Malice!

The Southern Domain Seven Sects Alliance came first; only then came the Grand Competition.

The alliance was for the elders of the seven sects to exchange views, express their respective sects' positions, and, if there were any grievances or demands, strive to settle them verbally first—or through an exchange of interests.

This way, the seven sects could preserve overall harmony.

They would not have to fight to the death at every turn.

After all, the Southern Domain itself was barren, and its overall strength was weak.

If the Southern Domain's seven sects continued to exhaust one another in internal strife, outside forces might seize the opportunity. That would absolutely be no good for the seven sects.

Only after the alliance came the Grand Competition.

During this time, Jiang Hao had not neglected training his kidneys.

He even had a faint feeling.

Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps the day after.

In any case, within a few days at most, he would most likely develop Kidney Force and unite the five elements as one.

Unfortunately, there simply was not enough time.

Still, even without the five elements uniting as one, Jiang Hao was strong enough.

He had absolute confidence!

On this day, the Seven Sects Alliance Grand Competition officially began.

Jiang Hao followed Huangtian Sect's people to the competition grounds.

They were located within the imperial palace, and ordinary people were not qualified even to watch.

Only some of Great Qian's ministers and their families, along with certain members of the imperial family, were qualified to enter the palace and observe the Seven Sects Alliance Grand Competition.

This was a grand spectacle.

Some ministers even harbored little schemes of their own.

For instance, they had all brought along the most outstanding sons and daughters of their Lineages. They claimed they had come to observe, but what was the truth?

If one of them happened to catch the eye of a genius disciple from one of the seven sects, not only would they not stop it, they would do everything in their power to bring the match about.

After all, the disciples able to participate in the Seven Sects Alliance Grand Competition were basically considered geniuses within their respective sects.

If they could make such a match happen, it would be equivalent to gaining an ally for those ministers' Lineages.

Such things had happened before.

Thus, when Jiang Hao looked around—

He discovered many beautiful women, including quite a few beauties who could topple cities and kingdoms. Even he could not help taking a few extra looks.

Xia Hong smiled faintly beside him. "Junior Brother, which family's daughter have you taken a liking to?"

"Senior Sister, you jest."

Jiang Hao shook his head.

He was merely the son of a merchant from Cang City, while these were the families of Great Qian's ministers, people of high rank and great authority. The gap in their statuses was simply too vast.

Besides, he was still so young and had no such thoughts.

"Is that so?"

"Junior Brother, a fair lady is sought by every gentleman. That is perfectly normal."

"And do not be fooled by the fact that they are ministers' families, perhaps even with powerful Lineages. Junior Brother, you are Huangtian Sect's future Seed of the Dao. Your status is second only to an Entering Dao expert's and is on par with the Sect Master's."

"If Junior Brother took a liking to any family's daughter, those families would surely be overjoyed and eager to arrange the match at once."

Xia Hong's words left Jiang Hao slightly stunned.

He had not quite adjusted to his own status yet.

He still thought of himself as the son of a merchant from Cang City.

But this world revered martial strength above all else.

Huangtian Sect ruled over a vast territory and was a hegemonic force on the same level as Great Qian.

Jiang Hao was also a future Dao Child.

He might not be comparable to a crown prince, but he was certainly on par with an Imperial Prince.

In fact, even ordinary Imperial Princes were far inferior to Jiang Hao.

With such status, those women would naturally be his for the taking.

So long as he revealed the slightest hint of interest, someone would immediately scramble to send a woman his way.

"Forget it."

Jiang Hao shook his head.

He had merely been appreciating their beauty.

In truth, it was not only the elite disciples of the seven sects who watched the ministers' families with great interest.

Those ministers' families, especially some unmarried young women, were also observing the disciples of the seven sects.

Among them, the seven sects' "seeds" drew the most attention.

The so-called "seeds" were the leading disciples of the seven sects' Inner Gate and Outer Gate.

Jiang Hao was one of them.

He was Huangtian Sect Outer Gate's "seed."

Naturally, he was among the women's subjects of attention.

"That must be Jiang Hao, right? I heard he is only thirteen, yet Huangtian Sect's Sect Master personally promised that once he steps into Transforming Force, he can become Huangtian Sect's Seed of the Dao. His potential is immense, and his future is boundless!"

"Thirteen... he is indeed a little young, but the younger one is, the greater the potential. After all, he is a future Seed of the Dao, with hope of Entering Dao!"

"Even Young Master Li Qingshan's potential is probably far inferior to Jiang Hao's..."

There were many geniuses among the Southern Domain's seven sects.

This time, only martial artists at Transforming Force and below had come.

Yet even so, there were still many astonishingly gifted talents.

Li Qingshan, for example.

There were also many geniuses only slightly inferior to him.

Among them were no shortage of handsome, refined young masters, elegant as fine jade.

Yet those proud daughters of heaven all turned their gazes toward Jiang Hao instead.

Jiang Hao had stolen all the limelight.

There was only one reason.

Seed of the Dao!

No matter who they were, none of these elite disciples from the seven sects had received the title of Seed of the Dao.

Jiang Hao was the only one.

Huangtian Sect's Sect Master had personally promised that if Jiang Hao cultivated Transforming Force within ten years, he would be made a Seed of the Dao.

Having been influenced by such things from childhood, how could these women not understand what a Seed of the Dao represented?

Naturally, all their eyes turned toward Jiang Hao.

"Junior Brother, take a look. Your charm truly is not small."

Xia Hong said with a grin and a playful wiggle of her brows.

Jiang Hao shook his head.

He felt he had already kept a low enough profile.

And he was still so young.

Yet even this could not conceal his radiance?

With so many women watching him, Jiang Hao felt somewhat strange as well.

But Jiang Hao knew clearly in his heart.

The reason these women were paying attention to him was most likely because he was Huangtian Sect's future Seed of the Dao.

Now, Jiang Hao increasingly understood the weight carried by the words "Seed of the Dao."

"Hmph."

Li Qingshan gave a cold laugh.

He considered himself different from the Southern Domain natives.

He came from a noble divine-blood Lineage and was a Divine Descendant.

Wherever he went, he had always been the center of attention.

But now?

Everyone's attention was actually focused on a thirteen-year-old brat?

What was more, Yan Beiwu—whom Li Qingshan valued most—had even turned her beautiful eyes toward Jiang Hao.

This displeased Li Qingshan.

"Beiwu, within the Southern Domain, who can compare to the noble bloodlines of you and me?"

Yan Beiwu said coldly, "Li Qingshan, please address me by my full name."

"And since you think your bloodline is so noble, why do you not say such things in front of your Seven Peaks Mountain Peak Master?"

Li Qingshan's expression stiffened.

Say that his bloodline was noble in front of a Peak Master?

Was he sick in the head?

If he truly said it, the Peak Master would beat him to death in minutes.

After all, every Peak Master of Seven Peaks Mountain was an expert in the Dao Entry Realm.

Seeing Li Qingshan's stiff expression, Yan Beiwu sneered with even greater disdain. "Li Qingshan, in the divine-blood Lineages, you and I are merely fringe figures who failed in competing for the position of Divine Son. Do you really think that just because you came to the Southern Domain, you have become some heaven's favored prodigy?"

"The divine blood within us can at most guarantee powerful combat strength below the Dao Entry Realm. But Entering Dao is what truly matters. Are you confident that you can succeed in Entering Dao?"

"You cannot even become Seven Peaks Mountain's Seed of the Dao. What right do you have to speak of Entering Dao?"

"But Jiang Hao is different. He is Huangtian Sect's future Seed of the Dao. Barring any mishaps, he has a great chance of becoming an expert in the Dao Entry Realm someday. You should put away that pitiful sense of superiority."

Yan Beiwu had wanted to say these words long ago.

She had endured for a long time already.

Li Qingshan's arrogance made Yan Beiwu want only to laugh.

Deep down, Yan Beiwu did not think highly of an arrogant fool like Li Qingshan at all.

The key was that Li Qingshan was not even some genius.

He was merely a fringe figure from a divine-blood Lineage, relying on his Bloodline to possess formidable combat strength.

And with that, he dared try to measure himself against the Southern Domain's top geniuses?

That was truly making a laughingstock of himself!

Li Qingshan trembled all over with rage.

Yan Beiwu's words had pierced the pain buried deep in his heart.

Yes, Li Qingshan was nothing in the divine-blood Lineages.

He could only find a little sense of superiority in the Southern Domain.

But now, Yan Beiwu was even going to tear apart that last shred.

Li Qingshan's face darkened. Humiliated into fury, he said, "Yan Beiwu, this is the Southern Domain Seven Sects Alliance Grand Competition. What matters here is actual combat strength. I have divine blood in my veins—who can be my opponent?"

"That Jiang Hao, even if he is Huangtian Sect's future Seed of the Dao, even if he has great hope of Entering Dao in the future, today, he will definitely be defeated by my hand!"

After saying that, Li Qingshan stared fixedly at Jiang Hao.

Although Yan Beiwu had struck at the pain deep within his heart—

The one Li Qingshan hated was not Yan Beiwu.

After all, there was little he could do to her.

But Jiang Hao was different.

Li Qingshan secretly swore.

He intended to vent all the pent-up bitterness in his heart on Jiang Hao.

If he encountered Jiang Hao later, he would definitely make Jiang Hao suffer a crushing defeat!

At this moment, Jiang Hao was resting with his eyes closed.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Jiang Hao opened his eyes.

He saw a gaze.

That gaze contained intense malice.

"Who bears such great malice toward me?"

"It is not Leng Yue. That is where the Seven Peaks Alliance is seated."

"This man is... Li Qingshan?"

Jiang Hao frowned.

He found it somewhat baffling.

He did not even know Li Qingshan. They had merely met for the first time moments ago.

How had Li Qingshan developed such intense malice toward him the moment they met?

P.S. I hope everyone can cast more monthly votes to raise this new book's ranking. Old Moon gives his heartfelt thanks!