The Second Elder led Hen Zhe deeper into the sect's inner courtyard. The air around the courtyard was thick with qi, and he heard the breathing of countless disciples. All around, young cultivators repeated the same attack movements over and over, like machines.
At the center of the courtyard stood a large platform atop it was a carved pavilion, the Sect Pavilion to be exact, where the sect leader resided and held meetings. Inside, she sat meditating, her robes flowing gracefully, a faint aura of superiority surrounding her. Beside her stood Direct Disciple Lian Yue, who had been trembling earlier but now looked more refined.
"So… this is the senior you spoke of?" the sect leader asked, her tone calm yet tinged with unmistakable arrogance. Her gaze swept over Hen Zhe, clearly underestimating him based on his appearance and cultivation alone.
Hen Zhe met her eyes without so much as a single gesture of respect, the kind normally shown when standing before a sect leader.
[System Notification: +100 Negativity Points | Target expresses disdain.]
"A bold one, aren't you?" the sect leader said, her face clearly showing disdain. "For a Sixth Stage Body Building cultivator to peek, humiliate, and even threaten to eat my disciples… and to so boldly waltz into my courtyard as if it were yours…"
The Second Elder's expression immediately froze. This was all wrong, she thought. The reason she had brought the man to the sect leader was because she assumed the sect could sense his cultivation, but it seemed his true power far exceeded even the sect leader.
As she prepared to intervene, Hen Zhe's body surged with energy akin to one breaking through.
[Breakthrough Initiating… Negativity Points Consumed: 350]
[Breakthrough Complete: Body Building Stage 6 → Core Foundation (Middle)]
Hen Zhe calmly stared at her, a subtle aura radiating from his sword, rippling the air around him.
"I am neither bold nor brave; I am merely a soul trapped in the tapestry that lies between life and the illusion of death, junior," he said, voice calm, stringing together words that sounded deep but made little sense.
[System Notification: +300 Negativity Points | Target expresses fear.]
The sect leader's eyes flickered with slight shock, her hands clenching as she watched Hen Zhe break through in one fell swoop, immediately reaching the same conclusion as the Second Elder.
"What… does that mean, Senior?" She suddenly spoke more respectfully.
Lian Yue's eyes opened wide. This wasn't the master she knew, steadfast and confident. Hearing her master call this young man "Senior" completely dissolved any thoughts of revenge.
"The meaning of my words will naturally be understood when one has reached the heights of dilution and the peak of foolishness…" Hen Zhe continued, shaking his head, letting a faint sadness appear in his eyes.
The sect leader stared, attempting to make sense of his nonsense.
"Child, do not trouble yourself trying to understand this old man's ramblings. Simply live in the present. If there are things you cannot understand, let them be. The world is vast, and there will always be truths that remain beyond our grasp. So what use is there in exhausting your heart and mind chasing answers that may never be answered?" he added.
Please don't try to make sense of my nonsense lest you realize I'm spouting useless words… he thought.
The sect leader, stood there silently taking in Hen Zhe useless nonsense, after few awkward seconds of silence she spoke.
"I thank you for your guidance, senior…" the sect leader said, her expression showing a hint of enlightenment.
Hen Zhe tilted his head, silently considering what she might have understood from his ramblings.
"For this, I'll let the matter regarding my sect be settled," she added.
"Senior… Please tell me, what exactly brings you here? Surely it isn't… to enlighten this junior?" she asked, her face filled with curiosity.
Finally, he arrived at the reason he had come. What Hen Zhe truly wanted was to become a sect elder, not out of ambition, but because being an elder that was strict and harsh on disciples, would rack up immense negativity points.
He could already picture it: himself as that one hated teacher he had from school, collecting resentment from every student. Complaining about the tiniest misstep, getting irrationally mad at literally everything and anything, wearing a hat, going to the bathroom at the wrong time, someone daring to speak too loudly. The thoughts honestly made him feel excitement. The thoughts of farming negativity had never looked so… entertaining to him before.
"An elder position," he said.
The sect leader's eyes widened. This young man before her was clearly higher than her in cultivation… Yet he wished to join her sect?
"Do you mean you wish to join our sect to train disciples, senior?" she asked, looking very intrigued.
"Yes and no," Hen Zhe replied.
"Naturally I would need to join your sect to become an elder," he added, "and of course , I will train your disciples… as well as defend the sect if the need arises."
The sect leader looked conflicted. Though it was great that someone of his strength wanted to join, she did not know Hen Zhe intentions.
Hen Zhe immediately perceived her thoughts. "Worry not, child. I have no ambition nor interest beyond being an elder of this sect, nor shall I harm any disciples unless… Well, I am provoked."
The sect leader felt a bit relieved, but then remembered: the sect didn't have any available elder positions other than the fifth elder. She considered it, but feared this senior might take offense if assigned a low rank.
"Why don't you become our Sect Guardian?" she suggested.
"Sounds good to me, child," Hen Zhe said, shrugging. Authority didn't matter as long as he could act freely.
"Welcome… Ah senior, I never got your name?"
"Call me… Hen Zhe."
"Greetings, Sect Guardian Hen," she said.
"Right… Sect Leader, what is your name? And… What is this sect called?" Hen Zhe asked, noticing the enormous, luxurious pavilion, he hadn't realized just how enormous and extravagant it was, having been so focused on the sect leader.
The Second Elder, Lian Yue, and even the sect leader froze. Why the hell would you join a sect if you didn't even know its name? they all thought.
"Ahem… this is the Flowing Iris Sect. My name is Zi Lan, senior," the sect leader replied.
"Sect Guardian Wu greets Sect Leader Zi," Hen Zhe said, though he didn't bow, the words themselves carried his respect.