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The six true disciples each received their jade tokens, leaving only the Divine Firmament Token floating alone.

Gu Fan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Disciple Gu Fan is willing to accept the Divine Firmament Token!"

Qi Zongyuan nodded and smiled, "Excellent! I am very pleased that you all have the heart to serve the sect."

"The rest of you may go on your own. If you have any questions about your duties, you may consult the elders."

After saying that, Qi Zongyuan looked at Gu Fan and added, "Gu Fan, stay."

"Respect the order of the Sect Leader!" everyone shouted in unison.

Several Golden Core elders led six disciples out of the Lingxiao Palace, leaving only Qi Zongyuan and Gu Fan behind.

Qi Zongyuan lowered his eyelids and stared at Gu Fan for a moment.

Gu Fan dared not look directly at Qi Zongyuan and waited for his instructions.

After a long silence, Qi Zongyuan sighed and said, "Senior Brother Xuanji values ​​you highly, but cultivating the Great Luo Inner Landscape Heaven-Reaching Profound Chapter is far too dangerous. If you want to back out, I can mediate on your behalf."

Gu Fan then realized that Qi Zongyuan was worried that he would repeat the same mistake as Xuanji Zhenren, and immediately replied, "This disciple did it entirely of his own free will, not because Master forced me. Please rest assured, Master."

"Very well." Qi Zongyuan nodded slightly and stopped trying to persuade him. He said seriously, "To take charge of the Divine Firmament Token, you must work for the sect. I can allow you to recruit one deputy and up to ten subordinates. You can choose the candidates yourself."

"In addition, I hereby grant you the qualification to speak frankly to me, bypassing the other true disciples."

"But let me make it clear from the beginning, the Divine Firmament Token carries a heavy responsibility. If you commit a grave error, I will revoke your status as a true disciple without even waiting for the next generation of true disciples to compete for the position!"

"This disciple will certainly do his utmost." Gu Fan raised his head and bowed.

Qi Zongyuan explained the details again before letting Gu Fan leave.

A moment later, Gu Fan flew back to Ziyun Palace and saw Hou Wenzhao using earth magic to build a beast garden. He nodded in agreement.

Back in the quiet room, Hulu rushed over and was scooped up in Gu Fan's arms, who gently stroked it.

Chang Yuan lay on the futon, half asleep.

Gu Fan's palm was submerged in the gourd's smooth bristles, his eyes unfocused as he pondered the division of the true disciples.

As expected, Song Jichuan's three disciples from the previous generation, as well as Lin Qian'er's fate, were the same. What's interesting are the choices made by Chen Suzhen and Xu Changsheng.

The Lingxiao Sect and the three sects of Chen State have not yet ceased hostilities, but they have sent Chen Suzhen, whose combat strength is far inferior to Xu Changsheng, to garrison the area.

"It seems the situation on the Cloud Mist Sea is stabilizing," Gu Fan thought to himself.

As for Xu Changsheng's arrangement, it was obviously at Qi Zongyuan's behest. Compared to the other disciples, establishing an immortal city to deal with the demonic cultivators of Wu Kingdom was obviously easier to earn merit, with the opportunity second only to Gu Fan.

Managing the operation of the immortal city is by no means an easy task. The city is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and there is no doubt that one can accumulate a lot of management experience.

Considering that Xu Changsheng's cultivation method is from the same lineage as the sect leader's...

"It seems the Sect Leader is grooming Senior Brother Xu to be the next Sect Leader," Gu Fan muttered to himself.

The fervor surrounding the succession of the true disciples lasted for a long time within the Lingxiao Sect, becoming a topic of conversation for many.

No more than three days after receiving the Seven Orders of Lingxiao, Gu Fan's guess came true.

News of the peace talks between the Lingxiao Sect and the three sects of Chen State spread throughout the sect, and the struggle that had lasted for more than ten years was finally coming to an end.

Although covert struggles are inevitable, at least the cultivators from both countries don't have to fight to the death on the spot.

The peace talks were led by Qi Zongyuan, accompanied by two Golden Core elders, along with the newly promoted True Disciple Chen Suzhen and his chosen deputy, Meng Wei.

Two days ago.

Gu Fan and Chen Suzhen gathered their old friends from Lingxi Peak for a small reunion at Tingtao Pavilion.

Tingtao Pavilion is built on a cliff, more than ten feet high, and is surrounded by open space, with only strange rocks and waves around it.

The group leaned against the railing, enjoying the view and clinking glasses in a lively atmosphere.

During the meal, Gu Fan pulled Meng Wei aside and whispered his suggestion, but Meng Wei smiled apologetically.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, junior brother. I've already promised Senior Brother Chen."

Gu Fan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and upon hearing this, he had no choice but to give up.

In terms of acquaintance, Meng Wei and Chen Suzhen were long before him, so Meng Wei's choice was beyond reproach.

Just as Gu Fan was about to speak, he saw Meng Wei grin, his eyes full of joy, and whisper, "But I have some good news to share with my junior brother."

"Good news?" Gu Fan's eyes darted around, and he teased, "Could it be that Senior Brother is getting married?"

"As expected, you can't hide it from your junior brother!" Meng Wei gave a thumbs up in praise.

Gu Fan was momentarily stunned, then quickly congratulated him, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on winning the heart of your beauty!"

In truth, Meng Wei's marriage was both expected and unexpected.

Meng Wei's Daoist partner is naturally Long Ying, but Long Ying has already become a disciple of Elder Sun, the head of Dan Ding Peak, and has the support of her family. Meng Wei, on the other hand, is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment and is practically a loner apart from a few friends. It is somewhat unfair that they are not a good match.

It wasn't until Meng Wei recounted the whole story that Gu Fan realized there were many other things hidden behind it.

"Originally, Long Ying and I wouldn't have become Daoist partners so quickly, since there were many opponents in the Long family, and I didn't want to put Long Ying in a difficult position."

"But a few days ago, a Golden Core elder in our sect proposed marriage to Elder Sun on behalf of a junior, actually wanting to marry Long Ying!"

At this point, Meng Wei gritted his teeth, his grip on the wine glass making a creaking sound.

Gu Fan frowned and asked, "Which elder is it?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Wei revealed a smile and said strangely, "It's Elder Chen from Spirit Beast Peak."

Gu Fan was taken aback, recalling an arrogant face in his mind, and hesitantly asked, "That Elder Chen's descendant, could it be...?"

"That's right, it's the one you beat up during the competition for the throne, Chen Shaoyan!"

Meng Wei couldn't suppress his smile and said excitedly, "I heard from Long Ying that when Elder Chen came to our door, he said that Chen Shaoyan was almost certain to win the position of true disciple, and that he was a perfect match for Long Ying."

"As a result, you got beaten up by your junior brother! Junior brother has no idea how happy I was when I saw you beating up Chen Zhiyan that day."

Gu Fan laughed upon hearing this, teasingly saying, "If I had known this would happen, I should have gone even harder."

The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

After the laughter subsided, Gu Fan continued, "What happened next?"

"Later..." Meng Wei's face showed a hint of pride as he continued, "Elder Sun is not an overbearing person. He values ​​Long Ying highly and naturally asked for her opinion. Long Ying rejected it on the spot."

"But refusing a Golden Core elder always requires a reason, so Long Ying went along with it..."

Gu Fan nodded in realization.

If Long Ying were to form her core in the future, she would be able to protect the Long family for hundreds of years. However, if she were to marry into the Chen family, she would be subject to their control, and it is even possible that the Long family would be swallowed up by the Chen family.

For the Long family, Meng Wei may seem like a loner, but that may not be a bad thing.

Afterwards, Gu Fan chatted for a while.

Firstly, to confirm the wedding date, Gu Fanhao will then present a congratulatory gift.

Secondly, Meng Wei should act as a go-between, and Long Ying should guide Song Lian.

Meng Wei readily agreed.

......

Ziyun Palace.

Gu Fan sat cross-legged on the futon, pondering who could be his deputy.

As for the ten subordinates, there's no rush.

If he receives a mission, Gu Fan can issue a recruitment notice through the Hall of Diligence, so there is no need to worry about a shortage of manpower.

Even if some cultivators belong to Gu Fan's command, they are no different from other disciples when there are no sect missions. Only when Gu Fan receives an order will he summon his subordinates.

He even planned to conduct a task assessment to observe the candidates before selecting suitable personnel.

The subordinates' salaries were not to be paid by Gu Fan, but were instead reported to the sect and distributed.

For those cultivators, joining Gu Fan's ranks meant an extra source of income, as well as the favor and support of true disciples. This was even more valuable than the sect's rewards.

Compared to ordinary subordinates, the selection of a deputy requires much more careful consideration.

One must be trustworthy in character, and possess strong cultivation and combat power, but not too strong, otherwise there is a possibility of rebelling against the Heavenly Gang.

After a thorough screening, very few suitable candidates remained.

Suddenly, Gu Fan's eyes lit up as a figure appeared in his mind.

"She's quite suitable!"