The Carnation Goddess

The 13 groups and the elder group were all camped quite far apart within a permissible perimeter.

The reason why the groups were all apart was because they had to set off separately early in the morning and they also had to keep their plans a secret from one another.

Also, this was an order from Elder Hua Zixia as well as it was not uncommon for the protégés to secretly share information and to set off together so as to make their experiential training easier.

This was not a secure safeguard as it was still all too easy for some of the protégés to share their group information but it was still a safeguard nevertheless as it would defer some of the protégés from doing so.

Right now, Shen Lie and his group had just finished setting up their tents and it was night now.

And now they were looking at one another to discuss who should be the one that would lead their group.

In Shen Lie's group, it was not just Mei Xuan, Jie Ying and Yu Lingyue that were in his group; there were also Xu Shaoqing and Xu Shaoxing as well.

Shen Lie was in Group 13 and he was the only male cultivator in his group but he was not shy at all as he grinned at the beautiful protégés that were presented.

Many of the female protégés were uncomfortable that Shen Lie was the only male cultivator in their group.

Most actually did not mind as Shen Lie had good looks but many minded that he was the weakest cultivator in their group and that he would be contributing to nothing in this dangerous experiential training.

Shangguan Xiangyi, a beautiful female protégé from the side of the Holy Saintess Qian Yufeng suggested. "We ought to pick the highest realm cultivator in our group to be the leader…"

And then she was smiling at Yu Lingyue, her senior sister.

Xu Shaoqing urged back, "The group leader should come from the side of the Holy Maiden Sanctuary and not your Verdant Rain Manor. I suggest that we pick the highest realm cultivator from our side instead. Mei Xuan should lead us instead."

"That's right!" Her twin sister Xu Shaoxing nodded, agreeing with everything her sister was saying.

Shangguan Xiangyi chuckled softly, "Oh? Have you forgotten that we have now merged into the Holy Carnation Sanctuary now and we are one cultivation sect now. Selecting the highest realm cultivator to be our group leader is the best option for us…"

Yu Lingyue had suddenly said as she secretly glanced at Shen Lie, "Listen to me, why don't we pick Shen Lie as our group leader instead?"

Mei Xuan nodded, "I totally agree on that as well."

When the two of them had suggested the same, this startled many of the female protégés as they asked. "But why? He is but the lowest realm cultivator in our group."

Yu Lingyue quickly tried to find an excuse, "Precisely because he is the lowest realm cultivator in our group, then he would not abuse his position as leader."

Mei Xuan was also saying defensively for Shen Lie, "I agree with Protégé Sister Yu Lingyue as well. He is not only the lowest realm cultivator in our group but he is also a man. As the only man, he would be able to see what we couldn't see and he would be able to offer us a good perspective for our experiential training."

Jie Ying was also saying, "I agree with making Shen Lie our group leader."

Shen Lie was suddenly awkward as he was happy enough to be a follower rather than the leader. But all of a sudden, Yu Lingyue and Mei Xuan were both nominating him as the group leader.

Many of the maidens were reluctant to make Shen Lie their group leader as they looked down upon him as a low level cultivator with no hope of becoming a high level cultivator as he had a ruined cultivation core.

But because both Mei Xuan and Yu Lingyue had a large influence with these maidens and were highly respected, many of the maidens slowly nodded as they did not want to be seen as going against the two of them.

Some of the maidens were even thinking that maybe Yu Lingyue and Mei Xuan were scheming to make Shen Lie their scapegoat and had quickly agreed to make Shen Lie their group leader.

Just like that, Shen Lie was nominated as the leader of their Group 13.

Yu Lingyue then turned to Shen Lie to ask with a beautiful smile, "Do you have a plan for the group?"

Shen Lie was startled by this sudden question as he had never thought of it.

Although this was a most dangerous experiential training but to Shen Lie, it was as easy as taking a stroll.

The biggest problem for him was in taking a life randomly even if the demonic cultivators have always been opposing the human cultivators.

Random killing will only affect his dao and cultivation speed.

Also, another problem was that he actually had some friends among the demonic cultivators as well in his long life.

Shen Lie laughed weakly, "I suggest that we all have a good rest tonight and then we pick a random direction that the other groups had not picked to reduce competition in the same direction."

Many of the maidens looked unhappily at Shen Lie as they didn't think that this was a plan.

Then Shen Lie smiled as he said, "We should have an acting group leader as well just in case something happens to me. I suggest that we make Mei Xuan and Yu Lingyue as both our acting group leaders to enforce the rules of our group."

When he had said that, many of the maidens were nodding as they were pleased with this decision since the maidens were divided into two camps and were unwilling to follow Shen Lie.

Shen Lie smiled as he got up, "Then, this settled it. I've got to go away for a while now."

Yu Lingyue gasped as she asked with a flushed look, "Where are you going?"

Shen Lie laughed softly, "I am thinking of secretly visiting Elder Hua Zixia to ask her for a hint on the whereabouts of the Crimson Blood Sect."

Mei Xuan smiled weakly, "She won't tell you. So it is pointless to ask her about it."

Shen Lie grinned, "I know but no harm in trying, am I right? At least, I am making efforts to ensure the success of our group so we won't fail the experiential training."

With that, he had run off on his own in the darkness while causing many of the maidens to question his foolishness and ability to lead their group.

Shen Lie was naturally not thinking about his experiential training.

He was thinking of screwing Hua Zixia tonight as he disappeared in the darkness of the woods, to be exact.