When visiting her future residence, Xu Yi made a small suggestion to Elder Qingfeng.
She hoped the elders would address her with casual speech rather than honorifics.
Elder Qingfeng’s constant “Ancestor Master” and “you, madam,” made Xu Yi feel quite pressured.
Elder Qingfeng was still alright; though he had cultivated for over eight hundred years, his appearance remained that of a middle-aged man. However, the other elders had white hair, and Xu Yi simply couldn’t accept their form of address with equanimity.
Elder Qingfeng initially argued that it was against propriety, but eventually changed his way of speaking at Xu Yi’s insistence.
If Xu Yi was unaccustomed to it, how could he be accustomed?
From this, his gaze towards Xu Yi grew even warmer.
Ancestor Master Xu Yi was still young in years but possessed a calm and steady disposition. It was no wonder she was taken as the chief disciple by Ancestor Yuan Ming. Had she not been trapped in the secret realm, her achievements would surely not be lower than his.
Elder Qingfeng’s last lingering reservations vanished.
Xu Yi was unaware that Elder Qingfeng had convinced himself, and was even speaking highly of her to the other elders. She was currently actively adapting to life in the Xuanji Sect.
However, the difficulty was greater than she had imagined…org
“Greetings, Ancestor Master.”
“We pay respects to Ancestor Master.”
“Ancestor Master.”
Xu Yi responded to each with an awkward yet polite smile. By the time she returned to the main hall, she leaned weakly against a gilded pillar inlaid with silver, her head repeatedly bumping against it.
It was too difficult.
Being an Ancestor Master was too difficult.
The disciples of the Xuanji Sect honored the old and cherished the young, respected teachers and valued the Way. They were all polite and good children.
From the moment she officially appeared at the sect’s grand ceremony that day, whenever she went out, disciples would greet her with concerned inquiries.
If it were only this, Xu Yi could endure it. The key was that all disciples knew she was an ancient ancestor from two thousand years ago. They figured she hadn’t yet adapted to the changes in the Xuanji Sect, so they closely watched her every move, always ready to step forward and help their Ancestor Master resolve difficulties.
Xu Yi was touched.
Xu Yi dared not move.
After reddening her forehead, Xu Yi stopped.
It couldn’t go on like this.
Xu Yi pondered deeply for a whole night. The next day, she stepped out of the main hall with an unremarkable face, applauding her own ingenious idea in her heart.
With this face, she wouldn’t be recognized by the disciples, would she?
In fact, Xu Yi had still thought too simply.
She hadn’t been out long before she was mistaken for a malevolent demon by two Law Enforcement Elders and arrested on the spot.
Before Xu Yi could even explain, she was bound and taken into the Hall of Law Enforcement, and nearly experienced their full set of punishments.
Then, the old fossil Xu Yi learned that the Xuanji Sect now possessed a magical artifact called the Sky Eye Divine Sense, capable of identifying unfamiliar faces and transmitting information to the Law Enforcement Elders.
The face Xu Yi had transformed into was not registered, so she was directly treated as an intruder.
Xu Yi: …
Without needing the Law Enforcement Elder to explain, she knew that this Sky Eye Divine Sense must have been developed by Liu Jinghong.
This was truly… marvelous.
Xu Yi was sent back to the main hall by the Law Enforcement Elders, who were full of guilt. Elder Qingfeng and others, who were well-informed, were already waiting there.
“Ancestor Master must have been startled.”
“Is Ancestor Master alright?”
“Ancestor Master…”
Xu Yi guiltily accepted the concern from the white-bearded elders, and had to speak up for the Hall of Law Enforcement. After all, the entire misunderstanding was her doing, and she couldn’t let the Law Enforcement Elders take the blame.
“Ancestor Master, it was our oversight. We overlooked your… difficulties. It was truly wrong of us,” said Elder Liu, who was in charge of the sect’s internal affairs, with a face full of self-reproach.
“Elder Liu, that’s too harsh. This matter originated with me…”
“Ancestor Master, you need not say more. To help you integrate into the Xuanji Sect quickly, we old fellows have discussed and decided that starting tomorrow, you will handle sect affairs with us. Once you are proficient, we will make further arrangements.”
Elder Liu’s face was resolute, and the other elders nodded in agreement.
They had previously focused only on external matters and had neglected the Ancestor Master’s internal needs, which was truly regrettable.
Xu Yi was stunned.
What kind of development was this?
Her joining the elders to handle sect affairs?
“No need!” The mere thought of that scene made Xu Yi’s scalp tingle. She loudly refused, “Give me some time. I, I can adapt myself.”
However, in front of several venerable elders, her refusal seemed insignificant.
The elders were determined to help Xu Yi quickly adapt to life in the Xuanji Sect, and immediately made the decision with smiling faces.
The next day, disciples of the Xuanji Sect could see a young Ancestor Master accompanying the elders, who were usually stern or kind.
The peculiar combination drew even more attention.
From initial trepidation, Xu Yi gradually became composed in the face of praise or criticism, and later, it could only be described as having a mind as still as water.
Admittedly, this method was indeed effective. Following behind the elders, Xu Yi quickly grasped the changes in the Xuanji Sect over the years.
The realm divisions in the Kyushu Continent remained unchanged from two thousand years ago. From low to high, they were Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Departure, Spirit Severing, Integration, Tribulation Transcendence, and Grand Ascension, totaling nine levels. Correspondingly, pills and magical treasures were also divided into levels one to nine.
Within the Xuanji Sect, besides the two Grand Ascension Supremes who had entered secluded cultivation, Elder Qingfeng at the Tribulation Transcendence stage, the elusive Elder Jiuyou, and the blade-dao fanatic Elder Qianren were the top combat forces of the Xuanji Sect.
Among them, Elder Qianren had a slight connection to Xu Yi; he was a disciple’s disciple of Sect Master Yuan Ming, and thus, in a way, from the same lineage. However, he was not currently in the Xuanji Sect, which Xu Yi found quite regrettable.
The Xuanji Sect was primarily managed by five halls: the Hall of Law Enforcement headed by Elder Su, the Hall of Good Learning headed by Elder Chen, the Hall of Affairs headed by Elder Liu, the Hall of Merits headed by Elder Zhao, and the Hall of Medicine headed by Elder Fang.
The five elders each managed their respective duties and did not interfere with one another.
As for Elder Qingfeng, he was currently acting as the sect leader, who was in secluded cultivation, to preside over major affairs.
Xu Yi followed the five elders from the Hall of Law Enforcement to the Hall of Medicine, gaining a thorough understanding of the sect’s operations and interacting with disciples from each hall. Among them, she became most familiar with Pu Tao.
After getting used to a life of following the elders, Xu Yi soon discovered benefits that ordinary people could hardly appreciate.
Having been trapped in the secret realm without guidance in her earlier years, her subsequent cultivation was all self-taught through unconventional methods, accumulating many doubts. This time, by studying alongside the elders, she had the opportunity to seek their guidance on them one by one.
She had a wide range of knowledge from her time in the secret realm, whether it was talismans and formations, artifact forging and pill refining, or even medicine and culinary arts, she had a rudimentary understanding of them all. Her questions were also peculiar and sharp.
Fortunately, the elders of the Xuanji Sect were knowledgeable and were not stumped by her questions. Instead, they greatly admired her diligence and eagerness to learn.
Xu Yi thus quietly integrated into the Xuanji Sect of the post-two-thousand-year era.