Inside the grand bronze hall, a harmonious atmosphere prevailed as a group of extraordinary talents gathered, awaiting their ranking rewards.
"The lion's share of the rewards will definitely go to those True Saints."
"Need I say more? I've received another astonishing piece of news: the Dao-Carrying Artifact used in this impromptu mountain climbing test will be the prize for the first place winner."
"Heavens! Could it be that Zhang Daowei the fortune of the South Heaven? With such Supreme Treasure guiding him, he might even forge a legendary tale. It seems that he will likely remain the leader among the three great monsters of the South Heaven forever."
Many people were stunned and shocked when they heard the news.
They all came from prestigious families and knew a lot of inside information.
Throughout history, countless renowned Dao Monarch have emerged from the Xuanhuang realm, yet those Dao-Carrying Myth are pitifully few.
"Dao-Carrying Ancestor, this is the true mastermind behind Xuanhuang. Zhang Daowei possesses a legendary artifact comparable to that of the Ancestral Realm. How glorious will his future be?"
"Hmm, based on the Artifact Spirit of my Supreme Treasure, that senior chose Zhang Daowei because he intended to nurture him to the Ancestral Realm."
"Is it possible to cultivate them to the Ancestral Realm?"
"It's at least better than all of our hopes. The Ancestral Artifact knows many Secrets about that realm. With this person guiding him, combined with Zhang Daowei's talent, it's not impossible."
"Alas, it's a pity that my Daozhen senior sister was born too late. If she were the same age as Zhang Daowei, he might not have been the one receiving the cultivation of the mythical legends."
"It's all about timing and fate. It seems that in the near future, the dominant position of the Qingling Palace will change hands."
Buzz!
As the group chatted, a figure suddenly appeared in the main seat at the highest point; it was none other than Zhang Daowei, who had been absent for some time.
"Gentlemen!"
Zhang Daowei, dressed in Blue Robe and exuding a heroic air, smiled and said, "I've kept you all waiting."
"Since that senior colleague is unable to appear, this reception will be hosted by Mr. Zhang."
The crowd nodded slightly, remaining mostly silent.
Now that the Dao-Carrying Artifact belongs to this person, they have no time for polite small talk. Some of them even look at him with sore eyes, their eyes reddening.
The five geniuses from the Five Thunder Hall, however, looked delighted and enthusiastic. One of the women said:
"Senior brother, don't say such things. When will our rewards be distributed? Don't keep everyone waiting too long."
Zhang Daowei nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a dazzling array of items appeared on the table in front of him, all of them Supreme Artifact.
He looked at everyone and said, "This trial will be conducted according to rankings, and each person will receive one item."
"Let's start with this fellow Daoist."
Zhang Daowei pointed to a Peerless female saint in the front row.
The True Saint's eyes burned with fervor; she had already discerned that several of them were complete Supreme Artifact.
Just as the True Saint was about to step forward, someone interrupted her.
"Etc!"
Zhen Sheng frowned immediately, Zhang Daowei also raised an eyebrow, looking behind him:
"You must be Fang Xin, Qingling's Fang Xin Junior Sister. What brings you here?"
Fang Xin greeted him politely, neither servile nor arrogant, saying, "Senior Brother Zhang, have you forgotten something? It seems not everyone is here."
"That's right, Jiang Pingping and the others haven't shown up."
The group realized that although they, the Mountain Climber, had all gathered, none of the Mountain Guardian were to be seen.
Xiao Ran added, "Those Mountain Guardian also contributed; they deserve a share in the rewards we bestow upon them."
"Hmph, what merit? Does it refer to deliberately letting the opponent win, or cheating?"
Tang Sheng, who had been silent all along, let out a cold snort.
Because of Jiang Pingping, his ranking was very low, almost one of the bottom few.
"Yes, the Mountain Guardian have worked hard and should be here, but let's forget about Jiang Pingping. She relied on her strength and seriously undermined the fairness of this mountain climbing assessment."
Shen Wuyou frowned as she followed Tang Sheng's words.
"That's not quite right. As far as I know, this mountain climbing trial didn't say anything about not letting anyone hold back. Besides, didn't some of you get any leniency from your own Mountain Guardian?"
"Putting everything else aside, Brother Daowei, how were you able to clear the seventeenth level so quickly? As far as I know, the Venerable at the seventeenth level cultivates the <Capital Heaven Divine Thunder>, and in terms of combat power, he's no weaker than you, is he?"
The third True Disciple of Qingling, dressed in plain clothes, suddenly spoke up and immediately questioned Zhang Daowei, who was in the main seat.
"Forehead..."
Zhang Daowei a moment. How did things get so complicated that they ended up involving him? But then he heard the True Disciple say again:
"The saying goes, 'What is not prohibited by law is permitted.' If we really delve into it, it's that the senior didn't explain these rules clearly."
"You Qingling people are really protective of your own, daring to say such things. Aren't you afraid of being punished by that senior?"
Tang Sheng gave a sarcastic laugh.
Others may be wary, but I truly don't care.
The third True Disciple became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, and he continued, pointing at Zhang Daowei, he said:
"If I suffer any harm today, Brother Zhang will surely face a calamity in the future."
The words shocked everyone present, even Zhang Daowei's eyes widened in surprise.
Many people were puzzled, not understanding why this person had such courage, until Xiao Ran spoke:
"As you all should know, the founder of our Qingling Sect was once a being at the Ancestral Realm."
Everyone fell silent.
Of the four great Dao system of the South Heaven, the other three flourished in later generations, while only the Qingling Palace is a very ancient existence.
However, this Dao system is excessively ancient, said to be even older than the Creation God Sect. Not only did its founder die young, but after numerous bloody battles, can Qingling's Ancestral Artifact still reappear in the world?
"Who are you trying to scare? Tens of thousands of years ago, your Qingling Palace provoked a formidable enemy and was almost razed to the ground. Countless ancestral graves were dug up, but we didn't see Qingling Ancestral Artifact appear out of nowhere."
Tang Sheng spoke again, a cold smile on his face.
The Plain-clothed Youth was taken aback. Why had he never heard of this part of the history of the Qingling Palace?
"That's true. Back then, the main lineage of the Qingling Palace was wiped out. The current Qingling Palace was only established by a few nominal disciples. The Ancestral Artifact of Qingling has long since disappeared into the river of history."
"Yes, that's right. Your Qingling Palace is just a show-off; your Direct Line is all dead, and even your strongest lineage has been severed."
Several people spoke up one after another, piecing together an old story about the Qingling Palace.
Of course, these people only learned about this through their respective ancient artifacts.
In its early days, Qingling Palace reigned supreme over the entire South Heaven Departmental Prefecture, unlike today, where it is confined to a remote corner.
Xiao Ran snorted coldly and said, "Leaving aside the past, my Qingling is still at its zenith. Didn't you, Tang Sheng, get beaten to the point of having only half a head left by a guest retainer of my palace who had only Entry Level for a few years?"
"You..."
Tang Sheng was instantly furious, as if his tail had been stepped on.
"You shouldn't insult someone by bringing up their weaknesses; you've gone too far!"
A Peerless True Saint from the Jade Palace Prefecture suddenly frowned, and a terrifying Dao Light suddenly surged forth, enveloping Xiao Ran as he departed.
Xiao Ran's expression changed drastically. Although he was strong, he was no Peerless opponent.
At the critical moment, True Saint Qingling stepped forward, staring at the crowd from Jade Palace Prefecture: "What, are you all dissatisfied and want to start a war?"
"Who's afraid of who? You guys from Jade Palace Prefecture, we're on your side!" Hengdao Sect stepped in directly, revealing strong hostility towards Xiao Ran and his group.
For a moment, the entire bronze hall was tense and eerily quiet.
"Everyone!!"