Chapter 464: All Parties Prepare

The news of the imperial court hosting a competition quickly spread across the entire continent. Since the final round was to be held at Wen Dao Sect, coinciding with Wen Dao Sect's 120,000th anniversary celebration, the competition was named the Wen Dao Grand Assembly.

Innumerable sects rubbed their fists and eagerly prepared to send forth their most esteemed disciples to compete.

With the advent of a great era, prodigies emerged in abundance. Many factions had already received exceptionally talented disciples, far surpassing those of previous generations, and had kept them hidden, waiting for a chance to astound the world.

Now, that opportunity had finally arrived!

“The sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects serving as judges, along with rewards like unique spells, rare treasures, semi-immortal level cultivation insights, opportunities to explore secret realms, and ancient texts… even I would be tempted by such prizes. If I were still young, I would definitely give it a shot!”

The Sword Tower Lord sighed, regretting that he hadn't encountered such a golden opportunity in his youth—a chance to battle the continent's most outstanding talents, not to mention such generous rewards. These prizes were so valuable that they would be considered a grand gift even for an entire sect, let alone for a single disciple.

“Mingtai, you are the most talented person in my Sword Tower, the only one in a millennium to receive the Supreme True Legacy. You will surely make a name for yourself at the Wen Dao Grand Assembly, letting your reputation resound throughout the world and establishing your fame!”

“Mingtai will not disappoint the sect’s high hopes!”

“Although my Flying Waterfall Sect is a second-rank sect, normally we wouldn’t even qualify for the final competition. But this time is different, Kong Hao. With you, your talent is no less than that of the core disciples from first-rank or even super-rank sects!”

“I know you’ve always preferred to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention. Even after becoming a true disciple and then a core disciple, you haven’t tried to curry favor or form your own clique like others. Instead, you’ve dedicated yourself wholeheartedly to cultivation, paying no mind to worldly affairs.”

“Master, I…” Kong Hao hesitated. He had chosen the Flying Waterfall Sect precisely because he wanted to maintain a low profile and avoid trouble. Unexpectedly, trouble found its way to him, and he couldn’t refuse it.

“For any other competition, not participating would be fine. But this one is organized by the imperial court. Your master doesn't expect you to become the champion; even just reaching the final round and earning the sect a chance to attend the grand celebration at Wen Dao Sect would bring immense benefits to our sect!”

“Furthermore, the judges for this competition are the sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects. If they could offer you even a brief critique, it would be of immense help to your cultivation!”

“Alright.” He reluctantly agreed.

“Semi-immortal level cultivation insights? The Great Xia Dynasty is actually willing to offer such a valuable item, its worth immeasurable. I dedicated my life to the Great Yu Dynasty, slumbering until now, yet they wouldn't even give me cultivation insights of the Tribulation Transcending level. Since they won't give it, then don't blame me for taking it from Great Xia!”

“With semi-immortal level cultivation insights, coupled with the other rewards and my single spiritual root physique, my chances of cultivating to the Tribulation Transcending stage in the future will be even greater!”

“In the future, there should be a place for this True Lord!”

“Heh, the final round is at Wen Dao Sect? What a coincidence. I was just wondering how to infiltrate Wen Dao Sect, and now the opportunity has presented itself.”

“Wen Dao Sect, oh Wen Dao Sect, if anything goes wrong during the celebration, don’t blame me. Blame your imperial court’s decision instead!”

“However, with this, Wen Dao Sect and the imperial court will surely invite powerful experts to guard the event, which makes things a bit tricky. I wonder what cultivation level those individuals will be. Never mind, to be safe, I'll bring everyone.”

Moon Laurel Immortal Palace.

“Lanting, the sect needs to select a Golden Core mid-stage disciple to participate in the finals. Your master has decided to choose you to compete. What are your thoughts?”

“This disciple obeys!”

After receiving the order, Lanting secretly glanced up at her master. For some reason, her master was wearing a veil, making it impossible to discern her emotions. After a moment of thought, Lanting dared to ask,

“Master, will I be able to see Lu Yang when we go to Wen Dao Sect this time?”

Luo Hongxia’s eye twitched, and she gritted her teeth slightly: “Yes, absolutely. This time, even if others can’t see him, you definitely will!”

Five Elements Sect.

“Baiming, my Five Elements Sect needs a Golden Core mid-stage representative to compete. You must bring honor to our sect at the assembly.”

“I guarantee I’ll complete the task, but this disciple has another question.”

“Ask away.”

“What happened to the injury on your face?”

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

Prison Suppressing Sect.

“Tianzhi, for this competition, your master has no other demands. If you encounter anyone from the Five Elements Sect, beat them fiercely. There’s no need to show them any mercy!”

“Understood.”

Seeing Yan Tianzhi turn to leave, Yang Ding called out to him: “Wait a moment, aren’t you going to ask how your master got these injuries?”

“Anyway, it wasn’t me who inflicted them.”

Slaughterhouse.

“Master, please speak. Even if our Buddhist sect emphasizes understanding without words, you can’t just give me a look and expect me to figure it out on my own!”

“Master, why on earth did you cultivate silent meditation? Now you can’t speak, can’t transmit divine sense, and can’t even write letters.”

Master Jiesha still remained silent.

Shi Chan was speechless. He put down his butcher knife and pondered the meaning of his master’s gaze.

Suspended Temple was excellent in every way: disciples lived in harmony, everyone worked together, resources were abundant, and there were Tribulation Transcending stage mighty cultivators providing guidance.

The only problem was playing charades.

Shi Chan often complained that his master’s words were as good as unsaid. Now, it was even worse; he wasn’t speaking at all.

“Never mind, I’ll just continue slaughtering pigs.”

Meng Jingzhou arrived at Tianmen Peak. As soon as he entered the cave abode, he saw Lu Yang, leaning back in a chair with his hands clasped over his stomach, in a lazy posture.

Senior Sister was not present.

“Why did you call me here?” Meng Jingzhou found Lu Yang irritating no matter how he looked at him. “Why are you acting as the acting sect master again?”

Qiu Jin'an had, as promised, taught Meng Jingzhou a secret spell of the Five Elements Sect. He had just returned from the Five Elements Sect when he received a message from the acting sect master, summoning him.

“Little Meng, come, sit, don’t be shy,” Lu Yang said with a smile.

Meng Jingzhou looked around the cave abode. There was only one chair in the entire place, and Lu Yang was currently sitting in it.

Am I supposed to sit on your head?

Lu Yang automatically ignored Meng Jingzhou’s glare and said unhurriedly,

“You’ve probably heard that the imperial court is organizing a grand assembly, to be held concurrently with the sect’s celebration. The assembly groups are very detailed, with each minor cultivation stage forming a group. The sect values this assembly highly. After numerous discussions with the elders, the participating disciples for other minor stages have all been decided, but the Golden Core mid-stage spot remains undecided, which is quite troublesome.”

“Those who can represent the sect at the assembly must be the most outstanding disciples. After much deliberation and overriding all objections, I’ve decided that you should participate.”

Meng Jingzhou’s eyes lit up, and his lips curved into an unconscious smile. He found these words comforting, making him feel warm all over: “So you admit I’m stronger than you now?”

Lu Yang’s smile broadened: “I’m a judge.”

He had endured hardships, working tirelessly like an ox or a horse for the Immortal Fairy, all for this very moment.

“Damn it!”