Chapter 20 – Partiality

There was a moment of silence atop the viewing platform as the four people’s eyes focused on the arena below. Due to the large number of people, the competition was running non-stop.

Sect Leader Ji looked at them and shook his head: “None of them are pleasing to the eye.”

Elder Zhou smiled and stroked his beard, pointing out two people: “Your expectations are too high. Look at that one, and that one. I think they’re rather good. They’re all beginners, so don’t be too hard on them.”

Sect Leader Ji took a look, then glanced away. What Elder Zhou found acceptable, he did not. However, he suddenly caught a flash of white near one of the people pointed out by Elder Zhou. When had their Lingxiao Sword Sect gotten white daoist robes?

He couldn’t help but ask: “That person seems to be a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion?”

Elder Zhou also noticed the white robes and stroked his beard in surprise: “That seems to be the case. Is our internal martial arts competition so exciting that a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion has come to watch?”

Hearing the conversation between the two, Xue Ren turned to salute Sect Leader Ji and said: “Shifu, that person should be visiting a friend.” 

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou both lived at the peak of the mountain. Most of the people they came into contact with were inner disciples, and they were unaware of the situation at the foot of the mountain. So they didn’t know that due to the loose personnel management there, people from other sects often came to visit friends.

Since Xue Ren had developed his golden core, he would occasionally help deal with miscellaneous sect matters and was familiar with the situation at the foot of the mountain. Therefore, he spoke up. 

Elder Zhou heard this and nodded in sudden realization, and although Sect Leader Ji didn’t smile, his expression softened a little.

It was truly boring to watch these junior disciples sparring like children. Not only did Feng Ye and Hao Chen feel this way, but the two great Nascent Soul masters did too.

They exchanged glances, then moved on to discussing other topics.

Sect Leader Ji glanced at Cao Zirui, who had not said a word so far, with a completely different expression than the sternness he showed Xue Ren. When he looked at Cao Zirui, there was only geniality in his eyes: “Zirui, today is the selection for Qi Refining stage disciples, and tomorrow it will be the Foundation Establishment stage disciples. How are your preparations coming?”

Compared to the one hundred slots for those at the Qi Refining stage, there were only ten slots for Foundation Establishment disciples. Nobody got a spot by default. Even as the sect leader’s personal disciple, Cao Zirui still needed to place in order to participate.

But Cao Zirui didn’t need special treatment. With his strength, he could easily win the championship.

Facing a question from his shifu, Cao Zirui finally spoke his first sentence. He also bowed respectfully, not completely ignorant of etiquette, and replied: “This disciple has cultivated the Lingxiao sword techniques to the fifth level. Regarding tomorrow’s competition…..”

He paused, then raised his head and assured: “This disciple is confident that he will win the championship.”

“Good!” The sect leader was delighted to hear this. After exclaiming, he looked down at Cao Zirui’s upright figure with the affectionate gaze of an elder.

Cao Zirui was still young, and was only about 1.67 meters tall, which seemed a bit short, like he was still unable to stand on his own feet and take charge of things.

But after another two years, just another two years……this disciple would surely become a renowned cultivator and revive the reputation of Lingxiao Sword Sect, just like that person…..

At the thought of that person, the joy on Sect Leader Ji’s face faded slightly. He picked up a teacup to conceal his mood, but didn’t drink. He only held it in his hands, using it to suppress his surging emotions.

His movements were inconspicuous, so Cao Zirui didn’t notice at all. After giving his response, he turned his head to watch the group of junior disciples below the platform who were in the same class as him, but whose identities were very different from his due to his talent.

Sect Leader Ji quickly adjusted himself and continued to watch the fight in boredom alongside Elder Zhou.

No one noticed that when Xue Ren heard how his shifu talked to his fellow disciple, and saw the completely different expressions he showed him and Cao Zirui, he was unable to suppress the jealousy and anger in his heart.

The words ‘Lingxiao sword techniques’ pierced into Xue Ren’s not-so-broad heart like a thorn. The name of their sect was Lingxiao Sword Sect, and the sword technique named after the sect was naturally the most superior swordsmanship.

So superior that his shifu never taught it to him, his senior disciple who had been following him in cultivation and busily serving him for more than twenty years, but instead taught it to his shidi, who had just entered the sect a year ago.

The Lingxiao Sword Technique was created by the former sect leader, who was the most powerful swordsman in history. Even if another hundred years passed, another true genius might not appear.

He had broken through the bottleneck of Nascent Soul one hundred years ago to become the first true spiritual master in the cultivation world, and single-handedly led Lingxiao Sword Sect to become the largest sect in the world. 

The sword technique he left behind was naturally extraordinary. This was the sword technique that could be cultivated to the Hedao stage!

When Nascent Soul was believed to be the limit for cultivators, who in the world wouldn’t flock to it!

But it just so happened that the sect leader refused to teach anyone this unrivaled sword technique, and even he himself had never attempted to cultivate it.

Although Xue Ren coveted this sword technique, every time he tried to mention it, Sect Leader Ji was always very secretive. After three or four times, he had stopped bringing it up, thinking there must be some unknown problem with this sword technique.

After all, considering what happened to the previous sect leader one hundred years ago…..

He was famous for a while, and infamous for a lifetime.

However, when Xue Ren was no longer pursuing the sword technique, he unexpectedly discovered today that his shifu had secretly taught it to his shidi.

What was the meaning of this? Partiality? It was undoubtedly partiality!

The twenty-year relationship between him and his shifu wasn’t as good as Cao Zirui’s, who had only been a disciple for one year!

Xue Ren kept his head down as he listened to the conversation between his shifu and his fellow junior disciple. Ever since he heard the words ‘Lingxiao Sword Technique,’ his clenched fists had never loosened. The jealousy and resentment in his heart came like waves, one after another.

The waves hit him with such force that his calm expression nearly collapsed. In order to avoid revealing any abnormalities in front of his shifu and Elder Zhou, he abruptly bowed: “This disciple suddenly remembered some things he forgot to deal with, so I will take my leave.”

Sect Leader Ji glanced at Xue Ren with some displeasure, but perhaps Cao Zirui had put him in a good mood, because he said nothing else, just waving his hand to signal Xue Ren to leave.

Xue Ren restrained himself and maintained a normal pace as he left. When he reached a deserted area, he walked faster and faster, his inner rage rising as his pace quickened.

The spiritual power of a Golden Core stage cultivator circulated within his body, raging through his meridians according to his mood in a reckless rampage. Just as Xue Ren was about to vent his anger on a nearby wall, he was suddenly bumped into by someone who appeared around the corner.

The collision put Xue Ren back in his right mind. He retracted the spiritual power gathered in his hands, which he had been about to transform into sword qi.

He hid his hand in his sleeves, frowning at the person who’d bumped into him.

It was an outer sect junior disciple.

Xue Ren was already in a bad mood, and being run into by a junior disciple who hadn’t even entered the inner gates made him feel even worse. He gave the other party a chilly glance.

When the other disciple saw the coldness in his eyes, he hurriedly apologized and rushed to pick up the yellow flower that had fallen to the ground in the collision.

Xue Ren ignored him. He must not let anyone see the anger in his heart. He had maintained the persona of a gentle shixiong for so many years, and couldn’t allow it to collapse now.

At the very least, he couldn’t remove his mask until he truly became the sect leader’s successor. Thinking of this, Xue Ren didn’t waste any more time and hurried off with a shake of his sleeves.

And Lu Chengye watched from behind as the shixiong he rarely saw in daily life left in a rush. He breathed a sigh of relief and hid the flower he had picked up in his sleeve, thinking gratefully, Fortunately he didn’t notice.

Didn’t notice what kind of flower this was.

A malicious smile grew on Lu Chengye’s lips. Estimating that it was almost time for dinner, he quickly paced toward the cafeteria without stopping.

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21