Rise in the Martial Chaos: Starting From a Martial Arts School

They chatted for a bit and found they had compatible personalities, quickly becoming familiar with one another.

Lin Ziheng’s gaze swept over Yang Jing, then glanced toward the entrance of the Internal Affairs Hall. "Junior Brother Yang," he asked curiously, "did you just come from the Internal Affairs Hall? Was there something you needed?"

Yang Jing didn’t try to hide it. "Yes," he said with a nod. "I just signed up for this month’s Cyan Qilin Battle."

"The Cyan Qilin Battle?" Lin Ziheng’s eyes lit up when he heard that. He raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, Junior Brother Yang! You’ve only been in the Inner Sect for a few days and you already dare to take on the Cyan Qilin Battle. You must be pretty confident in yourself!"

Yang Jing quickly shook his head, a humble smile on his face. "Senior Brother, you praise me too much. I don’t have any confidence. I’m just thinking of it as a chance to get some experience, meet the experts from the other peaks, and broaden my horizons."

"Heh, now you’re just being modest." Lin Ziheng waved a hand, clearly not buying his excuse. "I’ve heard about your performance in the Dragon Gate trials. Sweeping away everyone at your level... that’s not something an ordinary disciple can do."

He changed the subject, leaning in closer and lowering his voice. "Speaking of which, how much do you know about the Cyan Qilin Battle, Junior Brother Yang?"

At his question, Yang Jing shook his head honestly. "Only the basics. Senior Sister mentioned a few things the other day, but I know very little about the specific rules and intricacies."

As he spoke, he looked at Lin Ziheng with a hint of anticipation. "Senior Brother Lin, you’re well-informed. I was wondering if you could explain a thing or two to me?"

Hearing this, Lin Ziheng puffed out his chest, looking pleased. He unfolded his fan with a sharp SNAP. Written across it in large characters was the name "Bai Xiaosheng."

He pointed to the fan and chuckled. "When it comes to being well-informed, in all of Lingxi Peak—no, in the entire Xuanzhen Sect—how many can compare to me? My Jianghu nickname, ’Lingxi Bai Xiaosheng,’ is not just for show!"

Yang Jing couldn’t help but smile and played along with a compliment. "Of course. I’ve long heard of Senior Brother’s esteemed name."

Flattered, Lin Ziheng grinned from ear to ear. "By the way, where are you headed next, Junior Brother Yang?"

"To the Training Room to practice for a while," Yang Jing said, gesturing toward the middle of the peak.

"Tsk, tsk, so diligent." Lin Ziheng clicked his tongue, then smiled. "What a coincidence. I was just about to head back to my courtyard to rest. We’re going the same way, so we can talk as we walk. I’ll give you the full rundown on the Cyan Qilin Battle, and I’ll even tell you about the pitfalls to watch out for."

"Then thank you very much, Senior Brother!" Yang Jing quickly clasped his hands in gratitude.

The two of them began walking side-by-side toward the middle of the peak.

The mountain breeze rustled through the forest, making the leaves whisper. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the stone path.

Lin Ziheng folded his fan, clasped his hands behind his back, and began to speak at a leisurely pace. "Junior Brother Yang, let me tell you a piece of inside information."

"Inside information?" Yang Jing was startled. He immediately perked up his ears to listen closely.

Lin Ziheng spoke slowly. "I heard a while back that the Sect Leader and the Peak Masters of each lineage are very dissatisfied with the Xuanzhen Sect’s performance in the last few Jintai Grand Competitions. This time, they’re determined to focus on cultivating a batch of young disciples to stage a magnificent comeback in the next one and restore the Xuanzhen Sect’s reputation."

"The Jintai Grand Competition?" Hearing this unfamiliar name, Yang Jing was stunned for a moment. He paused in his tracks and looked at Lin Ziheng in confusion. "Senior Brother, what’s the Jintai Grand Competition? I’ve never heard of it."

The smile on Lin Ziheng’s face faded slightly, replaced by a look of wistful contemplation.

He slowed his pace, his gaze drifting toward the distant, cloud-shrouded mountains. "The Jintai Grand Competition," he began slowly, "is the highest-level competition in the entire Jintai Prefecture. Bar none."

He paused, his tone growing more serious. "The five major sects within the prefecture, plus hundreds of other sects and factions of all sizes, all send their most elite disciples to participate."

"When the time comes, the Mansion Master himself will preside over it, and the Sect Leaders of the five major sects will serve as judges. Every major power in Jintai Prefecture will have its eyes on this competition. The sheer scale of it... it’s nothing the Cyan Qilin Battle can compare to."

"Only true geniuses with outstanding talent and formidable strength are qualified to even step into the competition’s arena." Lin Ziheng turned to look at Yang Jing, a trace of yearning in his eyes. "If you can distinguish yourself in the Jintai Grand Competition, your fame will spread throughout all of Jizhou. At that point, which power would dare not take you seriously?"

Yang Jing’s eyes widened slightly as he listened, a wave of emotion stirring in his heart.

’So there’s such a grand event for the Martial Dao.’

Seeing his expression, Lin Ziheng couldn’t help but laugh out loud and clapped him on the shoulder. "Junior Brother Yang, don’t get ahead of yourself. The Jintai Grand Competition is far too distant for us, like the moon in the sky. We don’t even have the qualifications to participate. That’s a level only the top senior brothers and sisters of each peak are qualified to touch."

"If you want to stand in the Jintai Grand Competition’s arena, you’d need to cultivate bitterly in the sect for at least twenty years and raise your strength to a realm higher than the Qi Eating Realm just to have a shot at an entry ticket," Lin Ziheng joked.

Yang Jing nodded silently. He said nothing, but he had already etched the name "Jintai Grand Competition" deep in his mind, like a planted seed.

’I’ll stand on that stage one day,’ he resolved.

Seeing that Yang Jing’s expression had returned to normal, Lin Ziheng put aside his sentimentality and changed the subject again. "Alright, let’s not talk about things so far off. Junior Brother Yang, let me tell you about the Cyan Qilin Battle. That’s what you should be concerned with right now."