"Greetings, Sect Master." All the audience bowed and saluted the Sect Master.
As the contemporary Sect Master, Zhang Zhenhai may not have the highest cultivation or the strongest fighting skills in the Immortal Gate, but he is definitely the most respected.
For several hundred years, he has stepped forward multiple times during critical moments for the sect, unwilling to abandon any disciple. He is a hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for the Immortal Gate.
"No need to be so formal, I am just an old man on his deathbed. The future of the Immortal Gate belongs to all of you.
Let me introduce you to Lu Chuan, who suddenly appeared earlier. He is my closed-door disciple.
He is from the same generation as all of you and should have participated in this competition. However, he was injured during a mission and only recovered today.
I was worried that you would not accept him as your senior brother, but now it seems that he has become the first place winner in the internal disciples' competition.
Who among you still wants to challenge him? If you win, I will make an exception and accept you as my disciple."
Everyone shook their heads in silence, causing the Sect Master to burst into laughter.
Afterwards, the Sect Master explained how Lu Chuan went out on a mission, how he deciphered the core, and how many righteous cultivators he saved.
When the Sect Master came down, everyone's attention was on him, allowing Lu Chuan to slip into the crowd.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. The rewards have been distributed.
Skill: Disguise Technique.
Received 150 points for the villain's score.
Current physique: Chaotic Immortal Physique (Body Refining), Flawless Sword Body (Sword Cultivation).
Learned skill: Great Accomplishment in Disguise Technique.
Remaining points: 254]
After completing the mission, Li Chuan joyfully received the system's rewards.
With each improvement, the probability of him surviving under the protagonist's halo increased.
Although the course of events had deviated from the plot of the novel.
"System, if I don't participate, will Luo Li still have a desperate comeback and defeat Sima Dong, as written in the original plot?" Lu Chuan couldn't help but ask the system.
[Luo Li is controlled by the Petrification Stone, and the outcome is already determined.
If the host doesn't participate, the elders will still come down and announce Sima Dong as the winner.]
"Why is it different from the novel's plot?" Lu Chuan asked in confusion.
[Perhaps it's the butterfly effect caused by the host's actions. This is reality, where even a small change can alter the outcome. It's impossible for everything to follow the development in the novel.]
[T/N: I don't understand how the butterfly effect could affect this. It has not been long since his transmigration and his actions had no direct nor indirect correlation to these two people.]
The system's words reminded Lu Chuan that he needed to consider unexpected situations.
Perhaps one day, the protagonist would discover that he was a villain and would come to kill him in advance.
Under the premise of completing the mission, it would be best to pretend to be harmless.
Be low-key in normal times and avoid attracting attention.
"Senior Brother Lu Chuan." Luo Li found Lu Chuan in the crowd and tapped him on the shoulder.
Lu Chuan turned around and saw Luo Li, immediately putting away the system as if facing a formidable enemy.
He asked cautiously, "What do you want from me?"
"Senior Brother, you just stood up for me and vented my anger. I came here to thank you."
"I just couldn't stand that petty Sima Dong, playing tricks on the stage. There's no need to thank me."
Upon hearing this, Luo Li knew that this senior brother was also a person of character, someone who liked to act righteously. She felt a slight fondness for him.
"By the way, Senior Brother, many elders came to me just now, wanting to accept me as their direct disciple. Do you have any suggestions?"
Of course, Lu Chuan had to guide the plot in the direction he was familiar with. "I see that you are skilled in swordsmanship. Among the elders who excel in swordsmanship in the Immortal Gate, there is one named Lin Qingxue. You can go and pay your respects to her as your master. You will surely achieve great things in the future."
Following the plot, Luo Li would eventually become a True Immortal, stepping on various Immortal Emperors, and having relationships with various Saintesses, whether they be from the demonic path or the righteous path. This was a great achievement.
"Senior Brother, you overestimate me. Compared to you, I can only be considered to have a slight understanding of swordsmanship. I have a lot to learn from you, Senior Brother."
The elder Lin Qingxue that Lu Chuan mentioned, Luo Li actually knows her.
She saved her life when she was still in the mortal world. Luo Li didn't expect her to be an elder of the Immortal Gate.
Lin Qingxue helped others without asking for anything in return, nor did she leave any reputation behind. She simply can't stand by and watch the innocents suffer.
"What's wrong with me?" Lin Qingxue took some time to find Lu Chuan in the crowd, coincidentally overhearing the conversation between Luo Li and Lu Chuan about apprenticeship.
Mainly because the Sect Master's praise of Lu Chuan deeply touched her, she had been listening in the front row for a while.
The admiring expressions on the disciples' faces around her were quite interesting.
"How about that, Lu Chuan is amazing! Did you only realize it now?" Lin Qingxue wanted to say loudly to these people.
"Why are you here, Martial Aunt?"
Lin Qingxue raised her fair hand and tapped Lu Chuan's forehead.
"I came here out of concern for your condition, but it seems I interrupted your romantic conversation with your junior sister," Lin Qingxue said.
"I wasn't having a romantic conversation with anyone, and besides, Luo Li is my junior brother," Lu Chuan replied truthfully. Despite Luo Li's petite figure and handsome face, Lu Chuan acknowledged that he was indeed a man.
"Nice to meet you, Elder Lin," Luo Li greeted Lin Qingxue respectfully.
However, observing their interaction, it was hard to believe that they had an elder and junior relationship. This made others curious about their connection.
"Hmph!" Lin Qingxue didn't believe that Luol L was a man and thought Lu Chuan was playing a trick on her.
"Martial Aunt, Luoli is talking to you. Give him a response. He might even want to become your disciple," Lu Chuan said.
"Our sect only accepts male disciples," Lin Qingxue replied.
"In that case, Martial Aunt, what about you?" Lu Chuan had experienced many encounters with Lin Qingxue and knew better than anyone whether Lin Qingxue was a man or a woman.
"Elder Lin, I am indeed a man. Do you remember saving me in the capital of Xia Kingdom, five thousand miles north of the Immortal Gate? I am interested in swordsmanship and have great admiration for you. I would like to become your disciple," Luo Li explained.
While saying this, Luo Li felt a bit nervous, fearing rejection, but more importantly, fearing that her true identity as a woman would be exposed. Since fleeing from the Xia Kingdom, she had possessed a High Level Spirit Treasure that could disrupt others' perception abilities, making it impossible for others to determine her gender based on her aura. Since entering the Immortal Gate, she had been disguising herself as a man named Luo Li, and she had never revealed her secret to anyone. She had hidden it well. Calculating the time, she had been living as a man for five years and was confident in not being exposed.
Lu Chuan suggested, "Elder Lin, since you have such a connection, why not just accept him as your disciple? After all, your swordsmanship needs a successor."
Lu Chuan's suggestion made sense, and Lin Qingxue realized that it was indeed time for her to take on a disciple.
"From today onwards, Luo Li, you are my disciple. Pack your belongings and come back to the mountain with me later," Lin Qingxue declared.
"Disciple Luo Li pays respects to Master," Luoli said happily. Lu Chuan was truly her lucky star, and she was determined to get along well with him.
"We don't have many formalities in our sect. Just do what you need to do. You can move to the mountain tonight," Lin Qingxue instructed.
"Yes, Master. I will go back to my residence in the inner sect to get my things," Luo Li bowed to both of them before leaving to retrieve her luggage.
Not long after Luo Li left, the sect leader finished his speech. He exaggerated Lu Chuan's experiences in the Secret Realm and praised him highly, using him as an example for the disciples of the Immortal Gate. Above the martial arts stage, the elders were discussing the unlimited potential of the Immortal Gate's future.
"With disciples like Luo Li, how can the Immortal Gate not prosper?"
"In recent years, the Demon Dao Cultivators have been causing trouble, and there are even rumors of the righteous path's decline. But today, with talented disciples like Luo Li and Lu Chuan, who are loyal and righteous, those rumors will be debunked."
"Hahaha, the sect leader has truly gained an excellent disciple. What great fortune!"
The disciples watching cheered and discussed Lu Chuan loudly.
"Senior Brother is truly extraordinary!"
"That despicable Sima scoundrel should be grateful for losing to Senior Brother Lu Chuan."
"Weren't you just calling him Young Master Sima? Why the change in tone?"
"That Sima scoundrel not only made me lose my capital, but now I owe money to the house. I'm being generous by not calling him my son."
These words caused many disciples to burst into laughter.
Lu Chuan, as the winner of the inner sect competition, was truly admired by everyone. Lin Qingxue couldn't help but laugh at his expense.
Lin Qingxue, dressed in Daoist robes, had a unique beauty. The original story portrayed her as cold and emotionally restrained, but now she was laughing uncontrollably by his side.
Once again, Lu Chuan felt that this world was not entirely following the plot. Although Earth was his hometown, he had been abandoned by it. On the other hand, the cultivation world was not as one-sided as depicted in novels, with clear distinctions between good and evil. Instead, it was filled with vibrant, real people with desires and emotions.
Compared to his previous life, where he lived aimlessly for the sake of empty promises, he now felt more alive.