The whole plaza was permeated with a sense of battle. People came down from the platforms one after another, some defeated and some successful. Those who failed looked dejected, while those who passed were excited. From morning until dusk, more than five thousand matches took place.

"I didn't expect these puppets to be even more difficult to deal with than real people."

Xi Yunsheng walked over and greeted Chen Xuan.

"You passed, right, Big Brother Xi?" Chen Xuan smiled.

"I did. But I don't know if we can pass the next round. We'll be facing opponents at the Spirit Martial Realm. We have to last for ten moves to pass. If we fail, damn it, if I can't enter the Danxuan Sect, my old man will skin me alive."

Xi Yunsheng grinned.

Chen Xuan was surprised to find many participants with similar qualifications to his own. They defeated the puppets with just one move, each having strength similar to his own. Chen Xuan paid extra attention to these youths, knowing that they would be competitors once they entered the sect.

As the competitions proceeded fervently on one side, heated debates were taking place in the conference hall of the peak.

The hall was filled with over twenty young men and women, along with some elders. A middle-aged man sat on the throne, while a group of disciples stood below, engaged in heated debates.

"Senior Brother, you don't believe that the disciples we brought back this time are better than the ones you brought back?"

"Why do you think the disciples we brought back are better? This time, we brought back seven disciples at the Ninth Grade of the Innate Realm, each one a rare talent."

A young man standing next to the senior brother argued.

"Zhu Shaoqun, arguing here is pointless. We'll see the results when the competition ends."

"You brought back just one disciple and have the nerve to say that the ones we brought back are a hundred times better? Aren't you ashamed? After a year out, you didn't manage to find anyone, and in the end, you picked just one to fill the quota!"

Zhu Shaoqun sneered at the four.

"Zhu Shaoqun, you're just jealous that the disciples we brought back are better. But don't worry, you'll see how extraordinary Chen Xuan, whom we brought back, is. There's no point in arguing here."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I'll wait and see how extraordinary the disciple you brought back really is."

Zhu Shaoqun continued to mock them.

"Alright, stop arguing. What you said about encountering people intercepting the youths coming to participate in the disciple selection, I have already reported it to the Sect Master. He has dispatched people to search within a thousand miles, but there are no more black-clothed individuals. It's possible that other sects are intercepting us, but there's no evidence, just speculation."

The middle-aged man on the throne spoke.

"Wang Yuqing, how can your disciples at the Ninth Grade of the Innate Realm kill opponents at the Spirit Martial Realm without any assistance?"

The middle-aged man continued.

"Yes, Peak Master!"

Wang Yuqing immediately recounted everything that had happened over the past year.

"When we went out to find talented disciples, we intended to head back. We happened to pass by Hongling Town, where three small families were fighting over an iron mine. This young man named Chen Xuan single-handedly turned the tide and defeated two Spirit Martial Realm experts, saving his family from crisis. We were amazed that someone at the Ninth Grade of the Innate Realm could defeat experts at the Spirit Martial Realm. What's more, he could emit a ten-meter-long blade aura. When he encountered the second Spirit Martial Realm expert, he even released spiritual energy, a skill only Martial Realm experts possess. We asked him how he could emit spiritual energy at that level, but he didn't say anything. It's possible he had some kind of adventure. We didn't continue questioning him, fearing he would be offended, thinking we had ulterior motives."

"You did well this time. And this young man has agreed to join our Peak. You've done well, Ye Yun, bringing back seven Ninth Grade Innate Realm youths. Each of you will receive ten thousand Spirit Pills."

"Thank you, Peak Master."

The person called Ye Yun was the one who shouted "Senior Brother" earlier.

"You can all leave now. I'll personally come down the mountain later to see the youths you brought back, so other peaks don't snatch them away."

All twenty or so people left the hall at once.

"Peak Master, what do you think of this young man named Chen Xuan?"

There were still four or five elders left, all of them elders of the peak, one of whom spoke.

"If what they said is true, this young man is extraordinary. That place is extremely remote, with poor cultivation resources. He reached the Ninth Grade of the Innate Realm at the age of fourteen. I suspect there's a master supporting him."

"Do we know his background? Could he be a spy sent by another sect? Shouldn't we test his loyalty to the Danxuan Sect?"

Another elder asked.

"We don't need to. They've also investigated. This kid has never left his town since birth. I suspect he might have had some adventure that allowed his strength to skyrocket within half a year."

"If we at the Peak could really have a disciple like him, in the next Sect Competition, our Peak might be able to move up several places."

"Let's leave it at that for today. I'll go down the mountain soon to take a look. We don't want to lose all the good disciples to other peaks."

"Senior Brother, this time, are you prepared to wash our socks for us, haha..."

After they left, Shi Yuan burst out laughing.

"Shi Junior Brother, who's going to wash whose socks is still uncertain. Your disciples might have already been eliminated, who knows?"

Shaoqun teased.

"Alright, stop arguing. Whether they're good or not, we'll know in the Sect Competition two months from now. If the disciples you brought back are indeed as you say, Ye Yun, I'll wash your socks for a year. These past few years, our Peak has been declining. I truly hope we can produce a genius disciple who can elevate our Peak's ranking."

Ye Yun said with sincerity.

"Senior Brother."

The others fell silent after hearing the senior brother's heartfelt words. They didn't expect him to be so broad-minded.

"Senior Brother, rest assured. This time in the competition, our Peak will definitely rank in the top ten. We'll all go back to cultivate in seclusion. It just so happens that each of us has received a thousand Spirit Pills."

They all replied.

The competition on the square below continued, while Chen Xuan and Xi Yunsheng also arrived at the back of the square, preparing for tomorrow's competition.

Dozens of elder-level assessors stood on the high platform, watching the young people below engage in one match after another. They praised the outstanding ones from time to time.

"It seems that the youths recruited this year are much better than in previous years."

Xuan Yu Zi stroked his white beard and remarked.