You're Blocking Our First-Place Winner

The ten-day entrance test has finally come to an end, and the first one to walk out of the formation is none other than Jing He, who was the most popular candidate!

At that moment, Jing Yang was so excited that he almost shouted out loud, as if he had won first place.

Fortunately, he managed to suppress the overwhelming joy in his heart, but the ever-upturned corners of his mouth betrayed his feelings.

"Elder Fu, our plan has succeeded!" His voice trembled with barely suppressed emotion.

The middle-aged male cultivator in front of him was not much different, and could only barely maintain the airs of a high-level cultivator.

But Elder Fu didn't forget to give Jing Yang a warning. "Look at you, so spineless! Ten Thousand Daos Born hasn't even made the announcement yet. Only when that guy surnamed Xiao publicly announces that Young Master Jing He is the top winner can we truly present this great gift!"

That being said, everyone present was already convinced that Jing He was the winner.

Even the stall owners who set up the gambling dens couldn't help but cast pitying glances at the seemingly oblivious Gu cultivators in the crowd.

Pity is one thing, but the Spirit Stone can't be returned; after all, he needs to make a living!

Unlike the others who had different thoughts, the young cultivators who walked out of the formation one by one felt nothing but regret and pride.

The male cultivator in white was a step behind Jing He, but he also clearly realized that he was definitely out of luck in winning first place.

However, he wasn't the kind of person who couldn't accept defeat. He immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Jing He, and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Jing, on winning first place. I am Lan Fusheng from Spirit Prefecture."

Jing He glanced at the jade flute at his waist and forced a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lan, what are you saying? Ten Thousand Daos Born hasn't announced it yet, and my first place isn't a sure thing. Perhaps there are even more capable fellow Daoists who have won the favor of the elders of Ten Thousand Daos Born!"

Although he spoke modestly, his demeanor betrayed his unbridled arrogance.

Lan Fusheng was persuaded by Ten Thousand Daos Born's elders who personally visited her home, and she agreed to come here because she had a good impression of Ten Thousand Daos Born.

As a music cultivator, he was naturally sensitive to the emotions of others, so as soon as Jing He opened his mouth, he vaguely sensed that Jing He did not seem to have any goodwill towards Ten Thousand Daos Born.

Lan Fusheng pursed his lips, suddenly losing any desire to befriend him.

He managed to chat with Jing He for a few more minutes before quickly saying goodbye.

After Lan Fusheng left, many young cultivators gathered around Jing He, trying to get on good terms with the top scorer in the test.

Looking at Jing He's carefree demeanor, it seemed as if the top spot was already in his grasp.

Lan Fusheng had stepped aside, watched from afar as a young man carrying a sword appeared beside her at some point.

"What, you don't like that person?" The man in black with his hair tied in a high ponytail exuded the dashing spirit of youth, more like a chivalrous knight-errant than a cultivator.

Lan Fusheng immediately recognized the person; in fact, he was one of the candidates who ranked first in this entrance test— Bai Kejin, a sword cultivator from Spirit Prefecture.

He was Rogue Cultivator and had never learned any orthodox Swordsmanship. He only developed his own cultivation method because he fought a lot with others.

Lan Fusheng and he had only met a few times. After all, they were both well-known young talents in Spirit Prefecture. Even if they didn't know each other, they had already heard of each other's names.

Bai Kejin usually doesn't like to interact with people, so it's already quite remarkable that he took the initiative to ask. However, Lan Fusheng doesn't like to gossip behind people's backs, so she didn't know how to answer him for a moment.

Fortunately, another female voice quickly chimed in. "Why are you asking him? With his old-fashioned nature, he's unlikely to tell you!"

A plump girl dressed in a pale yellow robe also came over and immediately started criticizing Lan Fusheng.

"I am Dong Fuzhu from Yao Zhou. Judging from the sword you are carrying, you must be Bai Kejin, the sword cultivator from Spirit Prefecture, right? Are you here to become an apprentice of Elder Gu?" The soft and fluffy girl introduced herself, and the usually sullen male sword cultivator also gave her a few polite words.

"Elder Gu" was the same cultivator who had been holding a sword in the main hall earlier.

Unlike Lan Fusheng and Bai Kejin, who only met a few times, Dong Fuzhu and Bai Yiyinxiu had known each other for a long time and had a special relationship.

The three exchanged casual greetings, then Dong Fuzhu pointed to Jing He, who was being flattered and fawned over by everyone, and said, "Don't be fooled by that man's appearance. He's no good, and the Jing Household behind him is no good either!"

"And you probably don't know this," Dong Fuzhu lowered her voice, "This time, Ten Thousand Daos Born's elders didn't even go to the Jing Household to invite him; he came to Qing Zhou on his own initiative to participate in the entrance test."

The female cultivator crossed her arms and smiled, "Just you wait, he's definitely going to pull some tricks later!"

It was the first time the two male cultivators had been dragged into gossiping about others. Even though their reason told them they shouldn't, the feeling of knowing secrets was so intoxicating that even Lan Fusheng couldn't bear to interrupt the female cultivator.

The three of them huddled to one side, quietly waiting for what they thought would happen.

After most of the cultivators who participated in the test had come out, Elder Xiao, acting sect leader, finally appeared in front of the mountain gate.

The middle-aged man with a cold and stern expression walked down the long steps one by one, as if he were a true immortal descending to earth.

The crowd fell silent, not daring to act rashly in front of this powerful cultivator.

"You have all traveled a long way to participate in the test at Ten Thousand Daos Born. Whether or not you are destined to join Ten Thousand Daos Born in the end, it is an honor for Ten Thousand Daos Born. On behalf of the sect leader, I would like to express my gratitude to you all."

The young cultivators quickly waved their hands, some even blushing instantly.

"It is also thanks to the blessings of heaven that 410 out of the more than 1,000 cultivators who participated in the entrance test successfully passed the triple formation, and also passed my Ten Thousand Daos Born's test..." Elder Xiao praised the more than 410 people in a calm and unhurried manner, but did not leave out the remaining cultivators who did not pass.

He didn't speak ill of those people, but only attributed it to their lack of affinity with Ten Thousand Daos Born.

After everyone had finished speaking, someone couldn't help but ask, "Elder Xiao, may I ask which cultivator won first place in this test?!"

Speaking of this, Elder Xiao's serious expression softened considerably, and even a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. "This is exactly what I wanted to say next. The top performer this time is exceptionally talented. Having only passed the first two formations, he has already gained the favor of many elders. He is someone who was born to join my Ten Thousand Daos Born!"

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

Such high praise, a treatment that even the top-ranked contestants hadn't received, made everyone incredibly excited.

They only saw Elder Xiao extend his hand towards Jing He, his expression unusually gentle. "I wonder if this disciple who won first place has a master in mind!"

Upon seeing this, the usually calm Gu Xiu suddenly crushed the teacup in his hand, and his hood almost fell off as he stood up abruptly.

But now no one pays attention to him anymore; all eyes are on Jing He in the center of the crowd, who has become the real focus.

Feeling the intense gazes of the crowd, Jing He smiled with satisfaction and took two steps away from the crowd.

Jing Yang, watching from afar, couldn't help but clench his fists. Elder Fu even stopped drinking his tea, his gaze fixed intently on Jing He.

Lan Fusheng, who was standing nearby, also looked over, but her expression wasn't exactly pleasant. Dong Fuzhu, in particular, rolled her eyes the moment Jing He adopted a haughty demeanor.

Finally, amidst a chorus of breathless silence, Jing He spoke, "Thank you for your praise, Elder Xiao. It's just a pity that I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint your sect's expectations. I came here to participate in the test only to try my skills with the renowned Thousandfold Formation. However, after entering the formation today, I realized that the Thousandfold Formation is nothing special, and I can easily take first place."

As he spoke each word, Elder Xiao's expression turned astonished and bewildered.

Hearing the gasps of surprise around him, Jing He continued, "I originally thought that Ten Thousand Daos Born, which could rival the Mara Gate, would be an exceptionally powerful sect, but now it seems I was wrong. Indeed, I should have Mara Gate. Therefore, I will not disturb them..."

"Wait!" Elder Xiao didn't wait for Jing He to finish speaking.

Jing He paused, a mocking look on his face. "What, Elder Xiao, are you not even willing to let this junior speak the truth?"

At this moment, Elder Xiao finally understood what his junior sister meant by "feeling embarrassed for others."

He suppressed a strange sense of shame and explained, "If you want to tell the truth, that's fine, but could you please step aside first? You're blocking our Ten Thousand Daos Born this year!"

He raised his hand and pointed behind him, and only then did everyone realize that Elder Xiao was pointing directly behind Jing He!

As their gazes shifted, cultivators stepped back, and a face sculpted by ice and snow came into view.

The female cultivator reeked of blood and held a long sword in one hand.

But when people looked at her, it was as if they were seeing a goddess from the heavens!

A note from the author:

Elder Xiao: I'm having this embarrassing moment for others!

Sigh, I admit it, I'm just a country bumpkin. I love cheesy face-slapping and Mary Sue stories, sob sob~

See you tomorrow, little sparrow flapping its wings~