Chapter 7: The Choice of Master
Within moments, countless figures rushed toward the mountain peak.
At first, Xiao Chen only saw streaks of white light flying across the sky.
But as they drew closer, he realized they were people.
Old men.
Middle-aged men.
All of them wore robes similar to Elder Liu's.
Powerful pressure spread across the mountain as they landed one after another.
For a few moments, they looked around in confusion.
Then all of their eyes landed on Xiao Chen.
Their expressions instantly changed.
It was as if they had just discovered a priceless treasure.
One of the elders laughed loudly.
"Elder Liu!"
"It has truly been a long time since we last met."
The old man smiled as he walked forward.
"But who is this little boy beside you?"
Another elder stepped forward.
"That is exactly what I want to know."
"Where did this child come from?"
All of them looked toward Elder Liu.
Elder Liu's face became serious.
He briefly explained what had happened outside the sect gates.
He spoke about Xiao Chen refusing to leave.
He spoke about Xiao Chen enduring the whip strike without even changing expression.
Finally, he mentioned the agreement between them.
"I told him that if he could prove himself to be a genius, I would accept him as my personal disciple."
The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the other elders changed.
The truth was that Elder Liu had not truly meant those words back then.
He had only wanted to give Xiao Chen some hope.
At the same time, he had wanted to teach the two guards a lesson.
After all, Elder Liu himself had once been poor.
He had not been born into some powerful clan.
He had joined the Azure Cloud Sect through luck and hard work.
That was why, when he saw Xiao Chen, he had felt some sympathy.
But now...
Everything was different.
The child standing before him was no ordinary boy.
He was someone with a peak-grade spirit root.
The elders looked toward Xiao Chen again.
Only now did they properly notice his clothes.
His robes were torn.
His shoes were worn out.
His face was thin.
No matter how they looked at him, he seemed like a beggar.
One of the elders stepped forward.
He had white hair, a sharp nose, and bright eyes.
"My name is Kong Xuan," he said proudly.
"Most people call me Elder Kong."
He looked at Xiao Chen and smiled.
"Young boy, I think you should reconsider that agreement."
"You should choose a different master."
Xiao Chen blinked.
"Why?"
Elder Kong coughed lightly.
"Because Elder Liu is actually the weakest elder among us."
The moment those words left his mouth, Elder Liu's face immediately darkened.
Several elders around him laughed.
Elder Kong puffed out his chest proudly.
"Someone with your talent should naturally choose a stronger master."
"For example, me."
"I am one of the strongest elders in the Azure Cloud Sect."
Before Xiao Chen could even reply, another elder stepped forward.
"Nonsense!"
"Young boy, choose me instead!"
"I have the best sword techniques in the sect!"
Another elder immediately interrupted.
"You should choose me!"
"I can provide you with pills, spirit stones, and cultivation resources!"
One of the female elders smiled warmly.
"If you choose me, I can guarantee that no one in the sect will dare bully you."
Soon, all of the elders began arguing.
"Choose me!"
"No, choose me!"
"I can make you rich!"
"I can make you powerful!"
"I can teach you secret techniques!"
The mountain peak instantly became noisy.
Xiao Chen stood there with a strange expression.
He slowly turned toward Elder Liu.
Only now did he notice the embarrassed look on the old man's face.
So the first person he had seen flying in his life...
The person he had thought was incredibly powerful...
Was actually the weakest elder here.
For a moment, Xiao Chen fell silent.
But then he remembered something.
It had been Elder Liu who stopped the guards.
It had been Elder Liu who gave him a chance.
It had been Elder Liu who brought him into the sect.
Even if he was weak...
So what?
Xiao Chen slowly cleared his throat.
The arguing elders instantly became silent.
All of them turned toward him.
Xiao Chen looked at them calmly.
"I will still choose Elder Liu," he said.
The elders froze.
Even Elder Liu himself looked shocked.
Xiao Chen continued.
"Xiao Chen is not someone who goes back on his word."
"Elder Liu was the one who helped me."
"So I will choose him."
For a moment, the mountain peak became completely silent.
Then Elder Liu's eyes suddenly turned slightly red.
The old man quickly turned his head away.
He did not want the other elders to see his expression.
Meanwhile, the ancient voice inside Xiao Chen's head snorted.
"Good."
"You do not need these useless old men anyway."
"With me here, even if the entire sect taught you together, they still would not compare to one finger of the old me."
Xiao Chen ignored the voice.
At that moment, Elder Liu slowly looked back at him.
For the first time since meeting Xiao Chen, the old man's eyes were truly gentle.
"Good," Elder Liu said softly.
"From today onward..."
"You are my disciple."