Chapter 12 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by omileye ibrahim. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 12: The Great Peng Rises With the Wind, Night Before Battle (1)
The world of the East Divine Land doesn’t have the Yellow Emperor Xuan Yuan, but March 3rd is still a traditional festival passed down from ancient times.
Shangsi Festival!
On this day, people went to the riverbank in pairs to perform “bu xi.”
The so-called “bu xi” is to wash away the dirt and dispel bad luck.
However, these types of festivals are usually only celebrated by ordinary people who struggle in the mortal world.
Most cultivators don’t bother with festivals and rituals for the Green Emperor anymore, let alone the traditional Shangsi Festival, which has lost most of its original customs.
Can celebrating festivals increase one’s cultivation base or enhance one’s understanding? No.
So, why bother?
With this in mind, for most members of the Duxian sect, March 3rd was an ordinary day.
What truly concerned them was tomorrow.
On March 4th, the great competition among new disciples would take place in front of Yunluo Peak Hall.
At that time, all the senior leaders of the Duxian sect would be present.
Disciples who performed exceptionally well in the grand competition would not only receive rewards from the sect but also have the chance to become Sect Leader, Elders, and Peak Master’s closed-door disciples.
This grand occasion stirred the hearts of many.
Even the usually “steady” Bai Lian was no exception.
For the past few days, during the day, she had been instructing the Martial Sisters in combat skills. At night, she was busy grounding their minds by letting them steady themselves through foot-washing, leaving no time for rest.
Xiao Jinse and the others had gradually become accustomed to this busy but fulfilling life.
On the evening of March 3rd.
“Let’s end the training for today!”
The setting sun lingered, casting a soft orange glow on the trees rustling in the spring breeze.
Suddenly, Bai Lian jumped off the huge boulder she had been sitting on.
She clapped her hands loudly, attracting the attention of all the Martial Sisters.
“?”
Five faces looked back at her, confused.
Something was off.
On most days, they would practice until 8 o’clock, take a short break, and then go to Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s room to watch Tao Halo.
It wasn’t even 8 o’clock yet.
Xiao Jinse, designated as the “Team Leader” by Bai Lian, raised her hand to ask the question that lingered in her mind.
“Elder Martial Sister…?”
Bai Lian wore a faint smile.
She explained, “Tonight is the last night before the great competition, so I’m going to change up the class a bit.”
“Eh?”
Bai Lian shook her head. “We’ll talk about the specifics later — let’s go see the master first.”
“Yes.”
No one objected.
Under Bai Lian’s lead, they soon arrived in front of An Lan.
In the narrow cave, the air was cool and damp.
An Lan glanced at her disciples sitting neatly on small benches.
Not bad.
She nodded imperceptibly.
Even though she was feeling unsatisfied right now, she had to admit that the disciples (other than Bai Lian) she had gathered all had the potential to become Immortal Emperors.
If everything went well, in no less than three or four thousand years — possibly even ten thousand — they could successfully become Immortal Emperors revered by millions.
But…
[I’m an invincible Heavenly Lord of the world!]
Immortal Emperor? Just so-so!
If these disciples have filial piety, then that’s enough.
But if they have ill intentions and try to undermine Bai Lian, they will feel her wrath.
Hmm.
Now was not the time to dwell on such matters.
An Lan sat up straighter.
A draft suddenly passed her by — the draft of the “Pre-war Mobilization” that she had asked Jue Yunzi for from Yunluo Peak not long ago.
Her disciples were about to represent the Qiongming Peak in the great competition. How could she, as their master, not show any signs of recognition?
After clearing her throat lightly, An Lan began reading aloud from the script in a staccato manner.
“Tomorrow… a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…”
Jue Yunzi had held the position of sect leader for hundreds of years, and his writing skills were top-notch.
Even with An Lan’s emotionless tone, the words were enough to stir Xiao Jinse and the others, making their blood boil.
“Master, don’t worry. No matter how difficult the opponent, I will do my best to overcome him!”
Xiao Jinse was the first to speak up.
She wasn’t bragging.
She had truly prepared herself.
In the past ten days, her cultivation base had barely increased, but her mental state had surged, as if launched by a rocket.
She could even remain calm for three hours while looking at Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s feet, so how could any opponent in the competition rattle her?
Su Youwei also stepped forward.
She said simply, “I will not disappoint Master and Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s expectations!”
When it was Yu Ying’s turn, her response was even simpler.
“Me too!”
Then…
Ling Xuan raised her hands high and said, “I will cheer on the other Elder Martial Sisters with Elder Martial Sister Jade Rabbit!”
She wanted to participate in the competition, but she was too young.
Ten years old. Her height barely reached the chest of others.
Her cultivation base was quite good among her peers, but no one else participating in this competition had a cultivation base lower than the Foundation Establishment Stage.
If she really went to compete, she’d be out in the first round.
Considering this, Bai Lian dissuaded her.
The child was still young, and if dealt a sudden blow, it might cause her to lose confidence.
“Next time!” Bai Lian comforted Ling Xuan.
In truth, Bai Lian didn’t believe the fifth Martial Sister would compete in the next great competition either.
After breaking through the Martial Arts God Wheel, her cultivation base had advanced rapidly.
Now, she could face cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and in three years, she’d likely be able to defeat a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage with a single punch.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for her to participate in a competition with rookies.
Strictly speaking, Bai Lian was also a newbie, having only cultivated for less than ten years.
Was it reasonable for her to represent Qiongming Peak in the competition?
No, it wasn’t.
Seeing the mood uplifted by her actions, An Lan nodded in satisfaction.
“Give me your usual Magic Treasures.”
“Yes, Master.”
An Lan gently caught Xiao Jinse, Su Youwei, and Yu Ying’s Magic Treasures.
A wisp of illusory flame appeared at her fingertip.
She prepared to use this phantom fire to reforge the three Magic Treasures in her hand.
While this might not upgrade the grade of these Magic Treasures, it would enhance their features several times over compared to before.
The fire flickered.
The cave quieted.
An Lan looked around again.
She had initially planned to finish the ritual as soon as the Magic Treasures were reforged, but then she noticed the eager anticipation in her disciples’ eyes.
Bang!
For some reason, An Lan suddenly felt a bit empty inside.
She tightened her lips.
This scene felt oddly familiar.
Yes.
Back then, it was only her and Bai Lian at Qiongming Peak.
Back then, Bai Lian always looked at her with those same eager eyes.
Back then, her response to Bai Lian was the same as it was today.
Enthusiasm?
False.
It was just a perfunctory gesture.
Just like the speech she had just recited.
The draft was written by Jue Yunzi, and though no one else knew that, she did.
She knew she was a bad woman.
She knew she wasn’t a qualified master.
She knew her…
Wrong.