Chapter 518 - 366: True Strength
Every Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect would step down from their position two or three years before their Life Span was depleted.
According to the sect’s rules, the new Sect Leader needed to be the strongest among the Supreme Elders.
"Strongest" here naturally referred to combat strength, not proficiency in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.
When Duan Qingyun finished speaking, all the Supreme Elders present, except for Song Qiaoqiao, couldn’t help but look at Miao Qinghong.
In terms of strength, Miao Qinghong, a mid-stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator, was undoubtedly the one everyone acknowledged as the strongest.
Fang Yun, however, looked at Miao Qinghong with a different intention.
If he could defeat Miao Qinghong, he would become the new Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect.
Fang Yun was determined to secure the position of Sect Leader. This had been his ambition ever since he first joined the Celestial Cloud Sect, and furthermore, once he became Sect Leader and his influence within the sect reached one hundred percent, he could unlock Regional Influence.
"It seems the candidate for the next Sect Leader will be easy to determine." Duan Qingyun couldn’t help but smile upon seeing this.
Song Qiaoqiao not looking at Miao Qinghong seemed perfectly normal to Duan Qingyun. As Fang Yun’s Tao Companion, she would certainly hope for Fang Yun to be stronger.
Fang Yun was indeed very strong. He might have been able to defeat Miao Qinghong at the early-stage of Core Formation, but defeating her at the mid-stage would be difficult.
A mid-stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator possessed Attacking Methods comparable to those of a late-stage Core Formation Cultivator.
"Those who desire the position of Sect Leader, stand up," Duan Qingyun said.
Any Supreme Elder was qualified to become the Sect Leader, but they could also forfeit their eligibility if they knew their own strength was insufficient for the role.
Historically, the Sect Leaders of the Celestial Cloud Sect were almost always chosen from among the mid-stage Core Formation Supreme Elders.
Even those who were very strong but had no desire to become Sect Leader could forfeit their eligibility. The Celestial Cloud Sect’s rules did not mandate that the publicly acknowledged strongest had to compete for the position. If one did not wish to, they could continue to serve as a Supreme Elder.
It was just that, historically, there had never been a case where the sect’s acknowledged strongest did not compete for the Sect Leader’s seat.
The moment Duan Qingyun finished speaking, the first to rise was Miao Qinghong.
The position of Sect Leader was very important to her. Within the Celestial Cloud Sect, the Sect Leader’s authority was undoubtedly greater than that of a Supreme Elder, and having a greater say was extremely important to Miao Qinghong.
With more authority, her decisions could be implemented more effectively.
Being the acknowledged strongest did not mean she would have no competitors.
The second to rise was Fang Yun.
Song Qiaoqiao was not the least bit surprised that Fang Yun rose to compete. The other Supreme Elders had varying reactions. Duan Qingyun was a little surprised, but he had been hoping to see this very scene unfold, and now his wish had been granted.
Miao Qinghong looked at the standing Fang Yun. This was within her expectations.
In her mind, there should have been two Supreme Elders competing with her for the position of Sect Leader. Fang Yun was just one of them.
In the end, no third Supreme Elder stood up.
This meant that the other silent Supreme Elders had all forfeited the competition for the Sect Leader’s seat.
"Are there any other Supreme Elders?" Duan Qingyun glanced at the remaining seated Supreme Elders. The proper procedure had to be followed, so he had to confirm one more time.
If the other Supreme Elders still chose to abstain, then the next Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect would be chosen between Miao Qinghong and Fang Yun.
"Then it is decided. Elder Miao, Elder Fang Taishang, the next Sect Leader will be chosen from between the two of you. This will require a battle."
"If neither of you has anything else to say, you may proceed to the battleground."
The moment Duan Qingyun’s words fell, Miao Qinghong spoke up.
"Elder Fang Taishang, I look forward to our match."
"As do I. I’m looking forward to it."
The upper echelons of the sect’s Core Formation cultivators rarely fought one another. To be precise, after the late-stage Foundation Establishment, cultivators within the sect seldom arranged battles.
This was because by that point, they had already accumulated what needed to be accumulated. Any arranged battles were usually just to test out something new.
Miao Qinghong and Fang Yun were both looking forward to their battle.
The other Supreme Elders, however, were even more eager to see Fang Yun in action.
Some of them had never actually seen Fang Yun fight, but they had heard far too many tales of his accomplishments.
A short while later, Fang Yun and Miao Qinghong had already disappeared from the grand hall. Seeing this, the other Supreme Elders followed one after another.
"Elder Fang Taishang’s greatest strength, his concealment technique, can’t be used in a battle like this. That’s a major advantage lost," Wang Lingwei couldn’t help but comment.
"If he had that advantage, Elder Fang Taishang might actually have a chance of defeating Elder Miao," Zheng Wuji agreed with a nod.
The thing that had impressed the Supreme Elders most about Fang Yun was his concealment technique.
Using his concealment technique, he had eliminated many Foundation Establishment Influences affiliated with the Celestial Demon Sect in their own territory.
By remaining hidden and launching surprise attacks, an opponent who reacted even a fraction too slowly would suffer dire consequences.
The method might not seem honorable, but as long as it could deal a heavy blow to the Demons, it was a good method.
「The peak of Cloud Summit.」
A medium-sized, Third Tier isolation Spirit Array had been activated under Sect Leader Duan Qingyun’s control.
The entire area within this isolation Spirit Array was the battlefield for Fang Yun and Miao Qinghong.
At the very bottom of the isolation Spirit Array, the Sect Leader and the Supreme Elders had already taken their positions.
Everyone looked up at the two figures in the sky. Though they appeared to be silent, they were actually communicating via voice transmission.
Some things were better discussed among a few people and not spoken aloud in front of all the upper echelons. With so many people present, if they all started talking, it would be just like it was in the meeting hall.