Chapter 284 - 281: The Grand Competition is Approaching
As a Registered Disciple who had also demonstrated extraordinary talent in the cultivation of Magic, Shen Changchuan was highly regarded by Master Wandering Dragon and naturally received preferential treatment.
So, upon learning that Shen Changchuan was preparing to enter secluded cultivation within the Sect for his breakthrough, Master Wandering Dragon directly retrieved a Wood Element Spiritual Object from his Storage Bag. This was for Shen Changchuan to use when condensing his Spirit Body, to harness its profound essence.
It was a tree heart.
It was a brilliant, crystalline green, and one could faintly see a radiant light flowing within it, illuminating its mysterious and intricate patterns...
The moment it was exposed to the air,
a vibrant aura of overflowing Vitality filled a ten-zhang radius!
It felt as if the seeds of grass and trees on the ground were about to sprout at that very instant!
Without a doubt,
this was an exceptionally precious Wood Element Spiritual Object.
Although Shen Changchuan couldn’t identify what it originally came from,
from the Wood Element Vitality and Dao-like essence it radiated,
Shen Changchuan was certain. ’This is definitely the most precious thing I’ve come across since I transmigrated!’
’Even my entire net worth, including all my possessions like my Treasure Artifact, probably doesn’t even come close to the value of this one tree heart!’
"Thank you, Master!"
This unexpected delight made Shen Changchuan quite emotional.
After accepting the item, he quickly clasped his hands and bowed respectfully in thanks.
’I was originally planning to see if I could exchange some Sect Contribution Points for a Wood Element Spiritual Object, but I was worried I wouldn’t have enough. If I didn’t, I would have had to settle for a lesser one and just pray my luck wasn’t too bad.’
’But now, with Master Wandering Dragon’s gift, it naturally saves me a lot of trouble.’
’Besides, I can tell just by looking at it that what he gave me is no ordinary item. This will probably be a great help in condensing my Spirit Body...’
"No need for formalities. It’s just a mere Tier Two Spirit Tree Heart..."
Master Wandering Dragon waved his hand, a casual expression on his face.
"If you can successfully condense your Spirit Body, or even a Divine Seed, that will be the greatest reward for me."
"Work hard. When you go into seclusion, choose one of the Sect’s Tier Two Cave Mansions. It should give you a bit of a boost..."
"If you can, try your best to condense that Divine Seed. If you succeed, I promise you a great reward in the future..."
After offering some detailed encouragement and instructions,
and making sure he hadn’t missed anything,
Master Wandering Dragon dismissed Shen Changchuan, telling him to work hard.
Shen Changchuan clasped his hands and bowed,
then respectfully departed.
’A Divine Seed... Kid, I hope you can succeed...’
Master Wandering Dragon watched Shen Changchuan’s departing figure,
his gaze deep and profound, his thoughts unreadable.
Shen Changchuan was unaware of the change in Master Wandering Dragon’s gaze.
After bidding farewell to Master Wandering Dragon and leaving the Back Mountain,
Shen Changchuan returned to his courtyard.
After taking care of his various affairs,
he took the authorization from his master, Master Wandering Dragon, and plunged into one of the Sect’s Tier Two Cave Mansions.
He began his secluded cultivation.
Time passed quietly,
flying by in an instant.
「In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.」
...
「On this day, the first of the month.」
「On the Sect Square.」
On the high platform, Hong Yang, the Hall Master of the External Affairs Hall and a Soul Emergence Realm cultivator, sat on a Jade Meditation Mat. He spoke with great eloquence, expounding on the various principles of Cultivation and the important things to note during the process. Finally, he also touched upon the cultivation of certain Magic techniques and so on.
His lecture was fascinating and engaging, and its content was pure substance.
Much of it consisted of experiences and principles that Loose Cultivators in the outside world might take half a lifetime to comprehend.
The solid content left the disciples below utterly captivated.
After a good while,
perhaps having spoken to his heart’s content,
Hong Yang finally paused and licked his lips.
"Alright, that is all for today’s lecture."
At his words,
the disciples below finally snapped out of their immersion, emerging from their captivated state with looks of reluctance.
Hong Yang didn’t pay them much mind.
He continued speaking:
"It has been nearly three years since you all entered the Sect."
"In ten days, it will be time for the Three-Year Grand Competition. This competition will determine all of your future prospects..."
"I hope you all go back and prepare well, and achieve a good result when the time comes."
The Three-Year Grand Competition
was the final hurdle for this first batch of new disciples to pass their probationary period and officially become Outer Disciples.
At the same time, it was also a test for them.
The most outstanding among them
would be personally taken as disciples by the Sect’s Soul Emergence Realm Elders—who were also Master Wandering Dragon’s own disciples—and receive focused training.
As for the rest,
they could only become ordinary Outer Disciples.
They would have no master and would be managed collectively by the Outer Sect Grand Elder.
In the future, they would need to complete corresponding Sect missions and could only obtain Cultivation Resources, Cultivation Techniques, and other such things by doing so.
To put it simply, they would be left to fend for themselves.
And this was something
everyone had actually known for a long time.
"It’s finally time! For three years, I haven’t dared to slack off for a single moment, cultivating arduously day and night. This is finally the time for me, Zhao Dayuan, to make a name for myself!"
"Hmph! After three years of hard work, a spot in the top ten of the Grand Competition will be mine!"
"I heard the top ten get a Soul Emergence Pill as a reward. I wonder if it’s true. To think they’d reward something so precious..."
"Pfft. A Soul Emergence Pill might be a rare sight in the outside world, costing tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, but that’s only in the outside world. For a power like the Dragon Cloud Sect, it’s just an ordinary Cultivation Material. That thing is just a bonus. The truly important prize is being noticed by one of the Sect Elders and taken directly as a disciple. That would be a meteoric rise!"
"True. The reward Elixirs and Magical Treasures might be even more precious than a Soul Emergence Pill. But getting into the top ten is easier said than done..."
For a moment,
the crowd erupted in discussion.
A clamor arose.
Some were full of confidence, their faces alight with anticipation, while others frowned, their expressions worried.
"Hmph! I don’t give a damn about any rewards! Three years! It’s been three whole years!"
"I’ve waited three years for this chance! I’m not trying to prove I’m better than anyone else. I just want to prove that what I lost, I will take back!"
"Shen Changchuan, your arrogance won’t last much longer!"
Someone in the crowd roared,
and a powerful aura swept out, creating a visible ripple of energy in the air that made everyone nearby turn to look.
They saw a young man with a somewhat sinister expression.
His eyes were wide, his fists were clenched, and the veins on his forehead bulged. The flames of fury burned fiercely in his eyes, radiating an intense hatred.
"It’s Li Qing?! Now we’ve got a good show to watch!"
"Yeah, during the entrance assessment three years ago, he was thoroughly humiliated by that Shen Changchuan!"
"I heard that for the past three years, in order to one day catch up to Shen Changchuan, he has been cultivating arduously almost without sleep or rest. In his spare time, he frantically took on missions to exchange for the Sect’s powerful Techniques and consulted the Sect Elders... Who knows how many times stronger he is now compared to three years ago..."