Sect Elder's Rewrite - Chapter 3

As he sat in a meditative pose and began circulating his Qi through his body in preparation for the trials ahead, Ling Jun did his best to project a mature demeanor for the many powerful cultivators he knew were watching. With the knowledge that this would be the most closely monitored portion of the Disciple Selection Ceremony, he could do nothing else.

Ling Jun was not alone, as all of the other candidates who’d been raised in notable families were doing the same.

However, he couldn’t help but listen on in amusement to those who weren’t.

“Brother, step away from the barrier and stop rubbing your hands against it! You’re making a fool of yourself!”

“But it's so amazing, Mei Ling! I’ve never been able to see cultivator magic so close up before.”

“Ugh! Stop being so embarrassing! The immortals are watching us!”

“Calm down, sister. There are around a hundred other kids taking the exam. Not even cultivators can pay attention to all of us at the same time… I think.”

Ling Jun held back a scoff as he heard the two siblings argue over matters that they had no idea about. It barely made sense to him that anyone his own age could have genuinely never seen a rudimentary Five Essence Qi Barrier, but his father had warned him that he shouldn’t expect better from commoners. 

Even if Ling Jun hadn’t received an extensive education regarding the cultivation world, the Ling Clan utilized similar barriers to protect their estate and important holdings. Though the commoner girl was a bit smarter than her brother, correctly guessing that every participant of the Disciple Selection Ceremony was being constantly monitored.

Father had made that abundantly clear to ensure that Ling Jun would know to avoid any actions which brought shame to the clan. Ling Jun suppressed a shudder as he imagined the punishment he would suffer if were to be seen doing anything as frivolous and foolish as the commoner boy—childish behaviors that he’d been disciplined out of when he first began training.

The consequences would have been especially severe if he’d dared to humiliate himself during an event being personally viewed by the Elders of the most powerful sect in the province.

How shameless. They act as if children, rather than prospective cultivators, Ling Jun thought as he offered the commoners one last sneer before turning his attention to more important matters. As someone who had lived fourteen summers and easily passed his clan’s trials of adulthood, he was too old to allow himself to be distracted by nonsense.

Instead, Ling Jun swept his gaze over his competitors as he began formulating a plan for the upcoming trials. While no representatives from the Verdant Valleys Sect had arrived yet to inform them of what they would be expected to face, anyone familiar with their current setting and the sect’s history could make an educated guess on the matter. 

The Enigmatic Fog Valley was renowned as one of the sect’s most important testing grounds. The valley was dense in Qi, riddled with meticulously placed Formations that created an ever-changing environment, and filled with a variety of threats that made it a perfect challenge to anyone who entered.

Ling Jun had also heard rumors that the valley’s formations were designed to adjust themselves to the cultivation level of the participants, allowing it to even challenge Core Formation cultivators! Truly, creating the Enigmatic Fog Valley was something that only a sect as mighty as this one could hope to achieve.

But despite how suitable the valley was as a training ground, it was only rarely used during the sect’s Disciple Selection Ceremony. According to Father, this was because the Enigmatic Fog Valley had been filled with treasures and had even developed its own unique Spirit Plants over the years, many of which were fairly valuable. 

Naturally, such riches would not typically be wasted on any rabble who qualified for the ceremony when access to the Enigmatic Fog Valley could simply be restricted to those who’d already proven their worth. Ling Jun didn’t really understand why the sect had chosen differently for this ceremony—he would have to ask Father when this was over—but it meant that he had even more reason to be wary of his competitors than expected.

Who knew what lengths the impoverished urchins would go to secure a few riches? 

From the moment that he could understand words, Ling Jun had been taught about the cruelty of this world. He’d met members of their clan who’d had limbs severed and spirits broken while competing for scarce resources. He’d been instilled with the knowledge that might made right, and knew without a doubt that each and every one of the participants in this valley would fight tooth and nail for their prosperity.

This was his chance to bring honor to his clan and demonstrate to everyone watching the superiority of his heritage. He may even prove himself worthy of becoming a Direct Disciple to one of the sect’s Elders—maybe even to Patriarch Songyu himself! 

Perhaps that would finally be enough to prove to Father that he was just more than a spare heir. 

Ling Jun would do anything to seize that opportunity!

Many of his fellow competitors may seem perfectly polite right now, but he knew from his lessons that their hearts were filled with darkness and treachery! He wouldn’t allow any of them to obstruct his path to victo—

“Hello!”

Ling Jun was startled out of his self-motivational thoughts by an overly cheerful voice. His eyes flew open and he turned sharply to find a messy haired boy dressed like a commoner standing next to him. The boy’s eyes sparkled with earnest warmth and he wore a wide smile that almost seemed to brighten their surroundings.

How dare he! Ling Jun thought, his anger rising at the boy. He somehow managed to sneak past my well-trained senses and now he’s mocking me with that ridiculous grin!

Before he could muster a response, the commoner was already speaking again with far too much exuberance. “What’s your name? I’m Jin Mao!”

Ling Jun’s initial impulse was to scold the boy for his lack of decorum, but it was his duty to uphold the dignity of his clan and he’d been taught better than to make unnecessary enemies. 

After all, one could never know if the person you were insulting might secretly be or might one day become a formidable figure in the cultivation world. That this ‘Jin Mao’ was able to approach him undetected suggested that he wasn’t completely worthless, regardless of his duplicitous manner and… lacking background.

“I am Ling Jun, of Emerald Forest City’s Ling Clan,” he introduced himself formally after rising from his meditative pose. “Why have you approached me, Jin Mao?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you knew anything about this trial,” said Jin Mao, tilting his head curiously in a way that closely resembled a confused mutt.

“I see. And why not simply wait for the sect to explain, as they surely will?” Ling Jun asked evenly, hiding his suspicion.

“I heard one of the clan kids bragging that they knew a lot more than most folks would be told and I figured that I should ask around. But they either didn’t know or were really mean,” Jin Mao said with a careless shrug, not seeming to be overly bothered by the no doubt harsh rebuffs he’d received. “Maybe we could even work together! I asked a few other people, but they either didn’t know what was going on or were really mean. Like that guy over there who looks like he sucked on a sour plum!”

Ling Jun glanced to where Jin Mao was pointing and saw that he was referring to Huan Zhen, a notorious figure from one of the weaker clans in the region. Not wanting to place his own family on the same level as the Huan Clan, Ling Jun decided that he would graciously share some knowledge with the commoner.

“I see. Then I suppose you have approached the right person,” Ling Jun said proudly, straightening his posture as he prepared to impart his knowledge. “Few families have as rich of a history with the Verdant Valleys Sect as my Ling Clan, and I have been tutored for my entire life on topics such as this. I can tell you everything you need to know.”

Jin Mao seemed appropriately awed and grateful for the opportunity he’d been given. “Really? That means you must be really smart! Thank you so much, Senior Ling!”

After studying the boy’s expression for any sycophantic deceit and finding none, Ling Jun couldn’t help but puff out his chest in pride at the title. It was appropriate given the superiority of his heritage and the fact that Ling Jun had reached the 4th Stage of Qi Condensation while the commoner was only at the 2nd.

Too many in the clan only granted Ling Jun perfunctory respect based on the achievements of his father and brother, so it was… pleasant to receive genuine respect based on his own merits.

Perhaps this commoner was better than expected, and could be made of use. The Verdant Valleys Sect didn’t allow its disciples to bring in any attendants once they joined the sect, but he could always just develop his own servants.

“Very well. Then follow me, and I’ll ensure you pass these trials, Junior,” Ling Jun said magnanimously, head raised high. Just as he was about to properly educate his prospective minion, he sensed a burst of Qi that indicated he wouldn’t have time. “Unfortunately, it seems like I’ll have to explain things to you during the actual trial.”

Jin Mao looked confused for a moment before a masculine voice suddenly echoed all around them from no discernible source, causing everyone with untrained Qi perception to stiffen in alarm.

“Greetings, prospective disciples. I am Elder Feng Ke, of Mystic Glade Valley,” said the voice, his tone startlingly bored. “The third trial will begin in ten seconds—at which point, you will all be teleported to different points in the valley. Maintain physical contacts with anyone you wish to cooperate with. Your objective will be to survive and remain conscious for as long as possible.”

Ling Jun and everyone else waited several moments for the Elder to continue his explanation before realizing that none would be forthcoming, at which point a clamor of nervous chatter broke out among them.

“Senior Ling, did he just say survive?” Jin Mao asked with clear apprehension.

“He did. I suggest you grab onto me if you sti—”

Ling Jun didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Jin Mao had latched onto his arm like a monkey. He immediately began yelling at the commoner for his lack of propriety, but only for a moment before they were both engulfed in a flash of light and sent tumbling through the air in a tangled heap of flailing limbs.

They landed hard on the soft, moss-covered ground of a dense forest section within the Enigmatic Fog Valley. The sudden impact drove the air from Ling Jun’s lungs, and he gasped for breath as he hastily began untangling himself from the commoner boy.

“Unhand me at once!” Ling Jun hissed, pushing the boy away from him and picking himself up off the ground. 

Jin Mao seemed disoriented as he stumbled to his feet, but didn’t seem all that bothered by the rough landing and was quick to recover his annoyingly cheerful demeanor. “Wow, that was intense! Where are we, Senior Ling?” 

“How in the heavens am I supposed to know?” Ling Jun snapped back, still irritated as he cleaned his robes of the dirt and leaves clinging to them. He could feel his cheeks warming as he imagined his father watching him fall so ungracefully, as if Ling Jun hadn’t spent years learning martial arts.

He could only hope that none of the sect’s Elders had been watching him as well.

Forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand, Ling Jun scanned his eyes over their surroundings, but found that the fog was too thick to see more than an arm's reach away. The fog was even slightly suppressing his Qi Perception and beginning to seep into his meridians.

“I don’t like it here. It feels gross,” Jin Mao said with a wrinkle of his nose as he also looked around. “Senior Ling, what are we supposed to do? Are we going to be eaten by Spirit Beasts? Can we eat them back? I once ate a roasted Scale-Tailed Viper at the market and it tasted really good. ”

Ling Jun scoffed before picking a random direction and deciding to begin walking, the pitter patter of his prospective servant’s footsteps following closely a moment later. “Did you not hear Elder Feng Ke, commoner? Our objective is to last for as long as possible, perhaps while gathering a few treasures along the way. To that end, it would be best if we avoided both Spirit Beasts and humans alike.”

Jin Mao listened intently and nodded along like an obedient student as they made their way through the dense fog. To his credit, Ling Jun noticed the boy’s Qi flashed with wariness at the mention of their fellow competitors.

Not as stupid and absent minded as he appears, Ling Jun noted with approval.

“But Senior Ling, what's the point of a trial like that?” asked Jin Mao, his wide eyes filled with confusion. “I thought they’d be testing our talent by having us lift heavy rocks, or running through a maze, or having us all fight each other, or blasting us with Qi until we passed out, or having us do some kind of puzzle that unleashes ravenous Spirit Beasts if we get it wrong, or—”

“Stop,” Ling Jun interrupted, immediately revising his prospective minion’s intelligence downward as he squeezed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “How exactly would… lifting rocks or engaging in a tournament accurately assess our talent, given the vast differences in cultivation levels and training among us? Puzzles and mazes would have to be redone every single year to remain effective—which is impractical and costly—and do you really think that the sect is going to feed a bunch of ill-prepared orphans to Spirit Beasts? Only a demonic cultivator would be that inexcusably wasteful!

Honestly, the ideas that some commoners had about the cultivation world could be downright fantastical at times. Children with Spirit Roots strong enough to qualify them to join the Verdant Valleys Sect didn’t exactly grow on trees.

Well… aside from the few Spirit Plants that were said to literally sprout infants from their blossoms, but that was besides the point.

Jin Mao should realize that any slaver would pay the commoner’s weight in gold to acquire him, which meant that he would make for poor Spirit Beast fodder.

“To answer your question, the point of this trial will be to evaluate us for traits that are important for all cultivators,” Ling Jun continued, slightly softening his tone when he saw the commoner boy wince in embarrassment. “Our Spirit Roots have already been tested—which means the Elders know how easy it will be for us to take in Qi—and the previous exam will have assessed our intelligence and education. The third trial changes every year, but they’re always designed to test the prospective disciple’s endurance, determination, and resilience. The Enigmatic Fog Valley is perfect to accomplish due to the nature of its fog.”

The fog was special in that it gradually suppressed the flow of Qi through a cultivator's meridians, eventually causing them to fall unconscious if exposed to it for too long. 

Anyone with the slightest hint of training would be able to notice this and actively prevent the fog from seeping too deeply into their meridians, but doing so required concentration and constant effort. It might seem that knowing the fog’s effects beforehand would overly benefit those with advanced knowledge, but that simply wasn’t the case. 

Even clanless commoners—who were entirely ignorant of how to sense and control their own Qi—would sense something disconcerting about the fog and instinctually fight against the fog. This would allow the sect to evaluate each participant's determination and endurance, as well as find any commoners perceptive enough to sense the subtleties of their environment. Not only that, but the fog’s Qi suppressing effects scaled with the cultivation of those within it, meaning that Ling Jun wouldn’t have nearly as much of an advantage in this trial as he would otherwise.

“It’s crucial that we keep moving, especially through the areas of the valley where the fog is thickest,” Ling Jun advised once he’d finished explaining the fog’s nature to his minion, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any potential threat. “It shifts constantly, so we won’t be able to predict its patterns. Our goal is to stay conscious for as long as possible, and hopefully acquire some of the treasures hidden throughout the valley. So long as you follow me and obey my instructions, I’m certain that we shall be able to impress the Elders and secure a position within the sect. Understand?”

Ling Jun anticipated an immediate and enthusiastic agreement from his minion, but instead, there was an unexpected silence that caused him to freeze in his steps and turn around. 

What he saw made him genuinely consider turning right back around and pretending that he hadn’t seen anything at all.

“Senior Ling, look what I found!” Jin Mao shouted happily as he pointed toward a striking flower with translucent petals that shimmered softly in the dim light of the forest. “It’s really pretty and looks really weird. Doesn’t that mean it’s a Spirit Plant? Is this one of those treasures that you mentioned?”

It was indeed a Spirit Plant—and a fairly valuable one as well if successfully harvested—but not one that Ling Jun would have ever willingly approached. The Mistmourn Orchid was a relatively rare plant known for its mind-altering pollen, though the effects were temporary and mild enough that the plant itself wasn’t a significant threat.

Rather the real danger came from the Spirit Beast that was often found in the orchid’s vicinity.

Ling Jun slowly turned his gaze upward and saw the faint outline of the Mindsnare Viper coiled around a tree branch in the canopy above, its eyes locked onto the still ignorant Jin Mao. He hadn’t been lying when he said that there was little risk that any of them would be killed by the Spirit Beasts during this trial—and the Mindsnare Viper was no exception—but that didn’t mean that there was no real danger.

Its venom, while not fatal, caused similar symptoms to the Mistmourn Orchid but many times more potent. Should Jin Mao be bitten by the serpent, then he would almost certainly be incapacitated for the rest of the trial and be judged harshly for his carelessness. This would have tremendous effects on the commoner boy’s future prospects in the Verdant Valleys Sect, if he was even accepted as a disciple in the first place.

Both the Mistmourn Orchid and the Mindsnare Viper were key alchemical ingredients to create the Profound Clarity Pill, which was capable of enhancing a Qi Condensation cultivator's mental acuity and deepening their meditative states for an entire month. Even by the esteemed standards of the Ling Clan, this pill would hold tremendous value and significantly aid Ling Jun in the crucial early stages of his cultivation journey within the Verdant Valleys Sect.

The problem was that the Mindsnare Viper was said to be very fast, and the only reliable method to slay it without risking his own safety that Ling Jun could think of was to use Jin Mao as bait. If the commoner was to take a few more steps towards the Mistmourn Orchid, the serpent would almost certainly strike and Ling Jun would have the opportunity to use a Qi Technique to kill it.

Ling Jun was fairly confident that he could do this before Jin Mao was actually bitten, but using the commoner as bait would be both risky and dishonorable. There was also the added complication of them potentially being observed, coupled with his… moderate fondness for the commoner.

Jin Mao was unusually friendly and made for pleasant company.

But then again…

“It certainly looks like a Spirit Plant. You should harvest it and take it with us,” Ling Jun said calmly, offering Jin Mao a warm smile.

The commoner could always be compensated later if something happened, and the Mistmourn Orchid was rare enough that even someone with Ling Jun’s education couldn’t be reasonably expected to recognize it at first glance. The only reason he did was because of his Pure Wood Spirit Root and his clan’s business ventures, so it wouldn’t be reasonable to assume malicious intent on Ling Jun’s part.

Father had always said that dishonorable actions only became a problem if you were caught, and that nobody progressed far down the cultivation path without taking risks.

All things considered, this was a fairly safe gamble.

After all, the only way that would happen in this scenario was if Ling Jun was being actively watched by someone who was extremely perceptive, was familiar with the Mistmourn Orchid, and knew enough about his background to guess that he himself would recognize it.

What were the chances of that?

=========================================

Mo Duan let out a soft sigh, exasperated as he watched one of the candidates who he was considering to recruit as his Direct Disciple.

Ling Jun… definitely seemed like the kind of kid who was going to cause him his fair share of headaches.

Using the information granted to him by Elder Yuanlei, he’d very quickly picked out the disciples who possessed a Pure Wood Spirit Root and focused on them throughout the trials. Even in a place as heavily inundated with Wood Qi as the region around the Verdant Valleys Sect, there were only a handful of candidates with a Pure Wood Spirit Root in each Disciple Selection Ceremony. 

Mo Duan had thus dug deeply into the background of each candidate before the trials began, and Ling Jun seemed like an ideal recruit; he was talented, well-educated, and from a reputable clan that could bring value to his valley.

But he also possessed the arrogance, ruthlessness, and general entitlement that Ruo Xingchen’s memories told him to expect. Mo Duan was used to handling spoiled rich kids, but the ones in this world took it to an entirely different level.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to deal with someone like that as his Direct Disciple…

“How much longer do I have to watch this nonsense?”

“The trial has barely begun, Wu Zhen. You can spare time from fighting your disciples and punching rocks, or whatever it is that a savage like you enjoys doing.”

“Hmph. Don’t pretend that you’re any more interested than me in watching the pathetic struggles of mortal children. Or maybe you’re becoming maternal in your old age, Yuanlei?”

“I’m younger than you are, you obstinate brute!”

“Ha! You certainly don’t look it.”

Mo Duan winced as he glanced at Elder Yuanlei and Elder Wu Zhen, who seemed a bit more like bickering siblings than the stoic cultivators that he would have expected. While there was some degree of genuine animosity between the two, it was extremely obvious to Mo Duan that the Elders of the Verdant Valleys Sect were all very familiar with one another and had a certain degree of camaraderie.

It was entirely different from what Ruo Xingchen had experienced while a member of the Abyssal Garden Sect, and made it clear to Mo Duan that he was the odd man out. 

After Patriarch Songyu had finished his little speech in front of the sect’s guests, Mo Duan had promptly pushed Xiao Li toward a group of younger disciples and followed the rest of the sect’s leadership to the private viewing room. Unlike the Moonlit Jade Hall’s opulent main chamber, this room was clearly furnished for a combination of comfort and functionality.

He and the rest of the leadership were all sitting in ornate wooden seats, arranged in a semi-circle around the Spirit Tool that they were utilizing to view the Disciple Selection Ceremony. It was a mirror similar to the one that the sect's guests were using downstairs, but different in that it had divided itself into more than a hundred small sections, each closely following a different participant in the trial.

If Mo Duan were still a mortal or even a weaker cultivator, then they would be far too small for him to make out any details. But as it was, he had no trouble seeing even the smallest details of each mirror and keeping track of all of them simultaneously.

Mo Duan understood why the sect’s leadership chose to observe the ceremony from a private viewing room instead of continuing to mingle with the influential guests downstairs. That they were able to monitor each participant as closely as they could was a secret that offered the Verdant Valleys Sect valuable insight into the true nature of each candidate. 

Although… Mo Duan was surprised to find that he seemed far more interested in the Disciple Selection Ceremony than any of his peers.

“Elder Wu Zhen, are you truly so… ambivalent to the outcome of these trials?” Mo Duan decided to ask, immediately putting a stop to the ongoing bickering and drawing attention to himself.

Ruo Xingchen would have kept quiet—not wishing to draw attention or interact with the members of the Verdant Valleys Sect who weren’t aware of his true nature. But given that Mo Duan had no intention of going anywhere any time soon, he may as well become a bit more acquainted with his peers.

Elder Yuanlei was professional enough not to glare at him in front of everyone else, but Mo Duan could practically feel her suspicion.

“You’ve spent your life as a wandering cultivator and never joined a sect, so of course you’d find this interesting,” Elder Wu Zhen said with a dismissive scoff before shrugging his massive shoulders. “If you stay here for a few decades, then I doubt that will remain the case.”

“There is undeniably a certain… monotony of it all,” Elder Feng Ke added lazily, his tone detached even as his sharp gaze scanned over the mirrors. “There is some value in observing the more promising of the candidates, but there’s little point in becoming invested when most will either die or stagnate at the barrier of Core Formation.”

Of all his peers, Elder Feng Ke was the one who Mo Duan knew the least about. Like most powerful cultivators, he was relatively handsome and looked as if he was in the prime of his youth. He had a scholarly air about him, which made sense given that Feng Ke’s Mystic Glade Valley specialized in Formations and Talismans, as well as the Elder’s reputation for spending most of his time conducting research into his… unorthodox field of study.

Mo Duan’s gaze drifted down to the talismans intricately tattooed into Elder Feng Ke’s skin, which peeked out of the edges of his sleeves and emitted a subtle glow of Qi. It was a practice that he had never seen outside of Feng Ke and other members of Mystic Glade Valley—which wasn’t that surprising given how utterly volatile talismans could be, even at the best of times.

A single mistake or poorly drawn line could have probably exploded the man in a shower of gore or turned him into a lifeless husk. 

There was also a certain… coldness about him that set Mo Duan on edge and gave him the impression that Feng Ke was a deeply dangerous person.

Though, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Pretty much everyone in this room is a monster in their own right, Mo Duan thought to himself as he looked back toward the mirrors.

He watched as Ling Jun successfully killed the Mindsnare Viper by using a Qi Technique that caused a wooden spike to pierce through its skull, moments after it lunged toward Jin Mao. It was actually fairly impressive given the nature of their environment and the boy’s level of cultivation.

Jin Mao promptly began gushing over Ling Jun’s quick actions—causing the kid to swell with a sense of pride. But it also caused him to miss the fleeting look of scorn in Jin Mao’s eyes.

Mo Duan felt a hint of interest at the sight before his attention was fully captured by Patriarch Songyu, who had until now remained mostly quiet since their arrival to the viewing room.

“It would be wise to pay close attention to this Disciple Selection Ceremony in particular,” Patriarch Songyu said lightly, smiling politely as he swept his gaze across the room. “After all, there is a reason that we chose to conduct this year's ceremony differently than we did in the past.”

The tension in the room immediately rose at the reminder, and more than a few eyes glanced toward Mo Duan.

“Tch. You’re not wrong, Patriarch. Even if I doubt that these whelps will be useful any time soon,” said Elder Wu Zhen, scowling at the mirrors displaying the ongoing trial before promptly turning to Mo Duan. “How about it? Do you think you’ll be able to solve our little infestation before the Great Sects smell blood in the water? Wouldn’t mind if you didn’t. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to bloody my fists in a proper war.”

While only Patriarch Songyu and Elder Yuanlei knew that Mo Duan was a demonic cultivator, the other Elders had been told mostly the truth regarding his deal with the sect in order to minimize complications.

Specifically, they believed that Mo Duan was a wandering cultivator who had unique experience hunting demonic cultivators and had effectively signed a multi-decade contract to leverage his skills for the Verdant Valleys Sect.

“You should refrain from speaking the word ‘war’, brute,” Elder Yuanlei interrupted sharply before he could muster an answer. “The Empress’ lap dogs would find offense at the suggestion that Her Eternal Eminence was unable to keep the Empire’s sects from tearing at each other like starved beasts.”

Elder Wu Zhen let out a bark of laughter before responding. “Unable? Ha! More like she’ll watch the chaos while drinking a cup of tea from her palace. We’ll only see the Empress if she decides that there’s a threat to her own power. Then she’ll step on a few necks and fuck off back to the capital.”

“You should be careful. Or it will be your neck that she steps on,” Elder Feng Ke said blithely.

“That’s fine by me. So long as I don’t die, it would be worth it to feel that old monster’s full power,” Wu Zhen replied with a gruff chuckle. 

“Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand,” Elder Ying said gently, interrupting before the conversation could veer off course any further. “We should give Guest-Elder Mo a chance to answer Senior Wu’s question.”

Mo Duan forced himself to project confidence as every eye in the room once again shifted to him.

“The Verdant Valleys Sect has enough experience with demonic cultivators for everyone here to understand just how devious they can be,” Mo Duan began after a moment of thought, the irony of his statement drawing a subtle scowl from Yuanlei. “Something—most likely some manner of conflict—is pushing them out of the Scorched Hollow and into our territory. While I have no difficulty in hunting down the most violent and disruptive of them, it's impossible to make any predictions without determining the ultimate source of the issue.”

Mo Duan wasn’t lying, as his predecessor had left the Scorched Hollow several years before whatever was causing the current chaos had begun, and interrogations of captured demonic cultivators had been less than enlightening. 

There was supposedly heavy fighting among the most powerful demonic cultivator sects, but it was surprisingly difficult to learn the actual details. It didn’t help that the nature of the Scorched Hollow made it extremely difficult for those who were unaccustomed to demonic Qi to operate there effectively, preventing Elder Yuanlei from sending in her spies. 

“A problem that would likely be swiftly solved if our esteemed guest successfully captured a high-ranking demonic cultivator for interrogation,” said Elder Yuanlei, only marginally less derisive than she would be if they were speaking in private. “As he is being generously compensated to do.”

“Now, now, Senior Sister. Any such demonic cultivator would have achieved at least Core Formation stage,” said Elder Ying, her tone placating as she did her best to keep the peace. “It would be unreasonable to expect Guest-Elder Mo to secure such a high profile individual so quickly.”

Mo Duans offered Elder Ying a grateful smile, his impression that she was the least crazy of his new colleagues reinforced.

“Elder Ying is correct. I’ve had difficulty finding an appropriate target but I believe that will change soon, thanks to information provided by Elder Yuanlei,” said Mo Duan, nodding toward the curmudgeonly cultivator and receiving a baleful scowl in return. “She recently has made me aware of an infestation of abnormal Jiangshi in the eastern portion of the province. I have reason to suspect that they could have only been created by a demonic cultivator who has at least achieved Early Core Formation.”

It was actually more than just a suspicion, as Ruo Xingchen’s memories made it rather easy to deduce that the responsible party was almost certainly a powerful member of the Cursed Inscription Sect. He’d already shared this information with Patriarch Songyu and Elder Yuanlei—but he couldn’t exactly appear so certain amongst the rest of the other Elders.

“I intend to investigate the matter further and hopefully capture a demonic cultivator capable of telling us more,” Mo Duan continued. “Although, that will have to wait until I’ve settled my new disciples into my valley and finish instituting certain changes that Patriarch Songyu and I agreed are necessary to deal with the influx of demonic cultivators.”

Seeking to shift the spotlight away from himself, Mo Duan shamelessly redirected everyone's attention to Patriarch Songyu. After arriving in this world and deciding that it was in his best interests to stay with the Verdant Valleys Sect, Mo Duan had promptly renegotiated the deal that Ruo Xingchen had made with the Patriarch.

Now seemed like as good of a time as any to begin sharing some of the details about those changes with the rest of the sect’s leadership. All eyes quickly shifted to Patriarch Songyu, who smiled mildly before offering an explanation. 

“Guest-Elder Mo had graciously agreed to extend his tenure with our sect beyond the original agreement, and will impart his specialized knowledge regarding demonic cultivators to his disciples. It’s our intention to eventually delegate the primary responsibility of managing demonic cultivators to his valley once they are adequately trained.”

This news was met with significant surprise and interest from the Elders who hadn’t already been privy to it. While the Verdant Valleys Sect bordered the Scorched Hollow and had dealt extensively with demonic cultivators all throughout its history, it had never had a valley specifically dedicated to that task.

The fact this had changed said much about how seriously the sect was treating the current situation. 

There was a tense silence for a moment as the implication of this settled among the Elders, before it was broken by Elder Feng Ke. “Do you suspect that this problem with the demonic cultivators is severe enough that it requires long-term planning, Patriarch?”

“Indeed. I believe Guest-Elder Mo and his valley will serve us well into the future,” said Patriarch Songyu.

Mo Duan perked up in interest, curious as to how the Patriarch would justify the matter among the rest of the sect’s leadership; it wasn’t something they’d talked about during their negotiation. But much to Mo Duan’s surprise and confusion, the rest of the Elders merely traded a few meaningful glances and accepted the Patriarch’s response without further questions.

It was… extremely strange, and more than a little suspicious. Patriarch Songyu tended to carry himself as mild-mannered and wasn’t exactly the type to ‘rule with an iron fist’, but the deference that the other Elders showed him was intense.

“If the new valley’s going to specialize in hunting our enemies, then that means my disciples have new fodder to cut their teeth against,” said Elder Wu Zhen, an eager fire in his eyes and he turned his gaze toward Mo Duan. “And so do I. We’ll need to test if you’re actually able to teach decent warriors.”

Mo Duan wasn’t all that eager to go toe-to-toe with a battle hungry giant like Wu Zhen, but he knew that he couldn’t really get out of it without undermining himself. Besides, after fully assimilating Ruo Xingchen’s memories and spending a few days testing out his abilities, Mo Duan was confident that he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

“Of course, Elder Wu Zhen. Though our spar will need to wait until after I finish adjusting my disciples to their new circumstances,” Mo Duan said as he decided to change the subject and turned his gaze back to the ongoing trials. “I hope my Fellow Daoists will tolerate my intention to recruit some of the more promising candidates to my valley. Especially those who may have a talent for combat.”

While finding a disciple with a Pure Wood Spirit Root was his top priority, Mo Duan had been keeping his eye out for others as well.

“Nice try. But finding disciples who aren’t trash is too troublesome for you to get them for free,” Elder Wu Zhen replied with a smirk. “If they’re worth having, they’re worth fighting for.”

“Metaphorically speaking, of course. We wouldn’t want our newest member to think we’re akin to barbaric demonic cultivators, literally brawling over prospective disciples,” Elder Feng Ke said with dry humor. “Rather, if there is a disagreement, we simply trade treasures for their allegiance.”

I’m… not sure that’s all that much better. 

As if Feng Ke’s words were a signal, everyone ceased talking about matters of politics and fully returned to observing the trials, looking for talented seedlings. It had been nearly thirty minutes since the kids had been teleported into the Enigmatic Fog Valley, and most of the less promising candidates had already fallen unconscious and been eliminated. 

Mo Duan was disappointed to discover that one of the candidates with a Pure Wood Spirit Root was among them, having gotten into a conflict with a wild haired boy who’d knocked her out with a single punch. It wasn’t too humiliating for her, as the boy was unusually muscular and looked as if he had a bit of Spirit Beast somewhere in his ancestry, even drawing the attention of Wu Zhen.

But still, Mo Duan found himself dismissing her to focus on the three other candidates who could become his Direct Disciples. 

The first was, of course, Ling Jun. Even if the brat seemed like a handful, his talent was undeniable and his lineage would be very helpful to Mo Duan, so long as he maintained a good relationship with the Ling Clan. He and Jin Mao were currently navigating through the forested area that they had been teleported into, and had cooperated to slay several Spirit Beasts that had attempted to ambush them. 

Ling Jun’s talent, knowledge, and background hadn’t failed to attract the attention of Mo Duan’s colleagues. 

God damn. How many High-Grade Spirit Stones can one kid be worth? Mo Duan thought as he listened to his colleagues barter over the candidates as if they were prized cattle. It’s really good that Songyu agreed to allocate me one disciple with a Pure Wood Spirit Root to my valley. Otherwise, I’d have to spend a fortune just to secure him.

Ruo Xingchen had managed to accumulate a decent amount of money, but just listening to the ongoing negotiations immediately made it clear that Mo Duan was the poorest person in the room.

He didn’t like it.

Mo Duan forced down his envy and turned his gaze to the next candidate, a young girl named Qing Yi who came from a small merchant family in Misty Lake City that primarily sold medical herbs. Her test scores were very high and the girl's parents had paid a wandering cultivator to tutor her since she was a child, allowing her to reach the 3rd stage of Qi Condensation. That was fairly impressive for a girl from such a small family, and that talent was fully on display as Qing Yi skillfully navigated the Enigmatic Fog Valley while safely harvesting many valuable Spirit Plants.

Elder Ying and Elder Yuanling both seemed fairly interested in the girl, and were currently bartering a few valuable artifacts between themselves for the chance to recruit her.

Mo Duan considered tossing his hat into the ring for the next few minutes as he watched her, but ultimately decided against it. The girl had a much more pleasant personality than Ling Jun and seemed quite intelligent, but Mo Duan needed to prioritize cultivation talent and resources more than anything else.

After all, Mo Duan’s plan to deal with his cannibalistic parasite would depend greatly on the person he chose successfully cultivating to a relatively high level. 

Thankfully, the final remaining candidate with a Pure Wood Spirit Root seemed to be equally as talented as Ling Jun and would make for a good Direct Disciple. While his cultivation level was the same as Qing Yi at the 3rd stage of Qi Condensation, the young orphan boy named Feng Zhi had managed to achieve that with far less formal training. The boy had no formal training and seemed rather scrawny for his age, but there was determination in his eyes that hinted at his potential.

Moreover, there was something strange about the boy that Mo Duan quite couldn’t put his finger on and made him feel curious.

It took him a while to realize, but he eventually noticed that Feng Zhi was somehow instinctively avoiding the most dangerous parts of the valley and was frequently stumbling upon valuable treasures. 

Is he just unnaturally lucky, or does he have some way of perceiving all of those traps and treasures? Mo Duan wondered as he studied the kid. 

It could be anything from the kid having Spirit Beast blood that allowed him to smell abnormally well to him just having unusually positive karma from a past life and being particularly fortunate. 

It was truly impossible to tell in a world as strange as this one, but Mo Duan couldn’t help but feel curious. 

Still, he reserved his judgment on who he would choose to become a Direct Disciple and simply continued to observe for nearly an hour as the valley’s Qi-draining fog finally started to take its toll on even the most talented of the contestants. 

One after another, they started to fall unconscious and were teleported away from the Enigmatic Fog Valley. Mo Duan watched as Qing Yi was eliminated before either Ling Jun or Feng Zhi, seemingly validating his decision to focus on the others. Jin Mao met the same fate not long after, with Ling Jun simply glancing toward where the commoner had fallen and continuing on without a backward glance, a determined scowl set upon his features.

Feng Zhi lasted significantly longer than Mo Duan had expected, his uncanny knack for navigation and survival guiding the kid to areas where the fog was thinnest. 

By the time it had all concluded, the orphan boy had even managed to hang on several minutes after Ling Jun suddenly collapsed and was eliminated. As the trial gradually came to a close and Mo Duan turned his attention back to his peers, it became clear that Feng Zhi’s resilience had not gone unnoticed.

“That one has grit,” Elder Wu Zhen said with a nod, his voice rumbling in approval. “He’d make for a good physical cultivator.”

“And more than that, he seemed to possess some manner of unique ability,” said Elder Feng Ke, his previous apathy giving way to faint interest. “I’d quite enjoy studying the lad. Though, I’m confident my Heavenly Divination Formation will discover the boy’s secrets soon enough.”

The Heavenly Divination Formation was a personal creation of Feng Ke that had been set up in the same large chamber which the eliminated contestants had been teleported to after falling unconscious. It was an extremely impressive Formation that was said to be capable of thoroughly analyzing any one within it and uncover a truly wide variety of information.

Everything from special constitutions—which were extremely rare and gave their possessors unique abilities—to hidden talents or latent weaknesses. The Heavenly Divination Formation could most expertly detect concealed traces of demonic cultivation and even pick up on anomalies in the soul that would imply a person was possessed or older than they appeared.

The Verdant Valleys Sect truly had many enemies who had gone to utterly ridiculous lengths to infiltrate it, so this was likely warranted.

Mo Duan observed as the last of the candidates were teleported out of the Enigmatic Fog Valley and into a spacious, sparsely furnished chamber filled with the rest of the children. The room was occupied only by a female Hallmaster and was enveloped on all signs by the brightly glowing inscriptions of the Heavenly Divination Formation.

The Hallmaster didn’t hesitate to channel her Qi into the Formation and activate it the very second that the last prospective disciple had been teleported in.

Several of the kids cried out in shock as they began to glow once the Formation began doing its work, but they calmed down once nothing untoward seemed to happen. It would take several minutes for the process to be complete, so Mo Duan decided to use that time to study his soon-to-be disciples. 

Feng Zhi had a curious expression, staring at the Formation and the light emanating from his body with a boyish wonder that Mo Duan found out of place in someone who grew up an orphan. He spoke excitedly with a fat teenager by his side while gesticulating wildly. The kid seemed a tad too energetic for Mo Duan’s taste, but he looked friendly enough.

In comparison, Ling Jun looked every bit like a quintessential young lord as he wore a cold expression on his face and sneered disdainfully at the boy next to him. Mo Duan didn’t want to judge a kid based on their background and a single day of observation, but Ling Jun certainly hadn’t made a good impression.

Overall, it seems that Feng Zhi would make for a better investment, Mo Duan thought as he made his decision on who he would recruit as his Direct Disciple. It was at this moment that a round of murmurs rose up among the other Elders and snapped Mo Duan back to reality.

“Oh? How fascinating.”

“Oh, dear…”

“At least it’s not another demonic cultivator.”

“Ha! Just when I thought this ceremony was going to be a complete waste.”

Mo Duan turned his attention back to the ceremony only to see that Feng Zhi was glowing a bright cyan color, marking him as someone with a special constitution. 

Fuck…

The Hall Master in charge of the process was quick to receive the information about the boy’s constitution from the Formation and transferred it into a jade slip. She then handed it to a senior disciple, identified by robes marking him as a member of Elder Yuanlei’s valley, who materialized beside her and then swiftly disappeared again using a mysterious Qi Technique.

Presumably, he was headed to deliver the information to the Patriarch. Mo Duan’s assumption was proven correct when the same cultivator entered their room just a few moments later and politely handed the jade slip over to Patriarch Songyu, who took it without a word.

Pretty much every Elder in the room, including Mo Duan, was on the edge of their seats as the Patriarch calmly reviewed its contents. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Patriarch Songyu nodded as if he had reached a decision and turned to face Mo Duan.

“I will be taking Feng Zhi as a direct disciple,” Patriarch Songyu said firmly. 

“This one understands, Patriarch Songyu,” Mo Duan said obediently, knowing that there was no way he’d be able to change the Patriarch's mind.

Patriarch Songyu nodded before standing from his seat and making his way out of the room, likely headed to go greet his new disciple. After a moment, the rest of the Elders followed behind him, talking amongst themselves as they went to make their offers to the disciples that had caught their eye. 

As the last Elder left, Mo Duan stayed behind and allowed himself to let out a weary sigh as he turned to look back at the mirror. Ling Jun had a decidedly inelegant look on his face as he stared at Feng Zhi with his mouth wide open, looking like a carp that had just been dragged onto dry land.

Mo Duan couldn’t help but snort in amusement.

I guess it’s me and you, kid.