Sect Master Candidate

Xie Yuzhu yearned for the sword path with all her heart. The moment she received Zhong Ming's promise, she immediately ran home.

After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, she met her mother.

However, her headlong rush made Xie Lingmin, dressed in palace robes, knit her delicate brows.

"You're a young lady. How can you be so rash and reckless?"

"Mm..." Her mother's scolding did make Xie Yuzhu behave herself somewhat, but what she said next made Xie Lingmin frown again.

"Mother, I want to learn the sword path from Senior Brother Zhong Ming."

"Alas..." Xie Lingmin rubbed her forehead and sighed helplessly. "I've told you before, in this era, the sword path is far too dangerous..."

Before she could finish, Xie Yuzhu interrupted, "Sword cultivators are indeed in danger in this era, but danger also brings opportunity. To confront the crisis, both our Seven Mysteries Sect and the Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty intend to train sword cultivators. As long as one can grow through battle..."

"But you won't be able to grow." Xie Lingmin said, "A few years ago, the sect also tried to nurture a powerful sword cultivator. Yet hundreds upon thousands of disciples and countless resources were poured into it, and all of them failed. That failure even shook the sect's foundations."

"None of those hundreds or thousands succeeded. Do you think you're special enough to succeed?"

In the past, Xie Lingmin had used these words to stop Xie Yuzhu from learning the sword, and this reasoning truly left Xie Yuzhu speechless—she had confidence in her own talent, but she did not believe she could surpass the hundreds and thousands carefully selected by the sect before.

But this time, things were different.

"Hehe..." Planting her hands on her hips and raising her head, Xie Yuzhu gave a proud hum. "I may indeed be inferior to those geniuses, but someone even stronger than them has appeared on Dragon Stream Peak."

"Hm?" Xie Yuzhu's words stunned Xie Lingmin for a moment, but she quickly understood. "You just went to see Zhong Ming, and now you say you want to learn the sword from him... You think Zhong Ming, with his Third-grade Spiritual Root, is stronger than Xiao Yichen, who possesses an Innate Sword Heart?"

As she spoke, Xie Lingmin immediately formed a hand seal and tapped Xie Yuzhu on the forehead... She was somewhat worried that her daughter had been bewitched by an illusion technique.

But Xie Lingmin's action made Xie Yuzhu pout unhappily.

"I haven't been put under an illusion technique. Besides, Spiritual Roots can't determine everything—isn't that what you taught me, Mother?"

"And Senior Brother Zhong Ming's Spiritual Root may be somewhat poor, but his talent for comprehension is the greatest on Dragon Stream Peak. No, he's the greatest in the entire Seven Mysteries Sect."

"Just now, I fought Senior Brother, but he defeated me with ease. And I lost that battle wholeheartedly convinced."

"With Senior Brother Zhong Ming leading the way, Dragon Stream Peak will surely rise again... Following the strong is also a principle you taught me, Mother."

Clinging to Xie Lingmin's arm, Xie Yuzhu acted coyly and begged her to allow her to learn the sword.

But at this moment, Xie Lingmin could no longer spare attention for that.

"You lost? How did you lose?"

Though she was speaking of Xie Yuzhu, Xie Lingmin's question was not chiefly directed at her. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Granny Lan.

Seeing her Matriarch's gaze, Granny Lan immediately recounted everything she had just witnessed.

"...When Zhong Ming was about to lose, he unleashed an extraordinarily powerful intent..."

When she finished, she said with some astonishment, "To comprehend intent so quickly, Young Master Zhong Ming's talent for comprehension truly is, just as Miss said, the strongest on Dragon Stream Peak and even in the entire Seven Mysteries Sect."

Comprehending intent in less than a month had frightened Granny Lan as well, and she felt a measure of admiration for Zhong Ming.

Xie Lingmin was also somewhat shocked, but her expression soon returned to calm.

After a moment of thought, she asked Granny Lan a few more questions. "According to you, before Zhong Ming erupted, Yuzhu had been pressing him hard?"

"Yes."

Hearing this, Xie Lingmin immediately let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Xie Yuzhu.

"Little Yu, you were mistaken... Zhong Ming's talent isn't as strong as you thought. What he comprehended wasn't Dao Rhyme, but a Dao Rhyme Fragment."

As she spoke, Xie Lingmin tapped Xie Yuzhu's little head, her face full of affection. "You have a Dao Rhyme Fragment in your body too."

"Huh?" Her mother's words left Xie Yuzhu bewildered. "There's a Dao Rhyme Fragment in my body? Why didn't I know?"

"Of course you didn't know," Xie Lingmin said. "When you were still little, we spent an entire year helping you fuse it into your body."

"The reason you grew so slowly was also because the Dao Rhyme Fragment affected your body."

"Mm..."

Learning that Zhong Ming had comprehended only a Dao Rhyme Fragment, and that she possessed one too, lessened Xie Yuzhu's worship of him somewhat and made her feel disappointed.

"So Senior Brother Zhong Ming isn't as exceptionally talented as I thought?"

"If he isn't a peerless genius, Mother definitely won't let me learn the sword..."

Her hopes shattered, Xie Yuzhu left regretfully.

As she departed, Granny Lan bowed to Xie Lingmin and intended to follow her out, but Xie Lingmin stopped her.

And after Xie Yuzhu's figure had completely disappeared, Xie Lingmin's expression changed, becoming incomparably grave.

"Tell me the scene from then again."

"Hm?"

Though she did not understand why her Matriarch remained so solemn if Zhong Ming's talent was not unrivaled, Granny Lan still repeated the scene once more after Xie Lingmin gave the order.

"At first, Zhong Ming was no match for Miss. The seven Flying Swords had him utterly suppressed..."

After listening to the account of the battle once more, Xie Lingmin fell silent in thought for a long while. Then, with an exceptionally serious gaze, she said to Granny Lan, "Go find Zhong Ming later. Use an apology as an excuse and give him ten opportunities to undergo trials at the Trial Platform."

"???"

These words completely stunned Granny Lan.

Naturally, she knew of the Trial Platform. As a force with a fairly long inheritance, the Seven Mysteries Sect had many special locations, and the Trial Platform was one of them.

It was a place capable of tempering a cultivator's soul and consciousness.

Naturally, activating such a treasured place required expenditure, and what it consumed was quite precious.

That made opportunities to enter the Trial Platform extremely expensive.

As far as Granny Lan knew, each entry into the Trial Platform required 300 Merit Points.

Ten times meant 3,000 Merit Points, worth even more than three thousand spirit stones.

Although the Xie Family could easily afford three thousand spirit stones, Granny Lan did not understand why they should give Zhong Ming so many benefits when his talent was not unparalleled.

"Hmph." Xie Lingmin saw Granny Lan's confusion, prompting her to snort coldly. "You don't truly think comprehending a Dao Rhyme Fragment is an easy matter, do you?"

"Little Yu does indeed have a Dao Rhyme Fragment in her body, but do you know how many spirit stones we spent to implant it?"

She had no intention of waiting for Granny Lan's answer. After asking, Xie Lingmin gave a startling number. "Eighteen thousand."

"Even then, it was only because my Xie Family had connections. Otherwise, even with spirit stones, we could not have purchased a treasure that could be fused into a cultivator's body and grant them a Dao Rhyme Fragment."

"What we achieved only after spending tens of thousands of spirit stones and exhausting countless efforts, Zhong Ming comprehended by himself in less than a month. Such talent is utterly unprecedented in the Seven Mysteries Sect. He... is worth winning over."

"..."

These words left Granny Lan silent.

As she fell silent, Xie Lingmin's feelings became even more complicated.

There was one thing she had not said... Because the Dao Rhyme Fragment in Xie Yuzhu's body had been implanted from outside rather than comprehended by herself, she could scarcely stir it under normal circumstances. Compared with Zhong Ming, it was the difference between heaven and earth.

Although Zhong Ming also found it difficult to trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, he could still trigger it under certain specific circumstances.

As for Xie Yuzhu, the Dao Rhyme Fragment had been implanted in her for years, yet she did not even know of its existence.

So Miss was right. Zhong Ming's talent truly is the greatest in the Seven Mysteries Sect. He has the potential to restore Dragon Stream Peak's former glory.

Xie Lingmin's words made Granny Lan understand something.

Having lived here for many years and already regarding herself as a member of the Xie Family, she could not help saying to Xie Lingmin once she understood everything, "Matriarch, if Zhong Ming's talent is truly so powerful, wouldn't ten trial passes... be a little too few?"

She had thought it was too much before, yet now thought it too little. Granny Lan's attitude had changed so quickly because of Zhong Ming's talent.

If he were an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple, ten trial passes would naturally be a great deal.

But if Zhong Ming's talent was the greatest in the Seven Mysteries Sect, then things were different.

So long as he did not perish midway, he would inevitably become Dragon Stream Peak's True Disciple. After that, there was also a high probability that he would become Dragon Stream Peak's peak master.

That alone would make him one of the Seven Mysteries Sect's seven great giants.

Even the Xie Family's patriarch would have to do everything possible to win over and befriend such a person.

What was more, Zhong Ming was qualified to become the Seven Mysteries Sect's Sect Master.

There is a high probability that he will become Sect Master. In this dangerous era, the Seven Mysteries Sect needs the strong. So long as Zhong Ming grows up, he has a better chance than those from Molten Fire Peak and Green Fragrance Mountain of becoming peak master.

For someone who was a Sect Master Candidate, ten trial passes seemed utterly shabby.