Next, were the chief disciples and Chosens, whose Genesis essence baptisms took nearly a month to finish.
However, it was still not over, because there was one final figure whose baptism was not done on the Genesis essence baptism stage. This figure naturally belonged to Zhou Yuan, who was enjoying a nine dragons baptism.
The amount of pure Genesis Qi needed for a nine dragons baptism was tremendous, which was why Zhou Yuan was taking such a long time.
While Zhou Yuan was still seated on the baptism stage, the disciples from the other peaks had already slowly dispersed. Sect master Qing Yang and the peak masters had also left long ago, leaving a single elder to keep an eye on Zhou Yuan’s baptism.
As time quietly flowed, peace and calm returned to the Cangxuan Sect, though whenever disciples mentioned the Genesis reservoir ceremony, they could not help but cast their gazes towards the reservoir, where the faint silhouette of a figure could be seen within the dazzling golden light.
When that happened, envy and respect would appear in their eyes as they remarked,
“Isn’t chief disciple Zhou Yuan’s baptism lasting far too long?”
“It’s a nine dragons baptism that hasn’t appeared in the past hundred years, of course it’ll be long.”
“I wonder how strong chief disciple Zhou Yuan will become after the baptism.”
“I’ve heard that the other chief disciples have improved greatly after the baptism, and have stepped into the ninth layer Alpha-Origin… of course, their current foundations are not on the same level as the Chosens.”
“Hehe, Sword Cometh Peak’s chief disciple Baili Che has become quite spirited after his cultivation breakthrough. There’s been some rumors spreading over the past few days of him declaring that he’ll definitely beat Zhou Yuan if they were to fight again.”
“Ch, I doubt anyone will believe such words. Since Zhou Yuan could defeat Baili Che once, he’ll definitely be able to do so a second time.”
“......”
While numerous disciples gossipped, Zhou Yuan’s nine dragons baptism slowly approached the two month mark. After so long, the many disciples gradually grew accustomed to the emerging light from the baptism stage everyday.
However, although Zhou Yuan was still immersed in his baptism, the enormous organization known as the Cangxuan Sect did not stop working. Two months after the Genesis reservoir ceremony was concluded, the Cangxuan Sect welcomed a new batch of disciples from the peak selection ceremony.
...
On a certain day.
A particular large plaza was currently covered in an atmosphere of excitement.
Countless young figures stood at the center of the plaza, looking rather immature and inexperienced. At this current moment, they were looking to the front with excited and nervous expressions.
Seven stone stages stood in front of them, representing the seven peaks of the Cangxuan Sect.
The chief disciples from the various peaks proudly stood atop these stages, drawing respectful gazes from below.
This was especially the case for the new disciples that had recently passed the peak selection ceremony, who were tilting their heads upwards as they looked at the figures upon the stage that were akin to a moon surrounded by the stars, figures akin to the tallest mountains.
These were the chief disciples of each peak!
A goal that all of them would strive towards in the future!
While the youthful new disciples were looking forward to joining the inner mountains, Zhou Tai and Lu Yan were heading the Saint Genesis Peak stone stage.
“How unfortunate, sect master and the other peak masters are only going to observe from above this year, and have instead sent out the chief disciples to do the recruitment. But junior brother Zhou Yuan is still in his baptism, so how can our Saint Genesis Peak send out our chief disciple!” Zhou Tai could not help but pour out his grievances as he gazed upon the sprawling mass of new disciples on the plaza.
Lu Yan let out a bitter laugh in response. Zhou Yuan was obviously unable to make it today, while it was even more impossible for them to invite Yaoyao out. As a result, there was no choice but for the both of them to come down. However, the stages of the other six peaks were being overseen by their chief disciples, which undoubtedly made Saint Genesis Peak’s side appear a little pathetic.
At this moment, a steward of the sect stepped forward and announced in a loud and powerful voice, “Sect master has decreed that for the sake of fairness, all the new disciples that have passed the peak selection ceremony will be allowed their own peaks from now onwards.”
As his words faded, joy emerged in the eyes of the countless disciples on the plaza.
“The new disciples have it really good nowadays. Can’t believe they’re even giving the freedom of selecting their own peaks. In the past, sect master and the peak masters would randomly split and allocate us.” Muttered Zhou Tai.
Lu Yan said, “There were basically only six peaks in the past after all, and the leftovers that none of the other peaks wanted would be thrown to our Saint Genesis Peak. But since we’ve reopened, they naturally can’t continue such a practice, and instead give our Saint Genesis Peak a fair chance to compete for new blood.”
However, there was some worry between her brows as she continued, “But the line-ups from the other six peaks are quite shocking. Though the Chosens aren’t here, all of the other peaks are being overseen by their chief disciples, making them appear rather impressive. In contrast, we’re practically invisible, which would likely affect the decisions of these new disciples.”
At the end of the day, they just didn’t have enough to show!
Zhou Tai could only laugh bitterly in response. What else could they do? It had been nearly two months since the chief disciple Zhou Yuan had started his baptism, but it was still not over...
While they were conversing, the thousands of new disciples of the plaza began to discuss with each other.
“Sect master oversees Cangxuan Peak, and the leader of the ten great Chosens is also from there. Our prospects should be really good if we join it.”
“Cangxuan Peak is amazing, but it’s also full of talented disciples. The fight for cultivation resources will likely be extremely competitive.”
“I’m very interested in Snow Lotus Peak, I heard that the number one beauty of our sect, senior sister Li Qingchan is from there.”
“If you’re thinking about entering Snow Lotus Peak, you should take a good look at your own face first.”
“Sword Cometh Peak is not a bad choice either, it’s been on the rise for the past few years.”
“Isn’t that Saint Genesis Peak? Rumor says that it was the place patriarch Cangxuan used to seclude himself away in.”
“I’ve heard that it recently reopened, and doesn’t even have a peak master… I don’t think you’ll have any future there.”
“That can’t be right, I recall hearing that Saint Genesis Peak recently took first place in the Genesis reservoir ceremony, and their chief disciple is really amazing.”
“Oh? Is that so? Then why is their chief disciple not present?”
“... that I do not know.”
“......”
After some discussion, the numerous disciples began swarming towards the stone stages, causing some chaos on the plaza.
However, Zhou Tai and Lu Yan’s expression did not look too good. The other six stone stages were filled with people, and extremely popular, while only their Saint Genesis Peak stage had a few meagre figures. Moreover, the disciples that occasionally came over did not look very talented either.
The two exchanged a look, seeing the depressed looks in each other’s eyes.
It was only made worse because the Sword Cometh peak stage was nearby. The Sword Cometh Peak disciples would look over in amusement, as if they were seeing some kind of joke.
So what if Sword Cometh Peak had been beaten in the Genesis reservoir ceremony by some fluke? Saint Genesis Peak’s foundations were sti
ll far too weak, and could not possibly match up to Sword Cometh Peak in an event like this.
At the center of the stage, Baili Che stood like a moon surrounded by stars.
His aura was clearly much stronger than two months ago, and had evidently advanced to the ninth layer Alpha-Origin during the baptism, causing his strength to soar.
“Hehe, chief disciple Baili Che, it appears that Saint Genesis Peak won’t be able to recruit many new disciples today. They’re honestly quite unlucky that their chief disciple is unable to be present for such an event. How can they match up to our Sword Cometh Peak?” A disciple smiled and said from beside Baili Che, clearly hoping to suck up.
However, Baili Che’s face immediately turned frosty when he heard this. “Are you saying that Zhou Yuan will be able to change things if he were here?”
The disciple had failed in his flattery, causing him to feel rather embarrassed.
Baili Che’s expression darkened, clearly still angry due to his loss to Zhou Yuan in the Genesis reservoir ceremony. He took in a deep breath and icily said, “I’m no longer the same person as before. If Zhou Yuan dares to fight me again, I will gladly pay him back for before!”
The disciple hurriedly said, “Of course, senior brother Baili has already stepped into the ninth layer Alpha-Origin, and his high hopes to become a Chosen in the future. Zhou Yuan was merely lucky previously.”
Baili Che ignored the former. His gaze turned towards the long queue of new disciples, before looking towards the pathetic showing on Saint Genesis Peak’s side, as the anger in his heart abated a little.
Humph. Zhou Yuan, do you really think you’ll be able to change anything just because you managed to steal the spotlight in the Genesis reservoir ceremony.
Saint Genesis Peak is still far from being able to compare to Sword Cometh Peak!
Chapter 548 Mu Xiaoman
A bustling and noisy atmosphere covered the giant plaza.
The new disciples were currently gathered in front of the seven stone stages. However, compared to the other six peaks, Saint Genesis Peak’s side was undoubtedly much less popular. At the end of the day, their foundations were just much weaker than the other six peaks.
What’s more, their chief disciple was not even present, and the two purple sash disciples, Zhou Tai and Lu Yan, were clearly unable to match up with the impressive line-ups from the other peaks. Hence, it was within expectation for them to be less well received.
Zhou Tai and Lu Yan felt exceptionally dispirited. If this continued, all the talented new disciples would soon be recruited away by the other six peaks. When the other six peaks fulfilled their quotas, the leftovers would likely be those unwanted and unremarkable disciples again.
The duo’s gazes swept across the crowd, suddenly finding a few dozen figures still observing from the center of the plaza.
Zhou Tai and Lu Yan focused on the spot right in front of the small group.
Of course, they were not the only two who had their attention on this location. The other six peaks were carefully making sure to keep an eye on the figure at the head of this group.
She was a young lady in blue, with bright eyes and pearly white teeth that made her look very elegant. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her eyebrows were long and thin, giving her a capable and sharp look.
This girl was called Mu Xiaoman, and was rumored to be from one of the great clans in the Shengzhou Continent. She was exceedingly talented, and was also the champion of the latest peak selection ceremony.
Mu Xiaoman was straightforward, ambitious and competitive. Thus, she had quite some influence over the newest batch of new disciples. The new disciples gathered around her had all ranked pretty highly in the peak selection ceremony.
From the looks of it, Mu Xiaoman was their leader, and they intended to first see what decision she would make. After all, the current peak selection ceremony allowed everyone the freedom of choice, unlike the past where only the champion was given the right to choose, while everyone else would be forcibly allocated.
“Senior sister Xiaoman, are you still hesitating? Which of the six peaks do you like? All of us will follow you wherever you go!” Asked a smiling young man from beside Mu Xiaoman, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at the latter.
Mu Xiaoman’s eyes began to swim for a moment when she heard this, before casting a glance towards the lonely looking Saint Genesis Peak stage.
“Saint Genesis Peak?” The other disciples were taken aback. “Senior sister Xiaoman, you can’t be interested in Saint Genesis Peak, right? I heard that they don’t even have a peak master…”
Mu Xiaoman swept a glance at them as she softly snorted. “What do you guys know? Saint Genesis Peak has only recently reopened, and although they have no peak master, their cultivation resources are very plentiful, making this the best time for us to join. As long as you’re talented, you’ll be able to climb rapidly amongst their ranks. In comparison, the other six peaks are already very well established, and a little bloated with talent.”
“Moreover… do you guys know how long the current senior brother chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak took to ascend to his position?”
The other new disciples looked at each other. They were merely outer mountain disciples previously, and had not come into contact with any information from the inner mountains, and were thus naturally unaware.
Mu Xiaoman pursed her lips as she extended a single slender finger. “A little over a year. That senior brother of ours was the champion of the previous peak selection ceremony.”
“If memory serves me right, he should be called Zhou Yuan…”
Shock filled the eyes of the other disciples. “Becoming the chief disciple in a year?”
Such rapid promotion of status was indeed quite terrifying. Inner mountain disciples would usually start at black sash, then white sash and finally purple sash, before gaining the qualifications to vie for the chief disciple position. Many disciples would often find it difficult to be promoted each year.
“Becoming the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak seems to be a little too easy?” Someone remarked, evidently feeling that it had likely been no challenge.
“I’ve heard that chief disciple Zhou Yuan led Saint Genesis Peak to claim first place in the recent Genesis reservoir ceremony. Moreover, he even defeated the chief disciple of Sword Cometh Peak. From this, we can see that his ability is the real deal.” Said Mu Xiaoman.
A pretty young lady said from the side, “If he’s so capable, why has he not shown himself? We’ve spent most of our time in the outer mountains after all, and only occasionally hear some rumors about the inner mountains.”
Mu Xiaoman hesitated somewhat when she heard this, because she too knew that her information was limited, and naturally did not understand why the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak was not present in an event like this.
She mumbled to herself, “Could there have been some mistake in the information I received?”
“We’ll find out once we ask!”
Mu Xiaoman’s pupils spun in thought, before casting aside her hesitation, and heading straight towards the Saint Genesis Peak stage.
As the champion of the peak selection ceremony, Mu Xiaoman’s every action was being observed at all times. Hence, the members of the other peaks were a little stunned when they saw her move towards Saint Genesis Peak’s stage.
Even Zhou Tai and Lu Yan were quite surprised as they watched Mu Xiaoman briskly walk towards them. They clearly understood what a desirable hot steam bun this young lady currently was.
After all, the previous champion of the peak selection ceremony had been Zhou Yuan, whose achievements were plain for all to see. Hence, everyone could not help but hold certain expectations for this year’s number one.
“May I ask about something senior brother and sister…” Mu Xiaoman arrived in front of the stage and respectfully cupped her fists in greeting towards Zhou Tai and Lu Yan. The former did not beat about the bush and aske
d straightaway, “I’ve heard that Saint Genesis Peak was first place in the recent Genesis reservoir ceremony?”
Zhou Tai and Lu Yan exchanged a glance, feeling a little happy inside as they quickly nodded and said without a change in expression, “That’s right, we were indeed the champions of the recent Genesis reservoir ceremony.”
Mu Xiaoman’s large eyes blinked as she continued, “Is it true that chief disciple Zhou Yuan of Saint Genesis Peak defeated chief disciple Baili of Sword Cometh Peak during the ceremony?”
Zhou Tai could not help but feel somewhat pleased as he answered, “That’s something that everyone knows.”
Boom!
However, the moment these words left his mouth, a berserk Genesis Qi undulations suddenly exploded from a nearby stage, sweeping with unstoppable momentum and power towards Zhou Tai and Lu Yan.
Zhou Tai and Lu Yan hurriedly looked over, and saw Baili Che’s stormy expression.
Baili Che frostily stared at the Zhou Tai duo and slowly said, “Two purple sash disciples dare to insult me?”
Zhou Tai resisted the enormous pressure as he gritted his teeth and said, “What are you trying to do chief disciple Baili? So many people saw what happened back then, do you think that you can deny it?”
Lu Yan also snarled, “You did lose to Zhou Yuan, did we say anything wrong?”
The chief disciples from the other peaks frowned a little when they saw this. Baili Che was indeed behaving very narrow-mindedly. It was public knowledge that he had been defeated by Zhou Yuan, and yet he was lashing out against two purple sash disciples. This was very unbecoming for a chief disciple.
Baili Che icily said, “I was merely careless previously. If Zhou Yuan appears before me now, let’s see if he’ll dare to do anything?!”
Rumble!
Powerful Genesis Qi swept out from his body like a storm, displaying the true power of the ninth layer, and was substantially stronger than his half-foot ninth layer from before.
Baili Che had clearly been brooding more about his previous loss after advancing to the ninth layer.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 295