Chapter 206: Selecting Followers

[A/N: We are just a few more golden tickets away from reaching another milestone!!]

"If one could become her follower, wouldn’t that be a meteoric rise within the Holy Land? Resources and status would be within easy reach."

"Hmph, stop dreaming! A follower? That is such a glorious position; how could an ordinary Disciple covet it? In my opinion, it must be someone as monstrous talent-like as the ten great Holy Sons and Saintesses."

"That’s right, especially the First Holy Son, Senior Brother Cang Man. He possesses the Heavenly Tyrant Body and possesses unparalleled combat strength. If the Holy Lord hadn’t suddenly appointed a successor, the position of the future master of the Holy Land should have been his."

"Right, right, right. If Cang Man is willing to be a follower, who would dare to compete?"

In the crowd, Chen Chuan stood silently alone in a set of green robes.

He listened to the chaotic discussions around him, his expression calm; only within his deep eyes flickered an imperceptible sense of expectation and nervousness.

Deep in his heart, a strong premonition was surging.

He was almost certain that the successor about to appear was his wife, Ji Siyu.

He blended into the crowd like a hidden dragon in the depths, waiting for that moment of confirmation.

Just then, several sounds of breaking through the air came from the horizon, and powerful Auras descended along with them.

"The Holy Sons and Saintesses are here!"

There was a commotion in the crowd, and their gazes were instantly drawn over.

Ten figures were seen, either riding divine rainbows, mounted on exotic beasts, or walking through the Void, landing one after another in the area specifically reserved in front of the square.

Each of them was dignified and imposing, with divine light contained within. The men were extraordinarily handsome, and the women possessed peerless beauty; Dao charms flowed around them, and their Auras were incomparably powerful.

These ten people were precisely the top existences of this generation of Disciples in the Taiyi Holy Land, the ten great Holy Sons and Saintesses.

Their arrival instantly pushed the atmosphere on the square to a climax.

Everyone’s eyes were filled with awe and yearning; every one of these Prodigies was a renowned existence within the Desolate Heaven Immortal Domain.

Among them, a young man wearing black battle armor, with a burly build and a face as resolute as if carved by a knife or axe, was particularly eye-catching.

Just by standing there, he seemed to merge with the surrounding world; a desolate and domineering Aura naturally emanated from him, making people feel a sense of suffocation.

He was the First Holy Son, Cang Man!

Possessing the supreme Holy Son Body, the ’Heavenly Tyrant Body,’ his strength was unfathomable. He was the default candidate for the future leader of the Holy Land in the hearts of many Disciples.

Many believed that him becoming the successor’s follower was almost a certainty.

Time slowly passed in the anxious waiting.

As the hour approached, the space above the square fluctuated slightly, and two figures appeared without warning on the white marble high platform in front of the main hall.

In an instant, the entire square fell silent; one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone’s gaze, as if drawn by an invisible magnet, was fixed intently on the figure beside the Holy Lord, Mu Qingyu.

It was a woman in a plain white dress, her hem adorned with dots of starlight, as if the night sky had been tailored and draped over her.

Her black hair was like a waterfall, loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin; a few strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, adding a bit more elegance.

Her skin was translucent and whiter than snow, as if glowing with a faint jade light.

Her features were as exquisite as the most perfect creation of heaven and earth, with a pert nose and lips as red as cherries.

However, what was most captivating was not just her flawless face, but the temperament she exuded.

Cold!

A kind of coldness that seemed to originate from the depths of her Soul, keeping people at a distance.

Proud!

A kind of aloofness that stood above all living beings, like a Goddess from the Nine Heavens who did not eat the food of mortals.

She stood there quietly; though she was close at hand, she gave off a sense of detachment as if she were far away in the clouds, unreachable.

When those eyes, clear as a cold pool, scanned the area below, they contained not a trace of emotion, being calm to the point of making one’s heart tremble.

This was a nobility and cold arrogance that went deep into the marrow, making people involuntarily feel awe and not dare to have the slightest thought of profanity.

"Hiss..."

After a brief silence came the sound of countless people gasping.

"Fairy... Fairy..."

"Too beautiful! To think such a peerless beauty exists in the world!"

"Is this the future successor of our Holy Land? Truly magnificent!"

"Compared to her, we are all like fireflies to the bright moon."

Even those proud Holy Sons and Saintesses, the moment they saw Ji Siyu’s appearance and temperament, an involuntary flash of amazement crossed their eyes, followed by the emergence of indescribably complex emotions.

They actually faintly felt a sense of being unworthy in comparison.

In the crowd, looking at that peerless face, Chen Chuan smiled.

It was her!

Ji Siyu!

Although her temperament was colder than in his memory, those familiar features and that Aura engraved in his Soul could not be mistaken.

Chen Chuan suppressed the urge to go up and recognize her immediately, took a deep breath, and decided to continue waiting for the stage where she would select her followers.

On the high platform, Holy Lord Mu Qingyu announced the intention to select followers with a smile and a clear voice.

As soon as her voice fell, a figure impatiently stepped out from the crowd; it was the Holy Son Gu Chen.

He straightened his robes, wore what he thought was his most charming smile, looked at Ji Siyu with burning eyes, and bowed:

"Holy Son Gu Chen is willing to follow your side and serve you with total devotion!"

Gu Chen’s initiative surprised everyone slightly.

After all, as a Holy Son, his status was honorable; for him to be so eager showed that he was captivated by Ji Siyu’s charm.

Ji Siyu’s cold gaze landed on Gu Chen; that gaze was like ten-thousand-year-old ice, without the slightest ripple.

"Show your ability."

Her voice was crisp yet carried an unquestionable coldness, like jade beads falling onto an ice plate.

Gu Chen’s spirits rose, and he said with full confidence: "My cultivation has reached the Saint Realm, and I have made considerable achievements in the path of Alchemy. I am confident that among the younger generation, no one can surpass me in the art of Alchemy."

He deliberately ignored the fact that he had been defeated by Chen Chuan that day.

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of many informed Disciples below showed strange expressions, and they secretly despised him: "How shameless. He just lost and dares to claim to be number one in Alchemy?"

Everyone thought that since Gu Chen was a Holy Son and excelled in both cultivation and Alchemy, he should be accepted.

However, Ji Siyu did not hesitate for even a moment and directly spoke indifferently: "You are not suitable."

Her voice was not loud, yet it spread clearly across the entire square, carrying a resolute rejection.

"What?"

The square was in an uproar.

No one expected that this future successor would be so arrogant as to not even look twice at a Holy Son who took the initiative to pledge his loyalty.

This requirement is simply too high!

The smile on Gu Chen’s face instantly froze, his face turning from red to white, embarrassed to the extreme.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but under Ji Siyu’s temperature-less gaze, all the words were blocked in his throat.

In the end, he could only resentfully cup his hands and turn away in disgrace, his back looking exceptionally pathetic.

In the eyes of the other Holy Sons and Saintesses, his actions just now were no different from those of a buffoon.

Just as Gu Chen stepped down, another person stood out.

This person was dressed in green, carrying an ancient sword on his back, with a handsome face and eyes as sharp as a sword; it was one of the Holy Sons, Jian Chen.

He looked directly at Ji Siyu’s peerless face without any avoidance, his eyes carrying unconcealed admiration and heat.

"Saintess Highness," Jian Chen’s voice was clear, carrying the unique sharpness of a Sword Cultivator: "I, Jian Chen, have a question that I must ask."

He paused slightly and said something shocking: "I wonder what requirements the Saintess Highness has for a future Dao Companion?"

Then, he asked even more boldly and directly: "I wonder if I, Jian Chen, might have a chance?"

"Whoa!"

The square instantly exploded into a frenzy.

No one expected that Jian Chen would be so bold and direct as to publicly express his affection on such an occasion.

This was even more explosive than Gu Chen wanting to be a follower!

However, looking at Ji Siyu’s breathtaking appearance and temperament, everyone felt that Jian Chen’s behavior seemed understandable?

Facing Jian Chen’s almost offensive question, there was still no ripple on Ji Siyu’s always-frozen beautiful face, as if what she heard were just the most ordinary words.

But those cold eyes of hers clearly became a few degrees colder, and the chill exuding from her body grew heavier.

"Take one sword strike from me." She opened her red lips, her tone devoid of any emotion: "If you can’t take it, then get lost."

The cold words, carrying an unquestionable dominance and a hint of anger, made the surrounding temperature seem to drop by several degrees.

Jian Chen’s expression was stunned; he clearly hadn’t expected Ji Siyu’s response to be so direct and overbearing.

He was a Sword Dao Genius, proud and arrogant; when had he ever been so looked down upon?

Let him take one strike?

This was clearly not taking him seriously at all!

A surge of pride rose in his heart, Sword Intent erupted in Jian Chen’s eyes, and he said loudly: "Fine! Since the Saintess has such an interest, Jian Chen will experience your high-level moves! Please!"

In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on the two of them, filled with expectation and nervousness.

Everyone wanted to see with their own eyes just what kind of startling strength this future successor possessed, who was so highly regarded by the Holy Lord and had a temperament as cold and proud as a Fairy’s.

Above the square, the atmosphere instantly became tense and explosive.