Bai Qianqian raised her eyes and glanced at the seats of the elder council.
She had thought Lin Xinyi would find a way to stop her from joining the sect, but to her surprise, she didn’t see Lin Xinyi’s figure at all.
“Master isn’t planning to stop me from becoming her disciple?”
A hint of confusion flickered in Bai Qianqian’s eyes.
After all, Lin Xinyi’s earlier resistance was still fresh in her mind.
That was exactly why Bai Qianqian wanted to give her master a big surprise and deny her the chance to refuse.
‘Could it be that Master has already accepted me? That she won’t hinder me anymore, so her absence is her silent approval?’
Bai Qianqian rested her chin on her hand, looking thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Luo Qingyao, floating nearby, was idly wandering around the center of the venue, afraid that another demon sect spy would suddenly appear and put Bai Qianqian in danger, like last time.
But after scanning the area, she found nothing unusual.
Looking up, she spotted Murong Xue sitting in the high seat.
‘With a sect leader at the Nascent Soul stage here, the demon sect will have to think twice before pulling any tricks.’
“Is Bai Qianqian going to fight these people? It feels a bit like bullying…”
Luo Qingyao hovered in midair, looking down at the crowd in the center of the Celestial Altar.
The cultivation level of everyone present was immediately apparent.
Though a few could be called geniuses, they still couldn’t compare to Bai Qianqian.
After all, under her own guidance, Bai Qianqian had not only reached the peak of Qi Condensation but also mastered a full set of techniques.
‘I told Qianqian to lie low. Qianqian shouldn’t expose too much, right?’
Just then, Luo Qingyao’s gaze fell on Qu Siyao, who had climbed to the 70th step of the Wenxin Stair.
When she had warned Bai Qianqian to hide her strength earlier, that girl had strutted past her with an arrogant air.
‘That child does have some right to be proud, but unfortunately she ran into Qianqian. Hope she doesn’t end up with a broken heart.’
After silently praying for her, Luo Qingyao looked around but still didn’t see Lin Xinyi.
That struck her as odd.
After all, since Bai Qianqian had taken first place, the elder she would choose to take her as a personal disciple would definitely be Lin Xinyi. In the previous round, Lin Xinyi had tried to set Bai Qianqian up, yet now, for the final round, she hadn’t shown up.
‘Oh well, it’s a good thing she’s not here to cause trouble for Qianqian. Whether she comes or not doesn’t matter.’
Just then, an elder floated at the top of the barrier over the Celestial Altar, instantly drawing the attention of all the contestants.
An elder at the Nascent Soul stage could hold the position of elder in the sect, but in a smaller sect, he could become the sect master.
The pressure of Nascent Soul instantly made the breathing of the new disciples heavy.
Only a few in the crowd showed no fear, though their expressions weren’t great either.
“I am the elder of Cloud Forest Peak of the Hidden Immortal Sect. I will now announce the rules of this competition…”
As the white-browed elder spoke, a resonant voice enveloped the entire Celestial Altar.
Whether near or far, everyone heard the words, strong and clear, as if spoken within ten meters.
“This competition is a free-for-all. When the barrier opens, all contestants will fight individually until the final eight remain to enter the inner sect.”
The moment the elder said that, the contestants who had been chatting and laughing just moments ago immediately spread out.
Especially Qu Siyao, the first-place holder—the gap around her was so wide it was nearly ridiculous.
It even formed a circular boundary, isolating her in the center.
But the only one who showed a disdainful smile was Qu Siyao herself, her eyes full of mockery.
“A rabble is just a rabble. Just hearing the rules makes them cower like this…”
Those around heard the contempt in Qu Siyao’s words, and a few showed displeasure in their eyes, yet no one dared to express it, afraid of being targeted and eliminated when the fight began.
But the elder did not stop the noisy discussions.
He continued explaining the remaining rules.
“Of the hundred contestants, the first fifty eliminated will become service disciples. The next fifty become outer disciples. The final eight become inner disciples…”
Hearing the rules explained, the disciples all became alert at once.
After all, everyone already had elimination targets in mind—as long as they survived the first fifty, the worst they’d get was outer disciple.
But then the elder paused, slowly looking down at the crowd, his brows carrying an unspoken authority.
“The remaining eight will compete for the top spot and choose an elder to take them as a personal disciple.”
Even though everyone already knew the rules, many still gasped when they heard about becoming a personal disciple.
A personal disciple was a potential successor to an elder.
Not only would they receive abundant resources, but it also meant a stable cultivation path and guidance from a Nascent Soul cultivator, saving many detours in their training.
“Those are all the rules. Also, if the top performer excels, the sect master may also take on a disciple…”
Those who had already resigned themselves to being inner disciples widened their eyes at the last sentence.
Being a personal disciple of a Soul Formation powerhouse would terrify anyone if mentioned.
Instantly, everyone became pumped up, warily watching everyone around them.
“They already know they’re a rabble, yet they still harbor such unrealistic fantasies.”
Qu Siyao crossed her arms, her robes fluttering in the wind.
Her light golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the disdain in her eyes grew more pronounced.
She already considered the sect master’s disciple position hers.
Even in the imperial capital, she was a once-in-a-century genius.
Reaching the peak of Qi Condensation at her age was something fewer than ten could boast.
Qu Siyao even considered herself the strongest among her peers.
“Esteemed guests, the sect selection is not just a competition—it’s your chance to showcase yourselves to the elders. So don’t hold back.”
With those words, he waved his hand, and a pale blue barrier spread like an invisible wave, instantly covering the entire Celestial Altar—a space tens of thousands of meters wide.
As the elder returned to his seat, the bell tower at the highest point rang again.
The deep bell toll seemed alive, piercing through everyone’s bodies, signaling the official start of the competition.
Qu Siyao wanted to quickly deal with the small fry, but as she looked up, she found herself surrounded by dozens of people, some of whom were even at the early Qi Condensation stage.
These people could be considered strong among the hundred, but now they had tacitly surrounded Qu Siyao.
Without any communication, they had all marked her as the most dangerous target.
“We have to eliminate her first! Otherwise, one-on-one, who can beat her?”
“If we brothers work together and take out the first-place holder first, then we can compete for the sect master’s personal disciple!”
“That’s right!”
…
The shouts rose and fell around her.
Qu Siyao found it extremely grating, but being the center of attention was expected.
After all, geniuses always attract jealousy.
“A rabble is still a rabble. Even gathered together, they’re just mantises trying to stop a chariot.”
Qu Siyao didn’t hesitate.
She slowly closed her eyes, and a wild surge of spiritual energy burst from her body, revealing her peak Qi Condensation cultivation.
She pulled the jade hairpin from her head—a spirit-grade artifact that alone could crush some of the weaker ones.
Without the hairpin’s restraint, her long, smooth hair cascaded over her shoulders.
As it swept past her eyes, Qu Siyao took on a different kind of beauty.
Without further delay, the jade hairpin in her hand glowed with spiritual light, like a weapon.
“As expected of the first-place holder. Truly beyond those mediocre talents.”
“I’m not so sure. I see a few good seedlings among them~”
“Reaching peak Qi Condensation at this age, just a step away from Core Formation. The younger generation is indeed formidable~”
“I wish she could become my disciple~”
…
Watching the battle on the field, several elders on the spectator platform exchanged whispers.
Only Murong Xue, seated in the highest position, remained silent.
Compared to the fierce battle on Qu Siyao’s side, Bai Qianqian’s side was rather ordinary.
“Damnit! Are you just going to dodge all day?!”
“Sorry, but this is a competition—we can’t kill anyone.”
Bai Qianqian’s silver-white figure stood at the edge of the battlefield.
Although no one noticed her at first, and she stood still for a long time, eventually some people saw her motionless form.
They thought she was a coward scared stiff by the scene.
With her veil covering her face, no one could read her expression, so they took her for an easy target.
Two or three people tried to eliminate her.
“An interesting little one…”
Murong Xue rested her cheek on her hand, a barely noticeable glint of interest in her eyes.
As a Soul Formation cultivator, she could see that while Bai Qianqian seemed to be dodging clumsily, every step was perfectly timed to avoid the incoming attacks.
But on this stage meant for self-display, Bai Qianqian’s performance was utterly dull.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the fierce battle on Qu Siyao’s side; no one noticed this small corner.
“Damn it! Don’t waste time on this guy. She’s too agile—probably trained in some movement technique!”
One of the attackers couldn’t take it anymore and gave up, turning to join another fight.
Since no one could hit Bai Qianqian, they all abandoned her and headed toward the denser crowd.
“More boring than I imagined.”
Bai Qianqian rested her cheek on her hand, leaning against the edge of the barrier.
Amid the lively battlefield, her side was dead calm.
Even the elders didn’t bother to look her way.
If Lin Xinyi were here, Bai Qianqian might have been more motivated to put on a show.
But right now, she couldn’t muster any interest.
Just then, she sensed a gaze.
Following the direction, she saw Murong Xue staring at her quietly.
“That person is so annoying. Why is she staring only at me…”
Annoyed, Bai Qianqian turned her head away.
On the spectator platform, the corner of Murong Xue’s mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible smile.
“Interesting. Not only did she not use a single trace of spiritual energy, but she also noticed my gaze just now…”
The free-for-all on the Celestial Altar didn’t feature any flashy techniques, but precisely because of that, watching the hundreds of fighters was even more addictive.
Hundreds of life-threatening physical techniques, mental battles of wits, mutual exploitation, backstabbing, and even cooperation—all on full display in this kind of battlefield.
“Brother, take this—Lightning Poison Dragon Drill!”
“Hey! You’re fighting dirty!”
“Don’t forget me! Front-facing Lightning Poison Dragon Drill!”
“Hey!!”
“This is our Passionate Combo Technique!!”
…
Another scream signaled another contestant’s elimination.
But the two who had just performed the Passionate Combo Technique immediately turned on each other.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
On the other side of the battlefield, Qu Siyao’s clothes were tattered, but her expression remained resolute.
Even though her jade hairpin had snapped in two, she stood tall, and no one dared to approach.
The cultivators who had tried to gang up on her earlier were now lying on the medical stretchers outside the barrier.
They had thought that even if they failed, they wouldn’t lose too badly.
But Qu Siyao, despite her delicate appearance, fought recklessly—trading wounds for wounds and taking out one opponent first, leaving everyone at a loss.
She had single-handedly eliminated more than half of the attackers.
Now standing in the center, she swept her icy gaze over the crowd.
Everyone else avoided her eyes.
Qu Siyao sneered and taunted.
“I’m not targeting anyone in particular. I’m saying everyone here is trash~”