Stealing My Peach, and Right at My Doorstep?!

The five elders were initially thrilled, but soon their excitement turned to despair.

Lin Fan was serious about enforcing his rules to the end.

Testing talent?

Sorry, no testing!

He even had the Fourth Elder, Chen Erzhu, remove the talent stone tablet altogether.

What drove them to despair was that, even if they spotted some promising talents—some even comparable to Lin Fan in potential—who could become the backbone of Moon Grasping Sect in the future, Lin Fan still refused to accept them!

Even with hints and offers to take them as personal disciples, Lin Fan wouldn't agree.

They were genuinely anxious.

How long had it been since Moon Grasping Sect was this lively? For the first time in nearly a hundred years, so many people had come to the sect's door. With such a large crowd, there were bound to be some with good talent.

And yet, they really weren't accepting anyone?!

Just as they were about to speak up, Lin Fan quietly said, "Elders, we agreed that if you let me be the sect master, you'd let me make the decisions! If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility! But at this critical moment, please don't hinder me. You can keep an eye on the ones you fancy. If we don't find any disciples meeting the new criteria, you can admit them later. But if we do find someone who meets the conditions… One such person is enough!"

Lin Fan's eyes gleamed.

If he could get a protagonist-tier disciple, why take others? It would just be a waste of resources. Moon Grasping Sect was already poor!

Hearing this, the elders could only nod and hold back.

As more and more people gathered in the square, creating an increasingly noisy scene, Lin Fan cleared his throat and said, "Fifth Elder, please help maintain order."

"No problem." Duan Qingyao nodded gently.

"That's enough."

Boom!

Her light voice shook the entire spiritual mountain.

The ordinary visitors, there to pay their respects, were immediately terrified and fell silent.

They looked at her with eyes full of fear and reverence.

"So, this is an immortal?"

"Amazing!"

"I must join the immortal sect."

At this moment, they steeled their resolve.

Lin Fan then looked at the Great Elder and nodded slightly.

The Great Elder stepped forward and said loudly, "This is our sect master!"

"The sect master is kind-hearted and wishes to give everyone a chance. Therefore, from this year on, our sect will no longer judge disciples solely by talent but by destiny.

"Those with destiny, even if they have no talent, can cultivate in our sect. Those without destiny, no matter how talented, will not be admitted.

"This news might be known to some but not to others. I must make this clear to all of you now. Hence, this year's assessment will be different from the usual. You will need to stay in the square for three days. After three days, the results will be revealed. During this time, food, drink, and other necessities will be provided by our sect.

"Do you understand?"

Boom.

The crowd erupted into a clamor.

"It's true!"

"Does that mean I also have a chance to join the immortal sect?"

"Quiet! Don't anger the immortals."

"…"

Seeing this, the Great Elder spoke again. "During this period, you may move freely and converse as you wish. How to discern those with destiny is not your concern. We will make that determination."

"Yes, Immortal Sir."

The crowd buzzed, with some responding and others babbling excitedly.

At this moment, the Second Elder stepped forward. "Anyone with the surname Xiao, Ye, Shi, or Lin, step forward."

The crowd was momentarily stunned but quickly understood, and over ten people stepped forward.

The elders smiled wryly.

According to the sect master's rules, these surnames had priority for admission, but now, they couldn't accept so many.

Priority didn't necessarily mean guaranteed admission, right?

The elder continued: "Anyone who has survived three major calamities and has a mysterious fiancée, step forward."

The crowd fell silent, and no one moved.

"Anyone who has been rejected in marriage, whose parents have mysteriously disappeared, or who was once a genius but was unexpectedly crippled, step forward."

Still, no one moved.

Clearly, no one met these criteria.

These questions, however, left everyone puzzled.

Just as they were about to inquire further, Wu Xingyun said, "Alright, you may go about your business."

The crowd: "...?!"

That's it? No follow-up?

They were confused but still hopeful.

Some struggled to remain calm, some tried to control their excitement, some deliberately showcased themselves, and others put on airs, hoping to earn extra points.

All aspects of human nature were on display.

The Great Elder waved his hand to set up a soundproof barrier, looking at the bustling crowd with a sense of awe. "We have never observed so closely before, the myriad aspects of life are truly..."

"Quite unsightly," Duan Qingyao sighed. "I had my eye on a couple of talented disciples, but their dispositions are rather..."

She decided against taking the disciples she had initially considered. Talent was important, but a poor disposition would not bode well even if they joined the sect.

Lin Fan remained silent, focusing on the dozen people with the "four great surnames."

He thought to himself, "Indeed, there are very few protagonist templates. Out of a mere ten thousand people, finding one with a protagonist template is like winning the lottery. I hope they can surprise me."

Time passed...

No one showed any impatience.

By the afternoon, the sound of growling stomachs filled the air.

Seeing this, Lin Fan said softly, "Would one of the elders please go and hunt a few demonic beasts to provide some meat for them? We promised to take care of their meals for these three days, and we must keep our word. Eating some demonic beast meat can also improve their physical fitness a bit, making their trip worthwhile."

"I'll go," Third Elder Li Changshou said immediately, taking to the air and transforming into a streak of light, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the crowd.

***

Meanwhile, the high-ranking members of the neighboring sects like Peach Blossom Sect and Five Elements Gate were frowning.

"Why have the number of disciples visiting us decreased significantly this year?"

"No idea."

"Find out!"

Soon, they discovered the reason.

"Moon Grasping Sect has put up signs at the foot of our mountains, saying they judge by fate, not talent?!"

"The audacity! They dare to poach our people."

"It seems they're desperate!"

"Should we take action and teach them a lesson?"

"Hmph, let them enjoy a few more days of peace. Once our new disciples settle in, we'll bring them to the Moon Grasping Sect to broaden their horizons. Not just any riffraff can call themselves a sect."

"Agreed, and we can give our disciples a break to go home and spread word of our sect's power. Next year, we'll have even more disciples coming to us."

"Excellent idea!"

Many sects were displeased.

Stealing their recruits, and right at their doorstep—who could stand that?

However, at this juncture, they were unwilling to start a major conflict. They all decided to finish their current tasks and deal with Moon Grasping Sect afterward.

Back at Moon Grasping Sect, a bonfire was already blazing. Large demonic beasts were roasting, sizzling and emitting a tantalizing aroma. The scent filled the air, silencing everyone as they stared hungrily, saliva dripping from their mouths...