Chapter 418 - 152: Peak Master Lingxi’s Mind
His every move was watched by the many disciples around him.
After today’s series of intense battles, Yang Jing was no longer the obscure, newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple he once was.
Even if he ultimately failed to break into the top three of the Cyan Qilin Battle, the feat of reaching the top nine right after entering the Inner Sect was enough for his name to spread throughout the Xuanzhen Sect.
After all, even for a major sect like Xuanzhen, disciples who achieved such a dazzling result in their very first Cyan Qilin Battle were few and far between.
In a corner of the crowd, Zhao Hongxiang stared blankly at Yang Jing’s back.
He recalled the days when he and Yang Jing had lived in the Ninth Courtyard. Back then, Yang Jing had been quite deferential toward him.
But in just a few short months, Yang Jing had already reached such heights, shining brilliantly in the Cyan Qilin Battle, while he could only stand below the platform and gaze up, not even qualified to approach and speak to him.
’Without me even realizing it, the gap between us has grown this wide.’
Just then, as if sensing something, Yang Jing’s gaze casually swept in his direction.
Zhao Hongxiang’s heart leaped as if he’d been scalded. He hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to meet Yang Jing’s eyes, and subconsciously even held his breath.
Yang Jing withdrew his gaze and walked straight toward Sun Ningxiang.
Sun Ningxiang was currently speaking with Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan, but her eyes kept drifting toward Yang Jing, clear and bright as if filled with starlight.
Noticing his approach, Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan turned. Upon seeing Yang Jing, they immediately stopped speaking and bowed, their voices filled with respect and undisguised admiration. "Greetings, Senior Brother Yang!"
"Senior Brother Yang, your performance on the Cyan Qilin Platform today was astounding! You reached the top nine with ease. It’s truly incredible!" Liu Rou said, looking up at Yang Jing with reverence. "I’m sure you’ll go even further in tomorrow’s matches!"
Lin Wenxuan quickly chimed in, "That’s right, that’s right."
Yang Jing smiled slightly and waved a hand at them. "Thank you for the well wishes. You two should head back to your peaks soon."
With that, he turned to Sun Ningxiang and smiled. "Senior Sister, shall we go?"
Sun Ningxiang hummed softly in assent and walked away side-by-side with Yang Jing.
Their figures gradually vanished at the end of the mountain path, leaving Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan standing in place, watching them disappear into the distance.
....
「Meanwhile.」
In a distant pavilion.
Peak Master Bai Bing of Lingxi Peak and Peak Master Huang Zhen of Celestial Derivation Peak stood leaning against a railing. Beside them was Si Jiawen, also from Lingxi Peak.
The pavilion was surrounded by verdant trees and lush grass. A mountain breeze swept through, bringing with it a hint of coolness. In the distance, clouds and mist swirled, and the upturned eaves of the Main Peak’s grand hall were faintly visible.
Bai Bing turned to Si Jiawen. "You head back to Lingxi Peak first. Peak Master Huang and I need to go to the grand hall on the Main Peak."
Si Jiawen bowed. "Yes, Master."
With that, she bowed to them both, then turned and descended the mountain path’s stone steps.
Only after Si Jiawen was a good distance away did Peak Master Huang withdraw his gaze. He looked at Bai Bing and chuckled. "Peak Master Bai, your Lingxi Peak has really struck gold this time! This Yang Jing, daring to join the Cyan Qilin Battle right after entering the Inner Sect and now even fighting his way into the top nine... With such talent, he’s certain to become famous throughout the Xuanzhen Sect."
Upon hearing this, the corners of Bai Bing’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Speaking of which, I really ought to thank Peak Master Zhenyue. If not for him, Yang Jing might never have joined my Lingxi Peak."
"Oh?" Huang Zhen paused, a confused look on his face as he turned to Bai Bing. "What do you mean by that?"
Bai Bing gave a small smile and recounted the wager she’d made with Qin Gang when she accepted Yang Jing as a disciple.
When she finished, Huang Zhen clapped his hands and roared with laughter that echoed through the pavilion. "Hahaha! That old fox, Qin Gang! Shrewd his entire life, but he really misjudged this time!"
He gazed at the distant, mist-shrouded mountains and chuckled. "For Yang Jing to perform like this in his first Cyan Qilin Battle... he’s skilled in both offense and defense, with a calm and steady mind. His future potential is extraordinary. Even if he can’t match Gao Yang and Xu Ziqiang, he won’t be far behind!"
A faint smile graced Bai Bing’s lips, though her voice remained as cool as ever. "Speaking of which, I find myself truly looking forward to the outcome of this wager."
Huang Zhen raised an eyebrow, about to press for details, when Bai Bing continued, "When Peak Master Qin made that bet with me, the stake he put up was a Bone Jade Pill."
"A Bone Jade Pill?" A flash of surprise crossed Huang Zhen’s eyes. That kind of elixir was an exceptionally rare, top-grade treasure even within the Xuanzhen Sect. It could refine a person’s innate constitution, providing a massive boost to a disciple’s cultivation.
Bai Bing nodded. "The very same. If I win the wager, I intend to give it to Yang Jing to help him further refine his innate constitution. It will be of great benefit to him when he attempts to break through to higher realms in the future."
Huang Zhen nodded, then recalled another matter. "By the way, Peak Master Bai, the sect is compiling a list of disciples from each peak for a special training initiative. How many people did Lingxi Peak recommend?"
"Three from the Qi Eating Realm and three from the Inner Strength Realm. Six in total," Bai Bing replied, her tone even.
Huang Zhen let out a soft sigh. "My Celestial Derivation Peak recommended seven, all top disciples from our branch. I just don’t know how many will ultimately be selected."
Bai Bing shook her head, her gaze fixed in the direction of the Main Peak’s grand hall. "It’s hard to say. The list should be finalized today. We’ll find out when we go take a look."
"True enough." Huang Zhen nodded, his expression growing solemn. "The Sect Leader is extremely dissatisfied with our performance in the recent Jintai Grand Competitions. He will certainly invest massive resources into this new special training initiative. Any disciple who makes that list will find their cultivation path far smoother than others. Their starting point will be a cut above everyone else’s."
He paused before sighing again, a note of urgency in his voice. "Truthfully, our Xuanzhen Sect has already fallen behind. I’ve heard the Vajra Sect and the Yunxiao Sect launched similar initiatives long ago, concentrating their resources to cultivate Core Disciples. Now, the younger generation in those sects is already remarkably powerful."