Chapter 14: What a Great Green Hat
"Are those the elite disciples?" Xu Ping'an gazed at the six elite disciples standing separately upon the giant rocks.
The robes they all wore were entirely white and magnificent.
Each one had an imposing appearance and an extraordinary aura.
Disciples of the Beichen Sword Sect were generally no older than thirty years of age.
Once they surpassed thirty without reaching the Third Rank, they would be dispatched elsewhere, responsible for the Sect's affairs beyond its bounds.
Those who managed to reach the Third Rank could remain in the Sect and become Outer Sect Elders.
However, over the years, truly no more than three disciples each year were able to stay with the Sect.
The rest had been sent away, and most had already died in battle.
Hence, these elite disciples, all of whom reached the Ninth Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm before thirty, were certainly not lacking in talent.
The youngest among them was only a year older than Xu Ping'an, a mere seventeen!
"To reach the Ninth Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm at seventeen years old in such a perilous and remote place, it seems their talent is indeed not low," Xu Ping'an's gaze fell upon the youngest female disciple.
This woman's appearance was exceptionally remarkable, a beauty that could overthrow states and cities, shade the moon and shame flowers, her looks not in the least bit inferior to Zhou Mengyue's.
In fact, she was even more beautiful than Zhou Mengyue by a few degrees, especially with her cold and elegant demeanor.
It could be said that she made countless disciples present submit to her allure.
"That's Li Qingyi, she's just too beautiful!"
"Indeed, not only is she pretty, but her talent is also extremely high. To think that she's already reached the Ninth Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm at merely seventeen, she truly deserves to be the number one beauty in the Tianlong River region."
"A fairy, unquestionably a fairy. I really wonder who's worthy of her grace."
...
Many disciples around were incessantly discussing.
Most of the disciples were captivated by the woman holding a long sword, clad in flowing white.
The woman paid no attention to the numerous male disciples' gazes below, and instead, she closed her eyes to meditate, gathering and condensing her spirit.
Xu Ping'an was not surprised by this scene; Li Qingyi's fame in the Tianlong Lake region had always been significant.
In the past, Zhou Mengyue had always secretly rivaled this woman.
Now it seemed that compared to Li Qingyi, Zhou Mengyue still fell short.
Amongst the group of Inner Sect disciples, Zhou Mengyue, with clenched fists, watched Li Qingyi meditate with eyes brimming with intense jealousy.
"Li Qingyi, I will catch up to you soon. Now the Mysterious Yin Energy within my body has been completely refined, my strength surging to the Fifth Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm, not too far from your Ninth Layer," Zhou Mengyue murmured to herself.
She silently vowed to surpass Li Qingyi.
She wanted everyone to know that she, Zhou Mengyue, was the brightest pearl in the Tianlong River region.
Standing next to Zhou Mengyue, Wang Tianyu was also momentarily dazed.
Li Qingyi was so beautiful that he found himself lost in her.
However, seeing his expression, Zhou Mengyue felt her jealousy deepen.
At the very front of the Inner Sect disciples, a young man in a luxurious python robe was also watching Li Qingyi with eyes filled with intense desire.
"Li Qingyi, I must have you. You are destined to be mine, Chen Tianqing," he firmly told himself.
As the son of the Commandery Prince of Tianlong County, his status was incredibly noble.
In his eyes, everything in Tianlong County belonged to him, including Li Qingyi.
Furthermore, he was an extraordinary talent that had caused an unusual phenomenon between heaven and earth.
Xu Ping'an had no interest in this renowned beauty of Tianlong County; having endured two betrayals, he understood what was truly precious.
Good looks were merely an outer shell.
"Xu Ping'an is over there!"
At that moment, Wang Tianyu also noticed Xu Ping'an amongst the crowd, his eyes flashing with intense murderous intent.
Zhou Mengyue also looked towards Xu Ping'an, her eyes equally dark.
Feeling the gaze of the two, Xu Ping'an scoffed in disdain.
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However, when Xu Ping'an felt Zhou Mengyue's breath, a trace of surprise flickered through his heart.
"Sea-Splitting Realm Fifth Layer? As expected, the fusion of her bloodline has significantly increased her cultivation, but it looks like she has already fully assimilated her bloodline power," Xu Ping'an muttered to himself.
The Zhou Mengyue at the Fifth Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm was not an easy opponent.
If they were really to fight, he might not come out on top.
As for Wang Tianyu of the Third Layer of the Sea-Splitting Realm, he could kill as many as came at him.
"Today Xu Ping'an will surely die. Once we enter the Wilderness Forest, I'll be the first to slay him," Wang Tianyu declared arrogantly.
Zhou Mengyue frowned slightly.
For some reason, she felt a sense of danger emanating from Xu Ping'an.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"
Just then, several figures suddenly shot towards them from a distance.
These figures, without exception, were all Fourth Rank experts.
"Look, it's the elders," everyone exclaimed in surprise, revealing shocked expressions.
Fourth Rank powerhouses were indeed formidable, capable of walking on air.
Walking on air?
Xu Ping'an was not envious; in his past life, he was not only capable of air-walking, but also of tearing through the void itself.
"Everyone, the annual Wilderness Forest trial is about to begin. All disciples of the Beichen Sword Sect will enter the Wilderness Forest to temper themselves, slaying demon beasts over a period of ten days. The top 20 ranked by the number and level of demon beasts killed will receive Sect rewards. I now declare the Wilderness Forest trial officially begins," announced the leading elder in a loud voice.
At these words, the disciples below all seemed eager to try.
"Charge!" a disciple shouted, leading the charge.
The next moment, disciples from all around rushed into the interior of the Wilderness Forest.
The elite disciples were also on the move, taking the lead and swooping into the interior of the Wilderness Forest.
The Inner Sect was close behind, followed immediately by the Outer Sect disciples.
Xu Ping'an, however, was not in a hurry; he had noticed that someone in the crowd had locked onto him with a murderous intent.
Without looking, Xu Ping'an already knew it was Wang Tianyu.
"Thinking of killing me during the trial, but not knowing who the real prey is," Xu Ping'an sneered.
He then split from the group and headed in an unoccupied direction.
Seeing the direction in which Xu Ping'an was heading, Wang Tianyu's eyes suddenly lit up.
"I was worried I wouldn't have the chance to kill you, but if you're courting death by yourself, don't blame me," Wang Tianyu sneered, immediately following him.
If Xu Ping'an had stayed with the crowd, it would have been difficult for him to make a move.
But Xu Ping'an had taken the initiative to separate from the group, which was practically asking for death.
Zhou Mengyue watched Wang Tianyu leave but did not follow him.
Instead, she turned and headed towards Chen Tianqing, purposefully sweeping over to him.
"Greetings, Young Marquis!" Zhou Mengyue approached Chen Tianqing with a flirtatious air.
Chen Tianqing's eyes immediately brightened: "Are you Wang Tianyu's fiancée, Zhou Mengyue?"
"Indeed, it is I!" Zhou Mengyue smiled coquettishly.
"Not bad at all, I've heard that you possess the Innate Charming Physique. Seeing you today, it is quite extraordinary indeed. Wang Tianyu is indeed a lucky man!" Chen Tianqing said meaningfully, his gaze firmly fixed on Zhou Mengyue.
"The Young Marquis is truly a prodigy, noble in stature, incomparable to Wang Tianyu. I heard that the phenomena caused by your breakthrough yesterday were extraordinary, and I am truly in awe," Zhou Mengyue lavished praise after praise, with an admiring demeanor.
"Haha, interesting. If that's the case, for this trial, just stay by my side," Chen Tianqing laughed heartily.
"I couldn't ask for more," Zhou Mengyue said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chen Tianqing immediately wrapped his arm around Zhou Mengyue's slim waist.
Zhou Mengyue adopted a demure, seemingly resistant pose that only fueled Chen Tianqing's desire.
At this moment, Wang Tianyu was determinedly pursuing Xu Ping'an, completely unaware that he had just been cuckolded.
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