Only Ling Fan.
From the moment he entered the Qing Xuan Sect, he had remained calm from beginning to end.
And.
Terrifyingly calm.
Divine senses were released one after another.
As if searching for something.
"What are you looking for?"
The sixth-tier Xuan Emperor expert of the Qing Xuan Sect asked expressionlessly.
This person was named Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor.
He was a prominent figure in the Qing Xuan Sect, responsible for managing the true disciples and those below that level.
Ling Fan was naturally looking for people from the Qing family.
However, the Qing Xuan Sect was vast and boundless. Even the divine senses of a Xuan Emperor expert could not cover even one ten-thousandth of it.
Ling Fan knew that he couldn't rush this matter.
He withdrew his divine senses and replied, "I'm just curious and want to learn more about the Qing Xuan Sect."
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor gave Ling Fan a meaningful look and said nothing more.
Soon.
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor led Ling Fan and the other three into a bronze hall situated atop the highest peak.
"This is the Hall of True Disciples where I usually manage all the true disciples. Follow me. Once you walk out of this Hall of True Disciples again, you will be official disciples of the Qing Xuan Sect."
In the grand and majestic hall.
The light was dim.
The atmosphere was solemn.
In the center of the hall.
Stood a statue of an unparalleled emperor, pointing to the sky and stepping on the earth, exuding an aura as if it could swallow the universe.
"Could this be the statue of our Qing Xuan Sect's founding ancestor, the Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable?"
The jade-faced young master, Meng Xing, said with pious reverence.
Even though they were recognized as geniuses throughout Jinzhou, proud, arrogant, and high-spirited.
Before a peerless Emperor Venerable who had once dominated the world.
They had to show genuine reverence and admiration from the bottom of their hearts.
— If they were successful in the future, they might be able to cultivate into Heavenly Emperors.
But to become an Emperor Venerable standing at the pinnacle of the Imperial Way, it was unknown how many tribulations and opportunities they would have to endure.
Only then could an Emperor Venerable be created.
When the jade-faced young master Meng Xing uttered the name Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became somewhat oppressive.
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor looked over coldly.
He did not speak.
But his silence put great pressure on the jade-faced young master Meng Xing.
At this moment, Long Xuan suddenly said, "Brother Meng, quickly shut your mouth. You have committed a grave offense! This statue is not the Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable, but should be the Gao Qiu Emperor Venerable. We only have this one ancestor in our Qing Xuan Sect!"
Meng Xing suddenly remembered something.
Realizing his mistake.
He quickly shut his mouth.
"You shall pay respects to the ancestor here. During this time, the Qing Xuan Sect will thoroughly investigate your identities and backgrounds. If there are no doubts, you will be true disciples of the Qing Xuan Sect."
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor said.
After speaking.
He stood there expressionlessly.
Like a majestic mountain peak silent in the night.
Leng Wuqing and Meng Xing quickly knelt before the statue.
Long Xuan seemed hesitant.
But this hesitation lasted only for a moment.
He soon followed and knelt down.
Ling Fan, however, did not move.
He clasped his hands behind his back.
Looking at the statue of the Gao Qiu Emperor Venerable, his expression was cold.
If he guessed correctly.
The statue originally enshrined in this Hall of True Disciples should have been that of the Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable, who was the true founding ancestor of the Qing Xuan Sect.
Gao Qiu Emperor Venerable.
The Gao family!
The current ruling family of the Qing Xuan Sect.
Ling Fan's eyes grew colder, a sinister smile appearing.
"Why don't you kneel! Disrespecting the ancestor, and you still want to become a true disciple? Do you have something to hide?"
Leng Wuqing's sharp eyes suddenly looked at Ling Fan and said.
Ling Fan glanced at him coldly and said, "I don't have the habit of kneeling."
Leng Wuqing said nothing.
He merely gave a sinister smile and turned his head away, continuing to kneel before the statue of the Gao Qiu Emperor Venerable.
Long Xuan, kneeling on the ground, bowed his head deeply.
However, his eyes were looking in Ling Fan's direction.
Lost in thought.
Soon.
A powerful divine sense descended.
It was another peak sixth-tier Xuan Emperor.
This person transmitted a message to Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor, reporting the identities and backgrounds of Long Xuan, Meng Xing, Leng Wuqing, and Fan Lin.
Among them, Long Xuan, Meng Xing, and Leng Wuqing had clean backgrounds. They were all geniuses from prominent families in Jinzhou, and their purpose in joining the Qing Xuan Sect was relatively simple: to pursue greater realms and power, rather than plotting against the Qing Xuan Sect.
But when Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor inquired about Ling Fan's identity and background.
The expert replied that there was no record of such a person in Jinzhou.
This Fan Lin.
He was like a person who had emerged from a crack in a stone, appearing out of nowhere in Jinzhou.
There were no traces of him before.
The expert suggested that he should not be granted the status of a true disciple for the time being and that further tests and investigations were needed.
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor pondered for a moment.
Ling Fan's actions of searching everywhere upon entering the Qing Xuan Sect, and his refusal to kneel before the statue of the Gao Qiu Emperor Venerable, flashed through his mind.
He seemed to have made a decision and said, "Trust those you use, and do not use those you doubt. The Qing Xuan Sect's selection of disciples is not a child's play. We cannot delay a promising true disciple due to this minor doubt. Let him enter the Qing Xuan Sect first. I will bear the responsibility for this matter."
"Good. Since it is the pronouncement of Lord Thousand Mountain, I have no objections."
That powerful divine sense retreated.
"These are your identity tokens, the rewards for becoming true disciples, along with all necessary sect items. Once you receive them, you can freely find an unoccupied peak within the Qing Xuan Sect to establish your own cave dwelling."
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor waved his hand casually.
Four beams of light landed in front of Ling Fan, Long Xuan, Meng Xing, and Leng Wuqing.
They were four exquisite and small storage bags.
The four took their respective storage bags.
Just as they were about to leave.
At this moment.
An extremely arrogant voice came from outside the hall.
"I heard that this year's selection produced four fifth-tier Xuan Emperor prodigies who directly became true disciples! Heh heh, this is a sign of the great prosperity of our Qing Xuan Sect. This young master must come to inspect and see if these four are qualified to be true disciples. If they are passable, this young master doesn't mind taking them under his wing."
This voice was extremely ostentatious.
The person had not yet appeared.
But the sense of superiority, as if he considered himself the master of the Qing Xuan Sect.
Was displayed to the fullest.
The next moment.
A young master in brocade robes and jade belt, surrounded by a group of experts, swaggered into the Hall of True Disciples.
Long Xuan, Meng Xing, and Leng Wuqing's pupils contracted sharply.
Because the followers of this extremely arrogant young master all had surging and powerful auras, and they were all fifth-tier Xuan Emperor level experts. Among them, several young powerhouses even wore the attire of Qing Xuan Sect true disciples.
The aura of this young master himself was even more formidable.
He had already reached the peak of the fifth-tier Xuan Emperor.
"Thousand Mountain, I'm here to visit the Hall of True Disciples. You don't have any objections, do you?"
The young master was outrageously arrogant.
He spoke directly to Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor, who was in charge of all the true disciples of the Qing Xuan Sect.
Thousand Mountain Xuan Emperor snorted coldly.