The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1320: Outer Sect Disciple
"Enough, Junior Brother Lin. Stop making a scene!"
Zu Xiaotian clearly recognized Ling Feng. He frowned, reached out to take back the list, then turned toward the newly admitted disciples and spoke slowly. "All right. The eleven whose names were just read, step forward and follow me into the Heavenly Realm."
Those accepted into the inner sect were overjoyed. They hurriedly stepped out of the crowd and followed Zu Xiaotian with eager expressions.
The ordinary disciples who could only enter the outer sect lowered their heads in dejection. They were all geniuses from major powers, each proud and ambitious by nature. Now they had to accept a lower status and enter the Earth Realm, which left them feeling deeply unwilling.
However, when they thought of the fact that Ling Feng, who ranked third overall, had also been rejected, their hearts felt somewhat more balanced.
Lu Tianyi passed by Ling Feng with a ferocious grin, his eyebrows dancing as he said mockingly, "Well, if it is not our great genius Ling. Who would have thought you would end up like this, reduced to being a mere outer sect disciple? Hahaha!"
Lu Tianyi clearly still held a grudge over the qualification exam, where Ling Feng had outshone him at every turn. Now that he had entered the inner sect while Ling Feng had fallen to the outer sect, he felt immensely satisfied.
Ling Feng did not even spare Lu Tianyi a glance. He had no interest in responding to the taunts of such a petty clown.
"Lu, do not get ahead of yourself!"
Mo Sanqing frowned and said through clenched teeth, "There must be some mistake somewhere. With Ling Feng's talent, it is impossible for him not to make the inner sect!"
Before this, Mo Sanqing may still have harbored resentment toward Ling Feng. After the incident involving Mu Renjie's night attack, however, Ling Feng had become, in his eyes, the most outstanding disciple among all those who had entered the Dongling Immortal Pool.
If even Ling Feng could not enter the inner sect, then what did Lu Tianyi amount to?
"Hmph. What mistake? He is only fit for the outer sect with that level of cultivation."
Lu Tianyi sneered and strode away without another word.
Mo Sanqing clenched his fists and looked deeply at Ling Feng. "Brother Ling, I..."
"It is fine. Go on."
Ling Feng smiled faintly. To him, the difference between inner sect and outer sect was not all that great.
Although failing to enter the inner sect was a blow, since he had already joined the Dongling Immortal Pool, how could someone of his strength fail to reach the inner sect sooner or later?
Still, one question lingered in his mind. Who possessed such influence that all five Hall Masters of the Five Spirit Hall had chosen not to select him?
Master Qingxuan alone did not wield such power. Moreover, if Master Qingxuan had truly intended this outcome, there would have been no need to send Mu Renjie and his grandson to assassinate him earlier.
Mo Sanqing looked at Ling Feng with firm conviction and said in a low voice, "Brother Ling, I believe it will not be long before you rise into the inner sect through your own strength!"
"That goes without saying."
Ling Feng smiled lightly and felt a more favorable impression of Mo Sanqing.
At times, winning others over with virtue could indeed turn an enemy into an ally.
Mo Sanqing nodded, then quickly activated his movement art and hurried after Zu Xiaotian. More than ten newly admitted inner sect disciples rose into the air and soon flew into the Heavenly Realm, entering the floating immortal islands.
The remaining forty or fifty disciples could only enter the outer sect and cultivate in the Earth Realm. Whether in resources or environment, they were far inferior to the inner sect disciples.
"Brother Ling, do not worry. I will keep thinking of ways to help you!"
Lin Mu placed much of the blame for Ling Feng's failure to enter the inner sect on himself. He was determined to find a way to help Ling Feng gain entry.
Ning Guichen also wore a deeply furrowed expression and let out repeated sighs. He truly could not understand why the Five Spirit Hall would abandon a genius like Ling Feng. It made no sense at all.
"Brother Lin, Brother Ning, you do not need to dwell on this matter. Even starting from zero, how could the outer sect possibly stop my steps."
Ling Feng laughed freely. Even after suffering such unfair treatment, he showed little resentment.
Such a minor setback could not shake his martial resolve in the slightest.
"Junior Brother Ling, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Ning Guichen said as he patted Ling Feng on the shoulder. "You are right. With your strength, why fear that you cannot advance step by step into the inner sect?"
Ning Guichen had originally worried that this would affect Ling Feng. Now he saw that he had overthought things. Ling Feng's state of mind was far more mature than his age suggested.
Lin Mu, however, still felt uneasy. Though he said nothing aloud, he had already resolved to find a way to bring Ling Feng into the inner sect.
At that moment, on the other ice bridge, the ethereal and beautiful Feng Ling finally parted her lips and spoke calmly. "The remaining disciples, follow me into the Earth Realm. I will first take you to your living quarters."
The remaining disciples exchanged glances. Though unwilling, they could only obediently follow behind Feng Ling. Having managed to join the Dongling Immortal Pool at all, being outer sect disciples was still better than being shut out entirely.
"All right, Brother Lin, Brother Ning. I will be going now. We will meet again another day!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Ling Feng smiled faintly, bid farewell to Lin Mu and Ning Guichen, then leapt onto the ice bridge and followed the others into the Earth Realm.
"A peerless genius reduced to the outer sect," Ning Guichen sighed softly. "There is truly no justice in this!"
"Hmph. That damned sister of mine!"
Lin Mu clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in anger. "No matter what, I will make sure Brother Ling enters the inner sect. If all else fails, I will go find that lecherous old man!"
"..."
Ning Guichen wisely fell silent. He naturally knew who Lin Mu meant by the lecherous old man. It was not someone who could be casually discussed behind his back.
After all, that person was one of the three Half-Saints of the Dongling Immortal Pool!
...
Under Feng Ling's guidance, the group of newly admitted disciples soon entered the Earth Realm.
After passing through layers of special spatial barriers, they discovered that the interior of the Earth Realm was nothing like the perpetually snow covered exterior. Instead, it was warm and pleasant, with springlike weather all year round.
Even within the Earth Realm, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was many times richer than outside. No wonder the geniuses of the Dongling Region all longed to enter the Dongling Immortal Pool. There was indeed a good reason for it.
"The outer sect does not have divisions into eight halls," Feng Ling said as she led the way. "However, there are dedicated elders responsible for daily affairs and assessments."
She continued, "I hope all of you remember this, being able to enter Dongling Immortal Pool doesn't mean you can take it easy. Every year, there is a large scale ranking assessment. Those who fail must either leave the Dongling Immortal Pool or choose to become menial disciples. In that case, there is still a chance to return and become outer sect disciples again."
"Of course, outer sect disciples who perform exceptionally well can also pass the inner sect assessment, advance into the inner sect, enter the Heavenly Realm, and obtain better cultivation resources."
Everyone listened in silence. Competition within the Dongling Immortal Pool was far fiercer than they had imagined. If one failed the assessment and became a menial disciple, the outcome would be grim indeed.
A menial disciple was, as the name implied, nothing more than a servant. They handled all the miscellaneous chores of the enormous sect from top to bottom. Burdened with such heavy labor every day, how could they possibly have time left to cultivate.
