After returning to the sect, the state of the snow was not as bad as Tu Nian had imagined. Instead, it looked well-organized. There were not many visitors in the sect, and there was no one who was strolling around like before.
Bo Qiu had nothing to do, so he took Fengli and the Golden Crow Beast and went directly back to Tu Nian's courtyard. Tu Nian and Jin Nanfeng went directly to the main peak.
The two had originally planned to report the mission's completion to Nie Yanchen before discussing how to accept the next bounty. However, upon reaching the main tower, they found Nie Yanchen nowhere to be found. They then went to the inner chambers, but still couldn't find him. With no other options, they turned to the outer disciples to see if anyone knew where he was.
What best reflects the warming of the snow cover is that the outer disciples have resumed their previous routines. It is only the middle of the afternoon and everyone is basically practicing in the courtyard.
Tu Nian looked around and didn't see any of the older brothers and sisters. Instead, she was discovered by Song Chengming who was slacking off. The other party's eyes lit up and he came up to her.
"I heard that you followed the eldest and second senior brothers to the demon tribe to collect bounties these past two days?"
Song Chengming nudged her with his elbow and winked, "How is it? What's Dongzhen Ruins like? Is it fun?"
Right now, the sect was in harmony, so there was no rush to find Nie Yanchen. Tu Nian hadn't spoken a word to Song Chengming since the duel, so now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to flirt, act cute, and make jokes.
"In a way, it's not bad. At least the demon girl is quite interesting."
She was being playful and light-hearted, and also mentioned Jin Nanfeng in passing. She glanced at the latter out of the corner of her eye, but didn't dare to see him clearly so she looked away, not knowing what the other party's reaction was.
Song Chengming's reaction was quite noticeable. He frowned and smacked his lips. "I was asking about the demon clan's spirit plants, so why would I ask you about this?"
"Isn't this a joke?"
Tu Nian put away his thoughts on Jin Nanfeng and chuckled, "If you're curious, go back in a few days and I'll ask my senior brother to record it for you using the photo stone."
"That would be great." Song Chengming rubbed his hands expectantly and whispered, "It would be even better if you could bring some to me. I've been researching making talismans using spirit blood and spiritual plant juice, and I'm worried about running out of materials."
"Oh?" Tu Nian looked at him with interest. "How's your research going? How does it compare to the one made with cinnabar?"
Song Chengming took out two yellow talisman papers from his pocket and stuffed them into her hands. "Practice makes perfect. Take some time to try it and you'll know."
A spirit gathering talisman and an explosive talisman. The former is the most basic one, and the latter is a fire-attribute enhanced talisman. Song Chengming can come up with these two talismans that can be regarded as models. There must be something new in them.
Putting the talisman into the mustard seed, Tu Nian nodded and said, "If it's good, I'll get the materials back and study it with you."
"Then thank you, Sister Tu."
"Don't give me that."
Laughing and poking Song Chengming for his misbehavior, Tu Nian got down to business. "By the way, do you know where Master is? And where are all the other brothers and sisters in the sect?"
Song Chengming shrugged. "Oh, the leaders of the Tianyin and Bihai families are here as guests. Master is talking to them in the back mountain. My brothers and sisters were also taken to the back mountain by Master to serve as soldiers. They are now serving tea."
Tu Nian frowned, "Xue Shiqian and Zhong Ming? What are they doing here?"
Especially since the area behind the mountain was restricted, Nie Yanchen had chosen to receive them there, presumably because he had important matters to discuss and didn't want anyone to know. He had summoned the outer disciples, who were exceptionally skilled, not to serve tea but to act as guards.
Song Chengming thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure either, but I heard from the brothers and sisters who were called away that it seemed to be related to the apprenticeship ceremony."
Indeed, after thinking about it, this is the only major event that has happened recently. We are actively preparing for it. The fact that several sect leaders choose to gather at this time cannot be good news.
Tu Nian didn't delay any longer after hearing this. He called Song Chengming and ran out of the yard. He and Jin Nanfeng rode their horses at full speed to the back mountain. When they arrived, they saw the outer disciples who had been called away standing outside the courtyard.
Seeing that it was Jin Nanfeng who brought people, the other party did not stop them. After a brief chat, they let them in. Tu Nian got two key pieces of information from these words. One was that the problem in the apprenticeship ceremony seemed to be related to Yuqing and Mingdao Tower. The second was that this move was not only aimed at Jixue, but also included other sects. This was also the reason why Bihai and Tianyin came to discuss with Jixue.
When Tu Nian knocked on the door and entered, she found that there were not only two sect leaders in the room, but also Fang Yuan and Liu Yuzhu. She nodded to them as a greeting, and then she and Jin Nanfeng bowed to the sect leaders.
Xue Shiqian was incredibly enthusiastic towards her, praising her repeatedly and almost helping her up himself. Tu Nian knew that the old man considered him half his master, so she wasn't surprised by this. If it were just Xue Shiqian, it would be fine. What was strange was that Zhong Ming's attitude towards her was also exceptionally friendly.
From talent to character, Tu Nian was praised by him twice, and then she vaguely understood from his words that he was remembering the favor she had helped in the big competition.
In this competition, Tianyin won the top three thanks to her intentional friendship, and Zhong Ming was very proud of her. As a result, Zhong Ming's favor towards her increased greatly. This time, Tianyin decided to stand on Jixue's side, mostly for her.
The atmosphere in the room was not very good. It was obvious that the conversation was not going well. Fortunately, seeing Jin Nanfeng and Tu Nian coming back, Nie Yanchen's mood finally improved.
"You two are back just in time. The two sect leaders and I are discussing the apprenticeship ceremony. You should sit down and listen. See if you can offer any suggestions."
Tu Nian sat down slightly behind Nie Yanchen and asked, "I heard from my senior brothers and sisters on the way that Yuqing is causing trouble again, and it seems to involve the Underworld Tower. What's going on?"
As soon as this matter was brought up, Nie Yanchen's expression immediately darkened. He glanced at Zhong Ming and said, "Since Tianyin started this matter, it's better for Sect Master Zhong to speak first."
"Okay then."
Zhong Ming didn't refuse and immediately addressed Tu Nian and the others who had just arrived, saying, "Although the apprenticeship ceremony is held every year, the main way for each sect to recruit new members is through the apprenticeship ceremony after the previous martial arts competitions. The strength displayed in the martial arts competitions often brings in excellent new recruits to each sect. For example, several aristocratic families in the cultivation world choose their sects through martial arts competitions."
"In previous years, the top rankings were generally held by a few powerful sects. Most of the exceptionally gifted individuals in the world of immortal cultivation were disciples of these sects, allowing for peaceful coexistence among the various sects. However, this year's rankings saw a major shakeup, significantly impacting the reputations of Yuqing and Mingdaolou."
At this point, Zhong Ming's eyes darkened. "So, they resorted to trickery, spreading all sorts of rumors within the world of immortal cultivation. Initially, these rumors appeared among the cultivators who had surrendered to our Tianyin sect, and then they intensified, eventually leading to the spread of your Jixue and Bihai."
"The situation of our sects surrendering to the sect has been affected by rumors, and it is already far worse than when the competition just ended, not to mention the apprenticeship ceremony... I am afraid that we will be completely defeated."
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