Chapter 51 Part 1

Xie Linlang felt that something was off.

Because he and Shen He had displayed impressive talent and pill refining skills at the Grand Pill Competition, the two of them had gained some fame among the low-rank cultivators. Quite a few disciples came to them to exchange tips on pill refining techniques.

This seemed perfectly normal, but Xie Linlang had once been a high-rank cultivator who had experienced plenty of life-and-death struggles between cultivators. His intuition told him that the recent cultivators who came under the pretext of seeking guidance all seemed to have other motives.

It was understandable. Although the sect had selected thirty-two cultivators and it was no longer an elimination format like the initial round, but rather a group round-robin points system, in the end, only four Foundation Establishment spots were available.

Adding the three Golden Core Stage cultivators, two Nascent Souls, and one Soul Transformation Cultivator, Silent Night Palace would dispatch ten people this time to participate in the grand event of the Mustard Seed Realm’s opening at Jiuxia Mountain.

Shen He and Xie Linlang alone would take half of those spots. Lin Yu had already earmarked Hong Kui internally, which meant the rest had to fight over that single remaining spot. The competition was fierce.

If they could somehow pull Shen He or Xie Linlang down, wouldn’t their own chances of being selected improve?

Demonic Cultivators encouraged competition to begin with. As long as the methods weren’t too ugly, could pass on the surface, and left no evidence, the sect wouldn’t care about a genius who couldn’t even protect their own life.

Xie Linlang privately reminded Shen He about it.

Shen He looked somewhat worried. “Then how about I go find Master Lin Yu and borrow his Pill Room to practice? Master’s Pill Room has sufficient defenses outside, so it should be very safe.”

Xie Linlang pondered and said, “As everyone knows, cultivation goes against the heavens. Heavenly resources are limited. Every tiny bit of progress requires you to strive, seize, and scheme for it. Other Foundation Establishment disciples are eyeing you, but the sect’s Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and even Soul Transformation seniors are all watching this competition. Opportunity and danger coexist—it all depends on your choice.”

Shen He seemed thoughtful, then suddenly came to a realization. He bowed deeply. “Thank you for your guidance, Shizun.”

Silent Night Palace’s Foundation Establishment disciples trying to scheme against him was far easier to deal with than running into loose cultivators of unknown origins outside.

If he couldn’t even handle competitors within the sect, how would he manage when he went out traveling in the future?

After that, Shen He tried his best to stick together with Xie Linlang whenever possible. Otherwise, he would team up with Le Qingping or Hong Kui. At the same time, he actively attended various sect-wide lectures. Even if someone wanted to ambush him, in such public spaces that could be scrutinized by sect seniors at any moment, they couldn’t use particularly egregious methods.

As for direct challenges, being surrounded after class for on-the-spot pill refining contests, verbal provocations, or even sudden Thunder Talisman slaps in a crowd… Shen He managed to handle them all with effort.

Gradually, as the number of sudden incidents increased, Shen He developed a sense of composure amid honor and disgrace, handling things with calm assurance.

Xie Linlang nodded to himself in approval.

He naturally encountered similar situations, but he had the Seven Stars Sword that only Golden Core Cultivators could wield, which Le Qingping had given him. Once the Seven Stars Sword came out, Foundation Establishment-level attacks and tactics were basically useless.

Xie Linlang took the opportunity to display exquisite swordsmanship skills. Combined with his Sunset Death Gate background, it made quite a few people back off.

Time passed like flowing water. The Grand Pill Competition finally selected four disciples: Hong Kui, Shen He, Xie Linlang, and another cultivator named Qian Yang.

Qian Yang wasn’t from the Pill Room; he managed things over at the Storage House.

His background wasn’t simple either. He was a disciple of Qian Cai Duo Merchant Shop, the most renowned demonic plant materials trader in Silent Night Palace’s sphere of influence.

Qian Yang’s pill refining skills weren’t great, but the kid was slick and somehow convinced the sect’s higher-ups with his silver tongue.

Reasons like scouting and investigating other sects’ pill master geniuses in the True Realm, finding better material sources, and helping expand Silent Night Palace’s business channels made the higher-ups turn a blind eye when Qian Yang threw money at the other competitors.

Shen He had also received lavish gifts from Qian Yang. Following Xie Linlang’s example: accepting gifts was one thing, doing business was another. It was you begging me, and I could ignore you if I felt like it~

That had been Xie Linlang’s attitude back when he refined pills at Jiuxia Mountain anyway.

It was only after Pei Ji fell that Xie Linlang, in order to investigate Pei Ji and Nine Spirits Sect matters, had to rein in his edges and start building good connections everywhere.

Qian Yang had carefully investigated all the disciples participating in the competition. Hong Kui was the True Transmission Disciple of Pill Room supervisor Lin Yu—no chance there. Xie Linlang seemed backed by Sunset Death Gate, and Silent Night Palace had already taken their bribes—no chance.

So Qian Yang compared the rest and, after confirming Shen He’s pill refining level and talent were the best among the disciples, shifted his attacks to others. The sect definitely needed to push a real genius with genuine skills, or it would embarrass Silent Night Palace.

Sure enough, the judges of the Grand Pill Competition—a Soul Transformation Cultivator pill master from Silent Night Palace and three Nascent Soul pill masters—thought Qian Yang from Qian Cai Duo Merchant Shop had good eyes and surprisingly didn’t question why he kept winning without fighting.

The Silent Night Palace Soul Transformation Cultivator pill master smiled at the four disciples. “You four are all outstanding talents of the palace. You’ll all get the chance to go to the True Realm to study. But to motivate you to keep striving, the four of you will have a bout to select the strongest, who will receive a sect reward.”

Qian Yang was quick on the uptake and immediately said, “This disciple is shallow in learning and willing to yield the reward to the senior brothers.”