On the surface, the apprenticeship ceremony appeared somewhat crude. But in reality, it wasn't. After all, with the exception of Luo Ying, almost everyone present was a Grandmaster, and there were a full six of them.
Shen Yun sat upright in his chair while Luo Ying knelt below him. She had already completed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.
"Our Jiuzhou Sect forms its own clan, and there are countless clan rules that you will slowly learn in the future. Today, I will only teach you one." Shen Yun's expression was extremely serious. "Anyone from our clan, regardless of their cultivation level or even whether they can cultivate at all, must not be humiliated. This is a rule that even we Grandmasters must abide by and always keep in mind. Do you understand?"
When these words came out, Luo Ying was relatively unfazed, but the other Grandmasters were stunned. If they couldn't cultivate, wouldn't they be mortals? A Grandmaster couldn't humiliate a mortal? What a joke! The two were worlds apart; it was akin to asking an emperor to kneel to a beggar!
"This disciple will carve it into my heart." Though equally puzzled, Luo Ying nodded earnestly.
It wasn't until the apprenticeship ceremony concluded that Mu Hui couldn't help but ask, "Even if a mortal offends them, a Grandmaster cannot punish them? There is no such unreasonable rule anywhere in the world."
"This is the rule of my Jiuzhou Sect." Shen Yun sneered, narrowing his eyes. "However, it only applies to people of our clan. Even if you are a Grandmaster, you must still pay with your life for murder. Do you dare to try?"
"I wouldn't dare... I wouldn't dare..." Mu Hui already had a rough guess in his mind.
Perhaps this Jiuzhou Sect was somewhat similar to the Hundred Barbarians—a barbarian tribe with a sparse population, which would explain such a rule. But to think they had produced a top-tier Grandmaster? Even now, Mu Hui still found it unbelievable. How many top-tier Grandmasters were there in the entire world? Seven! Every single one of them was a prominent figure who had been granted the title of Emperor and suppressed an entire region. Now, there were eight!
"Has your esteemed sect..." Mu Hui stroked his beard and asked cautiously, "...prepared to hold the viewing ceremony, grant the Emperor title, build a fief city, and announce it to the world?"
The other three captive Grandmasters nodded in agreement. Only by doing so could they properly switch sects, rather than living in fear like they were now, constantly worried that a single misstep might anger this lunatic of a top-tier Grandmaster and cause them to perish in an instant.
"We don't have any experience in this area." Wei Er's eyes lit up slightly. He walked over with a chuckle and clapped Mu Hui on the shoulder. "What are the exact details?"
"They really are an unknown little barbarian tribe," Mu Hui thought with a bitter smile, but he could only explain.
"Nowadays, the Heavenly Dao is becoming increasingly obscure and difficult to comprehend. No one has broken through to become a Grandmaster in two thousand years. Top-tier Grandmasters are those at the absolute pinnacle. Therefore, once someone breaks through, it is a grand event for the whole world. They can accept a title from a nation, rule over a mortal realm, and simultaneously gather Grandmasters from all over the world to share the Great Dao. When that time comes... most of the top-tier Grandmasters will attend the viewing ceremony..."
Listening to Mu Hui's explanation, Shen He and Wei Er finally understood what was going on. This was indeed an "unspoken rule" known only to Grandmasters. Simply put, when someone broke through, everyone would come to support them and throw a party. Then, global national powers would offer terms, promising fiefdoms and populations in an attempt to recruit the newly advanced top-tier Grandmaster into their own nation to guard a region.
If that was the case... wouldn't this just be dividing up land, population, and resources?
"In that case, our Jiuzhou Sect will naturally make arrangements." Wei Er's mind was already frantically drafting plans.
"It's just that..." Mu Hui hesitated. "The Azure Emperor is probably gathering manpower and seeking assistance right now, wanting to..."
Mu Hui already knew the sequence of events. There were only so many Grandmasters in the entire world, and everyone knew what kind of person the Azure Emperor was. Having a Grandmaster from his own clan killed and the corpse sent back as a provocation meant a complete loss of face. Even if he couldn't kill this newly advanced top-tier Grandmaster standing before him, he would have to slaughter every last member of this Jiuzhou Sect just to claw back some of his dignity. To hold the title viewing ceremony at this time... it would likely end in a bloodbath on that very day.
Wei Er shot Shen Yun a look, and Shen Yun understood.
"Let him come." With a sweep of his wide sleeve, Shen Yun declared with haughty disdain, "If he dares to show his face, I'll ensure he never returns."
Mu Hui was left speechless, but he had already made up his mind. When the time came, he would beg his master no matter what to spare Si Ji's life.
With this thought in mind, Mu Hui had no desire to stay any longer. After bidding farewell, he rode a streak of sword light toward the horizon, intent on returning to the Sword Sect.
Wei Er also needed to leave to make preparations. They needed more artillery fire, more missiles, and even fighter jets, anti-aircraft guns, and reconnaissance aircraft. This time, Hua Xia would undoubtedly shock this world. They would use the Azure Emperor's blood to establish the illustrious prestige of the Jiuzhou Sect. Only then could they quickly secure the Imperial Capital's Grand Array, as well as even more benefits.
Shen Yun suddenly found himself with nothing to do. Well, not quite. He still had a newly recruited female disciple standing beside him, awaiting his orders.
"Recite your Cultivation Technique," Shen Yun said mildly with his back turned to her, exuding the demeanor of a true Grandmaster.
A trace of joy flashed through Luo Ying's eyes, and she hurriedly recited the entirety of her Cultivation Technique.
This world was different from Earth; the Heavenly Dao here had already reached maturity. However, by the same token, it was far more profound and obscure for novices. Without relying on the Cultivation Techniques of their predecessors to comprehend their Great Dao, even the talented would find it difficult to step onto the path of cultivation.
Luo Ying herself possessed a Water Divine Thought, and this Cultivation Technique was named Sixteenth Night Rain.
"This Cultivation Technique does not suit you," Shen Yun said, relaying Xiao Jiu's words. "You harbor deep hatred in your heart. How can you possibly comprehend the continuous night rain?"
"This..." Luo Ying looked dazed and muttered to herself, "No wonder my cultivation has barely progressed since my mother died."
Xiao Jiu heard this mutter and informed Shen Yun.
Shen Yun fell silent for a moment before suddenly turning around.
"Who is it that you truly hate?" he asked, staring at the young girl in front of him who was still clad in military Soft Armor. "Is it the Emperor? The system? Or... do you hate your own powerlessness?"
Luo Ying opened her mouth, but found she couldn't answer.
Did she hate that apathetic father of hers? Did she hate those ruthless rules? Did she hate her powerless self? It seemed to be a mix of all three. Every time she recalled the moment her weak and timid mother was beheaded right before her eyes, she felt an agonizing, almost suffocating pang in her chest, followed by an indelible hatred. She wanted revenge. She wanted to vent it all; otherwise, she would be completely reduced to ashes by the flames of vengeance. Becoming the Emperor was the only method of revenge she could think of. But what exactly was she hating?
"What you truly hate is this world," Shen Yun told her the answer. "This world was not suitable for your mother to live in, nor could it fulfill her wish for you to grow up happily. Do you know why we chose you? It is because, deep within your heart, you hide a desire to change the world."
"Change... the world." Luo Ying stared blankly at her master. With a trace of helplessness and a glimmer of hope, she asked, "Is that really possible?"
It wasn't until this moment that Shen Yun suddenly realized the Empress's facial features were actually more akin to those of a Jiangnan woman—sweet and gentle. It was just that previously, the sharpness and sorrow between her brows had tinged her with an aura of deadly solemnity.