The Long Journey to Immortality

Not all cultivators in the sect share Han Lu's views.

Perhaps it was because Xuan Chengzi sensed this that he asked Han Lu such a question in order to seek comfort.

With a long sigh, Xuan Chengzi said, "It seems that among the sect elders, Han Lu, you understand me the most."

Han Lu was not unaware of the pressure Xuan Chengzi was facing, but at this moment, she still had to consider the overall situation and mediate the conflict.

"It's just that some other elders may be short-sighted and more concerned about themselves, so the sect leader doesn't need to worry about them too much."

"The elders are not fools. They will surely understand the deeper meaning behind the sect leader's actions and his good intentions in the future."

Her words were well-chosen and made some sense, which further increased Xuan Chengzi's opinion of Han Lu.

Xuan Chengzi looked at Han Lu, who was dressed in green, and thought to himself, "This True Phoenix Fairy is not only exceptionally talented and powerful, but also quite sensible in her dealings with others. She is not a bad choice."

Recalling the few words that Qingxu Daoist had said to him before, Xuan Chengzi secretly made a decision.

"Then Han Lu," Xuan Chengzi asked, addressing her by her given name, "what shortcomings do you think I have had during my years as sect leader, and could you make up for them in the last two years?"

"This..." At this moment, Han Lu naturally couldn't say anything nonsensical, such as "the leader is too serious about his work and doesn't cherish his own health."

After a moment of contemplation and some thought, Han Lu said, "Sect Master Xuancheng, if I were to point out your shortcomings, it would probably be that although the number of sect elders increased during your term, all three elders who attempted to transcend tribulation and advance to the late Golden Core stage ended in failure."

"However, such things are not something you can decide."

"It would be too much to call it a shortcoming; it's more like a regret."

"If the sect can gain another Nascent Soul cultivator during your term, then it can be called perfect."

With the help of the "Free and Easy Umbrella", three Golden Core cultivators, including Elder Haoge, failed to transcend their tribulations, resulting in two deaths and one injury. This was definitely a "scandal" during Xuan Chengzi's term of office.

Although it has little to do with him in reality, he still has to take the blame for this.

Xuan Chengzi also felt very sorry about this. As a cultivator who also had a good chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm, he couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the fate of his fellow disciples, "The path to immortality is long and the world is unpredictable."

With just a few words, the atmosphere in the room changed abruptly.

However, the atmosphere in the room soon improved considerably with the third question posed by Genseiko.

"Elder Zhenfeng," Xuan Chengzi said to Han Lu, changing his form of address, "you have outstanding talent and a bright future. You will surely become a pillar of the sect in the future."

"As you probably know, I've decided to serve as sect leader for another two years before stepping down and focusing on cultivation."

"Do you have any suggestions regarding the selection of the next sect leader?"

Tell me about it. If it's suitable, I'll consider it.

"If it's not suitable, that's fine. Everyone can express their opinions, and there's no need to be too careful."

Previously, Xuan Chengzi and Qingxu Daoren were discussing the issue of choosing a successor.

Just then, Han Lu arrived and had a pleasant chat with Xuan Chengzi. Naturally, Xuan Chengzi thought of consulting Han Lu about this matter, hearing her opinion, and perhaps even using this as a starting point to bring up a deeper topic.

[Author's Note] If Bayern wins the Champions League, please add more chapters.

Chapter 887 Plum Wine?

The position of the leader of the Zhengyi Sect is rotated, but the new leader is not determined by democratic voting.

Generally speaking, the position is designated by the previous sect leader.

Like Xuan Chengzi, although he volunteered himself, he was recognized by Daoist Yunmin before he finally became the head of the Zhengyi Sect and was able to have a stage to realize his ambitions.

Now, although Xuan Chengzi has decided to "retire," he has not yet decided which elder will succeed him.

In fact, it could be said that they don't even have a single candidate they consider suitable.

Although there are still two years left, it's better to settle such matters sooner rather than later.

After all, the transfer of power is not as simple as just talking.

"This..." This question stumped Han Lu.

There are quite a few elders in the sect. With Fu Tianqiao's advancement to the Golden Core Realm, the number of elders in the Zhengyi Sect has finally exceeded sixty.

The position of the sect leader of Zhengyi Sect is a kind of signboard for the sect. The sect leader can have average management ability, but cannot have poor cultivation level, otherwise he will be inferior to others when communicating and interacting with others.

Therefore, one must at least be at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

Of these sixty-one elders, including Xuan Chengzi who is still in office, less than half are qualified to sit in the position of sect leader.

Then consider the sect's status, prestige, and perhaps most importantly, perhaps least important, administrative ability.

There weren't actually many elders who could make it onto Xuan Chengzi's candidate list.

In the past, at such times, it was very likely that a deputy sect leader would be promoted to the position of sect leader. Back then, Daoist Yunmin helped with the handover in this way so that Xuanchengzi could take over smoothly.

But for the ambitious Xuan Chengzi, he would rather select a successor he liked than just do a perfunctory job.

A dozen or so names flashed through Han Lu's mind, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

"Sect Master, what do you think of Elder Wine Pot?" Han Lu brought up Fu Tianqiao's master, Elder Wine Pot, with whom she had just shared drinks yesterday.

"He is kind and has a good reputation within the sect. If you think about it carefully, he has also trained two sect elders," Han Lu simply pointed out Elder Wine Pot's advantages and strengths. "If he becomes an elder, he should be supported."

“No, no,” Xuan Chengzi shook his head repeatedly. “Elder Wine Pot is addicted to wine. In a year, excluding the time for cultivation, he probably only has a hundred days when his mind is clear.”

"If he were to become the sect leader, I'm afraid he would devise many foolish plans and make mistakes due to drinking."

Xuan Chengzi did not deny Elder Jiuhu's strengths; he merely pointed out what he considered to be Elder Jiuhu's weaknesses, citing them as reasons why Elder Jiuhu was unsuitable to be the sect leader.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu nodded and said, "The sect leader is right."

"What about Elder Xianyu Ji? He just advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm two years ago. He is young and promising, and his experience in the sect is quite similar to that of the sect leader. He should be a good candidate."

Han Lu brought up her past "fake boyfriend" Xianyu Ji.

Although Xianyu Ji advanced to the Golden Core realm twenty years earlier than Han Lu, he was still two years later than Han Lu when he entered the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

Among these factors, insufficient resources are likely one of the reasons affecting Xianyu Ji's cultivation speed.

In Han Lu's view, if Xianyu Ji could serve as a sect leader and receive stronger support from the sect after "retirement," he would definitely have a 30% chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul realm.

Xuan Chengzi was not very satisfied with the second candidate proposed by Han Lu.

“Elder Xianyu is indeed young and promising, but he is still too young, just like I was seventy years ago,” Xuan Chengzi recalled how he had volunteered himself as soon as he advanced to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. “His reputation is insufficient to lead the sect.”

"If Elder Xianyu has designs on the position of sect leader thirty years from now, I will definitely support him a hundredfold."

"But it's too early to say now."

Since it was something negative, Xuan Chengzi only mentioned it briefly and didn't elaborate further. He even helped to smooth things over with a couple of sentences at the end.

"Then..." Han Lu was about to speak, but found that she couldn't come up with any more names. "Then I don't know who would be suitable."

Xuan Chengzi picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and casually said something that shocked Han Lu, "Fairy Zhenfeng, what do you think about you becoming the sect leader?"

It wasn't just a casual conversation; Han Lu knew, of course, that Xuan Chengzi wasn't testing her, but genuinely believed she was suitable for the position and capable of carrying on his aspirations and leading the Zhengyi Sect toward the next victory.

"Me? Would that be appropriate?"

Han Lu asked herself this question without immediately answering Xuan Chengzi's question.

Xuan Chengzi wasn't in a hurry. He smiled and looked at Han Lu, imagining what it would be like when Han Lu sat in his seat.

This was the first time Han Lu had thought about this question.

One reason is that she had known for a short time that Gensei was going to abdicate.

On the other hand, she had already decided to settle in the wilderness in the future and live with her parents. Now focused on cultivation, she has never had any desire for an official position in the sect.

If asked whether it was suitable or not, Han Lu could come to the conclusion that it was suitable in a short time, and could even imagine herself as the sect leader of Zhengyi Sect, representing the sect in the struggle against other forces.

She has done many things like this, but in the past, she was not a decision-maker.

She really enjoyed that feeling and was happy to contribute her share to the sect.

However, this is only a matter of suitability. Compared to ability, personal will is to a large extent the key factor in determining whether an elder of the Zhengyi Sect can sit in the position of sect leader.

Personal will can be divided into internal and external.

"Outside" naturally refers to the thoughts of the sect elders and the previous sect leader.

Han Lu, who felt that she was popular and well-liked within the sect, was certain that she would have no problem becoming the sect leader.

"As for the future..." Han Lu rested her chin on her hand, and considering her vision for the future, she had already made up her mind.

Although Han Lu wanted to say something like, "I have never had such ambitions, but I have always taken the interests of the sect as my own responsibility. I don't care whether I am a disciple, an elder, or the sect leader. However, if you insist on appointing me as the next sect leader and tell me that only I can better benefit the sect, then I can only abandon my selfishness and encourage myself to take on the responsibility."

However, considering her vision for the future and her longing for family life, she could only give Genji a less than satisfactory answer at this point.

"Sect Master..."

Xuan Chengzi knew what Han Lu was going to say just by looking at her expression before she even opened her mouth.

“Alright, I already know Elder Zhenfeng’s thoughts,” Xuan Chengzi interrupted Han Lu to avoid making her feel awkward. “I understand Elder Zhenfeng’s intentions. As for the agreement between you and me, I will also mention it to the next sect leader.”

"When you feel it's the right time, you can leave easily and settle in the wilderness without any psychological burden."

"I believe that, given Elder Zhenfeng's character, she will contribute to the development of the Zhengyi Sect wherever she is, and will always consider herself a member of the Zhengyi Sect."

Chapter 888 Farewell, Elixir

Although due to his background, Xuan Chengzi could not properly distinguish between "sect" and "family".

Even though he was an orphan raised by the sect, he clearly understood the significance of family to a cultivator.

Compared to other cultivators, Han Lu's family experience can be described as bitter at first but sweet later.

Given this situation, coupled with the fact that she is a true spirit with a long lifespan, Xuan Chengzi could naturally understand why Han Lu would devote more energy to her family and yearn to return to the wilderness.

Xuan Chengzi's quick answer resonated deeply with Han Lu, striking a chord with her.

Han Lu could only chuckle and say, "Since the sect leader understands me, I won't waste any more words."

"Alright, alright," Xuan Chengzi complained, slightly annoyed, in a joking tone, "I was thinking of having you take over, but now it seems I'll have to find someone else to do this thankless and arduous task."

Unable to respond, Han Lu could only continue to "smile foolishly," responding with an expression she rarely wore on her face.

Xuan Chengzi knew very well that Han Lu, who possessed the bloodline of the True Spirit, would definitely make many, many contributions to the Zhengyi Sect over the next thousand years. These contributions would certainly be greater than the contributions Han Lu made to the sect while sitting in the position of sect leader for thirty or forty years.

Although things didn't go as planned, Xuan Chengzi couldn't find even half a reasonable reason to blame Han Lu.

With a sigh, Xuan Chengzi waved his hand and said, "Alright, go and attend to your own business. If there is any news about that purple monster, I will send you a paper sword as soon as possible."