Chapter 547: Mu Xiaoman

The vast square was bustling with noise.

New disciples had gathered before all seven stone platforms. However, compared to the other six peaks, Saint Genesis Peak clearly had a sparse crowd. After all, its foundation was indeed much weaker than the other six peaks.

Furthermore, the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak hadn't even appeared for the occasion. Relying solely on Zhou Tai and Lu Yan, two purple-sash disciples, they simply couldn't compete with the other six peaks in terms of prestige, so the cool reception was to be expected.

Zhou Tai and Lu Yan were particularly frustrated. If this continued, all the talented new disciples would likely be recruited by the other six peaks. By the time the six peaks were full, only the undesirable ones would be left.

Their gazes swept across the multitude of people, then suddenly fixed on the center of the square, where dozens of figures were still observing.

Zhou Tai and Lu Yan were looking at the very front of those dozens of figures.

Of course, it wasn't just the two of them paying attention; even the other six peaks were vaguely staring at the figure leading that group.

It was a young girl dressed in green. With bright eyes and pearly white teeth, she appeared exceptionally beautiful and charming. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, giving her a slightly capable look, and her slender, delicate eyebrows conveyed a sense of sharpness.

The girl's name was Mu Xiaoman. She was said to come from a prominent family on the Shengzhou Continent, possessed exceptional talent, and was ranked first in this Mountain Selection Ceremony.

This girl had a cheerful personality and a competitive spirit, so her prestige among this generation of new disciples was quite strong. The new disciples gathered around her were also those who had ranked highly in the Mountain Selection Ceremony.

Judging by their demeanor, they clearly deferred to Mu Xiaoman, wanting to see how she would choose. After all, in this Mountain Selection Ceremony, everyone had the right to choose freely, unlike in the past when all but the first-ranked disciple were randomly assigned by the peak masters.

"Sister Xiaoman, are you still hesitating? Which of the six peaks do you like? If you go there, we'll follow you too!" some youths standing beside Mu Xiaoman asked with smiles, their eyes clearly filled with admiration as they looked at the girl.

Upon hearing this, the girl named Mu Xiaoman's gaze wandered for a moment. For some reason, she glanced towards the sparsely populated Saint Genesis Peak stone platform.

"Saint Genesis Peak?" The other disciples were stunned at her glance. "Sister Xiaoman," they said, "you're not interested in Saint Genesis Peak, are you? It's said that Saint Genesis Peak doesn't even have a peak master..."

Mu Xiaoman swept her gaze over them and lightly scoffed, "What do you know? Saint Genesis Peak's gates have reopened. Although there's no peak master in charge, it has abundant cultivation resources. Now is precisely the time for it to strive for prosperity; as long as one has talent, they can continually advance. As for the other six peaks, their foundations are too vast, making them somewhat bloated."

"And... do you know how long it took for Saint Genesis Peak's current chief disciple to ascend to his position?"

The other new disciples exchanged bewildered glances. Having only been outer mountain disciples previously, they were utterly unqualified to access information about the inner mountain, so they naturally didn't know these things.

Mu Xiaoman pursed her lips, then raised a slender, jade-like finger and said, "Just over a year. That senior disciple was the first-ranked disciple in our previous Mountain Selection Ceremony."

"I remember that senior disciple's name should be Zhou Yuan..."

The other disciples also looked somewhat shocked. "He became a chief disciple in just over a year?" they exclaimed.

This promotion speed was quite terrifying. Inner mountain disciples had to progress through the black sash, white sash, and purple sash ranks before they could qualify to contend for the chief disciple position. Many people probably couldn't even achieve one rank promotion in a year.

"Is it really that easy to become a chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak?" someone mumbled, clearly suspecting the achievement might be questionable.

"I heard that during the recent Genesis Pool Festival, Saint Genesis Peak, under the leadership of this Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan, achieved first place," Mu Xiaoman said. "Moreover, even the chief disciple of Sword Cometh Peak was defeated by him, which shows he truly has ability."

A pretty girl nearby whispered, "Then why hasn't Saint Genesis Peak's chief disciple appeared for such an important event? After all, we're from the outer mountain, and news from the inner mountain is often just hearsay."

Mu Xiaoman also hesitated upon hearing this. As knowing this much information was already her limit, she naturally didn't understand why Saint Genesis Peak's chief disciple wouldn't appear at such an occasion.

"Could the information I received be inaccurate?" she muttered to herself.

"I'll go ask and find out!"

Mu Xiaoman's eyes flickered, and she no longer hesitated, heading straight towards Saint Genesis Peak.

As the first-ranked participant in this Mountain Selection Ceremony, Mu Xiaoman's every move was constantly watched. So when people from the other peaks saw her head straight for Saint Genesis Peak, they were all slightly surprised.

Even Zhou Tai and Lu Yan watched the approaching Mu Xiaoman with some surprise. They knew very well that this young girl was a highly sought-after individual.

After all, the first-ranked disciple in last year's Mountain Selection Ceremony was Zhou Yuan, and his current achievements were clear for all to see. Therefore, they couldn't help but hold some expectations for the new first-ranked disciple of this year's Mountain Selection Ceremony.

"Excuse me, Senior Brothers, Senior Sister..." Mu Xiaoman approached the stone platform and bowed with clasped fists to Zhou Tai and Lu Yan. Without beating around the bush, she asked, "I've heard that Saint Genesis Peak achieved first place in the recent Genesis Pool Festival, is that true?"

Zhou Tai and Lu Yan exchanged a glance, their hearts secretly pleased. They then nodded, saying without changing their expressions, "That's right. Saint Genesis Peak indeed clinched first place in the last Genesis Pool Festival."

Mu Xiaoman blinked her large eyes. "Did Saint Genesis Peak's Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan defeat Sword Cometh Peak's Chief Disciple Baili during the Genesis Pool Festival?" she asked.

Zhou Tai couldn't help but feel a little smug. "That's a well-known fact," he said.

"Boom!"

However, no sooner had he spoken than a violent wave of Genesis Qi erupted from a nearby stone platform, surging towards Zhou Tai and Lu Yan like a tidal wave.

Zhou Tai and Lu Yan quickly looked over and saw Baili Che's grim expression.

"Two mere purple-sash disciples dare to insult my name?" Baili Che said slowly, staring coldly at Zhou Tai and Lu Yan.

Enduring the immense pressure, Zhou Tai gritted his teeth and said, "Chief Disciple Baili, what are you doing? So many people witnessed what happened that day; can you possibly deny it?"

Lu Yan also angrily retorted, "You already lost to Zhou Yuan; are we wrong to state the truth?"

The chief disciples of the other peaks frowned upon seeing this. Baili Che truly had a narrow mind; it was common knowledge that he lost to Zhou Yuan, yet he insisted on taking his anger out on two purple-sash disciples here, which was truly beneath his status.

"That was merely due to my carelessness before," Baili Che said chillingly. "Now, if you call that Zhou Yuan to appear before me again, do you think he'll still have the guts to attack me?!"

Powerful Genesis Qi erupted from his body like a storm. It was genuine ninth-layer Heaven, incomparably stronger than his previous half-step ninth-layer Heaven.

Clearly, with his breakthrough to the ninth-layer Heaven, Baili Che harbored even greater resentment over his previous defeat.

Zhou Tai and Lu Yan both endured the Genesis Qi pressure, their faces turning ashen. They could only grit their teeth and resist; after all, Baili Che was indeed stronger than before, and they simply couldn't contend with him.

The atmosphere in the square became somewhat chaotic. Although many disciples found Baili Che's behavior unpalatable, they also secretly shook their heads upon seeing Saint Genesis Peak suppressed into such a sorry state. The new disciples who had previously shown some interest in Saint Genesis Peak also began to waver.

Not far away, a steward noticed the situation and was about to intervene with a shout.

However, at this very moment, a clap of thunder seemed to reverberate between heaven and earth. In the distant horizon, a massive golden pillar of light shot into the sky, clearly visible for hundreds of miles.

A clear, piercing whistle, like rolling muffled thunder, spread outwards.

And then, everyone saw a streak of golden light cut across the sky. Finally, like a meteor, it descended from the heavens and landed directly onto Saint Genesis Peak's stone platform.

As the golden light dispersed, a tall, slender young figure emerged from within. And as he stepped out, the Genesis Qi pressure from Baili Che was almost instantly crushed.

His eyes, still gleaming with light like an eagle's, gazed directly in Baili Che's direction. At the same time, a voice, calm yet containing the force of thunder, resonated across the square.

"A dignified Chief Disciple of Sword Cometh Peak, what are you doing oppressing purple-sash disciples?" the voice boomed. "If you want another round, how about I accompany you?"