Chapter 63 - 61: The Candidates Are Decided, The Journey Begins_1

After saying that, Li Dao Ran turned his gaze towards the crowd.

Many of the people below immediately looked at an elderly Daoist priest in the crowd.

With his Daoist robe and hair all white, a divine aura floated around him, he radiated the style and charisma of a Daoist.

His name was Taoist Xuanqing, from Mount Taixuan.

He was another Elder Mountain lord from the Tianshui Sect with lots of experience.

In the past, Taoist Xuanqing handled matters related to the sect’s external affairs.

So this time, everyone subconsciously wanted to nominate him.

However, not all people thought the same this time.

Aside from those, a significant number cast their gaze towards Chen Chang’an, who stood at the back of the crowd.

"Don’t look at me like that, as far as this matter is concerned, I’m not interested," He said, shaking his head as he noticed everyone’s gaze on him.

The crowd’s gaze shifted away from him upon hearing his words.

However, it was clearly evident from their eyes that they acknowledged Chen Chang’an’s participation in this grand feast.

It made sense if a Great Scholar of the Six Realms like him didn’t qualify, then no one else would.

"Elder Xuanqing, we will count on you for this upcoming trip," Li Dao Ran approached Taoist Xuanqing after noting the crowd’s gaze.

Taoist Xuanqing has always been in charge of these things, so this time too Li Dao Ran wanted him to take up the responsibility.

However, the emergence of Chen Chang’an offered another choice for Li Dao Ran.

Taoist Xuanqing didn’t refuse.

"Sect Leader, rest assured, you can leave this matter to me."

"However, Sect Leader, could I request Brother Chang’an to accompany me on this journey?"

As he said this, Taoist Xuanqing looked towards Chen Chang’an.

The saying, a weaker nation has no diplomacy, is the same when applied to sects.

If a Great Scholar could accompany this trip, he would surely possess much more confidence.

"Chang’an?"

Li Dao Ran fell into deep thought upon hearing this and then looked at Chen Chang’an, asking,

"Brother Chen, what do you think?"

"Sect Leader, you know me, going to such a terrifying place like Tianxiang Pavilion, where powerful figures are everywhere, in my capacity as a weak man, it won’t be easy for me to survive." Chen Chang’an shook his head.

Huh~!

a weak man?

Li Dao Ran’s lips twitched upon hearing Chen Chang’an’s words.

Not only him, every person present twitched.

What the hell, you’re a weak man?

You must be kidding me!

Then, in the slightly disappointed eyes of Li Dao Ran and the others, Chen Chang’an said,

"However, I am not entirely against going."

"However, Elder Xuanqing should be the team leader, I will simply be following along."

"Will the sect leader find this acceptable?"

To Chen Chang’an, going or not going to the Southern Sea didn’t really matter.

But since there was a chance to go there on the "public expense," he thought why not, it might be a good opportunity to relax.

"Fine!"

Li Dao Ran was immediately delighted upon hearing Chen Chang’an’s words.

Whether he’s the team leader or not, it doesn’t matter as long as Chen Chang’an is willing to go.

Then, Li Dao Ran added:

"Don’t worry, Brother. The sect will reimburse all the expenses on your journey, you won’t be at a loss!"

Chen Chang’an waved his hand, stopped Li Dao Ran’s words, and said:

"Come on, Sect Leader, you still owe me 200,000, why don’t you make up for that first?"

Huh~!

Li Dao Ran stopped talking, his face immediately turned red.

Indeed, he was almost out of money.

Though the sect was wealthy, that was the sect’s foundation, not something he could dispense with freely.

"Thank you, Brother Chen, for being willing to travel with us."

At this moment, Taoist Xuanqing cupped his hands in a salute towards Chen Chang’an, his eyes filled with gratitude.

The purpose of this trip was superficially for the banquet at Tianxiang Pavilion, but in fact, it was another gambit between various sects.

Under these circumstances, if Chen Chang’an doesn’t go, he really wouldn’t have much confidence.

Chen Chang’an returned the salute, shook his head at Taoist Xuanqing and said:

"Elder Xuanqing, you don’t need to be so formal, sect matters are also my responsibility. I happen to be free recently and have grown bored with staying on the mountain these past few years. I want to go out and about, so I’ll go."

"Thank you, Brother Chen, for your understanding." Taoist Xuanqing was still very grateful.

Afterward, the two of them exchanged a few pleasantries, and then each returned to their seats.

Next was the climax of the agenda.

It was about the selection of disciples.

A sect couldn’t simply rely on its top-level power.

To further deter surrounding sects, they also needed an impressive younger generation.

The generations of disciples in the Tianshui Sect each spanned an average of three hundred years.

About every ten disciples equaled a generation.

Chen Chang’an was the last of the thirty-eighth generation, while Mao Ruxue and the others who joined the sect this time belonged to the second generation of the thirty-ninth generation.

Before them, there was also a group who joined the Tianshui Sect.

They were the ones who called Chen Chang’an and Mao Ruxue to Dao Clan Mountain. It was the generation of Dao Qing and Li Dao Ran’s eldest disciple Wang Tingfei.

Among Dao Qing’s generation of disciples, several had exceptional talent.

Though they were still disciples, their cultivation had already reached the third realm, higher than the elders or older disciples in the sect.

Even the outstanding Wang Tingfei, although still young, had reached the late stage of the third realm.

He was frighteningly powerful.

Naturally, these disciples were eligible to participate in this outing.

The Tianshui Sect had ten places, apart from Chen Chang’an and Taoist Xuanqing, the leadership, and several outstanding disciples from the first generation, there were four places left for the second-generation disciples.

When deciding which disciples to select for the journey, the mountain lords and elders of Dao Clan Mountain were extremely united.

They selected individuals based on ability, not relationships.

Finally, after a round of discussion, four individuals were chosen from among the second generation of disciples.

Su Qingfeng, Li Zhiwan, Mao Ruxue, and a disciple named Ye Lingtian.

A very quiet and restrained boy.

A total of four people.

"So, Brother Chen, Elder Xuanqing, you’re going to have a tough time on this trip to Tianxiang Pavilion," Li Dao Ran stood beneath the sect’s specially made flying boat, Tianshui, and with folded hands, said to Chen Chang’an and Taoist Xuanqing.

"Don’t worry, Sect Leader, there shouldn’t be any problems with Brother Chen and I in charge," Taoist Xuanqing nodded, indicating to Li Dao Ran to put his worries to rest.

Chen Chang’an didn’t join the conversation, he just stood there, but his face appeared relaxed.

That comforted those who saw him.

"Yes, I am naturally confident with both of you on the team," Li Dao Ran nodded, trusting Taoist Xuanqing, not to mention now there was also the reassuring presence of Chen Chang’an.

But now, what was bothering Li Dao Ran was something else.

The next moment, he pulled out a bag from his spatial ring.

When Taoist Xuanqing opened it, he found exactly ten thousand Dao Source Stones.

Ten thousand Dao Source Stones, each emitting a dense Daoist Qi that could unconsciously mesmerize people who glanced at them.

"Elder Brother, what’s this?" Taoist Xuanqing looked at Li Dao Ran with some doubt and asked.