Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Everyone Must Participate

But in just a single month, to go from having no cultivation at all to the fifth stage of the Martial Apprentice Realm!

This is just insane!

Ye Qingchen managed to break through from the first to the third stage of the Martial Warrior Realm in a month, and already thought his progress was crazy fast!

But compared to Xiao Xiao, he was instantly reduced to dust!

Even though breaking through the Martial Warrior Realm is much harder than in the Martial Apprentice Realm, Ye Qingchen believed that if Xiao Xiao started at Martial Warrior first stage, she could easily make it to third stage in less than a month!

The Supreme Elder chuckled:

”Little girl, aren’t you always shouting about protecting Ye Qingchen? If you don’t cultivate hard, how are you going to become strong enough to protect him?”

Xiao Xiao shrugged helplessly:

”Supreme Elder, can’t you use a different line to motivate me? I’ve heard this one at least eight hundred times this month if not a thousand! My ears are growing calluses from it!”

The Supreme Elder gave a shrewd laugh:

”Hahaha, that’s because this line works every time, tried and true!”

Ye Changyun smiled and waved his hand:

”Everyone’s here. Let’s move out so we’re not late.”

With Ye Changyun leading, the Ye Family’s group set off in grand fashion, heading for Qingyun Mountain Range.

...

At the entrance of Qingyun Mountain Range, there was a vast flat area—the very site where, every eight years, the Qingyun Mountain Range Youth Trial Competition was held.

At this moment, unlike its usual quiet, the place was packed with people and buzzing with excitement.

The Qingyun Mountain Range Youth Trial Competition is open to all youths under twenty-five, held once every eight years, and is extremely prestigious—an examination set by the six great sects of the Northern Desolate Country to recruit new disciples!

Youths who perform well in the trial can catch the eye of these six sects and gain entry to train under them!

Bear in mind, the resources of the six great sects are so abundant that even the three major families of Qingyun Town don’t come close!

This is why such an opportunity is incredibly precious!

Almost every qualified youth in Qingyun Town had hurried over!

Their clansmen had also come to show support!

After all, if a youth is chosen by the six great sects, not only does their future look boundless, the family could also forge ties with a sect—an advantage that goes without saying.

At this moment, over a thousand youths stood together in neat rows. At the very front was a makeshift high platform, with the six key representatives from the six great sects seated atop it, alongside the Ye Family head Li Zhe and the Huang Family head Huang Dayear, as well as notable figures from Qingfeng Town keeping them company.

The crowd of youths looked on as the usually lofty Li Zhe and Huang Dayear bowed and scraped in front of the six sect representatives—their eyes burning with fervor!

As long as they performed well in the trial, they could join the six great sects in the future—and even have a chance to become someone who recruits new disciples for the sect, so that Li Zhe, Huang Dayear, and those they once admired would one day humble themselves before them like this!

Just imagining it filled them with motivation!

Of the six officials in the center, the leader was a man with a square face named Du Pengcheng—big eyes, big nose, big mouth—a steward of the Qingyun Sect, fifth stage martial master, and the strongest among the six.

Beside him was the official from the Heavenly Profound Sect, a tall, thin middle-aged man named Cui Wei, at the fourth stage martial master realm and also a steward.

In the Northern Desolate Country, the Qingyun Sect was without question the top sect, with the Heavenly Profound Sect solidly holding the number two spot!

”Steward Cui Wei, I heard that your Heavenly Profound Sect had a steward named Wang Hu who recently died in Qingyun Town—is that true?”

Du Pengcheng looked over at Cui Wei and asked.

Cui Wei nodded:

”Wang Hu went missing after bringing his disciple Liu Haizhou to Qingyun Town. I believe his death is likely.”

Du Pengcheng furrowed his brow:

”But Wang Hu was at martial master realm strength—apart from the Rising Sun Pavilion in Qingyun Town, I doubt there’s anyone stronger than him!”

Cui Wei replied:

”I’ve already investigated; it wasn’t the Rising Sun Pavilion. The killer was someone else. There’s no evidence for now, but I’ve mostly narrowed down the suspects! Anyone daring enough to kill a Heavenly Profound Sect steward will pay back a hundredfold sooner or later!”

Hearing the conversation between Du Pengcheng and Cui Wei, Li Zhe, sitting in attendance, kept his face calm but was secretly elated inside!

No secret can stay hidden forever!

As long as the Heavenly Profound Sect keeps investigating, the truth will come out one day!

Cui Wei shook his head, looking displeased:

”Let’s not talk about that anymore. Steward Du Pengcheng, you’re well-connected in your Qingyun Sect—do you happen to know why the timing for this recruitment of new disciples was suddenly advanced by three months?”

The six great sects recruit disciples every eight years—it’s been that way for ages, like clockwork, never once changing!

But this time, the trial had suddenly moved up three months, sparking much speculation about the reason.

Upon hearing Cui Wei’s question, the other four sect heads, as well as Li Zhe and Huang Dayear, all pricked up their ears.

They all wanted to know why the Qingyun Mountain Range trial had been advanced by three months this time around.

Du Pengcheng smiled slightly and said:

”Actually, it’s no big secret—you’ll all know soon enough.”

”Rumor has it, a mighty expert from the Northern Territories sensed that a ten-star Holy Soul genius was born in our Northern Desolate Country and is already on their way here, hoping to take that genius away!”

”Hiss—Ten-star Holy Soul!”

”No way! As far as I know, not once has our Northern Desolate Country ever produced a ten-star Holy Soul genius!”

Cui Wei and the others widened their eyes, even gasping out loud.

This news was just too much of a shock!

Du Pengcheng nodded:

”That’s right! A ten-star Holy Soul genius! How could we possibly let someone else take them from us?”

”That’s why the royal family and the six great sects quickly agreed to bring the trial forward—find that ten-star Holy Soul genius now! Get them into a sect before those Northern Territories forces can snatch them away!”

Cui Wei and the others suddenly understood!

So, a ten-star Holy Soul genius had been born in the Northern Desolate Country!

And it was because of this that the Qingyun Mountain Range Trial was brought forward!

If that genius knew how the whole Northern Desolate Country was turning upside-down just because of them, one can only wonder what they’d think?

Suddenly, Cui Wei thought of something, frowning in confusion:

”Wait a second! Even if you bring the trial forward, if the ten-star Holy Soul genius wasn’t planning to participate, you still wouldn’t find them before the Northern Territories experts, would you?”

Li Zhe and the others nodded one after another; Cui Wei’s point made sense.

Hearing this, Du Pengcheng grinned mysteriously:

”The higher-ups already anticipated this! So, this year’s Qingyun Mountain Range Youth Trial has a new rule! As long as you’re under twenty-five and have awakened a Martial Soul, no matter your cultivation or realm, you must participate!”

”Everyone must participate!”

The instant this rule was announced, Li Zhe, Huang Dayear, and the others went pale!