My Senior Brother Turned Black After I Died. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Do Not Beg Me for the Sake of Others

After a brief silence, an explosive uproar erupted.

Chaotic Spirit Root? The legendary one?

Hardly any have appeared in ten thousand years. Is Li Cangming really that formidable?

No wonder he stood out in the outer sect assessment; his talent is truly heaven-defying.

Countless gazes—burning, shocked, envious, and even jealous—focused simultaneously on the youth standing before the Spirit Testing Stone, who seemed somewhat stunned by the result himself.

Li Cangming slowly withdrew his hand, the residual warmth of the Spirit Testing Stone still lingering on his palm. He looked up, his gaze involuntarily crossing the noisy crowd to land on the high platform once more—specifically, on Ji Hantong.

Ji Hantong chose this moment to display an expression of surprise and appreciation. He set down his teacup and sat up straight, looking at Li Cangming with a slight nod, his eyes filled with the perfect amount of praise.

The time had come.

According to the original novel, this was the moment Immortal Venerable Yuheng would speak up after the protagonist’s top-tier spirit root was revealed, taking him under his wing and creating a legendary tale.

Ji Hantong cleared his throat, circulating a bit of spiritual energy so his clear voice would carry over the surrounding noise and reach every corner of the square.

A Chaotic Spirit Root is a rare find in ten thousand years; a resilient character is equally precious.

The square instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath and looked toward the high platform, toward the peerless and esteemed Immortal Venerable Yuheng.

Li Cangming, I see that your talent and character are both top-tier. Are you willing to enter my Cangwu Peak and become my personal disciple?

It’s happening! System 0621 shouted silently in Ji Hantong’s mind.

Li Cangming’s entire body jolted, and his heart pounded violently against his ribs. He almost wanted to kneel immediately and loudly accept this dream-like opportunity. If he could become a disciple of Immortal Venerable Yuheng, he would never again be at the mercy of others.

However, just as his lips parted to utter the word “willing,” another voice suddenly cut in.

Wait. It was Shen Lanchuan.

Everyone, including Ji Hantong, turned their gaze toward the suddenly speaking Immortal Venerable Mingshu.

Shen Lanchuan remained seated, showing no trace of emotion. His fingertips lightly brushed the rim of his white jade teacup as his gaze swept indifferently over the frozen Li Cangming before finally landing on Ji Hantong’s visibly questioning face.

Junior Brother, Shen Lanchuan’s voice was steady and calm, as if he were merely stating a simple fact. The Chaotic Spirit Root is particularly compatible with the path of the sword. This child is most suitable to be my disciple.

Li Cangming, he called the youth’s name, his voice devoid of emotion. Are you willing to enter my Lingxu Peak and follow me to cultivate the supreme sword path?

Shen Lanchuan was currently the strongest person in the cultivation world and the number one sword cultivator. If Li Cangming wanted to pursue the Great Dao, there was indeed no teacher more powerful than Shen Lanchuan for sword cultivation.

However, as soon as these words were spoken, the entire field fell into a dead silence. Everyone was bewildered.

First, Immortal Venerable Yuheng broke protocol to take a disciple, specifically one with a once-in-a-millennium Chaotic Spirit Root. Immediately after, Immortal Venerable Mingshu, who usually doted on Immortal Venerable Yuheng, actually spoke up as well. And from the sounds of it, he intended to compete with Immortal Venerable Yuheng for the boy?

This… this was a spectacle unseen since the founding of the Taixuan Dao Sect.

The smile on Xin Xuezhen’s face froze. The elders looked at each other in shock, and the disciples below didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. They could only stare wide-eyed at the two venerables on the platform and then at the lucky youth who had suddenly become the center of the storm.

Xin Xuezhen thought: No way, senior brothers. You two just got here and you’re already making such a scene? Could you at least give me, the Sect Master, some mental preparation!

Ji Hantong was completely stunned.

He looked at Shen Lanchuan in disbelief, his chest feeling as though it had been struck by something, a dull ache blooming within.

Ji Hantong had imagined various accidents that might occur during the recruitment process—perhaps other elders would see Li Cangming’s talent and try to snatch him, or perhaps Li Cangming himself would be too proud and want to consider his options, or even the system might glitch and issue a temporary task…

But the one thing he never expected was that this interference would come from Shen Lanchuan. The moment he realized this, Ji Hantong’s first thought was a sense of grievance.

The system, the mission, the protagonist—all of it was tossed to the back of his mind. At this moment, only one thought occupied Ji Hantong: Shen Lanchuan was opposing him. He began to wonder if he had done something wrong recently to make his senior brother unhappy.

Ji Hantong thought back carefully. No, before his senior brother went to the North Sea to suppress the Frost Flood Dragon, they had been drinking tea and chatting at the Snow-Watching Pavilion, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. After his senior brother returned, Ji Hantong had gone to check on him immediately and even left some osmanthus cakes… though he had secretly eaten a small portion of them.

It couldn’t be because of that, right? At worst… at worst, next time he would leave them all for his senior brother and not steal any.

Host! Host! Wake up!

System 0621’s sharp notification sound pricked Ji Hantong’s chaotic thoughts like a needle. Why are you obsessing over what your senior brother is thinking at a time like this?! Snatch the person first! The mission! The mission is what matters!

Ji Hantong jolted and snapped back to reality.

That’s right. Regardless of why his senior brother was doing this, the most important thing right now was to complete the recruitment mission. Li Cangming had to enter his sect; this was a core plot point that could not go wrong.

He took a deep breath, forcing down the grievance and confusion in his heart. He resumed his cold, immortal persona, though his fingers curled tightly inside his sleeves.

Senior Brother, Ji Hantong turned to Shen Lanchuan. He tried to keep his voice steady, but a faint, nearly imperceptible tremble remained. Do you think I cannot teach him well?

Hearing his junior brother’s distressed tone, Shen Lanchuan felt as if a knife were twisting in his own heart. Originally, he thought that perhaps Ji Hantong only favored Li Cangming because of his talent. If he took Li Cangming as his own disciple and taught him well, his junior brother naturally wouldn’t be distracted by the boy anymore.

But looking at the situation now, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Ji Hantong looked at Shen Lanchuan earnestly. Furthermore, this child and I share a bond of fate. I saved his life during a chance encounter behind the Immortal Testing Platform previously. I ask Senior Brother to grant me this.

Ji Hantong spoke the last few words very softly. His eyes felt hot, and there was even a hint of pleading that he hadn’t even realized himself.

The atmosphere on and off the platform became even more bizarre.

Immortal Venerable Yuheng’s words sounded like he was arguing his case, but why did his tone sound a bit like he was acting spoiled and begging Immortal Venerable Mingshu for something?

Many disciples lowered their heads, not daring to look further, though their ears were perked up high. Xin Xuezhen and the elders were even more restless, wishing they could vanish on the spot. When these two ancestors had a conflict, they couldn’t take a side!

After a long silence, Shen Lanchuan finally spoke.

Do not… Shen Lanchuan closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Ji Hantong’s heart went cold. Did his senior brother really want to take Li Cangming as a disciple that badly? Did a single Chaotic Spirit Root spark such a desire to nurture talent that, in the future, more and more people would gradually occupy his senior brother’s heart?

Do not beg me for the sake of another person… Shen Lanchuan seemed to use every ounce of his strength to speak. It makes me sad.

Ji Hantong froze. What did his senior brother mean by that? But before he could respond, Shen Lanchuan stood up and left.

I will not take him. Let the child choose for himself. Shen Lanchuan practically fled the scene.

Ji Hantong stared blankly in the direction Shen Lanchuan had gone. That black-clad figure had already vanished deep into the sea of clouds, leaving him standing there alone in a daze.

His senior brother’s final words stirred ripples in Ji Hantong’s heart that refused to settle for a long time.

Do not beg me for the sake of another person, it makes me sad.

What on earth did that mean?!