Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 19

The Ninth Continent held a Grand Sect Tournament once every three years.

Yuan Yao considered the question for two seconds, then nodded. “I’ll enter.”

Cang Li stood beside her. He glanced at Yuan Yao when he heard her answer but said nothing.

Weng Mingshu smiled. “With your strength, I think you could rank among the top thousand!”

Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow. “Where did you place on the Disciple Rankings at the last Grand Sect Tournament?”

“Sixty-seventh. But I was still young three years ago. This year, I’ll definitely make the top fifty—no, the top twenty!” Weng Mingshu declared confidently.

Yuan Yao had not competed in the Ninth Continent’s last Grand Sect Tournament or even attended, but she remembered every one of her senior brothers’ and sisters’ results.

“On the Disciple Rankings last time, Eldest Senior Brother placed eighth, Second Senior Sister ninth, Third Senior Brother thirty-first, Fourth Senior Brother thirteenth, and Fifth Senior Brother seventh. If I’m entering this year, then even if I can’t surpass them, I should at least try to close the distance.”

Weng Mingshu gave her a complicated look.

“My mother always says people shouldn’t reach too far beyond themselves or try to swallow an elephant in one bite. You’ll only choke. Yes, you can fight above your realm, but you’re only at the ninth level of Qi Refining. There’s no way you can close the distance between you and your senior brothers and sisters.”

Besides, competitors could not wear defensive artifacts during the tournament.

Only three months remained.

Even if Yuan Yao broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm during those three months, she still could not compare to the others.

Especially her Youngest Senior Brother, Ying Wuji. His strength was monstrous.

Three years ago, Ying Wuji had been only thirteen, yet he had already reached early Golden Core Realm. Three years later, he might well have entered the Nascent Soul Realm.

Yuan Yao nodded. “True. My senior brothers and sisters are all incredible.”

“Whose fault is it that you never cultivated properly?” Cang Li’s cool voice drifted over.

Yuan Yao huffed and puffed out her cheeks.

Weng Mingshu tried to continue their conversation, but Yuan Yao stopped her with a solemn expression.

“I am now a person devoted to cultivation. Please do not disturb my practice.”

Weng Mingshu stared at her. “…Surely a moment or two won’t make a difference?”

“I’m too weak.” Yuan Yao sighed deeply. “The shame weighs heavily upon me. I can no longer afford to waste time.”

Weng Mingshu had no answer. For a moment, she even felt like a terrible person for obstructing someone else’s drive toward self-improvement.

“Fine. Cultivate. I won’t bother you.”

She rose and went to find Yan Haonan.

Yuan Yao sat cross-legged and began regulating her breathing.

Cang Li silently kept watch beside her.

Meanwhile, the three Chixiao Sect disciples huddled in one corner. After exchanging looks, they decided to head in the direction the giant pythons had fled.

Everyone watched with varying expressions as the three walked into the darkness.

“Weren’t they the ones most afraid of dying? Why do they suddenly dare enter a place that dangerous?”

“Lin Jingtao has a compass in his hand. Can they tell which direction to go?” A sharp-eyed cultivator had spotted the compass, along with its spinning needle.

“Could the exit really be in there?”

Interest stirred in many hearts.

“Fellow Daoist Lin!” One cultivator could not resist calling out. “Have you detected the exit?”

Lin Jingtao stopped and turned, an unreadable smile on his face.

“It isn’t the exit.”

“Then why are you…”

Lin Jingtao shook his head mysteriously. “I’m afraid we cannot disclose that.”

With that, he led his companions into the darkness.

The cultivators exchanged looks, sensing something strange. If the place did not contain an exit, then it might contain—

Treasure.

Whispers broke out. Their gazes repeatedly shifted toward Yan Haonan and Cang Li.

Yan Haonan was completely absorbed in his conversation with Weng Mingshu, seemingly unaware of the activity around them. Cang Li sat beside his Little Junior Sister with his eyes closed, serene and untroubled.

Clearly, neither cared where the three Chixiao disciples were going.

The others found themselves torn.

They wanted treasure, but they feared they lacked the strength to claim it and would only die for their greed.

On the other side, Lin Jingtao and his companions entered the darkened region.

The farther they went, the colder the air became. All three shuddered.

“Senior Brother, they didn’t follow us!” One of them kept looking back.

Lin Jingtao had noticed the same thing, and his face turned gloomy.

“Senior Brother, what do we do now? Are we really going inside?”

“It’s pitch-black. What if those giant pythons suddenly come back?”

“Senior Brother, is the tomb of that Body Integration Realm expert truly in here? What if it was only a rumor?”

Lin Jingtao frowned. “The compass needle points inside. There’s a nine-in-ten chance the tomb is there.”

The compass was a Lin Clan heirloom and anything but ordinary. It could not possibly have pointed them in the wrong direction.

Lin Jingtao had hoped to lure Cang Li and the others into the tomb so they could become expendable shields and clear the way for him.

He had not expected Cang Li’s group to ignore the bait entirely.

“Senior Brother, are we really going in?” The two companions glanced at each other, already considering retreat.

Lin Jingtao looked down at the compass, then raised his eyes toward the depths. His expression was ugly.

Even he hesitated.

…

The cultivators outside did not enter, but their attention never left the darkened region.

Time passed.

Three hours later, the surrounding spiritual energy abruptly began to churn. Everyone looked up in alarm.

The high-ponytailed girl remained seated cross-legged, absorbing spiritual energy without pause. The currents rushed madly into her body.

“What…”

Everyone stared in shock.

Cang Li’s expression changed. He immediately rose to guard Yuan Yao.

“Is she… about to break through?” Weng Mingshu asked in astonishment.

Yan Haonan narrowed his eyes. “She is.”

Everyone knew that Immortal Lord Qianshan had six disciples. Yet whenever people mentioned his sixth disciple, they always said the same thing:

*I hear Immortal Lord Qianshan’s youngest disciple still hasn’t reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Everyone says it’s because she’s too lazy, but I don’t believe that. Her talent must be poor. Calling her lazy is only an excuse to save her dignity…*

The more those words spread, the more they became accepted as truth.

The greater the genius of the Five Disciples of Qianshan, the more useless the sixth appeared.

But now it seemed rumors were still only rumors. They could not be trusted completely.

Immortal Lord Qianshan’s youngest disciple, Yuan Yao, possessed talent no weaker than the other five.