Upon entering the main hall, one can see that the entire hall is over a hundred feet square and can accommodate nearly a thousand people at the same time.
The hall enshrines a tall bronze statue containing the original owner's memories. Xiao Ning learned that this bronze statue is the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Three Realms.
Beneath the statue, there are rows and rows of prayer cushions.
Qingxu, with Xiao Ning by his side, sat down on the two side-by-side prayer cushions at the top.
Then, Qingxu announced loudly, "All disciples of this temple, come to the main hall to see me!"
With the blessing of magic, his voice spread for hundreds of miles around, covering the entire Qingxu Temple area.
"what happened?"
Upon hearing the words of Abbot Qingxu, everyone was awakened and dared not delay. They put down what they were doing and walked out of their residences, heading towards the sect's main hall atop Tongtian Peak.
Further away, elders were flying on their swords, heading towards the main peak.
In addition to the main peak Tongtian Peak, Qingxu Temple also has four secondary peaks named Baiyang, Feixing, Shuiyue, and Taiyi, all of which are over a thousand feet high.
The four secondary peaks form a ring, protecting the main peak in the middle, and are separated by hundreds of miles.
The founding patriarch laid out numerous arrays within the sect, and with the blessings of successive abbots, the entire Qingxu Temple, while not necessarily impregnable, would certainly be difficult for ordinary Golden Core cultivators to breach in a short time.
After Qingxu summoned his disciples, people arrived one after another and sat down obediently in their respective places.
A quarter of an hour later, all the elders, inner disciples, and outer disciples of Qingxu Temple had arrived at the sect's main hall atop Tongtian Peak.
There was a huge crowd, probably more than 500 people.
They sat down in a clear order according to their cultivation level and strength. The second row consisted of the four peak masters and the elders, a total of twenty-two people, all of whom were at the late stage of Foundation Establishment (first-order Grandmaster).
Behind them were a group of inner disciples, whose cultivation levels varied, ranging from Qi Refining Realm (0th level Acquired Realm) to Foundation Establishment Realm.
They remained silent, sitting cross-legged, quietly awaiting the master's instructions.
Sitting at the very back were a group of outer disciples, who were newly initiated disciples who had not yet sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and embarked on the path of cultivation.
Many of these newly initiated disciples stared in disbelief at the head of the group, where Xiao Ning and the abbot were.
"Look, isn't that the good-for-nothing Xiao Ning?"
"They do look somewhat alike. Their clothes are also those of outer disciples, and their appearances are very similar, only their demeanor is different!"
"It shouldn't be that good-for-nothing. What right does he have to sit in the head seat? And be on equal footing with the abbot?"
The outer disciples of Tongtian Peak who knew Xiao Ning were all talking about it, and the gossip quickly spread to everyone.
"quiet!"
Qingxu's expression was solemn. He flicked his whisk and let out a cold snort.
At the same time, a powerful and majestic aura erupted from his body.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall became extremely oppressive, and everyone felt like they couldn't breathe. The discussions gradually stopped.
"I have summoned you here to announce something. From this day forward, our temple has gained a new Supreme Elder, whose status within the sect is equal to that of I. Please pay your respects to the Supreme Elder!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in disbelief, as if they had misheard, and all turned their gaze toward the person in the lead.
Besides the abbot, a handsome young man dressed in the robes of an outer disciple sat next to him. Clearly, this was the Supreme Elder mentioned by the abbot.
Despite being watched by hundreds of people, Xiao Ning remained unperturbed, a profound and unfathomable smile appearing on his face, exuding an air of authority without anger.
When everyone looked at Abbot Qingxu again, they saw that he also had a solemn expression and did not seem to be joking.
They couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
At this moment, Liu Zixi took the lead in bowing and loudly proclaimed his respects.
He was the first to know about Xiao Ning's changes and was also the person closest to Xiao Ning.
Now, although he doesn't know why he has become the Supreme Elder of the sect, he is still overjoyed.
He believed that the abbot must have negotiated some conditions with Xiao Ning to allow Xiao Ning to stay in the abbot and assume the position of Supreme Longevity.
Little did they know that Xiao Ning was willing to stay only to repay the karmic debt owed to Qingxu Temple for taking in his predecessor for ten years.
Xiao Ning gently flicked his sleeve, and a surge of power helped Liu Zixi up, saying, "Elder Liu, there's no need for such formalities!"
Seeing Liu Zixi leading the way, the four peak masters exchanged glances and all bowed down: "Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
With the peak masters taking the lead, the elders, disciples, and others behind them no longer had any doubts and bowed down in obeisance.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
The sound waves rose higher and higher, startling the birds in the forest.
"Please, everyone, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise!"
Xiao Ning remained expressionless, and with a flick of his sleeve, a surge of powerful magic erupted, helping up the hundreds of people who had knelt before him.
Seeing this scene filled all the elders with awe.