I won’t be sleepy anymore.

Rubbing his forehead slightly, Tian Qingning truly didn’t know what to say about Xu Jinghuai. He used to be such a promising talent, so why did he become a money-grubbing individual after that training experience?

And he was a Venerable, no less…

‘Ah well, as long as this little brat is willing to take a disciple.’

Tian Qingning waved his hand, “Alright, since Jinghuai, you’ve agreed, then hurry up and choose a disciple. Don’t regret not finding a suitable disciple when all the other peak masters and elders have made their choices.”

“Yes, Sect Master! However… before that, Jinghuai has one small request.” Xu Jinghuai spoke.

Tian Qingning frowned slightly.

He had a feeling this little brat was up to something.

He asked cautiously, “What is it?”

Xu Jinghuai chuckled in his telepathic message, “Well, it’s just, after I take a disciple, could you, Sect Master, make a Heavenly Dao Oath to ensure your previous words count?”

Tian Qingning’s mouth twitched slightly. He truly wished he could go up and kick this little brat right now.

He was, after all, a Sect Master; how could he go back on his word? Was he afraid he would default on his promise?

Tian Qingning took a deep breath: “Alright, I can swear an oath, but you must take a disciple today. Don’t try to be clever with me!”

Xu Jinghuai was overjoyed to hear this: “Deal!”

As long as the Sect Master didn’t go back on his word, then this matter was settled!

Xu Jinghuai turned his gaze towards the immortal sprouts on the Immortal Platform.

His conversation with Tian Qingning earlier had been through telepathy; their secret exchange was known only to the two of them.

Since the Sect Master was so keen on him taking a disciple, and it was hard to refuse such hospitality, he could only reluctantly accept.

At this moment, Tian Qingning stood up, his hawk-like sharp eyes sweeping over the immortal sprouts below the Immortal Platform. He cleared his throat lightly and said in a deep, authoritative voice, “Everyone, you are very lucky.”

“Today is the 99th Disciple Recruitment Ceremony founded by my Wuling Immortal Sect, and it will also be the most grand and solemn one!”

“You might be curious, why does this Venerable say so?”

Tian Qingning paused, letting curiosity build among the crowd, then continued immediately.

“Because…”

“At this disciple recruitment ceremony, this Venerable and Youyun Immortal Venerable will both take disciples, and they will be personal disciples.”

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.

Not only the immortal sprouts below, but even the peak masters and elders present all showed expressions of astonishment.

They weren’t surprised that the Sect Master of Wuling Immortal Sect would take disciples, but…

Junior Brother Jinghuai was actually going to take disciples???

When did the Sect Master and Junior Brother Jinghuai discuss this?

In short, everyone was full of questions.

And the immortal sprouts reacted even more strongly.

Youyun Immortal Venerable is actually going to take disciples?!

“Gulp… Buddy next to me, punch me, let me see if I’m dreaming.”

“N-not dreaming, my thigh is already red from pinching, it hurts so much!”

“Awesome, man, you’re pretty harsh on yourself…”

The immortal sprouts below stirred with excitement.

Youyun Immortal Venerable had been renowned for a long time, but was the youngest Immortal Venerable.

Her illustrious reputation as a righteous light who slayed demons and evil had already spread throughout the entire Cangnan Realm! Truly worthy of the title of ‘Venerable of this Age’!

Who among cultivators in the world wouldn’t want to become a disciple of the current Venerable?

But alas, every time Youyun Immortal Venerable attended the disciple recruitment ceremony, she never once accepted a disciple.

This left many geniuses unable to find guidance, hitting brick walls every time.

Now, receiving the news from the Sect Master of Wuling Immortal Sect that Youyun Immortal Venerable would be taking disciples, how could they not be excited?

As for the person in question, Xu Jinghuai, he carefully savored the Sect Master’s words.

The Sect Master is also taking disciples?

This is not good…

Doesn’t this mean that the disciples they both take this time will be from the same batch, and no matter what they do in the future, they will be compared by the world?

If the disciples he cultivated were not as outstanding as the Sect Master’s, it could easily lead to various gossip that would damage his reputation as a Venerable.

Xu Jinghuai gave Tian Qingning a deep look.

Sect Master, are you planning to use this method to prevent me from slacking off and being half-hearted in teaching disciples?

As expected of the Sect Master, he truly plays a good game!

Hmph hmph…

It’s just a pity, my dear Sect Master~

You missed one thing!

Fame and integrity are already external things to me!

Xu Jinghuai’s lips curved slightly, and at this moment, filled with everyone’s anticipation, he stood up at just the right time, cleared his throat: “Indeed, as the Sect Master has said, all of you participating in this disciple recruitment ceremony possess quite good talents and temperaments among those this Venerable has seen. This Venerable is more or less inclined to take disciples.”

“However, as the Sect Master has just explained, this Venerable will not widely accept disciples.”

“This Venerable will only take a maximum of three personal disciples in this lifetime.”

“But at this disciple recruitment ceremony, this Venerable will only accept one disciple from among you.”

Xu Jinghuai’s words made everyone’s hearts rollercoaster, soaring to the clouds one moment, plummeting into the abyss the next, then bouncing back to the clouds, and finally crashing into the abyss.

In short, it meant: he could take disciples, but only a very small number.

The spots were limited, only three, and this session, only one lucky individual would be favored by Youyun Immortal Venerable and become a personal disciple of the Venerable.

All the immortal sprouts hoped to be chosen by Xu Jinghuai.

Imperceptibly, the spotlight of this disciple recruitment ceremony shifted to Xu Jinghuai.

Xu Jinghuai had already set his criteria for accepting disciples in his mind.

He was a Venerable, after all, so having some thresholds and requirements was not too much to ask, right?

Therefore, Xu Jinghuai openly declared his requirements for accepting disciples: “If any of you wish to become this Venerable’s disciple, I might as well tell you, this Venerable never cares about how high or low your aptitude is! But! Those who cannot meet the following thresholds are not qualified to be this Venerable’s disciple!”

“The first condition is temperament!”

“Be neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat, fearless of all external gossip and rumors!”

“If you believe you possess such temperament, please raise your hand.”

This was to prevent his own slacking off from causing his disciples to make no progress and be ridiculed later, losing confidence in their cultivation. He wanted to screen for disciples with excellent mindsets in advance.

Xu Jinghuai had a pretty good idea of his own teaching abilities.

However, to the immortal sprouts, these words were perfectly normal. Everyone’s eyes lit up, feeling like they could succeed, that becoming Youyun Immortal Venerable’s disciple was a real possibility. So, hands shot up in a uniform wave below.

Tian Qingning gazed at Xu Jinghuai’s figure, nodding with satisfaction.

It must be said, Xu Jinghuai, speaking earnestly at this moment, made him feel as if he was seeing the shadow of that dashing, peerless Immortal Venerable from years ago!

‘What’s this, that brat Jinghuai, he still has a somewhat proper appearance. If he wants to, he can still do it…’

Everyone quietly awaited Xu Jinghuai’s next condition for accepting disciples. Xu Jinghuai didn’t make them wait too long, then he spoke his second condition: “Secondly, the second condition is willingness to endure hardship!”

“Regarding this, I’ll give a very simple example: among all of you with raised hands, how many can cook for yourselves, self-sufficiently?”

“If you can’t cook, please lower your hand.”

When cultivators first embark on their cultivation journey, they aren’t able to abstain from grain yet and still need to satisfy their daily culinary desires. Although there are grain-abstinence pills, who would eat them as meals?

Xu Jinghuai himself couldn’t cook. If he took a disciple who couldn’t even cook, they would probably starve to death on the mountain within a few days.

So, being able to cook was of utmost importance, second only to the previous condition!

Xu Jinghuai’s second condition for accepting disciples was whether one could cook, which made all the immortal sprouts below look at each other.

Most of those who could step onto the Immortal Platform were scions of various family backgrounds, pampered in their families. How many of them knew how to cook?

Conversely, those from commoner rogue cultivator backgrounds looked overjoyed and eager.

Cook, you say?

If you bring that up, I’m suddenly not sleepy anymore!