Wei Ji laughed when he heard Chu Xuan''s words. "Those children are all from the Southern Wilderness. Sect Leader, you''re from the Southern Wilderness too, right? Perhaps you know some of them."


    Chu Xuan''s interest was piqued.


    At once, Bai Jinkun swiftly ran down to bring the child up to the stage.


    The chubby-faced boy was clearly startled that he was being brought up before the elders. Though Chu Xuan and the others had concealed their Nascent Soul auras, the pressure from their decisiveness and authority still made the child struggle to breathe.


    Chu Xuan smiled kindly. "Child, what''s your name, and where do you come from?"


    The boy blinked his big eyes, awkwardly bowing before he replied seriously, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, my name is Huang Feihu, from the Huang family of White Water City, Wu Province, Southern Wilderness."


    Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow.


    Some distant memories surfaced in his mind.


    "The Huang family... Who''s your ancestor?" he suddenly asked.


    Huang Feihu respectfully answered, "My ancestor''s name is Huang An, a Foundation Establishment cultivator."


    Wei Ji and the others couldn''t help but chuckle at the response.


    A Foundation Establishment cultivator. In the eyes of a mortal child, such a title could easily be considered a "great cultivator."


    Chu Xuan nodded slightly.


    No wonder the boy''s face seemed familiar. Now that he thought about it, he could see the resemblance. Huang Feihu looked almost exactly like Huang An.


    Huang An had once been his subordinate, gathering intelligence and aiding him considerably. Later, Chu Xuan sent him some Foundation Establishment materials, unintentionally giving Huang An an opportunity to rise again.


    "So, how is Huang An now?" Chu Xuan asked.


    Huang Feihu''s gaze dimmed slightly. "Ancestor... He passed away of old age some time ago. However, Ancestor worked hard throughout his life, cultivating many cultivators. Our Huang family in Baishui City is now a Foundation Establishment family!"


    Chu Xuan nodded thoughtfully.


    It had been an unintentional gesture, just giving Huang An a chance. Yet, Huang An had managed to revitalize himself, producing many descendants, despite his old age. Truly, the old steed never forgets its ambition.


    But, of course, Huang An had grown old. Even after reaching the Foundation Establishment, his life expectancy wasn''t long.


    It was rare for cultivators of higher realms to live out their full natural lifespan, despite their strength. The phrase "passed away of old age" meant something quite different in their world.


    "What''s your talent?" Chu Xuan asked casually.


    "Reporting to the Sect Leader, I have a top-grade Earth Spiritual Root," Huang Feihu said earnestly.


    Chu Xuan smiled and nodded. "Very good. With such a talent, if Huang An is watching from beyond, he will surely be pleased. Go now, train well, and don''t disappoint the spirit of your ancestor in the afterlife."


    "Yes!" Huang Feihu replied excitedly, his head bobbing eagerly.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This was the Sect Leader of the prestigious Heavenly Infinite Sect, personally praising him. He couldn''t believe it. He would certainly cultivate diligently and make his ancestor proud, contributing to the sect''s greatness!


    Wei Ji and the others didn''t say much.


    They were all clever people and could tell that Huang An had been an old acquaintance of Chu Xuan. Calling Huang Feihu up and asking a few questions was nothing more than a casual gesture.


    But, since there was this bit of old friendship involved, Huang Feihu''s future in Heavenly Infinite Sect would likely go smoothly. No one would intentionally make things difficult for him.


    Bai Jinkun''s eyes flickered as he spoke up, "Sect Leader, this child is quite promising. I''d like to take him under my wing."


    Chu Xuan smiled. "Alright, then. I''ll leave him to you."


    It was obvious to him that Bai Jinkun wanted to take Huang Feihu as his disciple because of the connection to Huang An. After all, Huang Feihu was just a spiritual root candidate—most Foundation Establishment stage cultivators could easily take him in as a disciple. There was no need for a Golden Core cultivator to take on such a task.


    However, Bai Jinkun was mistaken. Chu Xuan had only brought Huang Feihu up for a few words of encouragement because of the old connection. He had no intention of giving the boy any special treatment.


    The discipleship ceremony continued. Shi Juntian, Wei Ji, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators each represented a faction within the Heavenly Infinite Sect and would take in their own disciples. This event was essentially about bringing the new spiritual seedlings into their respective caves to begin their training.


    Chu Xuan, however, was barely paying attention. He felt drowsy and was lost in thought. For the first time, he realized how exhausting being a leader could be.


    It wasn''t until dusk that the discipleship ceremony finally came to an end.


    "Farewell, Sect Leader!"


    The crowd called out, their voices ringing through the air.


    Chu Xuan quickly made his exit, eager to leave without lingering a moment longer.


    ...


    However, not long after, new news arrived.


    "Shang Xingchen? That guy is going to take a position at Heavenly Infinite Sect?"


    Chu Xuan furrowed his brows as he received a transmission from Blood Wine True Master.


    Shang Xingchen and his brother Shang Tianjue had done some things in the past that, even now, made Chu Xuan feel a bit of admiration. He didn''t want people like that as his opponents.


    A few months later, sure enough, Shang Xingchen passed through the teleportation array and arrived at Infinite Island.


    Under Shi Juntian''s guidance, Shang Xingchen made his way to the main hall of the sect to meet Chu Xuan.


    It was the first time Chu Xuan saw this former genius of the Nether Dao Sect.


    Shang Xingchen was handsome and fair-skinned, his face always carrying a gentle smile, giving him a harmless air.


    "Shang Xingchen greets Sect Leader Chu."


    He bowed respectfully to Chu Xuan.


    Chu Xuan laughed heartily. "Fellow Daoist Shang, no need for such formalities. Come, bring the tea!"


    Immediately, a graceful female cultivator stepped forward and served spiritual tea.


    Shi Juntian bowed respectfully. "Sect Leader, I''ll take my leave now."


    "Alright, go ahead," Chu Xuan waved him off.


    With that, the hall was left with only Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen.


    "Please, take a seat." Chu Xuan smiled.


    Shang Xingchen cupped his hands. "I''ve heard of your outstanding achievements during the Mystic Azure Battle, Sect Leader Chu. Even Blood Wine True Master spoke highly of you. Inside the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect, there are many voices of praise for you as well. Shang greatly admires you, Sect Leader, truly!"


    Chu Xuan simply smiled. "It''s just empty fame. If I had the choice, I would rather stay away from conflict and not be involved in bloodshed. After all, I''ve never been someone who enjoys fighting."


    Upon hearing this, Shang Xingchen laughed heartily but didn''t say anything further.


    He picked up his tea, about to take a sip, when he glanced around and smiled. "I''ve long heard that Sect Leader is proficient in the art of poison insects, and today I finally get to witness it firsthand. To think that even the hot tea can''t harm the insect eggs. It must be extraordinary indeed."


    Chu Xuan''s expression remained unchanged. "Fellow Daoist Shang is no slouch either. Your poison techniques are quite exquisite. You''ve managed to spread four types of poisonous powder while speaking. One that can confuse the mind, another with fire toxicity, a third with ice poison, and the last one, which can slow down Spiritual Qi. These four poisons may not kill me immediately, but over time, as the dosage increases, they will slow down my ability to cast spells during battle."


    Shang Xingchen smiled warmly. "Such a small trick, and it was easily seen through by the Sect Leader. It seems you''re not only skilled in the way of poison insects but also quite proficient in the art of poison. I believe I''ll have to discuss it further with you in the future, Sect Leader."


    Chu Xuan smiled back. "That would be excellent. We can help each other improve, and that''s a wonderful thing. I wonder, Fellow Daoist Shang, why did you choose to join the Heavenly Infinite Sect and become a Nascent Soul elder? With your talents and disposition, becoming a Nascent Soul disciple of the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect would have been no difficult task."