If the Tianshi truly has some issue, what impact would it have on the entirety of the Tianshi Mansion?

Lei Jun suppressed his wandering thoughts and spoke calmly:

"Senior Sister was the one who introduced me to the Dao. It’s already regrettable that I couldn’t become her disciple.

Over this period, I have greatly benefited from the guidance of Elder Yuan and Senior Brother Wang. If Elder Yuan is willing to accept me, I still hope to join his tutelage."

Wang Guiyuan was taken aback.

Elder Yuan Mobai’s smile deepened. "Masters pick their disciples, and disciples pick their masters. Who would refuse such an excellent student? I feel like I’ve struck gold, getting a major bargain over the Headmaster and Nephew Yuanzhen."

Xu Yuanzhen said lightly, "Don’t count me in."

"Congratulations, Master, for acquiring such a fine disciple." Wang Guiyuan recovered and chuckled. "Junior Brother Lei, we’re now officially fellow disciples."

Lei Jun replied, "I’ll rely on Master, Senior Sister, and Senior Brother Wang for guidance in the future."

Although the formal title changes would only happen after the Initiation Ceremony officially confirmed the master-disciple relationship, it was just the four of them in private, so Lei Jun didn’t mind addressing them this way now.

"The Tianshi is expected to emerge from seclusion this New Year, right? I imagine many will try their best to be accepted as the Tianshi’s direct disciple at this Initiation Ceremony," Wang Guiyuan said softly.

Elder Yuan nodded. "That’s only natural."

He turned to Xu Yuanzhen with a smile. "It seems Xiaotang will finally achieve her wish. She’s been waiting for nearly ten years."

Xu Yuanzhen remarked, "She chose this path herself. As long as she’s fine with it, it’s all good."

Wang Guiyuan asked, "Didn’t Junior Sister Tang recently enter seclusion as well? Has she emerged?"

"She came out two days ago," Xu Yuanzhen replied.

At first, Lei Jun didn’t realize who they were discussing. But after listening further, he recalled a legendary figure from the Daoist Children’s Academy—someone he had heard of but never seen.

Tang Xiaotang.

Not long ago, during the uproar over the Ink-Making Workshop at Qingyun River Beach, the other apprentices had mentioned this Senior Sister Tang.

A rumored prodigy, she was regarded as the most extraordinary genius of the Tianshi Mansion, to the extent that the Daoist Holy Land had bent its rules multiple times for her.

The First Academy of the Daoist Children’s Academy had long been a domain reserved for Li Family disciples.

The only exception was Tang Xiaotang, who insisted on being the best no matter where she was.

From what Lei Jun knew, this girl had entered the Daoist Children’s Academy about ten years ago. She had missed three Initiation Ceremonies during this time and had not officially become a True Disciple of the Tianshi Mansion.

It wasn’t that she was unqualified for the ceremonies. Rather, she was fixated on becoming a direct disciple of the Tianshi himself.

Unfortunately, the current Li Tianshi had been in seclusion for over a decade. As a result, Tang Xiaotang had waited, remaining an apprentice for ten years.

Had the Tianshi not still been alive, the elders would probably have taken the liberty of accepting her as a disciple on his behalf.

Reportedly, the mansion couldn’t bear to see such a prodigy delayed. Many elders had secretly given her private tutoring.

While Li Family disciples might receive extra resources, Tang Xiaotang’s special treatment allegedly included access to secret Daoist arts and spells usually unavailable to apprentices.

Of course, these matters were never discussed openly. Everyone maintained a tacit understanding to avoid the subject.

At some point, someone coined the nickname "Little Senior Sister" for her, a playful yet respectful counterpart to Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen.

By the time Lei Jun joined, Tang Xiaotang was already a rare presence in the Daoist Children’s Academy, becoming more of a legend among the younger apprentices.

Only after she left did other young talents begin to shine again—like Chen Yi from the Eighth Academy, this year’s rising star.

"Lei Jun, you haven’t met Xiaotang yet, have you?"

Elder Yuan smiled at Lei Jun. "You two seem to share some destiny. In ten years, Nephew Yuanzhen has only brought two people into the mountain, and you’re both among them."

Lei Jun turned to Xu Yuanzhen, surprised.

Xu Yuanzhen said, "Two is already a lot."

Lei Jun suddenly remembered the instructor at the Daoist Children’s Academy complaining when Xu Yuanzhen brought him back. The instructor had mentioned that her previous pick was someone who bullied other apprentices—one against many.

So that legendary figure was Tang Xiaotang?

"I’ll take Junior Brother Lei to meet her," Wang Guiyuan suggested. "It seems fate indeed brought them together. They can even attend this year’s Initiation Ceremony together and formally join the mansion at the same time."

"I’ll go," Xu Yuanzhen said, standing up. "After all, I brought both of them back."

She and Lei Jun bid farewell to Elder Yuan and Wang Guiyuan before leaving the cave dwelling together.

It seemed Xu Yuanzhen knew Tang Xiaotang’s current whereabouts, as they went straight to the First Academy of the Daoist Children’s Academy at the foot of the mountain.

When they arrived, the instructor looked at Xu Yuanzhen as if she were a savior.

"Senior Sister, you’re finally here. That Tang—uh—Junior Sister hasn’t been back to the Academy in ages. Now that she’s here, she’s..."

"What did she do?" Xu Yuanzhen asked.

"She modified and rewrote our lesson plans."

"And how are they now?"

"…More advanced, more precise, and more accessible for the apprentices."

Hearing this, Lei Jun gained a clearer understanding of this prodigy’s exceptional talent and her audacious personality.

The instructor gave a wry smile. "Senior Sister, she has the ability to do this, of course. But the other apprentices don’t usually have access to higher-level scriptures. The mansion’s long-standing rules and regulations are important…"

Getting special treatment was one thing. Making it public was another.

Xu Yuanzhen gave no comment. "We’ll wait for her here."

It seemed there was no need to notify her. A flash of Daoist light appeared in the academy moments later.

The next second, a tall figure landed before them.

"Senior Sister!" The newcomer greeted with a grin.

Her stunning appearance and tall stature outshone most men. Even compared to Lei Jun, she was only half a head shorter, making the petite Xu Yuanzhen appear even younger.

Xu Yuanzhen said, "Afraid the apprentices will forget you?"

The tall girl chuckled. "I just wanted to leave them a little parting gift before saying goodbye officially."

She turned to Lei Jun. "Senior Sister, who is he?"

"Lei Jun," Xu Yuanzhen replied. "You haven’t met him before. I brought him to the mountain a year ago. He’s preparing to join Junior Uncle’s tutelage."

Tang Xiaotang’s smile widened as she looked at Lei Jun. "That makes you one of us. Come on, call me Senior Sister."

Lei Jun glanced at Xu Yuanzhen before turning back to Tang Xiaotang. "Little Senior Sister."

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes widened.

Xu Yuanzhen commented, "You’re already taking advantage. Lei Jun is two years older than you. Neither of you has officially become a disciple yet."

Lei Jun asked, "I’m two years older?"

Xu Yuanzhen replied, "When I brought her back to the mountain, she wasn’t even eight yet. She was busy climbing trees and raiding bird nests in her village…"

"Senior Sister!" Tang Xiaotang tugged on Xu Yuanzhen’s sleeve. "Why bring that up? That was ages ago!"

She turned to Lei Jun, cleared her throat, and said, "Age doesn’t matter. There’s a saying: ‘A teacher is someone who has achieved mastery, regardless of age.’"

Lei Jun nodded. "Little Senior Sister makes a valid point."

Tang Xiaotang puffed out her cheeks. "…Fine. Once I achieve my plans, you’ll naturally drop the ‘Little.’"

Lei Jun asked, "Plans? What plans?"

Tang Xiaotang replied, "Step one, become a True Disciple of the Tianshi. Step two, become the top disciple under the Tianshi. Step three, inherit the position and become the next Tianshi."

Xu Yuanzhen calmly remarked, "She can try the others, but step two is hopeless."

Tang Xiaotang grinned. "It’s normal to be worried, Senior Sister. I’ll soon catch up to you and surpass you, starting next year!"

Lei Jun pondered briefly before speaking. "What if the Tianshi is still at a critical point in his seclusion and doesn’t emerge this New Year?"

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes widened in shock. "Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

Lei Jun replied, "I mean, it might be better to lower your expectations. If

reality exceeds them, it’ll be a pleasant surprise."

Tang Xiaotang waved her hands dismissively. "There’s no need. The Tianshi wouldn’t make such a promise if he didn’t mean it."

A month later.

The first New Year gift for the prodigy girl:

The Tianshi did not emerge from seclusion as expected.