Qingyuan Market was bustling that day.
The reason was that Qingyuan Market's annual Divine Ability Hall meet was being held that very day.
In this world, Divine Ability Halls offered one of the most accessible paths to countless young people who dreamed of pursuing the Dao of Divine Abilities. Neither a Lineage bloodline nor a stringent test of talent was required. As long as one paid an admission fee, one could step directly onto the path of divine abilities, regardless of status or standing.
Perhaps the vast majority of Divine Ability Halls were low-level, and the divine abilities they taught were not of a particularly high grade, or could even be described as rudimentary. But it had to be said that it was precisely because Divine Ability Halls existed that the Dao of Divine Abilities in this world had become so brilliant and flourishing.
And though Divine Ability Halls had a low threshold for entry, they had also produced countless grassroots prodigies. They distinguished themselves in low-level Divine Ability Halls, washed away the dust of the world, and climbed higher step by step, ultimately becoming grandmasters or even reaching greater heights!
Thus, Divine Ability Halls were an indispensable cornerstone in any place.
Qingyuan Market was no exception.
Every year, when the hall meet was held, all the young people of suitable age in the Qingyuan Market region would flock to the market town. Some came to see the excitement, while others naturally hoped to find a Divine Ability Hall to their liking and join it to cultivate.
And the Divine Ability Hall that managed to stand out at the meet and claim the top hall seat would naturally become the greatest winner.
It was a true grand gathering.
Qingyuan Market, southern district.
The lake was like a bright mirror, its surface rippling beneath the autumn breeze. The view was breathtaking.
Today, the place was packed with people.
In the middle of the great lake, a mountain peak rose from the water, standing firm, with platform after platform carved into the side facing the shore.
This was where the annual hall meet was held.
When the meet began, Qingyuan Market's major Divine Ability Halls would each ascend the mountain according to their rankings from previous years, defend their hall platforms, and compete using divine abilities.
Since the hall platforms on the mountain all faced the shore, everyone watching could clearly see the fierce battles that broke out on each platform.
Numerous tower ships sat on the lake, each flying a conspicuous hall banner in the wind. Aboard them were the various Divine Ability Halls of Qingyuan Market taking part in this meet.
The tower ship at the front, flying a scarlet banner of flames and lightning, belonged to the Thunderfire Hall.
All the Thunderfire Hall's disciples had gathered aboard the ship today. As far as the eye could see, they looked like sweeping scarlet flames, their spirits high.
Lu Jin, dressed in the robes of the Thunderfire Hall's master, walked slowly out of the cabin. The previously noisy ship fell silent at once, and the many young disciples turned their gazes on him in awe.
"Today's hall meet will determine the future reputation of our Thunderfire Hall. I hope you will all uphold our hall's prestige," Lu Jin said. He offered no more ceremonial words, but that one calm, low statement was enough to make everyone look solemn.
As disciples of the Thunderfire Hall, they naturally shared in its glory and its losses. Over the past month, the hall had undergone a great upheaval, and everyone knew that countless doubts about it were circulating outside. Only through the hall meet could they put those doubts to rest.
This hall meet was a trial by fire for the Thunderfire Hall. If it came through, the turmoil Zhang Yue had brought would naturally subside in time. Otherwise... the Thunderfire Hall might gradually sink to the bottom of the four great Divine Ability Halls.
"At today's meet, there will be three Divine Ability Flags on the platform. I will defend the upper flag, while the second and third hall masters will defend the middle flag. As for the lower flag, Gao Yu, Yuan Da, and... Lu Ming will defend it."
Lu Jin looked toward the young man at the front of the crowd, dressed in scarlet hall robes, whose bearing had grown ever more upright. A trace of gratification appeared in his eyes.
The Lu Ming of today was almost a different person from the one who had opened his bones a month ago.
In the days since returning from the herb garden, Lu Ming had not relaxed in the slightest. Instead, he had cultivated even harder. By the time the hall meet began today, his third bone refinement was approaching completion, and he was only one final step away from truly completing Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound.
This was the Lu Clan's Divine Ability Child!
In a single short month, he had gone from opening his bones to nearly completing his third bone refinement. Such cultivation speed had never appeared in a third-tier Divine Ability Hall in Qingyuan Market. Only the prodigies of advanced Divine Ability Halls and divine ability clans with deep foundations could achieve such results with the support of top-tier resources.
"Uphold our hall's prestige!"
The Thunderfire Hall's many disciples shouted in support, their emotions running high.
Boom! Boom!
Drumbeats gradually sounded over the lake. The time for the hall meet was drawing near.
At the lakeside, the towering Lakeview Tower stood at the best viewing spot. At that moment, the major figures of Qingyuan Market were gathered on its top floor.
Market Master Zhou Xuan sat in the foremost seat, composed and distinguished. In a chair to one side sat a beautiful woman in a purple dress, graceful and dignified. She was Li Yan, the head of the Li Clan and Jingyi's mother.
On his other side sat a middle-aged man in golden brocade robes. A black tiger was embroidered on his robes, descending a mountain with the ferocious might to swallow mountains and rivers.
This man was Yan Jing, head of the Yan Clan of Qingyuan Market.
Although Zhou Xuan, a market master sent in from elsewhere, had reduced Yan Jing's efforts to secure the position to nothing, Yan Jing had managed to become a clan head and was naturally a man of deep schemes. He could not possibly let his resentment show.
Thus, he could still suppress all his emotions and chat and laugh with Zhou Xuan, looking as though he regretted not having met him sooner.
"I hear that the market master has promised these Divine Ability Halls that whichever one takes the top hall seat at the meet will have the concentration of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi at its hall raised to the upper level using the Yuan Qi Earth Veins?" Yan Jing asked suddenly as they spoke.
Zhou Xuan nodded with a smile.
Yan Jing sighed. "Market Master, you're being a little too hasty. The Yuan Qi Earth Veins are the best means of keeping these Divine Ability Halls in hand. As long as you hold the upper-level Primordial Qi in your grasp and dangle it before them, there's no need to fear they won't obey."
"Previous market masters relied on this to keep those Divine Ability Halls obedient. Now that you've put it forward as a bargaining chip, it'll be difficult to take it back later."
Zhou Xuan shook his head. "I think that once they've experienced the benefits of an upper-level Primordial Qi concentration, they'll be even more eager to keep that privilege."
Li Yan, who had not spoken until then, also nodded with a smile. "What the market master says makes sense too. With a different breadth of mind, you naturally do things differently from previous market masters."
"Haha, Clan Head Li, don't praise me to death." Zhou Xuan laughed.
Yan Jing smiled as well and casually changed the subject.
Li Yan occasionally joined in their cheerful conversation. At the same time, she raised her eyes toward a tower ship on the lake ahead, flying the Thunderfire Hall's banner. She pondered briefly, a trace of worry in her eyes.
With Zhang Yue, a heavyweight flag defender, absent from the Thunderfire Hall at this year's meet, the other Divine Ability Halls were bound to covet its position. The others were manageable, but the Red Sand Hall was the main concern. It was an old rival of the Thunderfire Hall and would certainly not let this opportunity pass.
She did not know whether the Thunderfire Hall could hold out.
Because of Jingyi, Li Yan had maintained contact with the Thunderfire Hall over the years. But some time ago, she had been forced to visit the hall and drop a few hints to Lu Ming, leaving her feeling somewhat guilty toward the child.
She had not had a peaceful month herself, though.
When Jingyi received no reply from Lu Ming, she had immediately gone into bombardment mode. Several letters had come flying from afar in quick succession, regardless of the cost. At first, her words had been somewhat aggrieved and angry as she demanded to know why Lu Ming had not written back.
Later, her tone had grown softer and softer, and she had even pleaded pitifully.
When Li Yan received the letters, she could only choose to ignore them. Only time could make such a thing fade.
But she had still underestimated her own daughter's sensitivity and cleverness. Jingyi had sensed that something was amiss, so when the latest "crane letter" arrived, its message was finally no longer for Lu Ming, but for her.
It contained just one cold, angry question from her daughter.
"Mother, did you say something to Lu Ming?"
In response, Li Yan could only choose not to reply, her conscience pricking her.
Thinking of this, Li Yan rubbed the space between her brows, troubled. Some time ago, I heard Shuang'er say that Lu Ming awakened a High-Grade Divine Ability Bone... That child really is quite good. Though his family background is somewhat lacking and he has no deep foundations, a High-Grade Divine Ability Bone is still quite a good talent. What a pity. If Jingyi hadn't been taken to her father's side, they would actually have been quite well suited.
But Li Yan also understood that there was no point thinking about such things now.
High-grade prodigies in third-tier Divine Ability Halls were not the same as high-grade prodigies from divine ability clans at a higher level. The latter could rely on top-tier cultivation resources to leave the former far behind.
So Li Yan could only meet her daughter's angry question with silence. Perhaps, once Jingyi met more young prodigies over there, she would no longer react so fiercely...