In the pursuit of immortality and understanding of the Dao, sometimes one needs to cultivate in tranquility, while other times it’s necessary to broaden one’s horizons and accumulate insights.
As for the balance between these two aspects, different sects, and even different cultivators, have their own standards.
The Xuanling Sect, for instance, believes in going with the flow—cultivating in seclusion when it’s time to do so, and being active when it’s appropriate, without imposing too many restrictions.
On the other hand, Liuyan Mountain is a typical “combat sect,” advocating for its disciples to interact with other cultivators and absorb experience through battle, laying the foundation for breakthroughs.
Of course, if they were to provoke conflicts without cause, Liuyan Mountain, as a major sect, would certainly face a lot of criticism. Therefore, their “challenges” are often official, led by elders who select certain forces that, for the sake of face, cannot refuse the request.
At the main entrance of the mountain gate.
“Welcome friends from Liuyan Mountain to visit.”
An elder from the Xuanling Sect greeted them with a smile.
Even though they were well aware that the visitors had ill intentions, as hosts, they couldn’t afford to lose face.
If they were to be frightened into having their disciples stay in their rooms and not come out, or if they were too humble in their reception, wouldn’t they become the laughingstock of the Qingzhou cultivation world?
Therefore, the scene inside the mountain gate remained as usual, with no changes from the norm.
“You’re too kind.”
The leading elder from Liuyan Mountain was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator with impressive cultivation. Upon seeing that the one who came out to meet them was not a core elder of the Xuanling Sect, his face did not show any particular emotion.
Not just him, but the disciples of Liuyan Mountain as well, all had similar expressions, mostly impassive.
To have the sect expend such great effort to create a combat environment for them, each disciple in the team was an elite.
After exchanging a few words, they proceeded with the usual sect visit formalities and began touring around.
Naturally, this attracted quite a few sideways glances from the disciples of the Xuanling Sect.
“See that disciple walking at the front of the group with the flame mark on the back of his hand?” whispered a disciple in the training field, “That’s one of the personal disciples of Liuyan Mountain, Yan Xiao, with a cultivation of the eighth rank of Foundation Building.”
“He has challenged all the way from the western part of Qingzhou without losing a single battle…”
Like the Xuanling Sect, Liuyan Mountain also has inner and outer disciples, as well as personal disciples. Yan Xiao is not only a personal disciple but also one of the most formidable among them.
After all, it’s a challenge by visiting, and if there isn’t a trump card character, losing would be a huge loss of face.
Although Xuanling Sect is similar to Liuyan Mountain in terms of sect ranking, there isn’t anyone particularly outstanding within the sect—someone whose realm and combat power are both sufficient to dominate the scene… at least not currently. Being targeted by such a combative sect, it’s true that we lack some confidence compared to them.
After touring around and exchanging pleasantries, the patience of the elders and disciples from Liuyan Mountain was nearly exhausted.
“The environment of your sect is very nice,” Yan Xiao said, stopping in the middle of the training field, “With such good mountains and waters, you should be able to nurture disciples with decent strength, right? How about we have an exchange? Outer disciples, inner disciples, or even personal disciples, anyone will do.”
“This…”
The elder of Xuanling Sect hesitated.
The inevitable has arrived, but who can take up the challenge from this Foundation Building eighth-grade cultivator?
According to the rules of the cultivation world, challenges can only be conducted among cultivators of the same generation, which roughly means within a ten-year span.
Among the Xuanling Sect cultivators under the age of thirty, the highest cultivation is only at the seventh-grade Foundation Building realm. Facing this person, having a fifty-fifty chance of winning would already be quite good.
“No one?” Yan Xiao’s lips curled up slightly, his smile ambiguous, “I see. Looking at the disciples gathered in the training field, it seems that there are mostly female cultivators… How about this, I’ll fight with just one hand?”
“What!”
“This guy!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the training field erupted into an uproar.
This was a blatant show of contempt!
“Hmph!”
Su Ling was also in the training field, and her eyebrows furrowed immediately upon hearing the words of the Liuyan Mountain disciple.
Too arrogant!
Although she disliked the Xuanling Sect’s chief disciple who always bullied her, as well as a few fellow disciples and elders, she still loved this sect very much!
If it weren’t for the Seventh Elder Linghua bringing her back, how could she have embarked on the path of cultivation? How could she have the chance to seek out her own origins in the future?
It’s only in times of need that one laments their low cultivation. Despite her recent display of innate talent for the sword, a Foundation Building eighth-grade was still an unmatched opponent.
“Finally, I see someone with some backbone.”
Yan Xiao’s gaze swept across the room and immediately located the disciple who had snorted coldly. With a burst of energy in his feet and two streaks of firelight at his heels, he arrived in front of Su Ling in just a few breaths.
However, as soon as he sensed the other party’s realm, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.
“Qi Refining realm? Are you an outer sect disciple?”
“Don’t look down on people,” Su Ling said, clenching her fists, “I am the personal disciple of the seventh elder of Xuanling Sect!”
“Personal disciple?”
Yan Xiao first raised his eyebrows in surprise, then couldn’t help but reveal a mocking smile.
“A personal disciple, yet still at the Qi Refining realm? Wait… I’ve heard that Xuanling Sect has a disciple who, after three years, is still only at the fifth rank of Qi Refining. It wouldn’t be you, would it?”
“The seventh elder’s personal disciple, it must be her.” “If such a person were in Liuyan Mountain, they would have been expelled from the sect long ago, right?”
Listening to the other party’s mockery, Su Ling’s cheeks flushed with alternating shades of red and white.
She had heard similar taunts over the past three years, but coming from an outer sect cultivator, the hurt was exponentially greater.
“If you’re not convinced, then come up and have a contest,” Yan Xiao said, “If a personal disciple doesn’t dare to fight, what hope is there for the inner and outer sect disciples to achieve anything?”
His words were clearly a provocation, and if Su Ling accepted the challenge, she would undoubtedly be humiliated by her opponent, causing Xuanling Sect to lose face.
With things having reached this point, whether she accepted the challenge or not, there was no good outcome.
Su Ling stared straight at him, her hand already on the hilt of her sword at her waist.
If she didn’t accept the challenge, Xuanling Sect would lose a great deal of face. If she did, she would certainly be the one embarrassed… but it was better than letting the people of Liuyan Mountain mock Xuanling Sect as cowards.
Just as she was about to speak—
“It’s Senior Sister Tang!”
“Senior Sister Tang is here!”
The crowd stirred again, voluntarily clearing a path.
Tang Xin, who had heard the news, walked step by step towards the center of the training field.
It wasn’t that she intentionally made a grand entrance… The effects of the Foundation Building Great Supplement Pill had exceeded her expectations, and up until a quarter of an hour ago, she was still assimilating the pill’s power.
As she passed by Su Ling, she glanced at the young girl.
With the protagonist present, it likely meant…
【Generating options…】
【Option one: Embrace Su Ling from behind and coldly sneer at Yan Xiao, “A woman I’ve set my sights on is not someone you can bully,” then proceed to give Yan Xiao a thorough beating.】
【Success rate 50%, reward title “Overbearing Female CEO”, no reward if failed, and a 50% chance of being punched in the nose by Su Ling, resulting in unstoppable bleeding.】
These options…
