Elder Qinglan, who had maintained her usual aloof demeanor for the entire assessment, was now practically glowing.
She turned to Lin Xuan and gave a rare nod of approval, her long hair swaying slightly with the motion.
“From this moment on,” she declared, “Lin Xuan is a disciple of Mystic Moon Peak. Anyone who dares trouble him, troubles me.”
Her words were calm, but they hit with the weight of a mountain.
The crowd collectively swallowed.
The other elders could only stew in silence. No one dared challenge her now—not after such a clear, public claim.
Even Elder Sheng’s eyes narrowed faintly, but he said nothing.
The smirk was gone. He for sure thought that Lin Xuan had a conflict with Bai Zihan and would want revenge but instead he was rejected on the spot without any consideration.
Moreover, Lin Xuan choosing to join Mystic Moon Peak set off alarm bells for the Anti-Sect Leader faction.
Elder Qinglan might be neutral on the surface, but they saw her—and her Peak—as the biggest threat thanks to her overwhelming strength.
The fact that she was the one who took Lin Xuan in?
Yeah, that was a bad sign for their side.
Tian Yuheng, the Sect Leader, chuckled softly under his breath.
“So that’s how it is…”
He muttered, then raised his voice.
“Very well. The Assessment Trial concludes here! The results will be recorded, and the new disciples will be registered.”
He looked around the arena, his gaze sweeping over all the crowd.
“And as for those who failed, don’t forget that you can try again next year. I hope you all cultivate and work hard!”
With a gesture, the elders began to disperse, and the crowd slowly started breaking up. The trial was over.
But the whispers weren’t.
“He really picked Mystic Moon Peak…”
“I thought he would avoid Bai Zihan, but he chose the peak where he is…”
“Looks like the rumor about Bai Zihan regarding Lin Xuan was false.”
…
It seems like what Lin Xuan wants to achieve in the Assessment Test has been achieved.
Although there are still people who don’t think those rumors about Bai Zihan are false, there are also those who began to doubt it.
Additionally, by joining Mystic Moon Peak and staying close to Bai Zihan, it wouldn’t take long for others to realize the truth—Bai Zihan wasn’t mistreating him. If anything, it was the complete opposite.
Meanwhile, Bai Zihan watched it all unfold, a smile on his face.
But now, as Lin Xuan stood beside Elder Qinglan, basking in the approval of the sect, Zihan’s fingers slowly curled into a fist at his side.
That was how fast a protagonist could rise once they found their momentum.
Of course, he’d had a hand in helping him do so, but even without his help, Bai Zihan didn’t think it would’ve mattered.
Maybe Lin Xuan had found some treasure or legacy out there—but either way, it was clear he was destined to rise.
Just that, he managed to at least make Lin Xuan owe him and in the future, he could make use of those favors.
As the crowd slowly began to disperse and the whispers of Lin Xuan’s decision still echoed through the arena.
Most didn’t think much of it—Mystic Moon Peak was the peak many wanted to join, after all.
Though many wondered why he deliberately chose to join the same Peak as Bai Zihan, the answer depended on what they believed—some thought it was for revenge, while others saw it as an act of gratitude.
Either way, with Elder Qinglan’s favor, they thought that Lin Xuan status would be completely different than what it used to be.
Elder Qinglan turned her head slightly, casting a side glance at the young man now standing beside her.
She, of course, recognized Lin Xuan—after all, she was the one who’d saved him and brought him to the Heaven Sword Sect.
Of course, just because she saved him didn’t mean she remembered him—if she did, she’d have to remember the thousands she’d helped over the years.
There were simply too many to keep track of.
Lin Xuan was just special because the one who’d attacked his village wasn’t some no-name demonic cultivator—but a very powerful one.
To survive that… she’d always thought he was a lucky child, though she never expected him to possess Heaven-grade Dao Resonance.
She didn’t speak at first. Just studied him.
Calm posture. Unshaken eyes. No trace of hesitation.
He’d turned from that helpless young boy who was scared of the world into a mature man in a short period of time.
Five to seven years. But for cultivators like her, those years were nothing more than grains of sand.
Finally, she broke the silence.
“You made your decision before I even spoke,” she said—voice cool and even, but laced with a note of genuine curiosity.
“Not that I’m complaining—but I’d like to know why.”
Was it to repay her for saving his life? Or because of her reputation?
Not that it mattered—but she was curious.
Lin Xuan turned to meet her gaze, respectful.
Elder Qinglan wasn’t just a powerful figure in the sect—she was the one who had saved his life when he was at the dead door.
No matter how much he grew, how far he rose, that fact would never change.
“I don’t know if Elder Qinglan remembers,” Lin Xuan said quietly, “but… it was you who saved me back then.”
He didn’t try to dramatize it. Just stated the truth.
“I was barely hanging on. Everyone in the village was dead or worse. And then… you appeared. You didn’t ask for anything. You just saved me.”
“I owe you my life,” Lin Xuan continued, voice steady.
“There’s nothing I can offer that would be enough to repay that. But even so… I want to dedicate my life to helping you, to serving Mystic Moon Peak. If there’s anything I can do, anything at all, I’ll do it.”
It wasn’t a declaration made out of obligation. It wasn’t guilt. It was a decision—his own.
Elder Qinglan regarded him for a long moment. She didn’t smile, didn’t offer flowery praise. That wasn’t her way.
Instead, she gave him a single nod.
“And?”
She asked.
“Is that the only reason?”
Lin Xuan paused, then shook his head.
“There’s another,” he admitted.
“Because Young Master Bai Zihan is here.”
Elder Qinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly—not in suspicion, but in thought. She clearly hadn’t expected that answer.
Her expression didn’t shift much, but there was the faintest pause, as if something had clicked into place.
“Bai Zihan?”
She echoed, frowning.
“You’re saying you wanted to be on the same peak as him?”
“Yes, Elder!”
Her brow furrowed, and for the first time in a while, she looked genuinely unsettled.
She remembered those whispers. The rumors.
About Bai Zihan mistreating Lin Xuan—verbally, physically, emotionally. That he was using his power and status to bully a helpless handyman.
But rumors were always flying around, and unless someone was caught in the act or there was solid evidence, she wasn’t the type to act on mere hearsay.
After all, she had lived for many years and knew all too well how rumors could be used to deceive and manipulate—she’d even been a target of such schemes back when she was just a disciple herself.
But now, with Lin Xuan bringing up Bai Zihan’s name…
She looked at Lin Xuan a little more closely.
(Was those rumors real? Does Lin Xuan want revenge against Bai Zihan?)
Elder Qinglan thought.
If it was for that reason, she’d be disappointed—even if the rumors were true.
She couldn’t accept a disciple using her peak to take revenge on another… even if that other was Bai Zihan.
“…I see. Can I ask why?”
She asked.
“I’m not here to seek revenge or cause trouble.”
Lin Xuan immediately said, already anticipating her train of thought.
“I owe him. He was the first person to offer me a hand when I had nothing. Not for pity, not for show—but because he saw something in me.”
He looked down at his hands, clenched them once, then relaxed.
“If I hadn’t met him, I might still be scrubbing floors and getting beaten for fun. He gave me cultivation methods, pills, a sword, even advice. I want to repay that.”
Elder Qinglan stayed quiet for a moment, her eyes flicking briefly in Bai Zihan’s direction across the arena—then back to Lin Xuan.
“So, you really want to join Mystic Moon Peak because of Bai Zihan.”
“Yes,” Lin Xuan said.
“It’ll be easier to serve him and support him if I’m at the same peak. And… I want to keep learning from him.”
The silence between them hung for a second longer—then Elder Qinglan nodded.
If it was for such a reason, there was no need for her to worry and it was indeed good for her disciples to get along with each other.
“Good,” she said simply. “So long as your heart is clear, your decision is yours to make.”
She turned, her robes flowing behind her like moonlight through still water.
“Come. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”