The First Immortal of Destiny-Chapter 440: Selection of the Peak Master_1
Additionally, there are slight differences between the positions of Hall Master and Peak Master. Above core disciples, the ranks are primarily Hall Masters. Yuan Chengshan was confirmed to have perished, leaving the Hall Master position in the Immortal Welcoming Hall vacant. This vacancy is to be filled by a core disciple. Typically, Yang Xuan’s opinion would be sought to see if he was interested in the Hall Master position. If he refused, the offer would pass to the second-ranked core disciple, Jiang Lingfeng, then to the third-ranked Shen Mo, the fourth-ranked Yu Yan, and so on.
However, the position of Peak Master of a Main Peak can be pursued by both core disciples and Hall Masters. In this case, the choice isn’t necessarily restricted to the top-ranking core disciple. A candidate’s seniority, strength, reputation, Sect Merits, and achievements are all considered.
Tang Lv, the Sunrise Peak Master, and several Hall Masters nominated Yang Xuan for a simple reason: this core chief disciple’s seniority, strength, and Sect Merits surpassed those of most Hall Masters. Normally, Hall Masters leverage their positional advantages, making it rare for a core disciple to surpass them in these aspects and compete for a Peak Master position. But Yang Xuan was an exception; he had held the position of core chief disciple for far too long.
Decades ago, during the height of a demon disaster, many Hall Master-level figures had fallen, leaving their positions vacant. However, he declined these opportunities, allowing core disciples ranked below him to successively assume Hall Master roles. For this reason, it was unsurprising that most of the current Hall Master-level figures supported him. Moreover, Yang Xuan had ample time to accumulate substantial Sect Merits and enhance his cultivation strength. He had also sufficiently accumulated seniority and prestige.
If the Peak Masters of the three Main Peaks advanced to the Golden Core Realm or unfortunately perished in a demon disaster, he would naturally be the best candidate to succeed them. Unexpectedly, the Riverside Sect’s leadership decided to establish a fourth Main Peak, primarily for the Bloody Fiend lineage, which introduced a significant variable. It was well known that the purpose of establishing this fourth peak was to win the loyalty of the Bloody Fiend School members. This would allow the Riverside Sect to better gather human and material resources from the Wando Archipelago. Furthermore, when the entire sect eventually migrated, members of the Bloody Fiend Sect from the archipelago could be smoothly integrated into the Riverside Sect, preventing discord or the trouble of one being substituted for another.
From this perspective, Shen Mo, the third-ranked core disciple, became a suitable choice. As Peak Master Zhou Shili stated, Shen Mo had discovered the Wando Archipelago by a stroke of fortune. He single-handedly eliminated the powerful evil cultivators on the islands, established the Bloody Fiend Sect, and the external magic cultivated by the Bloody Fiend School members was his unique cultivation method. To achieve the sect’s strategic objectives, these factors naturally had to be considered. Within the entire Riverside Sect, who could be a more suitable candidate than him, the patriarch of the Bloody Fiend Sect?
Furthermore, if he were offered a high position, future members of the Bloody Fiend School transferring to the Riverside Sect would discover that their founder was a Peak Master in the Riverside Sect, which would undoubtedly foster a sense of belonging. Otherwise, the outcome would be quite uncertain.
In the eyes of Peak Master Zhou Shili and others, the only thing Shen Mo lacked was seniority. In terms of strength, he could slay Spirit Sea Realm peak evil cultivators and Class III peak mutated Heavenly Demons; his Skills were vast and his combat prowess unparalleled. In terms of Sect Merits, since the Tianshan Convention, he had achieved splendid battle accomplishments for the Riverside Sect, slaying countless demons and earning outstanding merit. In terms of prestige, his reputation was illustrious and widespread—not only within the Riverside Sect but also among other immortal sects and even Heavenly Demons. In what aspect was he inferior to Yang Xuan?
Considering these factors, some Hall Master-level figures agreed with their proposal. Of course, Zhou Shili and others like him also had their own underlying motives. Among the Riverside Sect’s Main Peaks, Rising Sun Peak was the most dominant, its voice carrying the most weight during discussions in the Longevity Hall. This was evident from the previous nomination for the fourth Peak Master: because Rising Sun Peak had the most core disciples for many years, the majority of Hall Masters who rose through the ranks also came from it. Stars Peak and Bright Moon Peak, even combined, could barely maintain a stalemate against it. If Tang Lv’s junior martial brother, Yang Xuan, were to take the position of the fourth Peak Master, the situation for Stars Peak and Bright Moon Peak would become even more difficult. This concerned not only the influence of the two Peak Masters in high-level decision-making but, more importantly, their cultivation resources. Aspects such as the cultivation resources for their disciples, their future development, and position assignments were all closely tied to this. Even if one achieved Core Formation, having more affiliated disciples meant one’s voice carried more weight. By promoting Shen Mo, even if he later considered matters from the perspective of the fourth Peak Master, he would at least not favor Tang Lv of Rising Sun Peak in many issues. Recommending worthy individuals without avoiding relatives is also perfectly justifiable!
After a prolonged and contentious discussion, Sect Master Yuan Qingshi finally spoke, signaling everyone to quiet down and cease the arguments. His gaze fell first on Shen Mo, then on Yang Xuan. "What are your thoughts? Speak freely."
Yang Xuan, the core chief disciple, immediately cupped his fists and said, "Disciple... is willing to share the sect’s burdens."
He looked down on the position of Hall Master, but the esteemed position of a Peak Master was something he still coveted. He had waited for so many years; if he missed this chance, he didn’t know when another such opportunity would arise—perhaps not until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse. Consider the Law Master and the three Peak Masters—all are at the half step to Golden Core Realm. Yet, they have been at this stage for many years, and no one can say when they might achieve Core Formation; they might even remain unable to advance to the Golden Core Realm in their entire lifetime! It was also impossible to predict when they might perish or commit a grave error. If he continued to delay like this, he might only be able to take up a Hall Master position, which he had previously disdained. And once promoted to Hall Master, his previously accumulated Sect Merits would be reset. He would have to start accumulating new merits tied to his tenure. Consequently, even if a Peak Master position became vacant later, he wouldn’t be able to compete with other Hall Masters. There would be no chance of being promoted two ranks in quick succession. Alternatively, he could hold no position within the sect, focus solely on advancing his cultivation level, and directly become a Supreme Elder after achieving Core Formation. But again, even the Sect Master and Peak Masters, who were half step to Golden Core, faced uncertainty in successfully forming a Core. Although Yang Xuan had cultivated to the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm, reaching the Golden Core Realm was still no easy feat for him! Therefore, Yang Xuan was still very eager to secure the position of the fourth Peak Master.
Hearing this, Yuan Qingshi nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Shen Mo. "And you?"
Light flickered in Shen Mo’s eyes, but he didn’t speak immediately. He was weighing the pros and cons of vying for the Peak Master position. Honestly, when he was eradicating the Priest evil cultivators and establishing the Bloody Fiend Sect in the Wando Archipelago, he hadn’t expected to gain any personal benefits from it. He had guessed that if the Riverside Sect were to one day relocate entirely to the Wando Archipelago, the position of Law Master would likely fall to him. But by then, the Riverside Sect would have lost its home base, lost the support of the hundreds of millions of people in Qing State and Red Flame Country, and would naturally have declined. At that point, what difference would there be between being the Sect Master of the Riverside Sect and the Sect Master of the Bloody Fiend Sect? It would be better to attempt crossing the Immortal Burial Sea to the Foreign Zone where the Taiyi Sword Alliance was located. At least there, there would be no lack of nature’s spiritual energy or cultivation resources!
