Eve of the Competition (Bonus Chapter)

These Outer Sect Disciples actively sought out Inner Sect Disciples they admired, offering their loyalty.

Other Outer Sect Disciples scoffed at these individuals, believing they were taking a crooked path and had lost the ambition of a cultivator.

However, later, after seeing the first batch of followers successfully reach Foundation Establishment, they understood the cruelty of the path of cultivation.

No matter how talented you were, in the end, you could only stop at the Grand Perfection stage of Qi Condensation, waiting for your lifespan to run out with no possibility of reaching Foundation Establishment.

Correspondingly, the number of people choosing to become followers increased year by year.

Outer Sect Disciples merely bore the sect's name, while Inner Sect Disciples were truly recognized, supported, and cultivated by the sect.

Circumstances were stronger than individuals. While the actions of those followers were looked down upon, the fact that some of them successfully reached Foundation Establishment and became Inner Sect Disciples was undeniable.

Therefore, more and more people proactively became followers, until now, it has gradually evolved to the point where Outer Sect Disciples need to pass an assessment to even qualify as a follower.

Furthermore, becoming a follower of an Inner Sect Disciple, known today as a retainer, not only earned respect but also became a symbol of honor.

The sect neither approved nor opposed this.

The sect had always adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards Outer Sect Disciples. As long as they paid their sect contribution points and did not violate sect rules, the disciples could do whatever they pleased.

However, to avoid disrupting the balance of the Outer Sect, the sect stipulated that an Inner Sect Disciple at the Qi Condensation stage could only choose two retainers.

This was also why everyone placed such importance on the grand assessment.

The opportunity to become a retainer for an Inner Sect Disciple and thus enter the Inner Sect was a rare chance for many Outer Sect Disciples.

They could not only gain more cultivation resources but also find a patron.

After all, the difficulty of entering the Inner Sect through the normal channels was simply too great.

Only the top ten disciples in the Outer Sect Grand Competition would receive a Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, the Outer Sect Grand Competition only occurred once every five years. Under normal circumstances, only about two disciples on average each year could successfully reach Foundation Establishment and enter the Inner Sect.

This made it as difficult as ascending to heaven for ordinary Outer Sect Disciples to enter the Inner Sect.

Becoming a retainer, however, was like ascending to heaven, entering the Inner Sect.

Unlike Outer Sect Disciples who had no path to seek enlightenment, Inner Sect Disciples could exchange Contribution Points for Foundation Establishment Pills.

Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely precious and rare. An Inner Sect Disciple could only exchange for three pills in their lifetime.

Although each Foundation Establishment Pill required a massive amount of Contribution Points to exchange for, the qualification to exchange for each pill was always highly sought after.

Most Inner Sect Disciples possessed Dual-Element Spiritual Roots, and they often only needed one or two Foundation Establishment Pills to break through to Foundation Establishment.

They would either sell the surplus Foundation Establishment Pills or bestow them upon the retainers who followed them.

This was precisely why Outer Sect Disciples scrambled to be chosen as retainers.

All they sought was that sliver of opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, these retainers would automatically have their retainer status lifted and become Inner Sect Disciples.

However, the so-called retainer was, in essence, a subordinate relationship. To put it bluntly, it was not much different from a servant in the mortal world.

Retainers obeyed the commands of Inner Sect Disciples, and Inner Sect Disciples would provide them with resources and protection.

Although retainers had Inner Sect Disciples as patrons, their freedom was in turn controlled by others.

It was even possible for retainers to be killed by Inner Sect Disciples if they committed serious offenses.

However, under normal circumstances, Inner Sect Disciples would not kill their retainers lightly.

An Inner Sect Disciple at the Qi Condensation stage could only choose two retainers in total, and once a retainer was chosen, they could not be replaced, not even if they died. Excellent retainers were of great benefit to Inner Sect Disciples.

Therefore, Inner Sect Disciples were exceptionally cautious in their selection of retainers.

Retainers were simply and directly divided into two categories by Inner Sect Disciples: combat-oriented and support-oriented.

Combat-oriented retainers were more popular, but support-oriented ones were also indispensable. These Inner Sect Disciples generally chose one of each type.

A small number of them would choose two combat-oriented or two support-oriented retainers.

Xu Chunniang was not interested in becoming someone's retainer. In her opinion, selling one's freedom was no different from selling one's soul.

Since embarking on this path of cultivation, she had grown stronger day by day. Xu Chunniang was confident that by relying on her own strength, she could eventually enter the Inner Sect without becoming anyone's retainer.

She felt a bit happy and expectant thinking about seeing Wei Dawu soon.

Wei Dawu was her only acquaintance in the sect, and she wondered how his cultivation had progressed over the past three years.

While Xu Chunniang had no intention of becoming a retainer, it didn't mean others weren't interested.

After all, for this group of new disciples, the hope of obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill in the Outer Sect was too slim; it was far more promising to follow an Inner Sect Disciple.

They were all eager, striving to perform brilliantly today so that the Inner Sect geniuses would notice them.

"I heard that the Inner Sect Disciples from our cohort will all be watching our competition today, specifically to select the best retainers. I must perform well today and strive to be chosen to enter the Inner Sect."

"Sigh, it's too difficult to be chosen by those arrogant Inner Sect senior brothers. There are only a little over a hundred Inner Sect senior brothers who joined in our intake, and they will select at most over two hundred retainers, while we Outer Sect Disciples number a full three thousand."

"Be content!"

Someone beside him advised, "The Outer Sect Grand Competition has at least five thousand participants every year, and only the top ten are selected each time. This is much easier than the Outer Sect Grand Competition."

"That's true. We must seize this opportunity, otherwise, we might be stuck in the Outer Sect for the rest of our lives."

"The Martial Trial is about to begin, why haven't the Inner Sect seniors arrived yet?"

Just then, a disciple pointed excitedly to the side, "Look over there, it's the Inner Sect seniors, they're coming!"

The Inner Sect disciples wore white robes, distinguishing them from the Outer Sect disciples, so everyone recognized them at a glance.

They carried a hint of arrogance, their white robes spotless, forming a stark contrast with the thousands of Outer Sect disciples in green robes surrounding them.

Seeing that the Inner Sect disciples had arrived, Steward Mu, who had been resting with her eyes closed at the head seat, opened her eyes and calmly instructed, "Begin."

The rules for the Martial Trial had long been established: assessments would be conducted in batches based on the results of the Scholarly Trial. Disciples who achieved an A grade in the Scholarly Trial would be prioritized for matches.

Out of the three thousand Outer Sect disciples, a total of four hundred achieved Double A grades. They would participate in three matches, with the winners advancing and the losers being directly disqualified.

Only fifty disciples would remain from these final four hundred.

Based on past trends, if nothing unexpected happened, these fifty disciples would all be selected by the Inner Sect disciples.

Even among those who didn't make the top fifty but were in the top hundred, quite a few would still be chosen.

After all, a Double A grade was, to some extent, a testament to one's strength.

Xu Chunniang, being among the first batch of participants, went on stage and drew her number: three hundred and twenty-seven.

Ten arenas were set up at the assessment venue, capable of accommodating twenty people competing simultaneously. At this pace, it would likely be a while before it was her turn.

Xu Chunniang looked in the direction of the Inner Sect disciples, trying to find Wei Dawu.

Coincidentally, he was also looking in her direction, and their eyes met for a moment.

Wei Dawu smiled slightly and made a gesture of encouragement towards her. Xu Chunniang flashed a big smile and nodded heavily.

Although she hadn't considered becoming a retainer, she wouldn't go easy on the competition.

Thanks to fellow Daoist forever卟 for the reward, and fellow Daoists 快乐☆星星, 瑶瑶, and 翩翩 for the monthly votes. Yesterday, I accidentally misspelled fellow Daoist Smaogirl2's name, my apologies, it has been corrected. Today, we will continue with extra updates and climbing the rankings!