Chapter 1210: Now, The Sect Is Finally Back On Track! (Part 5)

Since most of the main square of the manor was being used as a martial arts training ground, it was not particularly spacious.

Thanks to the disciples of Mount Hua assembling in line together, the area looked full rather than empty.

The other sects of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance seemed to have cleared the training ground for the appointment of Mount Hua's Deputy Sect Leader, as there was no one else in sight. Grateful for their consideration, Baek Cheon took a heavy step forward.

It was what he had hoped for. Ever since he had left the Southern Edge Sect to join the Mount Hua Sect, his dream had been to become the Sect Leader and eventually turn Mount Hua into a more outstanding sect than the Southern Edge Sect.

Although he set this goal in his youth, as he aged, his determination to achieve this dream did not waver in the slightest. On the contrary, it grew even stronger and more resilient.

Now, his dream wasn't just to make Mount Hua a superior sect compared to the Southern Edge Sect. It was to surpass that and make it the foremost sect in the world, creating a sect that could lead the world's flow.

And today, Baek Cheon was finally taking his first step toward that cherished dream.

'Don't be nervous.'

It was only the first step. If he got tense now, how could he navigate the challenging path ahead?

Baek Cheon took a brief deep breath.

The usually playful disciples of Mount Hua were now watching him with utmost seriousness. In their gazes, Baek Cheon moved forward. Equipped with determination, he was taller than ever. He walked along the center of the training ground and finally stood in front of the Sect Leader and the elders who were waiting for him.

No one had explicitly told him what to do, but he seemed to know what needed to be done.

"Mount Hua's disciple Baek Cheon greets Sect Leader."

With these words as a signal, disciples of Mount Hua knelt on one knee and extended their hands forward in a gesture of respect.

"We greet Sect Leader!"

Hyun Jong silently observed Baek Cheon before shifting his gaze to the disciples assembled behind him.

Dressed more solemnly than usual, Hyun Jong exuded a greater sense of gravity. Those who received his gaze straightened their postures, as if vowing not to leave any stains in this moment.

They all knew how significant it was to appoint a new sect leader. Changing the sect leader in any sect was no easy matter, but in the case of Mount Hua, it held a special meaning.

Mount Hua's Sect Leader wielded especially strong authority, and the sect had faced a crisis just a few years ago, almost facing extinction.

So, appointing a new Deputy Sect Leader not only signified a farewell to the past with Mount Hua but also marked the sect's rebirth as a new Mount Hua.

Therefore, the weight of appointing someone as Deputy Sect Leader was as heavy as appointing a new Sect Leader.

Hyun Jong took in all the disciples with his eyes. Seeing disciples emitting a sharp, blade-like gaze, different from their usual playful demeanor, felt somewhat unfamiliar yet trustworthy.

At that moment, he closed his eyes as a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.

'That's how it is...'

There was no reason to feel nostalgic towards a scene he had never witnessed. Nevertheless, this nostalgia wasn't an illusion. Hyun Jong well understood the reason why.

The appearance of the disciples he was witnessing now was not different from the vision of Mount Hua that he had always dreamed of in the past. No, rather, his disciples had grown beyond the future of Mount Hua he had envisioned.

As he witnessed the realization of his dream, an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart. At the same time, he realized that it was time for him to step down from the position of Sect Leader.

'Perhaps I was a little late.'

Regrets? There was none.

Everyone had their own role. There was no room for regrets for Hyun Jong, who had realized that his role had come to an end.

What remained was not so much regret as...

Hyun Jong smiled faintly and spoke.

"Listen, my disciples."

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

The disciples of Mount Hua replied with a resounding voice. Hyun Jong, nodding, spoke with a solemn tone.

"I'm sure you all know, but as Hyun Jong, with the qualification of Mount Hua's Sect Leader, I intend to appoint a new Sect Leader today, who will lead the future of Mount Hua."

Various emotions flickered in the eyes of everyone present.

Regret for Hyun Jong stepping down from the position of Sect Leader.

A bit of awkwardness and fear about the changing Mount Hua.

But, most significant was the firm trust in Baek Cheon, who would lead the transformed Mount Hua.

Hyun Jong thought.

'It's nice.'

If someone could evoke such looks from disciples, they surely had the qualifications to be a Sect Leader and could perform the role even better than Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong recalled the time when he became the Sect Leader. There were no congratulations or blessings for him, who took on the role as the Sect Leader, to fill the void left by those who had left Mount Hua. There was only a sense of determination and a heavy responsibility to somehow protect Mount Hua.

The gazes of Hyun Sang and Hyun Young, who looked at him at that time, became a weight that Hyun Jong carried throughout his life.

'How fortunate.'

Therefore, it was genuinely a welcome event. A new Sect Leader could bring a different perspective. Mount Hua was no longer the declining sect of Shaanxi that he had inherited. It was not a place were decisions were made haphazardly, filling gaps with the opinions of a few.

The Mount Hua of the new era would be a well-established sect, proudly representing the righteousness of Shaanxi and leading the way as a major sect that would resonate throughout the world. So, it was only natural that someone fitting for that era would take on the role of Sect Leader.

What Hyun Jong would take with him as he stepped down from the position of Sect Leader was the pride of having sustained Mount Hua until this new era. Wasn't that enough?

"A Sect Leader of Mount Hua must not forget his duty as a Taoist, and must walk the path of the sword correctly as the leader of Mount Hua's swordsmanship."

Baek Cheon's face was truly firm. Hyun Jong smiled lightly.

Yes, Baek Cheon would do well. He had walked the path of the sword more diligently than anyone else, and had firmly engraved the principles that a martial artist of Mount Hua should uphold in his heart.

"Now that I, Hyun Jong, have judged that the future generations of Mount Hua are also qualified, I would like to inform our ancestors that I plan to pass on the position of Mount Hua's Sect Leader to the next generation."

A gentle aura emanated from Hyun Jong's body.

"Is there anyone who opposes this?"

"No!"

"Is there anyone with objections?"

"No!"

Hyun Jong nodded quietly. Perhaps the ancestors who were observing this scene would acknowledge his choice with a smile.

Hyun Jong could confidently say to the ancestors he would meet someday. He might not have done exceptionally well, but he had done his best, never neglecting his role as the Sect Leader of Mount Hua.

'Everything goes as it should.'

Hyun Jong nodded and looked at Baek Cheon. A heavy sense of responsibility settled on the latter's dignified face. Hyun Jong nodded silently.

Had he held that expression once too? And did his teacher feel the same way?

"Then I, Hyun Jong, recognized by the ancestors as the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, and delegated authority from my disciples as the leader of Mount Hua, will now select the one who will become the next Sect Leader."

All disciples of Mount Hua looked at Baek Cheon with expectant eyes.

At that moment, Hyun Jong's gaze shifted to another person. Amidst all the disciples, even the elders, Chung Myung alone gazed directly at Hyun Jong.

Seeing Chung Myung's unwavering eyes, Hyun Jong smiled. Perhaps it was a smile that resembled Chung Myung's.

'Ancestors, I've done my best.'

So...

"The one to succeed me as the Sect Leader of Mount Hua is!"

Hyun Jong's gaze left Chung Myung and turned to one person. The person who should rightfully stand in that position.

"Un Am!"

"Yes?"

"...What?"

For a moment, the eyes of the disciples widened in surprise. Over a hundred disciples, with eyes collectively widening, stared blankly at Hyun Jong. However, the most noticeably bewildered person among them was none other than Un Am. His eyes shook.

On the other hand, a mischievous smile played on Hyun Jong's lips.

'Well... Can't I have the final choice as I wish?'

In the end, following one's heart.

His heart spoke.

Even if Baek Cheon could be a more excellent Sect Leader, it should not be ignored that Un Am had dedicated himself to Mount Hua until now.

If everyone naturally accepted that a better person should take a higher position, Mount Hua would become a sect that only valued ability.

Not turning a deaf ear to the voice of his heart. That was the result of Hyun Jong's first and last selfish desire and the outcome of facing himself as a martial artist.

"Uh..."

When Unam, too stunned to speak, couldn't even close his mouth, Hyun Jong felt a sensation that was hard to describe in that moment.

"Maybe in the next life, living like that guy Cheong Myung wouldn't be too bad."

This spectacle, which everyone couldn't hide their astonishment at, provided Hyun Jong with a feeling he had never experienced in his entire life.

"Disciple Un Am, step forward!"

"Uh, Sect Leader...?"

Un Am didn't know what to do and just stared at Hyun Jong.

"What are you doing? Are you opposing the Sect Leader's decision?"

With a dignified voice full of authority, Hyun Jong scolded Un Am, who didn't know what to do, but he reluctantly stepped forward. Though it was from a distance, under the gazes of everyone, it was unacceptable for him to defy the Sect Leader's command.

As Un Am cautiously approached and kneeled next to Baek Cheon, Hyun Jong shouted with a firm voice.

"I, Hyun Jong, as the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, under the authority of the Sect Leader, appoint Un Am as the new Sect Leader of Mount Hua!"

A look of bewilderment crossed Un Am's face. Hyun Jong once again shouted with an exuberant smile.

"Furthermore! Recognizing that it is difficult for a single Sect Leader's strength to properly lead Mount Hua, which is no longer the same as in the past, a permanent Deputy Sect Leader position is established. I appoint Baek Cheon, the next generation disciple, as the Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua!"

"Ah!"

"Huh...?"

Even though they knew it wasn't appropriate, expressions of admiration involuntarily burst out from the mouths of Mount Hua's disciples.

"Is there anyone who opposes this?"

The disciples of Mount Hua exchanged glances for a moment. After a while, their eyes turned to the two people in front of them, those who would lead the future and connect the past and the future of Mount Hua.

Eventually, an enormous cheer erupted.

"No, Sect Leader!"

In the whirlwind of overwhelming emotions, one person, Chung Myung, chuckled.

"Now, the sect is finally back on track!"

In that fleeting moment, eyes full of unparalleled satisfaction were looking at Hyun Jong.