Chapter 457: Ten Holy Sons

As the seven Chief Peaks grew incredibly lively, a vast surge of Genesis Qi swelled in the sky above the Cangxuan Sect. Countless disciples looked up, witnessing the Genesis Qi gather and coalesce into six colossal light lotuses high above. Within these light lotuses, six figures sat cross-legged, exuding an immense, boundless aura that seemed endless, inspiring profound reverence in all who beheld them.

These were, of course, Sect Master Qingyang and the five Peak Masters.

As these six leading figures of the sect appeared, all disciples and elders within the Cangxuan Sect bowed deeply, their voices echoing throughout the compound: "Greetings, Sect Master and Peak Masters!"

As the most significant annual event of the Cangxuan Sect, it was only natural for Sect Master Qingyang and the five Peak Masters to be present. Sect Master Qingyang, positioned centrally among the five Peak Masters, nodded slightly. His gaze was gentle and profound, radiating a composure that was difficult for ordinary people to achieve, as if nothing, not even the collapse of the heavens, could startle him.

"For this Chief disciple competition," Sect Master Qingyang's gentle yet commanding voice resonated in everyone's ears, "I hope all disciples will give their utmost, showcase their abilities, and serve as exemplars for the many disciples of our Cangxuan Sect."

"Yes!" all the disciples replied in unison.

Shortly after the six great figures of the Cangxuan Sect made their appearance, ten smaller light lotuses materialized before theirs. Ten figures then swept through the air, settling cross-legged upon them. And predictably, the appearance of these ten figures elicited exclamations throughout the area, with countless disciples looking on with fervent anticipation. These ten figures were none other than the Ten Saint Sons of the Cangxuan Sect!

Normally, the Ten Saint Sons cultivate and carry out their individual tasks, rarely appearing together. It is only on significant occasions like the Chief disciple competition that all ten Saint Sons make a collective appearance. Compared to the distant and awe-inspiring six great figures, the Ten Saint Sons were undoubtedly more relatable to the disciples. Many disciples held them as objects of admiration. This was why their appearance caused such a stir.

"All ten Saint Sons are here..." Zhou Yuan mused, somewhat surprised by the sight. After all, he had been in the Cangxuan Sect for a full year, yet he had only encountered fewer than half of the Saint Sons. He fixed his gaze on the ten light lotuses. In the very center, a gleaming bald head stood out, reflecting a bright sheen under the sunlight. This was Chu Qing, the foremost of the Saint Sons. Observing Chu Qing, Zhou Yuan’s gaze instinctively shifted to Lü Yan of the Lü Song lineage. As expected, she was looking at Chu Qing with an utterly adoring expression, stars practically sparkling in her eyes, her usual haughty demeanor completely absent.

To Chu Qing's sides sat Kong Sheng and Li Qingchan, with the remaining Saint Sons fanning out on either side. Every single figure commanded widespread attention. After all, attaining the status of a Saint Son was clear proof of their exceptional talent, marking them as the elite of the elite among the Cangxuan Sect's numerous disciples.

Chu Qing, seated on the light lotus, yawned. He then turned his head to find Kong Sheng glaring at him coldly from beside him. Chu Qing immediately rubbed his smooth, bald head, flashing a brilliant smile. "Ah, Junior Brother Kong Sheng," he greeted, "it's truly been a long time."

Kong Sheng's gaze, sharp as a sword, pierced Chu Qing. "Chu Qing," he said frigidly, "I've sent you eighteen challenge letters. Why have you not responded to any of them?"

Chu Qing feigned surprise. "Eighteen letters? Oh dear, I haven't seen a single one... Someone must have secretly disposed of them. I'll investigate later to see who was so brazen."

Kong Sheng merely sneered, clearly thinking, *Keep acting, you faker.* With a flick of his sleeve, a challenge letter appeared in his hand, which he then flung directly at Chu Qing. "Whether you saw it before or not," he declared, "you certainly can't avoid it this time, can you?"

The challenge letter whistled past, heading straight for Chu Qing. Yet, Chu Qing remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed straight ahead, allowing the letter to fly past him and drift away into the distance.

Kong Sheng was speechless. Li Qingchan was speechless. The other Saint Sons couldn't help but twitch their lips.

A vein pulsed visibly on Kong Sheng's forehead. He clearly hadn't anticipated Chu Qing's sheer audacity in ignoring a challenge even when presented directly. How incredibly lazy could one be?

Chu Qing then looked at Li Qingchan, smiling as he said, "Junior Sister Qingchan, let's switch seats."

Li Qingchan gave him an exasperated glance, not even bothering to respond.

Without a response, Chu Qing shook his head in slight helplessness. He then turned to the stony-faced Kong Sheng and chuckled, "Junior Brother Kong Sheng, there's no need to be so impulsive. Issuing challenge letters at the slightest provocation really strains our camaraderie as fellow disciples."

"If you want to compete, we can find another way."

"What way?" Kong Sheng asked, expressionless.

"Uh..." Chu Qing blinked, then smiled. "We could make a bet, a wager on who will become the Chief disciple this time... Hmm, how about we guess who will claim the Chief disciple position of Saint Genesis Peak?!" He added, "Whoever loses pays 100,000 Genesis Jade!"

Kong Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you accept the challenge letter," he added.

Chu Qing, looking somewhat resigned, could only nod.

Kong Sheng then let out a cold laugh. "What suspense could there possibly be regarding Saint Genesis Peak?" he stated. "The position of Chief disciple will undoubtedly go to Yuan Hong." Since Lu Hong's lineage also hailed from their Sword Peak, Kong Sheng was naturally well aware of Yuan Hong's formidable strength. He knew that neither of the other two lineages from Saint Genesis Peak had anyone capable of contending with Yuan Hong.

Upon hearing this, Chu Qing merely smiled and said, "I don't quite agree."

Kong Sheng scoffed derisively. "Oh? Then do you favor Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, or perhaps Lü Yan?"

"I believe the Chief position might just go to that Zhou Yuan," Chu Qing mused after a moment's thought.

At his words, not only did Kong Sheng let out a cold snort, but even the other Saint Sons cast sidelong glances. They had vaguely heard of Zhou Yuan, but regardless of his impressive achievements over the past year, he was, after all, still only a new disciple. The disparity between Zhou Yuan and Yuan Hong was clearly immense. How could he possibly claim the position of Chief disciple for Saint Genesis Peak? Even Li Qingchan, who was quite familiar with Zhou Yuan, subtly furrowed her brows, finding it unlikely. While Zhou Yuan had defeated Yang Xuan, in this Chief disciple competition, any participant would likely be no weaker than Yang Xuan—let alone Yuan Hong.

"I didn't realize you had such high hopes for him," Kong Sheng said flatly.

Chu Qing sighed. "To be able to subdue that 'female devil' named Zhou Xiaoyao," he stated, "this Zhou Yuan is definitely not simple..."

Everyone's mouths twitched. *Just for that reason?* they seemed to think. *He believes Zhou Yuan can win the Chief position?*

Noticing the peculiar expressions on the other Saint Sons' faces, Chu Qing immediately defended his stance. "You haven't truly experienced Zhou Xiaoyao's methods. She is absolutely a female devil; she'd betray anyone without batting an eye. If Ye Ge hadn't constantly insisted she was a Cangxuan Sect disciple, I would have suspected she was sent by the Sacred Palace to deliberately antagonize us!" His voice was thick with resentment, clearly recalling how, during a previous Heaven-level mission, Zhou Xiaoyao had relentlessly forced him to fight with all his might. There was no other option; hadn't Ye Ge almost been annihilated? In all his years, it was the first time Chu Qing had been pushed to such an extreme.

Kong Sheng, however, let out a cold sneer. "I don't care what your reason is," he declared. "Since you've chosen Zhou Yuan, then let's wait and see. I hope that after you lose this time, you'll honestly accept my challenge letter!"

As his voice faded, he retracted his gaze, directing it towards the Chief Peak of Saint Genesis Peak. His eyes then swept over a young figure there, and a hint of disdain flickered within them. *This Zhou Yuan wants to claim the Chief position of Saint Genesis Peak from Yuan Hong?* he thought. *What a pipe dream!*