As soon as these words were spoken, the Disciples were stunned again, their faces full of surprise. No one expected Han Xuanji to suddenly ask such a question.
They were just discussing such a serious topic a moment ago; how did they jump to this in the blink of an eye?
The Disciples looked at one another, momentarily bewildered. Especially the newly initiated Lin Feng, whose brow furrowed slightly.
Even though he knew his Master's strength reached the heavens, the position of Heavenly Emperor was that of the Immortal Realm's Supreme. It was an existence that hundreds of millions of Cultivators looked up to their entire lives but could never attain. For his Master to toss it out so casually and ask them to speak truthfully about whether they had any interest was truly inconceivable.
Chen Yan was even more dumbfounded. Could his Grandmaster already influence the succession of the Heavenly Emperor's throne at will and personally select the Supreme of the Immortal Realm?
This kind of power had already exceeded his understanding, delivering a massive shock to his still "young" heart.
Moreover, he had only just joined the Xuantian Dao Palace; was he really hearing about such a major matter already?
Was this something an ordinary Disciple like him was allowed to know?
Chen Yan couldn't help but poke Lin Feng with his finger, but Lin Feng looked adorably dazed, lost in thought, completely unaware that his best friend was already a bit frightened.
Han Xuanji shook his head and looked at everyone with a smile:
"Don't overthink it. It's not like you don't know that the current Heavenly Emperor already wishes to abdicate... and with your Master here, it's not necessarily impossible for you to become the Heavenly Emperor."
Hearing this, the more quick-witted among the Disciples felt a flash of realization and exchanged knowing glances.
Most likely, His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor had sought out their Master to discuss this matter previously.
After all, their Master was the Supreme Celestial Venerable revered by all races, a close friend of the Heavenly Emperor, and the Guardian Deity of the Immortal Realm. If the Heavenly Emperor had considerations regarding the successor to the Immortal Realm's Supreme, he would certainly consult with their Master first.
And the facts were indeed as they imagined. Previously, the Heavenly Emperor had found Han Xuanji to discuss the matter of Chaos Transcendence, but during their idle chatter, the topic of the next Heavenly Emperor had come up frequently.
The underlying meaning in the Heavenly Emperor's words was his hope that Han Xuanji would select someone to be the successor to the throne; he hadn't even set any harsh requirements.
In reality, the Heavenly Emperor did have descendants, but he did not want his offspring to continue as the Heavenly Emperor. After all, this position was of vital importance; without sufficient Luck, holding the position would only bring disaster.
The Heavenly Emperor knew in his heart that with Han Xuanji's discernment and status, anyone he recommended would never be lacking in Heart-Nature, cultivation, or foundation, and would certainly be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of ruling the Immortal Realm.
More importantly, if Han Xuanji's Disciple became the Heavenly Emperor, Han Xuanji would likely not sit idly by if the Heavenly Court encountered trouble in the future.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Jiang Hao couldn't help but start analyzing:
"I haven't thought about being some Heavenly Emperor. Although the position is powerful and looks infinitely glorious, the affairs are busy and one must shoulder countless responsibilities. It's not an easy job... Staying at the Dao Palace to follow Master in cultivation, and if I get bored, going out to wander for a while before coming back—wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Hearing this, Han Xuanji gave this Immortal Realm War God a somewhat helpless look. Had he raised this fellow the wrong way? Was this a cultivation version of being a 'NEET'?
"Lu Fan, what do you think?"
"Master... you are actually asking about this?"
Hearing his Master call his name, Lu Fan's heart stirred. After a moment of thought, he spoke hesitantly:
"The position of Heavenly Emperor is the head of all immortals and the sovereign of all worlds, yet our cultivation is still not up to par."
As the Human Emperor, Lu Fan had a good sense of what that position entailed; it was no joking matter.
The Human Emperor had changed through countless generations, but the Heavenly Emperor was personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor, the one destined by Heaven. Was that something an ordinary person could become?
"Yeah, Master, you think too highly of us."
"With our cultivation, even if we wanted to be the Heavenly Emperor, we wouldn't have the strength."
As Lu Fan's voice fell, the other Disciples nodded in agreement. Even though they were proud and aloof, they had never associated themselves with the throne of the Heavenly Emperor.
To put it bluntly, wouldn't becoming the Heavenly Emperor mean they'd have to leave the Dao Palace and stay outside for long periods, just like Lu Fan? This made them somewhat reluctant.
To them, following Han Xuanji to focus on cultivation, guarding the Xuantian Dao Palace, and attaining the Great Dao was their lifelong pursuit. Although the position of Heavenly Emperor was incomparably noble, it also came with endless constraints and responsibilities. It was far less free than being in the Xuantian Dao Palace, and far less reassuring than following by their Master's side.
Several Personal Disciples shook their heads one after another, their expressions candid:
"Master, your Disciples have no thoughts toward the position of Heavenly Emperor. We only wish to follow Master forever, focus on our cultivation, and guard the Xuantian Dao Palace well. That is enough."
Hearing that none of the Disciples had much interest in the position of Heavenly Emperor,
Han Xuanji wondered if he had raised his Disciples to be useless. Originally, he was pondering whether to let all the Disciples compete fairly for the throne, at most giving Lin Feng some secret support.
After all, directly making Lin Feng the future Heavenly Emperor seemed a bit like playing favorites.
He didn't expect that while these Disciples were shocked, not a single one was tempted.
Was the position of Heavenly Emperor really not attractive at all?
Only Li Taiqing stood in place, his brow raised slightly, a flash of realization in his eyes as he secretly guessed some of Han Xuanji's thoughts.
He was exceptionally brilliant, usually meticulous and good at observing; he considered himself a 'Master-Understanding Emperor'.
Thinking carefully now, he noticed something was off—Master was always steady and never mentioned irrelevant matters. Why did he throw out the topic of the Heavenly Emperor's throne just as Junior Brother Lin Feng had joined the sect?
This was definitely no coincidence.
Li Taiqing quietly turned his head, his gaze falling on Lin Feng, who still looked somewhat dazed beside him. A suspicion gradually formed in his heart: could it be that Master's move was to pave the way for Junior Brother Lin Feng?
Perhaps Master already had a candidate in mind, and that person was Lin Feng, who had just become the eighth Personal Disciple.
Although he still didn't know what extraordinary ability Junior Brother Lin Feng possessed to make Master value him so much—even to the point of planning for him to take the Heavenly Emperor's throne—he didn't feel the slightest bit of jealousy. Instead, he was full of gratification and support.
Lin Feng was his Junior Brother, a Personal Disciple of the Xuantian Dao Palace. If Lin Feng could become the Heavenly Emperor, it would be Lin Feng's Opportunity and the glory of the Xuantian Dao Palace. He would certainly give his full support, protecting Junior Brother Lin Feng and helping him stabilize his position as the Immortal Realm's Supreme.
"Master, I think it would be quite good for Junior Brother Lin to be the Heavenly Emperor."
Li Taiqing thought for a moment and spoke.
His tone was solemn, and his gaze swept over everyone with the authority of the Eldest Senior Brother. It was clear he had said this after careful consideration.
Hearing the Eldest Senior Brother speak, many people also seemed to understand his meaning.
The other Personal Disciples also chimed in, their previous hesitation and bewilderment swept away, each of them looking at Lin Feng with bright eyes:
"I agree too."
"Eldest Senior Brother is right. I see that Junior Brother Lin has the potential of a Heavenly Emperor!"
"Exactly. Although Junior Brother Lin has just entered the Primordial Realm, I observe his bearing; he will surely achieve great things in the future. Ruling the Immortal Realm will definitely be no problem!"
Listening to the words of his many Senior Brothers, Lin Feng was instantly dumbfounded.
Wait, how did he, a minor Cultivator who had just entered the Primordial Realm, suddenly end up with the potential of a Heavenly Emperor?