Cultivating Immortality Begins with Acting as a Girl Chapter 148

“So Princess Zhaoming passed all the assessments? Didn’t they say the fifth stage was extremely difficult, with only five people passing in ten years?”

“What’s so strange about that? If those before her could pass, then those after naturally can too. What’s more, Princess Zhaoming has several loyal subordinates who have been following her, giving her a much greater advantage compared to others.”

“Setting everything else aside, I really admire her. I heard that those who passed the fifth stage before did so because of their white aptitude, thus they had to risk their lives. But she has red aptitude, she could easily qualify, yet she still risked her life to participate in the assessment.”

“What a pity. If such a wicked woman who indiscriminately kills innocents had died in the assessment, that would have been great.”

“Shhh, watch your words! Didn’t you hear the Purple Radiance Sect disciple who arranged for us to come in say that basically anyone with seventy points or more has a chance to be accepted as a direct disciple by an elder? For someone like Princess Zhaoming, who got a perfect score, she can even actively choose to become a disciple of any elder. If you don’t want your future days to be difficult, you’d best control your mouth!”

Inside the hall, everyone whispered, while Song Ling remained oblivious.

“Cough.”

Dong Zhixuan naturally heard these voices. He feigned a cough to signal for quiet, then raised his hand and pointed to a table at the very front of the crowd, saying to Song Ling, “That is the seat for those who achieve a perfect score in the assessment. It has been many years since anyone sat there. Today, it belongs to you.”

“Thank you, Immortal Master Dong.”

Song Ling bowed and, under the gazes of those around her, walked to the front table and sat down.

Dong Zhixuan said in a clear voice:

“You all wait here for now. The sect entry ceremony will begin in half an hour.”

With that, Dong Zhixuan turned and left.

Inside the grand hall, sunlight poured in generously through the exquisite window lattices, like a sharp sword, cutting Song Ling and the crowd behind him into two sides of light and shadow. A faint halo reflected around the girl’s slender figure, making her appear somewhat dazzling.

Song Ling lightly closed his eyes and waited for an unknown period of time until a bell sound, like a rolling thunder, echoed from the depths of the grand hall, deep and solemn, shaking everyone’s minds.

As the bell sound faded, a melodious and clear chant came from outside the grand hall:

“Welcome, the Sect Master of Purple Radiance Sect and all the esteemed Elders!”

Everyone in the grand hall immediately stood up, tidying their clothes and showing respectful expressions.

A moment later, an old man, dressed in a purple-gold robe with white hair and beard but still full of vigor, slowly stepped into the grand hall. Following closely behind him were seven cultivators, each with distinct demeanors and temperaments.

The eight individuals walked through the group of young disciples and headed directly to the high platform in the grand hall.

The leading old man sat in the main seat, while the other seven sat on either side, leaving three empty seats.

Among the seven, Song Ling saw Elder Xue Chenfeng, the one from Princess Zhaoming’s memory. He was a man with a walrus mustache, a long, thin face, narrow eyes, and appeared to be about fifty years old.

At this moment, the other party also saw him, and his eyes revealed an uncomfortable smile.

Song Ling’s expression remained calm as he averted his gaze.

It was hard to imagine how the real Princess Zhaoming had feigned compliance under this person’s humiliation for nearly ten years.

“Greetings, everyone. This old man is Cen Hongzhe, the current Sect Master of Purple Radiance Sect.”

“Today is the day for our new disciples, meaning your entry into the sect. I am very pleased to see that many excellent talents have emerged among you, especially a perfect scorer in the assessment, something not seen in a hundred years…”

The old man on the main seat of the high platform spoke in a steady voice. When he reached this point, his gaze fell on Song Ling, and a hint of approval appeared in his eyes.

He paused, then continued:

“I hope you all can grow vigorously in the fertile ground of Purple Radiance Sect and become pillars of the sect.”

“Next, I will conduct the sect entry ceremony for you. From today onwards, you will be official disciples of Purple Radiance Sect!”

Inside the grand hall, everyone’s expressions were excited. After striving for so long, they could finally get their wish.

After going through the tedious procedures of reciting sect rules and taking oaths, Cen Hongzhe said:

“Now, it’s time to determine your assignments within the sect. You should already know that disciples of Purple Radiance Sect are mainly divided into two types: ordinary disciples and direct disciples. These seven individuals on my left and right are all Foundation Establishment stage elders of Purple Radiance Sect. They have already been informed of your performance and scores during the assessment, and perhaps they already have candidates in mind to take as disciples. However, before that…”

Cen Hongzhe looked at Song Ling and smiled, “Shen Shaohua, as the perfect scorer in this assessment, you have the priority right to choose your master. Do you have an elder you wish to apprentice under?”

“Disciple—”

Song Ling had just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by a voice from the left side of the high platform:

“Hehe, Sect Master, Shaohua grew up under my watchful eye, and I was the first to discover her extraordinary cultivation aptitude. Her coming to participate in our Purple Radiance Sect’s disciple recruitment assembly was precisely to become my disciple. Who would have thought, she accidentally got a perfect score, making me feel quite honored.”

The speaker was none other than Xue Chenfeng, with the walrus mustache.

“Tsk, Old Ghost Xue, she risked her life to get a perfect score, perhaps precisely to avoid becoming your disciple. Why are you trying to flatter yourself here?”

On the right side of the high platform, a young man, appearing to be in his twenties, leaning back in his chair with a cynical demeanor, sneered at Xue Chenfeng and then said to Song Ling, “Little girl, come be my disciple, I’ll give you ten spirit stones every month!”

Xue Chenfeng’s face darkened, and he said bitterly, “Zhan Xiangwen! It’s fine that you usually go against me, but today, on such a day, you’re still so unrestrained with your words. What kind of decorum is that?!”

Zhan Xiangwen shrugged indifferently, a playful smile on his lips. “Elder Xue, I’m just speaking the truth. Besides, within the sect, it’s about fair competition. Since Shen Shaohua has the right to choose her master, if I offer better conditions, wouldn’t it be reasonable for her to choose me?”

“Junior Brother Zhan makes a good point. Then I’ll join in the fun too.”

Sitting to the right of Zhan Xiangwen, a man in a red long robe also said with a smile, “Shen Shaohua, my name is He Haobei. Among all the elders present, I am the most skilled in combat and have considerable insight into the art of spells. If you become my disciple, I can make you the strongest among the younger generation.”

“You’re boasting without thinking. If you’re the most skilled in combat, then who am I?”

No sooner had He Haobei finished speaking than he was refuted by a bearded cultivator sitting opposite him.

For a moment, the high platform was filled with constant arguments, leaving the new disciples below dumbfounded. This was far from the “flowing robes, immortal aura, and desireless” image of cultivation grandmasters they had in their minds.

…