“Very well. I agree.”
These words fell upon the ears of the Peak Masters below, leaving them all stunned.
Utterly astonished, they could not understand why the Sect Master had agreed so readily.
Their debate today was not because they doubted Ye Ling's talent, but because the gap between the Houtian and Xiantian Realms was an insurmountable chasm.
Those five geniuses had already stepped into the Xiantian Realm. Having undergone the cleansing of marrow and channels, their physical foundations far surpassed those of ordinary mortals.
On the other hand, Ye Ling's cultivation was still only at the Houtian Twelfth Layer, and she had yet to cross that Xiantian threshold.
Even though Ye Ling was an extraordinary talent—the second person in three hundred years to ascend nine thousand steps of the Heavenly Spirit Stairs—she was only fifteen years old.
The other five were all eighteen or nineteen. With their deeper cultivation foundations and absolute advantage in realm, Ye Ling would easily suffer a disadvantage or even get injured if they fought on the same stage. How could the Peak Masters not worry?
Seeing the worry written all over the faces of the Peak Masters below, Leng Zhiwei's lips curled up slightly as she chuckled.
“Do you truly believe I would act so recklessly, disregarding Ye Ling's safety?”
The Peak Masters quickly shook their heads in unison, not daring to question the Sect Master's decision.
Without any rush, Leng Zhiwei slowly explained her reasoning.
“I have my reasons for agreeing so readily to let the five of them participate.”
“Two months ago, Ye Ling had already cultivated the 《Qinglan Sword Canon》 to the Mastery realm, and she is now only a single step away from Great Perfection.”
“You all know that as our sect-guarding heritage, the 《Qinglan Sword Canon》 is the most difficult to cultivate among all Yellow-grade cultivation methods. It is incredibly obscure and extremely hard to progress in.”
“Precisely because of its transcendent grade, the spiritual energy condensed by the 《Qinglan Sword Canon》 at the Mastery realm is exceptionally dense, pure, and profound, far surpassing ordinary Yellow-grade peak-tier cultivation methods.”
She paused for a moment, then continued.
“Although those five Xiantian geniuses also cultivate Yellow-grade peak-tier martial arts, their quality simply cannot compare to our sect's orthodox sect-guarding cultivation method.”
“Furthermore, Ye Ling has long since comprehended half-step Sword Force and possesses numerous trump cards. She has absolutely no reason to fear peers at the early-stage Xiantian Realm.”
These words exploded like thunder in the hall. The Peak Masters froze on the spot, their faces filled with utter shock.
Historically, the 《Qinglan Sword Canon》 could only be practiced by the Sect Master's lineage. Its threshold was incredibly high, and it was extremely difficult to comprehend.
According to the sect's ancient records, Senior Su Qingyue, whose talent was peerless three hundred years ago, still took an entire year to cultivate this method to Great Perfection.
Yet Ye Ling had been in the sect for less than half a year, and she was already on the verge of reaching Great Perfection. She had even found the time to practice three Yellow-grade peak-tier martial arts to Great Perfection as well.
Such comprehension and speed were simply terrifying.
In that instant, the Peak Masters understood. During the entrance test for comprehension, Ye Ling must have deliberately hidden her abilities, not revealing even a fraction of her true comprehension.
Armed with the sect's top cultivation method at the Mastery realm, three Yellow-grade peak-tier martial arts at Great Perfection, and half-step Sword Force, Ye Ling still possessed plenty of capital to fight, even if her opponents were five Xiantian Realm geniuses.
“Therefore, this match will be fine. We can use this new disciple tournament to let the entire sect witness her true strength.”
“It will also teach those five arrogant Xiantian geniuses that there is always someone better, and there are always heavens beyond heavens among their peers.”
The Peak Masters bowed in unison, no longer harboring the slightest objection.
“The Sect Master is wise.”
...
In a serene courtyard on the First Sword Peak, three youths sat in a circle.
The youth in the white brocade robe spoke up, asking, “Sister Xueling, do you think the Peak Masters will succeed in requesting permission from the Sect Master?”
“Can we really make an exception and participate in the new disciple tournament?”
Another girl, dressed in pink, said softly, “It should be possible, right?”
“It's just that since we are already in the Xiantian Realm, joining a tournament meant for the Houtian Realm feels a bit like bullying the weak.”
The girl in blue sitting in the center slowly opened her eyes, her expression indifferent yet confident.
“What do you mean by bullying the weak? Ye Ling is a peerless genius who ascended nine thousand steps of the Heavenly Spirit Stairs, second only to Su Qingyue.”
“We should be glad that she comes from a small city, is still young, and has not yet broken through to the Xiantian Realm.”
“Right now, we still have the qualifications to fight her. Once she breaks through her realm and stands alongside us in the Xiantian Realm, we will never have another chance to exchange blows with her.”
“While she has yet to make that breakthrough, we must compete against her.”
“If we are fortunate enough to win, when she becomes world-famous in the future, we will also enjoy the reputation of having once defeated Ye Ling.”
Hearing this, the other two nodded slightly, finding her words quite reasonable.
Yet the girl in pink remained hesitant. “That makes sense, but Sister Xueling... are you sure that would actually be a good reputation?”
Leng Xueling also felt a slight headache and simply gave a helpless, self-deprecating smile.
“Sigh, whatever. Things have already reached this point; there is no turning back now.”
“Let's just focus on preparing for the battle. Although Ye Ling is still in the Houtian Realm, she is a peerless genius. Her combat strength cannot be measured by common sense.”
“If we, as Xiantian Realm cultivators, lose to her in the Houtian Realm, that would be the true disgrace.”
The three of them cast aside any trace of contempt, calming their minds and beginning to adjust their breathing to prepare for the battle.
All three of them were top geniuses who had emerged from Qingyun City, the capital of the Qingyun Kingdom. Born into the four great families, they possessed prominent backgrounds and exceptional talent.
The girl in blue in the center, Leng Xueling, was a direct-line genius of the Leng family—one of the four great families of Qingyun City. She possessed the highest comprehension and the most stable state of mind.
The youth in the white brocade robe, Wang Jingyuan, came from the Wang family of Qingyun City and possessed outstanding talent in movement techniques.
The girl in pink, Zhou Ruoyao, came from the Zhou family of Qingyun City. Her techniques were agile, and her foundation was solid. She had also broken through to the Xiantian Realm before turning twenty.
With their noble status and abundant resources, the three of them were among the most outstanding figures of this term's new disciples.
Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard on the Second Sword Peak, another two geniuses sat facing each other.
The girl in purple frowned slightly and asked softly.
“Brother Zhou Ming, is it really appropriate for you to unite with the geniuses of Qingyun City's four great families to propose to the Peak Masters that we make an exception to join the new disciple tournament?”
The youth in red sitting in front of her slowly turned his head. His gaze was steady, and his tone carried a hint of clarity and solemnity.
“It matters not. Leng Xueling and the other two share the exact same thoughts as me.”
“We all know in our hearts what kind of terrifying talent it represents to ascend nine thousand steps of the Heavenly Spirit Stairs.”
“Three hundred years ago, Senior Su Qingyue emerged out of nowhere, suppressing the entire era of the Qingyun Kingdom single-handedly.”
“She even reached the Wangzuo Realm a hundred years ago, becoming the first native-born Wangzuo Realm powerhouse in the history of our Qingyun Kingdom.”
“Even if Ye Ling lacks stamina in her future cultivation, her foundation and talent are simply incomparable to ordinary geniuses like us.”
“The world calls us peerless geniuses, but there is still a world of difference between one genius and another.”
The youth in red sighed softly and continued.
“We barely managed to step into the Xiantian Realm at nearly twenty years of age, which is already considered the peak of our generation.”
“Yet according to the rumors, Ye Ling is only fifteen years old, and her cultivation has already reached the Houtian Twelfth Layer.”
“With her terrifying talent, she will definitely break through to the Xiantian Realm before she turns sixteen.”
“Once she stands in the same realm as us, we will be completely crushed by her foundation, comprehension, and potential. We won't stand a single chance.”
“Only by taking advantage of the fact that she has not yet broken through to the Xiantian Realm do we have a slight, lucky chance of winning.”
After listening, the girl in purple nodded in deep agreement, the last trace of concern in her heart completely vanishing.
The youth in red was named Zhou Ming, and the girl in purple was named Su Wanqing.
The two did not come from the capital, Qingyun City, but rather from two other major cities in the Qingyun Kingdom. Their families had been on good terms for generations, and they were cousins.
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