The disciple recruitment event, which had been bustling with activity for two months, finally came to an end.
The two Dao Lords had accepted a total of three disciples. One became a disciple of Dao Lord Shoujing, while the other two entered the tutelage of Dao Lord Qingwei. All three disciples were at the Foundation Establishment stage. Though their personalities differed, they all shared the qualities of firm will, keen intelligence, and cleverness.
During the recruitment period, Xiaoguzi had spread word about what kind of disciples the two Dao Lords preferred and what their requirements were. This greatly reduced the trouble of selection, preventing many unsuitable candidates from being sent over. For this, they specifically rewarded the brother-sister pair with one top-grade magic tool each, delighting them so much they grinned from ear to ear.
During this disciple recruitment event, the two of them had profited immensely. Various figures came to inquire about information, and none felt it appropriate not to offer a couple of good items. All totaled, it was a huge fortune for them. Moreover, as long as they finished their tasks here, the two grandmasters paid no attention to what they did, which was far more comfortable than being under Kuang Zhu's watch.
"If only it could always be like this," Xiaoguzi said, stretching lazily on a protruding rock by the surface of the Jiyuan Pond, feeling utterly blissful.
"Isn't that right? Senior Brother Kuang Zhu is always nagging about diligence and cultivation... but we two just aren't cut out for that," Xiaozui chimed in, carrying a basket as she walked over to him. The two of them pulled out a grill, bamboo skewers, firewood, various seasonings, and finally several pieces of beast meat from the basket, starting a barbecue.
"So this is where you are," a voice came from the side. Ye Zhenji walked over, rubbing his nose. "Smells great. Share some with me."
Saying this, he casually took a perfectly grilled piece of beast meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Uncle-Master Ye," Xiaoguzi said, "you really are one to make yourself at home."
Ye Zhenji didn't mind at all, smiling as he said, "What's the big deal about a few pieces of beast meat? Don't be so stingy."
Xiaozui stopped grilling, tilting her head to size him up for a moment before suddenly saying, "Uncle-Master Ye, is there something troubling you?"
Ye Zhenji swallowed the meat in a couple of bites, scooped some pond water to wash his hands, and said, "How did you know?"
"Just looking at you tells us," Xiaoguzi nudged his arm. "If you have something unhappy, hurry up and tell us so we can be happy."
Ye Zhenji shot him a glare but said nothing.
"Yeah, Uncle-Master Ye," Xiaozui said, "judging by your look, you haven't told anyone else about this matter, have you?"
Ye Zhenji glared at her twice.
After a moment, he spoke...
"Well... Master wants me to go into seclusion for Core Formation."
"Then just form your Core," Xiaoguzi said casually between bites of grilled meat.
"Exactly, Core Formation is a good thing."
Ye Zhenji paused, then said, "But I don't have much confidence..."
"You lack confidence?" Xiaozui asked, surprised. "Uncle-Master, you're the disciple of the most outstanding Nascent Soul cultivator in our Xuanqing Sect."
Ye Zhenji smiled bitterly. "Precisely because I am Aunt and Master's disciple... My aptitude is ordinary. If not for Aunt and Master's care and my own diligence, how could I have reached this point? Both of them are heaven-defying geniuses, but I... Master was right the other day. At my age, Aunt had already gone into seclusion for Nascent Soul formation, and Master had perfected his Core. Yet I haven't even crossed the threshold of Core Formation."
After saying this, Ye Zhenji's mood sank. He understood the principle of accumulating strength over time and knew his aptitude was ordinary, so he thought to accumulate more before attempting Core Formation. But now his master wanted him to form his Core earlier, and he truly lacked confidence in himself...
Unexpectedly, Xiaoguzi then said, "Uncle-Master Ye, you're being strange. If you could easily compare to them, would they still be heaven-defying geniuses? You're not even two hundred years old, younger than us. Elite disciples basically form their Cores around two hundred, right? And some people never manage to form a Core in their entire lives."
"But," Ye Zhenji stammered for a moment, "I am Aunt and Master's disciple."
"Just because you're their disciple, you have to be like them? Look at all the Nascent Soul Dao Lords in our sect. Have you seen all their disciples reach Nascent Soul?" Xiaozui said, adding a comment, "I think you're just worrying over nothing and making yourself suffer."
"..." Having been troubled for several months, only to be criticized as worthless by this brother-sister pair, Ye Zhenji felt depressed.
"Uncle-Master Ye," Xiaoguzi said, patting his shoulder, "just relax. You have your own path, why care so much? Look at Xiaozui and me. We're practically just idling away, waiting to die. Senior Brother Kuang Zhu even says our very existence is a waste of the spiritual energy of Mount Taikang. Listen to that! Is that something an adoptive brother should say? You've only been scolded by your master a few times, what's the big deal?"
"Did Senior Brother Hanruo really say that?"
"Of course," Xiaozui said nonchalantly, counting on her fingers. "Every month, he lectures us once. Every ten days, he urges us to cultivate once. Every day, he sends someone to check on our cultivation once. Look, is this any way to live?"
"Then you two..." Ye Zhenji found it extremely strange. How could they still be so leisurely?
"We two just don't like cultivating," Xiaoguzi said. "To each their own ambition. I think reaching Foundation Establishment, living three to four hundred years, spending every day enjoying the mountains and waters, resting on stones and admiring flowers, is enough. As for Core Formation, we have neither the ambition nor the aptitude for it."
Xiaozui added, "In your view, should we just go out and die?"
Four eyes from the two of them stared at him. Ye Zhenji was bewildered. "Then I..."
"Do you want to form your Core?" Xiaoguzi asked.
Ye Zhenji nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
"Then that settles it," Xiaozui spread her hands. "If you want to form your Core, then just do it. If you fail, try again. After all, you have a good master and a good aunt, which already makes things much easier for you than for others. Why worry about all those unnecessary things?"
Hearing this, Ye Zhenji felt as if he had been enlightened. "Right! If I fail, I can just try again!" He suddenly stood up and dashed off, disappearing in a flash. "I'm going to cultivate."
Seeing his figure vanish, Xiaoguzi and Xiaozui giggled and high-fived each other. "Finally gone. One less person to share the meat."
"Zhenji has entered seclusion," Qin Xi said.
Mo Tiange frowned slightly. "He entered seclusion so hastily. Could there be a problem?"
"It's fine," Qin Xi said. "Let him give it a try. Even if he fails, he'll know where his shortcomings lie."
"... I suppose that's the only way."
"What about Linbo?" Qin Xi asked.
"Linbo told me she'll handle the last bit of business and then enter seclusion too."
Qin Xi nodded slightly. "Good. Feifei should be back soon, right?"
"Yes, by my reckoning, he'll be back in a few days." Mo Tiange paused, then said, "Xiaohuo and Xiaofan have both reached the seventh rank. They're quite well-behaved, so we don't need to worry about them."
"That's best." With everyone not requiring their concern, they could focus their energy on their newly accepted disciples. Only after guiding them properly could they feel at ease entering seclusion themselves.
This time, they had both coincidentally chosen Foundation Establishment disciples. Firstly, most Core Formation cultivators already had masters, and those without were usually too old. Secondly, Core Formation cultivators had mostly already selected their cultivation methods and found their own path, while Foundation Establishment disciples were just starting out, their paths like blank slates, perfect for free guidance. Thirdly, Foundation Establishment disciples were more obedient than Core Formation cultivators.
As for other requirements, they largely matched what Xiaoguzi had spread, though the chosen candidates were unexpected.
Mo Tiange's disciples were one male and one female. The male was named Xie Zhengyi, the female Chi Yunshu. Both had just reached Foundation Establishment not long ago and were around thirty years old. For elite disciples, their age at Foundation Establishment was neither early nor late, and their aptitude wasn't the best either, both having relatively common dual Spirit Roots.
They were chosen mainly for several reasons. Xie Zhengyi came from a minor cultivation family with an ordinary background. His personality was steady, and he could endure solitude. He also had a foundation in formations, making him the best candidate to learn Mechanist Arts. Chi Yunshu, on the other hand, had a special constitution where Yin energy was excessive and Yang energy deficient, to the point where Yang spiritual energy could hardly be retained. Because of this, she always struggled when practicing other cultivation methods. Discovering this, Mo Tiange felt she would be an excellent successor for the Su Nu Jue. Additionally, her quiet and reserved nature pleased the tranquility-loving Mo Tiange.
As for Qin Xi, he hadn't originally been keen on taking disciples, as Ye Zhenji was already his direct disciple. However, during the selection process, he encountered a suitable candidate and accepted him.
This person was named Sang Yushu. He was slightly older, already nearly a hundred years old, yet his cultivation had remained stagnant at the early Foundation Establishment stage. His Spirit Root was also ordinary—not even dual, but triple. Logically, with such conditions, he wasn't even an elite disciple, and Core Formation cultivators wouldn't want him as a disciple. Yet Qin Xi had taken a liking to him. The reason was similar to Chi Yunshu's case: Sang Yushu's constitution was extremely Yang, unable to retain Yin energy, which also caused his cultivation progress to be extremely slow.
It was said that when he signed up for the selection, many fellow cultivators had laughed at him for overestimating himself. Unexpectedly, he defeated a group of cultivators with superior aptitude and noble backgrounds, becoming Dao Lord Shoujing's second disciple. Those who had laughed at him were filled with regret, thinking that if even Sang Yushu could be chosen, surely they would have had a better chance. How could they have missed the opportunity? They failed to consider that the disciples eliminated by Sang Yushu were each far more outstanding than themselves.
After the selection concluded, the three disciples packed their belongings and moved into the cave abodes of Jiyuan Valley. With disciples and attendants, Dao Lords Shoujing and Qingwei finally had the bearing befitting Nascent Soul cultivators.
In the main hall, the three disciples stood cautiously and gratefully before them. They shared one common trait: their aptitude wasn't particularly outstanding, and their backgrounds were relatively ordinary. They could hardly believe they had been chosen by Nascent Soul Dao Lords to become their disciples.
Mo Tiange looked at her two disciples. Xie Zhengyi appeared to be in his early twenties, with an upright posture and clear, bright eyes—his appearance was excellent, so to speak, he had the standard looks of a righteous sect disciple. Chi Yunshu's looks weren't outstanding; her appearance was ordinary, thin, and silent, far inferior to Xi Su's. Yet her temperament was calm and composed. Before the two Nascent Soul Dao Lords, she showed no timidity, possessing a unique charm.
"Are you all prepared?" she asked.
"Yes, Grandmaster," Xie Zhengyi said with a cupped fist salute. As the formal apprenticeship ceremony hadn't been held yet, he could only address her as Grandmaster for now.
Chi Yunshu also nodded. "Yes."
Sang Yushu remained silent, merely lowering his head slightly. The one asking wasn't his master, so he didn't need to answer.
"Then go rest first. Tomorrow is the apprenticeship ceremony. After that, you will be my formal disciples."
The two replied in unison, "Yes, disciples obey."
Xie Zhengyi and Chi Yunshu withdrew. Sang Yushu remained standing silently.
Qin Xi looked at him and asked, "Are you wondering why I chose you?"
Sang Yushu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. My aptitude is ordinary, in Grandmaster's eyes, even poor. In other aspects, I don't excel in any. Why did Grandmaster choose me?"
Qin Xi smiled slightly. "I chose you for two reasons. First, you are suitable for cultivating my method. Second, your mentality is extremely stable, and your character is extremely upright. Even though you're nearly a hundred years old and still stuck at Foundation Establishment, you remain neither anxious nor impatient, and you don't belittle yourself. On the Great Dao, while aptitude is important, mentality is even more crucial in the end."
Seeing Sang Yushu's expression of sudden realization, Qin Xi continued, "However, your aptitude is far inferior to elite disciples, and you lag far behind them. Without great effort, it's impossible for you to reach the end."
"Yes," Sang Yushu said, his expression turning solemn. "This disciple will definitely demand strictness of himself and never slack off."
Qin Xi revealed a smile. "Whether you are qualified to be my personal disciple, or even my direct successor, remains unknown. Work hard and prove yourself with facts."