Translator: CinderTL
Hua Gu sighed softly. "Xu Sanyan... what a formidable talent. He's only been the Holy Son for less than a month, yet he's already brought Crimson Dragon Mountain under his control. I heard he even broke through two realms recently, achieving Mid Stage Dao Seeking in one fell swoop. Such intellect and talent... truly remarkable."
As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Qinqin beside her, a hint of disappointment in her heart. Her own Holy Daughter hadn't even broken through to the Dao Seeking Realm yet, still stuck at Foundation Establishment Perfection.
Jiang Qinqin lowered her head, feeling a familiar frustration. She knew she was close to a breakthrough, but it always felt just out of reach. It was like constipation—she could feel the urge, but every time she dropped her pants, the feeling vanished, leaving her utterly exasperated.
"The inner sect disciple grand competition... is indeed a good idea for boosting prestige," Hua Gu acknowledged, but she had no intention of adopting it. As the ruler of Joyous Harmony Mountain, she didn't need to enhance her authority.
Hua Gu turned to Jiang Qinqin. "Do you remember what He Yu said after the Holy Son Competition ended? That he had something important to discuss?"
Jiang Qinqin nodded. "I do, Master."
"Good. You have ten days. Do your best to break through to the Dao Seeking Realm within that time."
Jiang Qinqin looked puzzled. "Master, may I ask what this matter is?"
Hua Gu shook her head, offering no further explanation. "You'll find out when the time comes."
Jiang Qinqin sighed inwardly. No matter what, her position in Hua Gu's heart would never surpass Mengdie's, even though Mengdie was dead...
In a spacious mansion on Harmonious Heart Mountain, Qi Liang sat quietly in his study, reviewing the various letters he had gathered. Most of them had been sent up from the mountain's base.
Among the newly appointed five Holy Sons, Qi Liang was the most frustrated. Even Jiang Qinqin was in a better position. This was simply because he still had a senior Holy Son above him—the sole survivor of the previous generation, who also happened to be his elder brother, Qi Yuanzhu.
Qi Yuanzhu held nearly all the power on Harmonious Heart Mountain. Qi Liang found it difficult to intervene directly, so he had to seek opportunities outside the sect.
"Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye," Qi Liang murmured softly. "I wonder what treasures the Hundred Saints Secret Realm will reveal this time..."
When the secret realm had opened during the previous cycle, he had been just a child. This time, he would likely participate himself. Though risky, it was also an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss. He was determined to seize it.
He already knew about the matter Venerable He Yu had mentioned.
Xu Sanyan sat in the courtyard, holding a book in his hands and reading by the bright moonlight.
The book contained only information about the customs, geography, and sects of the Central Region. He even found the Vast Origin Sect mentioned.
Lately, he had been cramming knowledge about the cultivation world, from the details of various sects to the Sect Leaders, elders, and outstanding disciples of each. He had also taken the time to learn about pills, magical artifacts, and minerals.
Just then, Xiang Tan returned, followed by Yun Chang. "Senior Brother, I've brought her."
"Disciple Yun Chang greets the Holy Son."
Yun Chang's expression was calm, but a hint of excitement flickered in her eyes. She had already guessed why she had been summoned here so late at night.
In the Demonic Sect, there were no naive white lotuses. Moreover, though Yun Chang appeared young, she was actually in her thirties. She understood more than she let on.
"Mm, you may leave now," Xu Sanyan said, glancing at Xiang Tan.
"Yes."
Xiang Tan turned and left, a touch of loneliness in her eyes. She couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. It truly was a case of the new surpassing the old...
"Holy Son, why have you summoned this disciple?" Yun Chang asked, fearing she had misunderstood.
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. "Xiang Tan didn't tell you?"
How was he supposed to bring this up?
After a moment's thought, he spoke slowly. "Want to... go out?"
"Um...?"
Yun Chang was puzzled. What did he mean?
Go out?
The phrase sounded strange, vaguely suggestive yet not entirely so.
"Come over here and massage my shoulders," Xu Sanyan said, his head still buried in his book.
"...Yes."
Yun Chang planted her great spear in the ground and silently stood behind him, kneading his shoulders and back to relieve his tension.
Time passed slowly. A dark cloud drifted across the sky, obscuring the bright moonlight and plunging the earth into twilight. But this didn't faze Xu Sanyan, who continued reading.
A cool breeze rustled the pages of his book, making it difficult for him to concentrate. He reached back, grasped Yun Chang's slender fingers resting on his shoulder, and pulled her into his embrace. His gaze remained calm as he looked at her.
Yun Chang's face flushed crimson. She unconsciously bit her lip, closed her eyes, and turned her head away, deeply embarrassed.
"It's getting cold..."
"Mmm..."
"I'll take you inside to warm up."
"Mmm..."
Three days later, the inner sect disciple grand competition commenced as scheduled, still presided over by Xu Sanyan.
With only a few hundred inner sect disciples, Xu Sanyan planned to conclude the competition within five days.
"The first inner sect disciple grand competition begins now!" Xu Sanyan announced loudly.
Everyone took the stage in accordance with their pre-drawn lottery order.
The battles among inner sect disciples were far more spectacular than those of the Outer Sect Disciples. A dazzling array of mystical arts filled the arena, culminating in the formation of Dao Bodies, resembling a chaotic battle between demons.
Xu Sanyan sat regally on the platform, flanked by Xiang Tan, Chu Yuan, Lin Fan, Yun Chang, and other disciples, with the elders still positioned on either side.
Notably, Qin Manyang's seat had been moved from the far edge to beside Liu Tang.
After watching for a while, Xu Sanyan grew bored. To be honest, the Foundation Establishment Stage battles no longer held his interest. He pulled a booklet from his storage pouch and began flipping through it.
The cover of the booklet bore the bold title:
Soaring Void Wind-Riding Technique
This was the aerial technique he had chosen from the scripture hall. It allowed one to sense the Wind Spirit of the heavens and earth, harnessing its power to move with minimal Spiritual Power expenditure. At its deepest level, one could walk on air at all times, never needing to worry about insufficient Spiritual Power.
However, this cultivation method is incredibly difficult. The first and most challenging aspect lies in the word "perception."
The Wind Spirit is formless and ethereal, existing only in the void. It cannot be seen with the naked eye, nor sensed with the divine soul. It can only be touched through "intent."
But human "intent" is fleeting and elusive. No one can completely control their own "intent."
"Intent" is the Heart Thought of every individual. For example, upon seeing a treasure, one might immediately desire to possess it. Upon seeing a beautiful woman, the mind might involuntarily wander to thoughts of...
This is inherent in human nature. Some individuals adhere to their inner moral boundaries, these are considered righteous cultivators. Others choose to indulge their desires without restraint, and these become practitioners of the demonic path.
All of this is merely the external manifestation of "intent."
This mystical art requires one to control their own "intent" to perceive the ethereal Wind Spirit, manipulate it, and harness its power for their own use. This is only the first challenge.
The second challenge lies in controlling the quantity of Wind Spirit.
The more Wind Spirit one can control, the more proficient they become in the art. Their flight speed naturally increases, and their Spiritual Power consumption decreases.
However, if one fails to control the Wind Spirit, they can still use this art to fly through the air by circulating their Spiritual Power. But the Spiritual Power consumption is excessive, making it less efficient than even the most basic levitation technique. This would be a net loss.
(End of the Chapter)
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