Chapter 475 - 473: Shuixin Lake Gathering

That same day.

Twenty Side Peak Disciples changed into new attire and received new Tokens, becoming Main Peak Disciples.

The Sect also distributed rewards based on the rankings from the third trial.

Luo Tian, in first place, received two thousand Contribution Points.

Within the Tai Yuan Sect, Contribution Points had a wide range of uses and were extremely valuable. Official Disciples received a small amount each month, while Auditor Disciples could only obtain them by completing missions.

For an Auditor Disciple, these two thousand Contribution Points were considered a "fortune."

"Thank you for this time."

A complex emotion flickered in Xia Bingyue’s beautiful eyes.

Facing Xia Bingyue, Luo Tian also felt unsure how to act.

After all, he had confessed his feelings and essentially rejected her back then, but later, they had ended up in... *that* kind of relationship.

"Qi Yuntian, what about you? Shouldn’t you be thanking me as well?"

Luo Tian changed the subject.

"Me?" Qi Yuntian froze for a moment.

However, he really did have Luo Tian to thank for managing to secure fourth place.

"Forget it. Some debts are too great for a simple ’thank you.’"

Luo Tian waved his hand dismissively.

"..." The corner of Qi Yuntian’s mouth twitched, and he was left speechless.

"Luo Tian!"

A cold shout rang out.

The gaunt man from before walked over, his eyes dark and gloomy.

He was flanked by a large group of other Official Disciples, all of whom glared at Luo Tian with anger and hatred.

"You stole first place from me. I won’t forget this grudge. Don’t ever give me an opening, or I won’t spare you!"

The gaunt man said coldly.

With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

"Luo Tian, just you wait!" Gongsun Long added, throwing out his own threat.

"Your actions today have thoroughly enraged the Official Disciples."

The woman with the thin eyebrows snapped.

A group of Official Disciples, who had originally come from different Side Peaks and didn’t know each other, were now united as one because of Luo Tian.

Luo Tian felt the Tai Yuan Sect should probably give him an award for it.

"Luo Tian, you should be careful. I heard that the number one disciple from the Side Peaks, ’Yan Shan,’ has an older brother who entered the Main Peak two years ago..."

Qi Yuntian warned him.

Luo Tian had offended a large group of disciples in a single assessment, which made even Qi Yuntian a little worried.

Especially that gaunt man, Yan Shan. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with, and he had an older brother who was a long-time Main Peak disciple.

"I know."

Luo Tian said calmly.

He had plenty of enemies, but the one Luo Tian found most troublesome at the moment was Steward Lü.

Compared to Steward Lü, the gaunt Yan Shan and his older brother were nothing.

’Steward Lü’s jurisdiction is on the Side Peaks. Now that I’ve entered the Main Peak, it’ll be much harder for him to plot against me.’

A slight smile appeared on Luo Tian’s face.

At the same time, he was still puzzled.

’I have no history or grudge with Steward Lü. Why does he want to harm me?’

Luo Tian decided he had to investigate this matter thoroughly so he could tailor a solution to the problem.

A short while later.

The three of them—Luo Tian, Xia Bingyue, and Qi Yuntian—arrived at the residential area for Main Peak Disciples.

Before them was a mountain forest, dotted with scattered private courtyards and pavilions.

On the Side Peaks, all the disciples were crammed together.

But on the Main Peak, the disciples’ residences were all spaced apart. The living environment was on a completely different level.

Moreover.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here was twice as dense as on the Side Peaks, allowing for faster Cultivation.

’One step ahead leads to being always ahead. If I were still in Dongchen, or still wandering the Outer Void, or even at the Mu Family’s estate... I can’t imagine how many opportunities I would have missed.’

Luo Tian mused to himself.

Of course, Luo Tian didn’t let this get to his head.

The Cosmos was vast. There was always someone better, always a higher mountain to climb.

Luo Tian had heard that the true prodigies within the Tai Yuan Sect even had Cultivation at the Celestial Pool Realm!

He found an unoccupied courtyard and moved in.

Qi Yuntian and Xia Bingyue also took up residence nearby.

After familiarizing himself with his new home, Luo Tian went to the Practice Room and began to seclude himself for Cultivation.

Before the Main Peak assessment.

Luo Tian’s Cultivation had been extremely close to the Peak of Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer, just a tiny step away from a breakthrough.

Now that he was on the Main Peak.

Luo Tian’s Cultivation was at the bottom of the pack, and he felt a faint pressure. He decided to focus on breaking through first.

’I still have one Violent Spirit Pill and the Spirit Calming Powder. I’ll save them for later...’

Luo Tian thought for a moment and decided not to rely on external aids.

Breaking through to the Peak of Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer wasn’t very difficult, especially given the superior environment of the Main Peak.

He circulated the Celestial Essence Water Condensation Technique, activated his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, and crazily absorbed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi!

Inside his Qi Sea Primordial Pool.

Pale cyan True Essence slowly swirled in a vortex, merging with the surrounding Primordial Pool Wall to expand it.

The way to advance one’s Cultivation in the Earth Element Realm was to continuously refine True Essence and expand the Primordial Pool Wall.

Time passed.

「Five days later.」

The expansion of his Primordial Pool Wall gradually became more difficult, reaching its limit.

Luo Tian’s Cultivation also approached the Peak of Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer.

He wasn’t in a hurry. He sought stability and slowly pushed toward the next Realm.

...

「Meanwhile.」

On the Eighth Peak.

Steward Lü arrived outside Luo Tian’s former residence, causing a commotion.

"Luo Tian!"

He called out calmly.

"Steward Lü, Luo Tian isn’t here."

Sun Ye spoke up.

He had failed to place in the top twenty during the assessment and was still on the Side Peak.

"Did he go out on a mission?" Steward Lü asked.

"He... became a Main Peak Disciple!"

Sun Ye said with a very unnatural expression.

Steward Lü’s expression immediately stiffened. He turned his head and asked, "What did you say?"

Steward Lü found it hard to believe. Luo Tian had only been in the Tai Yuan Sect for a few months, and his Cultivation was only at the Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer. How could he possibly have become a Main Peak Disciple?

But it was the truth!

Every Side Peak Disciple here could prove it!

"Damn it!"

Steward Lü cursed under his breath and quickly left.

He felt a tinge of regret. It was possible that by helping Luo Tian go to the True Martial Wall to meditate, he had inadvertently helped him pass the Main Peak assessment!

With Luo Tian now a Main Peak Disciple, it would be much more troublesome for Steward Lü to make a move, and the risk of exposing his identity was also much greater!

...

「Four more days passed.」

Luo Tian’s Cultivation naturally broke through to the "Peak of Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer."

"Success!"

’After consolidating my foundation for two months, I’ll use that Violent Spirit Pill and the Spirit Calming Powder to push for the Earth Element Realm Fifth Layer!’

A smile appeared on Luo Tian’s face as he finalized his plans.

He walked out of his residence. It was already evening.

Luo Tian planned to familiarize himself with the Main Peak’s environment.

’I also need to exchange for a higher-level Swordsmanship manual!’

He had already mastered the Nine Heavens Sword Technique.

He also had the Void Yin Sword Technique, which was a King Level Swordsmanship. It was difficult, his progress was slow, and it was a high-consumption trump card that he couldn’t just display casually.

As he was about to push the door open.

Luo Tian noticed an invitation card slipped under the door.

’Who invited me?’

Luo Tian was new to the Main Peak. Besides Xia Bingyue, Qi Yuntian, and a few Official Disciples who hated him, he didn’t know anyone else.

He glanced at the invitation and understood.

It was a gathering to celebrate the twenty Side Peak Disciples who had become Main Peak Disciples.

Not only were the twenty disciples who had passed the assessment invited, but even some senior brothers and sisters from the Main Peak were also attending.

’I’ll go take a look.’

As one of the disciples who had passed the assessment, and the one who took first place, Luo Tian was expected to attend.

He wasn’t opposed to the opportunity to meet some senior brothers and sisters.

"Shuixin Lake..."

Luo Tian followed the address on the invitation and headed over.

As he neared Shuixin Lake.

Luo Tian ran into a Main Peak Disciple. The man was handsome with an extraordinary air, his eyes shining as bright as stars.

Taking a closer look, he seemed somewhat familiar.

’Isn’t this the guy I met at the True Martial Wall...?’

Back then, Luo Tian had felt a faint sense of crisis from the man, and he’d had a strange feeling that this person would become his enemy!

The handsome man, "He Yunkong," also saw Luo Tian and immediately stopped in his tracks.

"We’ve met before!"

He Yunkong approached with a faint smile.

Back at the True Martial Wall, upon learning that Luo Tian’s Sword Intent had reached the Initial Realm, he had remembered him!

He hadn’t expected to finally run into Luo Tian again.

"May I have the honor of knowing your name?" He Yunkong asked.

In his mind, Luo Tian was the descendant of some Great Power in the Sect who had used connections to get into the True Martial Wall to practice his Cultivation.

"Luo Tian."

"I have a gathering to attend. We can talk next time."

Luo Tian trusted his intuition and didn’t want to interact with He Yunkong more than necessary.

...

At Shuixin Lake, the lanterns were brightly lit.

Numerous young disciples were chatting and laughing, drinking and making merry.

"Senior Brother Yan, I’d like to propose a toast to you!"

Gongsun Long came before Yan Shan with a cup of wine and drained it in one go.

Yan Shan, his face slightly flushed, smiled faintly and took a small sip of his wine.

"In my heart, Senior Brother Yan is the true first place of this assessment!"

"That’s right! Luo Tian is nothing compared to Senior Brother Yan. If he hadn’t used that Evil Secret Technique, he wouldn’t have even made it into the top ten!"

Several nearby Official Disciples chimed in with flattery.

Yan Shan nodded slightly.

’Luo Tian may have gotten first place on the surface, but I’m the number one in the hearts of the other disciples!’

’Luo Tian’s reputation is undeserved!’

Just then.

Three disciples arrived, led by a long-faced man who bore a slight resemblance to Yan Shan.

Yan Shan immediately stood up, a joyful smile on his face, and went to greet them.

"Brother, you’re here!"

"It’s a party you’re hosting. How could I not come to show my support?"

The long-faced man, "Yan Feng," said with a laugh.

"Everyone, let me introduce you. This is my older brother, Yan Feng! He entered the Main Peak two years ago and is now studying under an Elder!"

Yan Shan announced loudly to the whole crowd.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Yan Feng."

Many of the newly promoted Main Peak Disciples flocked over to curry favor with Yan Feng and the two older disciples who had arrived with him.

A little while later, two more senior disciples arrived!

The arrival of the senior disciples made the gathering even livelier.

Invisibly, Yan Shan had become the leader among this new batch of Main Peak Disciples. Not only was he the strongest, but he was also well-connected.

The thin-browed woman, who was also at the Earth Element Realm Seventh Layer, was thoroughly convinced and submitted to his standing.

"Oh? And who is this junior sister?"

The senior disciple, Yan Feng, spotted a woman in the corner who looked like an Ice Immortal and was immediately struck by her beauty.

Yan Shan’s expression darkened slightly. Xia Bingyue was Luo Tian’s person.

’However, Xia Bingyue’s strength was at the bottom among the Main Peak disciples, while his older brother held a respectable position among them.’

’Now that his older brother was showing some interest in Xia Bingyue, she would surely come to curry favor with him—perhaps even offer up her own body—for the sake of her own survival on the Main Peak.’

The thought brought a sense of satisfaction to Yan Shan.

But all of this was destined to be nothing more than his own fantasy.

"Senior Brother Yan Feng, I am also a new disciple who has just entered the Main Peak."

Xia Bingyue’s tone was flat.

After this simple greeting, she sat back down and began to sample the refreshments.

"Hm?"

Yan Shan’s brow furrowed. Why was Xia Bingyue so calm and reserved?

"Xia Bingyue, what are you waiting for? Get over here and offer Senior Brother Yan Feng a toast!"

Yan Shan barked coldly.