(MC POV)
We returned to our Heaven Sect grounds with much fanfare.
Hard not to after all, since we clearly dominated the entire Festival.
Right after Manami and Lian Li recovered, they went on to accept several other challenges from other Sects. Needless to say, all the Elite and Inner Core Practitioners got their butts kicked.
Thankfully, none of the Elders and Masters were shameless enough to challenge them.
Actually, that's not true, they did not dare to challenge them because the moment one stood with the intention to do so, I was immediately on the stage and issuing a challenge to them before they could say anything.
It took about three rounds of this happening before the other Elders and Masters finally caught on and stopped trying entirely.
Now, we were finally back in our Sect after a four day journey. Sect Master Long has yet to approach me after the Festival, so he might have forgotten about throwing those students at me. Now I'll just go and take a nice, long bath and--
"Master Lin, could I speak with you for a moment?" Sect Master Long asked as soon as we reached the Grand Courtyard.
Damn, me and my big mouth huh…
I nodded to my disciples telling them to rest for the day, the four of them giving me a bow before leaving.
"What do you need, Sect Master?"
"Come, walk with me."
He spun on his heel, leading me towards another direction.
There was a little garden beside the Courtyard where a giant peach tree grew, its branches stretching into the sky and its trunk so thick it needed five grown men to link arms around it.
The garden itself was built around the tree and it bore fruit all year round.
I know you're expecting some convoluted backstory for the tree, like maybe the founder himself planted it or some kind of god shed some blood or tear on a normal peach tree and it grew into this. But no, it's just a giant peach tree.
No really.
It got this big because of all the Pure Elemental Quarks we've infused in it, making it grow and bear it's delicious fruit.
Quite a number of us like peaches you see.
They had me infuse my own quarks in it once and it doubled in size the next day. Seeing as how it continued growing to this size after that event, it was definitely due to the other Elders and Masters infusing their own quarks into it.
The Sect Master led me under the tree, plucking two fruits from its branches with his quarks and handing one over to me.
I thanked him and waited for him to take a bite before I bit mine.
Sweet.
Not as sweet as my disci--
Ok no cheesy lines, sorry.
"What do you think of our Sect, Master Lin?" he asked.
I pretended to think, "It's peaceful and quiet, a good place of learning."
He nodded at my answer, "Yes, I thought our predecessors truly chose a good place to nurture the students. How are your disciples finding it here?"
"I believe they are of the same opinion," I answered half-heartedly, waiting for his small talk to be over.
"Umu, good, good," he muttered while stroking his beard. "In that case, I have some students--"
I knew it!
"-- that some other Elders and Masters have deemed to be problem students. They had shown potential but for some reason they just don't seem to be able to advance no matter what they do. Could you take them under your wing?"
Ha! You thought I came unprepared? I was expecting this the moment I saw you talking to the others back during the Tournament Arc! I told you I will now work for my easy life didn't I?
"I'm afraid that would be rather difficult for me, Sect Master. I have four students to teach now and with my current level of experience, I'm not ready to take on more."
"Hmm… That is true…" Sect Master Long nodded.
How's that? I told you I came prepared!
"In that case, how about an exchange of students? You can leave your disciples with the other Masters for a time, then focus on training the problem ones."
Oh? Still trying me?
"Ah, but having them learn another Master's teaching methods after being used to mine would be detrimental for their development."
"Mmm… Master Lin seems to have long decided how to develop his disciples I see."
"Of course, since when did I do things half-heartedly?"
"Hahaha! That is true!" Sect Master Long laughed.
Heh, see? Simple.
"In that case, I have a suggestion for you, Master Lin."
Come on, what else do you want?
"Oh? What is it?" I asked.
"Your disciples have already shown quite the talent, but they have yet to mix with the rest of the Sect so far. They could use this time to get to know their peers, seeing the top talents of our Sect would also encourage the Sect members to work harder too."
You… Cunning little…
I can't even say no to that without sounding like a possessive person.
"I… See… But why the sudden interest though, Sect Master?"
Sect Master Long looked around for a moment before leaning close to me, whispering, "Truth be told, Master Lin. Those students I mentioned have showed unique constitution just like your Lian Li. While you were travelling, they showed up out of the blue claiming to have came from the Dong side of the continent."
I tilted my head at him, not understanding what was so special about it. It's not like the country of Dong didn't have Practitioners either.
He continued, "We wanted to turn them away since it was past our recruitment period, but they were very insistent and had nowhere else to go. Refugees you see."
Uh huh, uncommon, but not that surprising either.
He made sure that there was no one around again before whispering, "I didn't want to make too much fuss so I told Elder Qing to use the same test you did back then on them. These students didn't even flinch when he unleashed his full Elemental Pressure on them. Normal non-Practitioners would have fainted immediately but not them, even though the orb clearly showed that they had zero Pure Elemental quarks."
Oh come on... These kinds of people are supposed to be rare, and you're telling me a group of them just showed up on our doorstep just like that?
He sighed, "I was just hoping if you could take a look at them? None of the other Elders and Masters know what to do with them either since they have zero Pure Elemental quarks… But none of them wants to admit that because of pride you see… I'll only suggest the student switching if you accept to train them for a bit."
I groaned inwardly, this kind of changes things.
If they managed to withstand an Elder's Elemental Pressure without training, they definitely aren't normal people.
I wonder why I've never heard of this group of students before?
Is it because of the fact that I took in Lian Li?
Had I not been there at her selection like the past, she would have been turned away from entering the Sect. But because I had taken her in despite her obvious lack of Pure Elemental quarks and groomed her into the cheat character she is, the others figured out that Pure Elemental quarks were not everything.
So this group of students who should've been turned away were accepted instead, though I really don't know how they did not foresee the problem of not knowing how to teach this group ever came to mind?
I mean, it's not like they know much about innate Elemental Quarks either, these people were stuck with the idea that all Practitioners have Pure Elemental quarks within their Cultivation Point.
I guess it wouldn't hurt to just take a look. Hell, for all I know Elder Qing might have grown senile and his Elemental Pressure had become nonexistent.
"I suppose I could at least take a look," I relented.
Sect Master Long clapped me on the shoulder with a smile, "I knew I could count on you."
Hah… I guess I'll need to think of another way to get my disciples occupied for some time…