A year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this year, Zhong Bai descended the mountain over twenty times, harvesting a total of 4,500 Exorcism Points.
However, aside from investing 500 Exorcism Points into the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art, Zhong Bai had poured the remaining points into the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art and the Thunder Escape Technique.
Progress on the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art was decent. At peak tier-three Qi refinement, Zhong Bai could easily break through to tier-four Qi refinement if he wanted to.
It was just that doing so would draw too much attention.
As for the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art, it was a different story.
A full two thousand points—meaning if Zhong Bai had to cultivate it slowly on his own, it would take six or seven years. Yet even so, the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art had still not been pushed to a state of absolute perfection.
This left Zhong Bai speechless...
Still, there were gains. Along with enhanced vital essence, his arms now possessed five thousand catties of brute strength!
In addition, the Thunder Escape Technique proved quite potent. Dropping two thousand Exorcism Points into it forcefully brought Zhong Bai's Thunder Escape Technique to the stage of great accomplishment.
This year, Zhong Bai would soon turn twenty-one, and it was nearly five years since he had arrived at Mount Mao.
Inside the Law Enforcement Hall.
True Immortal Qianyuan looked at the respectful Zhong Bai before him, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. This disciple of his stubbornly refused to participate in Mount Mao's once-every-five-years grand competition.
Originally, True Immortal Qianyuan felt that with Zhong Bai's current strength, not to mention taking first place, simply participating and letting those senior and junior brothers witness his disciple's talent would be enough to bring glory to his face.
"Zhong Bai, my disciple, you... truly do not plan to participate in this grand competition?"
Zhong Bai was taken aback, wondering why his master was so intent on having him enter the grand competition.
He hastily shook his head.
"Master, this disciple has made up his mind. The so-called grand competition is merely a friendly match to compare cultivation achievements among peers.
Master knows this disciple's personality; I have no wish to vie for superiority with these Mount Mao senior and junior brothers.
Especially Senior Brother Four-Eyes and Senior Brother Lin Fengjiao, this disciple truly wishes not to participate in the grand competition. I beg Master to grant my wish!"
Hearing this, True Immortal Qianyuan had no alternative but to let out a sigh.
"Forget it, forget it. Actually, this grand competition is quite special. The situation across the realm is quietly shifting, and the Manchu Qing court is barely holding on. A turbulent era is approaching. The later you descend the mountain, the better.
At least that way, it's safer, isn't it?"
It sounded almost like talking to himself, but the moment Zhong Bai heard the words "descend the mountain," he stood there dumbfounded.
"Ahem, Master, what did you just say? The disciples who rank high in this grand competition can graduate and leave the mountain?"
Zhong Bai suspected he had gone mad wanting to graduate, yet even with the slimmest of chances, he was unwilling to let it go.
"That's right. The disciples ranked in the top five, regardless of their cultivation level, can choose whether or not to leave the mountain!"
Not until True Immortal Qianyuan repeated it did Zhong Bai know for certain that the opportunity he had always hoped for had finally arrived!
"Ahem, Master, your kindness to this disciple is something I will always keep etched in my heart. In the past, this disciple truly did not know how to repay Master, but since Master still wishes for this disciple to participate in the grand competition, then this disciple will strictly obey Master's command!"
What?!
True Immortal Qianyuan even suspected he had misheard, but seeing Zhong Bai's already altered expression and his look of yearning, he finally confirmed it.
"Disciple, you... actually don't have to participate. I was just speaking casually. You have only just entered the mountain for less than five years.
Participating in the grand competition just for fun is fine, but if you really make it into the top five, even as your master, it will be difficult for me to protect you!"
For some reason, True Immortal Qianyuan always had a lingering sense of foreboding that his disciple was about to leave.
It was just like an aging father marrying off his daughter. In all his life, Qianyuan had only this single disciple, and he treasured Zhong Bai exceptionally.
However, True Immortal Qianyuan would never have guessed how desperately Zhong Bai longed to graduate, descend the mountain, and guard a region.
"Master need not try to persuade me further. When this disciple entered the sect, I stated that my only wish in this life is to sweep away the demons of the Nine Provinces. Now, having entered the mountain to learn the arts for nearly five years, though this disciple lacks talent, I possess a heart that does not fear malevolent spirits!
Difficult though the grand competition may be, this disciple will give it my all so that Master may feel proud of me!"
Zhong Bai spoke with righteous indignation, leaving True Immortal Qianyuan entirely speechless.
"Sigh, fine, fine. Sooner or later, you must leave Mount Mao to hold down a region. You are already close to tier-four Qi refinement, and coupled with your exceptionally strong combat ability in thunder arts, ordinary vengeful ghosts pose no challenge at all.
Even ghost soldiers can be fought!
No matter how uneasy I feel as your master, I am willing to believe that you know when to advance and retreat, and can distinguish gain from loss."
True Immortal Qianyuan did not continue with any further instructions. Things were still up in the air; what if Zhong Bai failed to enter the top five?
Of course, the probability of that was actually very low.
Returning to his small courtyard and closing the door, Zhong Bai's heart thumped wildly, the ecstatic feeling completely impossible to calm.
"Heaven helps me!
Now that the opportunity is here, I must seize it well. This grand competition should be what allows everyone to descend the mountain. At the very least, the sect leader's personal disciples Shi Jian and Senior Brother Lin Fengjiao should be able to make it."
Thinking of this, Zhong Bai felt quite emotional.
Before coming to Mount Mao, Zhong Bai considered it a stroke of good luck just to be accepted into Mount Mao as an outer disciple.
Yet his luck had happened to be good enough to catch the eye of his master, who took him in under the sect's lintel.
Upon learning that he had a senior brother named Lin Fengjiao and that the sect leader's personal disciple was named Shi Jian, Zhong Bai felt that in the future he wouldn't dare ask to surpass these two big shots; as long as he maintained good relations with both senior brothers, that would be enough.
Back when Zhong Bai's Body Forging Art reached small accomplishment in a year and he was cultivating the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art, his goal for himself was to strive to achieve the rank of a Foundation Establishment True Person and succeed the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall.
Everything had been progressing steadily, but the appearance of the Exorcism Panel shattered all of Zhong Bai's previous plans.
Only a year had passed, and his progress in all aspects was nothing short of miraculous—and this was even without a way to acquire Exorcism Points in large quantities.
Otherwise, Zhong Bai believed he could have pushed his cultivation to an unimaginable realm within a year!
"The sect leader's personal disciple Shi Jian appears to be only at peak tier-four Qi refinement, Senior Brother Lin Fengjiao of the Talisman Hall has just entered tier-four Qi refinement, and Senior Brother Four-Eyes of the Corpse Herding Hall is at tier-three Qi refinement—even worse than me...
Well, entering the top five in the grand competition shouldn't be too difficult, but there's no need to appear overly astonishing!"
Having set the tone for the grand competition, Zhong Bai decided he must not be too dazzling. A tree standing tall in the forest is battered by the wind; lacking absolute strength, Zhong Bai had no wish to bare all his trump cards.
Meanwhile, in the Sect Leader's Main Hall!
At this very moment, Shi Jian's expression held a hint of tension. Shi Jian was not yet the future Thunder and Lightning Dharma King; facing his master the sect leader, who was in secluded cultivation, he truly didn't dare even breathe loudly.
"Jian'er, you were picked up by me and brought to Mount Mao at age ten, and began formal cultivation at sixteen. Although your progress was delayed for some time due to certain reasons, reaching peak tier-four Qi refinement at twenty-four is still considered not bad.
The only one in Mount Mao who can match you is Lin Fengjiao, the disciple of your Uncle-Master Lin from the Talisman Hall.
Tier-four Qi refinement at twenty-three.
Once this grand competition concludes, you, my disciple, can descend the mountain to establish your own Daoist sanctuary.
Remember, you are the future sect leader candidate. Some things can be done, while other things must never be committed. Do not lead yourself astray!"
A resplendent thunderous voice echoed. Xuanmingzi, the current Maoshan Sect Leader, still had not emerged from secluded cultivation, but even without seeing his face and hearing only his voice, Shi Jian felt his soul tremble.
"Master, this disciple understands. I will definitely not let Master down!"
"Let us hope so. You may withdraw..."
Hearing this, Shi Jian nodded and left the hall.
Sensing Shi Jian's departing back, Xuanmingzi, who was in secluded cultivation within the secret chamber, smiled bitterly and helplessly.
Just now, he had cast calculations on Shi Jian's future—ah, nine deaths and a lifetime of woe!
As the Maoshan Sect Leader, Xuanmingzi could not interfere too much, especially while in the midst of secluded cultivation. As for what Shi Jian's future held, he could only offer a warning and watch helplessly as the future arrived...
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