Chapter 456 - 237: Heading to the Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect! Cangzhou Prefecture Shaken! Inner Sect Competition Begins

After everyone had settled in.

"Rise!"

Daoist Wu Wei commanded softly.

"ROAR—"

The Cyan Nether Flood Dragon let out a sonorous roar. With a violent swing of its massive body, it stirred up a furious gale and instantly shot toward the heavens!

A strong sense of weightlessness washed over them. Below, the Capital City instantly shrank until it looked like a chessboard.

A piercing gale rushed toward them, but it was blocked by a faint cyan glow that rose from the Flood Dragon’s body. All that remained were the flowing clouds streaming past them on either side.

Jiang Che sat cross-legged on the dragon’s back, watching the mountains and rivers below shrink rapidly. Experiencing such breakneck speed, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him.

’Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect...’

’True Mastery Realm...’

’I’m coming!’

At first, the group was apprehensive about being so high in the air.

But as time went on, their nervousness was gradually replaced by excitement and anticipation for the future.

With time on their hands, the group began to chat amongst themselves.

Among this group of thirty-three, two people undoubtedly stood out the most.

One was Long Yu’er from Penglai Island, a woman of unparalleled beauty and an otherworldly temperament.

The other, of course, was Jiang Che from Cangzhou, who had shot to the top ranks as a shocking dark horse and even earned the favor of Daoist Wu Wei.

"Brother Jiang, that final trial was a real eye-opener. I’m thoroughly impressed!"

"Brother Jiang, I hope you’ll look out for us after we join the Sect."

Throughout the journey, many young elites from other prefectures took the initiative to approach Jiang Che, striking up conversations to get on his good side.

In a top-tier Sect where they would be strangers, getting in with such a promising figure was undoubtedly a wise move.

Although Jiang Che preferred quiet and was reluctant to form deep friendships, he knew better than to slight a friendly face. Faced with their enthusiasm, he simply responded politely to each person, appearing neither arrogant nor overly familiar, thus maintaining a suitable distance.

However, this scene of Jiang Che being the center of attention was a particular eyesore to some.

On the other side of the group, a Young Master dressed in magnificent embroidered robes, his handsome face like polished jade, sat cross-legged by himself.

His name was Liu Yunfei, and he came from a prominent Noble Family in the Central State.

He had ranked tenth in the overall Celestial Strategy Guard selection—four places higher than Jiang Che!

More importantly, his cultivation had reached the Mid Stage of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm. With his profound family heritage, he should have, by all rights, completely outclassed Jiang Che in both Realm and foundation.

But now, the spotlight had been completely stolen by some kid from Cangzhou who was only at the Second Layer Peak of the True Master Realm!

Liu Yunfei watched as everyone flocked around Jiang Che, and a subtle glint of resentment and jealousy flashed in the depths of his eyes.

’He’s just some country bumpkin who got lucky, relying on a bit of Barbaric Power to catch an Elder’s eye...’

’In terms of Realm, in terms of background, how could you possibly compare to me?’

’Hmph, I’ll let you be smug for a few days. Once we’re in the Sect, you’ll show your true colors when faced with a real Martial Dao foundation!’

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his jealousy. On the surface, he maintained the perfect, practiced smile of a Noble Young Master, revealing nothing of his true feelings.

Meanwhile, Jiang Che was chatting with a particularly sociable young man.

This young man was Bao Da, from a Noble Family in Taizhou. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and had ranked twenty-eighth overall.

"Brother Jiang, I’ve noticed you’ve been meditating this whole way. How much do you know about our destination?" Bao Da asked, leaning in conspiratorially.

Jiang Che opened his eyes and shook his head. "Not very much."

Bao Da chuckled. "I managed to dig up some inside info. Interested, Brother Jiang?"

"Oh? I’m all ears."

Although Jiang Che wasn’t particularly fond of such forward people, he was in dire need of information about the Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect and other top-tier factions, so he didn’t mind hearing the man out.

Seeing that Jiang Che was interested, Bao Da instantly perked up. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice.

"Brother Jiang, don’t be fooled. We may be the top geniuses selected from all the prefectures, every one of us proud and ambitious. But in reality..."

He shook his head, and his tone grew somewhat wistful.

"In the eyes of a behemoth like the Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect, we’re... well, we’re nothing special."

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Jiang Che asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There’s something you might not know, Brother Jiang," Bao Da sighed. "This Celestial Strategy Guard selection was a grand affair, covering all Forty-Three Prefectures. But have you noticed that there isn’t a single Direct Disciple from the Three Top Sects among us?"

Jiang Che nodded. That was indeed an obvious fact.

"That’s because they don’t even need to compete with us!"

Bao Da curled his lip and continued, "The Three Top Sects each have their own systems for selection and training. They scour the entire world for children with heaven-defying Root Bones and unparalleled Comprehension. They bring them back to their mountains from a young age and meticulously nurture them with the best resources and the highest-grade Cultivation Techniques!"

"Take Xiong Tong from Divine Beast Mountain. Peak of the Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm, peerless Overlord Body... To us, he’s a monster among monsters, right?"

Bao Da clicked his tongue and wagged a finger.

"But I’ve heard that among the Direct Disciples of the Three Top Sects, a genius of his caliber, while still considered outstanding, is by no means unique! There might even be... existences even more monstrous than him!"

Hearing this, a chill went through Jiang Che.

He recalled the reactions of Daoist Wu Wei and the others during the test. It was true. When faced with a Demon Fiend like Xiong Tong, they had been pleased but had not lost their composure, as if seeing a genius of that caliber was nothing new to them.

’So, that’s where their true foundation lies!’

’It seems the waters of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect run even deeper than I imagined...’

Seeing Jiang Che lost in thought, Bao Da dropped another bombshell.