Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, you flatter me too much. Jingyu still needs more training, hahaha..."

Cangsong's usual serious demeanor vanished at this moment.

He laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, with a hint of pride and a desire to show off his disciple.

Upon hearing this, Master Shuiyue, who was sitting next to him, gave a cold snort.

The pine tree's laughter abruptly stopped.

Just as Tian Buyi was about to say something, Su Ru gently tugged at his sleeve, causing him to swallow his words back.

Dao Xuan ignored the little squabbles between the group.

His gaze continued to slowly sweep across the various arenas.

"My nephew Shushu is a bit mischievous and playful, but his talent and temperament are both excellent."

His gaze fell on Zeng Shushu, a disciple of Feng Hui Peak, and he said to Zeng Shuchang...

"Junior Brother Zeng still needs to be disciplined more strictly."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Zeng's face stiffened, and for a moment he didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

To his delight, the sect leader actually praised his son.

What's worrying is that even the sect leader knows about this kid's mischievous reputation!

He had no choice but to put on a stern face and solemnly reply:

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Sect Leader, I will definitely keep a close eye on him when we get back!"

After that, the elders and chief ministers present continued to watch the battle.

But his eyes would always unconsciously glance at Dao Xuan with anticipation.

Everyone was hoping that he would speak again and comment on their disciple, even if it was just a word or two.

But after waiting for more than half an hour, Dao Xuan still did not utter a word.

until……

That aloof and ethereal figure, with a face of unparalleled beauty, gracefully landed on a fighting arena.

As soon as Lu Xueqi stepped onto the stage, she immediately attracted the attention of most of the disciples in the square.

On the high platform, the gazes of all the chiefs and elders involuntarily turned towards it.

The competition had just begun when a crisp "clang" was heard!

The immortal sword in the hand of the Dragon Head Peak disciple who was facing Lu Xueqi was cleanly and decisively cut in two by her in a single exchange!

Everyone was taken aback.

Daoist Cangsong, his face contorted with rage, abruptly stood up, glared at Master Shuiyue beside him, and shouted:

"Junior Sister Shuiyue, you truly have a wonderful way of teaching!"

Master Shuiyue remained expressionless and coldly replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother."

Cangsong's anger intensified: "Now that we've won, why rely on the advantage of the Nine Heavens Divine Weapon to destroy someone else's magical treasure? This is going too far!"

Shuiyue remained as indifferent as ever.

"Xueqi's cultivation is still shallow and her Taoist skills are not profound enough, so she is still unable to fully control the power inherent in a divine object like Tianya."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Cangsong and instead turned her gaze to Daoxuan.

Deep within those cool and aloof eyes, a subtle, almost imperceptible expectation was revealed.

At this moment, Dao Xuan's gaze also fell on Lu Xueqi on the arena below the stage.

With his cultivation level, he naturally saw through the girl at a glance—

Jade Purity Realm, Ninth Level!

To have reached such a level at such a young age is truly astonishing and a testament to extraordinary talent.

The moment Dao Xuan's voice rang out, the entire platform fell silent.

"Xueqi is a very good child."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and crisp, like jade striking jade, and it clearly reached the ears of every chief elder.

Everyone was shocked; this was the first time they had heard Dao Xuan give such a high evaluation.

Even when it came to Xiao Yicai, the sect leader only said, "His talent is acceptable."

Who would have thought that Lu Xueqi would be so highly regarded by the sect leader?

Dao Xuan seemed completely oblivious to the turmoil in everyone's minds, and continued calmly:

"This girl is exceptionally talented, and her temperament is even more resilient and strong. If she can be properly nurtured, she might be able to break through to the Taiqing realm in the future."

The moment the words "Taiqing Realm" were uttered, the entire audience fell silent.

Taiqing!

That's a legendary realm, and the sect leader actually said she has a chance to reach it!

This evaluation is absolutely too high.

Even the usually aloof Master Shuiyue couldn't help but smile slightly at this moment.

A barely concealed smile of satisfaction appeared on his face, and he even forgot to say any polite, modest words.

However, Dao Xuan's smile suddenly vanished, his expression turned serious, and he stared directly at Shui Yue:

"Junior sister, you must remember to remind Xueqi that in the path of cultivation, one must never blindly pursue speed."

Honing one's foundation is especially important. At each level, one must calm down and repeatedly refine the spiritual energy within the body to make it purer.

This relates to the depth of one's foundation, which has immense benefits for the future.

These words caused not only Shuiyue's expression to stiffen, but also everyone present to be deeply shaken.

This must be the cultivation experience of the sect leader when he broke through to the Taiqing realm!

No one dared to be negligent; they all held their breath and memorized these words.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Shuiyue immediately bowed respectfully.

The other senior elders also bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader."

Although Cangsong was still furious because his disciple's magic weapon had been destroyed.

But he couldn't lash out at the moment, so he could only forcefully suppress his anger and force a rather strained smile.

After that, Dao Xuan did not comment on any of his other disciples.

Only after the first round of competition was over did he slowly speak from the high platform:

"The younger generation is the future of our Qingyun Sect. I hope that all junior brothers and sisters will care more about the disciples under our tutelage, teach them according to their aptitude, and help them grow."

It's important to understand that talent isn't everything; a resilient mindset is often even more crucial.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and continued:

"Although I just commented on several disciples with outstanding talent, it is not to make everyone look down on those disciples with average talent."

We are all getting on in years, and the future of the sect will ultimately be entrusted to these young disciples.

It is our responsibility to nurture them with care.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they all cupped their hands in response, saying, "We will respectfully follow the teachings of our Senior Brother, the Sect Leader."

Dao Xuan nodded slightly, said nothing more, and then stood up to announce that the second round of the competition would be held tomorrow.

……

The group from Dazhu Peak gathered together, and Su Ru whispered to Tian Buyi:

"Not easy, haven't you noticed... that our sect leader seems a bit different lately?"

"Oh? How is it different?"

Tian Buyi raised an eyebrow and turned to ask.

"I can't quite put my finger on it... but I seem to have become more gentle and magnanimous, and my demeanor is more expansive."

Su Ru pondered for a moment, then answered softly.

"So, according to you, isn't this a good thing?"

Tian Buyi couldn't help but smile, then stroked his beard and nodded.

"But now that you mention it, Senior Brother Sect Leader is indeed more convincing now."

The two were talking in hushed tones when suddenly a red figure came bounding over – it was Tian Ling'er.

"Father, Mother! What are you whispering about?"

She interrupted their conversation with a sweet voice. Then, as if remembering something, she pouted and said reproachfully, "None of you came to watch Ling'er's competition today!"

"Haha, we were just chatting."

When Tian Buyi saw his daughter, he immediately beamed with joy. "Ling'er, you did a great job today. Even the sect leader praised you in public."

"Really?!" Upon hearing this, Tian Ling'er's bright eyes widened in surprise.

"How did my senior master praise me?"

The disciples, including Zhang Xiaofan, who were standing to the side, also had their eyes shining and their faces full of curiosity.

Tian Buyi's face showed a smug look.

So he recounted in detail to the disciples of Dazhu Peak how Daoxuan had commented on the disciples of each branch on the high platform that day, and how he had specifically praised her.

Meanwhile, a similar scene was unfolding among the disciples of Xiaozhu Peak.