Would you like to become my disciple?

All the chief seats had taken their places. Below, the young men and lads gazed up at the chief seats of each peak, their eyes brimming with anticipation. In the Great Wilderness, cultivating immortality was the lifelong aspiration of every soul, a dream of one day being truly embraced by an immortal sect.

"Revered immortals, please seek justice for us..."

In the hushed hall, a young man stepped forward from the crowd, dropped to his knees, and wept bitterly. Inspired by him, the others followed suit, beseeching Meng Tianzheng to bring justice to their cause. After all, they had just endured a calamity that had torn their families asunder, and their hearts were heavy with pain.

Amidst the young man's heart - rending sobs, his emotions spiraled out of control. Unconsciously, a faint glimmer of charm surfaced, hidden subtly between his brows. It was a detail easily missed, yet the chief seats above noticed at once. Their eyes lit up, as if they had stumbled upon a rough gem, and a fierce eagerness filled them.

"Alas, poor children. Rise first."

The compassionate Meng Tianzheng sighed. Regarding the fierce - beast riot at the foot of the mountain, he had spent an entire day investigating, yet found no leads. Summoning the chief seats of each peak now was simply to deliberate on the fate of these orphans.

"I am well - aware of your plight. Fear not. Since this incident occurred at the foot of our Heaven Mending Sect's mountain, we shall certainly investigate it to the very end."

As he spoke, he turned to glance at the chief seats of each peak behind him and continued, "But let's not be hasty. Unraveling this will take time. You may remain on the mountain to commence your cultivation. Should there be any news in the future, we will surely inform you."

In the crowd, upon hearing Meng Tianzheng's comforting words, Lin Qingzhu's face was streaked with tears, and her heart felt as cold as ice. Recalling the tragic scene of her parents' death, a wave of grief and indignation surged within her. She yearned to grow strong, to seek revenge, yet she knew in her heart that few of the chief seats above would truly lend her a hand. To avenge her family, she could only rely on herself. Now, there was but one path before her: to find a master, learn skills, and when she was powerful enough, exact her revenge.

"Fellow junior brothers, what say you?"

At this juncture, Meng Tianzheng looked at the chief seats of each peak behind him. Any astute person could tell that what followed was the moment when the chief seats of each peak would select their disciples. Those with remarkable talent and aptitude would be snapped up in advance, perhaps even 引发争抢 (spark fierce competition). And those with poor aptitude had scarcely any chance of being chosen and could only become servant disciples, starting from the bottom rung.

Before coming, Liu Qingfeng had already apprised them of the situation. They were all well - informed and equally eager to know whether these chief seats would choose them.

"Haha, Sect - Leader Senior Brother, since you've spoken, this junior brother won't stand on ceremony."

Qi Wuhui took the lead and strode forward. He immediately set his sights on the young man who had stepped out first moments ago. Seeing Qi Wuhui charging straight towards that young man, Yang Wudi, the head of Shijian Peak, could no longer sit still. Dragging his corpulent body, he emerged. Before Qi Wuhui could utter a word, he declared, "Sect - Leader Senior Brother, I sense a profound connection between this child and me. Why not let him be my disciple?"

When everyone heard this, they rolled their eyes in unison. He had used this ploy countless times. Who would still fall for such an old trick?

"Junior Brother Yang, I saw this one first!"

Qi Wuhui retorted, clearly disgruntled.

"Just because you saw it first means it's yours? What kind of logic is that?"

"You..."

"What? Do you wish to step outside and engage in a one - on - one duel?"

"Duel? I fear you not!"

Qi Wuhui had a fiery temper. Throughout the entire sect, save for the sect leader and the late True Man Xuantian, he feared no one. The two nearly came to blows over a young man. The other chief seats knew they couldn't compete with them, so they had to settle for the next best options, choosing other promising candidates. Even those with mediocre but marginally usable aptitude were selected.

Before long, those who hadn't been chosen stood forlornly in the hall. Lin Qingzhu was among them. She was bewildered. Why hadn't anyone picked her? Her heart burned with unwillingness. Shame welled up from the depths of her being, and she clenched her fists tightly. The harsh slap of reality had struck her hard. Her dream of becoming powerful had finally crumbled. Now that no one had chosen her, there was only one path left: to start as a servant disciple. However, being overlooked also meant her aptitude was likely abysmal. Starting as a servant disciple was no easy feat.

Just as she teetered on the brink of despair, a white - clad figure suddenly materialized before her. Like a shaft of dawn piercing the pitch - black darkness, Lin Qingzhu's heart leaped with joy. Looking up, she saw that it was the young chief seat who had been sitting in the corner earlier.

"Do you desire to become my disciple?"

Ye Qiu inquired in a calm tone.

"I do. Disciple Lin Qingzhu pays respects to Master..."

At that moment, how could Lin Qingzhu hesitate even for an instant? She promptly dropped to her knees and performed the apprentice - kowtow ceremony. In this mortifying situation, it was Ye Qiu who had given her a glimmer of dignity. It was her last hope. As long as she could find a master, she would have a chance at revenge. Although the other party seemed young and she knew nothing of his strength, at least he was a chief seat. If she didn't seize this opportunity now, when would she?

"Very well. Follow me."

Ye Qiu said softly and strode out of the hall one step ahead. Lin Qingzhu hastened to follow. Just before she left, she heard a sneering comment. It was Qi Wuhui's voice.

"Hehe, a worthless master takes in a worthless disciple. What a perfect match."

"What's that old saying? Birds of a feather flock together. It couldn't be more true."

"It's a pity that the thousand - year inheritance of Zixia Peak is likely to end in the hands of these two mediocrities."

Hearing these words, Lin Qingzhu was deeply perplexed. Ye Qiu, walking ahead of her, could sense her inner turmoil. After a short while, he suddenly halted.

"Master?"

Lin Qingzhu was taken aback and called out instinctively. Ye Qiu turned to look at her and asked, "You heard what was just said. What are your thoughts?"

Lin Qingzhu hesitated for a moment. At that moment, her heart was a maelstrom of confusion and anger. Why was Qi Wuhui slandering them, master and disciple? Although she had just become an apprentice, she had already wholeheartedly accepted this master. Regardless of his strength, he was the one who had given her a glimmer of hope in her darkest hour. Others could say whatever they pleased about her, but she would never tolerate slurs against her master.

"Master, I may not understand lofty principles, but I know one thing. Once a master, always a father. When no one else was willing to take me as a disciple, it was you, Master, who gave me hope. Qingzhu will spend her entire life safeguarding Master's reputation and will never bring shame to you, even if it means facing eternal damnation."

"Master, rest assured! I will train with all my might. One day, I will prove to them that Master is no ordinary person, and neither am I a useless one..."

Clenching her fists resolutely, Lin Qingzhu said with determination. Hearing these words, Ye Qiu was greatly pleased. Not bad, this disciple was well worth taking in. She truly would stand up for him when the chips were down. Earlier in the hall, he had been observing surreptitiously and refrained from vying with the others for disciples. He knew full well that he couldn't compete with them, so he simply chose from those who had been left behind. Usually, at such a time, those who hadn't been selected were bound to be deeply disappointed. And if he happened to choose one of them, as long as she was a rational person, she would be deeply grateful, almost willing to devote herself wholeheartedly.

"Excellent! Let's be off..."

Ye Qiu didn't elaborate further. With a casual wave, he summoned the Zixia Sword, grasped Lin Qingzhu's hand, and soared towards Zixia Peak.