Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

Dao Xuan's gaze lingered a little longer on the two children who displayed such contrasting behaviors.

They already knew who they were. It was Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan.

Although Caomiao Village did not suffer the tragedy of being massacred this time, it seems that fate has its own plan, and these children will eventually have to become disciples of Qingyun Sect.

What's even more surprising is that this time, there were more than a dozen more teenagers who came to become apprentices than before.

Looking at these children, each with tears in their eyes and a determined expression, I felt a deep sense of wonder.

Dao Xuan no longer hesitated. With a gentle wave of his sleeve, a surge of pure magical power swept through like a spring breeze.

He steadily lifted up the dozen or so teenagers who were kneeling on the ground.

"Since you all have a heart that yearns for the Dao, you are permitted to join the Qingyun Sect today."

However, the path of cultivation is long.

I hope you remember not to let hatred blind you and cause you to lose your true self.

Although the boys didn't quite understand Dao Xuan's words, they still bowed respectfully and thanked him.

"Fellow disciples, does any of you wish to take these children as your apprentices?"

Dao Xuan has stopped accepting personal disciples in recent years, and has turned his attention to the leaders of the six lineages, such as Tian Buyi.

The first to speak was neither Cangsong nor Tian Buyi, as everyone had expected.

She is none other than Master Shuiyue, the only female head of the Qingyun Sect.

She sighed softly, her gaze turning lovingly to the two trembling little girls in the crowd, and said gently:

"Sect Leader, these two children look pitiful. Let them come back to Little Bamboo Peak with me."

Dao Xuan nodded slightly: "Let's do as Junior Sister Shuiyue says."

Seeing this, the remaining five sect leaders also began to select their preferred disciples.

Given the presence of many new disciples, the five chief disciples, though each with their own plans, refrained from arguing on the spot.

But the way they were testing each other and secretly competing made Dao Xuan, who was sitting above, secretly amused.

Finally, he personally intervened to mediate, distributing the dozen or so teenagers into different factions:

Although Tongtian Peak no longer accepts personal disciples, it still has three elders who can teach them, so they are divided into three groups.

Dazhu Peak only received one person; the other branches each received two people.

Under Dao Xuan's arrangement, Lin Jingyu still entered Dragon Head Peak.

As fate would have it, Zhang Xiaofan was assigned to Dazhu Peak.

Upon seeing this result, Tian Buyi's round face was already flushed with anger.

If it weren't for Dao Xuan's growing prestige over the years, and his own guilt for failing to catch the culprit before, he would have been in trouble.

He'd probably lose his temper on the spot.

Although he held back from saying much, he was very unhappy inside.

After assigning the disciples, Dao Xuan asked the newly initiated disciples to step down and settle in. He then discussed the subsequent teaching matters in detail with the heads of each lineage.

As everyone was about to leave, he kept Tian Buyi behind alone.

"Junior Brother Tian, ​​you really have to go through a lot today."

Dao Xuan looked at Tian Buyi, whose complexion was still not good, and gently comforted him.

Tian Buyi quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother Sect Leader, you flatter me. I dare not say I am wronged."

Dao Xuan almost burst out laughing when he saw that although he said he wasn't wronged, his face was full of reluctance. He suppressed his laughter and took out a jade slip from his sleeve:

"These are some insights and experiences I've gained from my cultivation over the years. If you don't mind, junior brother, please take them for reference. Consider it compensation for you."

Tian Buyi was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this, and quickly bowed to accept it, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

You should know that this kind of spiritual insight is far more valuable than taking on more disciples.

Dao Xuan asked a few more questions about the day's events, seemingly casually, to confirm that Tian Buyi had indeed failed to see the killer's true identity before letting him leave.

After Tian Buyi left, Dao Xuan immediately summoned the three elders of Tongtian Peak.

They were instructed to properly guide the three boys who had been assigned to them.

After everything was arranged, he pondered alone in the hall for a long time, carefully reviewing the whole matter to make sure that his arrangements were flawless and would not arouse suspicion or damage his reputation in the future.

After careful consideration, he felt at ease to go to his secluded meditation room to continue his cultivation.

Everything is ready now, except for the final push.

In just a few years, Dao Xuan became famous throughout the world.

As for the likes of the Blood Refining Hall, they are nothing but clowns, not worth mentioning.

Time flies like an arrow, and the years pass in the blink of an eye.

On this day, on the cliff platform behind Tongtian Peak, Dao Xuan had silently broken through to the late stage of the Yin God Realm.

He felt that his magical power was more than 30% purer than before his breakthrough, and his primordial spirit's perception range had expanded to an astonishing hundred-zhang radius.

At this moment, even the ancient Tianyin Temple and the Fenxiang Valley, a major sect in the Southern Frontier, can no longer compare with the Qingyun Sect.

Just then, the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, held once every sixty years by the Qingyun Sect, was about to begin.

A series of footsteps approached from afar. Xiao Yi stopped five zhang away from Dao Xuan and respectfully reported:

"Reporting to Master, the selection of disciples for the Tongtian Peak competition has been completed. Please provide your instructions."

Dao Xuan slowly opened his eyes and nodded slightly:

"Granted. Treat the disciples from all branches well and do not neglect them."

The next morning, Dao Xuan broke with tradition and did not continue his secluded cultivation. Instead, he sat in the main seat of the Jade Purity Hall and received the heads of various branches and many elders.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Sect Leader!"

The hall was packed with people. Of the more than one hundred elders of the Qingyun Sect, more than seventy were present, except for those who were in seclusion or had important matters to attend to.

You should know that according to the rules of the Qingyun Sect, only those whose cultivation has reached the Shangqing Realm can become elders.

After decades of accumulation, Qingyun Sect can now be said to be producing a wealth of talented people and enjoying its peak.

What's even more surprising is that Tian Buyi and Cangsong both broke through to the ninth level of the Shangqing Realm.

Tian Buyi's cultivation level was subtly a step above Cangsong's.

This is likely related to the cultivation insights given to him by Daoxuan.

It was still early, and everyone chatted idly in the hall. Dao Xuan listened quietly with a smile on his face, feeling very gratified.

Although there are bound to be some open and covert struggles within the sect, they are generally of one mind and work towards the same goal, which makes things much easier for him, the sect leader.

Just as everyone was chatting happily, occasionally boasting about the progress of their own apprentices.

A deafening roar suddenly echoed throughout the entire Tongtian Peak.

Suddenly, the sky outside the palace darkened, with dark clouds rolling down.

The senior elders hurriedly stood up, only to find that Dao Xuan had already disappeared.

More than sixty disciples participated in the martial arts competition by the Bishui Pool outside the Yuqing Hall.

Everyone, including Xiao Yicai who was leading the group into the hall, was deathly pale.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the enormous water column that required several people to encircle and which had caused a cataclysmic change in the heavens and earth.

At the top of the water column stands a majestic water unicorn, a spirit beast revered as the "Spirit Lord" and the guardian spirit of Qingyun Mountain.

At this moment, its eyes were wide open in anger, and the hair on its back stood on end.

Two sharp fangs gleamed coldly from the gaping maw.

The Spirit Lord let out another earth-shattering roar, and the huge column of water crashed down on the disciples below the stage.

A deafening roar was heard.

The heavens and earth seemed to change color. The disciples felt as if their eardrums were about to burst. Their minds and spirits were shaken, and their faces turned ashen, thinking that they would die on the spot in the blink of an eye.

"Spirit Lord!"

At the critical moment, a gentle voice, imbued with an ethereal and otherworldly quality, resounded in everyone's hearts.

Strangely enough, just as the deadly water jet was about to hit them...

All the previous fears vanished without a trace, as if even the collapse of the sky and the cracking of the earth were nothing to fear.

The water unicorn's massive head trembled slightly, a complex expression flashing in its eyes. Unfortunately, the water column had already been launched, and it was too late to stop.

Just as the water column was less than three zhang away from the disciples, a Tai Chi Yin-Yang diagram with a diameter of several zhang appeared out of thin air.

It hovers steadily below the water column.

The disciples felt the wind and waves stop, and all the pressure suddenly dissipated.

With a deafening roar, the water column crashed heavily into the Tai Chi diagram, causing the entire void to tremble. The Tai Chi diagram then slightly dented and began to slowly rotate.

With this mysterious operation, the devastating water column seemed to sink into the sea, unable to advance even an inch further.