Chapter 174: My Apologies, I Was Too Forward
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
In the world of cultivation, the Great Competition takes place once every hundred years. Only those under the age of 150 are allowed to participate, and everyone gets only one chance in their lifetime. To ensure fairness, all participants must have their bone age verified before they can register.
Many people doubted Yu Zhao’s claim about her age, thinking she looked too young, and they eyed her with suspicion. Li Fei, the person in charge of registration at the Achievement Pavilion, appeared annoyed by the situation. He snapped, “Put your hand on the disk.”
Without hesitation, Yu Zhao placed her hand on the disk. As she did, a warm energy surged through her, and suddenly, two ancient golden characters lit up on the surface.
Li Fei sprang to his feet, his face filled with shock.
“Nineteen! You’re actually nineteen years old!”
The crowd around them gasped in disbelief.
“Nineteen and already at the Golden Core stage? How is that even possible?”
“Look closer! She’s not just in the Golden Core stage; she’s in the late stage!”
“What?! Late stage Golden Core at nineteen? This is unreal! I give up on believing in luck—it clearly doesn’t favor me!”
The revelation of Yu Zhao’s age and cultivation stage sent shockwaves through the crowd. Situ Xuan, who had always been considered a prodigy, suddenly seemed insignificant. The Situ family disciples were equally stunned.
Their young master, Situ Xuan, had reached the Golden Core stage in his thirties, which was considered extraordinary. Many believed he had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage soon. But here was Yu Zhao, not even twenty, and already close to breaking through to Nascent Soul. Her talent was simply overwhelming.
With Yu Zhao in the competition, any hope of Situ Xuan winning seemed like a distant dream.
The guards of the Situ family glanced at Situ Xuan, whose face alternated between red and pale as he tried to process what was happening.
Li Fei, still reeling from the shock of Yu Zhao’s age, remained frozen until Yu Zhao lightly tapped the table, snapping him back to reality. His attitude shifted immediately. He respectfully wrote “nineteen” next to her name and pointed to a large bronze bell nearby.
“Senior Sister Yu Zhao, just ring that bell to complete your registration.”
Yu Zhao nodded and walked over to the bell, which stood nearly ten feet tall. Though it appeared simple, it exuded an air of significance.
She had already planned how she would ring the bell and wasted no time. Channeling her spiritual power and soul force into her hand, she struck the bell with a determined look in her eyes.
Dong!
The sound echoed through the area, causing the lower-level cultivators to feel a sharp ringing in their ears and a dizziness that blurred their vision.
Situ Xuan, who had been sitting straight, clenched his fists. The sound of Yu Zhao’s bell was louder than his had been.
He had lost.
Before Situ Xuan could fully grasp his defeat, the bell rang again.
“Two bell rings?”
Situ Xuan stood up quickly, shock written all over his face. He had clearly seen Yu Zhao strike the bell only once, so how could there be two rings?
As the first ring continued to echo, the second rang out, causing many cultivators to become uneasy and leave their spots in line.
Li Fei’s face turned pale, his eyes wide with fear. As someone who worked at the Achievement Pavilion, he knew the bell’s secrets. The elders had once said that only a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could make the bell ring more than once with a single strike. Yet Yu Zhao was only at the late Golden Core stage—how had she managed this?
Dong!
Before anyone could recover from the shock of the second ring, a third one followed, leaving the onlookers stunned.
Yu Zhao’s abilities were beyond anything they had ever imagined. The gap between her skills and theirs was so vast that they couldn’t even feel jealous anymore.
Suddenly, several bright lights shot across the sky. Powerful figures with formidable auras appeared around Yu Zhao, their eyes filled with intense interest.
“Nineteen years old and already at the late stage of Golden Core? That’s incredible! Would you like to become my disciple? I’m Elder Ji Path from the Achievement Pavilion.”
“Hold on! Is this not my long-lost cherished disciple? I’ve finally found you! Come with me, and I promise to make up for all the hardships you’ve endured.”
“Hah! You shameless old farts! This young lady has an extraordinary bone structure and is clearly destined to be my disciple. If any of you try to take her from me, I’ll destroy your homes!”
Li Fei winced as he watched the usually dignified elders bicker like children, making fools of themselves. He shifted awkwardly, digging his toes into the ground out of embarrassment.
Yu Zhao couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
“Respected elders, I already have a master. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your offers.”
Elder Ji Path scowled with pain at her reply. “Your small sect can’t compare to our Achievement Pavilion. You should join us; don’t waste your talent.”
“Exactly. If you agree, we’ll ensure your original sect is compensated.”
“If you really can’t leave them, just bring your entire sect over to the Achievement Pavilion. You can train here without any worries.”
The offers from the Achievement Pavilion elders grew increasingly enticing. The other cultivators nearby couldn’t tell if Yu Zhao was interested, but they were nearly bursting with excitement themselves.
This was a prime example of, “When one person prospers, the whole group benefits.” Not only would Yu Zhao gain access to the best resources, but her original sect would also reap the rewards. They all wished they were in her shoes.
Seeing Yu Zhao hesitate, everyone silently wished they could accept the offers on her behalf.
Situ Xuan gritted his teeth, his pride shattered. He had always viewed himself as a unique prodigy, superior even to the top disciples of other sects. He had come to this competition confident that he would claim the top prize, only to be utterly outclassed before the event even began.
He now fully understood the saying, “There’s always someone better out there.”
“Thank you for your generosity, elders,” Yu Zhao said, trying to be as polite as possible to spare them any embarrassment. “But my sect isn’t interested in merging with another. Please understand, and thank you again.”
She hoped her courteous refusal would end the discussion, but the elders misunderstood her intentions and thought she was just being stubborn.
In their eyes, if Yu Zhao’s sect were significant, they wouldn’t have allowed her to compete alone; it must be a small and insignificant sect. They believed such a sect could neither support nor deserve Yu Zhao’s talents, and they continued to press her.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Even the other cultivators began to think Yu Zhao was being ungrateful.
With no other choice, Yu Zhao decided to reveal the truth.
“I’m from the Five Elements Sect.”
The area fell silent.
After a moment, Elder Ji Path forced a laugh. “Ha, haha, hahahaha! So you’re from the Five Elements Sect. No wonder you’re so talented.”
“Excuse me, excuse me indeed.”
Li Fei and the other disciples of the Achievement Pavilion were thoroughly embarrassed, but the elders were even more mortified. Had they really just suggested merging the prestigious Five Elements Sect into the Achievement Pavilion?
How utterly humiliating.