As soon as the Great Elder finished speaking, the Second Elder’s eyes lit up. After all that maneuvering, it turned out the Great Elder had been waiting for the Saintess to walk into this trap. He was truly an old fox.
The Second Elder sat back down comfortably and nodded in approval. “I believe the Great Elder’s reasoning is sound. As the cornerstone of Saintess Mountain, if the Saintess’s personal disciple possesses only mediocre talent, not only will it fail to convince the masses, but it will also waste the sect’s resources and the Saintess’s time.”
The Second Elder reconsidered the situation. He had called this Elder Council Meeting on short notice for Long Feiyu’s sake, hoping to use the council to vote Nameless out of Saintess Mountain. In hindsight, he realized he had been acting quite impulsively.
‘If this actually succeeds, the move will hurt me more than it hurts them,’ he thought.
‘Nameless’s only loss would be leaving Saintess Mountain, and the Saintess would merely lose a personal disciple. But my own reputation would be ruined. Most people would label me as someone who abuses his power for personal gain. If word of this gets out, how can I continue to hold my position? How will I ever command respect again?’
In contrast, the three trials proposed by the Great Elder were legitimate and far more persuasive.
If Nameless failed even a single trial, not only would he lose face, but the Saintess would also be completely humiliated.
The Second Elder could not help but admire the Great Elder’s proposal.
Following the Second Elder’s firm words of agreement, his faction chimed in one after another to express their support.
Shen Lingxi frowned slightly. She naturally understood the Great Elder’s intentions. She also knew that if she could secure the Great Elder’s approval, Gu Ming could remain as her personal disciple on Saintess Mountain without anyone else objecting. Even if the Second Elder tried to use his privileges again to drive Gu Ming away through an Elder Council Meeting, it would be impossible.
With the Great Elder’s support, any proposal the Second Elder made would never pass.
However, Shen Lingxi had her reservations.
‘I won’t be able to interfere with the trials proposed by the Great Elder like I did at the Martial Arts Tournament. I won’t be able to use any underhanded tricks, let alone get others to help.’
‘What if Gu Ming really can’t pass?’
Shen Lingxi bit her lower lip, contemplating her options. After weighing the pros and cons, she realized she couldn’t refuse.
After all, she wanted Gu Ming to stay by her side legitimately, free from constant gossip and the Second Elder’s frequent harassment.
“Fine,” Shen Lingxi said, her voice heavy with resolve. “I will agree to the Great Elder’s terms. However, I wonder what the three trials are? Could you reveal them so my disciple can prepare in advance?”
“Martial arts, herbology, and arrays,” the Great Elder replied without hesitation.
Shen Lingxi’s brow furrowed further. “Great Elder, why is there a martial arts trial? Nameless already defeated Long Feiyu. Considering Long Feiyu is one of the top talents among the younger generation in the Inner Sect, isn’t that proof enough?”
Upon hearing this, the Second Elder’s anger flared. “Saintess, you have the nerve to bring that up? Your personal disciple didn’t win fairly; he used despicable methods. It was dishonorable.”
Shen Lingxi didn’t give him an inch. She raised an eyebrow and retorted, “A win is a win. What does honor have to do with it? When you fight the Demon Cult, do you expect them to fight one-on-one? Do you think they would agree to that?”
The Second Elder was so choked with rage that he couldn’t find a retort. His eyes bulged as he glared at her. Realizing he couldn’t win the argument, he turned to the Great Elder. “Great Elder, can the first trial of martial arts and the second trial of herbology be handled by my grandson, Long Feiyu?”
Shen Lingxi was furious. “The martial arts trial is one thing, but why should the herbology trial be handled by Long Feiyu? Everyone on Saintess Mountain knows that Long Feiyu’s attainments in herbology are exceptionally high. Within the Inner Sect, those who can even compare to him can be counted on one hand.”
The Second Elder smiled contemptuously. “Does the Saintess have no confidence in her own personal disciple?”
Shen Lingxi was momentarily speechless with rage. She turned back to the Great Elder. “I have no objection to martial arts and arrays, but why do we have to test herbology?”
“Great Elder, the Herbology Path requires innate talent. Most people can’t even grasp the basics after studying for three to five years.”
The Second Elder laughed softly. “Three to five years? My grandson, Long Feiyu, could identify over 100 herbs in a single week when he was only a 6-year-old.”
Shen Lingxi glared at the Second Elder, but he didn’t flinch.
Seeing that the two were about to clash again, the Great Elder timely intervened. “As the personal disciple of the Saintess, one must have well-rounded development. Therefore, herbology is essential.”
“But he shouldn’t have to compete against Long Feiyu in both categories, right?” Shen Lingxi tried to push back.
“The Herb Hall is already short-staffed,” the Great Elder noted. “Do you really want to switch him out for someone else?”
Shen Lingxi was silenced.
Aside from the Herb Elder, the Herb Hall only had two actual disciples. One was Long Feiyu, and the other was an even more talented disciple. Everyone else there was just sent from other halls to perform menial labor.
The Great Elder scanned the room. Shen Lingxi sat with her head down in reluctant silence, while the Second Elder held his chin high, looking smug and arrogant. The others remained expressionless.
The Great Elder ignored both of them and announced, “Then it is decided. One week from today, the three trials will be held at the Inner Sect Square.”
“Everyone, you are dismissed.”
As the Great Elder’s voice fell, the Elders rose from their seats and headed for the door. Shen Lingxi left with the crowd, her face unable to hide her disappointment.
Shen Lingxi wasn’t particularly worried about Gu Ming’s martial arts trial. As the Fifth Heavenly King of the Demon Cult, defeating Long Feiyu should be easy for him. But herbology and arrays? Would a demonic cultivator have any experience with those?
In any case, she had to make plans as soon as possible.
The moment Shen Lingxi left the building, she took to the air. She quickly found Xiao Yue and ordered, “Xiao Yue, help me arrange a meeting with Feng Qing’er by the river.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Upon receiving the order, Xiao Yue set off immediately to leave the sect.
Watching Xiao Yue depart, Shen Lingxi sighed helplessly.
***
Main Peak Building.
Once almost everyone had dispersed, the Great Elder prepared to leave, but the Law Enforcement Elder stopped him.
“Great Elder, you’re not using the same tactics you used against Ye Yun this time?”
The Great Elder gave him a sideways glance. “Because of that incident, the Saintess caused no end of trouble. We nearly lost her altogether.”
“Hahaha, the Saintess was truly brave. She took dozens of people and even dragged the Old Sword Saint’s granddaughter along to storm the Demon Cult.” The Law Enforcement Elder felt a sense of admiration every time he recalled the event.
The Great Elder sighed and shook his head. They had almost lost their lives; even the Demon Cult Leader had made a personal appearance.
“However, what if that boy Nameless actually passes all three trials?” the Law Enforcement Elder asked, his tone turning serious.
“If he passes the first two, he’s already a rare talent,” the Great Elder said with a smile. “Would you refuse a herbology genius entry into the sect?”
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