Chapter 48: Chapter 46: The Position of a True Inheritor, Well-Deserved
Finally, when the three judges announced their scores for the third functional array, a dead silence fell over the base of Feixian Peak.
He won.
Qiu Yuanqing had won by an indisputable margin.
He lost.
Pei Guangming, Ancestor Pei, the one who carried the hopes of the ordinary disciples, had suffered a crushing defeat. He was utterly powerless to fight back.
After a long moment, Pei Guangming’s elegant beard trembled. He calmly cupped his hands in a salute toward Du Youqian. "Nephew Qiu, congratulations."
"Thank you." Du Youqian actually wanted to chat a bit with Pei Guangming.
This man had admirable skills, whether in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, the Array Dao, or Talismans.
’The stones of other mountains can be used to polish one’s own jade.’
In Cultivation, reinventing the wheel in isolation was the greatest taboo.
Among the essential elements of Cultivation—wealth, techniques, companions, and location—having a fellow Daoist to spar and discuss with would certainly lead to much faster progress than pondering things alone.
Moreover, Du Youqian knew full well that his own talent in Cultivation Techniques was likely slightly inferior to this man’s. He had simply spent more time studying.
But Pei Guangming had just suffered a defeat. Even if he appeared calm on the surface, he was surely feeling terrible inside. Du Youqian decided not to say too much, lest he become annoying.
’I’ll wait until this blows over before trying to befriend him.’
Meanwhile, the spectating disciples gradually grew rowdy.
One disciple shouted to Pei Guangming, "Ancestor Pei, there must be something fishy going on! How could you possibly lose to this snot-nosed brat!"
"That’s right, Ancestor Pei! Don’t give in! We’ll all support you!"
One even had the audacity to cry out, "Elders, Hall Masters, we object to the scoring! Please open the Array so we can all go in to inspect it!"
Pei Guangming’s expression finally changed, much of his transcendent, immortal-like demeanor dissipating. He stomped his foot fiercely. "Nonsense!"
The Vice Hall Master of Mingfa Hall remained expressionless, ignoring the clamoring disciples. He simply looked at Pei Guangming. "Martial Uncle Pei, what are your thoughts? Do you also object to our scoring? If so, I can allow you to inspect Yuanqing’s Array."
"No, I have no objection." Pei Guangming shook his head forcefully, afraid of being misunderstood.
’What a joke,’ he thought. He wasn’t a lone wolf; he had his own disciples and juniors.
He had already been rather shameless by insisting on challenging Qiu Yuanqing, who was of his grand-disciple’s generation.
He had only swallowed his pride this one time for the sake of his disciples and juniors.
This act had already displeased many of the Sect’s influential figures.
He had used up a great deal of goodwill.
If he still didn’t know what was good for him, what would happen to his disciples and juniors when his time came and he kicked the bucket to be reincarnated?
In retrospect, by being so hesitant and overthinking the challenge against a junior, he had already lost half the battle from the start. ’When did I ever truly have a chance of winning?’
At this thought, Pei Guangming couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Even if the three Vice Hall Masters had truly rigged the scores, he could only turn a blind eye and pretend not to see it.
Besides, his own attainments in the Array Dao were not poor. Though he had only caught a few glances from afar, he understood that the Array Nephew Qiu had set up was in no way inferior to his own.
One could only say that Nephew Qiu had been clever when setting the rules; perhaps he was particularly skilled at Array Formation using Low-Level materials.
But one could not suspect the three Vice Hall Masters of unfair scoring.
"Martial Uncle Pei, you should still come and take a look."
Pei Guangming thought for a moment and decided to cooperate.
Of course, even if he saw that Nephew Qiu’s array was inferior to his own... or not much different, and shouldn’t have warranted such a large score gap, he wouldn’t make a fuss.
However, after walking through it, he could only admit defeat with sincere admiration.
Regardless of Nephew Qiu’s true mastery of Array Formation, at least when it came to setting up Low-Level arrays with Low-Level materials, he had to concede defeat. He had nothing more to say.
"I accept this defeat, wholeheartedly and without reservation." After emerging from Du Youqian’s array, Pei Guangming cupped his hands and spoke each word with deliberation.
Now that the person in question had made his stance clear, no amount of heckling from the others could stir up any more trouble.
The smart ones quickly scurried away, leaving this place of conflict.
As for the fools who remained, spinning conspiracy theories and grumbling, they would naturally be remembered by the Sect’s upper echelons.
In the future, they would surely be assigned more difficult Sect missions, and the Contribution Points they earned upon completion would be less than what others received for similar tasks.
Even when they finally accumulated enough Contribution Points to exchange for a coveted Magical Artifact, Cultivation Technique, or Secret Technique, they would find that the items they wanted were always out of stock.
And if they encountered difficulties and wanted to consult an Elder, or wished to borrow an Alchemy Room or Artifact Refining Workshop... they would forever be met with excuses, forever forced to wait in longer queues.
~~~~~~~~~~
For a long time after Pei Guangming’s challenge, no one dared to challenge Du Youqian again.
Du Youqian was thus able to enjoy a period of peace, spending his days in meditation and Breathing exercises, and delving into his Cultivation Techniques.
After two or three months, someone finally mustered the courage, risking complete social humiliation, to challenge Du Youqian.
Du Youqian dispatched them all with ease, never once encountering someone who required him to be even slightly serious.
Six months after the Array Dao competition with Pei Guangming, Du Youqian quietly approached him, expressing a desire to become friends.
Pei Guangming gladly agreed. He and Du Youqian sat and discussed the Dao, engaging in deep conversations about several Cultivation Techniques.
Du Youqian benefited immensely from their discussions.
In particular, his Talisman Making Art, which had been progressing slowly, finally reached Tier One Middle Grade.
’In future reincarnations, even if I only rely on Talisman Making, I’ll be able to make a living among the Loose Cultivators.’
Time drifted by, neither too quickly nor too slowly.
It wasn’t until the Zhongxuan Sect’s Mingfa Hall issued a proclamation that Qiu Yuanqing had officially become a True Disciple that everyone was startled to realize three years had already passed.
Everyone had originally thought that it would only take a few experts to knock this lucky True Successor Candidate back down to earth.
No one had expected that this ridiculously low-profile fellow would actually withstand every assault and challenge over three years, remaining as steadfast as a mountain.
His position as a True Inheritor was well-deserved.
No one would ever again feel the slightest dissatisfaction with it.
Although this Qiu Yuanqing’s Cultivation was a bit low, having just reached the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer.
But his Cultivation Techniques held profound significance for the Sect.
If Qiu Yuanqing could break through to Foundation Establishment, and his Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Array Dao skills rose accordingly to Tier Three, he could be called a "Master," with a status equivalent to that of a Golden Core Great Power.
By passing the assessment, he could allow the Zhongxuan Sect to return to the ranks of Third-class Sects!
Moreover, a Tier Three Alchemist or Artifact Refiner could continuously produce Foundation Establishment Disciples for the Sect, and perhaps even nurture the next Golden Core Great Power!
Even if the Zhongxuan Sect was a small pond unable to hold such a great fish—a master of Tier Three Cultivation Techniques—
The higher-ranking sect that poached the master would still leave the Zhongxuan Sect with generous compensation.
That was why the Sect had made an example of that disciple with the Upper Grade Spirit Root in the first place—to kill the chicken to warn the monkey.
An Upper Grade Spirit Root certainly promised a great future, but the chances of cultivating all the way to Golden Core were probably less than one percent.
But this True Inheritor, who already possessed a Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemy Technique at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, had a ninety percent chance of becoming a Tier Three Alchemy Master as long as he successfully reached Foundation Establishment! He could elevate the Sect’s status!
Therefore, anyone with sense knew that granting Qiu Yuanqing a True Inheritor Identity was a truly brilliant move.
The generous treatment now would be repaid a hundredfold in the future.
After becoming a True Inheritor, Du Youqian’s status rose even higher.
He could truly chat and laugh on equal footing with the core figures of the Zhongxuan Sect.
Even the Sect’s Supreme Elders and the Sect Leader had to treat him gently and inquire after his well-being.
Ordinary fourth and fifth-generation disciples had to greet him with the etiquette befitting a junior.
With the Contribution Points he received each month, he could exchange for almost any Cultivation Technique or Secret Technique at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
All kinds of precious Alchemy and Artifact Refining Materials were his to take as he pleased.
If he needed any resources or wanted anything done, he could issue missions himself for ordinary disciples to carry out. If he didn’t have enough Contribution Points, the Sect would cover the cost for him.
On the other hand, the Sect also began giving him materials each month, requiring him to submit a certain quota of Elixirs and Magical Artifacts.
Du Youqian was already mentally prepared for this. Although he wasn’t exactly willing, he didn’t grumble or complain.
The Sect had spent enormous resources to help him improve his Realm Cultivation and Cultivation Techniques; of course it wouldn’t ask for nothing in return.
He could certainly keep his reservations to himself.
But to voice his complaints would be truly ungrateful.
Even though the Sect was exploiting him—’how many people wished for the chance to be exploited like this and never got it!’
And in the end, the Sect had indeed given him far more. Right now, it was merely collecting interest.
