Chapter 267 - 163: Investiture Ceremony, Mu Wanli’s Gaze from Afar

Chapter 267: Chapter 163: Investiture Ceremony, Mu Wanli’s Gaze from Afar

There were nearly a thousand Holy Sects across Thousand Sects Island, and the number of Saint Realm powerhouses was many times that, yet only eighty-seven representatives had arrived.

Back in the peak era of the Beardless Sect, an investiture ceremony would draw thousands of sect representatives from all over Thousand Sects Island.

But today, less than a hundred sects had shown up. Top-tier sects from the upper three grades could be counted on one hand, and even those from the middle and lower three grades couldn’t be bothered to attend.

"The world has truly gone downhill, and old bonds mean nothing anymore."

Beside Master Beardless, Master Wuchen let out a long sigh. The reputation of just the two of them—along with their other martial brother—was barely enough to sustain a Holy Sect anymore.

As if recalling something, Master Beardless subconsciously asked, "Did the six great Celestial Vein Saint Sects send any representatives?"

The Beardless Sect Elder in charge of the tally looked gloomy at the question, slowly lowering his head in silence.

Seeing this, Master Beardless shook his head and chuckled, his smile filled with helplessness.

Just then, however, another Beardless Sect Elder’s expression suddenly hardened. With a slight change in his countenance, he pointed. "Sect Leader, look over there..."

Master Beardless followed his gaze, his expression also jolting in surprise.

At the edge of the endless sea of people, two elegant figures had slowly materialized at the end of the Endless Mountain Range, gazing at the Holy Ladder from afar.

"People from the Cyan Mist Sect?" Master Wuchen’s pupils slightly narrowed.

Those two figures were none other than the current top Saintess of the Cyan Mist Sect, the unrivaled maiden most qualified to achieve the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top" in the sect’s future—the Cyan Mist Saintess, Mu Wanli.

As for the other figure, it was someone they were familiar with: Mu Wan Ning.

Separated by an endless void, Mu Wanli watched this side of the world, making no move to approach.

Clearly, she wasn’t here to support Master Beardless’s investiture ceremony; she was merely observing.

"Didn’t we agree not to invite anyone from the Cyan Mist Sect? Why is their Saintess here?" Master Beardless asked.

"I’m afraid they came uninvited. The Beardless Sect is already crawling with the Cyan Mist Sect’s informants. You didn’t want them to know, Senior Brother, but they’re probably better informed than anyone else," Master Wuchen said with a bitter smile.

At the edge of the Endless Mountain Range.

Mu Wanli opened her beautiful eyes. She was utterly expressionless and as bone-chillingly cold as ever, looking down at the surroundings of the Holy Ladder like an empress.

"Did he really become the Eldest Senior Brother of the Beardless Sect?" Mu Wan Ning asked slowly, her heart filled with complex emotions. She didn’t know if the Cyan Mist Sect had made the right choice, but this was the first time in many years that she had seen Mu Wanli actively pay attention to a prodigy.

It was apparent that beneath her cold exterior, her Sister Cyan Mist was already somewhat wary of that young man. After all, their indirect clash at the Cyan Mist Sect that day had already proven his extraordinary nature.

Not only that, but shortly after the young man left, many of the Cyan Mist Sect’s Elders also realized something was amiss. They suspected he had concealed his talents, his potential, and perhaps even his true strength while in the Cyan Mist Saint Hall.

Mu Wanli’s arrival was definitely not a coincidence. Mu Wan Ning suspected the higher-ups of the Cyan Mist Sect had specifically sent her to investigate the situation and see if that young man posed a threat to her securing the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top."

"Sister Cyan Mist, did the Supreme Elders send you here because they’re wary of Young Master Qin’s potential? Are they afraid he’ll become a stumbling block for you one day?"

As soon as Mu Wan Ning finished speaking, a flash of disdain crossed Mu Wanli’s beautiful eyes. Her words were as biting and cold as frost. "I have no stumbling blocks. To become my opponent and catch my attention—he doesn’t have the qualifications."

Hearing this, Mu Wan Ning wanted to say something, but she hesitated and held her tongue.

Looking across the entire Thousand Sect Island Realm, there were truly very few prodigies who could earn Sister Cyan Mist’s respect. They could practically be counted on one’s fingers.

As for those who could make Sister Cyan Mist reveal a hint of apprehension? They were virtually non-existent.

While the two conversed, the entire mountain range began to boil with excitement.

The countless sect representatives who had arrived were all engaged in heated discussions.

"After three thousand years, the Beardless Sect is actually appointing an Eldest Senior Brother again. How unexpected."

"I heard that this Eldest Senior Brother isn’t even an official member of the Beardless Sect. He’s just an honorary disciple."

"An honorary disciple? An honorary Eldest Senior Brother?"

"That’s right. I heard his name is something like... Qin Fan?"

"Yes, yes, that’s it! Qin Fan."

"What an unfamiliar name. I don’t think there’s anyone by that name on the Eastern Domain’s Celestial Pride List, right? And I’ve certainly never heard of such a person in the Thousand Sect Island Realm."

"The Beardless Sect has truly fallen from grace to actually find an outsider to be their Eldest Senior Brother."

"What kind of earth-shattering figure could a declining sect possibly recruit? He’s probably just some prodigy that the other sects looked down upon."

"Now that you mention it, I actually heard a rumor. Word is that this Qin Fan originally had his eyes on the Cyan Mist Sect and even set foot on Cyan Mist Island. Unfortunately for him, they didn’t think much of him."

"So, in a way, he really is just a reject from the Cyan Mist Sect who was later picked up by the Sect Leader of the Beardless Sect."

"If that’s true, the Beardless Sect really picked up a piece of trash to be their Eldest Senior Brother?"

"This guy sure has a lot of nerve to actually accept the position. Does he not know his own limits? Even in a declining sect, the title of Eldest Senior Brother belongs to a Holy Sect! How could a nameless nobody be worthy of leading the younger generation of a Holy Sect?"

"It’ll be hilarious if he can’t even climb the Holy Ladder later."

"I’d like to see if this Eldest Senior Brother of the Beardless Sect possesses some monstrous powers to actually become the top disciple of a Holy Sect."

"Do you think the Cyan Mist Sect missed out on a peerless freak of nature?"

"Do you think everyone in the Cyan Mist Sect is blind?"

"That’s a fair point. Hahahaha..."