Chapter 506 - 174: Potential Seeds, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

He paused, then added with conviction, "Among the Qi Eating Realm disciples competing this time, those three are virtually without rival. The way I see it, the top three spots in this Fushan Grand Competition will almost certainly go to them."

After listening, Cao Zhen lightly tapped his fingers on the table. He nodded slightly, and after a moment of thought, he said, "We naturally know the disciples of the Main Peak inside and out. But among the disciples of the Seven Veins, who knows what kind of monstrous prodigies we’re unaware of might be hiding."

The corner of his mouth lifted in a knowing smile. "Some of these young ones are the steady type, content to just quietly cultivate. Backed by their families or some other power, they have no lack of ordinary Cultivation Resources, so they deliberately hide their strength. They avoid conflict and focus solely on honing their own foundations."

At this, Cao Zhen chuckled. "That’s exactly why I proposed making the rewards for the Fushan Grand Competition so generous. A handsome reward brings forth brave warriors. I refuse to believe that such tempting bait won’t lure out these hidden talents."

Ouyang Jingxuan also chuckled and nodded. "The Sect Leader makes a good point. Our Xuanzhen Sect may not recruit many disciples each year, but the numbers add up over time. It’s certainly not a small amount. Among so many disciples, there might very well be top-tier geniuses hiding, just keeping a low profile on ordinary days."

Cao Zhen smiled and nodded, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "The ones we should focus on cultivating were never the mediocre disciples who just follow the rules. We need top-tier geniuses—prodigies who can shoulder the sect’s future! Only disciples like that can truly prop up the Xuanzhen Sect and further solidify our standing in Jintai Prefecture, and even all of Jizhou."

His tone shifted as he brought up other disciples. "Besides those top three prospects, there are a few other promising disciples we should watch. People like Cui Yuan from Zhenyue Peak, Yang Jing from Lingxi Peak, and Zhang Yunhao from Thunder Peak. While there’s still a gap between them and the top three, they each have their own merits. Their potential is considerable; it just hasn’t been fully unearthed or allowed to mature."

Ouyang Jingxuan nodded, his expression showing he understood. "I see," he replied in a low voice. "We can use this Fushan Grand Competition to properly gauge the true abilities of these disciples and see who is worthy of the sect investing its full resources to cultivate."

The two chatted a bit more about sect affairs before Cao Zhen looked up at the sky outside and slowly rose to his feet. "It’s about time. We should head to Fushan Square. Let’s not keep the disciples waiting."

Ouyang Jingxuan also rose, bowing slightly. "Yes, Sect Leader."

One after the other, the two walked out of the main hall and strode toward Fushan Square on Fushan Island’s Outer Island. A few Direct Disciples followed in their wake.

...

「Fushan Island’s Outer Island.」

The so-called Outer Island was the exterior region of the entire island, and Fushan Square was situated on a flat expanse of land near the docks.

The square covered a vast area, making it one of the largest in the Xuanzhen Sect, capable of holding over ten thousand disciples at once.

On a normal day, Fushan Square felt so spacious that even with disciples constantly passing through, practicing martial arts, or sparring, it always seemed cold and desolate.

Today, however, a thunderous clamor filled Fushan Square. The din of human voices was so immense it seemed powerful enough to shatter the very clouds in the sky.

Several thousand Inner Sect and Outer Sect disciples of the Xuanzhen Sect had gathered here. Figures in motley attire were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, a sea of bobbing heads filling every corner of the square.

They gathered in small groups, some excitedly discussing the upcoming Fushan Grand Competition, others loudly speculating on who would take the top three spots. Some had even started cheering for their friends, creating a fervent atmosphere that felt like it could set the very air ablaze.

Disciples from the Xuanzhen Sect’s Main Peak and the Seven Veins continued to arrive in droves. Their white, blue, and other colored robes intermingled, forming a flowing ocean of color that made Fushan Square seem even more boisterous and vibrant.

Before long, all the disciples from the Xuanzhen Sect’s Main Peak and the Seven Veins had arrived.

On a high platform to the north of the square, a row of seats had already been arranged. The Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Sect, Cao Zhen, was seated in the center-most position. Flanking him were the Peak Masters of the Seven Veins, each with an extraordinary presence.

On the wings of the Observation Platform sat the Elders of the Main Peak and the various veins, as well as eight youthful faces. These eight were the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters of the Main Peak and the Seven Veins.

As for the sect’s Stewards, no seats had been specially arranged; they each found a spot with an unobstructed view and stood, ready to watch the event.

Directly facing the Observation Platform was a massive arena, a full ten zhang square. The arena floor was paved with hard bluestone and encircled by a waist-high railing.

The surface of the stage was carved with profound array patterns, strong enough to withstand a battle between experts at the Qi Absorption Realm.

Surrounding the arena was an extremely spacious open area, meant for the disciples to use when entering or leaving the stage, as well as for the preliminary matches.

Beyond this open area stood the densely packed crowd: the competing disciples from the Main Peak and the Seven Veins, and all the other disciples who had come to spectate.

In the midst of the boisterous crowd, Yang Jing stood with Fang He, Ma Qiang, Yan Chenglong, Lin Ziheng, and a few others, speaking in low voices. They would occasionally glance up at the figures on the high platform, their eyes filled with longing and admiration.

Not far off, a number of disciples from Lingxi Peak were also standing. Among them were several elite disciples at the Qi Eating Realm with calm and steady auras; they had clearly come to spectate.

Yang Jing couldn’t help but marvel to himself. He had joined the Xuanzhen Sect half a year ago, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a grand occasion. ’It’s truly a sea of people, and the energy is incredible.’

He stood on tiptoe and scanned the crowd, trying to find Sun Ningxiang, but he couldn’t spot a single familiar silhouette.

All he could see was a dense sea of heads, and his ears were filled with a deafening roar.

Yang Jing could only think to himself, ’Senior Sister is probably in this crowd somewhere, watching the competition. Maybe I’ll be able to see her when it’s my turn on stage.’