ATPnovel Chapter 2008: Eagerly Awaited!
Chapter 2008: Eagerly Awaited!
I've heard this!
The Nascent Soul cultivator, praised, smiled faintly, his tone humble yet unable to conceal a hint of expectation:
"Thank you for your kind words, fellow Daoist."
But life is unpredictable, and people's hearts are unfathomable.
The great war between the two races has produced many outstanding talents, and many fellow cultivators have achieved far greater military exploits than I have. The outcome remains to be seen.
I'm not entirely certain either.
"That's true." The former nodded slightly, then changed the subject, asking with a hint of curiosity,
"By the way, fellow Daoist, do you know how the Association will deal with those half-saint seniors who have redeemed themselves this time?"
The details of this matter are currently unknown to anyone, yet it has captivated many hearts.
"Like you, I haven't heard any definite news," the other person replied, shaking their head.
"However, judging from the decrees previously issued by the Chairman, it is unlikely that they will be driven to extermination or severely punished to the end."
Although these semi-elite predecessors had made mistakes in the past, they redeemed themselves in the subsequent war of annihilation by fighting valiantly and shedding blood.
He also made many contributions to the association.
My guess is that he will most likely remain in custody until he completes his sentence, at which point further action will be taken.
"That's unlikely," the cultivator who asked the question shook his head slightly, offering a different opinion.
"A half-saint level expert is one of the world's top combat forces, and is extremely precious."
If they are detained and left idle for a long time, wasting their lives, it would be a terrible waste of talent.
The president is a man of great talent and vision, and he would certainly not handle things in this way.
I suspect the guild leader will likely reassign them, putting them on probation and assigning them the task of hunting down those remnants of evil cultivators who have fled and violated the association's prohibitions.
This allows them to make amends for their mistakes.
This would also help the association eliminate potential threats and strengthen its fighting capacity, achieving two goals at once.
"Your analysis is indeed reasonable."
This is very likely the final outcome.
"..."
Whispering thoughts and whispers rose and fell throughout the square.
But no one made a loud noise.
at the same time!
The forbidden area behind the Cultivator Association headquarters was shrouded in layers upon layers of restrictive light barriers.
Auspicious clouds swirl around, and auspicious vapors rise.
Deep within, a magnificent and ancient supreme palace stands quietly.
The hall is constructed from millennia-old warm jade and star-shaped black stone. A faint Daoist aura flows between the carved beams and painted rafters. Countless mysterious runes float inside the hall, their brightness fluctuating, exuding supreme majesty.
The palace was empty and deep, deathly silent, with only the invisible Daoist energy slowly flowing through it.
At the far end of the main hall, on a supreme throne entirely black and engraved with the patterns of the Great Dao of the Heavens, sat a tall and imposing figure with an unfathomable aura.
This person possessed none of the fierce or imposing aura he exuded; instead, he appeared as ordinary as a common mortal.
However, if a Nascent Soul cultivator were present, they would sense that his body seemed to contain a vast, unfathomable starry sea.
Every move is accompanied by the grand trend of heaven and earth.
This is the person in charge of the entire Cultivator Association.
At this moment, thousands of Nascent Soul cultivators and a host of powerful half-saints who commanded respect across the land were all holding their breath and eagerly awaiting the arrival of this supreme being in the plaza—
Cheng Buzheng.
At this moment, Cheng Buzheng sat quietly with his eyes lowered, holding a translucent and lustrous jade slip steadily in his slender, fair palm.
The jade slip shimmered with light, and the densely packed list of cultivators, their battle achievements, cultivation levels, and mental states all transformed into tiny fragments of spiritual light, constantly reflecting into his eyes.
He gently stroked the patterns on the jade slip with his fingertips, his expression calm, carefully reviewing the information of each candidate cultivator.
Time slowly passed by...
A moment later, Cheng Buzheng, who had been calm and composed, slowly furrowed his brows with a faint wrinkle.
His brow furrowed slightly.
A hint of displeasure flashed across his eyes.
His divine sense focused on a name on the jade slip, and he murmured to himself.
The tone carried a hint of deliberation and rejection:
"The Blood Sword Half-Venerable actually wants to compete for the position of Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall?"
He carefully perused the other party's record of achievements, thinking to himself:
"This person has indeed accumulated a considerable number of battlefield achievements."
Among all the semi-saint level experts vying for the position of Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, he is more than capable of ranking among the top three.
In terms of merit and seniority, they certainly have the confidence to compete.
In an instant, the indifference in Cheng Buzheng's eyes turned into coldness, and he shook his head inwardly.
The Blood Sword Half-Venerable has cultivated the Way of Slaughter and has deeply explored the secret arts of blood magic for thousands of years.
Moreover, he was inherently violent and bloodthirsty, and his killings were unrestrained.
He was a notoriously ruthless figure within the entire monks' association.
It should be known that the foundation of Blood Sword Half-Venerable's cultivation lies in the essence of all kinds of blood and essence in the world.
Wild beasts, savage monsters
Even the very essence and blood of both righteous and evil cultivators served as his core resources for tempering his body and advancing his cultivation.
His path of cultivation has always been accompanied by endless killing and bloodshed.
"No."
Cheng Buzheng's gaze darkened, his tone resolute, carrying an undeniable determination.
"This person is too murderous, has a stubborn and ruthless nature, and has no bottom line of fairness."
If he were to take charge of the Law Enforcement Hall and wield the power of legal punishment within the association, he would undoubtedly abuse his power for personal gain, indiscriminately slaughtering and plundering the lifeblood and resources of all parties under the guise of law enforcement.
At that time, the once just and impartial Hall of Law Enforcement will ultimately become his private resource for nourishing his bloodline cultivation, leading to endless troubles.
While battle merits are a core criterion for selecting hall masters in the Cultivator Association, used to evaluate a cultivator's achievements and sense of responsibility, they are by no means the sole standard.
Character, morality, vision, and bottom line in conduct are all of paramount importance for those who wield power.
We must never appoint people based solely on their military achievements, thus condoning potential problems.
Once the mind is made up,
A flash of inspiration appeared at Cheng Buzheng's fingertips, and a subtle stream of Dao power flowed into the jade slip, directly removing the name of Blood Sword Half-Venerable from the list of candidates for the Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall.
This also eliminated his chances of competing for a full-time position.
However, he was thoughtful and fair in rewarding and punishing, and did not completely erase the other party's achievements.
After a moment's thought,
He spoke slowly:
"The Blood Sword Half-Saint's battlefield achievements are genuine and his meritorious service should not be completely buried."
He was then appointed as the Deputy Head of the Enforcement Hall, and was also granted special permission to attend hall meetings and participate in the association's major policy discussions.
In the blink of an eye,
The pros and cons were weighed, and the appointments and removals were settled; the decision in my heart was completely unwavering.
After handling the appointment and removal of Blood Sword Half-Venerable, Cheng Buzheng composed himself, lowered his eyes again, and continued to concentrate on reviewing the information of the candidate cultivators recorded in the jade slip.
Countless records of names, achievements, and cultivation levels rapidly flowed through his consciousness.
Soon,
A familiar name caught his eye, and a hint of approval flashed across his eyes.
"I didn't expect that the Celestial Pivot Half-Saint would also be vying for the position of Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall."
Cheng Buzheng murmured softly, carefully checking the resume, and his approval grew stronger.
"His cultivation foundation is profound, and he has long since stabilized at the peak of the Half-Saint realm, which is enough for him to be competent for the position of Palace Master."
His military achievements were unparalleled among all heroes.
Among all the candidates for the Half-Saint position in the Hall of Law Enforcement, he firmly holds the top spot, unmatched by anyone.
"This person comes from the Beidou Sect, yet he has no sectarian bias."
Moreover, he is calm and gentle in temperament, acts fairly and moderately, and is neither arrogant nor impatient, nor capricious in his emotions.
A resilient and insightful character, free from prejudice, tyranny, and weaknesses.
His moral character and overall perspective are both of the highest caliber.
Cheng Buzheng nodded slightly, having already decided on the final choice in his mind:
"His military achievements far surpass those of his competitors, his character and moral conduct are impeccable, and his vision and perspective are both excellent."
Either way,
The position of Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall will thus belong to the Celestial Pivot Half-Venerable.
After finalizing the appointment of the highest leader of the Enforcement Hall, Cheng Buzheng did not stop. He patiently considered the candidates, taking into account their battle achievements, cultivation levels, behavior styles, and character flaws.
Compare one by one, screen layer by layer,
He finalized the selection of the remaining deputy hall masters of the Law Enforcement Hall, ensuring that each appointment and dismissal was fair and appropriate, making the best use of everyone's talents.
Once all personnel arrangements for the Law Enforcement Hall are finalized,
His divine sense swept across the list of candidates for the Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master of the [Conquest Hall], and he continued to carefully screen them.
"Half-Venerable Jade Flute, having devoted himself to cultivation for many years and rarely ventured into battle, has accumulated relatively few military achievements."
His prestige is insufficient to intimidate the heroes, making him unfit to shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the Palace Master of the Conquest Hall.
Cheng Buzheng quickly reviewed the information and made a judgment.
"However, his cultivation is solid and he is prudent in handling affairs. He is more than capable of serving as the deputy hall master of the Conquest Hall, and can be appointed to this position."
Then,
His gaze shifted downwards to another file:
"Lingbao, the half-saint, was previously ordered to pursue and suppress the traitors. He acted rashly and recklessly, accidentally shattering a large spiritual vein, causing huge losses to the association and committing a serious mistake."
However, he later recognized his mistakes and corrected them, voluntarily going to the front lines to fight, repeatedly achieving outstanding feats and accumulating remarkable military achievements, which were enough to offset most of his errors.
He pondered briefly and made a fair judgment:
"With his current military achievements and experience, he is not qualified to take charge of the Conquest Hall and has no chance of becoming the Hall Master."
However, after weighing his merits and demerits, there is nothing inappropriate about appointing him as deputy hall master, and he can be considered for employment.
When flipping through to the last, most prominent candidate file...
A hint of surprise flashed in Cheng Buzheng's eyes, followed by a touch of amusement.
"Half-Lord Illusion Moon...that is quite unexpected."
He sighed softly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"A group of half-saint level old monsters, with profound battle achievements, in the end, all of them lost to a mere woman, Illusion Moon Half-Saint."
That was quite unexpected.
Half-Lord Huanyue is decisive and ruthless, repeatedly achieving great feats in battle, accumulating far more military merits than anyone else.
Suppressing all competitors for the Conquest Hall,
His abilities and achievements are beyond dispute.
"interesting."
Cheng Buzheng's lips curled slightly; he had already made up his mind.
"The position of Hall Master of the Conquest Hall shall be granted to Half-Venerable Illusion Moon."
Those seasoned, self-important, and highly respected veterans, who were eager to compete for the position of Palace Master, ultimately lost to a female cultivator.
He looked frustrated and helpless.
Thinking of this.
Cheng Buzheng felt a bit amused, and the upward curve of his lips became even more pronounced.
However, this relaxed smile was fleeting.
As the leader of the association, one must maintain a calm and composed mind, and not let personal feelings or interests sway one's decisions.
next moment,
He suppressed the mockery in his eyes, calmed the turbulent emotions surging within him, and returned to a composed and solemn expression, continuing to meticulously screen the remaining personnel list.
Time flies...
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
During that hour, Cheng Buzheng sat upright on his throne, without the slightest sign of slackening.
He carefully reviewed and weighed the candidate lists for all the core positions in the various halls and departments of the Cultivator Association.
Cheng Buzheng considered each half-saint and top-tier Nascent Soul cultivator's battle achievements, cultivation level, temperament, character, and style of conduct...
One by one, the appointment and removal results were slightly adjusted.
We strive for fairness and impartiality, ensuring that people are matched with their positions, and we do not bury the meritorious or condone mediocrity.
As the selection process was completed...
Cheng Buzheng also quietly discovered a subtle phenomenon:
Many renowned veteran half-saints, as well as a group of top cultivators whose cultivation has reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage and whose fame is widespread, are all absent from the list of candidates for various core positions.
For this,
He understood perfectly well, but didn't care at all.
It's not that these core positions of power are unattractive to them.
It is not that they are content with a simple life or have no interest in power.
Rather, they knew in their hearts that their accumulated military achievements were far from sufficient, and that they had no chance of winning against a group of highly decorated competitors.
That's why they decided to give up the competition.
Moreover,
These cultivators already held high positions within the association; although not the heads of various departments, they were all veterans and giants of their respective halls and departments.
Having cultivated its roots for many years, it has a solid foundation.
They wield immense power and influence within the association, holding a unique and secure position.
This is why they never used their accumulated precious military merits to exchange for official positions and power, but instead used them all to acquire top-tier opportunities that were once unattainable.
Rare supernatural powers and techniques, and invaluable spiritual materials that appear only once in a thousand years.
And ownership of large spiritual veins with rich heritage.
Cheng Buzheng was insightful and understood the key to the matter.
In this world, truly top-tier supernatural abilities and techniques are extremely rare and seldom circulated.
The three great cultivation alliances that once dominated the world, though their treasured cultivation manuals contain a few supernatural abilities, ninety-nine percent of them are useless techniques with limited power and extremely poor practicality.
It is difficult to help cultivators break through their limitations and reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao.
The remaining few supreme divine abilities possess unparalleled power, but the conditions for cultivating them are extremely demanding.
The difficulty of cultivation is enough to make most cultivators despair.
Almost no one in this realm can achieve this level of cultivation.
Take, for example, the supreme divine power [Sky-Splitting Sword Light], once treasured by the Immortal Alliance. This technique was renowned for its power and prestige.
It is said that after achieving mastery of cultivation, one can unleash supreme power capable of cleaving the heavens and destroying the earth with every gesture, capable of shattering all things and cutting through nothing.
Even solid spatial barriers and terrifying spatial turbulence must retreat before this sword light.
It is a killing technique that can be described as invincible among those of the same level.
However, the threshold for cultivating this supernatural power is incredibly high.
To begin cultivation, one must extract and refine the purest essence of [Taiyi Gengjin].
For an ordinary cultivator, obtaining one or two pieces of Taiyi Gengjin the size of a thumb is already an extremely rare and fortunate opportunity.
However, to even begin to master the [Heaven-Splitting Sword Light], one needs an entire Taiyi Gengjin mine.
There are approximately a thousand pieces of top-quality ore, each about the size of a human skull.
If one wishes to cultivate this divine power to its fullest potential...
It also requires the support of hundreds of Gengjin mines.
Such a vast amount of rare resources only adds to the sense of despair.
At least in this realm, there is absolutely no possibility.
Therefore!
Such supreme supernatural powers, seemingly amazing and unparalleled,
In reality, there is no possibility of successfully cultivating in this realm; it is ultimately just a mirage.
Within this world, there are only a handful of supernatural techniques that can be cultivated normally, possess considerable power, and are extremely practical...
Ninety-nine percent are controlled by the former top sects.
It is also the core foundation that major sects have inherited for thousands of years.
Later, the major sects were defeated and surrendered, seeking atonement and to preserve their sect's legacy...
Only then did they hand over the sect's accumulated secrets and supernatural treasures, accumulated over ten thousand years, to the Cultivator Association.
...(End of this chapter)