take a master?"
Jiang Yuechu stood up and patted the dust off her white robe: "Being a Guest Elder is quite good."
Then she looked at True Lord Linghan.
"Has my residence been arranged? Lead the way."
True Lord Linghan felt as if he had been granted a great pardon.
Whether she took a master or not didn't matter, as long as she wasn't intercepted while in his hands.
"It's arranged! It's arranged!"
He nodded quickly and turned to lead the way.
Leaving a hall of dumbfounded Disciples and Elder Taizhen staring at each other.
...
A breeze blew across the bluestone path.
Recalling the scene in the hall just now, True Lord Linghan still felt it was somewhat absurd.
He stole a glance to the side.
The girl beside him had a steady pace and a calm expression.
It was as if she truly didn't care at all about having personally rejected an invitation from a Sect Elder.
The Nine Great Dao Sects held a supreme status. For any Yunmeng Cultivator, being accepted as a Personal Disciple by a Dao Sect was a stroke of immense luck, enough to reach the heavens in a single step.
How could anyone reject it so nonchalantly?
However,
True Lord Linghan suddenly remembered the scene at the treasury.
This girl didn't even know what a Spiritual Artifact was.
Could it be that she simply didn't understand what kind of weight the four words 'Dao Sect Personal Disciple' carried in this Yunmeng Township...
The more True Lord Linghan thought about it, the more he felt it made sense.
He opened his mouth, intending to give her a few pointers.
But the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back down.
Forget it...
Once this girl has stayed in the Jieqing Sect for a while and witnessed more of the Dao Sect's grandeur, she will naturally realize exactly what she turned down today.
Moreover,
the Nine Great Dao Sects were, after all, the Nine Great Dao Sects, possessing the pride and integrity of countless years of Legacy.
They had given her a spirit sword, a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact for protection, and even made an exception to give her the status of a Guest Elder who could come and go as she pleased.
This was already the limit of the sincerity the Jieqing Sect could offer.
But they would never bow and scrape just because someone had the talent of a Prodigy.
Before a colossus like a Dao Sect... a single person might be stunning for a time and have some influence.
But they would never affect the true foundation of the Dao Sect.
The two walked for a while.
Patches of purple bamboo forests came into view, their stalks long and slender, emitting a warm purple glow.
Deep within the bamboo forest, the mist was thick.
Countless exquisite bamboo buildings could be vaguely seen, built nestled against the mountains and near the water.
Their upturned eaves were perched between the sea of clouds.
The mountain wind brushed past, and the purple bamboo swayed, making a rustling, crisp sound.
Like an Immortal playing the zither, the lingering notes were melodious.
The two passed through the quiet bamboo forest and came to an emerald-green lakeside.
The lake water was crystal clear, reflecting the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds. A two-story bamboo building stood quietly by the lake.
True Lord Linghan stopped and pushed open the half-closed bamboo door: "Junior Friend Jiang, please."
Jiang Yuechu stepped inside.
The interior furnishings were simple and elegant, with tables and chairs all made of purple bamboo.
True Lord Linghan followed behind and began to explain: "The Jieqing Sect hasn't established a Guest Elder position for a long time... so there were no residences specifically set aside for Guest Elders in the Sect."
He looked around, his tone carrying a hint of apology: "This place is called the Zuowang Forest; it is the cultivation residence for most of our Jieqing Sect's Personal Disciples."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping outside the window.
So it was the territory of Personal Disciples.
True Lord Linghan paused, then smiled and explained: "Personal Disciples are usually devoted to the Great Dao, coming and going alone. Most of the time they are in secluded cultivation or out traveling, and they rarely gather. Thus, this Zuowang Forest is actually the quietest place in the entire Jieqing Sect. Ordinary Disciples don't dare to step foot here easily, so no one will disturb your cultivation, Junior Friend."
Jiang Yuechu withdrew her gaze and gave a faint response.
"Thank you for your trouble."
True Lord Linghan waved his hand and said no more, pulling out a warm Green Jade Dao Tablet from his sleeve and handing it to the girl: "This object is the proof of your identity as a Guest Elder of the Jieqing Sect. Besides proving your identity within the Sect..."
"In the future, if you leave this place and travel within the Yunmeng Township, if you encounter any difficulties, you can show this to others."
"Most Cultivators will know its significance when they see this tablet and won't make things too difficult for you."
Jiang Yuechu reached out and took it. Without examining it, she casually stuffed it into the Storage Pouch at her waist.
Seeing the girl's casual manner, True Lord Linghan wasn't annoyed.
He tucked his hands into his sleeves and nodded slightly.
"You've just arrived, Junior Friend, and after all the commotion, you must be tired."
"If there's nothing else, I will return to report. Rest here in peace, Junior Friend. Tomorrow, a Disciple will bring the standard Sect items."
After saying that, True Lord Linghan turned to leave.
"Actually, there is one more thing."
A cool voice rang out in the bamboo building.
True Lord Linghan stopped.
He turned around, looking somewhat confused.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Yuechu raised her eyes, her black pupils showing a hint of interest: "I want to ask... that 'Trial' or whatever, where do I go to accept it?"