Chapter 174: Forgive My Boldness
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The Aspiration Pavilion’s grand competition was a prestigious event held every hundred years, requiring participants to have a bone age under 150 and allowing each individual only one lifetime entry. To prevent fraud, all participants underwent bone age testing prior to registration.
Many assumed that Yu Zhao was ignorant of these rules and had deliberately lied. Their scornful gazes were evident.
The disciple overseeing registrations, Li Fei, frowned impatiently. “Place your hand on the disk,” he instructed curtly.
Yu Zhao complied without hesitation.
As her palm touched the disk, a wave of heat coursed through her hand. Moments later, golden light burst forth, projecting two ancient golden characters onto the desk.
Li Fei abruptly stood up, his eyes wide.
“Nineteen! You’re truly nineteen years old!”
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, leaving mouths agape.
“Nineteen years old! A Golden Core stage cultivator at nineteen? Where did this monster come from?”
“Open your eyes and take a closer look! She isn’t just at the Golden Core stage—she’s already at the late Golden Core stage!”
“What?! Late Golden Core?! Damn you, heavens! I’m done treating you like a benevolent grandparent. Clearly, you don’t see me as a beloved grandson!”
“…”
Yu Zhao’s astounding display left the crowd reeling. Many cultivators were emotionally overwhelmed, laughing and crying simultaneously.
Even the Si Tu Family members were shaken. Their Young Master, Si Tu Xuan, had been hailed as a prodigy for reaching the Golden Core stage near the age of thirty, making him the family’s most promising heir for Nascent Soul advancement.
Yet Yu Zhao, a young woman under twenty, had already reached the late Golden Core stage, merely a step away from the Nascent Soul. Such terrifying talent was almost unheard of in the cultivation world. With her in the competition, Si Tu Xuan’s chances of victory seemed to vanish.
The Si Tu Family’s guards nervously glanced at Si Tu Xuan, whose face alternated between pale and flushed. What thoughts brewed in his mind remained unclear.
Meanwhile, Li Fei stood frozen like a statue, overwhelmed by the revelation of Yu Zhao’s age.
A faint knock on the table brought him back to reality. Yu Zhao had tapped her knuckles lightly, her expression calm.
Li Fei quickly composed himself. The earlier disdain in his eyes was gone, replaced with respect. After steadying himself, he solemnly recorded “nineteen years old” next to her name, then gestured toward the bronze bell behind him.
“Senior Sister Yu, please strike the bell to complete your registration.”
Yu Zhao nodded and approached the bronze bell. Standing nearly three meters tall, the bell exuded a dignified and solemn aura.
Having already decided on her approach, Yu Zhao stood firm, channeling her spiritual power and divine soul energy into her palm.
Her gaze sharpened as her hand struck the bell with blinding speed.
Dong—
A thunderous chime erupted, echoing like a sudden clap of thunder. Lower-level cultivators felt their ears ringing, their vision blurred.
Si Tu Xuan bolted upright. Yu Zhao’s strike was louder than his own. He had lost.
Before he could fully absorb the bitterness of defeat, the bronze bell rang out again.
“Two chimes?!”
Si Tu Xuan was utterly stunned and leapt to his feet. He had clearly seen Yu Zhao strike the bell only once. How could there be two chimes?
The second chime overlapped with the first, its resonance intensifying. Many cultivators began feeling unwell, abandoning their orderly queue to retreat farther back.
Li Fei’s face turned pale, his pupils trembling violently. As a disciple of the Aspiration Pavilion, he knew the secrets of the bronze bell. The elders had explicitly stated that only Nascent Soul cultivators could achieve multiple chimes with a single strike. How had Yu Zhao, merely at the late Golden Core stage, accomplished this?
Dong—
As the crowd struggled to recover from the shock of two chimes, a third chime resounded.
Expressions froze in place as the cultivators descended into stunned silence, their minds unable to process the event. Their disbelief transformed into resignation as the third chime enveloped them.
Yu Zhao’s abilities clearly transcended their understanding. Their emotions of envy or jealousy failed to arise—perhaps because the gap between them was simply too vast.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
Suddenly, streaks of radiant light darted across the sky. Several imposing figures, emanating profound auras, appeared around Yu Zhao, their eyes glowing with anticipation.
“A nineteen-year-old at the late Golden Core stage… Not bad, not bad. Would you consider becoming my disciple? I am Elder Sacrificial Blade from the Aspiration Pavilion.”
“Hmm? Isn’t this my long-lost obedient disciple? Finally, I’ve found you! Come with me, and I promise your master will make up for the hardship you’ve endured all these years.”
“Bah! Shameless old fogies! This little girl has extraordinary talent and is obviously destined to be with me. Anyone who dares to snatch her away… I’ll tear down their cave dwelling!”
“…”
Li Fei watched in disbelief as these usually dignified elders bickered like children, uttering absurd statements. His embarrassment reached the point where he curled his toes tightly inside his shoes.
Yu Zhao was equally torn between laughter and helplessness.
“Esteemed elders, I already have a master. I must respectfully decline your kind offers.”
Elder Sacrificial Blade frowned. “Your small, insignificant sect can’t possibly compare to our Aspiration Pavilion. You’d be wasting your talent if you stayed there.”
“Indeed, indeed! You need only nod in agreement, and we’ll compensate your original sect generously.”
“If you truly can’t part with them, why not have your entire sect relocate to the Aspiration Pavilion? That way, you can focus on your cultivation without worry.”
The offers from the elders of the Aspiration Pavilion grew increasingly extravagant.
The onlookers weren’t sure how Yu Zhao felt about the proposals, but their hearts were bursting with excitement.
What was this?
When one person ascends, everyone benefits.
Not only could Yu Zhao receive superior resources, but even her original sect could reap endless benefits.
How they wished such an opportunity had fallen into their laps instead! Watching Yu Zhao remain unresponsive, they wanted to agree on her behalf.
Si Tu Xuan clenched his teeth. His innate sense of superiority was utterly crushed.
He had always seen himself as an unparalleled cultivation genius, superior even to disciples of top-tier sects. Full of confidence, he had come to participate in the cultivation world’s grand competition, boasting to his clan that he would seize the top prize. Yet, before the competition even began, he was utterly defeated.
There’s always someone stronger, and a sky beyond the sky.
Today, he finally understood the meaning of those words.
Yu Zhao remained polite, unwilling to embarrass the overly enthusiastic elders. “I truly appreciate your kindness, esteemed elders, but my sect cannot join the Aspiration Pavilion. I hope you can understand.”
Her tactful rejection was meant to provide them an exit, but the elders seemed to think Yu Zhao was simply being stubborn.
If Yu Zhao’s sect had any standing in the cultivation world, she wouldn’t have needed to compete in the individual trials. It was undoubtedly an insignificant and obscure sect. Such a sect, instead of helping Yu Zhao, would only hinder her progress. The elders couldn’t bear to see her waste her talent and persisted in persuading her.
Even the crowd began to think Yu Zhao was being unreasonably obstinate.
Left with no choice, Yu Zhao revealed the truth.
“I am a disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect.”
The entire crowd fell silent.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Finally, Elder Sacrificial Blade forced out a few awkward laughs. “Ha… hahaha… Hahahaha… A disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect! No wonder you’re so talented.”
“How presumptuous of us.”
Now, it wasn’t just the disciples like Li Fei feeling awkward; even the elders of the Aspiration Pavilion turned crimson with embarrassment.
What had they just said? To suggest merging the Five Elements Dao Sect into the Aspiration Pavilion?
What a disgrace!