Chapter 314: Chapter 159: Extreme Realm (2)

She stood there like a pure lotus, subtly set apart from the somewhat noisy and materialistic surroundings.

The disciples around her were talking in small groups.

"Have you heard? Something big happened in Yunlin Prefecture! The Four Great Sects have formed an alliance!" one disciple said in a low voice, unable to hide his excitement.

"For real? Cold Jade Valley, the Wutai Sect, the Xuanjia Sect, and Qixia Manor? Taken individually, none of them can compare to our Haisa Sect. But if they band together... that’s a different story," another said doubtfully.

"It’s absolutely true! The news came from traveling merchant caravans."

The first disciple said with conviction, "I heard that at the alliance ceremony, Sect Leader Leng of Cold Jade Valley and Sect Leader He of the Wutai Sect even clashed personally. Tsk, tsk, that scene... a duel of Astral Force that caused a tidal wave on the lake. Just thinking about it is terrifying!"

"I also heard the Wutai Sect has produced an incredible young expert this time, named... Chen Qing! He made a name for himself in a single battle, defeating Xiao Bieli of Cold Jade Valley, one of the so-called ’Yunlin Five Heroes’! Now he’s also considered one of the Five Heroes!"

"The Yunlin Five Heroes? Doesn’t that make him about as strong as the Sect Leader Candidates of our Haisa Sect?"

"Pfft! The Yunlin Five Heroes are nothing. How can they even be compared to our Haisa Sect’s Sect Leader Candidates? Any one of our candidates could go there and completely dominate!"

A disciple immediately scoffed, his tone dripping with superiority.

’Chen Qing!?’

Zhou Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

’Could it be... Junior Brother Chen?’

Her breathing suddenly quickened.

Over two years ago, Zhou Yu had received a letter from her father. It mentioned that by a fortunate coincidence, Chen Qing had been accepted into the Wutai Sect’s Inner Sect.

’Could the person they’re talking about... really be the same Junior Brother Chen from the Zhou Institute in that small county town?’

’The Yunlin Five Heroes?’

’Those are the most elite experts of the younger generation in Yunlin Prefecture!’

’Is it really Junior Brother Chen!?’

Zhou Yu found it difficult to believe, as if she were hearing some kind of fairytale.

"Junior Sister Zhou, what are you looking at? Have you chosen a task yet?" A voice interrupted Zhou Yu’s thoughts.

The speaker was a woman named Zhao Yun. She had an average appearance but a gentle disposition, and her cultivation was at the Early-stage Embracing Pill Force. She usually looked out for Zhou Yu.

Competition within the Haisa Sect was brutal, so people were often willing to form a friendly connection with a disciple like Zhou Yu, who had a bit of a background.

"Oh, it’s nothing."

Zhou Yu quickly collected herself, shaking her head to push the absurd thought from her mind. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Not suspecting anything, Zhao Yun pointed to a corner of the task board and said with a smile, "I think this C-rank ’Herb Garden Guard’ task looks good. It’s easy, safe, and doesn’t take long—perfect for meeting our monthly quota. It’s much better than those tasks that have you running to the edge of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp searching for Poisonous Herb Treasure Medicine. They might offer more Contribution Points, but they’re far too dangerous."

"Alright, I’ll take your advice," Zhou Yu nodded, though her mind was still elsewhere.

As Zhao Yun took out her Identity Card to register, she sighed and remarked, "You know, during the Sect’s minor competition the day before yesterday, I saw Brother Chen Lin—the one ranked third—from a distance. The splendor of his ’Sea-Covering Sword’ really lives up to its name! I heard he recently opened all Twelve Orthodox Meridians and reached Embracing Pill Force Perfection! He’s incredible..."

Zhou Yu listened, only offering a few absentminded replies.

After registering for the task, she made an excuse to part ways with Zhao Yun and returned, heavy-hearted, to her uncle Li Yuan’s courtyard in the Inner Sect Stewards’ residential area.

The small courtyard was quiet and secluded, maintained by dedicated servant girls.

Just as Zhou Yu entered, she saw her uncle, Li Yuan, seeing a fellow Steward out the door.

The Steward was about the same age as Li Yuan. As he left, his gaze lingered on Zhou Yu for a moment, sizing her up.

After seeing the guest off, Zhou Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Uncle, who was that?"

Li Yuan turned around with a smile. "That was Steward Wang from the Law Enforcement Hall. He came... to propose a marriage on behalf of his only son, Wang He. He’s taken an interest in you."

He paused, observing Zhou Yu’s expression before continuing, "Wang He is a fine young man. Though he’s only twenty-nine, he’s already at the Early-stage Embracing Pill Force with a solid foundation. Reaching the Mid-stage Embracing Pill Force in the future will be no problem for him. Within the Sect, achieving that level of Cultivation at his age already makes him a prominent young talent. If he gets a few opportunities and is willing to put in the hard work, it’s not impossible for him to even reach for the Late Stage and become an Elder with a key position. Xiaoyu, what do you... think?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yu lowered her head, her fingers twisting the corner of her robes. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back.

How could Li Yuan not see what was on his niece’s mind? He sighed, his expression growing more serious. "Xiaoyu, I’m speaking from experience. Wang He comes from a good family and has a bright future ahead of him. Here in the Haisa Sect, he is truly a fine match. You’re not getting any younger, and this is a matter of your future..."

"Uncle, I..."

A conflicted look appeared in Zhou Yu’s eyes. She suddenly remembered the discussions she’d overheard on the Sword Grinding Platform and said, "Today at the Task Hall, I heard several of the senior brothers talking. They said the Four Great Sects in Yunlin Prefecture have formed an alliance. They also said... the Wutai Sect has an incredible young expert named Chen Qing, who’s now ranked among the Yunlin Five Heroes. Uncle, do you think that could be..."

"Chen Qing? The Yunlin Five Heroes?"

Li Yuan froze for a second, then shook his head and laughed. His tone was adamant. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He clasped his hands behind his back, paced a step, and said, "In my younger years, I trained in the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp and visited Yunlin Prefecture several times. I know exactly what being one of the ’Yunlin Five Heroes’ means. They are the five most elite experts of the younger generation in Yunlin Prefecture. Every single one is a true prodigy. Their power and status are practically equivalent to our Haisa Sect’s own Sect Leader Candidates!"

The Haisa Sect used a ranking system, and the top five were designated as the so-called Sect Leader Candidates.