Free Web NovelChapter 345: Chapter 139: Ranked Geniuses, Peak of Transformation, Dragon Gate Martial Trial
「The next morning.」
The morning light pierced through the thin mist, falling upon the summit of Lingxi Peak.
Some Inner Sect Disciples dressed in white robes had already gathered in Lingxi Plaza.
They scattered about, some sitting cross-legged in meditation to stabilize their Inner Strength, others practicing their punches and kicks to hone their techniques.
The flurry of fists and palms filled the air with faint fluctuations of Inner Qi and Inner Strength, painting a picture of diligent cultivation.
Just then, a tall and poised figure slowly walked past one side of the plaza.
She wore a white robe embroidered with silver patterns, its hem fluttering with her steps. Her posture was graceful and upright, her aura calm and restrained. There was a cold sharpness in her eyes.
Seeing her approach, the Inner Sect Disciples practicing in the plaza all stopped and bowed, saying respectfully, "Greetings, Senior Sister."
Si Jiawen held immense prestige among the disciples of Lingxi Peak. The title of Senior Sister signified that she was the number one disciple on the peak, with a profound cultivation that far surpassed her peers.
Her status on Lingxi Peak was highly revered, second only to the Peak Master. She could even stand as an equal to the Elders and held considerable influence.
She typically managed most of the important affairs among the disciples, who had always held her in both reverence and awe.
She merely gave a faint nod, her gaze sweeping over the disciples. Then, she walked straight across the plaza toward the magnificent Lingxi Hall, her pace steady and unhurried.
She pushed open the heavy doors to Lingxi Hall. The interior was quiet and solemn, the light somewhat dim.
Before the jade throne at the head of the hall sat a single, lustrous meditation cushion.
Peak Master Lingxi, Bai Bing, was sitting cross-legged on the cushion with her eyes closed. A faint white mist wreathed her body, and her aura was as deep and still as an abyss. She was clearly in meditation, not a single trace of her aura leaking out.
Si Jiawen entered the hall with light steps. Once she reached a suitable spot in the center, she stopped and bowed, her voice respectful and steady. "Disciple greets Master."
Bai Bing slowly opened her eyes, her cold gaze falling upon Si Jiawen as the indifference within them receded slightly. "Jia Wen," she asked calmly, "how many months has it been since anyone from our Lingxi Peak went to the Main Peak for the Cyan Qilin Battle?"
Si Jiawen was momentarily stunned, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. ’Why would Master suddenly bring up the Cyan Qilin Battle today?’ she wondered. ’It’s not something she usually mentions.’
But she didn’t hesitate. After quickly searching her memory, she answered truthfully, "Master, it has been four months since a disciple from Lingxi Peak last participated in the Cyan Qilin Battle."
"Recently, no particularly brilliant talents have emerged from among the Inner Sect Disciples at the Inner Strength Level. Even if we sent someone to compete, it would be difficult to achieve a good result. That is why Lingxi Peak has not participated in the last few Cyan Qilin Battles."
The Xuanzhen Sect had always emphasized honing its disciples through real combat and fostering advancement through competition.
To ensure its disciples grew quickly, the sect held various competitions and sparring events every year, with the Cyan Qilin Battle being one of the most important.
Not only was the competition massive in scale, but the rewards offered by the sect were also extremely generous.
The rewards included rare Cultivation Resources, massive amounts of contribution points, and even the chance to borrow high-level martial arts manuals. These were of immense help to a disciple’s cultivation, so every Cyan Qilin Battle attracted eager participation from the many talented disciples of each vein.
The Cyan Qilin Battle had clear entry requirements: only Inner Sect Disciples at the Inner Strength Level could participate. Outer Sect disciples who hadn’t been promoted to the Inner Sect were ineligible to register.
This was understandable. If an Outer Sect disciple was truly talented, they would naturally be promoted to the Inner Sect. If they couldn’t even manage that, they wouldn’t receive the sect’s attention or resources and would thus be unqualified for the Cyan Qilin Battle.
Every Cyan Qilin Battle brought together the talented Inner Strength Level disciples from the Xuanzhen Sect’s Seven Veins to compete and test their skills against one another.
The disciples who managed to stand out in the Cyan Qilin Battle were, without exception, individuals of extraordinary talent.
They had solid foundations and exceptional combat abilities. In the future, nearly all of them would successfully break through to the Qi Eating Realm and become the backbone of the sect.
Some of the top geniuses among them would advance even more triumphantly, going on to become future pillars of the sect.
Peak Master Lingxi, Bai Bing, and the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, Si Jiawen, had both participated in the Cyan Qilin Battle in their youth. Relying on their extraordinary strength, they had overcome every opponent to ultimately seize first place. They became famous overnight, acclaimed as brilliant geniuses within the sect.
It was just that in recent months, no sufficiently brilliant talent had emerged from among Lingxi Peak’s Inner Sect Disciples.
Among the Inner Sect Disciples at the Inner Strength Level, none were capable of competing in the Cyan Qilin Battle and achieving a decent result, so Lingxi Peak had chosen to abstain from the last few events.
In contrast, the other veins—Celestial Derivation Peak, Zhenyue Peak, and Fen Yang Peak—were producing one young genius after another. They consistently sent powerful disciples to compete in the Cyan Qilin Battle and had repeatedly taken first place, enjoying boundless glory. Meanwhile, Lingxi Peak, Qingxu Peak, and Yunxi Peak seemed rather quiet by comparison.
After hearing Si Jiawen’s explanation, Bai Bing nodded slightly and fell into a brief silence.
After a moment, she finally spoke, her tone calm. "Pay attention to the Cyan Qilin Battle for the next few months. See what talented disciples emerge from the other veins and compile that information. In a little while, Lingxi Peak might just be able to participate again."
Si Jiawen was stunned. Her face filled with astonishment, and a deep confusion flashed in her eyes.
As the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, she was responsible for managing its many disciples. She had an extremely detailed understanding of the cultivation status and talent of every single Inner Sect Disciple on the peak.
