A Potent Reminder and a Challenge

Xia Niansheng did not linger long on Heavenly Spirit Peak.

After “feeding” White Snow Jade, he departed immediately.

Although he had been cautious enough upon his arrival to avoid drawing attention, Zhu Yingying might not be so discreet.

Should she arouse suspicion, or, more seriously, allow Qiu Yan to discover any clues, the consequences would far outweigh any gains.

To avert such uncertainties, Xia Niansheng left Heavenly Spirit Peak.

This incident, however, served as a potent reminder for Xia Niansheng.

Before engaging in any serious business, one must always ensure the windows and doors are securely closed.

After all, a head suddenly popping through a window at the most intense moment could quite easily startle ‘Little Niansheng’.

Furthermore, establishing a deeper level of control over White Snow Jade was not a matter of immediate urgency; indeed, there would be ample time in the days to come.

Once he ascended to the position of Holy Son, he would have countless hours to spend with White Snow Jade.

In any case, his sole objective for this visit was simply to perfect the bond between master and s*ave—to put it plainly, to inject his master’s genetic essence.

‘Hmm.’

Having achieved his goal, it was almost time to return.

As for tomorrow’s Grand Competition…

Xia Niansheng harbored no blind arrogance, yet he was keenly aware of Zhu Yingying’s strength at this juncture; she posed absolutely no threat to his current self.

Nevertheless, upon returning to Blood Sword Mountain, Xia Niansheng first secluded himself in his room to cultivate.

For all the foresight one might possess, for all the meticulous planning, raw strength often proved the ultimate arbiter.

At present, he still faced a considerable gap in power, whether compared to Qiu Yan or Duan Xi Shen.

****

The second day of the Sect’s Grand Competition dawned.

For ordinary inner disciples, the Grand Competition employed a system of randomized group draws.

These disciples were divided into three groups—Alpha, Beta, and Gamma—based on their usual strength, from which they would randomly draw opponents and engage in continuous battles.

The members within each group possessed comparable strength, ensuring no significant disparities.

Subsequently, the top five from each group earned the opportunity to challenge those in a higher tier.

Only the first-place individual from the Alpha group qualified to challenge a member of the top ten.

Finally, rankings were continuously adjusted based on victories and defeats.

Over the years, the Heavenly Spirit Sect had meticulously organized its Grand Competition, effectively motivating disciples to cultivate without leaving loopholes for opportunists.

In contrast, the contests among the previous Grand Competition’s top ten were not determined by random draw; instead, participants could freely designate their opponents for challenge.

After a series of challenges and engagements, the elders would then finalize the rankings.

Moreover, various elders presided over the arena, ensuring that most sparring matches between fellow disciples were merely demonstrations of skill, with fatalities or serious injuries being virtually impossible.

While there might still be minor imperfections in fairness and impartiality, the system undoubtedly maximized its effect in motivating disciples to cultivate.

Following the first day’s competitions, the morale of the sect disciples soared.

The second day was reserved for the contests among the previous year’s top ten.

Although attendance wasn’t mandatory like on the first day, the arena was still packed to capacity.

The former top ten competitors sat in the stands below, each spaced a certain distance apart, encircling the round arena.

However, due to White Snow Jade’s absence, one spot remained vacant this year.

It was the spot for first place.

At first glance, it almost seemed as if Qiu Yan was deliberately creating an awkward situation.

Yet, upon closer consideration, the Heavenly Spirit Sect stood as one of the preeminent factions in the Eastern Flow Domain, and every prodigy ranked among its top ten was, without exception, a favored child of heaven.

What Xia Niansheng perceived as an awkward vacancy might well be the coveted dream of some less-talented youth.

Alas, in every realm, talent ultimately spoke the loudest.

Xia Niansheng, resting his chin in his hand, sat somewhat listlessly in his chair.

Although he had informed Duan Xi Shen of his intention to claim first place this time, she had always disliked crowded gatherings, making it highly probable she wouldn’t attend.

With a powerful clang of a gong struck by an elder whose beard was as white as snow, the Grand Competition among the sect’s top ten officially commenced.

****

Curiously enough, the Heavenly Spirit Sect appeared to be dominated by yin energy, with two consecutive sect leaders being women, and the formidable strength of Duan Xi Shen and Senior Aunt Xue creating a clear disparity among the elders—a fact that was no secret.

However… mirroring the current generation’s top ten, only the first and second positions were held by women, while all the others were men.

Even during the period when Wen Zhi was uninjured, only the top three among the top ten were women, with the rest being men.

Could this be considered a different kind of yin-yang balance?

The new generation of top ten cultivators in the Grand Competition were either the children of various elders or their direct disciples, making them all quite familiar with one another.

Having been fellow disciples for so long, they knew each other’s backgrounds and capabilities intimately, thus possessing a clear understanding of their respective strengths.

With the Grand Competition now officially underway, the stage remained still for a moment.

Yet, after only a brief tranquility, the eighth-ranked disciple, a man whose body was sculpted with powerful muscles, issued a challenge to the sixth-ranked individual.

Wang Lie, a body cultivator, was the only son of Wang Kaitai from Blazing Cauldron Mountain—a true martial arts fanatic.

Grinning wildly, he bounded onto the arena with a tiger-like leap, his gaze fixed on Li Qiubo, the sixth-ranked competitor.

Li Qiubo was the senior disciple of Pine Vast Mountain.

He appeared even leaner than most sword cultivators, exuding an air of scholarly refinement; indeed, no one would likely contradict the assertion that he was a scholar.

Nevertheless, no one present would dare underestimate him.

Both were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, a level of power considered paramount among the younger disciples.

These two were long-standing rivals; the slender Li Qiubo, with a sword sheathed at his waist, confronted the bare-chested, muscular Wang Lie from across the arena, their standoff crackling with tension.

This spectacle unfolded annually, yet the audience never tired of it.

Xia Niansheng suddenly found himself wishing for a box of melon seeds to crack open.

****

Senior Aunt Xue, serving as the referee for the day, meticulously observed the movements on the stage, intervening precisely when needed to separate the two combatants.

She then promptly declared Wang Lie the victor.

Li Qiubo, for his part, displayed neither dissatisfaction nor dejection; he and Wang Lie had sparred for over a decade, their victories and defeats perfectly balanced.

Wang Lie, in turn, offered Li Qiubo a hearty, unreserved laugh.

Though a competitive spirit existed among fellow disciples, there was little genuine animosity between them.

However, someone clearly harbored hostility towards Xia Niansheng.

Xia Niansheng glanced towards Zhu Yingying, who was seated diagonally to his left; she had been watching him intently since the competition began, making him feel distinctly uncomfortable as he tried to enjoy the event.

Yet, just as Xia Niansheng resignedly met her gaze, she had already leaped onto the stage.

For several years, Zhu Yingying had consistently held the second position in the Sect’s Grand Competition, her sweet countenance and strikingly contrasting physique earning her considerable renown among both men and women.

A wave of cheers erupted from the spectator stands.

Simultaneously, however, curiosity rippled through the crowd.

Everyone recognized Zhu Yingying’s formidable strength; as the second-in-command among the younger generation, her only true rival had always been White Snow Jade.

It was simply that she invariably held back or didn’t take her matches seriously when facing White Snow Jade.

Though discerning observers could clearly see that even with her holding back, a gap still existed between her and White Snow Jade.

Yet, on this stage, based on previous competitions, no one else seemed capable of defeating her.

So… with White Snow Jade absent, whom did she intend to challenge?

Xia Niansheng, of course, knew precisely what she was planning.

While he found her somewhat ostentatious, a direct victory over her would ensure no one else would dare challenge him afterwards.

In a way, it would save him a good deal of trouble.

Standing on the stage, Zhu Yingying looked directly towards Xia Niansheng, extending a finger to point at him.

“I challenge Xia Niansheng.”