Chapter 195: Chapter 192: Ninth Elder
Amidst a continuous range of mountains were soaring peaks, straight as swords. Some were covered in blooming flowers, with numerous palaces built upon them.
Countless waterfalls, thousands of feet high, cascaded down from the peaks, resembling silver dragons.
The sky was a vast azure, the sun shone brightly, and its soft, brilliant light bathed everything, leaving the world spotless.
This was the Yanyue Sect, one of the Five Great Sects of Qing Province.
The entire Yanyue Sect had over ten thousand Sect Disciples. Outer Disciples comprised ninety percent of them, Inner Sect Disciples made up ten percent, and there were merely a dozen or so Core Disciples.
Above the Core Disciples were the various Elders.
At this very moment, in the Elder Hall.
All eight Elders of the Yanyue Sect were gathered here.
"Lianxi, you wish to recommend him as the Ninth Elder? Isn’t this matter a bit too rash?"
All eight Elders, with their heads of white hair, had their brows deeply furrowed as they sized up Ning Jiang from head to toe.
These Elders were all powerhouses at the Spirit Realm or above, possessed great seniority within the Yanyue Sect, and had made significant contributions to it.
Yet now, Yue Lianxi was actually recommending Ning Jiang to be an Elder, to stand on equal footing with them. How could they possibly agree to such a thing so easily?
"Elders, my recommendation is not born of willfulness. He is truly qualified," Yue Lianxi said.
"Qualified? To be an Elder of the Yanyue Sect, one not only needs a Spirit Realm Cultivation but, more importantly, must have made contributions to the Sect. He’s an outsider who just arrived. What qualifications could he possibly have?"
The white-haired old man at the head of the hall spoke with doubt.
He was the Grand Elder, the highest-ranking among the eight. His cultivation had reached the Spirit Realm Peak, just one step away from the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm.
Yue Lianxi did not dare take the Grand Elder’s doubts lightly. He had always been unwaveringly loyal to the Yanyue Sect and his contributions were immense. Even as the Sect Leader’s granddaughter, she had to treat the Grand Elder with respect.
"Grand Elder, while his cultivation has not yet reached the Spirit Realm, his power is by no means inferior to it. Just a short while ago, he killed three Spirit Realm Elders from the Fire Cloud Sect. Would that not be considered a contribution to our Sect?"
The moment Yue Lianxi said this, the entire hall was stunned into silence.
Killing three Spirit Realm Elders from the Fire Cloud Sect with an Innate Realm cultivation?
"Lianxi, you’re not trying to deceive us, are you? For someone so young to accomplish such a feat... wouldn’t that make him even more of a monster than that person from the Star Sword Sect?"
One of the Elders said in disbelief.
Without seeing it with their own eyes, such a claim was simply too outrageous.
The gap between the Innate Realm and the Spirit Realm was like that between an ant and an elephant. An ant killing three elephants?
Seeing the doubtful and disbelieving gazes of the Elders, Yue Lianxi smiled faintly.
"I know the Elders find it hard to believe, but I recorded the battle with a Spiritual Eye."
As she spoke, Yue Lianxi took out a fist-sized white sphere that looked just like an eyeball.
A Spiritual Eye was an object crafted from Spirit Stones and refined with special techniques.
This item had no offensive power; its sole function was to record images.
Yue Lianxi activated the Spiritual Eye. It immediately shot out a vast beam of light, and a scene materialized before everyone.
In the scene, Ning Jiang was enveloped by the three-headed, six-armed Great Sun Golden Body. With a single punch and a roar, he killed two Spirit Realm experts in quick succession.
Finally, a shield blocked an attack, and a single spear strike killed the last enemy.
"I know that old ghost surnamed Han! I crossed swords with him once and suffered a small loss. His cultivation was close to the Spirit Realm Middle Stage, and the Defense Power of his Wall of Earth was supposedly indestructible. Each wall could block a Spirit Realm attack, yet he was killed just like that?"
An Elder cried out, watching the scene in utter shock.
Elder Han had clearly exhausted all his means and deployed his strongest defense.
And yet, such a defense was effortlessly shattered by Ning Jiang, who then killed him with a single spear thrust.
Such power made the scalps of the Elders present tingle with fear.
Wouldn’t that mean Ning Jiang could kill Spirit Realm Early Stage Martial Artists with ease?
"A monster! He’s truly a monster!"
The Grand Elder shot up from his chair, his body trembling, deeply shaken.
If Ning Jiang was this terrifying now, what would his combat prowess be like once he stepped into the Spirit Realm?
Even that monster from the Star Sword Sect wasn’t so freakishly strong at Ning Jiang’s age.
"Lianxi, where on earth did you find such a freak?"
The other Elders were now staring at Ning Jiang with burning intensity in their eyes, as if they were looking at a peerless treasure.
For someone with Ning Jiang’s talent and strength to join their Yanyue Sect was a stroke of immense fortune.
Every Sect needs geniuses. Only with a constant influx of fresh blood can a Sect continue to prosper and not decline.
The Yanyue Sect was currently in a period of decline. If Ning Jiang joined, it would be a much-needed shot in the arm.
’No matter what, we have to make Ning Jiang stay!’
"Regarding him becoming the Ninth Elder, I assume none of the Elders have any further objections?"
Yue Lianxi said with a smile, looking at the fervent gazes of the crowd.
"Of course not! If anyone dares to object, I’ll be the first to fall out with them," the Grand Elder declared resolutely, his face wreathed in smiles.
"We couldn’t ask for a better outcome than the Ninth Elder joining our Yanyue Sect." Someone had already started addressing him as Ninth Elder.
"Ahem, Ninth Elder, please don’t take our earlier doubts to heart. We were in the wrong."
The eight Elders all crowded around, addressing him as "Ninth Elder" with great familiarity and fully acknowledging Ning Jiang’s status.
"Everyone, I’ll be in your care from now on," Ning Jiang replied courteously.
Overall, his impression of these people wasn’t bad.
Although they had doubted him at first, it was for the good of the Yanyue Sect. After all, the position of Elder couldn’t be given to just anyone. Otherwise, how could they command respect?
And after discovering his potential, the eight Elders had all cast aside their airs and shown him goodwill, hoping to keep him in the Yanyue Sect.
In this, the eight Elders were also acting for the future development of the Yanyue Sect.
"Sigh."
Seeing the eight Elders’ warm reception of Ning Jiang, Yue Lianxi felt both happy and a little sad.
The eight Elders were all old now, every one of them white-haired, which was why they were so desperate for talent.
Their Yanyue Sect had been stagnant for far too long.
"Right, we must all keep the matter of the three Fire Cloud Sect Spirit Realm Elders being killed a closely guarded secret. It must not be revealed to anyone else," the Grand Elder solemnly warned at the end.
"We understand."
The other Elders nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
The killing of three Spirit Realm Elders was a major event. The Fire Cloud Sect would not let the matter rest; they would surely hunt for the true culprit.
Once they traced it back to Ning Jiang, the Fire Cloud Sect would undoubtedly be ruthless in their retaliation.
As things stood, the Yanyue Sect stood no chance against the Fire Cloud Sect.
"Now that the Elder Hall has a new member, we should convene an assembly and announce it to the entire Sect, so all the disciples are aware."
Becoming an Elder was a momentous occasion for the Sect.
One must understand that when the Sect Leader was absent, the Elder Hall held the highest authority in the Sect and could issue orders in his stead.
"That won’t be necessary. I dislike commotion."
Ning Jiang shook his head, rejecting the proposal.
"Since the Ninth Elder dislikes it, then we’ll forget it," the Grand Elder agreed.
"Every Elder in the Elder Hall has their own cave abode. Shall we take the Ninth Elder to choose one?" an Elder suggested. But the Grand Elder shot him a glare, coughed twice, and said, "The Ninth Elder is a young man, after all. There’s no need for us old fogies to get involved. Lianxi, I’ll leave the matter of the Ninth Elder’s cave abode to you."
"Yes."
Yue Lianxi smiled faintly, winked at Ning Jiang, and said, "Ninth Elder, come with Lianxi."
After the two had left, one Elder hesitated and said, "Grand Elder, with his talent, he could have chosen a much better Sect. For him to come here... could he have ulterior motives?"
As soon as he said this, the others also grew a little worried.
People strive to better themselves. Why would Ning Jiang come to a Sect that was in decline?
"Trust in those you employ, and employ only those you trust. I believe in young Lianxi’s judgment."
The Grand Elder shook his head and sighed. "It’s too difficult for old men like us to support the Yanyue Sect on our own. For now, our only hope is that young people like them can mature quickly."
Hearing this, the others sighed as well.
...
"These cave abodes are all places where past Elders lived. However, a few years ago, more than a dozen Elders fell in succession, so many of the cave abodes were vacated. Pick whichever one you like."
Within the Sect, cave abodes were also a matter of status.
The higher one’s status, the better their residence.
The Spiritual Qi in these cave abodes was several times richer than in the areas where ordinary disciples lived.
"Giggle... If you can’t decide, you can always come to my place. I wouldn’t mind you living with me."
Yue Lianxi let out a seductive laugh that could melt one’s bones.
"Even if I lived with you, it wouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not like anything would happen between us anyway."
Ning Jiang flicked his fingernails, his tone as placid as still water. "But if I really did live with you, your incessant chattering would drive me crazy. I’m better off alone where it’s quiet."
As he spoke, Ning Jiang walked toward one of the cave abodes.
"You’re no fun at all."
Yue Lianxi shook her head helplessly. ’Conquering a man like Ning Jiang, who seems devoid of passion, would be harder than ascending to the heavens.’
Just as Ning Jiang finished choosing his cave abode and settled in...
...the entire Yanyue Sect erupted in an uproar.
"Have you guys heard? The Yanyue Sect has a new Elder."
"What? For real?"
"How could it be fake? The Elder Hall already announced it. They’re calling him the Ninth Elder."
"Could it be some famous expert from the outside who was recruited by the Yanyue Sect?"
"No, I heard this Elder is very young—not even twenty years old!"
When the news that he was under twenty spread, countless disciples of the Sect were left dumbfounded.
"Has the Elder Hall gone mad?"
"Has our Yanyue Sect fallen so low? Now any Tom, Dick, or Harry can become one of our Elders?"
