Although according to sect rules, inner sect disciples are not allowed to hinder outer sect disciples from building their foundations.
However, every time new disciples joined, the various floating peaks of the inner sect would pay attention to the outer sect new disciples, especially those peaks looking to take on apprentices.
The top ten, or even top twenty, of the New Disciple Competition were particularly sought after.
Whenever the arrangements for new disciples to undergo disguised trials were finalized, Golden Core disciples from the various floating peaks would resort to all sorts of methods to snatch up escort missions.
The New Disciple Training Department had long grown accustomed to these scenes.
For the sake of sect harmony, they introduced a new method for taking on missions—a lottery.
If an escort mission for a new disciple group had more than two Golden Core cultivators attempting to take it, they would hold a lottery under the corresponding mission in the Mission Hall interface of their identity jade tokens.
Whichever two disciples drew the winning lots would take on the mission.
This time was no different.
To successfully secure the escort mission for the Ruiyu Pavilion group, Shen Banxi had truly gone through immense hardships.
First, there were external factors.
Because Gu Ningyun's performance in the New Disciple Competition was so eye-catching, Talisman Peak, Array Peak, Music Peak, and even Punishment Peak were all eager to poach her.
Although other inner peaks didn't explicitly say anything, rumors circulated that they would try to win her over if they could.
Where there's smoke, there's fire; the rumors had reached his ears, so it was highly likely that the elders of those peaks were considering taking her as a disciple.
The only peak Shen Banxi felt at ease about was Book Peak; they only accepted disciples with Confucian cultivation aptitude, and their requirements for taking disciples were even stricter than Spirit-Attuning Peak's.
Little girl Gu Ningyun spent all day fighting with a sword, so Book Peak probably wouldn't be interested in her.
The most crucial point was that Book Peak hadn't arranged for any disciples to contend for this escort mission.
But even without Book Peak, the other aggressively competing peaks had given him a lot of trouble.
As soon as the disguised trial arrangements showed a hint of being finalized, Punishment Peak arrested him on the pretext of harassing a female cultivator and held him there for half a day.
When Punishment Peak produced a recording stone and he saw the image of himself with a doll-faced female cultivator in it, he finally understood what was happening.
He had wondered why Ke Xueqing, Martial Niece Ke from Music Peak, had suddenly sought his advice on arrays; it turned out she was setting him up.
Although the final outcome was that Ke Xueqing was punished with seven days of labor at Punishment Peak for slandering a fellow disciple.
The leading Punishment Peak disciple who arrested him was suspended for a month and sent to work at the Mission Hall for thirty days for violating rules by making an improper arrest.
But being inexplicably detained for half a day was truly an uncalled-for misfortune.
Most importantly, to ensure good luck for the lottery, he had been burning incense and meditating before the Spirit-Attuning Peak Patriarch's portrait during this time.
Ke Xueqing and Punishment Peak's stunt completely shattered the luck he had painstakingly accumulated.
He strongly suspected Punishment Peak was also involved, the evidence being that the Spirit-Attuning Peak Patriarch's portrait was located deep within Spirit-Attuning Peak.
How did those Punishment Peak disciples manage to bypass his Cloud Residence and go deep inside to arrest him?
When they arrested him, they didn't even let him speak, directly using spirit-binding ropes to detain him.
Not to mention the interference from Talisman Peak and Array Peak, what truly left him with lingering fear was two days before the lottery.
He had just returned from Governing Peak when Kong Lingyan's melody ambushed him on the way, knocking him unconscious and hiding him in a remote corner.
If a Spirit-Attuning Peak martial nephew hadn't happened to pass by and pick him up, he would probably have remained unconscious until the lottery was over.
As for why he was still running around the sect at such a crucial moment, that brings us to the second factor—luck.
Because the Sect Leader was always assigning tasks to their Peak Master, Spirit-Attuning Peak and Governing Peak were very close, practically like one peak.
After all, aside from the tasks assigned to Senior Sister Chanxi, the Sect Leader would gladly arrange all remaining sect affairs for their Peak Master.
Because of this connection, he was quite familiar with Senior Sister Chanxi's spirit beast, that fat duck.
When it came to fortune, how many people in this world could compare to the auspicious beast, the Pixiu?
Although this auspicious beast had taken the form of a duck and was a bit fat due to its gluttony.
Just two days before the lottery, the usually elusive fat duck, being too greedy, was confined to Governing Peak by Senior Sister Chanxi for weight loss.
An opportunity had presented itself right at the door of his Cloud Residence; how could he not seize it?
He personally cooked several spirit foods and ran to Governing Peak.
Who knew that the fat duck, which usually showed some respect for his cooking, turned its backside to him this time?
Shen Banxi was utterly bewildered.
Annoyed by his persistence, the fat duck finally took pity, retrieved a steaming plate of Spirit-Heart Fish from under its wing, its eyes unable to hide its smugness.
“See? This is what you call perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Little Shen, your cooking skills need improvement.”
Before he could take it to look closely, the fat duck carefully retrieved the plate. “Quack, quack, quack, this lord only has one plate left, you're not allowed to snatch it.”
Shen Banxi's face darkened with exasperation; did it think everyone was as gluttonous as it was?
After showing off to Shen Banxi, the fat duck felt pleased with itself. “Little Shen, tell me, what do you need from this lord?”
“Senior Brother Linchuan, the New Disciple Training Department is releasing a mission in two days that can only be taken via lottery. I want to borrow some of your luck.”
The fat duck twisted its rear, firmly refusing. “No way. If everyone came to this lord for luck, how could this lord have any peace? Absolutely not.”
“Senior Brother, our Peak Master has finally waited for a successor, please have mercy...”
Before he could finish, the fat duck turned its head. “You said your Peak Master?”
“Yes.”
Although he didn't know why the fat duck was suddenly interested again, Shen Banxi quickly continued, “Senior Brother, you must know that we've been waiting for a disciple with a top-grade wind spirit root for...”
“This lord agrees.”
“What?!”
Shen Banxi was stunned.
Didn't it just refuse so decisively? How could it agree so quickly now?
Could it be that the fat duck had some leverage held over it by their Peak Master?
Otherwise, why would it agree as soon as it heard their Peak Master was taking a disciple?
The fat duck gave him a look as if he were an idiot, then condescendingly lowered its duck head. “Here, hurry and rub.”
Whatever the reason, as long as it agreed, it was fine.
Shen Banxi washed his hands with spirit spring water, bowed three times in the direction of the Spirit-Attuning Peak Patriarch's portrait, and then reached out to rub the fat duck's head.
The fat duck was very pleased with his attention and respect.
“This lord has decided, I'll allow you to rub a few more times.”
Shen Banxi was shocked; just how much leverage did their Peak Master have over the fat duck for it to suddenly be so accommodating?
The fat duck extended its neck for him to rub for good luck, but its mind had already drifted to Qixia Peak.
Governing Peak wasn't taking disciples this time, and Spirit-Attuning Peak and Governing Peak had always been close, so if the little girl joined Spirit-Attuning Peak, it would roughly be the same as joining Governing Peak.
Then, it could sneak out under the guise of guiding the little girl's cultivation, without being confined to Governing Peak;
It could go find the little girl every day for delicious food, and even take her traveling far and wide, tasting all the delicacies of the cultivation world.
Thinking of this, the fat duck raised its head. “This lord has decided, I'll allow you to rub for a bit longer.”
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