Chapter 729: Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain

If what Lin Qifeng had said was true, and Kongyuan Mountain’s Hall of Prudent Discipline got involved, then he would be in for a world of trouble.

“Let’s take things one at a time. What’s right in front of us now is the outer court competition, isn’t it?”

Seeing that the winner had been decided, Yan Zheng stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over.

Chen Bin’s lips twitched slightly. He seemed to want to find some way to defend himself, but he simply couldn’t come up with a reason.

In the end, he merely kept his back ramrod straight and said nothing.

Lin Qifeng paid no attention at all to Chen Bin’s reaction. He simply smiled in Yan Zheng’s direction.

“Elder Yan is right. The outer court competition is what matters. I’ve arranged accommodations for everyone in the outer court. Once we leave, disciples will be here to guide you.”

As he spoke, Lin Qifeng paused briefly. His gaze swept over the Inner Court elders before him, and then he continued:

“The outer court is humble and cannot compare with the quiet elegance of the Inner Court peaks. I hope you’ll forgive us if our hospitality falls short.”

The Inner Court elders from the Three Mountains and Four Peaks all cupped their hands toward Lin Qifeng. Then, with their disciples and Gatekeepers following behind them, they left the Fate Inquiry Hall one after another.

Compared to when they had first entered the Fate Inquiry Hall earlier that day, these Inner Court elders’ attitudes toward Lin Qifeng had changed to varying degrees.

Because he was genuinely terrifying.

At the slightest disagreement, he’d have the Hall of Prudent Discipline investigate you, even though it stood above the Enforcement Hall and Discipline Hall, which in turn held sway over the seven major peaks.

Who could stand up to that?

It was precisely from this outer court competition onward that cultivators below the Peak Elders of Kongshan Sect’s Three Mountains and Four Peaks no longer dared to provoke this eccentric, overbearing Outer Court Elder.

......

Thirteen-year-old Chen Yan was the youngest Qi Circulation Realm cultivator competing in this year’s outer court competition.

Yet not a single person dared to underestimate the boy, who had only just turned thirteen.

Although Chen Yan had only recently reached the late stage of the Qi Circulation Realm, and there were plenty of veteran outer court disciples at the late stage, or even at the peak of the Qi Circulation Realm, among this year’s competitors,

not one of them posed a threat to Chen Yan.

That was because no outer court disciple had even a quarter of Chen Yan’s true qi, whether in quantity or purity.

It was all but certain that Chen Yan would enter the Inner Court through this outer court competition.

Just as Lu Li had predicted, Chen Yan swept through nearly every arena match at the outer court competition. No one could withstand even twenty moves against him.

“At his age, the only Inner Court disciples of the same generation who might be able to compare with him are probably just Chu Xiyao and Li Haowen.”

The Inner Court elders who had come to watch the competition all marveled.

And they didn’t stop at comparing Chen Yan to Chu Xiyao and Li Haowen. These Inner Court elders even began comparing him to Qin Qingyu, who had recently burst onto the scene at Star Heaven Sect and, at just thirteen, had already become the Chief Disciple of Moon Void Sect.

Before this, Kongshan Sect had always wanted to compare Chu Xiyao of Qingchan Peak with Qin Qingyu.

And in order to match Qin Qingyu, Qingchan Peak had formally named Chu Xiyao its Chief Disciple over a month ago. They simply hadn’t announced it yet.

Chen Yan’s arrival had clearly given the various peaks of Kongshan Sect new ideas.

The outer court competition ended without any surprises: Chen Yan claimed the championship. The champion of the previous competition failed to win through seven rounds of fierce battles, and so never earned the right to challenge this year’s champion for the title of outer court champion.

The day after the outer court competition ended, Chen Yan had already received offers from five of Kongshan Sect’s seven major peaks.

The only two that hadn’t made him an offer were Qingchan Peak and Yuanhua Mountain.

The reason was simple: Qingchan Peak already had Chu Xiyao, while Yuanhua Mountain had Li Haowen.

If Chen Yan went to Qingchan Peak or Yuanhua Mountain, he would to some extent have to compete with Chu Xiyao or Li Haowen.

As for the disciples of this generation at the other five major peaks, not one could compare with the cultivation talent Chen Yan had displayed.

Unless some monstrously talented genius, someone truly “apt to Ascend to Immortality,” suddenly appeared in the sect over the next few years, Chen Yan’s demonstrated aptitude would surely let him claim the Chief Disciple position with ease at any of the five peaks other than Qingchan Peak and Yuanhua Mountain.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Yan ultimately chose to join Kongyuan Mountain.

The reason was simple.

Kongyuan Mountain was Kongshan Sect’s main lineage, and its standing among the seven major peaks was indeed about half a tier above that of the other six.

And then there was the fact that Kongyuan Mountain’s daoist robes looked incredibly cool.

The gilded cloud crane patterns on the sleeves were so dazzling that neither the wave patterns of Yuanhua Mountain nor the pale silver patterns of Yibai Peak could compare.

As for Chen Yan’s master, Lu Li, the instructor at the outer court’s Scripture Hall, who was only thirty years old, Kongyuan Mountain looked into him after Chen Yan decided to go there. They found that he was quite impressive in both innate talent and his understanding of the Kongshan Art.

After the Martial Elder of Kongyuan Mountain personally met Lu Li, he praised him highly. In the end, he decided to transfer Lu Li to Kongyuan Mountain’s Scripture Hall as an instructor, and to promote him directly to Protector of the Scripture Hall once he broke through to the Qi Sea Realm.

In short, the future looked bright.

After receiving his assignment order from Kongyuan Mountain, Chen Yan felt no particular attachment to the outer court. He went straight back to his lodgings there and began packing his belongings.

“Senior Brother Chen...”

Twelve-year-old Cheng Ziying appeared at the entrance to Chen Yan’s lodgings. As she watched him pack, her gaze held some reluctance, but even more envy and admiration.

After packing all his important belongings, Chen Yan turned toward Cheng Ziying and gave her a hearty smile. Then he raised a hand and ruffled her little head.

He rather liked this well-behaved little sister.

“Keep at it. As long as you work hard, you’ll definitely enter the Inner Court in a few years!”

Chen Yan, in an excellent mood as he prepared to head to Kongyuan Mountain, said this to Cheng Ziying.

“Mm!”

Cheng Ziying nodded very seriously.

And so Chen Yan entered Kongyuan Mountain, first becoming one of its core disciples. Meanwhile, because Lu Li had earned the favor of Kongyuan Mountain’s Martial Elder, he received a great deal of attention from the Scripture Hall Elder at the mountain’s Scripture Hall.

Everything was moving in a better and better direction.

That is, until the year Chen Yan turned fifteen, when he successfully broke through to the Martial Spring Realm and became Kongyuan Mountain’s Chief Disciple.