For a moment, all the clamor in the Martial Training Field settled as everyone turned to look. A group of over a dozen people approached majestically from above, their attire strikingly peculiar—clearly not of the Central Land's style. Even more bizarrely, each of them rode upon various spirit beasts and birds.
The man at the forefront appeared to be in his forties, his muscular arms bare, with a long and ornate belt cinched around his waist. His features were handsome, yet stern lines creased his brow. The crowd gasped when they saw him riding a massive, vermilion Centipede demon several zhang tall.
A hint of delight flashed across Zuoqiu Xiansheng's face as he strode forward, clasping his hands in greeting. "Shen Xiansheng, it is an honor to have the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly grace our Academy for the new disciple selection."
Not all Immortals were familiar with the name of the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly, but those who recognized it were inevitably astonished. It was well known that the Mountain Sect and Ocean Sect had no interactions, and the Academy's cultivation methods aligned with the Mountain Sect's style. For the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly to come here to select disciples was utterly peculiar.
Shen Xiansheng leaped down from the Centipede demon's back, and the enormous Demon obediently lowered itself, remaining motionless in a corner of the Martial Training Field. No one could fathom how they had tamed such a creature to such docility—the Ocean Sect was indeed bizarre beyond measure.
"Zuoqiu Xiansheng, it has been decades since we last met, hasn't it? My mischievous daughter has caused you much trouble, so I’ve brought her to apologize." Shen Xiansheng returned the greeting with a smile, the earlier sternness in his expression softening considerably.
Standing beside him was none other than the long-unseen A Jiao, dressed in her usual eccentric attire. Today, her red robes concealed her shoulders but revealed slender, snow-white forearms—delicate and fair—drawing furtive glances from many young male disciples nearby.
She grinned at Zuoqiu Xiansheng and whispered, "I managed to persuade Father after all."
Zuoqiu Xiansheng merely smiled and ushered the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly members to their seats.
They truly were here to select disciples! The gathered Immortals were astounded. What was the Academy planning? To reconcile the Mountain and Ocean Sects? Their cultivation styles were vastly different—how could such a thing be easily achieved?
Those with sharper minds quickly grasped the deeper implications. Was the disciple selection merely a pretext? Was the Academy attempting to unite the Mountain and Ocean Sects to jointly oppose the Sea Fall? This had been attempted before, only to end in failure. Why was it being revived now?
After a moment of contemplation, Dongyang Zhenren suddenly spoke, "Girl, why don’t you go and explore for a while?"
Li Fei was taken aback as she watched him head toward Zuoqiu Xiansheng—was this Celestial reluctant to take her to the No Moon Court?
She glanced around blankly. Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou were surrounded by crowds wherever they went, their presence stirring excitement. In comparison, her own situation seemed rather bleak.
Left with no choice, she wandered alone along the edges of the Martial Training Field, passing by numerous small Immortal Sects. Many extended warm invitations, their expressions friendly and welcoming.After walking for a while, Li Fei suddenly noticed a wave of overwhelming fragrance ahead. The scent was so strong it made her sneeze several times. Looking up, she saw five or six exceptionally beautiful women sitting or standing not far away, each with their collars cut extremely low, revealing most of their snow-white chests. The male disciples nearby couldn’t help but glance their way repeatedly. The women’s eyes sparkled with flirtatious charm as they smiled faintly, exuding an alluring aura.
Noticing the young girl staring at them, one of the women approached Li Fei and said softly, “Little sister, you’re quite lovely. Would you like to join our Yaoyu Sect? We don’t care about your Spirit Root attributes—only that you’re pretty.”
Li Fei saw that the woman’s collar plunged nearly to her navel, and the overpowering perfume made her eyes sting. Flustered, she quickly shook her head. “I… No, thank you…”
The woman leaned closer and caught a whiff of Li Fei’s naturally fresh and delicate fragrance, which delighted her even more. She grabbed Li Fei’s arm and refused to let go, exclaiming, “You’re so young, yet you already know how to blend such exquisite scents! What perfume are you wearing? Little sister, you simply must join our Yaoyu Sect!”
Li Fei stumbled backward in retreat when suddenly, a hand steadied her shoulder. Lei Xiuyuan’s voice sounded above her. “Yaoyu Sect? Can I join too?”
The woman took one look at Lei Xiuyuan’s handsome, refined features and was immediately smitten. She grinned. “What a shame—Yaoyu Sect doesn’t accept men. But if this little sister joins, the two of you can still spend plenty of time together. In fact, you might find it hard to part ways later.” She giggled suggestively.
Lei Xiuyuan tugged Li Fei away briskly, muttering, “Never mind, then. She’ll definitely join the same sect as me.”
He dragged her far away, only releasing her arm once the Yaoyu Sect women were out of sight. Frowning, he asked, “You… want to go to that sect?”
Li Fei waved her hands frantically. “Of course not! They were the ones who wouldn’t let me go!”
Lei Xiuyuan added, “That Yaoyu Sect—just one look tells you they specialize in Dual Cultivation. Their reputation is probably terrible. Best to stay away.”
Dual Cultivation? What was that? Li Fei wanted to ask, but Lei Xiuyuan’s expression made it clear he had no intention of explaining. Instead, she teased, “You’re really in demand, huh? I thought you’d never come out.”
Lei Xiuyuan replied flatly, “Weren’t we going to No Moon Court? Why are you wandering around?”
Li Fei sighed. “Dongyang Zhenren didn’t seem very impressed with me. He was talking to Zuoqiu Xiansheng, so I decided to look around.”
Lei Xiuyuan shook his head. “So even Celestials can be blind. Come with me.”
He grabbed Li Fei’s sleeve and led her through the crowd until they reached a group of dozens of Celestials seated with an otherworldly air. Behind each Celestial stood a male and female disciple, their robes flowing gracefully—pale white with black trim on the sleeves and collars, giving them an exceptionally pure and elegant appearance.
“These are the other elders of No Moon Court,” Lei Xiuyuan said, nudging Li Fei forward. “Why insist on becoming Dongyang Zhenren’s disciple?”
Li Fei took a few steps forward. The Celestials’ gazes lingered on her briefly before inevitably shifting to Lei Xiuyuan behind her… The contrast between an ordinary disciple and a highly sought-after one was painfully obvious.
Summoning her courage, Li Fei approached a kind-looking middle-aged woman, bowed, and said, “Disciple Jiang Li Fei wishes to join No Moon Court.”The female Celestial smiled faintly. "Child, your talent is average, I'm afraid No Moon Court may not be suitable for you..."
Seeing the disappointment on Li Fei's face, she felt a pang of sympathy and added, "Why don't you ask Guangwei Zhanglao beside you? Perhaps he might be willing to take you in."
Guangwei Zhanglao? Was that Guangwei Zhenren, Hu Jiaping's Master? The formidable Celestial who had slain Taowu with Temper Edge?
Li Fei turned her gaze to another elderly man nearby. Guangwei Zhenren chuckled and glanced at the towering, robust elder beside him. "Elder Baifu, why don't you take her?"
Before he could finish, Elder Baifu shook his head repeatedly. "This child's physique can't endure the training in my sect. We only have burly men here. Let her find someone else."
A surge of anger rose in Li Fei's heart, mixed with frustration. She wasn't a ball to be kicked around! If not for her senior brother being in No Moon Court, she would have stormed off long ago.
Suddenly, a deep, mellow voice laughed from afar. "Why must you all bring the Immortals' snobbery to such extremes?"
As the words faded, a man in white robes approached gracefully. He appeared to be in his thirties, with ordinary features, but his eyes were extraordinarily bright and expressive, as if they could speak—radiating a different kind of clarity compared to Zuoqiu Xiansheng.
Guangwei Zhenren sighed wryly. "Chongyi, must you say it like that?"
No Moon Court, a prestigious sect with numerous branches and countless ordinary disciples, had long stopped accepting new members. This year, they only planned to select one or two prodigies from the Academy, with very limited spots. Jiang Li Fei's unremarkable talent naturally made her an undesirable candidate.
Chongyi Zhenren walked up to Li Fei and looked down at her with a warm smile. Unlike Zuoqiu Xiansheng's piercing gaze, this Celestial's eyes were captivating, filled with a worldly wisdom that was both magnanimous and playful.
He gently patted her head and said, "I think this child is quite exceptional. Little girl, would you like to follow me to No Moon Court?"
Li Fei was stunned. She hadn't expected a Celestial to suddenly appear and offer to take her in.
After a moment's thought, she asked hesitantly, "My aptitude is lacking... Why would you...?"
Chongyi Zhenren laughed. "Just because others dismiss your talent, you start doubting yourself too? Do you think I'm helping you out of pity?"
Caught off guard, Li Fei flushed with embarrassment, at a loss for words.
Chongyi Zhenren continued, "By my judgment, your aptitude shouldn't even have gotten you into Young Phoenix Academy. Yet not only did you enter, you also qualified for the new disciple selection. This proves that talent isn't always definitive. I don't know what your strengths are, which is why I want to take you as my disciple and help you discover them."
No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Li Fei didn't know how to feel. Though she had always talked about becoming a Celestial and cultivating diligently, she truly didn't know what her strengths were. Her unique constitution? Or her unconventional cultivation methods? These were secrets she couldn't reveal easily, and they hardly counted as strengths. Real strengths should be more tangible—like Lei Xiuyuan's unparalleled combat prowess or Ge Lin's agility and adaptability.During her cultivation at the Academy, she passed every subject but excelled in none. Though said to possess a water-primary, earth-secondary Spirit Root, her Healing Nets and defensive walls were merely adequate, lacking any standout qualities as a support. Even with her unusually large Alchemical Furnace, it didn't seem to grant her any special advantages—at most, her spiritual energy depletion was slower than others. Whether in releasing Immortal Techniques or circulating spiritual energy, she displayed nothing extraordinary beyond perhaps slightly faster Sword Flying.
Judging solely by her demonstrated abilities, she appeared utterly unremarkable. The uniqueness of her physique remained an ultimate secret she couldn't divulge—no wonder the prestigious No Moon Court had overlooked her.
Li Fei stared blankly for a moment before murmuring, "This disciple... doesn't know what strengths she possesses."
Chongyi Zhenren couldn't help but laugh. "Precisely why you need a master to help you discover them. So, what do you think? Am I worthy to be your master?"
After another pause, she suddenly bowed deeply and said softly, "This disciple, Jiang Li Fei, wishes to enter your esteemed tutelage."
The surroundings erupted in murmurs. Chongyi Zhenren was arguably the most eccentric elder Celestial in No Moon Court, having gone a full century without taking a disciple—rumored to be because none caught his eye. Countless prodigies had been rejected by him, his tastes in disciples notoriously peculiar. What about this girl had drawn his attention?
Lei Xiuyuan, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke: "Elder Chongyi, this disciple, Lei Xiuyuan, wishes to enter your tutelage as well."
This declaration truly shocked everyone. The other elders of No Moon Court could no longer stay seated.
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