Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

When the guardian spirit of the Tianxuan Sect appeared, everyone knew that the Zixia Grand Ceremony had now truly begun.

The sect master of the Tianxuan Sect, Xia He, brought out the sect’s symbol of authority—the Xuanzhen Sword. Holding the sword with both hands, he approached the guardian spirit of the Tianxuan Sect with utmost reverence.

Standing before the guardian spirit, Xia He bowed deeply, holding the sword in both hands. He said solemnly, “I am Xia He, the sixth-generation sect master of the Tianxuan Sect! I preside over today’s Zixia Grand Ceremony and humbly ask for the divine blessing of the guardian spirit, so that the Tianxuan Sect may prosper and thrive for generations to come!”

As Xia He’s words fell, the guardian spirit nodded blankly, then waved its massive hand. The sword in Xia He’s hands flew into the air, finally coming to rest on a tree branch above.

In the next moment, the trunk of the Xuantian Tree split open, and a mirror floated out from within.

This was the Xuantian Mirror.

When Xu Ming saw the Xuantian Mirror, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his pulse quickened.

This is what I’ve been looking for, he thought.

But now was not the time. He needed to wait a little longer. The success of Mo Zhuer’s plan was still uncertain.

As soon as Xu Ming looked over, his gaze met Mo Zhuer’s.

Mo Zhuer’s eyes curved in a relaxed smile, appearing utterly at ease.

Seeing this, Xu Ming felt reassured. It seemed nothing unexpected had happened on Mo Zhuer’s end.

The Xuantian Mirror continued to ascend, eventually floating 200 meters above the ground.

At such a height, the mirror should have been no more than a speck to the human eye. Yet, everyone could see it clearly.

What was even more astonishing was that the Xuantian Mirror reflected the entirety of the Tianxuan Sect. It was as if the entire sect had merged into a single painting within this mystical mirror.

Shortly thereafter, a ribbon emerged from the dense foliage of the Xuantian Tree.

This was the third immortal artifact of the Tianxuan Sect—the Red Immortal Ribbon.

At that moment, the Xuantian Mirror, the Xuanzhen Sword, and the Red Immortal Ribbon resonated with one another. The three immortal artifacts radiated light, illuminating the entire Tianxuan Sect.

The Zixia Grand Ceremony was not merely a symbolic event.

It was also an opportunity for the three immortal artifacts to appear and nourish the entire Tianxuan Sect.

“Today marks the Zixia Grand Ceremony, as well as the occasion for selecting our sect’s Holy Son or Holy Daughter,” Xia He announced, turning to face the crowd.

“The position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter is crucial to the future of our sect, shaping its fate for the next millennium, or even longer!

The chosen one must be widely accepted, someone who stands out in the hearts of the majority. Today, we will select the Holy Son or Holy Daughter of the Tianxuan Sect, who will carry the sect’s future forward. Everyone here will bear witness to this historic moment.

We have five candidates for the position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter.

They are Qin Qingwan, He Qingqing, Chen Yun, Dugu Qiu, and Xia Donghua.

These five individuals are outstanding among the younger generation of our Tianxuan Sect, representing its finest talents. All disciples should be familiar with their names.” ℟ãΝǑβĚＳ

With a wave of his hand, Xia He caused five jars to float into the air.

Each jar bore the name of one of the candidates.

“Our method for selecting the Holy Son or Holy Daughter differs from other sects.

While other sects rely on trials, our Tianxuan Sect employs a voting system.

Everyone has the right to vote, whether they are outer disciples, inner disciples, direct disciples, or even the elders of the various mountain peaks and halls. However, the weight of each vote varies depending on the voter’s status.

Now, I ask all of you to activate your identity tokens with your spiritual energy,” Xia He’s voice echoed throughout the sect. Even disciples who were not present at the ceremony could hear him.

As Xia He finished speaking, murmurs arose across the Tianxuan Sect, from Baiquan (Hundred Springs) Plain to other corners of the sect.

It was clear that everyone was discussing who among the five candidates deserved to be chosen.

“Has the selection process for the Tianxuan Sect’s Holy Son and Holy Daughter always been like this?” Xu Ming asked Wu Yanhan, who was standing beside him.

As the eldest princess of the Wu Kingdom, Wu Yanhan had a deep understanding of the various sects. In fact, studying the sects was a compulsory part of her education.

“Yes, that’s right,” Wu Yanhan nodded.

“For most sects, the selection of a Holy Son or Holy Daughter usually involves some kind of trial or the recognition of a particular artifact.

However, the Tianxuan Sect has always done things differently.

The sect’s founding ancestor believed that those with high cultivation levels were not necessarily suited to lead as sect masters. Moreover, individuals with exceptional talent might find their progress hindered by the burdens of managing a sect’s affairs, ultimately affecting their cultivation.

The founding ancestor also believed that fairness lies in the hearts of the people. Everyone has their own ideal candidate for sect leadership.

Thus, the Tianxuan Sect’s tradition is to identify five exceptionally gifted disciples and then have everyone in the sect cast their votes.

Of course, the weight of each vote varies. Generally, the votes of peak lords and hall masters carry more weight than elders, elders more than stewards, and stewards more than direct disciples, and so on down the hierarchy.”

“It sounds quite reasonable,” Xu Ming remarked.

“Reasonable, perhaps, but not necessarily right,” Wu Yanhan said slowly.

“There is conflict wherever people gather. Those aspiring to become the Holy Son or Holy Daughter might choose to craft a facade to win favor.

Many disciples might believe they truly understand someone, but in reality, it’s just an act.

The fact that someone like Xia He—someone who is outwardly virtuous but inwardly vile—managed to become sect master speaks volumes about how convincing his act must have been back then.”

Xu Ming nodded in agreement with Wu Yanhan’s perspective.

At that moment, the first ray of light, from an unknown source, flew into the jar bearing the name “He Qingqing.”

Then came the second, the third, and the fourth rays of light.

Streams of light continuously converged, forming a dazzling river of brilliance.@@novelbin@@

This river split into five smaller streams of varying thickness, flowing into the five jars.

Although there had been much heated discussion moments earlier, and some appeared hesitant, in reality, most people had already made up their minds about whom to choose.

“Even though it doesn’t really matter who the Holy Son or Holy Daughter of the Tianxuan Sect is, who do you think will become the sect’s next leader?” Wu Yanhan asked Xu Ming.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Xu Ming shrugged.

“They’ll choose whoever can provide them with tangible benefits.

And conveniently, Xia He happens to be Xia Donghua’s father.”