Capítulo 471: The Long Awaited Challenge (I)
Immortal Drifting Axe Han Baohu left the Virtuous Order, never to return. He wasn't the only one as more rejected acolytes soon followed him out the door. Everyone being kicked out was those from the subcontinents and the men that replaced them were all from the Seven Potentates. Some of them weren't even Spirit Lords yet. It was utter humiliation.
This second phase of the Gift Giving Ceremony turned into nothing more than a public display of might for the Seven Potentates of Jiannan. Although the Virtuous Order's influence went far beyond the Martial Brilliance Continent, the seven ruled this school. They ruled the southern half of the continent and few, if any, could stand up to their will.
Long Yifei watched the show keenly. She saw that some of the acolytes sported relieved expressions. Others were dejected or outright sad. But none were angry. They had all been subjugated already.
The reactions of the Sacred Daughters also varied. Some were happy but more were unhappy. A few even shed a few tears when their old acolyte left them. Even though they were Sacred Daughters, precious women in the eyes of the continent, they were still weak and powerless. Their fates were controlled by others and they lived their lives based on the whims of men.
For her who yearned for peerless power and the freedom it provided, Long Yifei found the scene before her intolerable. All these women were being traded between men like they were nothing but livestock. It showed the truth behind the Virtuous Order which had promised her immortality and power beyond her dreams. That future might be possible for her but not for these women. They would be nothing but the property of others.
She glanced at Chen Wentian. His face was stiff and expressionless but his eyes flashed with fire. It was probably even more difficult for him to watch this. These immortals leaving one by one were like him in many ways, independent cultivators who came to the Order with great hopes, hopes that now seemed so fleeting.
She squeezed his hand which was still clasped with hers. He glanced over and she gave him a reassuring smile.
"Are you alright?" She asked gently.
He snorted, "I'm fine, just tired of this stupid waste of time."
"Me too." She smiled lightly.
He was like an open book to her. She could read him so easily and this fact comforted her. He was an uninhibited person, a straight shot, someone who lived by their own rules. He was an independent immortal who answered to no one and who had had the power to fight back against those that tried to restrain him.
He was a blue dragon soaring carefree in the blue sky. She would have the most freedom staying beside a person like him and no one else. She was right where she needed to be.
"If there is nobody else, this is the end of the second phase…"
Long Yifei looked up at Abbotess Li's bright voice. Chen Wentian also tensed up.
"… We have been introduced to so many powerful acolytes tonight. The Virtuous Order cannot help but thank each and every one of you. You are now a vital partner in the order. Our success is now tied to yours. I wish that we may have a successful relationship for many decades and even centuries to come. Now, it is time for the final event of the Gift Giving Ceremony, the third phase!"
Li Shishi paused. Nervous energy built up all around upon her words.
Li Shishi smiled mysteriously and continued, "The third phase of the ceremony is perhaps the most misunderstood one out of them all so let me explain again. The relationship between a Sacred Daughter and their acolyte is supposed to be a symbiotic one. One raises up the other, supporting each other so that they may reach new heights unobtainable without their counterparts. This is our ideal but in reality, it sometimes doesn't work out. Relationships can turn toxic. They can become parasitic. In these situations, despite the best intentions of both parties, one side can't help but drag the other down due to their lack of talent, lack of resources, or other factors."
"It is the duty of the order and our affiliates to identify such relationships, call them out, and rectify the situation. If a Sacred Daughter is not performing up to the standards of their acolyte, this is a problem for the whole Order. Conversely, if an acolyte is not performing up to the standards of their Sacred Daughter, this is also a problem. But please understand that this is not an attack against the sacred bond between a Sacred Daughter and their acolyte. Rather, this third phase exists exactly because we care so much about that bond. We must maintain its integrity. We must ensure that this critical bond cannot be corrupted by faithlessness, incompetence, and neglect."
"Now, I open the third phase ceremony to everyone present. If anybody has any grievances or challenges against anyone else in this grand chamber, you may speak up now as long as you honor the guidelines I have just explained. If you speak up, you must do so for the great good of the Virtuous Order and for all parties involved."
Li Shishi stopped speaking, leaving a deafening silence across the grand banquet hall. Over a thousand pairs of Sacred Daughters and Acolytes held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Some people were nervous about themselves or their partners, unsure if their performance was adequate and if they would be publicly challenged. Others were confident in themselves and were merely waiting for a good show.
Several distinct immortal auras flared up as if they had been waiting for this moment all evening. They came from the group of lonely men that remained standing at the rear. Since they hadn't been involved in the first phase or the second phase, only the third phase was left. Any challenge could only come from them and nobody else.
One spiritual aura in particular locked onto Chen Wentian and Long Yifei. He turned towards it, locking eyes with the detestable face in the crowd that belonged to Immortal Bamboo Wave Yang Gehu.
The other man scowled.
He responded with a sneer and a silent challenge, 'If you think you can take her, come and try it!'
Yang Gehu stood up abruptly, spiritual energy billowing off his body in great waves as if he was about dive into a vicious battle.
His strong voice rang throughout the hall, "I, Immortal Bamboo Wave Yang Gehu, challenge the acolyte of Sacred Daughter Long Yifei named Chen Wentian. I challenge him for failing one of the core covenants for all acolytes. An acolytes must be able to adequately provide for their Sacred Daughter and not impair their growth. This Chen Wentian is too poor and cannot provide enough gifts for Long Yifei. In addition, I submit to the Virtuous Order and the executive council of the Millennium Mountains Campus that I should be the one to replace him as Long Yifei's acolyte from this point forward!"
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