Chapter 4288: Elder Assembly

After burying their sect master, an upper-echelon assembly was held.

Of course, the tiny sect only had a few hundred disciples. Thus, the assembly included five elders.

They didn’t have a deep command structure like the larger sects including protectors, elders, supreme elders, ancestors…

Normally, these five made decisions in the absence of the sect master. Since there were only five, it made the decision-making process simpler and faster.

Plus, they rarely experienced anything serious during their tenure until today. The hall had a repressed atmosphere after the death of the sect master.

In the past, the sect master took care of problems personally, whether it be internal or external matters. In his absence, the five elders became a headless snake.

“What should we do?” One elder initiated the meeting.

Others exchanged glances but didn’t respond.

“We can’t let anyone know that the sect master died for an ancient immortal physique. Others will come to rob and annihilate us.” The first elder said with a serious tone. He became the one with the highest authority now.

He was the second-strongest in the sect, being at the minor level of the Yin Yang realm. In a larger sect, he would only be a below-average cultivator.

The other four agreed with this, hence their decision prior to not having a large burial ceremony. They didn’t notify their neighbors either.

“What about the appointment?” Elder Hu asked.

This was another tough decision for the group. Their sect master gave the scroll and his position to a stranger before death. This left them in a difficult spot.

“A sect needs a leader.” The second elder said: “Regardless of all else, we do need someone to step up so that the juniors can be at ease.”

“The problem is that he’s an outsider. We know nothing about him.” Another replied.

“I wonder why the sect master picked him.” One more said.

“I’m not sure but this is confirmed. I and the others saw with our own eyes that he was still lucid.” Elder Hu said.

It was one thing if their sect master was hallucinating or confused during his last moment. Alas, his mind was still sound.

“Can an outsider really become our next sect master?” One elder asked.

The others thought that there was no precedence to this even in their long history. They didn’t have a complicated system to pick a successor. One could be appointed by the current sect master or the elders.

Thus, there was no rule prohibiting Li Qiye from accepting this role. It depended on their decision.

“What kind of person is he?” The first elder asked.

All eyes turned towards Elder Hu because he was the only one who had interacted with Li Qiye.

Elder Hu smiled wryly and shook his head: “Well, I also don’t know anything about him.”

“What is his cultivation?” The first elder asked again.

“I’m not sure either.” Elder Hu thought about it and answered: “In my opinion, it should be higher than mine, most likely the Yin Yang realm and above. If he was weaker, I would have been able to tell.”

“The yin yang realm would be perfectly acceptable.” The fourth elder said: “But there is no way he would be higher. Someone at a higher realm wouldn’t agree to come here.”

After all, Little Diamond had no treasures and resources to speak of. Some powerful cultivators’ personal wealth far exceeded their treasuries.

Becoming a sect master sounded grand but in reality, there was nothing good about it. It meant shouldering a heavy responsibility and taking care of several hundred disciples.

Therefore, someone at the myriad-form realm would not accept an invitation to become their sect master. Having a decent position in a larger sect was far superior than being the sect master of Little Diamond.

“I agree, let him be the sect master if he is in the yin yang realm.” The second master said.

“What if he harbors nefarious thoughts against our sect?” The fifth elder said.

“Say, if he is in any higher realm, there is no reason for him to scheme against us. Just using force is more than enough.” The first elder disagreed.

Luck was the primary reason for their sect’s survival, not power and treasure. They had nothing worth coveting. Moreover, if Li Qiye’s cultivation was indeed strong, he could just rob and destroy them.

The first elder stared at his peers then said: “Gentlemen, say what is on your mind. Yes or no?”

The four contemplated carefully. This was a pivotal decision since it pertained to the well-being of their sect. One wrong move might result in sect destruction; they would be too ashamed to meet the ancestors in the afterlife.

“In my opinion, we should follow the wish of the sect master.” Elder Hu, the third elder, gritted his teeth and said.

“What is your reasoning?” The second elder asked.

“Forget about his cultivation since it is uncertain, there is another angle. The sect master gave him the scroll for the immortal physique and didn’t bring it up with his last words. However, Young Noble Li was generous enough to give it to us. There are two explanations, one being he doesn’t care about this peerless scroll because he is too strong already. The other would be him having perfect morality and character…”

Having said that, he went over the event in detail.

The other four listened attentively then nodded approvingly. The scroll containing an immortal physique was priceless.

Only the mightiest sects wouldn’t care too much about it. In this case, Li Qiye decided to give the scroll to them. From this alone, the man was clearly right for the job.

“If that’s the case, I believe he should become the next sect master.” The first elder revealed his stance.