As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent.
Leng Zhiwei had originally prepared to offer even more incentives. After all, a genius like Ye Ling was bound to have a steady temperament and would not agree so easily.
She had not expected the girl to be so straightforward, nodding directly without the slightest hesitation. After her initial surprise, a wave of immense joy surged in her heart; it was a truly pleasant surprise.
Suppressing her excitement, she turned to look at the three pale, dejected elders from the other sects. Speaking with a calm and composed demeanor, she gave their sects a graceful way out.
“With our Qinglan Sword Sect securing such a fine talent in this Heishui Commandery selection, we have already harvested plenty,” she said.
“For the subsequent disciple selection, any with outstanding aptitude will be prioritized for your three sects to choose from. Our Qinglan Sword Sect will simply take whoever is left at the end.”
She knew when to stop. Monopolizing a once-in-a-millennium top genius like Ye Ling was already an immense gain.
Yielding a few resources and leaving some crumbs for the other sects was a good way to maintain the balance among the four major sects.
However, when the three elders from the Burning Heaven Martial Academy, Xuanling Valley, and Jingshui Yaotai heard this, they could only nod stiffly in agreement. The circumstances were stronger than they were; they simply did not have the right to refuse.
The top-tier genius had already been pocketed by the Qinglan Sword Sect, leaving only disciples with first-rate, second-rate, and third-rate aptitudes for them to choose from. It was better than nothing, but barely.
The three of them cursed wildly in their hearts. How could picking up someone else's leftovers compare to a peerless genius who had already touched the threshold of a half-step Sword Force?
Yet, even though their hearts were filled with frustration, unwillingness, and regret, they could only swallow it down, not daring to show even a hint of it on their faces.
Just as the atmosphere settled and everyone thought the most spectacular moment of this selection had already concluded, a series of startled exclamations suddenly erupted from the edge of the trial square.
“Look! Over there by Ye Chen! He's about to step onto the nine-thousandth step!”
An uproar broke out, instantly drawing everyone's eyes back to the towering Heavenly Spirit Stairs that pierced the clouds.
Everyone looked up in unison, only to see a figure standing on the 8,999th step of the stairs.
Although Ye Chen looked somewhat disheveled, his clothes stained with dust and his aura fluctuating unevenly in a state far from perfect, his gaze remained incredibly firm.
In the next instant, he took a firm step forward with his right foot, half-stepping onto the nine-thousandth step.
The entire crowd fell into an uproar once more, and excited chatter erupted all around.
Beside them, the three elders from the other sects, whose faces had been ashen and hearts filled with frustration, suddenly underwent a drastic change in expression. A surge of wild ecstasy instantly erupted in their eyes.
Who could have thought that this term of the Heishui Commandery selection would actually produce two peerless geniuses who climbed nine thousand steps at the same time.
Earlier, Ye Ling had already been taken by the Qinglan Sword Sect, leaving absolutely no possibility of competing for her.
Furthermore, Leng Zhiwei had just personally promised that the Qinglan Sword Sect would give up the subsequent selection of outstanding disciples, allowing the three sects to prioritize choosing from the remaining talents.
In other words, this Ye Chen, who had also set foot on the nine-thousandth step, was now left for only their three sects to fight over.
With a top-tier genius appearing out of thin air, their chances of turning the tables skyrocketed. The gloom in the three elders' eyes vanished instantly, and they grew so excited that their bodies burned with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Leng Zhiwei, who had just breathed a sigh of relief and was filled with joy, could not help but freeze slightly.
On one hand, she had just generously yielded and declared she would not compete for the remaining disciples; on the other hand, a second genius of the nine-thousandth step had immediately emerged.
She fixed her gaze on the top of the stairs, carefully studying Ye Chen. Seeing the sword hanging straight at his waist and his condensed aura, he was clearly a sword cultivator as well.
For a brief second, a trace of faint regret flickered in Leng Zhiwei's heart.
Had she known just a moment earlier, she could have easily pocketed this youth as well, adding yet another top-tier genius to her sect.
But when her gaze shifted back to Ye Ling beside her—slender, elegant, and harboring a half-step Sword Force—that tiny shred of regret vanished instantly.
Forget it. She had already obtained Ye Ling, a supreme talent unseen in a thousand years who would be more than capable of supporting the entire sect on her own in the future.
With Ye Ling here, a mere Ye Chen was optional. The Qinglan Sword Sect no longer had any need to fight over other geniuses.
Leng Zhiwei suppressed the slight ripples in her heart. She walked slowly to Ye Ling's side and asked in a soft, gentle voice, completely devoid of her usual authority as a sect master.
“Would you like to set off with me to return to the Qinglan Sword Sect right now, or stay here for a while to watch the rest of the selection?”
At this moment, Ye Ling's gaze was locked tightly on Ye Chen atop the Heavenly Spirit Stairs. With a hint of playful interest in her eyes, she answered directly without even turning her head.
“I will watch Ye Chen finish his selection first. Once it's over, I would like to return home first before following you to the sect.”
She mused silently, recalling her previous encounter with the senior item spirit. Earlier, the senior item spirit had teased her for being a quiet, boring person, only speaking with her for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before sending her out with a laugh. Now, she was quite curious to see how long Ye Chen could chat with him.
Hearing this, Leng Zhiwei nodded and readily agreed, her tone warm and considerate.
“Very well. Once you are done watching, I will personally escort you home.”
The name “Ye Chen” spoken by Ye Ling also caused a faint trace of doubt to cross Leng Zhiwei's mind.
Both of them shared the surname Ye, and they had climbed the nine-thousand-step stairs one after another. This seemed a bit too coincidental.
But on second thought, the Qingyun Kingdom possessed a vast territory, and there were countless people with the same surname. It was highly likely just a coincidence.
For a single family to produce two peerless geniuses capable of stepping onto the nine-thousandth step in succession was a once-in-a-million-years occurrence. It was simply impossible.
She did not dwell on it any further, quickly tossing the doubt to the back of her mind. She quietly stood beside Ye Ling, watching Ye Chen on the stairs.
A full hour passed. Ye Chen exhausted both his physical strength and mental energy before finally, with great difficulty, placing his foot down on the nine-thousandth step.
The square instantly erupted into a mountain-shaking roar of cheers and endless discussions. Everyone was incredibly excited; the grand scale of this sect selection was truly a once-in-a-millennium event.
With two peerless geniuses stepping onto the nine-thousandth step at the same time, they would have plenty of boasting material to talk about for years to come.
While the surroundings boiled with noise, Ye Ling's expression remained calm as she chuckled inwardly.
It had taken him a full hour just to reach the top. It seemed Ye Chen was indeed much more talkative than her.
She watched as Ye Chen began to walk down from the high steps of the stairs, then turned to look at Leng Zhiwei and spoke calmly.
“Sect Master, I have seen all I wanted to see. Let us head home now.”
Leng Zhiwei nodded gently. She turned to look at the Qinglan Sword Sect elder beside her and gave instructions with the unique majesty of a sect master.
“Little Yue'er, I will take Ye Ling back to her home first, and then we will return straight to the sect.”
“You will remain here to handle all the subsequent selection affairs. Remember, do not compete with the other three sects for Ye Chen.”
“The best genius of this selection has already joined our Qinglan Sword Sect. There is no need to entangle ourselves further.”
Upon hearing this, the Qinglan Sword Sect elder could not help but curl her lips in secret, though she still respectfully cupped her hands to accept the order.
With her instructions given, Leng Zhiwei said no more. She lightly flicked her sleeves, taking Ye Ling along as they soared into the air.
Their figures sliced through the air currents, speeding directly in the direction of the Ye family in Baiyun City.
By the time Little Yue'er looked up, Leng Zhiwei had already flown far away with Ye Ling.
She immediately grumbled in her heart, Smelly Auntie!
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