Cloud Miao Xianjun was silent for a long time before saying, “It seems that the news from Dao Court is quite well-informed.”

Tang Ruoxuan smiled slightly, “Not entirely, mainly because the recent actions of your Sect Master have attracted a lot of attention. So, all information about her is now being watched by many big figures in the Great Void Starry Sky, including her several direct disciples.”

“Qing Muling, right? To be able to make the Sect Master break the rules and accept him as a disciple, he must have some extraordinary qualities. Especially since you have protected him so well that even I am somewhat tempted by the generous reward offered through certain secret channels.”

“So my ancestor specifically instructed me to meet him at an appropriate time, to establish a good relationship in advance, so that it would be easier to deal with him in the future.”

Cloud Miao Xianjun fell into silent contemplation, while Fenghua Xianjun said, “Friend, you are frank. If it’s just a meeting and a few words, it’s fine. However…”

Tang Ruoxuan said, “You can rest assured, I won’t engage in underhanded tactics, and as long as you agree to this matter, I will do my best to persuade my ancestor to extend the ceasefire order for another fifty years. This should be enough to show my sincerity, right?”

The ceasefire order was issued by Dao Court, stipulating that Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace and the surrounding Supreme Dao Lineages should not engage in direct warfare for a hundred years. Proxy wars between vassal forces were not restricted by this order.

To obtain this ceasefire order, the high-level members of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had made considerable efforts and paid a significant price, in order to secure enough peaceful time to repair the main body of the giant land.

For high-level cultivators, a mere hundred years was nothing. Of course, at this point in time, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace still needed this period of peaceful development. It would be even better if there was a chance to extend it for another fifty years.

Cloud Miao Xianjun’s expression softened, “I believe in your sincerity, but this matter still needs to be reported to the Sect Master. As long as she has no objections, this matter will be settled. You might as well wait a little longer.”

Anything related to Qing Muling was not a trivial matter, and it had to be decided by Sect Master Mu Yinghua herself.

Tang Ruoxuan nodded, “Naturally.”

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the high platform by the square, Qing Muling leisurely enjoyed fine wine and food, watching the inner disciples who had completed the trial coming out of the light gate in groups of three or five. Some disciples were injured, looking dispirited, with bloodstains on their Daoist robes.

Of course, regardless of their rankings, it was fortunate for them to return alive. The truly unlucky ones were the disciples who perished in the cave world. Some disciples were seriously injured, with their fundamental sources damaged, and they would never have a chance to cultivate the Dao again, spending the rest of their lives as ordinary people.

The rankings had long been announced. In addition to the list of the top eight hundred disciples, the following three thousand disciples also had their rankings displayed, allowing them to have an accurate understanding of their own strength and performance, so that they could return and work hard to improve.

“Junior Brother…”

Xuebing Xuan handed over the jade tablet with the rankings, her clear and beautiful eyes filled with anticipation. Cheng Yulan, Luo Wanqing, and other senior sisters also gathered around.

Qing Muling understood her meaning. She was asking him to be responsible for selecting those disciples with good fortune and potential, and to try to gather them under the name of the Sect Master.

This was a normal operation in any sect. New core disciples who had not yet received formal mentorship would usually choose to attach themselves to a powerful faction, giving the elders and senior core disciples the opportunity to expand their influence.

For senior sisters like her, who aspired to the position of future Sect Master, this was particularly important. When they encountered suitable candidates, they would definitely want to recruit them.

Qing Muling thought for a moment, then communicated with her through his divine sense, “We shouldn’t make it too obvious, right? The elders are all watching. If you want too many people, they definitely won’t agree.”

Xuebing Xuan nodded, “Of course, so you don’t need to look at the list of the top two hundred. Let them have it. You just need to look at the rest. If there are suitable candidates, remind the senior sisters, and you don’t need to worry about the rest. I’ll handle it.”

“That’s easy.”

Qing Muling agreed, and silently activated his divine sense to examine the names on the list.

As soon as his divine sense touched a name, all the information about the person would appear, including their background, aptitude, the characteristics of the cultivation technique they practiced, their personal magic tools, and any special abilities they possessed. These were all not secrets.

Then there were the person’s fortune, aptitude, and the upper limit of their future potential, which belonged to the category of celestial secrets. Even if there were great experts proficient in the art of divination, they could not be absolutely precise. At most, they could only make a rough estimate.

In Qing Muling’s divine sense perception, the colors of the names changed one after another. Each name was shrouded in more or less mist, some with more, shining brightly, while others had less, appearing dim and dull.

Moreover, this was not directly related to their rankings. Some names near the top were shrouded in dark mist, indicating that they were likely to encounter unexpected disasters in the future. On the other hand, some names at the back were shining brightly, indicating that they were likely to have extraordinary opportunities and stand out in the future.An hour later, all the disciples had withdrawn, assembling in the square as the light gate passage closed behind them.

Xuebing Xuan rose to her feet, delivering a brief instruction before beginning to distribute the rewards.

As the attendant loudly called out names, the named disciples stepped forward to receive their medicinal pills and magical artifacts from the hands of the eldest senior sister.

The top name on the list this time was Lan Qingyin. Needless to say, she was a stunning beauty with a slender waist and long legs, a face as lovely as flowers under the moonlight, her entire being enveloped in a sharp sword intent, choosing the same Sword Cultivation path as Qi Yalan.

Qing Muling was not surprised by this. Sword Cultivators inherently possessed greater offensive power compared to those who chose other paths, and their cultivation speed was relatively faster, giving them a certain advantage in actual combat.

Moreover, she had received a Xuanqing Creation Spirit Pill, which would undoubtedly lead to leaps and bounds in her cultivation, virtually eliminating any bottlenecks. As long as she did not fall midway, given time, she would inevitably step into the realm of Ascending to Immortality.

Qing Muling glanced at her and then shifted his gaze away. Such an outstanding seedling had already been reserved by a certain big shot within the sect. There was no point in thinking about the Sect Master’s eldest senior sister; forcibly taking her would not be agreed upon by the elders of the other factions.

He continued to compare the list and observe the disciples in the field. This face-to-face scrutiny allowed him to utilize his Divine Soul abilities to the fullest, yielding the most accurate results possible.

The cost was the rapid depletion of his Divine Soul power. Before long, he was overcome with waves of dizziness, feeling even more exhausted than after a night-long fight with the fourth senior sister, Luo Wanqing.

By the time all the rewards had been distributed, Qing Muling had compiled a complete list in his mind.