Sect Lord Contention Sets the Top Eight

Ximen Yaoji could not help covering her mouth. She had never seen anyone so narcissistic. Her eyelashes fluttered as she asked, "Are you sure you want me to call you big brother?"

Liu Ding froze. Seeing the teasing look on Ximen Yaoji's face, he immediately felt a little awkward. "Forget it. You could be my mother already. Let's just treat each other with respect."

He was only a little over thirteen now, while Ximen Yaoji was alluringly mature, at least twenty-five or twenty-six. In this world, if she had married early, she really could have had a child his age.

"You're courting death," Ximen Yaoji said coyly. She was still an unmarried young lady, yet he dared make such an absurd comparison.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first." He had said the wrong thing again. Liu Ding bared his teeth and hurriedly made his escape.

The atmosphere became harmonious, and the two chatted happily. Ximen Yaoji was somewhat reluctant to see him go. "If you're leaving, then this bottle of Du Ling Juice..."

Liu Ding waved a hand grandly. "You gave me the Soul-Devouring Beast Gallstone Crystal earlier as a favor. Consider this bottle of Du Ling Juice a sample. It's yours."

"Ah!" Ximen Yaoji was overjoyed. This investment was far too worthwhile.

After pondering briefly, however, Ximen Yaoji immediately rose, went behind her desk, took out a brocade box, and handed it to Liu Ding. "I heard that your Sect Lord grandfather, Liu Yandong, has suffered a severe decline in his cultivation. This is our Ximen Clan's unique Restoration Pill. It happens to be highly beneficial for restoring one's realm."

Liu Ding was stunned. He had not expected Ximen Yaoji to know even about his grandfather's declining realm. She was practically a terrifying intelligence agency.

Seeing the strange look on Liu Ding's face, Ximen Yaoji smiled awkwardly. "I did not deliberately investigate the secrets of your Liu Clan. This information was actually released in secret by Nie Zhengxu."

That traitor again. Liu Ding clenched his fists. If his grandfather went out alone with his realm having declined, there was a very high chance he would be ambushed by enemies. Nie Zhengxu wanted to kill without spilling blood.

Without further hesitation, he took the brocade box. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Thanks." With a wave of his hand, he left without taking so much as a cloud with him.

The corners of Ximen Yaoji's lips curled slightly. She had originally intended to give this Restoration Pill to Liu Yandong. Beneath it lay a gold card containing one million gold coins. This was her desperate gamble in competing against the Murong Divine Pill Chamber. The Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill had already been leaked, and she still harbored hopes of obtaining the Qilin Soul Forging Pill to study it herself.

However, she knew that getting Liu Yandong to reveal the Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill formula was most likely impossible, so she had kept it pressed down and had not sent it out. Now that Liu Ding had come, she could conveniently do him a favor while explaining it as payment for the Du Ling Juice sample.

Upon returning to the clan, Liu Ding immediately rushed to the Sect Lord's residence. He desperately wanted to give the Restoration Pill to his grandfather. His grandfather had worried himself sick over Liu Ding's recovery for more than a decade and had never uttered a single complaint. Back when Liu Ding had been a simple-minded child, he had not understood the pain his grandfather bore. Such kindness could not be repaid with a single Restoration Pill.

When he arrived at the Sect Lord's residence, Liu Ding found many elders in the main hall, apparently arguing over something. Every one of them looked ready to fight.

"Nie Zhengxu, the clan has already agreed to conduct the initial realm assessment in three months. Why are you still pushing this nonsense about Six-Vessel Martial Apprentices directly entering the Sect Lord Contention finals? At this stage, only your chicken grandson has broken through to Six Soulforging Cauldrons. Is this fair to the other clan disciples?" Liu Yandong's face was rigid, clearly furious beyond measure.

"In this world, fists do the talking." Nie Zhengxu snorted coldly. "My grandson Liu Ji breaking into Six Soulforging Cauldrons before sixteen is because he is a genius. Your idiot grandson failing to advance is because he is trash. Even if you can protect him on the first day, can you protect him until the fifteenth? Hmph!"

Liu Yandong clenched his fists, truly wanting to give those contemptuous eyes two black eyes. He forcibly suppressed his rage and said, "Since your chicken grandson is such a genius, why not push him up another realm and make him Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons directly?"

"If necessary, I have no objection." Nie Zhengxu snorted.

Many elders secretly drew a sharp breath. From Nie Zhengxu's tone, even if Liu Ji had not yet reached Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons, he must have reached the threshold for breaking through.

Liu Yandong's face turned livid as he recalled General Jiang's words. By the time of the Sect Lord Contention, Liu Ji would be able to break into Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons.

"How about this? Letting those at Six Soulforging Cauldrons receive a bye straight into the Sect Lord Contention finals is indeed a bit too much. I propose that Six Soulforging Cauldrons may directly enter the clan competition's top eight. The top eight will then determine the top four, who will advance to the Sect Lord Contention finals. What do you elders think?"

The one who spoke was Liu Tao's father, Liu Chengyuan. Unexpectedly, many clan elders voiced their agreement.

"See? This is what people with strength say." Nie Zhengxu looked extremely pleased with himself. "Liu Yandong, your era is over. To tell you the truth, at the Bleser City trade fair half a month from now, the Murong Divine Pill Chamber will fully launch a Zhe Spirit Liquid for medicinal baths. It can increase the chance of Five Soulforging Cauldrons breaking into Six Soulforging Cauldrons by another thirty percent. By then, the clan's new generation will produce quite a few Six Cauldrons Realm elites."

That shameless traitor—why was he promoting the Murong Divine Pill Chamber's Zhe Spirit Liquid so vigorously? Liu Ding was puzzled, but after thinking it over, he more or less understood. Nie Zhengxu had sold the clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill to the Murong Divine Pill Chamber and must have invested capital in it as well, intending to make a huge profit.

"What? Such a thing exists?" Liu Yandong was greatly shocked. In order to restore his cultivation, he had spent almost the entire past year in seclusion, cut off from news.

"Sect Lord Yandong, the Murong Divine Pill Chamber has already begun large-scale promotion in Bleser City. Among the cultivators who tried it, quite a few have successfully advanced to Six Soulforging Cauldrons." The speaker was Elder Liu Yannan.

Seeing the flickering look in Liu Yandong's eyes, Nie Zhengxu sneered. "Quite a few Five Dings Martial Apprentices have indeed advanced to Six Cauldrons Realm, but all of them were already over sixteen."

His implication was clear: if Liu Yandong wanted to use the Zhe Spirit Liquid to help his precious grandson advance to Six Soulforging Cauldrons, there was no chance of it.

Liu Yandong's face darkened, and he snorted. "That Murong Clan Divine Pill Chamber is such a band of unscrupulous merchants. What kind of goods could they possibly produce? I advise everyone that the Liu Clan's cultivation is unique. We should not touch such crooked methods."

Well said. Liu Ding applauded inwardly. The Liu Clan's unique Beast Soul Realm would certainly be thrown into disorder if the Taotie Beast Soul aura in the Zhe Spirit Liquid were forcibly introduced into the Qilin Five Soulforging Cauldrons realm. Even if one forcibly broke into Six Soulforging Cauldrons, one would likely end up like Liu Ji. Though powerful in the Soul Forging Realm, the path toward cultivating the greater realms would effectively be sealed off.

"Jealousy is jealousy." Nie Zhengxu said disdainfully. "If the Zhe Spirit Liquid medicinal bath can allow many elite disciples of the clan to break into Six Soulforging Cauldrons, you should not reject the Council of Elders' decision on the top four for the sake of your own selfish desires."

"If there truly were a way to make the clan stronger, how could I, as the Sect Lord, refuse it? Nie Zhengxu, you are judging a gentleman by your own petty heart." Liu Yandong cast Nie Zhengxu a cold glance before facing the elders again. "However, I still sincerely advise everyone not to blindly trust the Murong Divine Pill Chamber. Do not ruin the futures of your sons and grandsons, only to regret it endlessly later."

"Enough, Sect Lord. We know what we're doing." As Nie Zhengxu departed, many elders also took their leave in a hurry. It was obvious at a glance that they were heading for the Zhe Spirit Liquid.

The elders who remained said thoughtfully, "Yandong, although Ding'er is not yet sixteen, perhaps he could still try the Zhe Spirit Liquid. Maybe a miracle will happen."

"There will be no miracle." Liu Ding knew it was time for him to step forward.