Chapter 474 - 166: Root Bone Enhancement, Becoming the Peak Master’s Disciple
Yang Jing walked briskly and soon arrived at the summit of Lingxi Peak.
He stepped onto the smooth bluestone slabs and made his way straight across the vast Lingxi Plaza.
On the plaza, many Inner Sect Disciples were practicing martial arts. Their fists whistled through the air as Inner Qi circulated, creating a scene of bustling activity.
His arrival instantly drew everyone’s gaze.
The disciples all stopped what they were doing, glancing his way with eyes full of amazement and envy.
In the past few days, news of Yang Jing breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm and climbing to twenty-third on the Hidden Dragon List had spread as if on wings to every corner of the Xuanzhen Sect.
Even his victory in the Cyan Qilin Battle hadn’t caused nearly as much of a stir as this breakthrough to the Qi Eating Realm.
This was because any disciple who reached the Qi Eating Realm was considered a core elite, whether on the Main Peak or the Seven Veins, and such individuals were exceedingly rare.
The next level up from the Qi Eating Realm was the Qi Absorption Realm. Upon reaching that stage, a disciple was qualified to contend for the position of Senior Brother of their respective peak.
So, the disciples of Lingxi Peak were all aware that their peak had gained another Qi Eating Realm expert—and a newcomer who had joined the sect only a few months ago, no less.
They estimated that by next month, the sect would allocate additional resources to Lingxi Peak for having cultivated such a promising disciple to the Qi Eating Realm.
Similar to how the sect monitored the promotion rate of Outer Sect Disciples to the Inner Sect, it placed even greater importance on Inner Sect Disciples breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm.
Yang Jing walked calmly past the crowd. The Inner Sect Disciples nearest to him quickly composed themselves, bowed respectfully, and called out in unison, "Greetings, Senior Brother Yang!"
In the Xuanzhen Sect, the rule had always been that the Martial Dao was supreme, and respect was given to the accomplished.
Yang Jing was now a Qi Eating Realm expert, a full major realm above the vast majority of Inner Sect Disciples. That level of strength was more than enough to earn him the title of "Senior Brother."
Take Si Jiawen, the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, for example. In terms of age, she was younger than many disciples, yet she was the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, and her Cultivation was unfathomable.
Even those older disciples who had spent decades on Lingxi Peak, their hair long since turned white, had to bow properly and respectfully call her "Senior Sister" upon seeing her.
Yang Jing gave a slight nod to the bowing disciples. He paused his steps briefly to offer a simple response before heading straight for the magnificent Lingxi Hall at the far end of Lingxi Plaza.
As they watched his tall, straight back recede into the distance, the disciples on the plaza finally began to whisper amongst themselves, their eyes filled with unconcealable envy.
They envied not only his talent and Cultivation, but also the great esteem the Peak Master clearly held him in.
...
「In a corner of Lingxi Plaza.」
Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes also locked onto Yang Jing’s retreating back, their faces filled with undisguised envy.
The two had participated in the Cyan Qilin Battle alongside Yang Jing and had gotten to know him, so they considered themselves fairly good friends.
At this moment, however, the gap between them and Yang Jing felt far too wide. If they were to deliberately run over and greet him, it would seem overly sycophantic and out of place.
The two hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against it, staying put.
At that moment, both were overcome with complicated feelings.
Three days ago, when they first heard the news of Yang Jing breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm, their first reaction was disbelief. They just thought the person delivering the message was joking.
’After all, only a few short days have passed since the end of the Cyan Qilin Battle. How could Yang Jing have possibly broken through that difficult bottleneck that has stumped countless people?’
But when the news was repeatedly confirmed and finally proven true, they were both so shocked they couldn’t process it for the longest time.
The news was simply too staggering for them to believe.
Just a few days ago, they had been watching Yang Jing win match after match on the Cyan Qilin Platform. Although his strength had been formidable, all of them were still hovering in the Inner Strength Realm.
’How, in the blink of an eye, did Yang Jing just soar into the sky and break through to the Qi Eating Realm?’
As time passed, their initial shock had gradually subsided. But seeing him with their own eyes today, heading toward Lingxi Hall—obviously having been summoned personally by the Peak Master—made it clear just how highly she regarded him.
This tangible honor stirred up their once-settled feelings, making them complicated all over again.
They weren’t jealous of their friend, Yang Jing. After all, his hard work and talent made him worthy of his current status.
But that deep-seated envy was impossible to suppress.
...
Meanwhile, Yang Jing soon arrived outside Lingxi Hall.
The hall was majestic, its vermilion beams carved with intricate cloud patterns. Bronze bells hanging from the eaves chimed softly in the mountain breeze, adding to the solemn and dignified atmosphere.
He gave a slight bow with cupped fists to the two Inner Sect Disciples on duty at the entrance. "Pardon the intrusion," he said in a steady voice. "Please inform the Peak Master that Yang Jing is here to see her."
The two disciples on duty had been standing solemnly with their hands at their sides. When they saw it was Yang Jing, a flicker of respect crossed their faces. They bowed low and replied, "Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Yang. We will inform her at once."
One of the disciples turned and hurried into the hall. He returned only a moment later, turning to the side and gesturing respectfully for Yang Jing to enter. "Senior Brother Yang, this way, please."
Yang Jing nodded slightly. "Thank you," he said, then stepped into Lingxi Hall.
The floor of the hall was paved with polished green jade slabs, as smooth as a mirror. On either side stood several stone pillars carved with coiled dragons.
A massive Luminous Pearl hung high from the ceiling, its gentle light bathing the entire hall and illuminating everything with a clear, bright glow.
It was not his first time here, yet he was still struck by the hall’s solemn atmosphere.
At the head of the hall, Peak Master Lingxi, Bai Bing, sat primly on a lustrous White Jade Meditation Mat. She wore a simple, moon-white dress, her ink-black hair held in place by a single jade hairpin. Her face was as exquisitely beautiful as if carved from ice, and her expression was indifferent, radiating an authority that required no anger.