https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-14-Scenery-on-the-Main-Road-Crowding-on-the-Plank-Bridge/12586123/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-16-The-Grand-Initiation-Ceremony-The-True-Dragon-and-Tiger-Legacy/12586138/
Chapter 15: The Overlord Among the Acolytes
Chapter 15: The Overlord Among the Acolytes
Lei Jun was slightly taken aback by Tang Xiaotang's current state.
She, however, spoke up first, "Don't make me angry again!"
With that, she plopped down and began sulking.
Lei Jun raised his hand, gesturing with his fingers near his hair and eyebrows, and said, "What I meant to say was..."
Tang Xiaotang paused, finally realizing what he was trying to convey. "Oh, I was so angry that I wasn't thinking straight!"
As she spoke, her golden hair and eyebrows returned to their original black color, and her eyes reverted to their normal state.
At that moment, Xu Yuanzhen, Yuan Mobai, and Wang Guyuan entered the room.
"You chose your master yourself, so you should have been prepared for this," Xu Yuanzhen said as she took a seat. "It has already been decided to make another exception and impart the Three Realms Scripture and Law to you, so as not to hinder your future cultivation."
She frowned slightly, gazing out the window in a daze.
Intrigued, Tang Xiaotang asked, "Sister, are you worried about me? I thought you only enjoyed seeing others suffer."
Xu Yuanzhen replied, "First of all, don't be delusional. I don't have time to worry about you. Secondly, I don't enjoy seeing people suffer in general. I only take pleasure in seeing certain people suffer. And most of the time, that 'certain someone' includes you."
"I only enjoy seeing you suffer, too!" Tang Xiaotang huffed.
Yuan Mobai gently said, "Xiaotang, since you've decided not to participate in this initiation ceremony, adjust your state of mind and continue to focus on your own cultivation. Your senior brother had planned to leave seclusion at the start of the new year, but even though there has been a delay, I don't think it will be prolonged further."
"Alright, Junior Master," Tang Xiaotang replied glumly.
Looking at her, Lei Jun suddenly recalled an old joke. "Junior Sister, you don't have to take it too hard. With your talent and intelligence, even if you remain in the Acolyte Court, you will surely be the top acolyte. You will be the overlord among the acolytes."
Tang Xiaotang paused for a moment. "The overlord among the acolytes? What does that entail?"
"Still an acolyte," Lei Jun replied with a smile.
"Get out!" Tang Xiaotang exclaimed.
Lei Jun smiled, but his smile soon faded into a thoughtful expression.
Given the current situation, could it be that the prediction of the moderately unlucky fortune stick was starting to come true?
...
In a quiet room, a young Taoist priest and a female acolyte sat facing each other.
The young priest said, "It's a pity about what happened this time."
The female acolyte was Li Ying, the youngest daughter of Elder Ziyang.
She sighed, "What can we do? Uncle didn't come out of seclusion as scheduled."
"Yes, we don't know when Uncle will come out of seclusion. Your cultivation can't be delayed, so why don't you study the Tao with me and follow my father?" the young priest suggested.
Li Ying nodded.
"However, this incident has allowed us to see who's been stirring up trouble," the young priest continued, changing the subject. "Chen Yi and Shangguan Hong!"
"I heard that Lei Jun from the Sixth Division and Guo Yan from the Seventh Division are also quite talented," Li Ying added.
"Whether or not these two have talent is one thing, but at least they're honest and don't harbor unrealistic ambitions," the young priest said. "Chen Yi and Shangguan Hong are different. They're young and ambitious, and their momentum is strong. We need to suppress them a little."
Li Ying frowned. "Second Brother, is that really appropriate?"
"Don't worry, I don't plan to do anything to them. It's just that two small branches have grown wild, so we need to trim them slightly. We'll be gentle, and they won't even notice it themselves," the young priest assured her.
...
The incident of a few acolytes wanting to be directly accepted as disciples of the Celestial Master remained behind the scenes and quickly dissipated without a trace.
By the time the initiation ceremony actually arrived, no one mentioned it anymore.
Apart from Tang Xiaotang, who was determined to continue her pursuit of becoming the overlord among the acolytes, everyone else publicly returned to their respective divisions.
Li Ying from the First Division began studying the Tao directly under her father, Elder Ziyang.
Shangguan Hong from the Second Division became a disciple of the Celestial Master's fifth junior sister.
Yuan Mobai's fifth junior sister and Xu Yuanzhen's fifth junior uncle were both surnamed Shangguan, and this fifth junior sister was Shangguan Hong's distant cousin.
Chen Yi from the Eighth Division became a disciple of the Celestial Master's fourth junior brother, Elder Yao.
According to the public information, these three acolytes had intended to become disciples of these three elders from the very beginning.
It was as if the competition to become the Celestial Master's personal disciple had never existed.
However, privately, there were still some rumors circulating.
There were two main characters in these rumors.
One was, of course, Tang Xiaotang, who was hard for others to compete with when it came to making headlines.
The other was Chen Yi.
Rumor has it that he also wanted to skip the initiation ceremony and continue waiting for the Celestial Master to emerge from seclusion.
This wouldn't have been a problem, as the Mansion allowed for such personal freedom, at most, one might call it stubbornness, and well-meaning people might worry that it would hinder a talented individual.
However, Chen Yi then sought to obtain the same special treatment as Tang Xiaotang.
Without undergoing the initiation ceremony, he still wanted to receive the Mansion's teachings, with treatment comparable to that of a true disciple or even higher-ranked ordained priests.
When this news spread, everyone privately expressed their astonishment.
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun's first thought was:
"Is this gossip spread by the Li family's disciples? Can we confirm if it's true or not?"
"I guess the Li family's disciples overheard something and deliberately spread it to cause trouble for Chen Yi." Wang Guyuan shook his head repeatedly. "But there is truth to the matter; it did happen."
Lei Jun could guess with his knees that while the Li family's disciples were indeed stirring up trouble for Chen Yi afterward, they supported Chen Yi's actions.
With Tang Xiaotang already setting the first precedent, if Chen Yi could follow suit and widen the gap, it wouldn't be hard to see which group would benefit the most in the Mansion next.
But then again, Chen Yi might have been aware that he was being used by others, but he undoubtedly still wanted to fight for himself.
As a result, a frustrated Tang Xiaotang blurted out a "golden quote":
"I am a Celestial Being, what about you?"
This left quite a few people speechless.
"A Fairy Body, no wonder..." Lei Jun rubbed his temples.
Above the five grades of root bone aptitude—lower grade, lower-middle grade, middle grade, upper-middle grade, and upper grade—there were even stronger cultivation body types.
Like Lei Jun's current Hidden Dragon Spirit Body.
Above the Spirit Body was the Sacred Body.
And above the Sacred Body was the Celestial Body.
For the Taoist holy land of the Celestial Master's Mansion, it was a rare occurrence to encounter any of these body types, and one would need good fortune to be able to recruit one into the Mansion.
Compared to the general meaning of geniuses and freaks of nature, these individuals could also be considered geniuses among geniuses and freaks among freaks, like exiled immortals descending upon the mortal realm.
Fortunately, although such opportunities were rare, there was still a chance to enhance the Spirit Body further. Lei Jun thought to himself that he would have to rely on his ability to attract good fortune and avoid calamity, and hope for another opportunity to enhance his innate aptitude...
But then again...
Lei Jun covered his face: "...It's a bit hard to associate Junior Sister's appearance with that of an exiled immortal, it's quite amusing to think about."
Although Tang Xiaotang said "you," targeting Chen Yi, she had indeed fired a big cannon.
Not to mention Li Ying and Shangguan Hong, who were also disciples, even the senior masters and elders of the sect were probably within the range of her attack...
Lei Jun: "Going back to Junior Sister's question, she has a Fairy Body, but what about Chen Yi?"
Wang Guyuan glanced at Lei Jun: "I hadn't heard any rumors before, but I also just found out that Chen Yi has a Clear Spirit Body."
A Clear Spirit Body was a body that was clear and ethereal, making it easier to absorb the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth.
In terms of physical aptitude, it was slightly inferior to the Hidden Dragon Spirit Body.
As a balance, the physical body reflected the soul, and those with a Clear Spirit Body had clearer thoughts, making it easier to focus on cultivation and enlightenment. Thus, it was also a Spirit Body that surpassed the upper-grade root bone aptitude.
According to Wang Guyuan, Chen Yi remained surprisingly calm when refuted by Tang Xiaotang. He only said that although he wasn't a Fairy Body, he could still make great contributions to the Celestial Master's Mansion, and he asked the elders to consider his proposal.
Lei Jun: "Oh? What contributions?"
"Don't know."
Wang Guyuan spread his hands: "Due to confidentiality considerations, only Master and a few other elders, as well as the senior male and female disciples, were kept in the room. The rest of us were asked to leave."
Lei Jun wasn't disappointed: "In the end, Chen Yi didn't get his wish, and his proposed contributions weren't enough to move the elders."
Wang Guyuan: "That's how it turned out."
Lei Jun: "The highlight that made the senior female disciple happy might have been this."
Wang Guyuan wasn't concerned: "The less involved we are in such matters, the better. It's best to avoid seeking short-lived glory and to stay clear of trouble."
Lei Jun smiled and nodded.
He was more concerned about the middle-upper fortune stick he had drawn and what kind of fourth-grade opportunity it foretold.
After that, although there were some rumors circulating about Tang Xiaotang, Chen Yi, and the others, no one dared to be brazen about it on the surface.
This year's initiation ceremony began as scheduled.
(End of Chapter)
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