Chapter 640 - 214: The Sect’s Attention, the Fight for the Top Seed

Xuanzhen Sect.

The summit of Lingxi Peak.

Lingxi Plaza was broad and level. In the distance, disciples came and went from the Internal Affairs Hall.

The plaza’s flagstone ground was spotless. Millennium-old pines flanked its sides, their soughing blending with the mountain mist to create a serene, immortal air.

Yang Jing followed behind Si Jiawen. The two walked up the central jade steps of the plaza, heading toward the magnificent Lingxi Great Hall ahead.

As they walked, Si Jiawen glanced over her shoulder. A flicker of well-hidden envy flashed through her cool eyes as she looked at Yang Jing and said softly, "Junior Brother, I’m afraid you’re about to encounter a great opportunity."

Yang Jing froze, his steps faltering. His eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Si Jiawen and asked, puzzled, "Senior Sister, an opportunity? What kind of opportunity are you talking about?"

’I’ve just been cultivating diligently in the Training Room lately,’ he thought to himself. ’I haven’t been involved in any major sect affairs. Where would an opportunity come from?’

Si Jiawen just shook her head, her thin lips pursed. She didn’t explain further, only saying faintly, "There’s no need to ask so many questions. You’ll find out when you see Master."

With that, she turned and continued walking, her posture as upright and cool as ever. She said no more.

Seeing this, Yang Jing didn’t press the matter, but his curiosity grew ever stronger.

His master was always aloof and taciturn, never summoning a disciple unless it was for something important. And now, with what his Senior Sister had said, this summons had to be about a matter of great significance.

Before long, the two stepped into the Lingxi Great Hall.

The hall was spacious and solemn. Ink wash paintings depicting the True Meaning of Martial Arts hung on the walls. In the center stood a Three-legged Jade Tripod, from which fragrant smoke curled, its sweet scent refreshing the spirit.

Peak Master Lingxi, Bai Bing, was seated cross-legged on a cloud-patterned cattail cushion at the head of the hall. She wore a simple white Daoist robe, her black hair cascading down. Her face was transcendently beautiful and cool, and a faint Spiritual Qi swirled around her, making her seem like a Banished Immortal.

Yang Jing and Si Jiawen walked side-by-side to the center of the hall and bowed to Bai Bing. "Disciple Yang Jing pays respects to Master," they said in unison, each speaking their own name with perfect respect.

Bai Bing hummed in acknowledgment and gave a slight nod. Her cool voice echoed in the hall. "No need for formalities. Rise."

When the two straightened up, Bai Bing’s gaze fell directly on Yang Jing. Her eyes were calm but held a deep meaning, causing Yang Jing’s expression to turn solemn. He immediately focused his mind, his face serious, and waited for his master to speak.

Bai Bing began to speak slowly, her tone even but every word clear. "Jing’Er, I have summoned you today to inform you of a matter that may concern your own cultivation."

Yang Jing’s heart tightened. He quickly replied, "Please enlighten me, Master. Your disciple is ready to listen."

Bai Bing said, "These days, the Yunxiao Sect is producing one prodigy after another, with disciples breaking through to the True Qi Realm in succession. The pressure on our Xuanzhen Sect’s younger generation has increased dramatically.

"The sect’s upper echelons have reached a decision. They are determined to pour all the sect’s resources into cultivating a new generation of prodigies who can carry the sect’s banner.

"To this end, they have created the position of ’Number One Prospect.’ The chosen individual will receive the sect’s full support and comprehensive training, with all of the sect’s top resources concentrated on them."

She paused, her gaze still fixed on Yang Jing, and continued, "And the candidate for this Number One Prospect will be chosen from between you and Chu Yunhai. In three days, Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan will personally conduct an assessment to make the final decision."

Hearing this, Yang Jing’s heart leaped.

He naturally understood that this "Number One Prospect" was no empty title. It meant becoming the focus of all the sect’s core resources.

Whether it be Elixirs, martial arts techniques, treasured artifacts, or Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, they would all be the best the sect had to offer. It was an opportunity countless disciples could only dream of.

He instantly recalled what Si Jiawen had said on the way here. He realized with a jolt that this was the opportunity his Senior Sister had been talking about.

If he could win the competition against Chu Yunhai and become the sect’s Number One Prospect, he would soar to new heights, backed by an immense amount of resources.

But if he lost to Chu Yunhai, he would miss out on this great opportunity that could change the course of his cultivation, forced to continue cultivating step by step as before.

Bai Bing looked at Yang Jing and continued slowly, "To cultivate the sect’s new generation of talented disciples, the sect has made up its mind to revive the Grade-A Training Room project, which has been shelved for many years."

"The sect will construct five new Grade-A Training Rooms. The top four prodigies on the Profound Truth List will each get one, and the last remaining room will belong to the Number One Prospect.

"These Grade-A Training Rooms are for exclusive use, with no time limits. You can cultivate in them long-term; you can even live inside one if you wish."

When Yang Jing heard this, he was stunned. His eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The Grade-B Training Room he was currently using was already, in his opinion, an ultimate cultivation paradise.

Although renting it each month cost a huge amount of Sect Contribution Points, its cultivation efficiency was eight or nine times that of the outside world, allowing his progress to advance by leaps and bounds.

As for the Grade-A Training Rooms, he had once overheard a Steward on the peak mention them. They were the absolute best Cultivation Sites in the Xuanzhen Sect.

The entire sect had only a handful to begin with, and only the Sect Leader and the Seven Vein Peak Masters had the right to use them. Even the sect’s most respected Elders couldn’t apply to use one unless it was for a critical purpose. Their rarity made them a treasure of the sect.

He had never imagined that the sect would be willing to offer something as precious as a Grade-A Training Room as the exclusive cultivation ground for the Number One Prospect, all for the sake of nurturing the new generation.

At that moment, violent waves crashed within Yang Jing’s heart. A fierce desire for the position of Number One Prospect, and for the right to use a Grade-A Training Room, was born within him.