Chapter 607 - 203: Top-Grade Treasure Artifacts, High-Level Controversy

After seeing Si Jiawen off, Yang Jing eagerly returned to the main house and carefully took the treasure armor out of the wooden box.

The treasure armor felt as light as a feather in his hands, much more so than he had imagined, yet he could clearly sense the formidable defensive power contained within.

He immediately took off the top of his white martial arts uniform and put the dark silver Inner Armor on.

The treasure armor fit him perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made, with no sense of restriction at all. A faint, cool sensation spread from it across his skin.

He put his outer garment back on and moved his limbs. Whether he was clenching his fists, kicking, or performing evasive maneuvers, his movements were completely unimpeded, as if the Top-Grade Treasure Armor wasn’t there at all.

Yang Jing glanced down at his chest. The armor’s outline was faintly visible beneath his outer clothes, but it wasn’t easily noticeable.

With this treasure, plus the physical defense from his Indestructible True Skill, his sense of security was instantly maxed out.

...

Xuanzhen Sect, summit of the Main Peak. The atmosphere within the Main Peak’s great hall was solemn and dignified.

A massive Spirit Lamp suspended from the ceiling cast a soft, constant glow, clearly illuminating the eight figures seated below.

Sect Leader Cao Zhen sat upright in the pearwood Grandmaster’s Chair at the head of the hall. The Seven Vein Peak Masters and Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan were seated on either side, each wearing a somber expression.

Cao Zhen’s gaze swept over everyone in the hall as he slowly began to speak. "The Fushan Grand Tournament has concluded. Following the sect’s assessment, we have selected a total of thirty-three disciples for focused cultivation. All of them are the most outstanding elites from the Main Peak and the Seven Veins."

Hearing this, the Seven Vein Peak Masters and Ouyang Jingxuan all nodded slightly in approval.

These disciples were the future cornerstones of the sect; it was only right that they receive focused cultivation.

"However," Cao Zhen’s tone shifted, growing more serious, "although all of them have been selected for focused cultivation, the sect’s resources are ultimately limited. This is especially true for our most premium Cultivation Resources—like supreme-grade treasured pills, Thousand-Year-Old Elixirs, and access to high-level Training Rooms—which cannot be divided equally. Therefore, we must establish a priority among these thirty-three disciples and concentrate our resources on supporting the one with the greatest potential."

He paused briefly, his gaze falling upon those below as he spoke, enunciating each word. "This is particularly true for Chu Yunhai and Yang Jing. They tied for first place in the Fushan Grand Tournament and possess both exceptional talent and limitless potential."

"But the sect’s top-tier resources can only be devoted to nurturing one of them, so they can become a pillar of our sect as quickly as possible."

"Therefore, I have gathered you all here today to decide who should be the sect’s top-priority disciple for cultivation: Chu Yunhai or Yang Jing? This matter concerns the future direction of our sect and is of the utmost importance."

As his words faded, a brief silence fell over the hall.

Peak Master Yunxi, Zhou Yunyi, was the first to speak. She lifted the teacup from the table, took a sip, and said slowly, "Chu Yunhai and Yang Jing are both prodigies the likes of which are seen only once a century. After the head disciples of each Vein, these two are undoubtedly the most worthy of being nurtured."

"However, their strengths are comparable. They fought to a standstill in the finals of the Fushan Grand Tournament, so much so that even the Sect Leader had to intervene and declare a draw. To prioritize one over the other now will indeed be difficult."

Everyone nodded.

Chu Yunhai’s War Body and Root Bone versus Yang Jing’s growth rate and his simultaneous cultivation of multiple True Skills—each had his own merits, making the choice difficult.

"I vote for Chu Yunhai!" declared Peak Master Fen Yang, Xie Xuan, his resonant voice shattering the hall’s silence.

He was a man of burly build and fiery temperament, and his eyes were filled with conviction. "Chu Yunhai has a genuine Second-Class Root Bone! His comprehension is so high that his cultivation speed rivals someone with a First-Class Root Bone. He is already a prodigy. What’s even rarer is that he has also awakened a War Body, which lets him unleash combat power in battle that far surpasses others at his level. That kind of talent is simply off the charts!"

Xie Xuan looked around at the others, his tone growing graver. "All of you have worked your way up from the lower realms, step by step. You should understand just how precious a War Body is and the potential it holds."

"With Chu Yunhai’s talent, his chances of breaking through to the Pill Realm are very high. He might even be able to ascend to greater heights."

"Among the sect’s current generation of young disciples, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Chu Yunhai is certain to be the one who achieves the most in the future."

"We must focus our efforts on a genius like him, pouring everything we have into his development. We absolutely cannot let such a promising talent go to waste!"

After Xie Xuan finished speaking, the others in the hall wore varied expressions.

Cao Zhen nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Peak Master Qingxu, Li Zhihai. "Senior Brother Li, you have served as an Elder in this sect for over a century and possess the most experience in nurturing disciples. Please, share your opinion."

Li Zhihai nodded slowly. His calm gaze swept across the others as he spoke. "I disagree with Junior Brother Xie. I support selecting Yang Jing as our top priority for cultivation."

The moment he spoke, all eyes in the hall focused on him, their gazes probing and inquisitive.

After all, Chu Yunhai’s talent was undeniable, and his awakened War Body made him the favored choice for many. So why would Li Zhihai throw his support behind Yang Jing?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Zhihai laid out his reasoning with perfect clarity. "As you are all well aware, our Xuanzhen Sect has been on a downward slope for years."

"In the last several Jintai Grand Tournaments, our disciples’ performances have been lackluster. Not only have we failed to secure first place, but we have also rarely even broken into the top five. As a result, the sect’s influence within Jintai Prefecture has suffered a major setback, and the gap between us and sects like the Yunxiao Sect and the Celestial Sword Sect has steadily widened."

He paused, his tone growing heavy. "Therefore, what our Xuanzhen Sect needs most right now isn’t just another powerful expert. We need a supreme expert who can rise meteorically and awe the world, a leading figure who can guide our sect back to its zenith."

"Chu Yunhai’s talent is undeniably outstanding, his awakened War Body is a rarity, and his strength is formidable. He is certainly worthy of focused cultivation," Li Zhihai commented objectively. "But I ask you to consider: how long has Chu Yunhai been in the sect? And how long has Yang Jing? Chu Yunhai has been with us for nearly three years, while Yang Jing has been here for little more than half a year."

"In just over half a year, he has gone from an Inner Strength Martial Artist who hadn’t even reached the Peak of Transformation to where he is now, advancing with unstoppable momentum. Not only has his cultivation caught up to Chu Yunhai, a disciple of three years, but he even fought him to a draw in the final duel."

Li Zhihai’s voice grew louder, laced with excitement. "A growth rate like this... you can count the number of such cases in the entire recorded history of our Xuanzhen Sect on two hands. If we give him three years, five years, or even more time, what heights could he achieve? It’s simply unimaginable!"

"More importantly," Li Zhihai’s gaze grew sharp, "Yang Jing has already broken through to the Qi Eating Realm with three True Skills. From my observations, all three are of middle-grade or higher quality. It’s even possible that one of them is a Top-grade True Skill."

"To simultaneously cultivate three high-quality True Skills in such a short period and advance to the Qi Eating Realm in all of them—that is something no ordinary talent could possibly accomplish."

"I am almost certain that there is more to Yang Jing’s talent than meets the eye. It is highly probable that he possesses some kind of supreme special constitution that has yet to fully awaken."

"It’s highly probable that Chu Yunhai will become a Pill Realm expert in the future, which would undoubtedly strengthen our sect."

Li Zhihai concluded, "But what the Xuanzhen Sect is missing right now isn’t just one more Pill Realm expert. We are missing a supreme expert who can ascend to even greater heights, shatter all limitations, and become powerful enough to alter the very landscape of Jintai Prefecture."

"The potential Yang Jing has displayed holds precisely that possibility. If we nurture him, he could become the game-changer our Xuanzhen Sect so desperately needs!"