Chapter 223 - 107: Second Spirit Core: Sea of Qi, Perfection! Celestial Rotation

Chapter 223: Chapter 107: Second Spirit Core: Sea of Qi, Perfection! Celestial Rotation

What was even more alluring was that the first-place winner would be allowed to enter the Sect’s Treasure Vault and pick from the thousands of Spiritual Treasures hidden within.

This meant that whoever took first place was guaranteed to obtain a treasure capable of defying the heavens and changing one’s destiny.

After this news spread, even Jiang Xuan, who had been focused on his secluded cultivation, couldn’t help but feel his heart pound.

Although his Three Purification Mantra: True Communication also had the effect of expelling impurities and returning his Flesh Body to a pure and spiritual state, it required years of persistent practice and was far from having the immediate impact of a Spirit Treasure Level item.

’First place, huh? It won’t be easy, but that’s what makes it a challenge!’

In addition to the early announcement of the reward, the second thing to shake the Daoist Schools was the unprecedented scale of the upcoming Hundred-Day Exam.

Not only would all Twelve Daoist Schools be participating in the exam, but the major Cultivation Families, Secular Dynasties, and even the surrounding Small and Medium-sized Sects affiliated with the Shenxiao Sect would also send their top young disciples to compete.

Furthermore, there were rumors that a group of mysterious visitors would also make an appearance.

The Shenxiao Sect hadn’t released any specific details about who these visitors were. Their complete silence, however, only fueled the rumors. Many began to speculate that the widely-discussed recent cosmic anomaly and the Sect’s sudden change to the exam system were inextricably linked to this mysterious group.

Such developments naturally caused a stir.

This was especially true since some of the outside Cultivators had already arrived at the Shenxiao Sect and clashed with disciples from the Twelve Daoist Schools.

The arrival of these powerful outsiders turned the already tense Sect into a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Beyond these two developments, a third factor stirred up the atmosphere in the Shenxiao Sect. This one, however, didn’t come from an official Sect announcement but was instead hyped up by Cultivators—or more specifically, by Cultivators from the Celestial Sea Business Alliance.

As merchants renowned for their shrewdness, the core Cultivators of the Celestial Sea Business Alliance had a keen nose for business.

They keenly sensed the fierce competition within the Shenxiao Sect and the widespread debate over who would come out on top. Seizing the opportunity, they set up an external betting pool. These individuals gathered general information on the top prodigies from both the Shenxiao Sect and the visiting Cultivators, compiled it into a pamphlet for public sale, which included not only detailed analyses of their strengths but also the Celestial Sea Business Alliance’s exclusive rankings.

Then, Cultivators from both within and outside the Shenxiao Sect could use the rankings and information provided to spend Spirit Stones and place bets.

——One could not only wager Spirit Stones on who would take the top spot in the exam, but also on what specific rank a person might achieve.

Originally, these people just wanted to earn Spirit Stones. Creating the so-called prodigy rankings was simply to give everyone a more intuitive guide for placing their bets.

However, since ancient times, there has been a saying: "In scholarship, there is no first; in combat, there is no second."

And while Cultivation is primarily about comprehending the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, it undoubtedly falls into the category of "combat."

After all, when Cultivators debate the Dao, if words fail, they can truly use Taoist Skills to settle who is superior.

A clear winner and loser could be determined through combat. Furthermore, the Cultivators who had just entered the Immortal Sect were all hot-blooded youths at an age where they bowed to no one. Thus, the moment the prodigy rankings were released, the young Cultivators’ competitive spirits were instantly ignited.

Many Cultivators who were dissatisfied with their rank began to challenge those placed higher on the list.

The battles and duels between prodigies left the various Martial Arts Arenas in the Shenxiao Sect packed to the brim, with new clashes occurring almost daily.

However, amidst the chaos, an unprecedented wave of ambition was born.

Seeing this, the Shenxiao Sect’s leadership didn’t intervene. In fact, they seemed to be subtly fanning the flames.

What Jiang Xuan didn’t expect was for this craze to reach him as well.

Normally, no one paid any attention to the Lower Court’s monthly exams.

But the three-court joint exam held by the Chen Family had attracted participants from the Daozi Courtyard, and Yun Shengjie himself had been defeated by Jiang Xuan.

Afterward, Zhong Ming—a peerless prodigy from the Daozi Courtyard currently ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List—had even stated that Jiang Xuan had the strength to be in the top nine. This comment landed Jiang Xuan’s name on the Hidden Dragon List, debuting at ninth place.

Of course, that was just his initial ranking. By now, his position had dropped considerably.

At that moment, Xia He, who had just returned to the Four Seasons Valley, was pouting and complaining to her good friend, Zhen Youqing. "Those clueless idiots! On what grounds did they rank Brother Jiang Xuan fifteenth? He definitely has the strength to be in the top nine! Senior Brother Zhong Ming said so himself!"

Listening to her, Zhen Youqing felt a mix of envy and exasperation.

"Xia He, you’ve said that nine times already. Besides, the people from the Celestial Sea Business Alliance didn’t get it wrong. When Senior Brother Zhong Ming made that comment, the Sect hadn’t yet announced that we could cultivate Upper Vein techniques ahead of schedule."

"Now, everyone else is practicing Upper Vein techniques. Even those who haven’t entered the Upper Vein are practicing top-tier Middle Vein techniques. Only your Jiang Xuan is cultivating..."

She was only halfway through her sentence when she saw the light instantly fade from Xia He’s eyes. Her friend’s expression was a mix of anger and anxiety, and she immediately realized she had misspoken.

Seeing this, she quickly changed her tune. "Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean that the Four Seasons Valley’s techniques are bad. If someone can successfully master the Four Seasons Reincarnation, your valley’s technique isn’t the least bit weaker than those of the other Upper Veins."

"Jiang Xuan’s ranking probably dropped because he’s been avoiding challenges recently..."