Chapter 553 Saintess Ceremony (1)
Qi Huang pondered for a moment, then asked, “Given the current situation, if we tell the truth, will they allow us to engrave our names on it?”
“How is that possible? Currently, the Immortal Tablet of the Hua Rong Sect only has Master Level Four Tribulations, which is one tribulation lower than the Lü Family. If they want to forcefully protect us, the only way is to exchange one for one. Do you think we have that much value?” Cheng Hong Ling retorted.
“No, at least not for now.”
Qi Huang shook her head with self-awareness and added, “Moreover, even if they agree, we cannot reveal our true identities immediately. Otherwise, we don’t know what tricks the Lü Family might pull if they find out, and we’ll have to find a way to deal with it again.”
After another moment of contemplation, Qi Huang immediately made a decision: “Since that’s the case, you can engrave a false name on the Immortal Tablet then. We’ll reveal our true identities to the high-level figures of the Hua Rong Sect when the time is right.”
“That’s the only way.” Cheng Hong Ling pondered for a moment before agreeing to the plan.
Next, the two returned to their residence to continue cultivating, while also preparing for the Saintess Inauguration Ceremony.
As for Hua Yu, perhaps because she cared too much about her reputation, she did not inform the Cao family about her being stripped of her Saintess title. In her heart, she only hoped that as time passed, Cheng Hong Ling and Qi Huang would eventually reveal some flaws.
Because the Saintess is the successor of the Sect Leader, the matter of “replacing the old with the new” was spread throughout the entire Hua Rong Sect that very day. Cheng Hong Ling immediately became the focus of the entire sect, with people coming to congratulate her from time to time.
Cheng Hong Ling was focused on cultivation and naturally did not have the time to deal with these people, so she pushed all of it onto her cheap master to handle. Shi Yuqi was naturally delighted, having been the head of the last-place peak for so long, she really wanted to show off.
Four days later, with Qi Huang’s help, Cheng Hong Ling successfully advanced to the fourth level of the Huashen realm. At this time, there were only two days left until the Saintess Inauguration Ceremony, so she had to temporarily shift her attention to this matter.
Hua Ru Yi, being worried, specifically came to impart some etiquette for the Saintess and important details for the ceremony. Cheng Hong Ling felt a bit impatient, but in order to gain the trust of everyone in the Hua Rong Sect as much as possible, she endured and learned.
Qi Huang was glad that she was a clone, because just looking at those complicated rituals made her feel a headache.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Saintess Inauguration Ceremony was held as scheduled. The Hua Rong Sect was very lively that day. Not only did most of the sect’s high-level figures and disciples go to pay respects, but even the royal family of the Mingyue Empire sent female members. In addition, there were also female representatives from the major sects.
Qi Huang was fortunate that the Hua Rong Sect was located in the Mingyue Empire of the Southern Continent, which was hundreds of thousands of miles away from the Central Continent, and even further from the Xihui Dynasty of the Western Continent. Otherwise, even with a veil, her and her main body’s true identities would likely be discovered quickly.
The appointed time arrived, and Cheng Hong Ling, wearing a bright red Wide-Sleeved Flowing Immortal Dress, gracefully walked into the venue. She wore a crown of pure gold and walked step by step towards the Immortal Tablet. Her long skirt was held up by several senior sisters from Jade Peak, making her appear incredibly noble and elegant. The only regret was that her face was covered by a veil, but fortunately, everyone present was female, so no one paid attention to it.
At this moment, not only Cheng Hong Ling became the focus of everyone’s attention, but even Qi Huang, who was observing from the sidelines, garnered much attention. After all, as a clone, she was no different from the main body in the eyes of others.
“I, Jiang Ling, today swear before the Immortal Tablet of Grand Ancestor Hua Yan, that after becoming Saintess, I will remain unmarried for life, dedicating myself to promoting the inheritance of the Hua Rong Sect, showing filial piety to my elders, and caring for my juniors…” Under the guidance of the Grand Elder, Cheng Hong Ling began to make solemn vows to the Immortal Tablet. Since she was using a pseudonym, she felt no psychological burden when making these vows.
“Alright, now please, Saintess, engrave your name on the Immortal Tablet yourself.” The Grand Elder then handed her a finely crafted sharp dagger. Cheng Hong Ling took the dagger and walked towards the Immortal Tablet. Perhaps because the Hua Rong Sect was a purely female sect, and coupled with the strict requirements for engraving names, the Immortal Tablet of Hua Yan was very clean and tidy, with most of the space empty, unlike the messy and crowded Immortal Tablet of the Lü Family.
Cheng Hong Ling observed carefully and found that the names on the entire Immortal Tablet were divided into three formations. One formation was located below the words “Sect Leader,” another formation was below the words “Grand Elder,” and the uppermost formation had the words “Saintess” engraved above it. It was obvious that only those holding these three positions in the Hua Rong Sect were qualified to leave their names on it.
As Cheng Hong Ling was about to engrave her alias behind the “Saintess” formation with the dagger, she was stopped by Hua Ru Yi. “Wait! Since Hua Yu has been stripped of her Saintess title for violating sect rules, her name is no longer eligible to remain on the Immortal Tablet. First, use the dagger to scrape off her name,” Hua Ru Yi instructed.
This was simply a great humiliation for Hua Yu! Sect Leader Hua could actually issue such an order. “Serves her right! Who told her not to know what’s good for her? Sect Leader Hua tried every means to persuade her to change her mind, even humbling herself to beg, but she not only didn’t appreciate it but also bit back.” “Bite back with what?” “Hua Yu once said that if her inability to marry were to invite retaliation from the Cao family, it would be the Sect Leader’s fault for valuing sect rules too much, and she would bear all the consequences. Most people in the Hua Rong Sect know about this matter.” “Isn’t that too shameless? Putting aside who is right or wrong, the Sect Leader is her master. Doesn’t she have any basic human decency?” “That’s why I say she deserves it! What right does someone like her have to have her name on the Immortal Tablet?” Hearing Hua Ru Yi’s words, the entire plaza instantly turned into a beehive, with everyone whispering and chattering. Hua Yu, standing in the crowd, had a face ashen. As one of the top three on the Shenxiang General Rankings, her features were now contorted as if she were an ugly monster. Without hesitation, Cheng Hong Ling picked up the dagger and was about to scrape off Hua Yu’s name.
“Wait!” At that moment, Hua Yu loudly stopped her. It was obvious that she could no longer tolerate it. The tens of thousands of onlookers were all stunned, not expecting Hua Yu to dare to cause trouble at the Saintess Inauguration Ceremony. They all closed their mouths in an instant, and the surroundings fell into dead silence.
“Hua Yu, what are you trying to do? This is the Saintess Inauguration Ceremony. No one is allowed to cause trouble, or don’t blame me for being impolite,” Hua Ru Yi reprimanded. “Master, I am not causing trouble!” Hua Yu replied casually. With a light step, she had already floated to the center of the plaza. Qi Huang frowned, wondering what other trick this woman was up to. Everyone knew that the Saintess was the successor of the Sect Leader, so the selection of the Saintess was crucial to the future of the Hua Rong Sect and could not be taken lightly. Hua Yu looked around and spoke loudly, then looked directly at Cheng Hong Ling and said, “Junior Nephew Jiang, with your cultivation speed, you should have reached the fourth level of the Huashen realm after these six days. Can you let me try? If not, it can only mean that you used unspeakable methods to temporarily improve your cultivation during this period. In that case, you are not qualified to be the Saintess.” The tens of thousands of onlookers held their breath upon hearing this, as they had never witnessed such a scene before. Cheng Hong Ling looked around and found that everyone was looking at her. She knew that she could not gloss over it anymore, so she asked, “How do you want to test me?” “Of course, by having a match with me!” Hua Yu sneered repeatedly and then said, “Don’t worry, I will suppress my cultivation to the fourth level of the Huashen realm and will definitely not harm you.” Cheng Hong Ling frowned slightly. She knew that this woman could not be trusted, and agreeing to her request would involve great risk.
“Wait!” Qi Huang’s voice rang out at the opportune moment. She pushed aside the crowd in front of her and entered the venue. Then she said, “Martial Aunt Hua, oh Martial Aunt Hua, you are about ten years older than us and are an elder. How can you bear to personally fight with us? Moreover, today is my main body’s inauguration ceremony, and there are so many distinguished guests present. How can we get into a physical confrontation?” “Indeed, it is inappropriate for the Saintess to get into a physical confrontation during the inauguration ceremony,” Hua Ru Yi chimed in. As the Sect Leader, she naturally understood that it was better to have fewer complications at such a time. “What? Feeling guilty?” Hua Yu said sarcastically. “Guilty?” Qi Huang chuckled noncommittally, then said, “Not being able to fight doesn’t mean we can’t use our spiritual sense!” After saying that, Qi Huang looked around and then loudly invited, “I wonder if any elder or senior sister here has a cultivation of the fourth level of the Huashen realm? Could you please help to test my main body’s spiritual sense and see if she has reached the fourth level of the Huashen realm?”
