Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Chapter 455: Chapter 203: True Inheritance

For the next few days, Chen Qing remained in seclusion, dedicating all his efforts to refining the Gui Water True Qi within his body and transforming it into Gui Water True Astral.

With his prior experience refining the Cyan Wood and Kun Earth True Qis, the process was familiar territory, though it still required patient and meticulous effort.

Within his Dantian, the deep blue Gui Water True Astral grew increasingly vast and profound. It began to form a tentative tripartite balance with the other two True Astrals, awaiting their final integration.

At the same time, nearly all the sect delegations from the Three Paths and Fifty-One Mansions had arrived in Celestial Treasure City.

The guesthouses on Guest Welcoming Peak were filled to capacity. Disciples from different mansions, clad in diverse attire and exuding auras of varying strength, could be seen everywhere—in the plazas, courtyards, and even along the mountain paths.

With so many young geniuses gathered in one place, an undercurrent of tension was inevitable.

Friction occasionally sparked from old grudges or new conflicts, but these incidents were swiftly suppressed by the elders of the involved parties or by the Stewards of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, maintaining a brief calm before the storm.

The elite disciples were especially active. Some held small gatherings, as Chen Qing had done, while others were introduced by their masters to befriend like-minded peers. They exchanged information, attempting to gather as much intelligence as possible or find temporary allies before the selection began.

Through his channels with Shen Xiuyong, Qiao Hongyun, and others, as well as his own discreet inquiries, Chen Qing gained a deeper understanding of the behemoth that was the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

The internal structure of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect was exceedingly complex. Its vast resources and authority were jointly controlled by the Four Veins.

These Four Veins were not divided geographically. Instead, they originated from the lineages of the Four Great True Scriptures, which formed the very foundation of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

The Four Veins competed fiercely, constantly carving up the authority and resources of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect among themselves.

The Sect Leader, however, stood above the Four Veins. Chosen through either their joint recommendation or competition, the Sect Leader was a formidable power in their own right.

Furthermore, the five great thousand-year-old Noble Families based in Celestial Treasure City were also involved. Through marriage alliances with the Four Veins and by sending their own scions to join them, their relationships with the upper echelons of each vein were deeply entangled, and their influence was all-pervasive.

The interior of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect was, simply put, a hornet’s nest of factions and complex relationships. It was a giant spiderweb, and the slightest misstep could get one entangled and crushed by unseen forces.

This Xu Wang Mountain development program, it was said, was initiated by the Nine Heavens Vein and the True Martial Vein, with the Sect Leader giving the final approval.

This move naturally struck a nerve with the other veins and their affiliated Noble Families, making the selection a backdrop for the schemes and power plays of various factions.

After all, selecting experts from the Hundred Sects to enter Xu Wang Mountain and supply the Inner Sect would consume a significant share of resources. And more importantly, which faction would these experts ultimately belong to?

Would it shatter the existing balance of power?

It was important to understand that disciples of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect were divided into three tiers: Outer Sect, Inner Sect, and True Disciple.

Outer Disciples resided on the Outer Peaks, practiced ordinary Cultivation Techniques, and were responsible for various miscellaneous chores.

Inner Sect Disciples formed the core of the Four Veins. They could practice more profound Cultivation Techniques and enjoyed greater resources. Among them, only the ten most outstanding could earn the title of True Disciple.

The True Disciples were the true core and future of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, an embodiment of the Four Veins’ foundational strength, and the strongest contenders for the position of the next Sect Leader.

Behind every True Disciple stood not only their respective vein, but often the intertwined shadows and investments of Noble Families and other external powers.

A chill went through Chen Qing’s heart as he learned all of this.

From Li Baichuan’s cryptic hints, he had already sensed that this undertaking was significant, but now it seemed the situation was far more complex than he had ever imagined.

The Celestial Treasure Upper Sect was rife with factions and concentrated pockets of power.

What appeared to be a program to cultivate geniuses from the Hundred Sects to fight the Demon Sect was, in fact, not so pure.

Some wanted to ’raise Gu,’ pitting the participants against each other to find the sharpest blade for their own use.

Some wanted to use this as an opportunity to break the balance, stir the stagnant waters, and seize greater power.

And others simply wanted to protect what was theirs, unwilling to see any new variable that might threaten the current state of affairs.

Chen Qing took a deep breath, his gaze growing deeper and calmer.

He knew that from the moment he set foot in Celestial Treasure City, every subsequent step had to be taken with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice.

If he stood out too much, especially as someone with no powerful backer, he would inevitably draw attention from multiple factions.

When that happened, it was impossible to know whether he would become a hot commodity courted by all sides, or a threat to be eliminated.

’One hundred spots... Securing one won’t be difficult for me.’

Chen Qing mused to himself, ’But it would be incredibly foolish to expose too many of my trump cards, get entangled in unnecessary conflicts, and attract a ton of attention right at the start, all for a single spot in Xu Wang Mountain. To put everything on the line for such a meager prize would be unwise.’

He knew the real challenge would begin after he entered Xu Wang Mountain.

The resources there would be more abundant, the competition more direct, and the clashes between the powers behind the scenes more blatant.

For now, it was best to conceal his true abilities, pass the selection without a fuss, and just secure a spot.

’I have to strike the right balance. I need to show enough strength to qualify, but not be so dazzling that I become a target for everyone.’

Chen Qing finalized his plan. ’I need to accelerate my cultivation of the *Gui Cang Concealment Technique*. The fusion of my Three True Astrals must be handled with even greater caution. I absolutely cannot reveal it unless it’s a matter of life and death.’

Having resolved this, Chen Qing’s mind grew calm.

Meanwhile, as more people arrived and the date of the selection drew near, the atmosphere on Guest Welcoming Peak grew increasingly heavy and oppressive—the final, fragile quiet before a storm.

.....

「On the eve of the selection.」

Inside Juying Hall, the largest hall in the center of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s Guest Welcoming Peak, the lights blazed brightly and the air was filled with a cacophony of voices. The presiding Elders from the hundred-odd sects of the Three Paths and Fifty-One Mansions were all gathered together.