A name that shook the sect

The Inner Sect selection ended quickly. Intimidated by Zhuge Xiang's martial prowess, no matter how fiercely the disciples fought, they dared not approach Zhuge Xiang's vicinity. In the end, only seven disciples remained standing on the Martial Arts Arena, plus Zhuge Xiang and the other two, making a total of ten.

The examiner, who Deity Transformation stage, announced that Zhuge Xiang and the others had become Inner Core Disciple. Soon, the staff who had been prepared came up to the stage and changed the Identity Jade Token for Zhuge Xiang and the others one by one. The Identity Jade Token for outer sect disciples were carved from white jade, while those for Inner Core Disciple were carved from black jade.

"Alright, this year's Inner Sect Selection Trial has come to a successful conclusion. You all prepare yourselves. Tomorrow at noon, the Asura Warship will take you to the Three Inner Sect Halls," the Deity Transformation stage examiner instructed Zhuge Xiang and the others after the assessment ended. He then Artifact Flight back to the Floating Mountain to report.

The Three Inner Sect Halls? Zhuge Xiang was completely clueless about this, so he turned to ask Lu Yuling, who was standing next to him.

Originally, the Inner Sect Disciple were divided into three halls: the Battle Hall, which was used for open combat to intimidate other forces; the Blood Hall, which was used to assassinate various high-ranking officials or leaders of major forces; and finally, the Shadow Hall, which was used for intelligence gathering.

Inner Sect Disciple chooses one of the three halls. Because of the Inner Sect Disciple's missions, the Three Inner Sect Halls are not located at the Asura Sect Headquarters, but in Ink Martial City near the Endless Mountain Range. After all, the Endless Mountain Range are so large that traveling back and forth would be too time-consuming.

Although the Inner Sect Disciple of the Asura Headquarters have thirty mountain peaks as their residences, nine out of ten are usually empty. Unless they are about to break through to a higher level and need to seek a quiet place for seclusion, or they need to return to the headquarters for a mission, or they need to come back to choose a martial art that suits them, the Inner Sect Disciple rarely return to the Asura Sect Headquarters.

Inner Core Disciple naturally enjoy much better benefits than outer disciples. They receive one low-grade Spirit Stone each month, and the rewards for various tasks assigned by the sect are also very high.

Upon returning to Green Bamboo Peak, Zhuge Xiang and his companions tidied up, and staff members processed their paperwork, allowing them, the Inner Sect Disciple, to move into their residences in the Inner Sect District Three.

On Green Bamboo Peak, Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling, Niu Geng, Hua Nongying, Zi Xiang, Ling Wufeng, Ji Wuxue, and others gathered for a farewell, which also served as a send-off for Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling. While congratulating them on their successful promotion to Inner Core Disciple, these people also secretly marveled, never expecting that Zhuge Xiang and the others had already reached this point in just two years since arriving at the Asura Sect Headquarters.

"It's not like we're not coming back. Besides, with your cultivation speed, I believe you'll soon reach the Void Splitting Realm and become Inner Core Disciple." At the farewell gathering, everyone spoke as if it were a life-or-death farewell, which was the atmosphere Zhuge Xiang disliked the most.

"Haha, Zhuge Xiang is right. We need to catch up quickly, otherwise the gap will only widen," Ling Wufeng replied with a smile as Zhuge Xiang finished speaking, and the atmosphere suddenly became much more cheerful.

A group of vibrant young people, laughing and chatting, were full of determination for the future. In fact, their cultivation speed was quite good in the Asura Sect. However, the terrifying growth rate of Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling brought them a so-called role of being a role model.

It wasn't just the Green Bamboo Peak; all the other disciples who successfully passed the Inner Sect assessment also called on their friends and farewells in the final moments. Although they could return to the Asura Sect Headquarters in the future, they would return less often.

The Inner Sect Selection Trial is a highly anticipated event, whether for outer or Inner Sect. During the assessment, Zhuge Xiang defeated Lin Tian, who was at the first level of the Void Splitting Realm, and also gained insight into Sword Intent. Like a hurricane, he swept through the Asura Sect Headquarters, becoming the talk of the town for a time.

Previously, Zhuge Xiang had some fame, but it was limited to Green Bamboo Peak and Green Willow Peak. His big commotion when he first arrived at headquarters, however, has made him famous throughout the entire Asura Sect Headquarters. If someone mentions Zhuge Xiang's name now and no one knows him, then you can only say you're out of touch.

However, with only the cultivation level of the Meridian Opening Realm Sixth Layer, he was able to unleash Sword Qi and comprehend Sword Intent even disciples in the Deity Transformation stage might not be able to grasp. More importantly, he publicly challenged the Dugu Family. These events were enough to become the talk of the town for everyone. As Zhuge Xiang's fame grew, many people naturally began to dig into his secrets, but the results they came up with were even more astonishing.

Zhang Kuang, a disciple of Green Willow Peak, had only been at the Asura Sect Headquarters for three years, yet he had already reached the second level of the Meridian Opening Realm Second Layer. These people still had some impression of that Red-Haired Crimson-Eyed disciple, and many of those who were Zhang Kuang felt that Zhang Kuang's ability to become Inner Core Disciple was merely due to Zhuge Xiang's influence. However, his ability to advance from the Qi Cultivation Realm to the Meridian Opening Realm in just three years silenced their criticisms. Genius—nothing else could describe him.

However, if Zhang Kuang is a genius, then Lu Yuling is even more terrifying. She is a disciple of Green Bamboo Peak and came to the Asura Sect a year later than Zhang Kuang, but she also has the cultivation level of the Meridian Opening Realm Second Layer. Such a cultivation speed is rare in the entire history of the Asura Sect. Moreover, what is even more terrifying is that she has actually comprehended the state of Clear Mind State.

However, it was as if Lu Yuling's growth rate was terrifyingly fast, almost frighteningly so! Zhuge Xiang made them truly understand what terrifying meant!

Zhuge Xiang, like Lu Yuling, is a disciple of Green Bamboo Peak. However, in just two years, he has already reached the terrifying level of the Meridian Opening Realm Sixth Layer. His combat power is so great that he can easily kill disciples of the Void Splitting Realm. Moreover, according to the investigation, when Zhuge Xiang signed up for the Inner Sect Selection Trial, his cultivation level was only the Meridian Opening Realm Second Layer.

What?! Second Layer?! Those who heard this news doubted their ears. He was on the Second Layer before, and by the third round, he was on the Sixth Layer? A full four levels higher! Did this guy eat some kind of ancient Ginseng?

Having been in the Asura Sect for two years, his strength has increased from the Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer to the Meridian Opening Realm Sixth Layer, a total of twenty-three levels. Such a cultivation speed is enough to give anyone a chill down their spine.

Zhuge Xiang's strength during the assessment was already terrifying, but as more and more information about him was uncovered, it became even more Human Heart. Among the 200,000 disciples of the Asura Sect, many who considered themselves geniuses were dumbfounded upon seeing Zhuge Xiang's achievements, feeling a sense of utter disbelief and frustration.

"Sitting in a well and looking at the sky, I always thought my cultivation speed was worthy of the name of genius, but I never thought that I was just a frog at the bottom of a well." Looking at the information about Zhuge Xiang, a Genius Disciple was only twenty-four or twenty-five years old but had already reached the eighth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, I sighed deeply. Zhuge Xiang was obviously very young, but I didn't expect that he had only been at the Asura Sect Headquarters for half a year.

There are quite a few so-called Genius Disciple who share the same sentiments as this disciple. In short, as information about Zhuge Xiang was unearthed, his fame grew. When he first arrived, he caused a ruckus at Green Willow Peak, showing his initial brilliance. This Inner Sect assessment was his true breakthrough that made him famous.

"Two years? Meridian Opening Realm Sixth Layer, Sword Intent..." Dugu Jue's hands trembled slightly as he looked at the information about Zhuge Xiang in front of him. His face was extremely ugly. Such a cultivation speed was terrifying, but the two of them had formed a feud that could not be resolved.

"No! We can't wait any longer! With his growth rate, the longer we delay, the more trouble we'll cause. But he's so famous now, the Sect will definitely pay attention to him. What should we do?" Frowning, Dugu Jue's eyes flashed with a cold, fierce light. Just as Lu Yuling said, once someone has their eye on you, they will hide in the shadows, constantly thinking of ways to kill you.

"Oh? This Zhuge Xiang is quite talented," not to mention the disciples of the Asura Sect Headquarters, even Purgatory Elder, who was at the Void Realm level on the Floating Mountain, raised an eyebrow and said with great interest.

Purgatory Elder was Void Realm cultivator with over a hundred Deity Transformation stage True Disciple under his tutelage. However, only a handful were truly qualified to stand in his Great Hall. They naturally knew very well what documents their Master was looking at.

The investigation into the anomaly of the Asura Purgatory Diagram focused on the disciples who had already passed the assessment. However, why was the Master interested in a guy who had just become Inner Sect Disciple? In the Purgatory Elder's Great Hall, many Deity Transformation True Disciple looked at each other in bewilderment. Those Genius Disciple who had not yet passed the Heavenly Tribulation but were already famous did not seem to have heard of anyone named Zhuge Xiang.

"Pass down my order: I want to personally meet all ten disciples who have passed the assessment," Purgatory Elder Lianyu announced, his gaze lingering on Zhuge Xiang's information for a moment.

"Yes, Master," a True Disciple at the Deity Transformation stage nodded respectfully in the Great Hall, then left to make arrangements.

Looking at the expressions of his prized disciples in the Great Hall, Purgatory Elder naturally understood what they were curious about. He smiled calmly and said, "As expected, my Asura Sect is full of talented people. I didn't expect that in this Inner Sect Selection Trial, I would discover two Genius Disciples who have reached the second and Sixth Layer Meridian Opening Realm Second Layer respectively in just two years since they came to the Asura Sect."

"Two years!?" The leading disciple, a stern-faced man, raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "Perhaps it's due to the Spirit Herb. Although there aren't many in the Sect who can grow at this speed, there are quite a few."

"Hehehe..." Purgatory Elder chuckled lightly. It was normal for his eldest disciple to be so arrogant, after all, he himself had been quite fast in cultivation back then.

But then, Purgatory Elder dropped a bombshell. "That girl at the Meridian Opening Realm Second Layer has actually comprehended the state of Clear Mind State, and that young man at the Meridian Opening Realm Sixth Layer is even more outstanding; he has actually comprehended Sword Intent."

"What!? The Meridian Opening Realm!? And they've already comprehended Clear Mind State and Sword Intent!?" The disciples under Purgatory Elder all changed their expressions and exclaimed in low voices. Although they had already passed Heavenly Tribulation Deity Transformation stage, they knew very well what comprehending Sword Intent and Clear Mind State in the Meridian Opening Realm meant.

Even the leading disciple, whose expression was usually cold and aloof, showed a slight change in his demeanor. He then realized, "So that's how it is. No wonder our Master was interested in us and called us geniuses." (To be continued.)