''Ai, you dare to question my decision? Do you actually believe that I treated you unfairly 2 months ago when I handed you a complete Saint middle-grade cultivation technique as a welcoming gift?''

''Master... that is not what I meant! But-''

''Not what you meant? What you meant was clearly that the value of Mei's gift was above yours isn't it?''

Dong Ai immediately fell silent when she heard this as she nodded her head with an unresigned look in her eyes. Indeed, in her eyes, the value of a complete Saint middle-grade cultivation technique was nowhere near close to the value of the pendant that Liu Mei just received from their master.

However Elder Xuan's eyes only turned colder when she saw her disciple's reaction before she continued

''Ai, you complained about neither you nor any of your senior sisters aside from your eldest senior sister have ever received such a welcoming gift from me, but you didn't even stop to think what kind of background do you and Yaling really come from compared to Mei!

Both you and Yaling come from influential families and are even the direct descendants of your own family line! You have been showered with the best resources ever since your birth and you still dare to complain that my treatment towards you wasn't equal in value?!

In that case, let me ask you, Ai! What did you do with the Saint middle-grade cultivation technique that I gave you? Did you only keep it for yourself or did you share it with your family instead?''

Dong Ai's face immediately paled when she heard this, as she lowered her head and said

''I... I shared it. But master... even if I shared it, it is still not as valuable as master's pend-''

''Enough! Of course I knew that you would share it with your family and that in turn, your family would reward you for it. After all, practically every single influential family that is adjacent to our Holy sect sends its descendants and disciples here, in hopes that they will become stronger.

Did you think that I didn't know how valuable a Saint middle-grade cultivation technique is to a family? Even if your family has 10 Saint low-grade cultivation techniques, I know that you at most will have 1 or 2 that have reached the middle grade!

And yet I still gave you the technique without forbidding you from sharing it with your family since that was my welcoming gift to you!

How many spirit stones, protective artifacts and rare pills did your grandfather give you to reward you for bringing home a Saint middle-grade cultivation technique? Even if it wasn't at the value of Mei's pendant, it's still not too far off either!''

Seeing the regretful look that slowly appeared on Dong Ai's face, Elder Xuan's cold expression slowly softened as she shook her head and said

''Questioning your master is not something that is taken lightly! Even more so when you feel jealousy for your junior sister!''...

''Yes master!''

Dong Ai lowered her gaze as she responded, not daring to meet Elder Xuan's eyes any longer.

''Master... I apologize. I also felt some envy in my heart when I saw master giving your pendant to junior sister. If master punished Ai, then I should be punished too. Junior sister... I apologize!''

Dong Ai raised her head in surprise but she still shook it defiantly barely a moment later, almost as if she was unwilling to accept Wei Yaling's 'charity', while Liu Mei had the same cold expression on her face as she nodded her head, accepting Wei Yaling's apology.

Being envious after seeing something that you want being given to someone else wasn't easy, and this was something that Liu Mei also understood herself as well, so it wasn't hard for her to accept Wei Yaling's apology.

At the same time however, Elder Xuan's cold expression hadn't disappeared from her face after hearing Wei Yaling's words, as she replied seriously

''Since I accepted Mei as my disciple today and I also don't want a chasm to be formed among yourselves for such a reason, there will be no punishment this time. However, I want you to remember that being senior and junior sisters should be a relationship that goes beyond material needs. It should be a form no different from blood-related sisters!''

Turning her attention towards Liu Mei, Elder Xuan's gaze turned gentle as she looked at the small pendant in her hands and started to explain in a gentle tone, almost as if she wasn't speaking to Liu Mei but her own child instead

''Little Mei, this pendant was something that I got from my master as a present, and I am now handing it to you. This is a protective artifact that I have been carrying with me for many years. It can protect you twice from the attack of anyone at the Dao Emperor realm and below. Even if you are attacked by someone who is at the late stages of the Dao Emperor realm, this pendant will still save your life twice. As for the specifics, since I never had the heart to use it, I can't tell you how it works.''

Shun Long's eyes widened when he heard the description of the pendant and was surprised by how valuable it actually was, while Dong Ai had an even more fervent look in her eyes as she stared at it, almost as if she was staring at a treasure that she couldn't lose no matter what. As for Wei Yaling, she nodded her head, but there was still a shocked look in her eyes, almost as if she hadn't expected it to be this valuable after all.

Wei Yaling and Dong Ai already heard that in the past, their master had given a peak rank 1 star weapon to their eldest senior sister when she accepter her as a disciple.

Although they were descendants of powerful families, neither of the 2 girls was qualified to hold a peak rank 1 star weapon. After all, the difference between a normal rank 1 star weapon and a peak rank 1 was much bigger than one could imagine.

As for Liu Mei, she bowed deeply, accepting her master's gift while thanking her.

However, Elder Xuan Jiao simply shook her head and waved her hand before she continued

''Little Mei, do you remember what I told you 3 days ago? I said I am the only Elder in the entire sect that can help you with your control of your Dao of Death, and that there was a reason behind that! Although I haven't comprehended the Dao of Death, I know that it is an extremely dangerous Dao, one that is practically impossible to be traversed fully! I know that because my master had also comprehended the Dao of Death herself!''

----------