Chapter 1284: Political Marriage
At the level of Grand Master, choosing a successor was not simply a matter of closeness or personal ties. Ideological succession mattered just as much. Whether they truly shared the same vision was the key.
If the successor was aligned with the predecessor and continued their path, even carrying it further, then one’s legacy would only grow stronger in posterity.
But if the successor did not share that alignment, then the moment the predecessor departed, the successor might immediately change course and strengthen their legitimacy by denying the achievements of their predecessor. In that case, one’s historical standing would become uncertain.
Worse still, if the successor harbored resentment and, after rising to power, released a secret report exposing everything and shattering the old idol, the consequences would be grim.
Clearly, in Sage Donghua’s eyes, although Yao Pei shared blood ties with him, their ideals diverged. By contrast, Qi Xuansu suited his vision far better. Thus, Sage Donghua’s likely choice was not difficult to guess. After all, like her name, Yao Pei would always prioritize the Yao family before the Pei family.
On the other hand, although the Li family also had internal disagreements, their three generations of leadership followed a consistent overarching direction. This ensured that the Taiping Sect remained far more unified at the macro level than the Quanzhen Sect.
As for the Zhang clan, the issue was no longer unity or disunity. Instead, they faced a clear generational gap. The fact that the Heavenly Preceptor rose to power as a descendant of an Ancient Immortal already hinted at the problem. From Zhang Jucheng’s generation onward, talent had clearly begun to thin, and by the third generation, there were scarcely any capable descendants, allowing Zhang Yuelu to seize the opportunity and rise.
In truth, the Quanzhen Sect remained rich in talent. Its only problem was the abundance of competing factions.
This was no accident. It was done deliberately during the restructuring of the Three Daoist Sects.
The Quanzhen Sect accepted the most common-born disciples and offered the most accessible path of advancement, which naturally produced the greatest number of talents. The Li family followed a family-based model but supplemented itself with adopted sons and sons-in-law, keeping fresh blood flowing, placing them second. Only the Zhang family stubbornly clung to bloodline purity. Since no one but a Zhang could become Heavenly Preceptor, their gradual decline became inevitable.
Qi Xuansu himself was an example. He had advanced unusually quickly. Even without considering the competition for Grand Master, his power category had already shifted beyond the eighth-generation disciples into the sphere of seventh-generation disciples. Most of those competing with him for positions were from the older generation. Among the eighth generation, aside from the Three Daoist Prodigies and a few people like Bai Yingqiong, who ranked near the top, could compare to Qi Xuansu. Even so, Bai Yingqiong was only a few years younger than the youngest of the seventh-generation disciples.
After leaving Sage Donghua’s private residence, Qi Xuansu wandered aimlessly through Xuan City.