--Unknown territory, Capital City outskirts, Yanging Province.--
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The air was eerie, and the howling winds were unbecoming and strange.
Standing outside were several powerful people with straight backs and stoic expressions.
There was a chill of coldness flashing through their eyes.
They stood around a gruesome bluish-black pond, looking at the handsome man sitting above a slightly elevated platform.
Don't look at him and think he was a youth. The stunning man was already over 800 years old and just half a step away from reaching the 13th Dan of the Spirit Realm.
So do you know what this means? Tribulations and Ascension!
Though everyone had an air of indifference and coldness, it was still easy to see their bliss.
The stronger their leader, the more powerful their organization.
The handsome man who dazzled them all was their 25th appointed Supreme Leader, who controlled all Black Valley Sects and Branches scattered within all 3 provinces.
Since Black Valley's creation, they have been cautiously expanding its influence.
Their Black Valley Sect was an evil sect haunted by the masses. Their very existence was taboo. But so what?
When acquiring strength, who cares if it's through the right way or not? At least they didn't care, unlike those pretentious righteous sects.
They have been waiting for this moment for hundreds and thousands of years. Many former Supreme Sect Leaders would've linked to witness this historical moment that could change the course of their fate in this Lower Realm.
Everyone felt lucky to be privileged and blessed to witness the grand upcoming event.
(^_^)
Their Supreme Leader was called Luqin. And he had the strength to rival the current Emperor of Yanging Province.
This alone said much.
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"We salute the leader!" Everyone bellowed and bowed respectfully.
This was the leader they were most proud of.
Power! Wealth! Strength!
Once all 3 for a person were in line with one of the strongest people in all of Yanging, this means they were no doubt stronger than people from the other trash Provinces.
As everyone knows, 6/10th of people who succeeded in ascension came from Yanging Province, while 3/10th came from Bailong Province.
And lastly... The Tah Province was at a measly 1/10th.
Most of their elders die unsuccessful before their lifespans run out unless they head to the other provinces to seek hell or acquire better elixirs or goods.
The Tah Province was the most desolate, qi-lacking place of all.
In their eyes, these people were beggars and laughingstocks in all the Lower Realm.
Even in the upcoming competition, no one expected anything good from them.
Sure...
Once or twice, they did have people fortunate enough to earn 30th or even 50th place in competitions. But how can it be possible that they'll reach the top 5 or 10 in each category?
Dreaming!
Don't get them wrong. It has happened sparingly in the past when a person from the Tah Province rises and proves their strength… Very occasionally, and not an everyday feat.
So no matter how glorious these Tah People's lifestyles in their sects and organizations were, they were still constantly reminded of their Trash rank every time they visited other Provinces.
For matters concerning the Tah province, they indeed had a bone to pick with them, especially during this critical time.
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"I assume you all know why you're gathered?"
"Yes, Supreme Leader." The many elders replied, with the one called Elder Liu taking a step forward.
"Supreme Leader, our people are ready. There have been no mishaps so far."
Elder Lui massaged his beard assuringly.
Their goal of entering the competition was not only to win first place and get that special reward but also enter the Yanging Sacred Institute.
Though they'll attack during the competition, they’ll still do so secretly.
Why? Because their big outbreak will be 5 days after the competition ends.
As everyone knows, the moment the winners get chosen, they will immediately be taken into the Yanging Sacred Institution.
Once in, planting their ‘seeds’ will be history.
They worked hard for hundreds and thousands of years to lay the groundwork for this moment.
The reason they didn't do this years back was that it was the right time.
Like a formation, one must layer everything in order, or else it won't work.
As for their spies in the competition, no one would suspect them at all.
For one, they sent their spies into the top 4 Yanging Sects ages ago. And these idiotic sects watched their spies grow before their very eyes, also giving sect resources to them.
Now, their spies were favored by these facts and had won the chance to enter the competition in the various categories.
Even if some fail, they were sure to have at least a handful of people entering the Yanging Sacred Institution after the competition.
Good!
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l