Chapter 3865 — No Willingness to Yield
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
At these words, Nantian Guan's eyes flickered. He was a clever man; with Xu Lingchong having hinted thus far, he knew well enough what was meant.
He had long heard that Xu Lingchong had recently made a breakthrough in cultivation, becoming a consummate Foundation Establishment expert on par with himself. Now it seemed the man could no longer contain his restlessness and was preparing to take his place.
Though Nantian Guan had always been confident in his own strength, his background here on the North Island was not especially deep. If Xu Lingchong truly meant to have his way and used every means at his disposal, whether Nantian Guan could keep his current post as the Chongtian Pavilion's managing senior disciple was genuinely uncertain.
"Young Master Xu jests. I would not dare dream of promotion. This seat intends to remain in this position a few more years and lay a solid foundation for the future," Nantian Guan responded without betraying a thing.
In the Sandie Pavilion, no matter how deep or powerful one's backing, personal strength was always indispensable. Without sufficient strength, one could not occupy a corresponding post.
At Nantian Guan's present cultivation of consummate Foundation Establishment, though on the surface there was still a sliver of room for advancement, the office of the Chongtian Pavilion's managing senior disciple was unquestionably the most coveted key position at this stage.
Even if he could be transferred to some post that looked more prestigious, it would be a promotion in name and a demotion in truth. So unless driven by necessity, or unless he could contend for a higher-tier position such as managing senior disciple to the direct disciples, Nantian Guan would never voluntarily retreat. If it truly came to a fight, the Three Heroes of the Nan clan were not to be trifled with either.
The so-called managing senior disciple to the direct disciples referred to the managing senior disciple of those disciples formally apprenticed at the Golden Core stage. But that position—never mind someone like him who had not yet broken through to Golden Core; even a consummate Golden Core cultivator who wished to contend for it would have to fight on the strength of his backing!
Besides, if he were at the Golden Core stage, he would long since have gone to the inner sect to seek a master. Becoming a nominal disciple of some elder would have made him a figure whose stomp on the North Island of the Heaven Tier would shake the ground three times!
An elder's direct disciple and his own post as managing senior disciple were worlds apart! In the cultivation world, a direct disciple was much the same as a son or grandson by blood. If he could succeed in becoming an apprentice, then he too could be said to belong to the ranks of the second and third generation of cultivators!
Even if he could not match Xu Lingchong's eminence, he would still be someone with the means to come and go at all manner of high-society banquets! And if he could take Shangguan Tianxia as his master, he would be nearly on par with Shangguan Lan'er—he could even trample Xu Lingchong without fear!
Only, Shangguan Tianxia rarely took disciples. Gongyang Jun counted as one of his nominal disciples—nominal, of course, not direct.
And yet, was the Golden Core stage so easy to break through to? Before reaching Golden Core, his current position remained very useful indeed!
As for those so-called apprenticeships at the Foundation Establishment stage, such as Yu Jiang and the former Nantian Yong, they were in truth merely nominal relations—akin to the sworn kinship recognized in the secular world. In practice, the Sandie Pavilion did not officially acknowledge them, though neither did it forbid them.
Cultivators banding together in factions was only natural.