Chapter 326 - 325: Aura of [Baqi]

The moment she confirmed she wasn’t seeing things, Bell Fish circled the pair like a curious child, her gaze filled with unconcealed amazement. "How incredible."

There was no falsehood in her praise; it was tinged with envy and a sense of her own inadequacy.

In the Hundred Ghosts Sect, those in the Peeping Dao Realm were already qualified to become Elders. If they wished, they could challenge her directly and take the position of the one hundred and eighth Elder.

Their strength was no joke.

’Facing the two of them... I don’t think I can win.’

"It was a moment of sudden enlightenment that led to the breakthrough," Jiang Qiu said with a faint smile. "Just a stroke of luck."

"Hehe," Snow pursed her lips in a soft smile. "Senior Brother is amazing."

Raising an eyebrow, Bell Fish reached out and touched Snow’s hand. She then gave a pinch to the exposed flesh at her waist and chest. It was soft, yet different—like soft flesh wrapped in iron armor.

Her hand wasn’t making direct contact with skin; a layer of invisible scales lay between them, simply unmanifested.

Still, this was simply astounding!

"Such a powerful body, and it even has a trace of an aura from a distant era," Bell Fish couldn’t help but praise, her heart-rate quickening. "Truly a peerless prodigy..."

’How many people can maintain their Cultivation Dish after reaching the Peeping Dao Realm?’

As far as she knew, she had never seen a Soul Body that, after its physical body had been fused, could still exist in a state resembling a True Form. It was inconceivable, as if she were facing a living person.

And on top of all that, Snow still possessed a unique and incredibly ancient aura—the kind of ancientness that made one’s heart tremble.

If she hadn’t been an ally, Bell Fish would have gone on high alert at first sight, not daring to let her guard down for an instant.

"Elder Bell Fish, with our current Realm, is it enough to take first place in the sect’s grand competition?" Jiang Qiu asked bluntly. "I want Snow to take the position of Saintess."

"With a Realm like yours, you would have been unrivaled in the last few grand competitions. The Sect isn’t what it used to be, after all." Bell Fish frowned. "However, I heard that several decades ago, a Supreme Elder accepted a Direct Disciple with the Yin Yang Summoned Life Talent. That disciple’s name is Netherworld, and he has also broken through to the Peeping Dao Realm.

"He’s also a rather strange genius. He was born with vertical, cold, ghostly green eyes. He didn’t cause any world-shaking phenomena when he was born, but his Cultivation speed is incredibly fast—like a fish in water, as if he’s been cultivating for thousands of years.

"He’s currently a candidate for Saint Heir. He wasn’t appointed directly because he was in secluded Cultivation, but the Supreme Elder has announced he’s coming out. It’s highly likely he’ll overwhelm everyone at the grand competition and seize the title of Saint Heir.

"Then, using the status and slot granted to the Saint Heir, he’ll head straight to the Netherworld Dynasty Capital to temper himself in the Great Secret Realm..."

"Netherworld?" Jiang Qiu raised an eyebrow. He’d never heard of this person on the Yin Net. The Yin Net—this world’s equivalent of Blue Star’s internet—was always bustling, yet there was never any mention of this guy. "He hasn’t been seen for many years?"

"That’s right. He’s barely ever made a public appearance. The only time he caused a stir was when his Yin Yang Summoned Life Talent was revealed. A Supreme Elder emerged from seclusion shortly after and personally took him as a Direct Disciple." The envy in Bell Fish’s eyes was clear as she spoke. "He went into secluded Cultivation right after that.

"I only heard about it because a few Elders I’m on good terms with brought it up; otherwise, I’d have no idea Netherworld’s Talent was so monstrous.

"Because of all this, if you want Snow to become the Saintess, you’ll definitely have to fight him. The problem is, we don’t know what his abilities are or how strong he’s become."

Hearing this, Jiang Qiu took a shallow breath and waved his hand dismissively. "As long as he hasn’t surpassed the Dao Entry Realm, he’s nothing to be afraid of. Elder Bell Fish, just watch me win the grand competition."

With that said, the pair departed. Gazing at their retreating backs, Bell Fish sighed softly. ’Before I knew it, he’s grown up so much, and his personality has changed a bit, too.’

’When I first met Bai Mo, he was just a child who asked about everything under the sun. He was always blurting out questions, had a cold personality, and rarely chatted.’

’After he got together with Snow, he started talking more. He stopped asking so many basic questions and instead began to focus on loftier things.’

’And now, an effortless confidence permeates his words, as casual as blowing away a speck of dust.’

"Even now, he’s still unwilling to call me Master. What a shame..." Tilting her masked face upward, Bell Fish casually closed the large doors. "Oh well. There won’t be a chance for that anymore. I am not his equal."

...

In the blink of an eye, the day of the sect’s grand competition arrived. The location was the Duel Secret Realm—a realm that prevented souls from escaping. Here, defeat meant death.

Tens of thousands of disciples, all of them competitors, gathered together. Starting today, the number of disciples in the Hundred Ghosts Sect would be rapidly depleted.

It began with a series of randomly-assigned, one-on-one battles. Ordinary disciples in the Spirit Body Realm clashed fiercely. As for those who hadn’t even reached that Realm, they had already been absorbed as a pre-competition appetizer.

"Senior Brother, a lot of people are looking at me," Snow said from the Direct Disciples’ viewing area. She leaned against Jiang Qiu with her chin in her hands, her Dragon Eyes darting about. "Aren’t they supposed to be watching the competition?"

"The competition is nowhere near as pretty as you," Jiang Qiu said lightly. "The ones looking at us are all Direct Disciples. They’re the ones we’ll have to fight. They wouldn’t feel right if they didn’t size us up."

He took it all in with a single glance. Most of the Direct Disciples were in the Bright Soul Realm, with only a handful in the Dharma Realm. The host of the grand competition was, as expected, the Duel Elder.

The figures on the main platform, however, were worth his attention: several white-haired, black-robed old men. All of them were in the Dao Entry Realm, and the one in the center was at the Top Tier Dao Entry Realm—the absolute Peak.

They simply reeked of an oppressive deathly energy, so strong that the very air around them seemed to warp.

Despite this, no one around dared to defy him; all of them appeared humble. It had the distinct feel of juniors accompanying an elder.

This was the legendary Supreme Elder, who had emerged from seclusion because his Direct Disciple was participating in the grand competition.

"Senior Brother, where’s that Netherworld guy? I can’t seem to find him." Snow lifted her chin, looking all around, but still couldn’t spot any disciple who might be Netherworld. "Is he not in this area?"

The Duel Secret Realm was vast, but the area for the competition wasn’t. With their Cultivation at the Peeping Dao Realm, they should have been able to perceive all the powerful experts in the inner circle.

Yet, they couldn’t find Netherworld.

"Don’t worry about him. Since there’s no information, we’ll just treat him as a non-factor. Just be serious when the time comes to face him in the arena."

Gently pushing Snow’s head down, Jiang Qiu stared at the Supreme Elder with great interest, an imperceptible flicker of hostility in his eyes.

’That old geezer is off. Something is very wrong with him,’ he thought. ’There’s a faintly familiar scent about him. His Direct Disciple, Netherworld, probably isn’t a normal Cultivator, either.’

’This feeling... it’s like BaKi’s...’