The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Forty-odd days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the summit of Taihua Peak, in front of the Taihua Palace, a huge white marble plaza is now adorned with fluttering flags and surrounded by auspicious clouds.

On the plaza, starting from the jade steps of the palace gate, all the disciples of Taihua Sect stood in neat rows.

From the newly initiated outer and inner disciples still in the Qi Refining stage, to the true disciples and stewards of each peak who have already established their foundation and can fly on the wind, and then to the elders of each peak in the Purple Mansion stage... a dark mass of people, numbering no less than hundreds of thousands.

Everyone was dressed in the Taihua Sect's standard Taoist robes, with slight differences in color depending on seniority and cultivation level, but the overall colors were mainly blue, white, and black, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

They lined up in order according to the pre-determined area, completely silent except for the sound of the mountain wind fluttering the flags.

The bright sunshine shone on the smooth, mirror-like white marble floor, reflecting a dazzling light.

In the distance, the sea of ​​clouds churns, cranes soar, and auspicious clouds drift by, creating a magnificent scene reminiscent of a celestial realm.

The auspicious time is approaching.

The bell tolled nine times, its sound reverberating through the mountains.

The two heavy bronze gates of Taihua Palace, engraved with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers, slowly opened inward with a deep rumble.

A slender, tall figure emerged slowly from the depths of the palace.

She was still dressed in a simple moon-white palace gown, without any jewelry or makeup.

Her long hair was loosely tied up with only a white jade hairpin, with the rest of her black hair hanging down to her waist.

Her face was aloof and stunningly beautiful, and her eyes were as calm as a deep, still well.

There was no deliberate pressure emanating from him, yet he possessed a majestic and imposing aura that made people dare not look him directly in the eye.

It was Zuo Qingqiu.

She walked to the palace gate, where a large jade throne had already been set up.

The throne is pure white, with a faint glow, and is carved with cloud and thunder patterns, giving it an ancient and grand appearance.

Zuo Qingqiu stopped in front of the throne, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he calmly swept his gaze across the square below.

Hundreds of thousands of eyes were focused on her.

There was awe, excitement, admiration, curiosity... a complex mix that's hard to describe.

She saw the ten elders in the front row, including Qingwei Zhenren, Bibo Zhenren, and Lieyang Zhenren, as well as the peak masters and core disciples of each peak. She also saw the young faces further back, their eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future and longing for the strong.

Compared to the suffocating, hierarchical kneeling ceremony during the Zuo family's ancestral worship, the Taihua Sect's ceremony, which only required bowing as a disciple, was indeed much more comfortable for her.

Even though she is a Supreme Elder and a Golden Core True Monarch, here, she is first and foremost a member of the Taihua Sect, a teacher and senior to these disciples, not a deity to be worshipped.

This relatively equal and open atmosphere is one of the reasons why she prefers sects.

The bell tolls again, its sound lingering and far-reaching.

The Elder of Ceremonies, dressed in a solemn ceremonial robe, stood to one side of the palace gate, channeling his spiritual power, his voice booming and resounding throughout the entire Taihua Peak:

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

"We respectfully invite the Supreme Elder—the True Lord of the Nine Heavens Taihua Purple Void Thunder Ancestor—to ascend the throne—!!!"

As the voice faded, tens of thousands of Taihua Sect disciples on the plaza, regardless of their cultivation level or seniority, bowed and clasped their hands in salute.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, as if they had practiced hundreds of times.

The sounds converged into a torrent, soaring into the sky and shaking the surrounding fields:

"Disciple respectfully welcomes the Supreme Elder! Congratulations on the True Lord's ascension to the throne! May the True Lord's immortal path prosper forever, and may he live ten thousand years—!!!"

The roar was like a tsunami, echoing among the mountains, startling countless birds into flight, and even causing the sea of ​​clouds to surge.

Zuo Qingqiu stood before the jade throne, enduring the overwhelming worship, her face expressionless.

She slightly raised her hand and pressed down lightly.

A gentle yet overwhelming force swept across the entire venue, instantly calming all the noise.

"rise."

She uttered only this one word, her voice not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Thank you, Elder Grandmaster!"

The crowd responded in unison once more, then slowly straightened up, still standing respectfully with their hands at their sides.

Zuo Qingqiu said no more and slowly sat down on the jade throne that everyone was watching.

The enthronement ceremony has officially begun.

The following procedures were tedious and solemn.

Offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, paying homage to the ancestral masters, proclaiming the imperial decree, and bestowing rewards...

Each step was carried out systematically and in an orderly manner.

Zuo Qingqiu simply sat quietly, like an observer.

These rituals held little significance for her.

She cooperated fully with each step, her expression remaining calm throughout.

As the ceremony progressed into its later stages, she saw several core disciples, dressed in elaborate robes and at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, carrying a magnificently decorated "jade carriage" that resembled a mortal's procession of deities, slowly emerging from the side hall of Taihua Palace.

The jade carriage was not empty; instead, it held a jade statue carved from a single piece of top-quality "spiritual jade".

The jade statue is about nine feet tall, and its entire body is pure white with an inner radiance.

The sculpture depicts a woman dressed in a Taoist robe, standing with her hands behind her back, gazing up at the sky.

The woman had an exquisitely beautiful face, a cool and aloof expression, and deep, unfathomable eyes that seemed to contain the endless galaxy and the universe in its birth and death.

Although it is just a statue, it is lifelike, especially the majestic demeanor of the person who is detached from worldly affairs and in control of thunder. It is seven or eight parts similar to Zuo Qingqiu who is sitting on the holy throne at this moment!

It was a jade statue of the Supreme Elder meticulously carved by a grandmaster of weapon crafting, based on Zuo Qingqiu's appearance and temperament!

This jade statue will be placed in the most sacred forbidden area of ​​Taihua Gate—the Ancestral Hall—to stand alongside the jade statues of Ancestral Master Taiyuan and Ancestral Master Jiuhua, and will be worshipped by future generations of disciples for all eternity!

Seeing this jade statue, exactly like himself, being carried out with such solemnity, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple finally crossed Zuo Qingqiu's eyes.

Idolization? Deification?

maybe.

But this is also a necessity for the sect, a necessity for uniting people's hearts and minds and passing on the tradition.

She withdrew her gaze from the jade statue, showing no further interest in following the ceremony. Having already decided to accept, the process itself was no longer important.

Let these disciples do what they want.

-

The enthronement ceremony lasted a full day, concluding in a solemn and joyous atmosphere as the sun began to set.

Zuo Qingqiu rose and, amidst the watchful eyes and respectful farewells of the crowd, transformed into a streak of light, leaving Taihua Peak and returning to Zixu Peak.

The next day, she quietly left the sect and landed outside "Yuntai City," a large city closest to the Yuntai Mountains.

Yuntai City, built upon the prestige of Taihua Gate, is a grand city with a population of over one million, and its prosperity ranks among the top in the Central Plains.

This place is not only an important distribution center for supplies and a window to the outside world for Taihua Sect, but also a place for disciples, cultivators from affiliated immortal cultivation families, and even independent cultivators to communicate, trade, and relax.

Zuo Qingqiu concealed all her aura, changed into an inconspicuous blue cloth robe, and wore a bamboo hat that covered most of her face. Like an ordinary wandering female cultivator, she silently blended into the bustling crowd.

Instead of going to the immortal markets that sell magical artifacts, pills, and talismans, she wandered around ordinary streets where mortals and low-level cultivators mingled. Finally, she stopped in front of a weapon shop that looked old and not very big.

The shop sign reads "Chen's Blacksmith Shop." The storefront is simple, but the clanging of blacksmithing can be heard from inside, and the air is filled with the smell of charcoal and metal.

Zuo Qingqiu went inside.

The shop was dimly lit. A middle-aged man, shirtless, muscular, and covered in sweat, was wielding a hammer and hammering a red-hot iron blank.

Sparks flew everywhere, and a wave of heat hit us.

Upon seeing a customer, the man stopped what he was doing, wiped his face with the towel on his shoulder, and said with a simple, honest smile, "What would you like to see, my lady? We have all kinds of weapons here—swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks! They're all made of good iron and are durable!"

Zuo Qingqiu's gaze swept over the various weapons hanging on the wall. Most of them were of ordinary style and made of ordinary iron mixed with a few inferior spiritual minerals. They were intended for low-level Qi Refining disciples or ordinary people with some martial arts skills to guard their homes.

She pointed to one of the steel swords hanging on the wall: "Take a look at that one."

"Alright!" The man quickly took the sword and presented it with both hands.