"This..."

Having heard this, Jiang Minglong was stunned for a moment and hurriedly said, "Brother Li, how can you become my protector disciple? You are the Second Elder's chief disciple!"

"Just tell me if I'm qualified or not!" Li Wushuang spoke again.

"It's not that, of course not, this..." Jiang Minglong had a look of difficulty on his face.

A protector disciple is akin to the chief disciple's attendant, bound to obey and protect the chief disciple, even at the cost of their own life should the chief disciple face peril—a status comparable to that of a household servant.

At this moment, Lu Zhengqiu glanced at Li Wushuang, his eyes filled with gratification, then turned to Jiang Minglong and said in a clear voice, "Nephew Minglong, what happened today was Wushuang's fault. He is willing to become your protector disciple as a form of amends. Let this be a lifelong reminder to him."

"Let it be so," Mo Tianze also nodded and spoke softly.

Jiang Minglong glanced at Mo Tianze, then turned to Li Wushuang and gave a fist-and-palm salute, "Then I thank Brother Li for thinking so highly of me, Jiang Minglong!"

"Brother Wushuang becoming Brother Minglong's protector disciple?"

"This... Why would Brother Wushuang do such a thing?"

"Brother Wushuang feels remorse. The Second Elder is right; this is his way of making amends and also a reminder to himself!"

"Brother Minglong is candid and courteous to everyone, and he is subtly recognized as our inner sect's top expert. Even Brother Duanmu and Sister Yuling might not necessarily be his match. It is not a waste for Brother Wushuang to become his protector disciple!"

"This is a powerful alliance!"

A multitude of disciples exclaimed in astonishment.

"Very well, I announce that the sect's ultimate chief disciple is from the Sixth Elder's lineage, Jiang Minglong!" Lin Jiuxiao declared loudly.

"Mighty Brother Minglong!"

"Dominant Brother Minglong!"

"Congratulations Brother Minglong!"

The disciples shouted out loudly one after another.

"Let's go, head to the shrine on the back mountain together to conduct the coronation ceremony for the chief disciple." Mo Tianze beckoned lightly to Jiang Minglong and turned to Jiang Chen, "Young friend, you should come along as well."

"Alright," Jiang Chen nodded gently.

The three of them leaped off the stage and went to where Lin Jiuxiao and others stood. Lu Zhengqiu also supported Li Wushuang as he walked over.

Nodding with a light smile towards Jiang Chen, Lin Jiuxiao spoke loudly, "The seven Great Elders, three chief disciples, and six protector disciples, follow me to the ancestral shrine on the back mountain for the ancestral worship!"

"Yes!" The named individuals answered in unison.

Jiang Chen was slightly taken aback. Was the Chixiao Sect's shrine similar to the Jiang Family's shrine, where one couldn't enter without the proper status?

"Young friend Jiang Chen, come along as well," Lin Jiuxiao said with a light smile, inviting Jiang Chen once more.

Jiang Chen nodded gently. He wasn't interested in the Chixiao Sect's shrine, but he was quite curious about the individual behind the fluctuations emanating from the back mountain.

Lin Jiuxiao smiled faintly, turned, and led the way toward a mountain path beside them. Jiang Chen and the others followed, with Jiang Chen taking in the people walking toward the back mountain.

The other two chief disciples were walking together with Jiang Minglong, and Jiang Chen was slightly surprised when he saw them.

Duan Mulei, the first chief disciple, Great Elder Fan Kedi's chief disciple, always had a cold expression, as if everyone owed him money, standing tall and carrying an unsheathed longsword on his back—the person was cold, but the sword was colder!

The other chief disciple was the source of Jiang Chen's surprise—Lin Yuling, Lin Jiuxiao's only daughter. Although Lin Jiuxiao appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, Lin Yuling was only in her late twenties. For a young woman in her late twenties to hold the title of chief disciple caught Jiang Chen's eye, his gaze growing solemn.

Following behind Duan Mulei and Lin Yuling were two Semi Innate Great Masters each. Behind Duan Mulei were two men, while behind Lin Yuling were two middle-aged beautiful women.

Jiang Chen assessed the protector disciples behind Duan Mulei and the others with a glance and then looked at the two behind Jiang Minglong, slightly nodding. His father's combination of followers was indeed the strongest among the three chief disciples.

After rounding a mountain peak, the group arrived at the mountaintop in the back.

Atop the mountain, there stood an ancient pavilion filled with a sense of the ages. Above the pavilion's main entrance hung a gilded plaque inscribed with the words 'Ancestral Hall'.

Behind the pavilion, there was a cave sealed by a stone door.

Humming!

Suddenly, blood within Jiang Chen began to circulate rapidly. A formidable bloodline power emitted from his body, and a tiny thread of blood shot from Jiang Chen's hand towards the tightly sealed stone door behind the pavilion.

Jiang Chen's expression changed, and he moved swiftly, catching up with the blood thread and grabbing it in his hand.

But he felt as though the thread of blood had come to life, trying to escape from his grasp.

Jiang Chen's eyebrows furrowed as he ran his cultivation technique to seal the blood thread within his palm, turning his head solemnly to look at the stone door and drawing the Blood Saber.

Clang!

The Blood Saber was brandished, and a subtle yet ready-to-erupt killing intent surfaced within Jiang Chen.

"Don't misunderstand!" A cry of alarm sounded as Lin Jiuxiao hastily ran to Jiang Chen's side, looking at him with a face full of surprise, "My friend, please don't misunderstand!"

"Bloodline Traction?!"

"Could it actually be Bloodline Traction?!"

"This... Does the son of Ming Long also possess such a pure bloodline?!"

"Haha! Heaven blesses Chixiao Sect, heaven blesses Chixiao Sect indeed!"

The Great Elders one after another shouted with surprised joy.

"Bloodline Traction? What is that? Why is it drawing my blood?" Jiang Chen frowned and looked towards Lin Jiuxiao, his thoughts stirring. Suddenly, he thought of the secret place mentioned in his father's letter that could only be opened by a bloodline of sufficient strength, and he couldn't help but give the stone door another look.

"It seems you've realized it," Lin Jiuxiao said with a light chuckle, "Ming Long once mentioned in his letter that the secret land of Chixiao Sect could only be opened by someone whose bloodline strength meets the required standard. Apparently, your bloodline strength has already reached that standard. What happened just now was Bloodline Traction, the final validation by the secret land!"

"Validation? It wants to validate me, so I should let it?" Jiang Chen said indifferently, glancing at Lin Jiuxiao.

Lin Jiuxiao was taken aback, suddenly at a loss for words.

"My friend, the Jiang Family is also a vassal to the Chixiao Sect. Isn't it right to sacrifice a little for the sake of the sect?" a deep voice said as the great door of the Ancestral Hall pavilion silently opened, and an elderly man with pure white hair walked out from within.

"Who is this?"

"He is…"

Jiang Minglong and the other disciples were momentarily stunned.

"We pay respects to the Great Ancestor!"

"We pay respects to the Great Ancestor!"

"We pay respects to the Great Ancestor!"

The seven Great Elders and Lin Jiuxiao bowed ceremoniously to the old man.

"We pay respects to the Great Ancestor!"

"We pay respects to the Great Ancestor!"

Jiang Minglong and the others quickly followed suit, their hearts filled with immense shock. So it was true, what Jiang Chen had said on the arena—that there indeed was a formidable ancestor here!

The elderly man waved his hand dismissively and turned to Jiang Chen.

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