News of the Dust Valley Sect stunt in the Artifact Refining competition hall had spread like wildfire.
"Are you sure about this?" Liu Clan Master asked, staring at the elder before him with a knitted brow.
"Yes, Clan Master. Everyone is talking about them on the summit ground."
The Liu Clan Master was quiet but inwardly, he was stunned. He could not believe a sect from the backward Western Region would have such audacity.
His daughter married the Sect Master which brought shame to the ancient Liu Clan and thus, was exiled from the clan.
He expected he would never hear of her again. But fate was mysterious.
He condemned her and with the thought she would never break through to the Golden Core Realm in her lifetime.
Yet, he learned she had become an Early Golden Core Realm stage-2.
Also, her husband who he deemed trash had also become a Golden Core Expert.
How did they achieve it?
While he was still wondering how they achieved the impossible, they were already making waves in the summit ground.
Even powerful forces and ancient clans were outshined by them.
This was just the second day and if this continued, won't all the powerful forces and ancient clans become background characters?
He tapped his throne armrest in gentle rhythm, his thoughts in disarray.
'Are they doing this to spite me?' He wondered.
A sardonic smile crept up his face. 'If you think your little stunt will affect me or the clan. You're wrong.'
He raised his head and looked at the bowing elder and asked.
"Do you know if their son is with them?"
"Clan Master, I don't know but he must be with them." The elder responded with an uncertain voice.
"Find out everything about him…" He paused before he added.
"Invite them to the clan. It's high time I see the rebel child."
On the summit ground, the various competitions were going on in full swing. Rising stars popped out one after another, new sects were making names for themselves in the martial arena.
But compared to the chaos caused by the Dust Valley Sect, their fame was overshadowed.
Inside the Alchemy Competition Hall, all eyes were focused on the two disciples of the Dust Valley Sect.
Would they repeat the same thing? This was the thought of everyone.
Many did not believe they could replicate their fast submission in the Alchemy competition.
Alchemy was a lot more voluminous and complicated than other professions.
There were many herbs with almost the same properties and if care is not taken they might misplace them.
Although this was only a written exam, such mistakes could still happen.
Elder Li Huang watched her two disciples with a confident smirk playing on her lips.
"Elder Li, do you think they can make it in twenty minutes?" Elder Han Gang asked curiously.
"What? You think they can't do it?" She retorted with a challenging smile.
"Hahaha. I'm just worried about them, that's all. Everyone is now looking at them as if they can't wait for them to fail."
"You don't have to worry about them. For this competition, if they came second, I dare anyone to take first." Her voice was brimming with unmasked confidence.
Huh!
All the Dust Valley Sect elders and disciples sucked in a cold breath.
The confidence sent a chill down their spines.
Twenty minutes later, the two disciples of the Dust Valley Sect rose after exchanging a subtle glance.
Their faces brimmed with confidence and pride.
"Oh! Look, they are done!"
"Ah! I knew it. They're freaks. No one can compare with them."
"Nonsense! They must be quick to submit but who knows if they are going to pass or not?"
The disciples from the ancient Silent Pill Sect retorted with disdain.
They'd heard about the Dust Valley Sect but thought they could not compare with them.
They were ancient with thousands of years of legacy. How could any sect from god-knows-where compare to them?
But now, they were left in the dust and their only response was to wait for the result.
What could they do? Their elders would have questioned the authenticity of their scripts but they heard what happened in the Artifact Refining Hall competition.
And thus, did not want to lose face for such a trivial issue.
Watching the Dust Valley Sect marching out of the competition hall with their shoulders high.
All the powerful forces and ancient clans gritted their teeth in anger.
When was the last time they were treated like this?
As for the Dust Valley Sect, they swaggered to the last competition of the day.
The Go competition.
Inside the Go game competition hall, everywhere was quiet with only a few people.
At the center of the hall were small Go game boards arranged neatly.
The arrival of the Dust Valley Sect only raised a few hairs as everyone waited calmly for the game to begin.
From the Dust Valley Sect, two average-looking girls walked to the center of the hall and took their seats behind the Go game board.
The Five Judges looked at the Dust Valley Sect with a knowing smile.
This time, they were not going to compete in a written test but in a direct Go game.
They couldn't wait to see how they were going to fare.
Slowly, hundreds of people filled the hall but it was not as overcrowded as the other halls.
The Chief Judge cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"The competition is going to start." He began in a deep commanding voice. "The rules are simple. Four games will be played at the same time. Competitors must win two matches to qualify for the next round."
"Let the first eight people step forward." He declared.
Two disciples of the Dust Valley Sect stepped forward without thinking, securing a game board.
Also, their opponents stepped forward. They glared at them as if they were lifelong enemies.
"Take your seats. Please, everyone should maintain silence."
The hall was silent, everyone holding their breath as their gaze locked on the eight people at the center of the hall.
"Begin!"
The moment the game began, everyone had their gaze locked on the two disciples of the Dust Valley Sect.
To their dismay, from the start of the game, their hands never stopped moving their pieces.
In less than five minutes, their opponents began to sweat and their previous confidence had vanished.
Three minutes later, the two boys stood up with a lifeless expression.
Playing against the disciples of the Dust Valley Sect was like playing against a master.
They gave them no chance at all.
Watching the result, the judges were stunned and they could not believe their eyes.
When their next opponents took the seats, they were even more pathetic than their first opponents.
It only took the girls six minutes before they sent their opponents crawling back to their hole.
"My goodness. These girls are freaks!" A Go game expert muttered with wide eyes.
Watching the two girls returning and leaving the stage, the sects could only freeze in their spot.
Most of the games had not even reached halfway and these two freaks had already finished with their two games.
The difference was so large that many Go players felt like giving up.