Chapter 255: Assembly Summit - Third Day (Competition Continues)
Third Day.
"Can you believe it?" a voice asked, thick with amazement.
His companion shook his head, still in shock. "I don’t... How did they even do it?"
"This... This is insane!" another muttered, his voice trembling.
Early that morning, disciples from countless sects and clans rushed toward the Summit grounds to confirm the results of the Dust Valley Sect, the unknown force that had risen to prominence only yesterday.
Throughout the entire city, there was only one topic of discussion—the Dust Valley Sect.
For countless years, the supporting professions had been tightly controlled by long-established ancient powers. Their dominance was unquestioned, their prestige unshaken.
In alchemy, the Silent Pill Sect had been the undisputed number one for generations, followed only distantly by the Alchemist Pill Hall in the imperial capital.
In artifact refining, the Artifact Refining Hall ruled without challenge, their inheritance so deep and profound that few dared to even dream of competing.
In arrays and runes, the Array Hall and the Runic Hall—both based in the imperial capital—had long cemented their supremacy.
And for the scholarly game of Go, one clan’s name alone carried weight across the continent: the Ping Manor.
Yet, against all reason, all of these monumental forces had been humiliated.
A single sect, one no one had even taken seriously before, had crushed them across the board.
The Dust Valley Sect had dominated all five professions.
Inside the Summit grounds, every major force was abuzz with disbelief and agitation.
The ancient powers that had reigned for over a millennium were suddenly reduced to spectators, forced to watch as their reputations crumbled in the face of newcomers.
Elders and disciples of the Silent Pill Sect, Artifact Refining Hall, Runic Hall, Array Hall, and Ping Manor wore ugly expressions, their pride stung.
When they spotted the Dust Valley Sect’s disciples and elders approaching from the distance, their anger only intensified.
Teeth ground together.
Hands clenched tightly.
"This time," a cold and beautiful young woman from the Silent Pill Sect muttered through gritted teeth, "my Silent Pill Sect will not lose to them." With that, she spun on her heels and left.
"Humph!" A thin scholar from the Ping Manor snorted disdainfully. "This round, I will show them why my Ping Clan is the undisputed number one in the game of Go!"
One after another, representatives of the ancient powers spat out proud declarations before storming off, unable to tolerate the humiliation of the previous day.
"Congratulations!" The Frost Moon Sect Master said warmly, stepping up to clasp hands with the Dust Valley Sect Master.
"Hahaha, thank you," the Dust Valley Sect Master replied with booming laughter. "After today’s competition, I invite the three sect masters to share a drink."
The three Southern Region sect masters exchanged pleasantries, nodded in agreement, and departed together.
But there was no time to waste.
The martial battle competition was about to begin.
Disciples of the Dust Valley Sect wore prideful smiles as they stared at the towering scoreboard. Yesterday’s results spoke for themselves.
And behold, they were leading by an overwhelming margin.
"Hahaha! No one even came close to us!" one disciple cheered.
"I can’t believe we crushed them all," another added, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Why do I suddenly feel the so-called geniuses of the capital aren’t as outstanding as they claim?" a third muttered mockingly.
"Enough!" Elder Bai’s firm voice cut through their excitement like a blade. His expression was stern.
"Remember this, pride leads only to downfall. This is just the second day of the competition. If you grow complacent now, you will lose everything."
The disciples froze, realizing their mistake. One by one, they bowed their heads and nodded solemnly.
Mo Jian, who stood among them without his disguise, remained calm and expressionless.
He had already anticipated such results. Victory here was no surprise to him, it was part of the plan.
"We should get moving," Mo Jian said quietly, his tone steady. "The alchemy competition is about to start."
His words snapped everyone’s attention toward the now-silent competition halls.
Quickly, they rushed toward the alchemy arena.
Inside the grand hall, disciples and elders from every sect, clan, and hall that had advanced to the second round were already seated.
The atmosphere was heavy, filled with tension.
When the Dust Valley Sect entered, countless gazes turned upon them, brimming with curiosity, envy, and hostility.
But none from the Dust Valley sect paid them any mind. Their focus was solely on the competition that was about to start.
Elder Li Huang’s disciples quickly found their seat among the competitors.
The second round of the alchemy competition was simple in description but brutal in practice: identify herbs and list their characteristics.
Attendants distributed boxes containing twenty carefully chosen herbs to each participant.
The test would measure not only knowledge but also sharp observation and memory.
This time, none of the great forces believed they would lose. They steeled their hearts, determined to defend their honor.
Silence fell upon the hall as the examination began. Every eye was focused, every breath measured.
Thirty minutes crawled by, suddenly, two slender figures rose to their feet.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Two disciples from the Dust Valley Sect had already finished.
Gasps erupted. Disbelief spread like wildfire.
’How could this be possible?!’ the thought rang through every heart.
Disciples of the Silent Pill Sect were left seething. They were barely halfway through the test, while their rivals had already completed everything.
The two girls confidently submitted their answers to the judges.
As the judges began reviewing, their expressions shifted with each passing second, first neutral, then curious, then incredulous.
Shock and disbelief painted their faces.
Finally, the Chief Judge stood and declared:
"Dust Valley Sect’s Zhen Xi—97 points!"
"Dust Valley Sect’s Qiao Lan—96 points!"
A collective hiss swept across the hall.
The scores were too high. Almost perfect.
Gasps echoed, followed by murmurs of awe and despair. Some participants visibly slumped, their will to compete crushed beneath the weight of such monstrous talent.
Elders of the Silent Pill Sect stared at the Dust Valley Sect disciples with complicated expressions.
They were alchemists. Alchemy was their lifeblood, their pride, their legacy. How could the gap be so wide?
The idea of being surpassed had never even crossed their minds. Yet now, faced with irrefutable results, doubt gnawed at their hearts.
If the Dust Valley Sect could raise disciples of such frightening caliber... what of their masters?
Just the thought sent shivers racing down their spines.
They had to report this immediately.