The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 2

She’s the elder’s disciple, not the Sect Leader’s…

The Imperial Tranquility Sect, where Bo Xuenong resided, was a pure sword cultivation sect with a history spanning over ten thousand years. In terms of longevity, it ranked among the top sects in the entire Cultivation World. However, the Imperial Tranquility Sect was only considered a third-rate sect, and the problem lay in its insistence on purity. Sword cultivation demanded exceptionally high talent from its disciples, and upon entering the path, each disciple needed a high-quality sword as their lifelong companion.

If a sword was of insufficient quality and easily broken, it could become a lifelong mental burden for the cultivator.

Moreover, sword cultivation was arduous, requiring constant practice and refinement without shortcuts. Unlike Pill Cultivators who could rapidly advance by consuming pills, or Spirit Cultivators who could cultivate together with Dao Companions, sword cultivators had few willing practitioners to begin with. The Imperial Tranquility Sect lacked the legendary swords passed down through generations found in other sword cultivation sects, and it lacked a renowned master craftsman to oversee weapon forging. Instead, new disciples received only sword manuals and forging techniques, leaving them to forge their own companion swords through trial and error. The fact that the sect’s traditions had survived at all was a testament to the ancestors’ blessings.

Bo Xuenong differed from the other disciples. Her companion sword, Xuan Mo, had been given to her by Shen Yanting. According to the Sect Leader, Shen Yanting had won it from the Young Sect Master of the Nethergate Sect, one of the three great sects.

Perhaps because she possessed such a remarkable sword, Bo Xuenong’s cultivation path progressed with extraordinary smoothness.

In just five hundred years of cultivation, she had already become one of the top three strongest cultivators in the Imperial Tranquility Sect. Only her master, Shen Yanting, and her martial aunt, Feng Yingbo, ranked ahead of her. Even Sect Leader Fu Yunqing trailed behind.

Of course, Bo Xuenong wasn’t the only disciple of her generation capable of surpassing Fu Yunqing. This wasn’t due to any exceptional talent among their cohort, but rather because Sect Leader Fu Yunqing was remarkably weak, having only reached the mid-stage of Core Formation after all these years.

While cultivation paths varied, the hierarchical structure of cultivation realms remained consistent across all disciplines. Regardless of the path chosen, practitioners first condensed their qi, then established their foundation. Only after perfecting their foundation could they choose their specific path. Once a path was chosen, progress could no longer be measured solely by internal spiritual energy.

Take sword cultivators as an example: with sufficient spiritual energy, they first condensed their sword intent, achieving the peak of Core Formation when they could communicate simply with their blade. Reaching the peak of Golden Core required the sword to move in perfect harmony with their will. The peak of Nascent Soul was marked by forging a sword bone, while the peak of Out-of-Body required the body to become as resilient as the sword itself. Achieving the peak of Spirit Severing meant forging a sword heart.

Once a sword heart was formed, the cultivator had to forge the sword itself. Only when the sword gained its own heart, reaching the peak of Body Integration, could it become a Divine Artifact, marking the peak of Great Ascension. Only then could one attain enlightenment and ascend to immortality.

The path of cultivation follows a similar principle: with abundant spiritual energy, one must reach the peak of their current stage to break through.

Fu Yunqing possessed ample spiritual energy, yet her lack of harmony with her sword had kept her stuck at the mid-stage of Core Formation for three centuries. Human Cultivators in the Core Formation stage rarely live beyond eight hundred years, and Fu Yunqing was nearing that age. If she didn’t break through soon, her lifespan would reach its limit.

Fu Yunqing’s ascension to Sect Leader had little to do with her own strength. As she herself recounted, when she first entered the Inner Sect, her talent was the weakest among the disciples, making her a frequent target of bullying. One day, Shen Yanting arrived at the Imperial Tranquility Sect carrying Bo Xuenong. Shen Yanting had urgent matters to discuss with the Sect Leader and entrusted the then five-year-old Bo Xuenong to Fu Yunqing’s care. Fu Yunqing never learned the details of Shen Yanting’s conversation with the Sect Leader, but afterward, Shen Yanting became a disciple of the Imperial Tranquility Sect, and Fu Yunqing was appointed Young Sect Master.

While other sects in the Cultivation World fought tooth and nail for the Sect Leader’s position, Fu Yunqing secured her position as Sect Leader of the Imperial Tranquility Sect simply by entertaining a child for two hours.

This position wasn’t something she had seized; it had been given to her by Shen Yanting. For years, Fu Yunqing had been deeply grateful to Shen Yanting for transforming her from a lowly disciple whom everyone bullied into the revered Sect Leader. If the opportunity arose, she would undoubtedly return the Sect Leader’s position to Shen Yanting’s lineage.

Fu Yunqing grasped Bo Xuenong’s hand, tears welling in her eyes. “Xuenong, you are Senior Sister Shen’s beloved disciple. This Sect Leader’s position rightfully belongs to you.”

Not this again.

How many times has this been this month?

At least eight times, I think.

Since Fu Yunqing had no disciples of her own, she had spent the past two years trying to persuade either Bo Xuenong or Junior Sister Feng Jin, who was under Feng Yingbo’s tutelage, to succeed her as Sect Leader. Lately, she had been summoned at odd hours to listen to these sentimental speeches. While Fu Yunqing was grateful to Shen Yanting, she refused to use this as an excuse to force the Sect Leader’s position onto Bo Xuenong.

If Shen Yanting didn’t want it, neither did she.

Bo Xuenong’s greatest wish was to follow in her Master’s footsteps and one day become the strongest elder of the Imperial Tranquility Sect.

That was the only logical path.

She was a disciple of an elder, not the Sect Leader.

Bo Xuenong’s dark eyes remained fixed on Fu Yunqing, who was still holding forth across the room. The corners of her lips, which had been slightly upturned, nearly trembled with the effort to maintain her composure. Gradually, she stopped hearing Fu Yunqing’s voice, only seeing her lips moving incessantly.

Even without sound, the sight was infuriating.

So annoying. I want to kill her.

Bo Xuenong’s murderous intent grew stronger, her hand instinctively reaching for Xuan Mo.

Suddenly, Shen Yanting’s voice cut through the air: “Junior Sister, Nong’er is still young and not yet ready to bear the weight of the Sect Leader’s position.”

Hearing Shen Yanting’s words, the corners of Bo Xuenong’s lips, which had been drooping slightly, curved upward again. Her hand immediately released Xuan Mo, and the gaze she fixed on Fu Yunqing softened, her voice dropping to a low, gentle tone: “Sect Leader, Master is right. I’m not yet qualified for such a role.”

I can’t kill her.

Master is very fond of her as the Sect Leader.

Bo Xuenong inwardly reasoned with herself, hoping Fu Yunqing would follow Master’s lead and accept the situation. She didn’t particularly dislike the Sect Leader—as long as Fu Yunqing didn’t bother her.

Fu Yunqing had long since taken a Youth Preservation Pill.

Though her lifespan was nearing its end, she still appeared remarkably young.

Fu Yunqing was only about two hundred years older than Bo Xuenong, a relatively small age difference in the cultivation world. Combined with the sect’s emphasis on strength and hierarchy, this led Fu Yunqing to often act spoiled and clingy toward Bo Xuenong. “Xuenong, don’t underestimate yourself,” she would say. “You’re the third strongest cultivator in the Imperial Tranquility Sect. What’s a mere Sect Leader’s position that you can’t handle? I don’t know how much longer I’ll live, so this Sect Leader’s position…”

“Sect Leader!” Bo Xuenong blurted out, interrupting Fu Yunqing. Only after the words left her mouth did she realize her rudeness. She frantically glanced toward Shen Yanting, but Shen Yanting didn’t even look at her, which relieved her.

Bo Xuenong quickly tried to recover. She reached out and firmly grasped Fu Yunqing’s hands, tears welling in her eyes. “Sect Leader, please don’t say such things. Xuenong will do everything in her power to find you a Longevity Pill. You’ll surely live for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, leading the Imperial Tranquility Sect to even greater glory.”

“Xuenong!” Fu Yunqing was deeply moved, squeezing Bo Xuenong’s hands so tightly that her knuckles turned red.

Bo Xuenong’s hand trembled slightly, and she lowered her head.

A flash of cold calculation flickered in her eyes.

Shen Yanting’s brow twitched slightly as she silently took half a step forward. She cleared her throat and said, “Nong’er, a new batch of disciples from the Imperial Tranquility Sect is arriving today. Go down the mountain to greet them.”

“Yes!” Bo Xuenong didn’t dare linger a moment longer and hastily fled.

Fu Yunqing glared resentfully at Shen Yanting, who had inexplicably arrived with Bo Xuenong. “Senior Sister Shen, why did you interrupt my efforts to deepen my bond with Xuenong? How am I supposed to persuade her to become Sect Leader now, using reason and emotion?”

Shen Yanting remained silent, prompting Fu Yunqing to press on. “Senior Sister Shen, Xuenong even shed tears for me just now. If I keep trying, I’m sure I can convince her.”

With a cold expression, Shen Yanting curled her fingertips slightly. “Junior Sister, Nong’er might not like you as much as you think.”

“Senior Sister Shen! Xuenong has always treated me so well, and I cherish her like my own disciple! How can you bear to sow discord between us?” Fu Yunqing clutched her chest, her eyes fixed on Shen Yanting with wounded reproach. “She even offered to help me find a Longevity Pill earlier! What a kind child!”

Shen Yanting’s nails dug into her palm. She casually placed a bottle of pills before Fu Yunqing. “Junior Sister, I have Longevity Pills right here.”

“No need, Senior Sister! Please keep it!” Fu Yunqing pushed the Longevity Pill back into Shen Yanting’s palm. “Extending one’s life with this pill means enduring the pain of one’s skin cracking inch by inch every day. I can’t bear it. Senior Sister Shen, I just want to pass on the Sect Leader position as soon as possible so I can travel freely… Senior Sister, Xuenong and Jin’er aren’t keen on it either. Perhaps you…”

Before Fu Yunqing could finish, Shen Yanting’s figure flickered, and she was already at the entrance of Warm Moon Hall. With another flicker, she vanished completely, leaving Fu Yunqing alone, brooding over the Sect Leader’s Seal she couldn’t give away. Back then, they had all dreamed of obtaining this position. How could Bo Xuenong and the others show such disinterest in becoming Sect Leader now?

Having Shen Yanting arrange for Bo Xuenong to greet the new disciples did solve one of Fu Yunqing’s worries. Feng Yingbo was responsible for welcoming new disciples to the Imperial Tranquility Sect, and she always sent her disciple, Feng Jin, to handle the task. Not that Fu Yunqing wanted to criticize Feng Jin, but her temperament was nothing like her master’s—she was far too violent. The last time Feng Jin went down the mountain to greet new disciples, one of them merely exchanged a few jokes with her. In response, Feng Jin brutally shattered every bone in his body, leaving him still recovering and unable to cultivate.

She still favored Bo Xuenong as the Sect Leader’s successor. Not only was Xuenong beautiful and good-tempered, but she also wouldn’t cripple someone on a whim.