Bai Qingxue was unaware on the day the sect’s notice was posted.
It wasn't until she returned from the cold pond that she saw a circle of people gathered around the entrance of the Affairs Hall from a distance, with the sounds of intermittent discussion drifting over from within.
“The New Disciple Grand Competition... for those who have been in the sect for a full year...”
“Senior Sister Bai is at the seventh level of Qi Refining? For real? It’s only been a year...”
“I saw it by the cold pond when she broke through. The entire surface of the pond froze, and snow fell for ages. I’ve been on Xueji Peak for so many years and I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“Then isn't she a shoo-in for first place in this competition?”
A nearby disciple picked up the conversation. “Not necessarily. I heard there’s someone named Shen Moyuan from Tianshu Peak who joined at the same time. He’s already at the sixth level of Qi Refining and his sword techniques are incredible. And then there’s that person from Chixia Peak...”
The speaker was interrupted before they could finish.
“There’s a massive watershed between the sixth and seventh levels of Qi Refining. How can they even compare?”
“Exactly. Senior Sister Bai possesses an Ice Heavenly Spiritual Root.”
“Don’t forget, she’s only been here for a year. Reaching the seventh level in a single year... let alone Xueji Peak, even in the entire Xuantian Sect, there hasn't been anyone like that in the last decade.”
“So, the top spot in this competition basically belongs to our Xueji Peak’s Senior Sister Bai?”
Once this was said, surprisingly, no one refuted it.
The disciples exchanged glances, as if they felt the matter didn't even need discussion.
Bai Qingxue didn't stop her pace, walking past the outer edge of the crowd. She heard the discussions but her expression remained unchanged.
Returning to her courtyard, Bai Qingxue changed into a dry Daoist robe and went to the main hall.
A burner of sandalwood was lit in the hall, with curls of blue smoke rising from it.
Liu Ningshuang sat at her desk with a notice placed before her. She looked up as Bai Qingxue entered.
“The New Disciple Grand Competition is in one month. You should participate.”
“Understood,” Bai Qingxue nodded. “Who are the opponents?”
“Disciples from each peak who have been in the sect for at least one year but less than two. Tianshu, Chixia, Qingyun, and our Xueji Peak—all four peaks will compete on the same stage.”
Bai Qingxue thought for a moment. “What is the highest cultivation level among them?”
“The same as yours, the seventh level of Qi Refining.” Liu Ningshuang glanced at her. “But you need not worry. With your current foundation and Ice Spirit power, there are not many who can defeat you among those of the same rank.”
Bai Qingxue nodded, not immediately responding.
She lowered her eyes, turning those words over in her mind. Her opponents were the new disciples of each peak, the highest cultivation was the seventh level of Qi Refining, and there weren't many who could beat her in the same rank. This meant she had a chance. Since she had a chance, what could she gain from winning?
Bai Qingxue didn't ask aloud, but Liu Ningshuang seemed to read her thoughts.
“There are rewards,” Liu Ningshuang said flatly, setting down her bamboo slips.
“The top three will receive pills, artifacts, and spirit stones, distributed according to rank. In previous years, the rewards for the top three were enough to cover an ordinary disciple’s cultivation expenses for a year.”
Bai Qingxue looked up. “Does first place get more?”
Liu Ningshuang looked at her, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. It was an extremely faint curve, not quite a smile, but it wasn't nothing either.
“Naturally.”
Bai Qingxue nodded and didn't press further.
After all, she knew what she needed to know; asking more would be useless.
Liu Ningshuang held her teacup, her gaze falling on the tea. “You should remember that the competition isn't just about cultivation. Spells and adaptability are both indispensable. During this month, do not focus solely on tempering your spiritual power; you should also review your spells.”
Bai Qingxue was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. “This disciple understands.”
Liu Ningshuang took a sip of her tea and said no more.
Taking the hint, Bai Qingxue performed a salutation and withdrew from the main hall.
News of the grand competition spread quickly.
That same afternoon, Ye Qingyao saw the same notice at the entrance of the Mission Hall on Qingyun Peak. Standing before the bulletin board, she read those lines twice, her heart suddenly racing.
The New Disciple Grand Competition.
Entry of at least one year.
Ye Qingyao stood before the bulletin board, reading those lines over and over.
She qualified, and Sister Bai qualified too.
Ye Qingyao had a premonition that Sister Bai would definitely go.
So she wanted to go too. Not to win, but to stand on the same stage as Sister Bai.
Even if it was just to catch a glimpse from afar, she wanted to go.
With that thought, Ye Qingyao walked to the registration desk.
“I want to sign up.”
The deacon looked up at her, appearing somewhat surprised, but didn't ask many questions and recorded her name in the ledger.
When Ye Qingyao walked out of the Mission Hall, the sunlight made her squint. Lin Xiaoxi chased after her from behind, grabbing her sleeve.
“You really signed up? You’re only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and the other peaks have cultivators at the fifth and sixth levels. Can you even win against them?”
Ye Qingyao didn't look back as she pulled her sleeve from the other girl's grip, answering firmly.
“I want to go.”
Lin Xiaoxi watched her back and didn't press further. She suddenly felt that something was different about this usually soft and sweet junior sister.
...
On Xueji Peak, Lu Xueqing was also in the main hall.
However, she certainly wasn't there to sign up; after all, she had already been in the sect for three years and naturally didn't meet the criteria.
She was there to turn in a mission.
After completing her business, she didn't leave, standing before the desk and looking at Liu Ningshuang.
“Elder, did Junior Sister Bai sign up?”
Liu Ningshuang looked up at her. “She did.”
Lu Xueqing hesitated for a moment before asking, “Did she... say what rank she wants to achieve?”
Liu Ningshuang picked up her teacup and didn't answer directly, instead asking, “You are quite concerned?”
Lu Xueqing gave a sheepish smile and didn't ask further, withdrawing from the main hall after a salutation.
The stone steps were long, and the wind poured down from the peak. When Lu Xueqing reached the entrance of her own courtyard, the gate to the neighboring courtyard was closed, and she couldn't see the person inside.
Lu Xueqing stood for a moment, and after thinking for a long time, she still didn't knock, turning to enter her own courtyard instead.
Inside her courtyard, Bai Qingxue stood beneath the old plum tree. Twilight was creeping in, leaving only a final streak of dark red on the horizon.
The buds on the withered branches had cracked open, revealing tender green tips.
She raised her right hand, her thoughts shifting.
Coldness overflowed from her palm, condensing into an ice crystal. It was hexagonal, thin as a cicada's wing, and suspended at her fingertip, rotating slowly.
After reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining, her Ice Spirit power had undergone a qualitative change. Now, she no longer needed to deliberately guide the power; she could make the cold take shape according to her will.
Bai Qingxue shifted her thoughts again, and the cold overflowing from her palm condensed into a snowflake.
The snowflake spun rapidly in her palm, instantly shattering into countless tiny ice crystals that scattered into the twilight like a miniature snowfall.
Then, they covered the entire courtyard.
It was as if frost and brilliance filled the heavens.
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