Xiao Chen spent that night carousing with Mo Jie and the others late into the night.
Over the next few days, he continued to cultivate, stabilizing his Cultivation Realm after his recent breakthrough.
He wasn’t the least bit arrogant about his change in status.
Xiao Chen understood that only by becoming strong himself could he truly earn the respect of others.
Relying on others was not a viable long-term strategy.
Six days passed in the blink of an eye.
At dawn on this day, just as the sky began to lighten, a large number of disciples had already gathered in the East Sword Pavilion’s Outer Sect Main Square.
They had all come to witness Xiao Chen’s disciple acceptance ceremony.
For Cangxuan—the General Dean of the Outer Courtyard and one of the top three experts in the entire East Sword Pavilion—to take on a disciple was an absolutely massive event for the East Sword Pavilion.
Although the ceremony was still several hours away, the crowd had already assembled, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for it to begin.
“Did you guys hear?
This time, even the Pavilion Master and the General Dean of the Inner Courtyard will be here in person to witness Xiao Chen’s disciple acceptance ceremony.”
“Of course.
General Dean Cangxuan, the Pavilion Master, and the General Dean of the Inner Courtyard are all martial brothers.
Since he’s taking on a disciple—a Closed-door Disciple, no less—it’s only natural for them to attend.
And it’s not just them.
I heard every Elder currently in the Sword Pavilion will be here.”
“Yeah, I have no idea how that Xiao Chen got so damn lucky to be chosen by the General Dean.
His ceremony is shaking up the entire Sword Pavilion.
All the bigwigs of our East Sword Pavilion are coming to witness it…”
“Hmph.
There’s a saying: the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
The General Dean might want him as a Closed-door Disciple, but we’ll see if the kid has what it takes.
Just wait.
Once the ceremony begins, if he can’t show some real talent, he’ll be humiliated beyond belief.”
As the crowd continued their discussions, Xiao Chen, the man at the center of it all, remained perfectly calm, showing no signs of emotional disturbance.
When it was almost time for the ceremony, Xiao Chen, dressed in a set of white robes, made his way unhurriedly toward the Outer Sect Main Square, with Qing Yao and Qingluo following closely beside him.
Initially, the two girls hadn’t dared to come.
After all, their status was merely that of Xiao Chen’s handmaidens.
But seeing how eagerly they anticipated the disciple acceptance ceremony, Xiao Chen decided to bring them along.
‘There’s no harm in just watching,’ he figured.
Perhaps because all the Outer Disciples had gathered at the Main Square for the ceremony, Xiao Chen and his companions didn’t encounter a single person on their way.
Upon their arrival at the Outer Sect Main Square, Xiao Chen’s presence immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Today, Xiao Chen was the main character, and everyone wanted to see for themselves what was so special about this new disciple, who had only just joined the Outer Courtyard, to have caught the General Dean’s eye.
All eyes fell on Xiao Chen.
Soon, jealous murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“He doesn’t look like much.
I really don’t understand what the General Dean sees in him.”
Ignoring their chatter, Xiao Chen led Qing Yao and Qingluo through the crowd to the very front.
He smiled at them and said, “You can watch from here.”
He had picked out the best spot for them.
Hearing his words, the two girls nodded excitedly.
Then, Xiao Chen ascended the high platform at the front of the square alone.
Just as Xiao Chen took his place, the Elders of the East Sword Pavilion also began to appear—more than twenty in total.
To become an Elder of the East Sword Pavilion, one’s cultivation had to be at the Celestial Human Realm at minimum.
To become one of the Core Elders, one needed a Cultivation Realm that surpassed even that.
Just as these twenty-odd Elders appeared, seven more figures descended from the sky, landing swiftly before Xiao Chen.
These were the Core Elders of the East Sword Pavilion.
Their status was second only to Cangxuan and the other two leaders, far beyond that of ordinary Elders, and all of them possessed a Cultivation Realm that surpassed the Celestial Human Realm.
“Our East Sword Pavilion has ten Core Elders in total, and seven of them are here today.
This Xiao Chen really commands some respect, huh?” Seeing the seven Core Elders arrive, the disciples below were stunned for a moment before making such acidic remarks.
How could anyone not be jealous of someone who could command the attention of so many of the Sword Pavilion’s most powerful figures?
The seven Core Elders sized up Xiao Chen with curiosity.
They, too, wondered why Cangxuan had chosen him, and so decisively at that—he had decided to accept Xiao Chen as a disciple after only a single meeting.
The pressure on Xiao Chen was immense as the seven Core Elders scrutinized him.
Although none of them deliberately released their auras, their profound gazes alone were enough to make his scalp tingle.
Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
The seven withdrew their gazes and took their respective seats.
All the Elders had arrived; only Cangxuan and the other two leaders had yet to appear.
They didn’t have to wait long.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, three figures suddenly appeared in the three central, previously empty chairs.
Cangxuan was one of them.
No one had even noticed their arrival.
As the trio appeared, all the Elders rose to bow, but the man in the center gave a slight wave, gesturing for them to be at ease.
Cangxuan sat on the left.
The man in the center was clearly Cangyun, the Pavilion Master of the East Sword Pavilion.
The man on the right must be Canglong, the General Dean of the Inner Courtyard.
Cangxuan, Cangyun, and Canglong.
These three were the greatest experts of the East Sword Pavilion, and it was their presence that had ensured the pavilion’s prosperity for a thousand years.
Xiao Chen found himself unconsciously sizing up Cangyun and Canglong.
Cangyun appeared middle-aged, while Canglong was incredibly burly.
His fiery red hair, in particular, left a lasting impression.
What Xiao Chen didn’t know was that among the three, Cangxuan was the eldest martial brother, Canglong was the second, and the Pavilion Master, Cangyun, was the youngest.
As Xiao Chen was observing the two, Canglong slowly began to speak.
“Senior Brother, you are taking a Closed-door Disciple, so it is not my place to comment, but a cultivation of merely Small Success in the Yellow Extreme Realm… is a bit on the low side…”
Canglong had spoken first.
‘It seems he isn’t very satisfied with me,’ Xiao Chen thought.
But before he could respond, Cangxuan spoke up with a smile.
“Junior Brother, ten days ago, this disciple of mine was only at the Entry stage of the Yellow Extreme Realm.
And he has only just turned eighteen this year.”
Cangxuan wore a faint smile.
Hearing his words, Canglong was momentarily stunned.
‘To break through a minor realm in just ten days… that speed is indeed quite fast.
But the most important thing is his age.
Small Success in the Yellow Extreme Realm at eighteen… That level of talent is already comparable to the East Sword Pavilion’s top few little monsters.
Of course, Xiao Chen is still too young.
The comparison can only be made in terms of raw talent.
In terms of actual strength, he’s still worlds away from them.’