At the meeting hall on the main peak of the Yin-Yang Sect, all the elders of the sect gathered. The room was structured in the form of a circle with three stages. From the bottom to the top:
The first stage consisted of sixteen positions for the sixteen core formation realm outer elders.
The second stage also consisted of sixteen positions for the sixteen nascent soul realm inner elders.
The third stage consisted of two positions: one for the grand elder and the other for the sect master.
On the first stage, Lan Wumian sat silently, and a few seats away from him, Qi Chen sat with his arms crossed.
At the second stage, Su Moyan, Xue Ling, Qin Xuan, and a middle-aged male elder sat in the middle, forming the neutral elders group. On the left was the Pure Love faction, which supports the current sect master, while on the right was the Luxuria faction that opposes the current sect master.
Mo Xingyu leaned lazily in her seat, which was placed on the right.
Hua Xiran waited for all the elders to settle down. She looked around the room and said in a loud voice, "This meeting will address the upcoming Secret Realm and the distribution of entry tokens. Our Yin-Yang Sect has been allotted one hundred tokens in total. Seventy-five were already awarded to the top seventy-five disciples from the sect competition held earlier this year. The remaining twenty-five were allocated as follows: Seven tokens to the Outer Elders, one token each to the sixteen Inner Elders, one token to the Grand Elder, and one token reserved for myself."
All the elders silently listened to Hua Xiran speak. Hua Xiran continued, "The Outer Elders were given time to recommend several disciples. Have you made your picks?"
An Outer Elder stood from their seat and responded to Hua Xiran, "Sect Master, the seven disciples we would like to recommend are…"
Mo Xingyu, resting her head in her hand, looked around her gaze settling on Hua Qingyan and Hua Xiran. A smile formed on her lips as if in anticipation.
Hua Xiran nodded her head and said, "Accepted. Now, each Inner Elder will declare which disciple they have chosen to bestow their token upon."
One by one, Inner Elders declared who they bestowed their token on. Finally, it was Mo Xingyu's turn. She lazily stood up and said, "I have given my token to my disciple Ye Mingyue."
Hua Xiran was too lazy to deal with Mo Xingyu's behavior and said, "I have given my token to my disciple Su Meilin."
All eyes turned to Hua Qingyan, but before she could speak, Mo Xingyu provocatively said, "Is there any reason for Hua Qingyan to receive a token?"
Hua Qingyan calmly looked at Mo Xingyu while Hua Xiran frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
"Well, Hua Qingyan has no disciples and the classes she teaches have no disciples as well, so is it not a waste to give a token to her?" Mo Xingyu calmly stated.
Hua Qingyan smiled at Mo Xingyu's comment and thought.
In the past, I would have been upset, but now I have, Shuying.
When she thought about Bai Shuying, she felt complicated on the inside.
Unlike Hua Qingyan, Hua Xiran felt anger rise in her heart at someone trying to bully her mother, but before she could speak, the Inner Elders on the right side started to state their agreement with Mo Xingyu.
"I think what Elder Mo said makes sense."
"It would be a waste of a token."
"Since the Grand Elder does not have anyone to recommend, why do we not choose a disciple together?"
Hua Xiran looked at the Inner Elders who agreed to take the token away from Hua Qingyan.
The Outer Elders watched this unfold with amusement, distancing themselves from the internal conflict of the sect. In the Yin-Yang Sect, the Inner Elders were split into three parties.
The new Inner Elders, the Pure Love faction members, who were put in their positions by Hua Xiran, who supported her, were Huan Yi, Lin Xi, Zhan Tie, Lan Xin, Yuan Ji, and Han Fei.
The older Inner Elders, the Luxuria faction members, who supported Mo Xingyu were Wan Qing, Lie Yan, Meng Yun, Yong Zheng, and Ruo Han.
The third group of Inner Elders, the neutral party, they were Su Moyan, Xue Ling, Qin Xuan, and Jiang Wu.
Hua Xiran was not worried; in her faction, she had eight Elders, including her mother, the Grand Elder's support, while Mo Xingyu only had the support of five Elders.
"I also agree with Elder Mo, if the Grand Elder does not need the token, why not give it up?" Jiang Wu calmly said.
All the Elders were surprised that a neutral Elder decided to support Mo Xingyu. Mo Xingyu gave a charming wink to Jiang Wu, which was noticed by a few Elders.
Hua Xiran scoffed and thought.
Hmph, Men! Luckily, I have Shuying.
Jiang Wu's support for Mo Xingyu did not shake Hua Xiran's confidence, since she still has eight elders on her side.
"Sect Master, why not take back the Grand Elder's token?" Zhan Tie kindly suggested.
Huan Yi, Lin Xi, Lan Xin, and Yuan Ji looked at Zhan Tie with shock while Han Fei looked at him with anger.
Hua Xiran looked at this delicate young man from her side. Zhan Tie avoided her gaze. Hua Xiran narrowed her eyes and then looked towards Mo Xingyu, who charmingly smiled. Hua Xiran looked between Mo Xingyu and Zhan Tie, then felt a click in her mind.
She then looked at the calm Jiang Wu.
Hua Xiran thought.
No Way!
Hua Xiran recoiled as if struck; her realization sent a wave of nausea churning through her, so visceral she nearly gagged.
But before she could, a timid voice attracted her attention.
"I-I think we should… consider what Elder… Mo said," Han Fei hesitantly said, looking around nervously.
This sent another shock through all the Elders. Huan Yi, Lin Xi, Lan Xin, and Yuan Ji looked at her with wide eyes, never expecting such a thing from her. After all, she and Hua Xiran were from the same generation and cultivated side by side.
Mo Xingyu's supporters, originally with five elders, now include a neutral elder, Jiang Wu, and two elders, Zhan Tie and Han Fei, from Hua Xiran's faction, for a total of eight Inner Elders.
Now, Hua Xiran was left with only the support of six Inner Elders.
Hua Xiran clenched her hand into a fist, never expecting such a turn of events. Soon, a voice transmission was sent to her.
"I'm sorry, sect master, I was betrayed by Zhan Tie and am being blackmailed by Mo Xingyu." Han Fei desperately said, feeling guilty about her betrayal.
Han Fei never expected such a situation to occur; she could not help but glare at Zhan Tie, who calmly ignored her. What no one knew was that Han Fei was secretly in a relationship with Zhan Tie, but she never expected Zhan Tie to betray her.
Han Fei then turned her glare to Mo Xingyu, who just smiled at her.
Han Fei sighed and thought.
I should have been more careful.
Han Fei, like many, hid her kinks and fetishes, but opened her heart to Zhan Tie. Zhan Tie knew about Han Fei's secrets, but to him, he was just having fun, so when Mo Xingyu approached him, he did not hesitate to betray Han Fei for a night with Mo Xingyu.
Han Fei took a dao oath to help them one time, while Zhan Tie and Mo Xingyu took a dao oath to never tell anyone about her secrets after she helped them.
Hua Qingyan watched the chaos unfold and looked at Mo Xingyu. She and Mo Xingyu are from the same generation and grew up together in the sect. They were good friends in the past.
Hua Qingyan sadly thought.
I wonder how we became like this? Was it because I joined the Pure Love faction while she joined the Luxuria faction, but even then, we would not turn into enemies? Or was it that we competed for the love of the same man?
Thinking of her deceased dao companion, a bitter smile appeared on Hua Qingyan's face while her heart felt heavy. She quickly shook her head and stood up from her seat.
"Silence!" Hua Qingyan loudly said.
All the Elders were shocked. Hua Xiran and Mo Xingyu looked at her with wide eyes.
Hua Qingyan was known for her reserved personality and how she avoided conflicts. To Mo Xingyu, she was a complete pushover. Seeing her now with a calm, serious expression, speaking in a loud voice, surprised everyone.
Hua Qingyan observed everyone and slowly said, "I have already given my token to a disciple."
Mo Xingyu scoffed and said, "What disciple?"
Hua Qingyan did not mind her attitude and calmly explained, "A disciple signed up for my gardening and cooking class."
All the Elders looked confused, thinking.
A disciple signed up for those classes?!
No one expected anyone to attend those classes; the only reason they were not terminated was that the Grand Elder was teaching them.
If Hua Qingyan knew their thoughts, she would have thought.
How dare you! You people just can't appreciate certain things!
Hua Qingyan smiled, turned to look at Mo Xingyu, and said, "This new disciple is also the sect master's second personal disciple."
Mo Xingyu's expression hardened, and all the other Elders turned their attention to Hua Xiran.
Hua Xiran smiled and puffed her chest in pride. "I did accept a new disciple."
Mo Xingyu frowned and thought.
A new disciple, who could it be? Wait, could it be that girl who came with Su…
Hua Qingyan did not wait for Mo Xingyu to finish her thoughts and said, "Some of you have already met her."
Qin Xuan and Xue Ling nodded their heads, thinking about the red-haired girl while all the other Elders waited in anticipation to learn the girl's name.
Hua Qingyan stood up and said, "I have bestowed my token on a red-haired disciple named Bai Shuying."
Most Elders did not know who that was and tried to remember if they had seen any redheads in the sect recently, but certain Elders' expressions changed.
Su Moyan was shocked, thinking about the red-haired girl who was asking her questions about sword cultivation.
Mo Xingyu clenched her fist, her smile strained, and said, "I see, but…"
Mo Xingyu could not finish her sentence.
"If the token is given already, it would not be right to take it back." Su Moyan calmly said.
Su Moyan did not want to be involved in this farce, but thinking of the girl who showed such talent, she felt the need to say something.
"I agree, let's let the Grand Elder keep the token," Xue Ling said with a smile, but on the inside, she was surprised that Su Moyan, the sword freak, would speak up.
Xue Ling was fond of Bai Shuying and wanted to help her.
Qin Xuan nodded his head and said, "I also agree."
Qin Xuan did not expect these two to speak up and decided to join them to help out that little girl.
All the Outer Elders were shocked, never expecting this turn of events, especially Outer Elders Lan Wumian and Qi Chen, who were still in disbelief that the redhead was the sect master's disciple.
Mo Xingyu was surprised that three neutral elders sided with Hua Qingyan.
Hua Xiran and Hua Qingyan looked at each other confused, but soon nodded their head with the same thought.
That fox girl does get around!
Hua Xiran's and Mo Xingyu's sides were now tied with eight elders each. Hua Xiran now had Inner Elders: Huan Yi, Lin Xi, Lan Xin, Yuan Ji, Qin Xuan, Xue Ling, Hua Qingyan, and Su Moyan. While Mo Xingyu had Inner Elders: Wan Qing, Lie Yan, Meng Yun, Yong Zheng, Zhan Tie, Han Fei, Jiang Wu, and Ruo Han.
Mo Xingyu's expression hardened at the situation that did not go her way.
After a moment of thought, Mo Xingyu smiled and said, "Could it be the mortal brought back by Su Meilin?"
"Yes," Hua Xiran confirmed.
"I think we should reconsider her receiving a token; her strength may not be enough to handle the secret realm." Mo Xingyu said with a concerned tone.
Hua Qingyan frowned, which only made Mo Xingyu more confident.
Hua Qingyan only remembered Bai Shuying's cultivation being at the sixth stage of the qi condensation realm.
"I believe Bai Shuying can handle herself," Hua Xiran disagreed with Mo Xingyu's view of Bai Shuying.
"Well, as her master, you can't help but be biased. Why do we not set a situation to test her?" Mo Xingyu suggested getting the interest of the other Elders.
"Oh, and how would you do that?" Hua Xiran asked uninterested.
"Well, why do we not set up a duel between Bai Shuying and Xiao Wuji?" Mo Xingyu smiled as she said.
Hua Qingyan showed a worried expression. Hua Xiran narrowed her eyes and said, "What will Grand Elder Hua get out of it? The token was originally hers in the first place."
Mo Xingyu thought for a moment and said, "When I went outside before, I happened to be able to obtain a Yang qi crystal. I am willing to put it up. If my disciple Xiao Wuji wins, he will get the token, and if Bai Shuying wins, she can get the Yang qi crystal."
All the Elders gasped when they heard this.
Certain parts of the Martial Heaven Continent experience extreme weather conditions, making them saturated with a single type of qi, which gives birth to a concentrated crystal known as a qi crystal. The desserts with extreme heat create fire qi crystal, in the depths of the ocean create water qi crystal, in mountainous regions give birth to earth qi crystal, and areas that experience harsh winds give birth to wind qi crystal.
Each type of qi crystal is guarded by an elemental guardian. Any cultivator were to find a qi crystal, they would not only have to fight fellow cultivators, but also the guardians and face the harsh conditions that created the qi crystal. Making these items extremely valuable.
These were only for the basic elements. Rare elements such as Yang or Yin are extremely hard to find, as a special phenomenon occurs creating them. When and how are still unknown to cultivators. The fact that Mo Xingyu has one says a lot about how lucky she was, and how she obtained it is still up for debate.
For people of the Yin-Yang Sect, especially women who practice the Yin-Yang Fusion Scripture, the Yang qi crystal is very valuable, which could help them make leaps in their cultivation.
Mo Xingyu, a late-stage nascent soul realm cultivator, placing this valuable Yang qi crystal in a bet shows how confident she is in winning.
Hua Xiran did not show much reaction and looked at her mother, Hua Qingyan. Hua Xiran sent a voice transmission, "Do you want to accept?"
Hua Xiran did not feel it was worth it, as the token originally belonged to Hua Qingyan, and the Yang qi crystal does not benefit Bai Shuying at all. All in all, to her, it was a complete waste of time.
Bai Shuying is filled with Yin energy and cultivates the Blooming Lotus cultivation technique that converts any energy into Yin energy for her, Su Meilin with a pure Yin body cultivates using the Two Moon cultivation art which relies on Yin energy, and Hua Xiran a pure Yang body that cultivates the Yin-Yang Fusion Scripture is in dire need of some Yin energy. For these three women, there is no place for Yang energy.
As for Hua Qingyan, she was the only normal one out of the three odd ones mentioned before, but was she motivated in cultivating? Nope, after killing her dao companion, she did not bother cultivating at all and only focused on her garden.
Hua Qingyan also did not care, but remembering Bai Shuying's egg, she quickly looked at Mo Xingyu and hurriedly said, "Okay, I agree."
The meeting hall was filled with an uproar of noise, no one was expecting Hua Qingyan to agree since the token was hers to begin. If she disagreed, what could Mo Xingyu do then?
Mo Xingyu smiled as if everything was going her way.
While Hua Xiran looked at her mother with a confused expression, on why she would accept it.
Hua Qingyan, feeling her gaze, quickly sent a voice transmission to her.
"For Shuying."
Hua Xiran could only nod. After all, Hua Qingyan had already agreed in front of all these Elders; she could not back out even if she wanted to.