Chapter 821 - 111: Spirit Seizing Conference, Wang Erniu: I’ll Follow Big Brother!_2

Chapter 821: Chapter 111: Spirit Seizing Conference, Wang Erniu: I’ll Follow Big Brother!_2

A brief scan:

"Middle-Stage Nascent Soul," "Middle-Stage Nascent Soul," "Early-Stage Nascent Soul"...

Whoa!

"There’s even a Late-Stage Nascent Soul!"

Nascent Soul Cultivators lineup, perhaps only here in the Human Realm does such a spectacle exist.

At this moment, Zhou Xun and his companions finally gained a profound understanding of the Spirit Seizing Conference’s grandeur.

The three of them joined the queue at the end of the line on the left.

In front of Zhou Xun was a round-faced middle-aged man dressed as a Confucian scholar.

"I am Le Jiu from Xuanming Prefecture, pleased to meet the fellow Daoist!"

Suddenly, a gentle voice reached Zhou Xun’s ear from the middle-aged man in front of him.

Zhou Xun looked up: Peak of Middle-Stage Nascent Soul.

"I am Zhou Xun!" Zhou Xun cupped his hands in greeting.

"Brother Zhou seems unfamiliar; I suppose it’s your first time attending this Spirit Seizing Conference!" The middle-aged man laughed as he spoke.

Zhou Xun didn’t quite understand the middle-aged man’s meaning, so he cautiously asked:

"Indeed, has Brother Le participated before?"

"I’ve participated twice before!" The middle-aged man gave an answer that surprised Zhou Xun.

"But unfortunately, both times I stopped at fourth place, just a bit short of becoming Pavilion Master!" Saying this, the middle-aged man displayed a look of regret.

Upon hearing the third time, Zhou Xun’s heart stirred, and he offered words of congratulation:

"With experience from the previous two times, Brother Le will surely achieve what you wish this third time!"

The middle-aged man laughed heartily, saying:

"Thank you for your auspicious words, Brother Zhou. May I know which prefecture’s selection you plan to join?"

How could Zhou Xun reveal the truth to him,

"I’ve formed my Nascent Soul only for a few decades, still at Early-Stage Cultivation. Coming to register today is merely to gain some insight; the position of Pavilion Master is beyond my reach."

"Brother Zhou, you underestimate yourself. Choosing an appropriate prefecture still provides a great opportunity," the middle-aged man comforted.

"Oh? I’d like to hear Brother Le’s advice!" Zhou Xun looked eager to seek guidance.

"Our Great Jin consists of Nine Provinces, excluding those predetermined by the court, Ji, Yu, Xu, and Yong. For us to contest for Pavilion Master, only the five provinces ’Qing, Youu, Yang, Jing, Yi’ remain,"

"A total of 133 prefectures,"

"However, Yangzhou is under Prajna Temple’s influence,"

"From the State Governor to the lower ranks of Pavilion Masters and Prefects, they are mostly from Prajna Temple, making it difficult for outsiders to interfere. Wise people wouldn’t compete with them, to avoid unnecessary trouble!"

"Therefore, Yangzhou has to be excluded too, reducing 26 prefectures,"

"Besides, in Yizhou where Sword Lake Palace resides, six out of twenty-one prefectures are within their sphere of influence,"

"Consequently, others also find it hard to intervene."

"In the end, it comes down to 86 prefectures that can truly be contested."

"With so many True Monarch Nascent Soul cultivators competing for these 67 prefectures, how fierce it is!"

"Thankfully, the court has rules: once someone has served as Pavilion Master, they cannot register for any prefecture within the same province again!"

"Nor can they register for prefectures within the province their sect belongs to!"

"This provides us cultivators a chance!"

"Among these 86 prefectures, there are popular and less popular ones. Popular prefectures, like Jiankang Prefecture with top-grade Spirit Vein Land, are islands hotly contested by Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators!"

"Whereas places like Yunxing Prefecture and Lingling Prefecture with sparse and ordinary spirit veins, most cultivators are unwilling to go there. Even Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators have chances to seize the Pavilion Master title!"

"If Brother Zhou is interested in becoming an Island Master, Yunxing Prefecture is quite a good choice."

"What about Jiangling Prefecture?"

"So Brother Zhou is aiming for Jiangling Prefecture," the middle-aged man looked at Zhou Xun with a smile.

"Jiangling Prefecture ranks mid among the 86 prefectures, similar to Heyang Prefecture, which I’m registering for,"

"But previous Pavilion Masters of Jiangling Prefecture were typically Peak Middle-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators, and occasionally Late-Stage cultivators held the position!"

"While Brother Zhou’s strength is exceptional, you’re still at Early-Stage Nascent Soul. I believe Yunxing Prefecture is more appropriate!"

The middle-aged man spoke earnestly,

"Thank you for the advice, Brother Le!" Zhou Xun cupped his hands,

During idle chat, half an hour passed quickly,

Finally, it was Zhou Xun’s turn.

Attentively observing,

In front of him sat a thin old man with graying hair, dressed in a bright yellow robe, with a mana presence unconcealed,

Surprisingly, a Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the same goes for the other line.

Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators handling registration is truly uncommon,

Yet, considering the cultivation levels and identities of those registering, it becomes understandable that the Great Jin Court arranged this.

"I am Zhou Xun, greeting this Daoist Brother!" Upon seeing the old man, Zhou Xun slightly cupped his hands in salute,

But the old man remained impassive, showing no courtesy, and spoke directly:

"Name?"

Seeing this, Zhou Xun smiled wryly and replied:

"Zhou Xun!"

"Cultivation level?"

"Early-Stage Nascent Soul!"

"Registering for which prefecture?"

"Jiangling Prefecture!" Zhou Xun answered,

Before coming, he had discussed registration matters with True Monarch Tianci and the others.

Jiangling Prefecture, under Jingzhou’s jurisdiction, has broad territory yet lacks top-tier influences like Sword Lake Palace!

The competition isn’t intense,

Moreover, the previous Pavilion Master was a Middle-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, proving this point.

It’s a crucial reason Zhou Xun chose it,

Given his current strength, if matched against a true Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the outcome is uncertain,

However, his current goal is simply to secure the Pavilion Master position,

To connect with the Great Jin Dynasty as a powerful ally, obtain eligibility to exchange treasures from the Great Jin Secret Vault, and utilize the dynasty’s intelligence network,

To gather High-Tier Spiritual Object resources for himself,

The strength of this prefecture is secondary.

Thus, he chose Jiangling Prefecture, increasing the chance of success.

As for True Monarch Tianci and Wang Erniu, they also selected similarly uncompetitive ones, namely Lingling Prefecture and Guiyang Prefecture respectively.

"Inject your mana into this Jade Scroll!" The old man briefly instructed.

Zhou Xun nodded, flicked a finger, and a touch of Spirit Light landed on the Jade Scroll in front of him.

"Next year’s September 27th to 30th marks the selection for Jiangling Prefecture. Take this token and head to the West City Gate,"

"The arena will be set up there!"

The old man spoke, handing a token to Zhou Xun before dispatching him.

So the conference is held outside the West City Gate,

Where ten arenas, each capped at ten-thousand-zhang size, will host ten prefectures’ Pavilion Master selection simultaneously.

As the conference starts,

Cultivators registered for the same prefecture draw lots, compete in pairs, round by round,

Until the last person remains, eligible to become Pavilion Master.

In the competitions, moderation is required, no harming lives, or else they will face the combined warrants of the Great Jin and Prajna Temple.

Reportedly, during the early days of the Spirit Seizing Conference,

Some, defying orders, dared to breach the rules openly by killing opponents on stage, leading to immediate execution by cultivators maintaining order.

Even Peak Nascent Soul cultivators faced aggressive execution,

After that, no one dared to disrupt the rules again.

Zhou Xun took the token, stepped aside to wait for True Monarch Tianci and Wang Erniu. Shortly, they also finished registration and received corresponding tokens.

"The arrangement for registration is grand. Just having Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators registering is uncommon, showing the Great Jin Court’s high regard for the Spirit Seizing Conference." True Monarch Tianci lamented.

"Indeed, considering this entails selecting a Pavilion Master, who controls substantial resources, the fate of a prefecture’s cultivators, caution is naturally requisite!" Zhou Xun added.

"Big brother, there’s a year before the selection begins; we need to prepare during this time." Wang Erniu clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Right, let’s return to the Cave Mansion and formulate a cultivation plan. Although a year is short, it’s sufficient for us to improve our strength!"

Back at the Cave Mansion, Zhou Xun and True Monarch Tianci with his companions began a retreat, focused on final preparations for the upcoming Spirit Seizing Conference!