"So you two have already..."
As soon as they sat down in the small courtyard, Ji Yuan cast a curious glance at the two people in front of him.
If he remembered correctly, the two were already planning to become Dao companions after the Outer Sect Competition.
"Not yet. Since the underground dojo opened, the Outer and Inner Sect Competitions have been postponed."
Li Junxian gave a bitter smile. Originally, they thought they could participate in the Outer Sect Competition after visiting the underground dojo once.
However, due to various reasons, the Outer and Inner Sect Competitions were postponed. Now, more than half a year has passed, and they have been directly deferred to the next competition.
Fortunately, because they were traveling with Ji Yuan and others, they discovered tree trunks containing Dao rhymes in a stone forest, accumulating a considerable amount of merit. Now, the two of them have successfully obtained the qualification to be promoted to the Inner Sect.
Lin Miaoyi and the Tang brothers, Tang Xiuwen and Tang Xiuwu, also obtained the qualification for promotion.
However, in the past few months, they have not chosen to join any specific lineage. They have even remained in the Outer Sect and have not yet used this opportunity to be promoted to the Inner Sect.
"Isn't this what you've always wanted? Why are you hesitating now?"
Ji Yuan looked at the two in front of him with surprise, unable to understand why they had not been promoted to the Inner Sect after delaying for half a year.
Such an opportunity was extremely important for all Outer Sect disciples. Every year, countless people fought tooth and nail for the limited spots.
"It's because we were waiting for you!"
Zheng Wanrong said with a smile.
As soon as she said this, Ji Yuan was stunned and immediately understood what she meant.
These two were willing to give up the opportunity to join various lineages and instead chose to join Xuan Tian Peak.
"You can't be impulsive about this. You must consider it carefully!"
After a moment of stunned silence, he quickly said.
Ji Yuan would be very happy if Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong could join Xuan Tian Peak, but he also understood that Xuan Tian Peak currently had no foundation compared to the various lineages.
Other lineages had their own important places and numerous industries. Moreover, with hundreds of years of inheritance, their foundations alone were not weaker than a well-established sect.
They possessed various Dao techniques, Dao arts, cultivation methods that directly led to the Third Realm or even beyond, and the experience of countless predecessors.
These were not things that could be accumulated casually!
"We've already made up our minds."
Li Junxian held Zheng Wanrong's hand and said with a smile, "Our aptitudes are not that great. If we have enough fortune in this life, we might be able to reach the Third Realm, but we'll likely hover in the early to middle stages."
While this level of cultivation would be sufficient in the outside world, allowing them to easily serve as elder officials in a sect or power, it was somewhat weaker within the Nine Profound Sect. With accumulated experience, they could at most become Inner Sect elders, and even then, they would be those without real power.
After all, the Nine Profound Sect recruited a batch of disciples every three hundred years, with a total number of roughly several hundred to a thousand. Although most would be stuck in the late second realm or even the peak, a considerable number of disciples could still reach the Third Realm.
Among the three realms of Foundation Establishment, the Ming Dao Realm was the final and most difficult hurdle. Even if a genius cultivated to the second realm in just two or three years through talent and fortune, and then reached the peak of this realm in a very short time,
as long as they had not comprehended the Dao heart for a day, they could not advance even half a step.
"So you're planning to use my Xuan Tian Peak as a place to retire?"
Ji Yuan rolled his eyes and said playfully.
However, he also knew in his heart that the reason they chose Xuan Tian Peak was entirely due to their friendship with him.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a bit touched. These two, along with Zhao Yuansong, Xu Qiqi, and Jiang He, were his first friends besides Monk Huixin and the scholar Shen Lang.
"Does the future Peak Master agree to let us join Xuan Tian Peak?"
Zheng Wanrong leaned against Li Junxian and teased him with a smile.
Since they had made their intentions clear, Ji Yuan naturally had no objections. After nodding, he couldn't help but glance at the two in front of him.
They were truly shameless!
They hadn't officially become Dao companions yet, but they were already so intimate in front of others!
It truly made him... a little envious!
To have a Dao companion who could accompany one on the Great Dao and travel the same path in the future was not an exaggeration to call it a blessing cultivated over three lifetimes.
Ji Yuan sighed slightly in his heart. After a few pleasantries, he stated his purpose.
This was the first time the group had heard that he possessed a special spiritual spring that could not only improve physique and spiritual roots but also allow people to enter a state of enlightenment for a considerable period.
At the same time, while they were shocked, they also roughly understood Ji Yuan's plan and fell into deep thought.
Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong were more direct. Based on the list provided by Ji Yuan, they began to recall the character and past hearsay of these Outer Sect disciples.
As for Lin Miaoyi, a strange light flickered in her eyes. Her already hesitant heart suddenly became resolute.
At this moment, she silently made a decision that could influence or even change her entire life.
"Regarding their character, at least as far as we know, there should be no issues, and it is generally consistent with what Junior Sister Lin said."
After much deliberation, Li Junxian gave his opinion.
However, he also stated that he had no regular interactions with those disciples. Although they were all in the Outer Sect, they were not familiar with each other, so his judgment might not be entirely accurate.
But for Ji Yuan, this was enough. He believed in the judgment of Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong, and also in Lin Miaoyi's intelligence.
"Since Daoist Master intends to recruit disciples of good character for Xuan Tian Peak,"
Lin Miaoyi smiled slightly and suddenly said, "Why not recruit all of them into Xuan Tian Peak?"
As soon as she said this, Ji Yuan was stunned, and so were Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong. They couldn't react for a long time.
However, Ji Yuan's heart stirred. Indeed, as Lin Miaoyi said, since they were going to recruit people anyway, why not recruit them all!
Coincidentally, with the opportunity of the spiritual spring this time, and with the support of Lei Ze Peak and Ku Mu Peak, he believed there would be no problem in the end.
If they missed this opportunity, they would have to wait until he reached the Third Realm to recruit handyman disciples and Outer Sect disciples for Xuan Tian Peak.
Moreover, the disciples who joined then would not have the opportunity to be promoted to the Inner Sect; they would only be Outer Sect disciples cultivated by Xuan Tian Peak themselves, and they would still have to participate in the competition to be promoted.
It would be better to take advantage of the current situation, where the competition was canceled and disciples with sufficient merit had obtained the opportunity to be promoted to the Inner Sect, to recruit several more people at once!