The Lord of the Seven Peaks, Peak Master Zhanqiong, True Person Tianbo

Soon, Chen Changqing and the others arrived at the site of the Outer Sect Disciple Competition under the lead of Elder Liu Mu.

The massive plaza was already packed with many outer sect disciples of the Mount Shu Sect.

Looking around, one could see groups of three or five outer sect disciples whispering to each other everywhere.

The place was clamorous and exceptionally lively.

The arrival of the Seven Courtyards did not attract much attention; rather, some of the mocking voices were extremely grating.

"Heh! The people from the Seven Courtyards are here."

"The weakest Outer Courtyard—they're just here to be foils."

"The Seven Courtyards seem to end up at the bottom every year during the Outer Sect Grand Competition, right?"

"If I were a disciple of the Seven Courtyards, I wouldn't have the face to show myself in public."

"I'm afraid they'll end up as stepping stones for the rest of our courtyards again this time."

"..."

Hearing these jeers and taunts from all around, the expressions of the Seven Courtyards' disciples turned ugly, yet they were powerless to retort.

After all, among the Seven Outer Courtyards of the Mount Shu Sect, the Seven Courtyards was indeed ranked last in terms of strength.

Precisely because of this, the cultivation resources allocated to the Seven Courtyards were the most meager.

And this had caused the Seven Courtyards to fall into a vicious cycle.

Without more resources to cultivate talented disciples, the courtyard naturally could not produce anyone truly brilliant.

Consequently, they could never achieve good results in the Outer Sect Disciple Competition.

This went on in a loop, as if there were never any hope.

Upon hearing those taunts, Chen Changqing remained calm; his gaze swept across the entire venue, his heart completely unstirred.

Strength is the best response.

If one lacks powerful strength, one will never earn the respect of others.

Elder Liu Mu heard this, his eyes as still as an ancient well.

Yet deep down, there were still some ripples.

"In this year's Outer Sect Disciple Competition, my Seven Courtyards must not end up at the bottom again!"

Elder Liu Mu sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the disciples participating in the competition, including Qingyang.

Finally, his eyes lingered on Chen Changqing for two extra seconds.

I wonder if this kid will give me any surprises during the competition?

Elder Liu Mu narrowed his eyes slightly.

In his view, the strength of the other disciples was a known quantity.

Chen Changqing, on the other hand, was the variable.

Perhaps he would be able to shine brilliantly in this Outer Sect Disciple Competition.

Seeing Elder Liu Mu looking at him, Chen Changqing offered him a faint smile.

Just then, the crowd in the plaza suddenly grew restless.

"Look!"

"The people from the Second Courtyard are here!"

"..."

Hearing this, Chen Changqing and the others all turned their gazes toward them.

Staring intently, they saw a group of disciples clad in orange robes descending through the air.

From their bodies, a sharp aura of energy emanated.

This Second Courtyard was second only to the First Courtyard among the Seven Outer Courtyards.

The disciples were generally formidable and were the favorites to win this competition!

Chen Changqing's gaze swept over the Second Courtyard disciples.

He could sense that the aura of several of them was extremely powerful, not even beneath that of Qingyang.

"The disciples of the Second Courtyard all seem very strong!"

"They are likely formidable rivals in this competition."

Chen Changqing said in a low voice.

Soon, the Second Courtyard disciples landed on the plaza under the lead of their own elder.

Seeing this, many disciples swarmed forward to greet them enthusiastically, the fawning and flattery all too obvious.

Those scenes stood in stark contrast to the ridicule the Seven Courtyards had received upon their arrival.

At this moment, the sky above suddenly darkened.

"Boom!"

Immediately following, a majestic aura of pressure descended in an instant.

Upon sensing this pressure, everyone instinctively looked up.

At this sight, they saw another large group of figures arriving on flying swords, piercing through the air.

"The First Courtyard!"

"It's the people from the First Courtyard."

"The strongest outer courtyard!"

"..."

Upon seeing the arrivals, the plaza instantly erupted into a frenzy.

The disciples of the First Courtyard were all dressed in red robes, each one looking proud and casting condescending glances.

Especially the disciples participating in this Grand Competition; their auras were formidable, firmly at the Foundation Establishment level.

"The prodigies of the First Courtyard are truly terrifying!"

"Just sensing this aura is enough to send a chill down one's spine."

"So many Foundation Establishment disciples!"

"Will they take the top spot again in this Outer Courtyard Grand Competition?"

"..."

The entire venue was filled with discussion, and many disciples showed expressions of awe upon seeing the people from the First Courtyard.

Chen Changqing saw this and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Whether it's the First Courtyard or the Second Courtyard, there are several Foundation Establishment disciples."

"Among the ten chosen from our Seventh Courtyard, only Senior Brother Qingyang has reached the Foundation Establishment realm."

"This Outer Courtyard Grand Competition will surely be a fierce battle."

Chen Changqing muttered quietly.

As for the disciples from their Seventh Courtyard who had come to participate in the Grand Competition:

In terms of cultivation, Qingyang was the first, already at the Foundation Establishment level.

Following him was Liu Ruyan, a disciple at the half-step Foundation Establishment realm.

As for the rest, including Chen Changqing, they were all at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

Just as the crowd was still shocked by the people from the First Courtyard, a sudden change occurred in the sky.

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar echoed through the air.

Immediately after, they saw the sky actually split open, revealing a fissure!

The next moment, a figure was seen slowly stepping out of that rift.

This man wore a black battle robe, his long hair unbound, cascading freely over his shoulders.

His eyes were as terrifying as an abyss, with lightning faintly flickering in and out of existence within them.

The moment he appeared, an incredibly terrifying pressure radiated from his body.

Under the weight of his aura, everyone felt as if the world were collapsing; the disciples with weaker cultivation even felt a sense of suffocation.

Seeing this, Chen Changqing's expression changed abruptly.

He naturally felt the terrifying pressure of the newcomer.

"So... so strong!"

"Who is this person?"

"I fear he is even stronger than Elder Liu Mu!"

Chen Changqing muttered to himself, his expression grave.

At the same time, many of the outer disciples present exclaimed one after another:

"What?"

"I... I'm not seeing things, am I?"

"Is that... the War Dome Peak Master, True Person Tianbo?"

"A Nascent Soul powerhouse! He has actually descended in person!"

"..."

Many disciples gasped, their faces full of shock.

In the Mount Shu Sect, there is a division between the inner and outer gates.

The outer sect consists of seven great courtyards, while the inner sect possesses seven great peaks:

Burning Heaven Peak, War Dome Peak, Mountain Suppressing Peak, Void Breaking Peak, Jade Void Peak, Azure Phoenix Peak, and Cloud Perch Peak.

True Person Tianbo was the Peak Master of War Dome Peak, a mighty cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm and a superlative expert who had grasped the momentum of heaven and earth.

After True Person Tianbo appeared, his gaze swept across the crowd like lightning.

Merely by coming into contact with his icy stare, everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar; their bodies went rigid, and it seemed as though even breathing had become difficult.

The might of a Nascent Soul expert was truly terrifying!

After a brief scan, True Person Tianbo raised his hand with a wave, and an ancient-looking token appeared in his palm.

Without any delay, he cast the spiritual token directly into the void!

"Void Realm, open!"

Following True Person Tianbo's shout, the void suddenly underwent a strange transformation.

"Rumble..."

The token burst forth with brilliant light, causing the surrounding void to twist and distort.

Before long, a gateway slowly opened in the void, revealing a small world within.

Then, True Person Tianbo's voice boomed like thunder as he made his announcement:

"I shall preside over this Outer Sect Grand Competition."

"The first round of the Outer Sect Grand Competition: enter the Void Realm and slay the Realm Heads."

"The time limit is ten days."

"For every Realm Head slain, you shall receive one point."

"Those with the top twenty scores will advance to the next round of the competition."