Chapter 613 - 205: Huge Influence

「Just then.」

The room’s wooden door was gently pushed open, and a figure walked in.

The newcomer was a middle-aged, plump man with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing the same Deacon’s Robe. He had a friendly smile on his face and held a stack of bound papers.

Upon seeing him, the three people in the room quickly stood up. With polite smiles, they greeted him, "Senior Brother Ma, you’re here!"

This Senior Brother Ma chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. He walked straight to the table, found a chair, and sat down. Placing the papers on the table, he asked casually, "What were you all talking about just now? You seemed so engrossed. What, were you also discussing that new prodigy from the Xuanzhen Sect, Yang Jing?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ligang, the round-faced Steward, and the female Steward all froze. With faces full of confusion, they asked in unison, "Who is Yang Jing?"

They had been discussing Qin Ligang’s attempt to break through to the next realm and had never heard the name before. For a moment, they were completely baffled.

Steward Ma’s smile faltered. He looked at the three of them in surprise. "You mean you don’t know yet?"

The middle-aged female Steward was the most impatient of the three and quickly pressed, "Know what? Senior Brother Ma, stop being so mysterious and just tell us!"

Steward Ma laughed and handed the stack of papers to the middle-aged female Steward. "Here, you’ll understand once you’ve read it. This just came down from the Elder Hall. It’s a detailed file on Yang Jing, the new prodigy disciple from the Xuanzhen Sect. They specifically want us Stewards and Core Disciples to be aware of him."

The middle-aged female Steward took the papers, her expression puzzled. Her fingertips brushed against the rough pages, her curiosity piqued.

’Who could this person be, to warrant the Elder Hall distributing a file on them personally?’

She lowered her head to look, her gaze slowly tracing the words. Her puzzled expression gradually turned grave, and her brow furrowed unconsciously.

This only made Qin Ligang and the round-faced Steward standing beside her more curious. They exchanged a look, their eyes reflecting the same question.

’What could possibly be written on that paper to make their normally composed friend react so strongly?’

Qin Ligang’s brow furrowed as well. The name "Yang Jing" sounded vaguely familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before. But he couldn’t quite place it. The memory was shrouded in a thin mist, hazy and indistinct.

A moment later, the middle-aged female Steward finished reading. She gently closed the papers, her face filled with awe. In a grave tone, she said, "No wonder the Elder Hall wanted to circulate this disciple’s file! This Yang Jing is a true genius. If nothing unexpected happens, his future will be boundless."

"At his current rate of progress, it probably won’t be many years before he becomes a formidable rival to our Yunxiao Sect in the Jintai Grand Tournament."

With that, she handed the papers to Qin Ligang and the round-faced Steward. "You two take a look. It’s unbelievable. The Xuanzhen Sect has really found a treasure this time."

The two eagerly took the papers and huddled together to examine them.

The characters on the page were neat and clear. The file began by detailing Yang Jing’s performance in the Xuanzhen Sect’s Fushan Tournament.

He had battled his way through the rounds, defeating numerous powerful opponents, and ultimately fought to a draw against Chu Yunhai, an already famous prodigy of the Xuanzhen Sect. They tied for first place in the tournament.

Next was Yang Jing’s personal profile. He was from Yuhe County and had reached the Refined Strength stage when he entered the Xuanzhen Sect. Despite possessing only an Eighth Grade Root Bone, in just over half a year, he had cultivated all Three True Skills to the Qi Eating Realm.

When the two words "Yuhe County" caught his eye, it was as if a thunderclap suddenly resounded in Qin Ligang’s mind, shattering the hazy memory.

He remembered. He suddenly remembered why the name "Yang Jing" was so familiar!

Last year, at the invitation of Jinlian, the Lu Family’s daughter-in-law, he had traveled to Yuhe County to act as an armed escort for a valuable shipment belonging to the Lu Family.

At the time, Jinlian had specifically recommended a young man named Yang Jing to him, saying the youth was talented and she hoped he could be accepted for training by the Yunxiao Sect.

But when he saw that Yang Jing possessed only a Lower-Grade Root Bone, he had paid it no mind and casually refused her request.

As the foremost of the five great sects, the Yunxiao Sect had always prioritized Root Bone when recruiting disciples. A disciple with a Lower-Grade Root Bone, no matter how diligent, would struggle to achieve greatness. They simply weren’t worth the sect’s resources.

At this moment, a tempest raged in Qin Ligang’s heart. It was like the surface of a lake struck by a boulder, the ripples refusing to subside.

’He couldn’t believe it. Could the new prodigy from the Xuanzhen Sect—the one the Elder Hall valued so highly they’d circulated a special file on him—really be the same young man from Yuhe County he had so casually dismissed?’

How could this be possible?

’How could that ordinary-looking boy with such a poor Root Bone have made such astonishing progress in just six months?’

He shook his head inwardly, trying to deny the possibility. But as his gaze moved further down the page and he saw the lines that clearly stated "Eighth Grade Root Bone" and "cultivated Three True Skills to the Qi Eating Realm in six months," his expression grew darker and more rigid. His fingertips began to tremble.

’He remembered it clearly. The Yang Jing that Jinlian had recommended back then had a Lower-Grade Root Bone!’

Could it... Could it really be the same person?

Just then, Steward Ma, who was standing beside them, smoothed his salt-and-pepper hair. With a sigh of regret, he remarked, "I was just passing by the Elder Hall and overheard Elder Wang muttering. He was saying what a shame it was that such a talent didn’t join our Yunxiao Sect."

"If he had joined our Yunxiao Sect, with our resources and heritage, he would surely have grown even faster and become a future pillar of the sect."

Hearing this, Qin Ligang managed to force a smile, but it was more pained than a grimace. It was as stiff as a mask, failing utterly to conceal the shock and panic in his heart.

The middle-aged female Steward noticed his odd expression. Assuming he was worried about his upcoming third attempt to break through, she offered some words of comfort. "Senior Brother Qin, don’t be so anxious. Your mindset is the most important factor in a breakthrough attempt. If you don’t feel fully prepared, perhaps you should wait a bit longer. Accumulate more resources and build up your foundation, and your chances of success will be much higher."

The round-faced Steward nodded in agreement. He looked up from the file at Qin Ligang and teased, "Speaking of which, if Senior Brother Qin had been the one to recommend a genius of Yang Jing’s caliber to the sect, he would have received a handsome reward according to the rules."

"With the resources from such a reward, your breakthrough to the Qi Absorption Realm might have been much easier, Senior Brother Qin. You wouldn’t be facing your third attempt with only a twenty percent chance of success."

Those words were the last straw, completely shattering Qin Ligang’s composure.

He froze, standing rooted to the spot. He stared blankly at the papers in his hand, his mind empty.

A moment later, an overwhelming wave of regret surged up from the depths of his soul. It washed over him, seeping into his very bones and leaving him ice-cold.

He was right.

’If the Yang Jing in the Elder Hall’s file was truly the young man from Yuhe County he had rejected...’

’If only he had been more patient back then. If he hadn’t been so fixated on Root Bone and had recommended Yang Jing to the Yunxiao Sect, then according to the sect’s rules, he would have received an incredibly generous reward.’

’Perhaps a precious Spirit Medicine that could have boosted his chances of breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm. Perhaps a massive number of contribution points, or a wealth of excellent Cultivation Resources.’

’With those resources, his chances of breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm would have been far greater than a mere twenty percent!’

’He might have already succeeded in his advancement. His path on the Martial Dao would have progressed, and his status in the sect would have risen significantly.’

’But he had casually rejected Jinlian’s recommendation simply because the boy had a Lower-Grade Root Bone. He had missed out on a genius disciple, and with it, the opportunity to change his own fate.’

Qin Ligang clenched the paper in his hand.

’He never would have imagined that a seemingly insignificant, casual decision made so long ago would have such a monumental impact on his future.’