NOVGO.NET Chapter 223 - 223
Chapter 223: The Immortal Realm's Supreme Prodigy Competition
After Immortal Emperor Li Fan departed, just as everyone thought no one more formidable could possibly arrive, the entire sky above the Primordial Sect turned a blazing crimson.
An Immortal Venerable spotted something and spoke up in shock.
"Look--it's a Vermilion Bird!"
"What? The Vermilion Bird Race has come too?"
"Just who on earth is this Lu Xiaoyao? Even the Vermilion Bird Race is here!"
If Immortal Emperor Li Fan's visit had represented an individual, then the Vermilion Bird Race's arrival signified that even the Ten Great Races held Lu Xiaoyao in the highest regard.
At that moment, Zhu Qingyan descended from the sky.
The instant everyone laid eyes on Zhu Qingyan, they froze in place, as if turned to stone.
After a long pause, someone gulped and spoke up in disbelief.
"If I'm not mistaken... she's that person, isn't she?!"
"I can't believe even she has come. She's someone who truly stands at the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm!"
No one had expected Zhu Qingyan, the Clan Chief of the Vermilion Bird Race herself, to appear in person.
After all, she was a terrifying existence at the Peak of the Immortal Emperor Realm, as elusive as a dragon that shows its head but never its tail. For an ordinary immortal to catch a single glimpse of her was a blessing that nine lifetimes of cultivation couldn't earn.
Yet now, they were seeing her with their own eyes.
And what happened next left them even more unable to contain their shock.
"Auntie Zhu, what are you doing here?"
Lu Xiaoyao spoke with a hint of surprise the moment he spotted Zhu Qingyan.
He genuinely hadn't expected Auntie Zhu to show up.
Hearing the familiarity in Lu Xiaoyao's tone, a staggering and deeply unsettling thought surfaced in everyone's minds.
Lu Xiaoyao had a deep connection with the Vermilion Bird Race--or more precisely, with Zhu Qingyan herself?
But if that were the case, why was Lu Xiaoyao staying in a small sect like the Primordial Sect?
They couldn't figure it out no matter how they puzzled over it.
And Lu Xiaoyao naturally wasn't going to explain it to them.
"You brat--you've claimed the top spot on the Prodigy Rankings. Big Sister Zhu obviously had to come congratulate you."
"Take it--this is Big Sister Zhu's goodwill, though you probably won't think much of it."
Zhu Qingyan approached Lu Xiaoyao with a smile and handed him a Storage Ring.
Lu Xiaoyao accepted the Storage Ring and shook his head.
"How could that be? I'd never look down on a gift from Auntie Zhu."
"All right, now that Big Sister Zhu's gift has been delivered, I won't stick around chatting. I still need to visit your sister. When you have free time, come to the Vermilion Bird Clan Territory and keep your Big Sister Zhu company."
With that, Zhu Qingyan vanished before the already-stupefied crowd, as if she had never been there at all.
Long after Zhu Qingyan's departure, Li Daoyi finally gulped and asked with some curiosity.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, if you don't mind my asking--what exactly is your relationship with Senior Zhu?"
"Our relationship? I suppose... she's probably something like family."
Lu Xiaoyao mulled it over in his mind for quite a while before settling on an answer.
After all, Auntie Zhu was pursuing his father, and they'd spent quite some time together. Since his father hadn't refused her, she'd likely become his stepmother eventually. Calling her family wasn't much of a stretch.
Upon hearing this, Li Daoyi and the other prodigies all fell silent.
Lu Xiaoyao's background was growing more and more terrifying. They couldn't afford to dig any deeper.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, now that the Wild Heaven Sect's gift has been delivered, I'll take my leave. I still need to pay a visit to your sister."
After three days and three nights of drinking with Lu Xiaoyao, Li Daoyi rose to his feet and bid farewell.
The other prodigies also stood to leave, as they couldn't quite match Li Daoyi's easygoing rapport with Lu Xiaoyao.
Lu Xiaoyao didn't try to stop them and personally escorted them to the sect gate.
Just as they were about to depart, Li Daoyi suddenly remembered something and stopped Lu Xiaoyao.
Seeing Li Daoyi's serious expression, Lu Xiaoyao grew curious.
"What is it, Brother Li?"
"You'll probably hear about this later anyway, so I'll just tell you now. Brother Lu, are you considering entering the Immortal Realm's Supreme Prodigy Competition?"
"The Immortal Realm's Supreme Prodigy Competition? I'll probably enter."
Now that Li Daoyi mentioned it, Lu Xiaoyao also recalled the event.
The Immortal Realm's Supreme Prodigy Competition was a grand tournament sponsored and organized by the Ten Great Races of the Immortal Realm.
There was only one condition for entry: the participant had to be under twenty thousand years of age.
Those who placed in the top one hundred would receive generous rewards prepared by the Ten Great Races.
Its purpose, naturally, was to encourage the Immortal Realm's younger generation to train diligently.
The next Supreme Prodigy Competition was set for five hundred years from now, so there was no way Lu Xiaoyao would miss it.
Hearing that Lu Xiaoyao would participate, the hearts Li Daoyi and the other prodigies had been holding in suspense finally sank into the pit of their stomachs.
Lu Xiaoyao was barely over a hundred and forty years old, yet he'd already cultivated to the Immortal King Realm.
If he were given another five hundred years? Wouldn't he reach the Immortal Monarch Realm?
Even with five hundred years, the rest of them would probably only reach the Peak True Immortal Realm at best.
As for Li Daoyi, he'd fare somewhat better--perhaps barely breaking through to Immortal King--but even that would be utterly insufficient against Lu Xiaoyao.
And so, upon learning that Lu Xiaoyao would compete, all they could do was pray from the depths of their hearts that they wouldn't face Lu Xiaoyao too early in the Supreme Prodigy Competition--at the very least, not until the finals.
After all, they were prodigies on the Prodigy Rankings. If they lost in the opening rounds, how would they ever show their faces again?
Just then, Lu Xiaoyao sensed something, and his expression grew solemn as he turned toward the direction of the Ancient Wood Sect.
Above the Ancient Wood Sect, dark clouds roiled and lightning surged--a terrifying spectacle.
"Is that... someone breaking through to Immortal King?"
Lin Gufo pressed his palms together and gazed toward the Ancient Wood Sect, somewhat surprised.
Before long, someone recognized the direction--it was indeed the Ancient Wood Sect.
As if guessing what had happened, they all turned involuntarily to look at Lu Xiaoyao.
In the next moment, Lu Xiaoyao gave a nod.
"That's right--my sister has broken through to Immortal King."
They fell silent.
After a long while, they silently cursed to themselves: what sins had they committed in their past lives to encounter such terrifying monsters in this one--and two of them at that?
It seemed the top two spots in the Supreme Prodigy Competition five hundred years from now were as good as claimed by these two siblings.
Before they could say anything more, Lu Xiaoyao took his leave.
As an older brother, how could he let his younger sister catch up to him?
He had to keep training harder and stay ahead of her!
Watching Lu Xiaoyao head back to train, they cursed under their breath. Already this powerful and he was still grinding harder? Was he trying to make it impossible for everyone else to survive?
But they kept those words to themselves and hurried toward the Ancient Wood Sect.
Once they delivered their gifts to the Ancient Wood Sect, they too would rush back to train hard and aim for a strong showing in the Supreme Prodigy Competition.