More than four hours later, Wang Yan emerged from Venerable Gray Three's Cave Abode and said to Bing Ning, "Senior Sister Bing Ning! Goodbye!"
"Mm! Wait, Junior Brother Wang Yan!" Bing Ning nodded, hesitated, and glanced around before suddenly calling him back.
"Is there something else, Senior Sister?" Wang Yan's heart stirred, and he quickly asked. Although Bing Ning's attitude toward him had improved somewhat, she had always been exceedingly indifferent to him.
"Junior Brother Wang Yan, you're entering the Four Peaks Competition, aren't you?" Bing Ning nodded and asked.
"Mm! Yes!" Wang Yan was startled by the question, then nodded and answered. He had no intention of hiding it.
"If you get a chance to reach the final round, Junior Brother Wang Yan, you'd better take second place!" Bing Ning suddenly said.
"Second place?" Wang Yan froze, then asked in surprise, "Why? Isn't...!"
"Second place is what Master wants most!" Bing Ning answered gravely. "Remember that!" With that, she ignored Wang Yan, turned her fingers through a hand seal, and closed the Cave Abode, leaving him with only a glimpse of her retreating back...
"...!" Wang Yan looked thoroughly frustrated. In his mind, taking first place was naturally best. Venerable Gray Three had tasked him with placing in the top three, so second place would certainly suffice, but the rewards for first place were surely more generous. Why did he have to take second? Wang Yan could not make sense of it...
Of course.
Wang Yan was not arrogant enough to think he could take first place. But Bing Ning's words immediately made him feel that this so-called Four Peaks Competition was not so simple. As a Golden Core Cultivator, Venerable Gray Three would hardly have lent him a supreme-grade Spirit Artifact merely over a matter of pride. A