Qingfeng!
Chen Pingping looked at her and said, "Tell me, where did you go wrong?"
Guang Xiaoyu felt very aggrieved. Wasn't she sent to make contact? She went, and she did make contact! Moreover, she had achieved astounding results, defeating the young genius of Jiuli Peak and even scaring off Mo Wuwei from Wanjian Peak, definitely bringing glory to Qingfeng! How could that be wrong? Could it be?
Guang Xiaoyu lifted her eyelids and said, "I should have directly finished off Zhuge Wushuang, to eliminate a strong enemy for the Newcomers Contest."
Chen Pingping's face darkened. "I asked you to go make a few friends so that you wouldn't have to walk the path of cultivation alone, and what did you do? You ended up fighting Zhuge Wushuang and even wanted to kill him? What were you thinking?"
Guang Xiaoyu: "..."
She really hadn't expected this to be the case. Wasn't she supposed to show off her prowess?
"Life is very long for us cultivators. It's quite normal for us to live for several hundred years. So, you see, you need to make more friends, understand?" Chen Pingping said earnestly.
With friends, she would have bonds, which might give her pause when it came time to exhibit the powers of a demon cultivator. That was his intention. But he never expected Guang Xiaoyu to knock down Zhuge Wushuang right away and even scare off Mo Wuwei. Look at this, is this something a human should do?
"You can't blame me!" Guang Xiaoyu retorted. "That Zhuge Wushuang came up wanting to challenge Senior Brother, even calling you by your full name! And when he walked towards me, he showed no intention of stopping, so I just..."
"So you just slapped him across the face, then rushed over to give him a few more slaps?" Chen Pingping looked at her, beginning to realize something was amiss.
Isn't she at the Third Heaven of Breaking Sun? How could she defeat a Different Body at the Fifth Heaven of Breaking Sun? Could it be the power of a demon cultivator?
Guang Xiaoyu retorted again, "You can't blame me for that either. If you had been there at the time and seen his smug face, Senior Brother, you definitely wouldn't have been able to resist either."
"Nonsense."
"Senior Brother, don't be mad. What's done is done. Besides, I did it for the good of Qingfeng! Otherwise, they might think Qingfeng is easy to bully!" Guang Xiaoyu looked at him with pitiful eyes.
She was quite moved in her heart. Senior Brother wanted her to interact with the Three Peaks, just to make a few friends and avoid being isolated by her peers. WHIMPER! That hateful Senior Brother, despite being just a mortal, still cared about her so much. Up in the Nine Heavens, no one treated me like this. EH!
Chen Pingping sighed lightly. "I'm not blaming you for taking action, but sometimes you need to consider the situation!"
He understood a youngster's competitive spirit and the significance of her standing up for Qingfeng. It all stemmed from 'unresolved feelings.' But you are a demon cultivator! How could you act so rashly? What if you were exposed? If someone truly bullied you, as your Senior Brother, I would definitely not let them off the hook.
"Senior Brother, I have a question." Guang Xiaoyu quickly changed the subject. "Was the 'One Qi Turns into Three Clarities' cultivation technique really given by our master?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"This cultivation technique is a bit different from those of this world," she said earnestly.
"What's different about it?"
"The innate Taoist charm," Guang Xiaoyu spoke solemnly.
As she practiced the technique, she could clearly sense every inch of this world: the breeze, the sunlight, the dust. It even seemed to slow down Zhuge Wushuang's movements. If this had been in the Nine Heavens, she would have suspected that her master was from the Divine Clan.
Chen Pingping looked at her. "How do you know?"
A young cultivator knows this?
AHEM!
Guang Xiaoyu smiled sheepishly. "I read it in a book."
「In the depths.」
Baili Jiansan spoke gravely, "Chen, if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to share them with me, understand?"
Chen Pingping was puzzled.
He continued, "We are a respectable and orthodox major Sect. We must not tarnish the entire Sect's reputation, or even Guang Xiaoyu's life, just for a ranking... It cannot be denied that her talent is somewhat lacking, but there have always been late bloomers throughout history!"
Chen Pingping understood. It must have been Guang Xiaoyu's defeat of Zhuge Wushuang that had irked the Jiulifeng Peak Lord, so he had come to secretly snitch, slandering her in various ways. How could someone of poor talent enter the Breaking Sun so quickly? How could a Third Heaven of Breaking Sun defeat a Different Body at the Fifth Heaven of Breaking Sun? What kind of joke is that?
The Jiulifeng Peak Lord said angrily, "It's definitely impossible with normal cultivation. That Guang Xiaoyu must have practiced Forbidden Skills."
Chen Pingping spoke up, "Qingfeng has accumulated so many cultivation resources over the years, resources I've never needed to use. Now that Xiaoyu has arrived, does the Headmaster think... she doesn't deserve these cultivation resources?"
Baili Jiansan paused, startled.
"The Headmaster need not worry. I know more about Xiaoyu's cultivation than anyone. She has not taken any wrongful path, nor has she practiced any messy cultivation techniques," said Chen Pingping.
"That's good!" Baili Jiansan smiled. "Xiaoyu's cultivation is very important, but... you should also take your own cultivation a bit more seriously."
"Thank you for your concern, Headmaster," he nodded in acknowledgment.
The more she practiced One Qi Turns into Three Clarities, the more powerful Guang Xiaoyu found this cultivation method to be. But she was wholeheartedly pursuing the Demon Tao. She intended to rebuild all the Demon Tao techniques, cultivate the Supreme Demon Tao, and then fight her way back to the Nine Heavens.
Time passed, and the date of the Newcomers Contest was fast approaching.
Guang Xiaoyu's realm remained stable at the Fifth Heaven of Breaking Sun. She would not cultivate further for a short time, choosing instead to consolidate her realm for the upcoming battles.
At this time, news of Zhuge Wushuang's breakthrough on Jiuli Peak spread. His successful entry into the Eighth Heaven of Breaking Sun caused a stir among the Disciples of that peak, as they praised, "Senior Brother is awesome!"
On another front, Mo Wuwei of Wanjian Peak had also made a breakthrough.
Wu Qi of Snow Storm Peak, however, was still in seclusion. But the master of Ice and Snow Peak was calm. "The talents under my command are like dragons lying in wait; when they finally rise, they will shake the world."
The Wanjian Peak Master laughed. "It looks like Junior Brother has really gone all out!"
HEH HEH! The master of Ice and Snow Peak glanced sideways and thought, As if you're so innocent. Could Mo Wuwei have made such a rapid advancement to the Eighth Heaven of Breaking Sun without a massive accumulation of resources?
The Jiulifeng Peak Lord smiled. "You two Junior Brothers seem so sure of yourselves. It seems that this time, the top ten spots in the Newcomers Contest will be swept up by your Disciples."
"Senior Brother is joking," the Wanjian Peak Master said. "Zhuge Wushuang is a formidable Different Body and has also been guided by Senior Brother. Although he is only at the Eighth Heaven of Breaking Sun, due to his movement technique, Zhuge Wushuang would not fear even a Condensed Soul Realm expert here."
"Yes! Yes!" the master of Ice and Snow Peak agreed.
"You two Junior Brothers jest..."
Below, Chen Pingping secretly rolled his eyes. This is a clear case of mutual business flattery!
Baili Jiansan spoke up, "Alright, alright, the Newcomers Contest is almost upon us. As per tradition, we should now establish some rules to avoid confusion during the event."
"Sect Leader," the Wanjian Peak Master suggested, "I think the weapon grade should be increased. Raised to the third tier."
In past Newcomers Contests, the weapon restriction was at most second-tier arms.
Firstly, as they were new Disciples with lower realms and insufficient cultivation, second-tier weapons were enough for them to demonstrate their skills without causing any uncontrollable situations. Secondly, third-tier weapons could be greatly variable in power, and using them would undoubtedly involve huge consumption, which could be fatal for the participating new Disciples. Thirdly, the difference between first and second-tier weapons wasn't significant, and nearly all new Disciples could harness them, creating a very fair situation.
But third-tier weapons were different. First and second-tier were considered standard arms; crossing into the third tier marked a watershed. This grade of weapon contained spirit and divine aspects, requiring their recognition; otherwise, even if you were given such a weapon, you couldn't wield it.
And among the new Disciples, how many could gain the recognition of a third-tier weapon?
The suggestion by the Wanjian Peak Master was outrageous—a blatant act of favoritism and corruption. Because Wanjian Peak's talent, Mo Wuwei, had recently gained the recognition of a third-tier weapon. If this weapon appeared in the Newcomers Contest, was there even a need to fight?
"I agree!" laughed the master of Ice and Snow Peak.
"I also agree," the Jiulifeng Peak Lord spoke.
Baili Jiansan, who had been about to rebut the proposal, was suddenly at a loss for words.
If he wasn't mistaken, Disciples from all three peaks had gained the recognition of a third-tier weapon, which is why they agreed to such an absurd proposal. Alas! Do you really want to merge Qingfeng that much? If Little Junior Sister were here, would you dare to say these things?
Baili Jiansan looked towards Chen Pingping, ready to ask for his opinion. As long as he objected, as long as he disagreed, even if all three peaks concurred, Baili Jiansan would suppress the proposal.
However...
Chen Pingping smiled. "Since all the esteemed Uncles have agreed, Qingfeng has no choice but to agree as well." He paused, then added, "However, I also have a suggestion. Can we bring pets to the contest?"