Taking on apprentices
"Your injuries are alright, but it's your dantian that's the problem. Tomorrow I'll have the alchemy hall find you some nourishing pills to help you recover." Mo Wen patted Lan Ci's shoulder, his tone gentle and soothing, his eyes filled with regret and encouragement.
Lan Ci coughed twice excitedly, her hands on the bed clenching into fists involuntarily, and a blush crept onto her cheeks: "Thank you, Elder. I can still continue cultivating, right?"
Previously, Ruan Qingyu had comforted him, saying he could still cultivate, but he didn't really hold out much hope. He had never heard of a cultivator whose dantian was shattered being able to return to the path of cultivation, but now, after hearing Mo Wen's words, he became even more confident.
Seeing his excited expression and shining eyes, Mo Wen nodded without hesitation. Only then did he look at Ruan Qingyu, who had been standing to the side without saying a word.
Seeing Mo Wen's gaze, Ruan Qingyu didn't explain further and said directly, "Elder Mo, the reason I invited you here today is because of a major matter concerning the safety of the sect, which is also related to the fire that broke out on the sect's mountain yesterday."
As she spoke, Ruan Qingyu glanced at Lan Ci and, seeing that the other party looked tense, added, "It's more appropriate for Lan Ci to talk about this matter. I only went there by chance."
Upon hearing her name called, Lan Ci looked at Elder Mo Wen. She had been feeling anxious and uneasy, but now she felt relieved: "Elder, Elder Chen Tian may have fallen into the demonic path. He has captured many disciples who cultivate fire spirit roots to practice demonic arts."
Then, Lan Ci recounted everything she had told Ruan Qingyu. This included how she had been tricked into going to Chen Tian's side to do business, and how many disciples without backgrounds in the sect had been drained of their last drop of blood.
How Chen Tian died tragically in that basement, and how he not only didn't stop killing countless Xuan Tian Sect disciples but even intensified his crimes, revealing his plan to trap Golden Core cultivators to cultivate demonic arts.
Finally, Lan Ci's eyes were filled with pain, and she coughed violently. It was as if she was coughing up her heart, liver, spleen, and lungs, and her eyes turned bloodshot.
Mo Wen gathered spiritual energy in his palm and gently patted Lan Ci's back. Instantly, Lan Ci, who was so excited that he couldn't sit still, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Ruan Qingyu breathed a slight sigh of relief before taking a step closer and asking, "Elder Mo, what are your plans?"
Mo Wen withdrew his hand and, after confirming that Lan Ci was in a stable condition, looked at Ruan Qingyu seriously, his expression showing some relief: "My divination was unusual about yesterday's events, but after seeing you, I felt that the divination was normal."
Mo Wen smiled kindly as his gaze fell on Ruan Qingyu's tight lips. He was clearly a handsome man with black hair, but for some reason, he looked like an old man with white hair and a youthful face.
“In terms of age, you could be my daughter. But you are extraordinary. I have been searching for a Ziwei star for a long time. Now that I have seen you, I think a Ziwei star should be like you, with courage, wisdom, and great perseverance.”
After a pause, Mo Wen sighed, "The Xuan Tian Sect has achieved its current success over the past ten thousand years because of the many outstanding disciples within the sect. Previously, I discovered that some disciples had gone missing, but I always thought it was due to training or external factors."
Upon hearing the name Ziwei Star, Ruan Qingyu stiffened, unsure how to explain. But then she realized that if the elder considered her to be Ziwei Star, then her motives for targeting Chen Tian would be explained.
In the cultivation world, cause and effect are always cyclical. Everything has a cause and effect. In this life, it seems very abrupt that I was able to set fire to Chen Tian, but now that I have received the judgment of Ziwei Star, everything makes sense.
"I don't understand what the elder is saying. But the safety of the disciples in the sect is the most important thing right now. I urge the elder to investigate as soon as possible so that we can give an explanation to the disciples who died." Ruan Qingyu looked at Mo Wen firmly. Only she knew that she also needed an explanation.
Why did no one in the sect ever discover him in his past life? How could such a hypocritical person enjoy so many benefits in the Xuan Tian Sect?
Mo Wen listened quietly to Ruan Qingyu's question, and only spoke after she stopped: "The sect will naturally give an explanation for the deceased disciple. Fortunately, you and Lan Ci have told the truth. The sect will definitely find a way to expose Chen Tian's true colors, but he must have had accomplices to have been able to continue for so many years."
Thinking about the complex power dynamics within the sect and the various factions among the leaders, Mo Wen couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.
"We will thoroughly investigate the matter. If he tries to capture any more disciples to practice demonic arts recently, we will intervene in time to rescue them. However, to find out who he has allied with, we will have to investigate secretly." Mo Wen looked at Ruan Qingyu reassuringly, understanding his disciple's confusion and anger over the sect's mistake.
Having said that, Mo Wen made a hand seal in front of Ruan Qingyu, and a shimmering white light flashed for a moment before transforming into a butterfly and flying outside.
“Although I am a senior elder, I am familiar with several law enforcement elders of the sect.” Perhaps fearing that Ruan Qingyu might worry about the matter being leaked, he added, “These elders are my senior’s seniors. They have been in the Xuantian Sect for many years and are trustworthy.”
Upon hearing this, Ruan Qingyu remained noncommittal. If she hadn't had several interactions with Mo Wen, she wouldn't have chosen to trust him at this juncture.
"Then I'll trouble Elder Mo. If there's any news, please let me know as well." The last sentence was Ruan Qingyu's way of testing whether Elder Mo was willing to let people know about this matter, which was considered a scandal of the Xuantian Sect.
Seeing that she was indeed curious, Mo Wen nodded and did not refuse: "Of course, there is something else I was looking for you about."
"I heard before that you had no intention of becoming a disciple, and now it seems that you don't like Chen Tian at all. Now there is a good opportunity. Would you like to become Li Qingchen's disciple? Although he practices swordsmanship, he has also made great achievements in other areas."
Seeing Ruan Qingyu's surprised expression, Mo Wen said with a smile, "If you become Li Qingchen's disciple, you will be my junior sister. If you are curious why I say this, it is all because the Qiankun Divination has shown that you should be Master's last disciple."
After he finished speaking, Mo Wen fell silent and looked at Ruan Qingyu quietly, wanting to hear her reply.
At this moment, Ruan Qingyu's first reaction was to contact Yun Yin and listen to his advice, but sensing the intermittent contractual connection, she had to admit that now she could only rely on herself.
Ruan Qingyu raised her head and said seriously, "Elder Mo, since Li Qingchen is your master, I don't think I've ever seen him in the sect."
Upon hearing this, Mo Wen breathed a sigh of relief. Curiosity meant that he had this intention, so he said happily, "The reason why we can't see him in the sect is because Master is not in Dingzhou now, but is in the Lesser Saint Realm. He told me before that if he encounters a destined disciple, he would entrust me to take on the role of disciple.
After thinking for a moment, Mo Wen explained, "Currently, the Xuantian Sect does not have a formal sect leader. Master is the acting sect leader, but most of the sect's affairs are handled by Daoist Wenhe. Although Daoist Wenhe's cultivation is not the highest in the sect, his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation is still superior to that of the elders."
Ruan Qingyu didn't care who was acting as the representative within the sect. After hearing that Li Qingchen was in the Lesser Saint Realm, she couldn't help but become more and more curious about the Lesser Saint Realm.
Previously, Liu Yan and the others had asked him to participate in the sect's internal competition in order to go to the Lesser Saint Realm. Now that he heard the name of the Lesser Saint Realm again, he couldn't help but have a deeper impression of this place.
"But you don't need to worry. I've already written to my master about taking you as my disciple. If you agree, a grand ceremony will be held for you within the sect. At that time, all the major sects will know that Daoist Qingchen has a closed-door disciple." When mentioning his master, Mo Wen's face lost its air of a senior and gained more of a youthful spirit.
Seeing the joy on Mo Wen's face and his deep affection for his master, Ruan Qingyu lowered her eyes slightly. Although her cultivation was going relatively smoothly, Ruan Qingyu felt that she was really weak and alone.
If Chen Tianruo fails to resolve the issue in the future, or if an elder Mo Wenruo can trust rebels and his affairs are exposed, he will still need a powerful senior to back him up.
At least if the Phoenix bloodline is discovered later, as a disciple of Daoist Qingchen, he won't be easily captured.
After much deliberation, Ruan Qingyu felt that it was indeed worthwhile to pay respects to her master, who had come to her doorstep so readily.
"Then thank you very much, Elder Mo. This disciple is willing to take Daoist Qingchen as my master!" After saying this, Ruan Qingyu bowed slightly to Mo Wen and thanked him.
Seeing that she agreed, Mo Wen was overjoyed. From the very beginning, he had a high opinion of Ruan Qingyu. Putting aside the favoritism shown to her by the Ziwei Star or the Qiankun Divination, her own talent alone would make her a favored princess wherever she was.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell Master right away. Just wait for my good news." Mo Wen stood up and reached out to support Ruan Qingyu's arm. If they succeeded, she would be his junior sister in the future.
Thinking of this, Mo Wen felt relaxed and comfortable. Perhaps he could have another divination done tonight.
After Mo Wen's message spread, the already quiet council chamber of the Enforcement Hall became even quieter, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Elder Cihang, who sat at the head of the table, had a gloomy expression. The butterfly floating in his palm was the same one that Mo Wen had sent out, and the information inside the butterfly was constantly circulating in Cihang's mind.
This made him even angrier. The Xuantian Sect has stood for ten thousand years and has achieved its current status, which is inseparable from the hard work of its disciples and the dedication of its members.
However, such a huge scandal has occurred, which Cihang finds unbearable. If Mo Wen hadn't specifically instructed them to wait a little longer because he had other things to explain in person, he probably would have gone to arrest the person right now.
"Why hasn't Mo Wen returned yet!" A senior elder slammed his hand on the table, somewhat exasperated.
The elder who had been scratching his head and remained silent for a while finally looked up and sighed, "What's the use of being anxious? He wasn't promoted by you alone; we both share the responsibility."
Cihang looked at the two people who were speaking. These two were the duty enforcement elders who were in charge of assessing Chen Tian's advancement to senior elder.
"Don't overthink it. The fact that this matter was resolved on the surface means there were no problems. The fact that something went wrong now must mean something went wrong in the middle or after that day," Cihang reassured them first. He was able to reach this position in the Enforcement Hall.
Most of them had made promises to the Heavenly Dao based on their own conduct, and would not do anything that would harm the Xuan Tian Sect. However, the newly appointed elders were not as strict as before.
Thinking of this, Cihang sighed again. This must be the reason why the sect has made so many mistakes in recent years. The disciples may not know, but the elders who blocked those messages are well aware of it.
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