Chapter 269 - 164: Heaven-Ascending Road, Sensed by All Parties

Chapter 269: Chapter 164: Heaven-Ascending Road, Sensed by All Parties

Of these 136 Holy Sects, at least a third were merely here to watch the spectacle, while another third were hostile factions trying to probe for information.

"Elder Wu, contact Huaiyu. What is the situation on his end?" Master Beardless asked as his gaze swept across the crowd.

A moment later, a report came back. "Elder, word from Huaiyu says the two have already entered the Teleportation Array. They will arrive at any moment."

Master Beardless nodded. He stepped forward slowly to face the endless sea of people. With a slight downward press of his hands, a profound silence instantly fell over the Endless Mountain Range. He first offered a slight bow to the many Cultivators before his voice boomed, shaking the heavens.

"Everyone, I am Master Beardless, the current Sect Leader of the Beardless Sect. On behalf of our entire sect, I thank all of you fellow Daoists for gracing us with your presence. After three thousand years, our Beardless Sect has once again established the position of Eldest Senior Brother. I hope that all of you will look after him in the future. You have my preemptive thanks.

"Now, in my capacity as the fifty-seventh Sect Leader, I officially announce the commencement of the Beardless Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother investiture ceremony!"

BUZZ!

As his voice faded, the deep, resonant blasts of heavy horns echoed throughout the entire Holy Ladder Realm, followed closely by the drawn-out tolling of a bell that rang nine times.

BOOM!

Amidst the blaring horns, Master Beardless took a deep breath. His aged eyes slowly turned toward the Teleportation Array belonging exclusively to the Beardless Sect.

He abruptly waved his large hand, and a path of Holy Light materialized out of thin air, stretching directly toward the array. This Saint Dao crossed the void and bridged the sea of people, leading straight to the other side.

At once, countless Cultivators from the various factions of Thousand Sects Island, along with hundreds of thousands of disciples and Elders of the Beardless Sect, turned to look. All eyes were locked on the end of the Teleportation Array. The representatives attending the ceremony were especially eager to see exactly who this newly appointed Eldest Senior Brother was.

FLASH!

As the Saint Dao connected the teleportation platform to the Holy Ladder Altar, a blinding pillar of light suddenly erupted from the array with impeccable timing. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, two humanoid silhouettes slowly emerged from within the endless brilliance.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes fixed intently on the two figures.

"Someone capable of being appointed as the Eldest Senior Brother of a Holy Sect must be a peerless genius, right?"

"Who exactly could it be? Is ’Qin Fan’ just a pseudonym? Could it be someone from our Thousand Sects Island who is already world-renowned?"

When the Teleportation Array lit up the sky, many Holy Sect representatives who had yet to receive any inside information began speculating wildly about who was about to step out. Some Cultivators even suspected that the Beardless Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother was definitely a famously unparalleled talent from Thousand Sects Island.

However, when the light dissipated and a young man in white revealed himself, countless Cultivators were taken aback. That face was far too unfamiliar—so unfamiliar that no one had the slightest impression of it.

"This is the Beardless Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother?"

"This aura... it doesn’t feel like the aura of our Thousand Sects Island. Could he be an Outer World Cultivator?"

"It seems the rumors were true. The Beardless Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother really isn’t a disciple from their own sect."

"Is he the genius Master Beardless picked up from the Cyan Mist Sect, the Outer World Cultivator Qin Fan?"

"How strange. Why can’t I sense any danger from him at all? Did he conceal his cultivation?"

Upon his appearance, countless Outer Sect Cultivators began to whisper among themselves. This Eldest Senior Brother of the Beardless Sect didn’t seem to have anything extraordinary about him. He completely lacked the overbearing aura typical of the Saint Sons and Saintesses of other sects.

Yet, upon closer inspection, they felt something was different. He was simply too much at ease. Dressed in white as pure as snow, he was elegant, poised, and graceful, looking for all the world like an Exiled Immortal descending to the mortal realm.

Under the intense scrutiny of hundreds of thousands of Cultivators, Jiang Hao slowly rose into the air and walked along the Saint Dao. His gaze, however, immediately shot toward the Holy Ladder at the edge of the world.

"Grandmaster Beardless, is he really the future Eldest Senior Brother of the Beardless Sect?" Mu Ran Yuxin blinked her beautiful eyes, staring in a slight daze at the slowly approaching figure. It wasn’t that his aura intimidated her. Rather, the moment she saw him, an indescribable feeling welled up within her.

High in the boundless void, Mu Wanli and Mu Wan Ning were also transfixed by the young man in white. Seeing him again sparked a unique emotion in both of their hearts.

Stepping off the Saint Dao, Jiang Hao bowed slightly, offering a respectful greeting to Master Beardless and Master Wuchen. "Junior Brother greets Sect Leader Senior Brother, and Senior Brother Wuchen."

Stroking his beard, Master Beardless sensed Jiang Hao’s concealed aura and nodded with gratification. He thought that Junior Brother Qin had truly taken his words to heart.

With Jiang Hao’s arrival, the investiture ceremony officially commenced under the watchful eyes of the endless sea of Cultivators. Ethereal music swelled across the entire Holy Ladder Realm. Under the crowning rites performed by three Saints, the young man burned incense and offered prayers that reached the heavens and honored the sect’s founders. After navigating layer upon layer of tedious formalities, the investiture ceremony officially concluded.

Following the ceremony was the formal acceptance of respects from hundreds of thousands of Beardless Sect disciples. Their synchronized shouts of greeting to their Eldest Senior Brother pierced the clouds, deafening to the ear.

For the visiting Cultivators, such an overly formal ceremony was incredibly tedious. It dragged on for a full two hours. However, the moment it finally ended, everyone perked up, as the next segment was the true main event.

"The grand ceremony is complete! The final item is ascending the Holy Ladder," Master Beardless announced, turning to Jiang Hao. "Junior Brother Qin, once you ascend the Holy Ladder and gain the recognition of the ten sects, you shall be the well-deserved Eldest Senior Brother of our Beardless Sect from this day forward."