Chapter 655 - 411: The Open Plot (2)

In other words, one could say he is a once-in-a-century genius.

Because Spiritual Power is the core of cultivation!

These people naturally want to bring him under their tutelage! A disciple with true potential would be a formidable ally, wouldn’t it?

The relationship between mentor and disciple is sometimes akin to that of father and son.

Duan Rong looked for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and by now, only three invitations remained in front of him: one from Zhu He, one from Yang Sixuan, and one from Lin Youjian.

He was no longer considering anyone else.

He needed to choose his master from among these three individuals.

These three all had some connection with him. Apart from Zhu He, he had met the other two.

But the inclusion of Yang Sixuan and Lin Youjian as candidates had nothing to do with whether he had met them or not.

Yang Sixuan almost reached the stage back in the day; moreover, he is the confidant of the current Sect Leader, Chu Qiushan, which makes his role as the Chairman of the Ministry of Rites Decision Department almost secondary.

As for Lin Youjian, during the Deep Valley test years ago, Duan Rong had a fleeting encounter with her at the altar. He was considering Lin Youjian due to her cultivation technique. The kind of Sound Wave Power which penetrates the Divine Soul through musical notes was something Duan Rong was quite fascinated by.

Duan Rong contemplated momentarily before letting out a light sigh, lifting his hand to set Lin Youjian’s invitation aside.

Though he was attracted by Lin Youjian’s Sound Law Technique, it alone wasn’t enough to make her his teacher.

For a cultivator, realm and power are fundamental; if he were to fixate on external representations like musical notes or Sound Wave Power, it would be missing the point, prioritizing the trivial over the essential.

To use this as a criterion for selecting a master would be chasing an illusory dream.

At this moment, only Zhu He and Yang Sixuan’s invitations remained before Duan Rong.

He gazed at those two invitations, his eyes flickering.

Both Zhu He and Yang Sixuan’s invitations had only two words: Duan Rong.

Plain and simple, without any attached conditions.

Although he didn’t choose them solely because of this, he admired their style.

It’s only at a vegetable market where events are held!?

However, between these two, Duan Rong was clearly weighing his decision, making it difficult.

From a risk perspective, picking Zhu He was somewhat risky.

The next battle for the Sect Leader’s position comprised two factions: one led by Zhu He, the other by Lv Zhongtang and Ge Rusong.

The winning faction would naturally ascend to the position of Sect Leader, while the losing faction would likely face suppression or retribution, at the very least various obstructions.

The risk of choosing Zhu He lay in the possibility of Zhu He’s defeat.

The possibility did exist, as evidenced by Zhu He’s lineage in the Mortal World — Zhu Shizhong, holding the position of Minister of the Secretariat, had been assassinated.

During his time handling cases at Divine Cloud Prefecture, Duan Rong sensed the formidable power both factions wielded.

Once he chose Zhu He as his master, it was akin to being drawn into the vortex of this leadership struggle.

The benefit of choosing Yang Sixuan was avoiding such conflict.

Yang Sixuan is the confidant of the current Sect Leader Chu Qiushan, and does not belong to either faction, meaning that regardless of who becomes Sect Leader, Yang Sixuan will not face suppression. With his natural talent for cultivation and his relationship with Chu Qiushan, this looming upheaval should not affect him. This is the reason Duan Rong was considering him.

Certainly, Lv Zhongtang and Ge Rusong were directly excluded by Duan Rong.

He would either choose Yang Sixuan to avoid the strife or, if he wanted to get involved in the leadership battle, Zhu He was certainly his choice. He had an inkling that Zhu He had a better chance of winning.

As Duan Rong struggled to make his decision, some impatient elders and seniors in Dragon Fish Hall were growing restless.

An elder in a green robe with neatly tied hair suddenly turned to Lin Youjian from a distance and said, "Youjian, you once said you only accept female disciples, so why are you here today?"

Lin Youjian smiled.

With her temperament, if anyone else had asked, she would have retorted back. But this elder was a sect senior with profound knowledge in music, so Lin Youjian held some respect for him, responding with a cheerful smile, "It’s bustling today, can’t I come and take a look?"

Lin Youjian indeed had said she wouldn’t take male disciples. However, she had met that Duan Rong; despite his mediocre appearance, he seemed like an earnest and obedient child, with outstanding talent. If he wished to be her disciple, she would actually be willing to teach him.

In fact, Lin Youjian had suffered emotional hurt early on; she held resentment towards handsome men, but Duan Rong caught her eye not because of his looks.

In the hall, Zhu He, Yang Sixuan, and Lin Youjian all maintained calm expressions.

Zhu He already had four disciples, two of whom were at Qi Vortex Realm.

Yang Sixuan had no disciples, but he wasn’t keen on taking any.

Lin Youjian already had her treasure, Jiang Hanyan, who had impressively already reached Qi Vortex Realm.

Ge Rusong sat there with a cold demeanor, but he genuinely cared; he frequently raised his tea cup to sip, and the attendant serving tea had changed it two times.

Currently, the only disciple under him was the unimpressive Jiang Zhe.

Years before, he had a promising disciple at Qi Vortex Realm, but during an operation against the Filthy Blood Sect, his disciple was killed by the Sect Leader Fu Yi.

Later, he discovered the connection of this matter with Zhu He’s second disciple, Wu Shidao.

Wu Shidao knew Fu Yi would be present during the operation and prematurely aborted it without timely informing others, resulting in their complete defeat.

This incident marked his rift with Zhu He.

He sought justice from Wu Shidao, but Zhu He suppressed the matter.

In Dragon Fish Hall, some were growing impatient, but just then, the old attendant led Duan Rong forward.

Duan Rong wore a heavy ceremonial outfit, performing three kneelings and nine prostrations outside the hall.

Many were already restless, and witnessing such tedious formalities, they became more impatient. Yet, ancient etiquette demanded patience.

Once Duan Rong completed his礼, the old attendant led him inside the hall.

Duan Rong stood inside the hall without speaking, when an old woman spoke up, "Alright, I’ve grown impatient waiting. Duan lad, just say who you’ve chosen as your master. Don’t waste time!"

Duan Rong respectfully bowed to the old woman, "Yes!"

He then glanced around, fixed his gaze on Zhu He, and suddenly knelt, saying loudly, "Disciple Duan Rong wishes to acknowledge Zhu He as a master!"

Zhu He’s originally composed expression burst into a bright smile.

"Good, good, good, such a fine disciple!"

Back in the inner chamber, after revisiting the matter several times, Duan Rong ultimately opted for Zhu He.

Because he recalled something.

During his time at Divine Cloud Prefecture, Director of the Imperial Secretariat Zhu Zhengfu approached him for a private discussion, presenting him with a rare treasure—Gao Qingqiu’s original hand-copied poetry manuscript.

The Artifact Spirit of that manuscript chest reached an astonishing Tier Thirteen!

He found it peculiar at the time, wondering why Zhu Zhengfu would offer such a generous gift.

Moreover, certain words exchanged during that occasion had been beyond Duan Rong’s comprehension, but now stood clear.

That offering... praised by ancestors as meticulous in thought, capable of great triumph, destined for unmatched achievement... and speaking of nurturing great talents...

The insinuation was an olive branch extended to him!

So it turns out, they were waiting for this moment?

With such groundwork laid before him, coupled with accepting Zhu Zhengfu’s grand gift, failing to choose Zhu He might actually offend him?

The old man truly knew how to strategize far ahead! Perhaps arranging for his involvement with Divine Cloud Prefecture operations had already considered this scenario.

It indeed fastened around him, merely waiting for him to leap?

Furthermore, being an overt scheme, he couldn’t refuse!

Yet, Duan Rong felt this old fox, with such far-reaching strategy, had great chances in the Sect Leader battle.

The risk was worth taking.

After all, having a Sect Leader as a master seemed quite advantageous.