Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3794: Day Of The Rankings

A full day passed before the turmoil finally settled. Or rather, it settled as much as it could.

The battle between the elders had continued far longer than anyone had expected. What had begun as a heated disagreement over who deserved Little Bull eventually escalated into one of the largest elder disputes seen in the Outer Court in recent years.

By the time the sun had set, over thirty elders had become involved directly, while another fifty had chosen sides and contributed from the sidelines. It got so bad that the Discipline and Law Division had eventually been forced to intervene.

Several Law Elders arrived personally and suppressed the entire gathering before dragging the offending elders into an emergency hearing. Naturally, the first question they asked was why dozens of respected elders had transformed a meeting hall into something resembling a marketplace brawl.

The answers they received only made things worse.

"A body cultivation genius."

"A unique physique."

"A mortal that killed an immortal beast."

"Four elemental affinities."

"A vitality record breaker."

The Discipline Elders initially thought they were being mocked. Then they reviewed the assessment records. The expressions on their faces gradually changed and several of them immediately requested copies.

One of the older Law Elders remained silent for several minutes while reading through the reports before finally looking up. "Is this recruit real?"

"He is."

The old man’s eyes narrowed. "And nobody exaggerated anything?"

"No."

The hall became silent as several Law Elders exchanged glances. For a brief moment, many of them suddenly understood why the other elders had started fighting.

One younger Law Elder even muttered under his breath. "Perhaps the Discipline Division should recruit him."

The moment those words left his mouth, several other Law Elders immediately turned toward him.

The younger man coughed awkwardly. "I was merely making an observation."

The others ignored him. Though inwardly several of them were thinking exactly the same thing. Had they not already been assigned the responsibility of settling the conflict, they might have been tempted to compete as well.

Fortunately for the sect, the Discipline and Law Division still possessed enough restraint to remain neutral.

At least officially.

The matter quickly escalated upward and within hours, reports had reached the Elder Council. By the following morning, rumors suggested that even the Patriarch had been informed.

Of course, none of this was particularly unusual.

The Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect had existed for countless years. Exceptional disciples appeared from time to time. Arguments over disciples were common and protocols had long since been established to deal with such situations.

As such, the Elder Council eventually reached a temporary decision. Little Bull’s final placement would be delayed and additional considerations would be reviewed. Only afterward would a master be selected.

The elders grumbled about it while some protested and a few threatened more duels. But the Elder Council ignored all of them. Meanwhile, the cause of all this chaos remained completely oblivious.

Little Bull slept, or rather Lin Mu genuinely slept.

There was very little reason for him to do anything else. He was currently residing within a secured guest residence of the sect. The area was heavily monitored and constantly occupied by elders, disciples, attendants, and officials.

Running around trying to search for the Vault of the Virtuous Calamity Daoist now would be foolish. He had spent months planning this infiltration so there was no need to rush. If the vault had remained hidden for tens of thousands of years, it would remain hidden for another few months.

Patience had always been one of Lin Mu’s greatest strengths and the foundation of his plan had already succeeded. Now he simply needed to secure his position inside the sect. Once that was accomplished, searching for the vault would become far easier.

Thus Lin Mu slept peacefully through the entire night and the next morning arrived quietly.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Little Bull rubbed his eyes and climbed out of bed. The moment he opened the door, he found Elder He Jian standing outside. The old man looked exhausted as dark circles rested beneath his eyes. His beard appeared slightly disheveled and his robes seemed far less orderly than usual.

Little Bull tilted his head. "Elder."

"Mm."

"You look sick."

Elder He Jian sighed. "I’m not sick."

"You look tired."

The old man sighed again.

Little Bull frowned. "Did someone beat you up?"

The elder almost choked. "No."

"Then why do you look like this?"

A strange expression appeared on Elder He Jian’s face and for a brief moment, he seemed to consider explaining everything.

Then he gave up. "You’ll find out soon enough."

Little Bull scratched his head. "Okay."

After washing up and eating breakfast, the pair left together. Several disciples guided them toward another area of the Administrative Division. The destination was a massive gathering hall.

Unlike the assessment grounds, this place appeared more ceremonial. Large pillars supported the ceiling, formation arrays glowed faintly throughout the structure, and rows upon rows of seats filled the interior.

When Little Bull entered, he found hundreds of recruits already gathered there.

The atmosphere was completely different from the previous day. Many recruits appeared nervous, while others seemed excited. Several even wore confident smiles and these were clearly those from big clans or other organizations.

Groups of young cultivators discussed their performances from the assessments. Some predicted their rankings, others boasted openly and a few sat quietly with eyes closed while trying to appear calm.

Little Bull simply looked around curiously as none of it affected him. Lin Mu already knew his results had been excellent. Whether he ranked first, second, or tenth made little difference. His objective had already been achieved.

Still, he was curious.

Eventually, more elders arrived as the hall gradually quieted and a senior elder stepped onto the stage. The man’s voice echoed throughout the entire structure. "The results of this assessment cycle have been finalized."

Instantly, the atmosphere became tense as every recruit focused their attention forward and a large formation screen appeared above the stage. Golden light spread across its surface and rows of names slowly emerged.

The rankings began from the bottom as names continued appearing along with their score. Some recruits celebrated quietly, others sighed in relief and several looked disappointed.