The disciples of the Divine Feather Sect had no other choice.
Before coming to the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect,
If they couldn't complete the task, what then? Wouldn't they end up as homeless wanderers?
At first, nobody was in a rush — there was still plenty of time, and they were all sizing up the ones who caught their eye. Setting everything else aside, the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a world-renowned cultivation sect. The female disciples within its ranks were each as lovely as flowers and as beautiful as jade, enough to make anyone's head spin.
But on just the second day after arriving at the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect, one of their disciples had already struck it off with a female disciple of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect. The two of them were inseparable, and the sight was enough to make everyone else green with envy.
Word soon spread that the disciple had spent the night in the female disciple's room, which was absolutely unbearable!
But the rest of the disciples still weren't worried — the best ones were yet to come, weren't they?
On the third day, three more disciples found dao companions. On the fourth, another five. On the fifth — a full thirteen.
Sometimes, the business of falling in love could spread like a plague.
When everyone around you had a dao companion and you didn't, wouldn't you want to find one too?
What's more, this was a non-negotiable task handed down by the sect itself — who would dare fail to complete it?
This was a real hardship for those who were clumsy with words. When faced with the beautiful girls of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect, they could barely form a sentence, let alone find a dao companion! But even if it killed them, they had to complete the sect master's orders!
And so, various love manuals and girl-charming techniques began circulating among the disciples of the Divine Feather Sect.
To win over the female disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect, they resorted to every trick in the book, sneaking into their rooms every night.
As the saying went, even the most virtuous woman would yield to a persistent suitor. Watching their sisters and friends all find their matches, the female disciples themselves gradually relented.
And so, the entire Heavenly Sound Divine Sect had practically turned into a matchmaking fair.
In the main hall of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect.
"He actually said that?" Nangong Xianyin stared at
Ye Ziyun blushed slightly, looking a bit embarrassed. "Yes, Sect Master. That's what Nie Li said."
"He... this is simply..." Nangong Xianyin wanted to explode, but couldn't find the right words to describe the situation. If she said something she shouldn't and it got back to Nie Li, that would only create more trouble.
After all, the Divine Feather Sect was at the height of its power now, and no matter how angry Nangong Xianyin was, she had to swallow it.
"Is there anything you'd like me to relay, Sect Master?" Ye Ziyun asked, looking at Nangong Xianyin.
Nangong Xianyin thought for a moment, then said diplomatically, "Since the Divine Feather Sect is unwilling to withdraw, would it be possible for us to send some of our disciples elsewhere?"
"Sect Master, Nie Li has already anticipated this. He says the Demon Divine Sect is currently capturing people from righteous sects everywhere. The female disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect are too weak — one or two going out would be fine, but if they travel in groups, they'd be easy prey for an ambush by the Demon Divine Sect." Ye Ziyun said this with a perfectly straight face.
"One or two?" Nangong Xianyin's eyebrow twitched. In the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect's current situation, what good would sending out one or two people do?
"Also, Nie Li said that since the Divine Feather Sect has come to the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect, they should show some gesture of goodwill. Whatever the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect needs — peerless secret techniques, top-grade pills, even sacred medicine — the Divine Feather Sect will provide an unlimited supply. But these things are only for their own people." Ye Ziyun said this with a faint blush of embarrassment.
"Their own people?" Nangong Xianyin blinked.
"That's right — those who are closer to the Divine Feather Sect's disciples. Nie Li said there are some female disciples in the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect who put on airs of superiority and look down on the Divine Feather Sect's disciples. The Divine Feather Sect doesn't want anything to do with people like that," Ye Ziyun replied.
"That Nie Li... he's absolutely... shameless!" Nangong Xianyin's face flushed crimson. If she hadn't known that Ye Ziyun was Nie Li's fiancée, she would have completely lost her temper. Even though she had to restrain herself because of the Divine Feather Sect's power, she couldn't help but curse aloud.
This move of Nie Li's was absolutely ruthless. Putting on airs of superiority? They were just maintaining their dignity, weren't they?
In the days to come, those female disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect who maintained their dignity would inevitably face some measure of suppression. Meanwhile, for those female disciples who were close to the Divine Feather Sect's disciples, Nie Li was offering peerless secret techniques, top-grade pills, and even sacred medicine — he was practically trying to hollow out the entire Heavenly Sound Divine Sect!
"What else did he say? This is going too far! Does he really think the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect has no one and can be pushed around?" Nangong Xianyin cursed angrily. "I'll gather the disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect right now and fight him!"
"Nie Li also said, 'Sect Master Nangong, why go through all this? First of all, the Divine Feather Sect and the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect are not enemies — the Divine Feather Sect simply wants to protect the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect. No matter what happens with the female disciples under the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect, they will always be disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect. As long as Sect Master Nangong doesn't drive them away, they will never leave.'"
Ye Ziyun carefully watched Nangong Xianyin's expression. Nie Li had even anticipated this reaction from her. Seeing that Nangong Xianyin hadn't exploded, she continued: "As the saying goes, the harmony of yin and yang is the great way of the mortal world. Some female disciples of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect have found kindred spirits among the male disciples of the Divine Feather Sect — they are deeply in love. Our Divine Feather Sect isn't willing to tear them apart, so why should Sect Master Nangong play the role of the one who beats apart loving couples?"
"But the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect has its rules, its ancestral precepts!" Nangong Xianyin said in a low voice.
"Nie Li also said that so-called rules and ancestral precepts were merely something some ancestor set down on a whim, which later generations follow like dogma. Think about it — what benefit has that brought the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect? Today, the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect is talent-depleted and already one of the weakest sects. If the Divine Feather Sect weren't involved, who knows what fate would befall it. If the Demon Divine Sect ever went to war against the righteous sects, the first to be destroyed would be the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect. But if the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect and the Divine Feather Sect were to join hearts forever, and the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect were to flourish and expand, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?" Seeing that Nangong Xianyin was hesitating in deep thought, Ye Ziyun continued: "Nie Li also said that as long as the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect doesn't drive anyone away, the Divine Feather Sect won't take a single disciple of the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect. As for those disciples who are in love, it doesn't take long to travel between the Divine Feather Sect and the Heavenly Sound Divine Sect — they can simply visit each other from time to time."
Nangong Xianyin fell into a long silence, her expression shifting between light and shadow. After all, making such a decision was far too difficult for her.