Set your expectations to the lowest, which means choosing the sect with the lowest grade, and don't be indecisive, meaning make only one choice.
If Lu Ye's understanding was correct, then this was what Pang Dahai was trying to tell him at the end.
The key issue now was whether he should believe him!
After a moment of thought, Lu Ye had made a decision. He put down the brush in his hand and handed it over along with his jade tablet to the cultivator with the pencil mustache across from him, "Senior brother, I have made my choice."
The cultivator with the pencil mustache raised his eyebrows, "Won't you consider it a bit more?"
Lu Ye looked down and then back up, "No need."
With his terrifyingly low talent, even if he chose another sect, it would likely be futile. Rather than that, it was better to place his hopes on the last sect, Righteous Blood Sect. Pang Dahai had no reason to deliberately make fun of him since he had also given him two pieces of ore.
"Alright." The cultivator with the pencil mustache nodded, took Lu Ye's "application" and jade tablet, looked down, and said, "So you're that Lu Yiye."
"My name is Lu Ye, senior brother!" Lu Ye's eyes twitched.
"I know, Lu Yiye!" The cultivator with the pencil mustache looked at him with a smirk, emphasizing the "Yiye" part particularly heavily.
Lu Ye wanted to curse. He hadn't even set out into the world, and he already had a nickname. How was he supposed to get by in the future?
And who on earth was it that had spread the word about his terrible talent, Yiye?
Moments later, the cultivator with the pencil mustache had collected everyone's applications and took off into the sky, transforming into a streak of light as he headed toward the mountainside to the east.
There was a palace complex at that location, which used to be inhabited by cultivators from Evil Moon Valley. It had now become the temporary headquarters of the Haotian Alliance. Cultivators were constantly coming and going, and a large quantity of confiscated materials was piling up there, awaiting distribution.
He didn't stop along the way and went straight to the innermost palace. A female cultivator was standing guard at the entrance of the grand hall.
Seeing his arrival, the woman asked, "Is everything taken care of?"
The cultivator with the pencil mustache replied, "It's all here."
"Give it to me. The Lords are discussing the retreat. After they're done, I'll present it to them."
"We're retreating already?" The cultivator with the pencil mustache was clearly surprised.
The female cultivator said, "Ten Thousand Demons Ridge's response was faster than anticipated. Several sects are already gathering forces, so we need to leave here quickly."
Understanding, the cultivator with the pencil mustache nodded. Although the Haotian Alliance had brought many people, this was, after all, Ten Thousand Demons Ridge's territory. If a fight broke out again, the enemy could continuously send reinforcements, which would put them at a disadvantage.
Evil Moon Valley had already been taken down, and they had reaped a lot of benefits. It was naturally time to quit while they were ahead.
After handing over the stack of papers to the woman, the cultivator with the pencil mustache left quickly.
The female cultivator waited outside for a while longer before a strong and forceful voice came from inside, "Bring them in."
Upon hearing this, she immediately pushed open the doors of the grand hall.
Inside the hall were only ten people, representing the ten big sects that had come to attack Evil Moon Valley. Seated at the head was a commanding figure, none other than Pang Zhen, a member of the Righteousness Sect and also the Vice Alliance Hierarch of the Haotian Alliance. Among all those present, his cultivation level was the highest, at Divine Sea Realm.
The woman approached Pang Zhen and placed the stack of papers respectfully before him, saying, "Disciple takes her leave!"
After she left, Pang Zhen flipped through the stack of papers, pulled out one, and then pushed the rest to the representative of the Qingyu Sect.
For Lu Ye and the others, each of these papers carried their future and dreams, but to people like Pang Zhen, these were not worth looking at closely.
Every time a piece of land occupied by Ten Thousand Demons Ridge was conquered, some people would be rescued, and it was a customary practice to recruit from among these people those with the aptitude and talent for cultivation.
Each family had tens of thousands of disciples; unless someone had exceptionally outstanding talent and aptitude, who would take a second look?
In Lu Ye's batch of people, there clearly wasn't anyone worthy of their special attention.
A stack of more than a hundred sheets of paper passed from one sect's speaker to another, gradually diminishing in number until, when it reached the speaker from Hundred Flowers Valley, he selected more than ten people, getting ready to pass it on to the next one, when he suddenly seemed to discover something curious, raising his head to look towards an elder seated at the end of the table, "Veteran Thang, someone has chosen Righteous Blood Sect."
At these words, Pang Zhen, who was instructing the Qingyu Sect speaker about something, couldn't help but raise his head, "Really?"
He had just casually drawn one person out of those hundred or so without looking at the others in detail.
The others also showed expressions of surprise, with someone even joking, "There are still those among this batch of youngsters who can see a gem for what it is..."
It seemed as if choosing Righteous Blood Sect was something extremely remarkable.
That elder seated at the end, referred to as Veteran Thang, was indeed the one who had led Lu Ye out of the mine.
Veteran Thang's face bore an expression of surprise upon hearing this, for although Righteous Blood Sect had participated in many such operations, never before had anyone chosen them, even though those rescued were granted three opportunities to make a selection.
The grade of Righteous Blood Sect was too low; anyone with even a slight ambition and aspiration wouldn't make that choice.
Surprised as he was, Veteran Thang still waved his hand, "Righteous Blood Sect is not accepting disciples, as you all know." If it weren't for the alliance regulations, Righteous Blood Sect's name wouldn't even appear on that sheet of paper.
The speaker from Hundred Flowers Valley responded, "I'm afraid that won't do, Veteran Thang. He only chose Righteous Blood Sect, and moreover, no one else has chosen Righteous Blood Sect."
Veteran Thang looked astonished and extended his hand, "Let me see."
Receiving the remaining sheets of paper from the speaker of Hundred Flowers Valley, Veteran Thang carefully flipped through them page by page, finding that, indeed, as he had said, the person who chose Righteous Blood Sect had only made one selection.
"Lu Ye..." Seeing the name on the jade tablet, Veteran Thang immediately recalled the young man he had encountered in the mine; he was even more surprised that it was him.
The speaker from Hundred Flowers Valley said, "According to the alliance regulations, in such cases, Righteous Blood Sect must accept this person."
Indeed, such a rule existed within the Haotian Alliance, granting those who were rescued three opportunities to choose. However, if they only used one, then the sect they had selected must accept the person, provided no one else had made the same choice. This rule was intended to give some of those dedicated to the way of cultivation a chance. Among the big sects, only a handful of speakers knew of this rule, which of course, was something the rescued slaves would definitely not know.
"This youngster..." Veteran Thang was somewhat helpless; it seemed that Lu Ye's choice of Righteous Blood Sect was quite a dilemma for him.
"Veteran Thang, Righteous Blood Sect should also take in a disciple," persuaded the speaker from Hundred Flowers Valley, before changing tack, "Though this youngster has opened one orifice, it seems his aptitude is somewhat unsatisfactory."
"What does it matter if his aptitude is poor? Aptitude does not represent everything; have you not seen the truth in this after so many years of cultivation?"
"Have you seen Yiye's aptitude?"
"This is too poor; how did he manage to open an orifice?"
"Since he has made this choice, Righteous Blood Sect has no choice but to accept him."
"Just worried about the Loyal Heart Sect..."
As soon as Loyal Heart Sect was mentioned, all became silent, as if touching upon an unspeakable matter.
"Rules are rules! If Loyal Heart Sect has any objections, let them come to me!" Pang Zhen, who had remained silent, declared decisively, "Veteran Thang, take him in. Although Yiye's aptitude isn't worth cultivating, at least keep Righteous Blood Sect safe for now; this could be an opportunity."
Clutching Lu Ye's jade tablet in his hand, Veteran Thang hesitated before saying, "I'll think about it."