"Wasn’t that Senior Brother Chang just now? Who are the other two? Senior Brother Chang seemed unusually cautious to then," someone remarked.
"I don’t think it’s caution. It’s more like respect."
"I remember Senior Brother Chang was in charge of today’s recruitment competition. These two people are unfamiliar faces and heading to the Steward’s Hall. They must be newcomers."
"What kind of newcomers would make Senior Brother Chang treat them like this? It’s not a joke..."
Before the conversation could finish, they all began exchanging puzzled looks.
Perhaps there was more truth to their speculations than they realized.
Previously, they had heard rumors that Master Lian intended to select disciples during this recruitment competition, but they weren’t sure if it was true.
Even if the Sect Leader personally recruited disciples, Renshu Chang wouldn’t be so respectful unless the disciple was truly Master Lian’s own disciple.
Even if they were just senior disciples, they would still need to show utmost respect, not to mention as Junior Master Uncle.
"Let’s forget it, everyone disperse."
They murmured behind Junior Master Uncle, if the elders heard it pretty sure they would be punished.
The crowd dispersed.
After registering at the Steward’s Hall and obtaining their disciple badges, Kenny Lin noticed that his badge was different from Amalia’s.
His badge was red, while Amalia’s was brown.
"Why are they different?" Kenny Lin glanced displeasedly at Renshu Chang.
"Because you are Master Uncle’s disciple. According to seniority, even the peak masters must address you as Uncle Master. So, your badge is different from the others," Renshu Chang explained sincerely, "The highest level badge is Master Uncle’s black badge, of which there is only one in the entire Green Lotus Sect."
Understanding this, Kenny Lin still looked at Amalia’s badge with some dissatisfaction.
Under Renshu Chang’s uneasy gaze, he suppressed his discontent.
Renshu Chang continued to explain the benefits for inner disciples.
This time, there was no distinction in treatment; the benefits for both Amalia and Kenny Lin were allocated equally as inner disciples.
However, Kenny Lin had an additional benefit related to the main peak, but that was a matter for the Sect Leader and other elders to decide after discussion.
Renshu Chang was relieved not to have to deal with that.
The three of them then proceeded to the Mission Hall to learn about the mission structure.
After circling the major points of Green Lotus Sect, Renshu Chang finally led them to the Upper Nine Peaks.
The Upper Nine Peaks was enveloped in a world of ice and snow all year round, contrasting sharply with the warm spring outside, like two different worlds.
The bone-chilling cold greeted Amalia as they entered the range of the Upper Nine Peaks.
While cultivators could withstand cold temperatures, it had been a long time since Amalia had experienced such intense cold.
When she suddenly felt it, she couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily.
"Almost forgot to mention it, Junior Sister and Junior Master Uncle, the cold at Upper Nine Peaks is quite unique. You’ll need to keep your spiritual energy active in order to resist it," Renshu Chang remembered after hearing her sneeze.
"Are you saying that to live on the Upper Nine Peaks, you have to constantly maintain your spiritual energy?" Kenny Lin asked, frowning.
Renshu Chang chuckled dryly.
It wasn’t easy to get this Junior Master Uncle to speak up, but every time he did, he felt like if he wasn’t giving him a satisfactory answer, he would be in trouble.
"As expected from Uncle Master, They’re indeed wise," Renshu Chang thought.
From the start, they had placed this weighty responsibility on his shoulders.
"It’s just at the beginning," Renshu Chang quickly explained, "Once you get used to it, you won’t need to use spiritual energy, and you won’t feel cold anymore. There are benefits to this—it enhances your control over spiritual energy and deepens your cultivation as if you’re training every moment."
"That’s not bad," Amalia nodded.
Kenny Lin’s complexion improved instantly.
Renshu Chang breathed a sigh of relief.
The summit of Upper Nine Peaks was colder than at its base.
Initially, Amalia could endure it, but now, she had to use her spiritual power to resist the cold.
Her ears were also filled with the snow sounds.
Renshu Chang took out his disciple token and flicked it into the air, causing ripples to spread outward.
At the same time, he spoke up.
"Master Uncle, I’m Renshu Chang. I’ve brought Junior Master Uncle and his companion here."
In the silence of Upper Nine Peak, a visible barrier appeared before them, forming an oval that could only accommodate one person.
"You can enter now," Renshu Chang immediately removed his disciple token and stepping aside to let Kenny Lin enter first.
Kenny Lin wasn’t polite with him, while Amalia maintained her courtesy.
Having been here before, Renshu Chang swiftly led them to the only building on Upper Nine Peak.
It wasn’t a lavish palace but a simple and rustic mansion, with even a thatched hut on the outskirts.
Aside from the northern wind, all that could be seen was vast snow-covered land, devoid of any human presence.
Renshu Chang approached the large mansion and knocked on the door, saying, "Master Uncle, I’ve brought them here."
"Come in," came the voice of Master Lian from inside the house.
If they didn’t know there was someone inside, they’d be hard-pressed to figure out where the voice was coming from, sounding like it was right next to them, ear to ear.
The three of them entered the house, and Master Lian was standing in front of a painting with his back turned to them.
It took a while before he turned around.
Renshu Chang kept his head down, not noticing that Kenny Lin and Amalia were staring fixedly at Master Lian without even blinking.
"You two certainly have courage," Master Lian said.
He knows in the beginning that the disciples he had chosen were probably somewhat unusual in character, but he hadn’t expected that his companion would also have such courage as him.