Upon entering Star Palace, they felt an abundance of Spiritual Energy, which was nearly a hundred times greater than the outside world. Thanks to the protection of an Array, this Spiritual Energy would not leak out.
As soon as they entered, they felt two auras rapidly approaching. Soon after, two young men dressed in casual clothes ran to the entrance. Seeing a teenager and two youths standing there, the two frowned and their faces showed wariness.
"Who are you, daring to intrude into our Star Palace?"
"Are you disciples of Star Palace?" Lin Mo found it odd, seeing the two dressed just like modern people.
However, he soon realized that although they were cultivators, they needed to eat and use various items. Even though these Sects were hidden and rarely interacted with the secular world, they must certainly have some contact with it, arranging some secular forces to gather various resources in the mundane world.
After all, like immortal cultivators, casually using some Spells could dominate a large family as a Tribute. Given that Star Palace was a Cultivation Sect, controlling a few secular families wouldn't be difficult.
"And who are you?" The two, surprised that these strangers knew their Sect's name, showed a doubtful expression.
Lu Xing spoke up, "I am also a disciple of Star Palace. My master is Jiuxian Immortal. Where are the elders of your Sect?"
"Jiuxian Immortal; we haven't heard of him," a disciple said with furrowed brows.
Lu Xing's master, Jiuxian Immortal, had left Star Palace long ago to travel outside. It wasn't surprising that these young disciples wouldn't have heard of him.
Lu Xing pinched a hand gesture, and several points of silver starlight appeared in his fingers, then transformed into a Star Array pattern.
"This is our Star Palace's Spell. I will immediately go and inform the elders," one disciple quickly said and then rushed inside.
Another Star Palace disciple led Lin Mo and the others inside. Upon reaching a palatial gateway, three white-haired elders emerged.
Among them were two elderly men and one elderly woman.
"Has the eldest brother returned?" the elderly woman asked, looking puzzled as she gazed at Lin Mo and the others.
"Greetings to the three venerable teachers," Lu Xing bowed deeply, speaking respectfully.
His master had told him that there were still three junior brothers and sisters in Star Palace: the taller elder was named Cheng Ying, the slightly shorter was Qiu Xingjian, and the female elder was known as Dong Xiangyun, all from the same generation as his master.
"Who are you?" Cheng Ying asked, frowning at Lu Xing.
"Esteemed uncle, my name is Lu Xing, a disciple my master took outside," Lu Xing replied with a bow.
"Your master, is he my Sect Leader?" Cheng Ying asked.
In his younger days, Jiuxian Immortal had left Star Palace to live among the secular world and had not returned for decades.
"This is something my master left behind." Lu Xing handed over a cyan wooden Token.
Cheng Ying took the Token, which was small but intricately engraved with a rhythmic and complex starlight Array, emitting a faint green glow. "Indeed, it's the Sect Leader's Token. Where is my brother then?"
"My master has already passed on," Lu Xing said, his eyes heating up as they reddened slightly.
"What, you're saying he has already passed?" Cheng Ying stiffened.
Qiu Xingjian also showed a look of shock, "Brother has passed? His strength was greater than ours; how could this be, was he harmed?"
"My master was not harmed, but in these recent years, he focused on researching Star Techniques and divulging Heavenly Mechanisms, which severely depleted his Life Span..." Lu Xing spoke, wiping away tears, feeling choked up, unable to continue.
"He... how could he just leave like that?" Dong Xiangyun leaned on her cane, her body trembling slightly, and her originally cloudy eyes reddened.
"He died and didn't want to come back to see us even once more," Dong Xiangyun coughed gently.
"Master, please don't be sad," a young woman in her early twenties hurriedly supported her.
"Sister, Brother is gone, don't be sad either," Qiu Xingjian consoled.
Lu Xing hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Elder Dong, Master often mentioned you before he passed, saying he owed you an apology. If there is a next life, he would still like to know you."
"Really, I didn't expect him to say such a thing," Dong Xiangyun gave a bitter smile and shook her head, "I'll go back to my room to rest for a bit, you all discuss things among yourselves."
With that, Dong Xiangyun, assisted by the female disciple, slowly walked towards her room.
"Since you are Brother's disciples, perhaps you should come in and talk with me for a while," Cheng Ying said.
The group entered the main hall and sat down on wooden chairs as Lu Xing explained their master's affairs thoroughly and handed over the ashes of the Jiuxian Immortal, preparing to bury them within the Star Sect.
However, after Lu Xing finished explaining everything, Cheng Ying and Qiu Xingjian were both stunned.
Because the Jiuxian Immortal had unexpectedly passed the position of Sect Leader to Lin Mo, someone who wasn't a disciple of the Star Palace.
"He's not our Star Sect's disciple, how could Brother pass the position of Sect Leader to him?" Cheng Ying frowned, seeing that Lin Mo was only about eighteen or nineteen years old, his abilities indiscernible, doubt obviously showing on his face.
"This was Master's dying wish, I was there at the time," Lu Xing said.
Not only were Cheng Ying and Qiu Xingjian, the two elders, showing a look of doubt and confusion, but the other disciples also displayed a hint of displeasure.
The position of Sect Leader had always been held by the Jiuxian Immortal; although he hadn't returned, he remained the Sect Leader of Star Sect. Now that the Sect Leader had passed away, passing the position to a young man who wasn't even a disciple of the Star Sect, no one was willing to accept it.
"Whether I become the Sect Leader or not, I don't really care," suddenly, Lin Mo, who had been drinking tea, stopped his movements and looked up at the two elders.
"Hmm?" Cheng Ying furrowed his brow, unsure of what Lin Mo meant.
"I just want to browse the scriptures of your Star Palace; as for the position of Sect Leader, anyone can have it," Lin Mo said indifferently.
Indeed, although he had agreed to ensure the safety of the Star Palace for the Jiuxian Immortal, it wasn't necessary for him to become the Sect Leader.
"No, only the Sect Leader can enter the Scripture Collection Pavilion to view the texts; if you're not the Sect Leader, no one, including me and the two elders, is allowed in," Qiu Xingjian shook his head and immediately spoke up.
Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, "Must I really become the Sect Leader then?"
"Although you becoming the Sect Leader is an order passed down by Sect Leader Brother, since you are not from the Star Sect, we still have to discuss this matter. First, I'll send a disciple to find you a room to rest," Cheng Ying stood up and spoke, then quickly left with Qiu Xingjian.
"Sister Lu Xing, Brother Lin, Sister Yingzi, this place is where our ordinary disciples live, called 'Bamboo Courtyard'."
The one leading Lin Mo and the others to rest was the young woman they had seen previously, Elder Dong's female disciple named Xiao Xing.
"Over there are the residences of the elders, and behind the mountain is the place for practicing; that side holds the Scripture Collection Pavilion, the alchemy room, another side for storage, and in the very center you see a round platform, that's where our Masters teach us."
Xiao Xing introduced them one by one.
"The small courtyard arranged for you has always been unoccupied, but it is cleaned daily by disciples; it's clean and tranquil."
Lin Mo nodded, assuming this place was originally where the Sect Leader of Star Sect resided and knew the entire Star Sect officially had no more than thirty disciples, all roughly at the level of Qi cultivation, while some Outer Disciples were responsible for managing worldly affairs, providing the sect with resources, daily necessities, food, and so on.