Competing for a Disciple

Lu Jinghui's heart was filled with bitterness. To live in the same era as such a monster—was that a blessing or a misfortune?

At this point, he had completely lost any desire to challenge the tower himself. He only wanted to wait here and see just how far Liang Bo could go this time.

Behind him, the girl in the white dress stared fixedly at the information displayed on the stone monument before the True Martial Tower, her mind utterly blank. That fellow she had previously declared incapable of even passing the first level of the first checkpoint had actually passed the first checkpoint of the second level so quickly, catching up to Lu Jinghui, whom she considered an unparalleled genius. It was completely beyond her imagination!

Listening to the people around her marvel one after another at Liang Bo's achievement, she could not help wanting to speak up in rebuttal. But before the words could leave her mouth, she was drowned in the spittle of the crowd around her.

At the same time.

Liang Bo, a direct disciple who had entered the sect only ten days ago, had already passed the first checkpoint of the True Martial Tower's second level!

This astonishing news swiftly swept through the entire sect like a gust of wind. Nearly every high-ranking figure learned of it at once, and all of True Martial City immediately began to boil over.

The Sect Master, First Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and other supreme experts of the Earth Origin Realm immediately mounted flying beasts and rushed toward the True Martial Tower.

However, though they were fast, someone else was even faster.

Inside a palace in the southern part of True Martial City.

A middle-aged man dressed in black robes sat upon the throne in the main hall, listening to his subordinates report the intelligence they had gathered from various places.

At that moment, a trusted subordinate entered and reported, "Cuckoo Wind Venerable, news has just arrived. Liang Bo, the direct disciple who only entered the sect this year, has already passed the first checkpoint of the True Martial Tower's second level!"

"What? You said he has already passed the first checkpoint of the True Martial Tower's second level?" The middle-aged man abruptly rose to his feet and leaned toward the subordinate.

"Yes, Venerable. This news has just arrived. There can be no mistake," the subordinate answered with a bow.

"The first checkpoint of the second level? How is that possible?" The middle-aged man's face immediately filled with shock.

This man was named Liu Yan. He was one of the True Martial Sect's seven Heavenly Origin Realm experts, known as Cuckoo Wind Venerable. His strength had long since reached a miraculous and unfathomable realm.

As such a top-tier expert, he naturally knew how difficult it was to pass the first checkpoint of the True Martial Tower's second level after joining the True Martial Sect for merely ten days.

It could be said that throughout the True Martial Sect's nearly ten-thousand-year history, although close to a hundred people had managed to pass the second level within a year of entering the sect, there had never been anyone like Liang Bo, who passed the first checkpoint of the second level only ten days after entering!

Those other geniuses had generally passed the first checkpoint of the second level three or four months after entering the sect. In this regard alone, Liang Bo's performance was clearly stronger than theirs!

If Liang Bo solving the question left behind by Wine Daoist as soon as he entered the sect had merely made Liu Yan somewhat tempted to take him as a disciple, and he could still choose to let it go out of consideration for Wine Daoist, then learning that Liang Bo had passed the first level of the second checkpoint so quickly meant he was no longer merely tempted.

Is this brat planning to defy the heavens? No, I absolutely cannot let that old drunkard have a genius like this!

After saying that, he paid no heed to the subordinate beside him, who had long since been stunned rigid. With a flash, he shot into the sky. Without relying on any flying beast, he flew directly toward the True Martial Tower.

At the same time, four similar figures rushed out from several nearby palaces. They too rose into the air and flew toward the True Martial Tower.

Seeing this, the martial artists below, who had yet to receive the news, were all dumbfounded.

"Look! Walking through the air—it's a Heavenly Origin Realm expert!"

"What exactly has happened? It has actually drawn so many Heavenly Origin Realm experts into action at once. Could foreign enemies have invaded?"

"Foreign enemies? No, how could that be possible? Our True Martial City is the most heavily guarded city under heaven, and Blade King personally stands watch here. What enemy would dare come here and cause trouble? Besides, even if foreign enemies had invaded, there would be no need for so many Heavenly Origin Realm Venerables to move out together, would there?"

"Exactly. It must be something else. Look at the flight paths of these Venerables—they all seem to be heading toward the True Martial Tower. Could something earthshaking have happened there?"

Leaving aside the wild speculation of the many martial artists, just as the five figures sped toward the True Martial Tower, a rich fragrance of wine suddenly drifted through the sky.

The five of them immediately stalled, unable to advance even a single step.

"Old drunkard, do you think you alone can stop all five of us?" Cuckoo Wind Venerable said with an ugly expression toward the front.

"Haha, who said I was going to stop all five of you? This old man only intends to stop you!" As the words fell, a figure flashed into view ahead of them. It was Wine Daoist.

He shook the wine gourd in his hand, took a light sip, then looked at one of the five and frowned. "After all these years of friendship, are you going to fight me for a disciple too?"

Sword Venerable's expression stiffened. "I did not wish to come either, but Liang Bo is simply too outstanding. Besides, you have delayed taking him into your sect. If you had accepted him as your disciple earlier, how would any of us have had a chance now?"

Wine Daoist merely stared at him in silence.

Sword Venerable's skin crawled under his gaze. He could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Fine. We have been friends for many years. I will not compete with you for Liang Bo."

Wine Daoist nodded slightly, and only then did his expression improve somewhat.

His gaze then turned to another Heavenly Origin Realm Venerable. "Longwind Venerable, you still owe me a favor from back then. Do you really have the nerve to compete with me for a disciple too? Why not leave now and count it as repaying that favor? What do you say?"

Longwind Venerable pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Fine!" Without waiting for the final outcome, he turned and departed.

Wine Daoist then looked at the third man. "Blazing Flame Venerable, you blacksmith, why are you in such a hurry to take on a disciple? Do you intend to teach Liang Bo how to forge iron? Why not leave now? This old man will send you a jug of Millennium Drunk another day as thanks. What do you say?"

Blazing Flame Venerable was an expert skilled in artifact refining. He had not been particularly eager to take Liang Bo as a disciple to begin with, so after hearing Wine Daoist's words, he nodded readily. "Fine." He too turned and left.

Wine Daoist then looked at the fourth man and shook his head. "Flying Wild Goose Venerable, everyone has seen your ability to teach disciples. It is famously terrible! Among the thirty-odd disciples you have taken in, not one has even reached the Earth Origin Realm. With your skill at teaching disciples, if Liang Bo were taught by you, it would simply be a waste of his talent!"