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    The main ceremony was over.


    Unsurprisingly, there were far too many members of the Black Tortoise Sect for everyone to fit in the Xuanwu Temple at the same time.


    Therefore, they were to enter the temple in order of seniority, with the sect leader and elders taking the lead.


    That was followed by the protectors and deacons, the core disciples, the inner disciples, and finally the outer disciples.


    While waiting for their turn, Zhao Yunxiao nudged Lu Zhiying lightly and gestured to the ones climbing the stairs to the temple.


    “The one in the lead is Sect Leader Zhi, followed by Elder Wei, Elder Ying, Elder He, Elder Mo, and finally Elder Feng,” Zhao Yunxiao introduced. “Remember their faces well. They are the higher authority of the sect.”


    “Mm,” Lu Zhiying nodded while committing their faces to memory.


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    </a> They were the elites among the disciples, the crème of the crop.


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    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


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    “Don’t get any strange ideas,” Zhao Yunxiao warned after seeing her expression change. “Be patient and slowly work your way up.”


    “I know that already!” Lu Zhiying rebutted.


    “You’d better,” Zhao Yunxiao replied.


    After the three core disciples, he slowly introduced the other important members of the sect as they took turns climbing the stairs to the Xuanwu Temple.


    It took a while to clear everyone before them, but it was eventually their turn to enter the Xuanwu Temple.


    The main hall of the Xuanwu Temple had a rather simplistic design.


    A huge statue of the divine Xuanwu was erected at the end of the hall, towering over everyone at a height of around thirty metres.


    There was an open space in front of the statue, where more than a hundred cushion seats had been laid out at regular intervals.


    Zhao Yunxiao’s group entered along with other outer disciples, and kneeled on a cushion seat each.


    “Bow!”


    Hearing the instruction from the deacon in charge, everyone took a deep bow to pay their respects to the divine Xuanwu, to the extent where their foreheads were touching the floor.


    “Rise!”


    As everyone raised their heads, the deacon in charge started going around with a thick stack of fortune sticks, letting the disciples each draw a random fortune stick before leaving the temple.


    This was a simple event, but it was still something that the disciples looked forward to every year – it was the ceremony of getting their fortune told for the year.


    Some treated it as pure fun, while the more superstitious ones placed great emphasis on the outcome.


    Regardless of their beliefs, the results of this fortune telling ceremony would surely become a great talking point for the disciples, at least for weeks to come.


    “It will be an eventful year, but be careful as benefits are usually accompanied by dangers,” Gu Qiansi read the words written on her fortune stick as they left the temple.


    She could not help but sigh upon seeing the contents.


    Rather than an eventful year filled with benefits and dangers, she would much rather have a peaceful and smooth sailing year!


    At this point, Gu Qiansi could not help but notice Zhao Yunxiao shooting a suspicious glare at her.


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    “See? Already threatening to kill on the very first day of the new year. That says a lot,” Zhao Yunxiao shrugged.


    “Zhao Yunxiao, is your skin really itching today?” Gu Qiansi felt the corner of her lips twitch.


    “Look at my fortune, Senior Martial Sister Gu!” Lu Zhiying suddenly held Gu Qiansi’s arm from behind and raised her fortune stick in front of Gu Qiansi.


    “Cherish the close ties you have, as they will bring you great fortune this year...” Gu Qiansi read the words before letting out a smile. “You are such a nice girl, Junior Martial Sister Lu, completely different from a certain person whom I could name.”


    “I didn’t mention any names just now,” Zhao Yunxiao insisted.


    “Who said I was referring to you?” Gu Qiansi retorted.


    “Well, I wasn’t replying to you either,” Zhao Yunxiao looked away.


    “Tch, are you really a man?” Gu Qiansi clicked her tongue in irritation.


    “Hehehe, the two of you have such a good relationship!” Lu Zhiying giggled.


    “Who has a good relationship with him?” Gu Qiansi rolled her eyes while Zhao Yunxiao merely scoffed in response.


    “What did you get, Senior Martial Brother Nie?” Zhao Yunxiao turned to Nie Hanchang who was following behind them.


    “Nothing much, just the usual generic stuff,” Nie Hanchang shook his head with a faint smile.


    “Ah, that’s the most boring kind,” Zhao Yunxiao replied nonchalantly.


    “Isn’t that right?” Nie Hanchang chuckled bitterly.


    But after Zhao Yunxiao turned back around, Nie Hanchang’s gaze hardened as he tightened his grip around the fortune stick in his hands.


    The words on his fortune stick surfaced in his head once again.


    Your current path would be long and arduous. It might be wise to consider looking for an alternative path that would make things easier.


    Those were the words that he hated hearing the most.


    If not because it would draw too much attention, he would have crushed the fortune stick there and then!