Chapter 52 - 22: A Thousand Peaks Rise, A Hundred Currents Vie

Chapter 52: Chapter 22: A Thousand Peaks Rise, A Hundred Currents Vie

Jiang Xuan paid no attention to what followed, nor was he in the mood to care.

Once his ’Excellent’ rating was confirmed and he learned that rewards would be distributed that evening, an elated Jiang Xuan turned and headed back to his seat.

However, he had only made it halfway when Dong Hao came over to greet him, enthusiastically pulling him over to his own seat.

Dong Hao was just as enthusiastic toward Jiang Xuan as before, but this time, there were no longer any murmurs in the crowd mocking him for demeaning his status.

The gazes of the other young disciples from Noble Families were now filled with nothing but envy and jealousy.

’Damn it. How could he be the one to get so lucky?’

’Whew... It’s fine. Jiang Xuan only advanced on the final day. The gap between his Talent and a ’Good’ rating can’t be that large.’ The speaker’s knuckles were white, and it was obvious that even he knew he was only deceiving himself.

Being rated ’Excellent’ meant one thing: Jiang Xuan would also gain access to the Chengdao Class’s resources, personal guidance from the lecturers, and other benefits—all at the highest level.

With so many advantages, the initial difference between Jiang Xuan and his ’Good’-rated classmates might have been minuscule. But as resource allocation became lopsided, the gulf in their strength would only grow wider and wider.

This was why Lecturer Song Zhou had said, "The Great Dao must be fought for." It was also the fundamental reason why every Noble Family’s Descendant fought tooth and nail to enter the Inner Sect during the Hundred-Day Exam. On the path of Cultivation, if you fall one step behind, you will continue to fall further behind. Trying to catch up would cost ten, or even a hundred times the effort.

"Brother Jiang, please, sit! Have some tea! Haha, I knew it! Brother Jiang, your Talent is unmatched among your peers..."

Dong Hao guided Jiang Xuan into a seat, his mouth full of praise. His words were so effusive that even Jiang Xuan, his confidence newly bolstered, felt a little embarrassed.

"Cough, cough. Brother Dong, you flatter me. Your previous help with resources was indispensable for me to achieve an ’Excellent’ rating."

This wasn’t mere pleasantry; Jiang Xuan spoke from the heart.

Although the Unity of Man and Sword he achieved with his Three Purification Spell and the Cyan Glaze Sword had caused his Spiritual Qi Refinement efficiency to skyrocket, a lack of resources had always been his greatest weakness. If not for the continuous supply of Spiritual Cuisine and Elixir Pills from Dong Hao filling that deficit, his Cultivation speed would have been cut by at least fifty, or even seventy, percent.

The memory of being so weak he could barely stand just two or three days ago, a result of overexerting his vital energy, was still fresh in his mind. It was precisely because of this heavy debt of gratitude that he couldn’t refuse Dong Hao’s invitation.

Obviously, Dong Hao knew this as well. But he was a smooth operator and wanted something from Jiang Xuan, so he naturally wouldn’t bring up the favor.

"No, no, no, Brother Jiang, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. Even with endless resources, it’s all a waste without the corresponding Talent and constitution to match. Look at those Noble Family’s Descendants over there. There are plenty of them, and they’ve never lacked for resources, yet the vast majority of them are nowhere near your level now, Brother Jiang."

"Besides, there’s something else I have to thank you for, Brother Jiang." As he said this, he finally shifted his gaze to Zeng Jun, who was standing to the side.

Like Su Linyin, Zeng Jun had lost all of his former leisurely confidence, his face now a livid mask. His knuckles were clenched tight, especially when he met Dong Hao’s mocking gaze, and his lips were drained of all color. He looked utterly wretched and dejected.

But for as humble and enthusiastic as Dong Hao was with Jiang Xuan, he was equally merciless with his rival. He showed no pity now. Instead, he grinned cheekily at Zeng Jun and said, "Brother Zeng, why don’t you tell me now? Between the two of us, who has the better eye for talent?"

CRACK!

The casual question made Zeng Jun grind his molars so hard they almost shattered.

But Dong Hao clearly had no intention of letting him off the hook.

"Oh, that’s right. One more thing. Brother Zeng, Brother Guo, don’t you two forget, you still owe me three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones. To be paid within three days. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

CLATTER—

At those words demanding payment, Guo Shaoshang shot to his feet with a WHOOSH.

He shot up so quickly and suddenly that he knocked some things over, scattering them around him.

But he couldn’t be bothered with that now. His face was deathly pale and his body wouldn’t stop trembling as he stammered in a panic, "That... that was a joke! The Sect..."

From his words and his demeanor, it was obvious that the amount of Spirit Stones from the bet was a huge sum for him.

Beside him, Zeng Jun’s expression was as dark as a deep pool.

However, despite grinding his teeth hard enough to shatter them, he ultimately didn’t try to weasel out of the debt like Guo Shaoshang.

"No problem. In three days, you’ll have it."

Over three hundred Spirit Stones would be a fortune to Jiang Xuan. Even Dong Hao couldn’t produce such a sum easily. But for the Zeng Family and the Dong Family, it was nothing.

And while the Shenxiao Sect abided by the philosophy that "the Great Dao must be fought for," it was undeniably a Renowned and Righteous Sect.

Therefore, the Cultivation Families within the Shenxiao Sect had to uphold not only their strength, but also their reputation and integrity.

In a Major Sect like this, a good reputation was always an intangible asset.

This was precisely why Dong Hao had never worried about Zeng Jun reneging on the bet, even without a written agreement. He was certain that Zeng Jun would never sacrifice his entire family’s reputation over such a small number of Spirit Stones.

A mere three hundred-odd Spirit Stones wasn’t enough to make them sacrifice their family’s reputation.

The reason for Zeng Jun’s grim expression in this situation was the principle of "the family is the family, but he is he." He had to compensate for several hundred Spirit Stones due to his own mistake, and on top of that, he had "lost" to Dong Hao, someone his own age. In the eyes of his family’s Elders, this made him a complete and utter failure.