Han Li was quite tempted by the prospect. He knew full well that on the Path of Immortal Cultivation, having a wise mentor to offer guidance could save one from taking countless detrows, which would be tremendously beneficial to one's cultivation.
But at the same time, Master Li was no fool who could be easily deceived. Han Li carried quite a few secrets, and if he spent too much time around the man, there was a good chance his irregularities would be discovered. If pressed on the matter, it would be nothing short of digging his own grave.
And judging from those earlier "words of wisdom," this was clearly not the sort of person who put any stock in master-disciple sentiment. He would most likely carry out the same law of the jungle between master and disciple — seizing treasures and silencing the witness.
The flicker of ambition Han Li had felt was instantly doused by this careful consideration, and he promptly came back to his senses.
The other Yellow Maple Valley disciples carried no such burdens. Every one of them was rubbing their fists and rolling up their sleeves, morale running high. Now they were fighting not just for survival but for their own futures as well.
Han Li unconsciously glanced at Junior Sister Chen, only to find her cheeks flushed, her slender fists clenched tight, her eyes shimmering with a resolute light — she had clearly made up her mind.
With a silent sigh, Han Li couldn't be bothered paying any more attention to his fellow Yellow Maple Valley disciples. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Clear Void Sect across from them.
That Daoist was spraying spittle as he harangued his disciples, periodically working himself into an exaggerated display of passion that drew wave after wave of cheers from the younger Daoists, each of them fired up with fervor — it was clear the brainwashing had been a resounding success. Of course, there were also a few older Daoists whose expressions remained placid and unmoved throughout.
Han Li found this quite amusing and was watching with great interest when suddenly someone let out a shout.
"Look! The Moonfall Sect has arrived — that's the Celestial Moon Divine Ship!"
Startled, Han Li looked up toward the sky.
A white point of light had appeared at the horizon and was steadily growing closer.
Its speed was astonishing. Before long, it had arrived overhead above the desolate mountain — it was an enormous ship carved from green jade, its outer walls adorned with dragons and phoenixes painted in gold leaf, a picture of extravagant luxury. An immense white barrier of light enveloped the entire vessel.
On the deck stood a large group of men and women dressed in white in roughly equal numbers. At their head was a bewitchingly beautiful young woman dressed as a matron. Every gesture and movement she made was brimming with alluring charm, utterly captivating.
Once the jade ship had landed and she dismissed the barrier of light, the woman parted her delicate lips and said: "Senior Brothers, Senior Uncle Qiong — Nichang greets you!"
Master Li and the Daoist dared not be discourteous and hurriedly returned the courtesy. But Senior Qiong merely flashed a toothy grin, his figure suddenly blurring before he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a single sentence and a smug, cackling laugh.
"In seven days, I'll be back here — have your wagers ready in advance! I'm going to win this one for certain!"
The Daoist and Master Li exchanged helpless glances, utterly baffled as to why the old man was so supremely confident. They had already sized up the Moonfall Sect's disciples — they were certainly considerably stronger than those of either of their own sects, but not to such an extent as to warrant this kind of boasting!
The young woman's beautiful eyes flickered with curiosity as she inquired about the matter. When she heard the details of their wager, she couldn't help but break into a radiant smile that sent tremors rippling through her graceful form, captivating every soul in sight.
That mature, womanly allure left many of the young male disciples from all three sects staring wide-eyed, practically drooling.
But Master Li and the Daoist had no attention to spare for the beauty before them. Seeing her reaction, their hearts sank — they both had the distinct feeling they had been thoroughly duped, and their expressions turned bitter.
Could it be that the Moonfall Sect truly had some trump card on this trip that could suppress both of their sects simultaneously?
Despite their status, though seething with frustration, the two were too proud to pry further into the matter with the young woman across from them. And the beautiful Nichang — the Fairy Nichang, naturally — was all too happy to feign ignorance, steering the conversation toward other, lighter topics.
Han Li and the other male disciples of Yellow Maple Valley had long since shifted their gazes to the large group of newly arrived female disciples.
They had long heard that the Moonfall Sect advocated the dual cultivation arts, and that at least half of the disciples they accepted had to be women — and only those of outstanding beauty were ever admitted.