“Despite that, we should still respect the disciples’ wishes,” the First Elder finally spoke up.
He and the Second Elder both failed to understand why the Fourth Elder had taken the initiative to accept disciples this time. However, the ancestral rules could not be changed!
Even though they did not truly care for more disciples, it would be quite embarrassing if both potential candidates entered the Fourth Elder’s sect simultaneously.
“Tch…” Luo Mingmei was clearly dissatisfied. She wanted to say something, but Zhu Cuijue stopped her before she could speak.
“Fine. You can choose for yourself, then. Who do you want to pick?”
Out of respect for Zhu Cuijue, Luo Mingmei finally agreed, albeit reluctantly.
“May I ask what professions you all specialize in, Elders?”
Xiao Nanchu had not expected to actually have a choice. Since the opportunity was there, he had to make the most of it. Choosing the most suitable professional mentor was the only logical path.
“Oh, let me introduce them to you,” Luo Mingmei began.
“First Elder Xiao Feng is a blacksmith. He spends all day forging iron and is always covered in foul-smelling sweat.”
“Second Elder Li Ya is a boring painter. All he does is fiddle with a few tattered flags.”
“The Third Elder… the Third Elder is the one beside me, Sister Zhu Cuijue. She is also a blacksmith, but her work is much cleaner than the First Elder’s.”
“And as for the Fourth Elder—me! Luo Mingmei! I am a Sword Cultivator with Innate Sword Heart Clarity and the Noble Spirit Gentleman’s Sword! I believe all things in heaven and earth can be used as a sword. I am suave, elegant, and handsome!”
“As for the rest, the Fifth Elder is a stinky alchemist whose furnace explodes every day. The Sixth and Seventh Elders know nothing at all. They claim to run the Law Enforcement Hall, but they are actually just two weaklings who can’t even beat one of my hands.”
“Alright, make your choice!”
Once Luo Mingmei finished speaking, everyone present, including Xiao Nanchu, fell silent.
She had said a lot, but she effectively left him with no other choices. From the very beginning, the Fourth Elder had no intention of accepting the suggestions of the other elders. She was dead set on taking both him and Li Xunxian as her disciples.
‘Is this a system setting?’
‘There shouldn’t be a need for that. The system wouldn’t force a player to choose a class, right? Or perhaps no matter what I choose, it won’t actually affect my profession?’
“Then… I have decided to take the Fourth Elder as my Master!”
Xiao Nanchu ultimately joined Fourth Elder Luo Mingmei’s camp, and for no reason other than it being cool.
He could not be a Sword Cultivator like Luo Taozhi in the real world, so why shouldn’t he be one in the game?
As for the fact that polearms suited him better—well, he had two identities anyway. He could just use them on his other account.
“Hehe, looks like you have good taste!”
Luo Mingmei gave Xiao Nanchu a look that said, ‘You really know your stuff.’
Suddenly, she pulled out a giant sword that was three people high and two people wide, looking more like a heavy door than a blade. She threw it violently toward the sky.
Grabbing Xiao Nanchu and Li Xunxian, she stepped onto the spacious giant sword and flew off toward her own mountain peak.
The remaining six elders were left staring at each other in silence.
Eventually, Third Elder Zhu Cuijue broke the silence.
“Since things have turned out this way, let us disperse. It is rare for Mingmei to take the initiative to accept disciples.”
“This… this! What is the meaning of this?! First Elder, aren’t you going to do something?!”
The Second Elder was so angry he laughed. Usually, the Fourth Elder was always at odds with him, but this time she had directly snatched the disciple he had his eye on. He was the one who had noticed Li Xunxian’s talent first!
“Sigh… the disciples were willing. What can you do if you can’t win them over?”
“Bullshit! It’s true these rules are ancestral, but we are the ones who usually pick disciples! Since when has it been the disciples’ turn to pick us?”
Having his desired disciple stolen away, the Second Elder was so furious that he stopped caring about the First Elder’s status.
“The Fourth Elder is being completely unreasonable! I saw her first!”
It was not that he cared deeply for Li Xunxian as a disciple, but the Fourth Elder usually never bothered to participate in recruitment. He had already discussed it with the other elders and agreed that Li Xunxian would be his. Now, the Fourth Elder’s sudden appearance had ruined everything!
She gave him no face at all; it was a total slap to his reputation!
“Enough. The matter is settled, so leave it at that. Everyone, disperse. Second Elder, if you have a problem, go talk to the Sect Master, or say it to the Fourth Elder’s face.”
The First Elder didn’t want to hear any more of the Second Elder’s nonsense.
With a wave of his hand, he declared the matter over, giving the Second Elder no room for further argument.
The seven elders did not belong to the same faction. Maintaining appearances was something they did for outsiders, but that was about it. In private, they all knew each other’s true characters. Only Luo Mingmei was the same whether in private or in public.
Seeing that the First Elder was no longer being polite, the Second Elder’s face darkened, and he stormed off.
Since even the most humiliated Second Elder had left, there was no reason for the remaining elders to stay. They all dispersed and returned to their respective peaks.
—
On the other side, Luo Mingmei introduced a few things to Xiao Nanchu and Li Xunxian as she brought them to her palace.
The mountain peak assigned to Luo Mingmei was called Sunset Peak. The mountain was covered in peach trees, and she used magic to ensure the peach blossoms were constantly blooming and bearing fruit at the same time.
According to Luo Mingmei, the mountain had not looked like this before. The transformation was entirely due to her personal preference.
Occasionally, other disciples could be seen on the mountain.
However, Luo Mingmei told the two of them to ignore everyone else, as only they were her true disciples.
Afterward, she tossed two small booklets to them and shut them in two separate small huts.
Leaving behind the instruction, “Don’t come looking for me until you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage,” she vanished before their eyes.
Shortly after Luo Mingmei left, Xiao Nanchu looked at the booklet in his hand titled **Qi Refining Formula** and felt a massive headache.
He had already looked through the booklet, and after reading it once, a new entry appeared on his attribute panel.
[Status Window]
Name: Xiao Nanchu (Switchable)
Level: 6
HP: 1140 (650+300)
MP: 960 (600+200)
Mental Power: 36 (25+5)
Qi Attack: 1044 (650+220)
Qi Defense: 912 (650+110)
Attribute Points: 0
Skills: One Who Stands Alone
Techniques: **Qi Refining Formula (Gold)**
Equipment: Longyuan Empire Imperial Standard Longsword (Purple)
Note: The values in parentheses are (Base Stats + Equipment Stats)
—
**[Qi Refining Formula (Gold)]**
**Introduction: An improved, top-tier Qi Refining cultivation method from a Sacred Land. Upon learning, all attributes of the user are increased by 20%.**
Gold! A 20% increase to all attributes!
It was incredibly powerful—the kind of equipment that should be nearly impossible to find in a Novice Village.
Looking at the name, there were clearly higher-level versions for stages like Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.
While obtaining such a good item made Xiao Nanchu happy, the final instruction left by his Master, Luo Mingmei, was a real problem.
He couldn’t level up here…