News of the tournament hosted by the imperial court quickly spread across the entire continent. Since the finals were to be held at the Dao Seeking Sect—coinciding with the sect's hundred-and-twentieth-millennium anniversary—the tournament was officially named the Dao Seeking Assembly.
Countless sects were eager and raring to go, ready to dispatch their proudest disciples into the fray.
With the arrival of the Golden Age, geniuses sprang up like geysers. Many factions had taken in disciples of transcendent talent far surpassing previous generations, keeping them hidden away until the right moment to make a stunning splash.
Now, that opportunity had finally arrived!
"The leaders of the Five Great Immortal Sects serving as judges; unpassed secret arts, heavenly treasures, half-immortal level cultivation insights, passes into secret realms, ancient texts... Rewards like these tempt even me. If I were still young, I'd definitely go all out to fight for them!"
The Master of the Sword Tower sighed. Why hadn't he encountered such a wonderful opportunity in his youth? A chance to battle the most outstanding talents across the continent, not to mention such lavish rewards. Even if given to a sect rather than a disciple, they would constitute a king's ransom.
"Mingtai, you possess the greatest talent in our Sword Tower, the sole inheritor of the supreme true legacy in a thousand years. You will certainly show your full might at the Dao Seeking Assembly, making your name ring across the world and winning enduring fame!"
"Mingtai will not fail the sect's high hopes!"
……
"Though our Waterfall Sect is merely a second-rank sect and would never have qualified for the finals in the past, this time is different. Kong Hao, this time we have you. Your talent is in no way inferior to the core disciples of first-rank or super-rank sects!"
"I know you've always maintained a low profile and dislike flaunting yourself. Even after becoming a true disciple and a core disciple, you never courted popularity or formed your own clique like the others, choosing instead to immerse yourself in cultivation and pay no heed to worldly affairs."
"Master, I..." Kong Hao hesitated. He had chosen the Waterfall Sect precisely to keep a low profile and avoid trouble. Who could have expected trouble would seek him out on its own, leaving him no way to decline?
"If it were any other tournament, skipping it wouldn't matter. But this one is organized by the imperial court. Master doesn't expect you to become the champion; just reaching the finals and securing a ticket for the sect to attend the grand celebration at the Dao Seeking Sect would bring immense benefits to us!"
"Besides, the judges this time are the leaders of the Five Great Immortal Sects. If they give you a word or two of guidance, it will be of tremendous help to your cultivation!"
"All right," he agreed reluctantly.
……
"Half-immortal level cultivation insights? Great Xia is actually willing to part with something so precious. Its value is beyond measure! I risked my life for the Great Yu Dynasty and slept until now, yet they wouldn't even grant me cultivation insights for the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Since they won't give it to me, they can hardly blame me for taking it from Great Xia!"
"Half-immortal level cultivation insights, along with the other rewards, paired with my single spiritual root—my chances of reaching the Tribulation Transcendence stage in the future will be far greater!"
"The future rightfully belongs to this True Monarch!"
……
"Heh, the finals are at the Dao Seeking Sect? What a coincidence. Just when I was pondering how to infiltrate the place, the chance pops up on its own."
"Dao Seeking Sect, oh Dao Seeking Sect, if chaos breaks out during the celebration, don't blame me. Blame your imperial court's decision!"
"Still, with things like this, the Dao Seeking Sect and the court will certainly invite mighty experts to oversee the event. That makes things a bit tricky. Who knows what level of cultivation they'll bring? Whatever. To be safe, I'll bring everyone."
……
Moon Laurel Immortal Palace.
"Lan Ting, the palace needs to select a disciple in the mid Golden Core stage to participate in the finals. I've decided to choose you. What do you think?"
"This disciple obeys!"
After accepting the order, Lan Ting stole a glance at her master. For some reason, her master was wearing a veil, obscuring whatever emotion lay beneath it. After a moment's thought, she plucked up the courage to ask, "Master, will I be able to see Lu Yang when we go to the Dao Seeking Sect?"
The corner of Luo Hongxia's eye twitched, and she gritted her teeth slightly. "Yes. Definitely. Even if no one else gets to see him, you will!"
……
Five Elements Sect.
"Bai Ming, our Five Elements Sect must send a representative in the mid Golden Core stage. You must bring glory to our sect at the assembly."
"I guarantee the mission will be accomplished. But this disciple has one more question."
"Speak."
"What happened to the injuries on your face?"
"Don't ask about things you shouldn't ask about."
……
Prison Suppressing Sect.
"Tianzhi, for this tournament, your master has only one requirement: if you run into anyone from the Five Elements Sect, beat them to a pulp. Don't spare their dignity!"
"Understood."
Seeing Yan Tianzhi turn to leave, Yang Ding called him back. "Hold on. Aren't you going to ask how your master got these injuries?"
"Anyway, it, wasn't, me, who, did, it."
……
Slaughterhouse.
"……"
"Master, say something. Even if our Buddhist path emphasizes tacit understanding over words, you can't just give me a look and expect me to figure it out on my own!"
"Master, why on earth did you take up Silent Chan? Now you can't speak, can't transmit via divine sense, and can't even write letters."
Master Jiesha remained silent.
Shi Chan was utterly speechless. Putting down the butcher knife, he pondered what his master's gaze could possibly mean.
The Hanging Temple was great in every way: the disciples lived in harmony, united in purpose, with abundant resources and teachings from Tribulation Transcendence experts.
The only problem was the endless riddle-guessing.
Shi Chan had often complained that his master's words were no better than silence. Now it was even better—he literally didn't speak at all.
"Whatever. I'll just go back to slaughtering pigs."
……
Meng Jingzhou arrived at Tianmen Peak. The moment he stepped into the cave abode, he saw Lu Yang leaning back against a chair, hands crossed over his belly, in a picture of indolence.
Eldest Senior Sister wasn't around.
"What did you call me here for?" Meng Jingzhou couldn't stand the sight of Lu Yang no matter how he looked at him. How had this brat ended up as Acting Sect Master again?
As agreed, Qiu Jin'an had taught Meng Jingzhou a secret art of the Five Elements Sect. Having just returned from the Five Elements Sect, Meng Jingzhou had immediately received a transmission from the Acting Sect Master summoning him over.
"Ah, Little Meng. Come, take a seat, don't be a stranger," Lu Yang said with a beaming smile.
Meng Jingzhou glanced around the cave abode. There was only a single chair in the entire place, and Lu Yang was currently sitting in it.
*Am I supposed to sit on your damn head?*
Lu Yang blithely ignored Meng Jingzhou's eye roll and said in an unhurried tone:
"You've probably heard that the imperial court is organizing an assembly to be held alongside the sect celebration. The divisions are quite granular, with a separate bracket for every minor realm. The sect attaches great importance to this event. After extensive discussions with the elders, the representatives for all the other minor realms have been decided. Only this spot for the mid Golden Core stage remained undecided, putting us in quite a dilemma."
"Those representing the sect must naturally be the very best. After careful deliberation, I overruled all opposing opinions and decided that you should be the one to compete."
Meng Jingzhou's eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably. Hearing those words felt immensely satisfying, warming him from head to toe. "Admitting that I'm stronger than you?"
The smile on Lu Yang's face grew even broader. "I'm a judge."
He had swallowed humiliation, slaved away for the Immortal Fairy, and borne every hardship without complaint—wasn't it all for this very moment?
"Fuck!"
Chapter 473