The Prodigies War-Chapter 2714 Enrollment

In the Origin Sect Ancestral Court, it was very rare for disciples to be punished. After all, it was a transcendent force, and even its true disciples were all supreme Emperor Ancestors who had cultivated for countless years. Who would be foolish enough to deliberately violate the rules and invite needless trouble upon themselves?

Thus, when news of Chao Zonglin’s punishment broke, it sent shockwaves through the sect. Those who knew the inside story, however, immediately sensed a deeper undercurrent. Some wished to suppress Lin Xun, while others were determined to protect him!

On the surface, it appeared as though Chao Zonglin had simply suffered a setback in his conflict with Lin Xun. In truth, it was a clash between the great powers lurking behind the scenes. Now, in this first exchange, those who tried to target Lin Xun had clearly been the ones that suffered a defeat!

......

Meanwhile, within his own abode, Lin Xun was immersed in studying the immortal divine essence. This was a thick, liquid-like substance, murky in color, yet brimming with a pure and potent immortal aura. It was a precious, indispensable material for immortals to advance their cultivation.

For supreme Emperor Ancestors, such a treasure could already be counted among the rarest treasures of the great dao. Its benefits in cultivation were far superior to refining primal chaos aeth qi. Normally, it might take six hours to reach one’s peak cultivation state. With immortal divine essence, that same result could be achieved in just half an hour.

For a supreme Emperor Ancestor, refining immortal divine essence was akin to bathing in immortal power itself. Their cultivation, body, and spirit would all reap immense benefits from it. It was even said that tempering one’s foundation at the supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage using immortal divine essence increased one’s chances of breaking through to the Immortal realm by as much as ten percent!

This was the true, unparalleled value of immortal divine essence. Lin Xun attempted to refine it, and within moments he experienced its astonishing wonders. He could not help but feel a deep sense of awe.

“One thousand pounds of immortal divine essence per month,” he calculated. “The average supreme Emperor Ancestor can refine about thirty pounds a day. A thousand pounds is just enough to sustain a month’s cultivation...

“With my current cultivation, I can refine about a hundred pounds a day, which means a thousand pounds would only last me ten days. It seems I must become a core disciple as soon as possible.”

Core disciples were allotted two thousand pounds of immortal divine essence each month, twice as much as true disciples.

However, even two thousand pounds was not enough to sustain Lin Xun’s needs for a full month of cultivation. Therefore, he planned to begin taking on sect missions once he became a core disciple!

The merits earned could be exchanged for even more immortal divine essence. Lin Xun had not forgotten that one of the requirements to enter the Scripture Mountain and consult the immortal legacy was to complete three nine-star missions!

As night fell, Ye Chunjun came to visit.

“Brother Lin, I heard you provoked Elder Zheng Qian?” Ye Chunjun got straight to the point.

Lin Xun shook his head. “I didn’t provoke him, he was the one who jumped out to target me first. That old fellow’s a real piece of work. Back in the Heavenly Treasure Hall, he even sided with Xu Wen, a deacon of the Origin Emptiness Pavilion, to suppress me.”

A thought struck him and his eyes narrowed. “Brother Ye, don’t tell me that old fox is stirring up trouble again?”

Ye Chunjun smiled bitterly. “You guessed it. As soon as Elder Zheng Qian returned, he ran straight to the peak master to complain, claiming you’re disrespectful to your elders and reckless in your conduct. He even said that keeping you on the Ninth Peak would only bring chaos and trouble sooner or later.”

A cold gleam flashed in Lin Xun’s eyes. “He’s an immortal figure, yet he’s so petty and shameless. Truly despicable! What did the peak master say?”

Ye Chunjun replied, “The peak master only said that the Origin Sky Pavilion has already ruled on the matter. Brother Lin, you were not at fault. But it’s clear that Elder Zheng Qian won’t let this go so easily.”

Lin Xun asked casually, “Brother Ye, is there any way to punish an elder like Zheng Qian within the Origin Sect?”

The question caught Ye Chunjun off guard. “Brother Lin, please don’t act rashly. Elder Zheng Qian is an Immortal with great authority. Even the peak master can at most reprimand him, but expelling him from the Ninth Peak is out of the question. You’ve only just entered the sect, it would be unwise to confront Elder Zheng Qian now.”

Lin Xun chuckled, “I was only asking. Do you really think I’d be so foolish as to pick a fight with him right now?”

Ye Chunjun exhaled in relief. “Good. In any case, with your foundation and strength, it’s only a matter of time before you become a core disciple. Once you do, you’ll be eligible to take part in the Nine Peaks Dao Contest...

“Oh right, thirteen years from now, the once-a-millennium Nine Peaks Dao Contest will be held. Brother Lin, you’ll easily reach core disciple status within ten years, and in another three years you’ll be able to enter the Nine Peaks Dao Contest.

“As long as you rank within the top ten, the sect will give you special training and provide boundless cultivation resources to aid your pursuit of the immortal dao.”

Ye Chunjun couldn’t help but chuckle, “With your combat prowess, you’ll surely bring glory to our Ninth Peak at the Nine Peak Dao Contest in thirteen years!"

Lin Xun had no interest in the Nine Peaks Dao Contest nor in waiting a decade to become a core disciple.

“Brother Ye, to tell you the truth, I plan to go to the Origin Clarity Pavilion for the assessment,” Lin Xun suddenly said.

Ye Chunjun was stunned. “What assessment?”

“The assessment for advancing to core disciple.”

Ye Chunjun gasped. “That path won’t be easy, Brother Lin. With so many enemies, if they find out you’ll be taking the promotion assessment, they’ll surely send their strongest disciples to stop you.”

Lin Xun smiled. “Brother Ye, do you think that concerns me?”

A strange look crossed Ye Chunjun’s face as he remembered Lin Xun’s dazzling performance in the three rounds of the entrance examination, and also the defeat of Li Zhongyuan at Lin Xun’s hands...

The next morning.

Atop Origin Purity Mountain stood the Heavenly Martial Hall. This was where the Origin Sect Ancestral Court held its selections and assessments, overseen by the Origin Clarity Pavilion.

When Lin Xun arrived, the hall was quiet and deserted. In fact, the hall was usually deserted and only came alive during assessments and recruitments.

Of course, deserted did not mean powerless. On the contrary, the Origin Clarity Pavilion wielded immense authority. It oversaw personnel appointments, the advancement and dismissal of the nine peaks’ successors, and even the evaluations of peak masters and elders.

Even those who wished to become a successor of the three pavilions had to pass the selection of the Origin Clarity Pavilion!

“Lin Xun!”

When Lin Xun stepped into the Heavenly Martial Hall, a voice rang out in surprise. It came from a handsome man in white robes, bearing the refined air of a scholar.

He was Chai Jun, a successor of the Origin Clarity Pavilion.

At that moment, Chai Jun was truly astonished. The events that had shaken the Origin Emptiness Pavilion yesterday were still the subject of heated discussion throughout the sect, and now, only a day later, Lin Xun had appeared here in the Origin Clarity Pavilion.

What was he here for?

Lin Xun produced his sect token, handed it over, and bowed slightly. “I wish to take the assessment to be promoted to a core disciple. I would like to ask Senior Brother to help me arrange it.”

Chai Jun shot to his feet, staring in disbelief. “Junior Brother, you’ve only been in the sect for a few days, and you’re already thinking about becoming a core successor?”

He forced himself to calm down, then said with a chuckle, “Hey, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just that no one has attempted this assessment in a long time. Have you thought it through?”

Lin Xun nodded.

Seeing his calm and steady expression, Chai Jun couldn’t help but caution him, “In the past ten thousand years, only one true disciple has successfully passed this assessment. Everyone else who tried...without exception, failed. Junior Brother Lin Xun, are you really sure?”

Lin Xun smiled. “Of course.”

Chai Jun fell silent, then said gravely, “Junior Brother, if you fail, you will not be allowed to attempt again for at least a thousand years. Do you understand?”

Lin Xun nodded once more.

Realizing that he would not change his mind, Chai Jun stopped trying to persuade him.

“Junior Brother, please wait here. I will inform the deacon in charge.”

Chai Jun hurried away. Not long after, he returned, accompanying a tall man in gray robes whose face was cold and stern.

Chai Jun introduced, “Junior Brother Lin Xun, this is Deacon Zhuang Shiliu. Upon hearing your request, he came personally.”

Zhuang Shiliu!

Lin Xun’s eyes narrowed. This was an old ancestor of the Zhuang Clan’s Emerald Bamboo Blessed Land. How could he possibly forget this name?

“Chai Jun, I’ll take it from here,” said Zhuang Shiliu.

Once Chai Jun’s figure vanished from the hall, Zhuang Shiliu finally spoke, his voice cold. “I’ve heard plenty about you from my clansmen. Now tell me, Zhuang Xiuwu, whom you and Jun Huan captured, is he dead or alive?”

Lin Xun replied calmly, “Deacon Zhuang, I am here for the assessment. I have no wish to discuss anything else.”

Zhuang Shiliu’s face darkened, his entire being emanating a suffocating aura. Lin Xun remained unmoved and unfazed. This was the Origin Sect Ancestral Court. Even as a deacon of the Origin Clarity Pavilion and an immortal figure, Zhuang Shiliu dared not act recklessly here.

Seeing Lin Xun’s unyielding stance, Zhuang Shiliu forcibly swallowed his rage and said in a low, heavy voice, “Young man, don’t think that joining the Origin Sect means you can live without worries!”

“Are you threatening me?” asked Lin Xun.

Zhuang Shiliu gave a cold snort. “There are plenty who want you dead. One more won’t make a difference. I’ll be watching to see how long a supreme Emperor Ancestor like you can keep jumping around.”

Lin Xun sneered, “Don’t worry, I’ll live just fine. Sooner or later, I’ll reclaim the Emerald Bamboo Blessed Land and settle accounts with those ungrateful wretches of the Zhuang Clan one by one.”

Zhuang Shiliu’s expression grew even darker. He fixed Lin Xun with a long stare before saying coldly, “You want to take the assessment? Fine. Three days from now, come to Origin Purity Mountain. I’ll personally preside over it. Just don’t make a disgrace of yourself!”

With a flick of his sleeve, he turned to leave.

“Deacon Zhuang, as chief examiner, if you dare to act against the rules, be prepared to follow in Chao Zonglin’s footsteps.” Lin Xun’s voice rang out behind him.

Zhuang Shiliu’s figure paused briefly in the distance. With a cold snort, he vanished. That very day, news of Lin Xun asking to take the core disciple assessment in the Origin Clarity Pavilion spread like wildfire, stirring a great uproar across the nine peaks.