Chapter 77: Chapter 76: How Can a Firefly Compete with the Bright Moon?
"What a powerful light!"
"Where is that light coming from?"
"Look! Is that a strange phenomenon coming from the testing Array Map?"
"Oh my god! One, two, three... nine, ten, eleven halos! Am I dreaming?"
"I must be dreaming too! I also see eleven talent halos!"
"None of you are dreaming! It’s really eleven halos! Someone actually tested for Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent!"
...
Vast, blue halos surged like a restless tide. A thick, aqua-blue radiance shot toward the heavens, transforming into a celestial pillar of water that pierced the clouds. The slender, elegant figure in a black robe was enveloped within the light, looking as though he were bathed in divine grace—as awe-inspiring as the bright moon in the night sky.
Beside the Array Map, the few middle-aged men in charge of the test stared blankly at the boundless, surging aqua-blue light, their faces etched with shock.
GULP!
Gazing at the eleven halos that pulsed like the tide, everyone couldn’t help but swallow hard.
"Eleven halos... Super-Grade talent!" The lead middle-aged examiner’s eyes filled with shock. He suppressed the tremor in his heart, his gaze locked on the black-robed figure as he announced loudly,
"Qin Feng, Eleventh Grade Water Attribute Martial Arts Talent! Pass!"
Upon hearing the announcement, the entire plaza fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The Elders from the Five Great Sects mechanically lifted their heads, staring blankly at the black-robed youth in the center of the Array Map.
Across the plaza, all eyes were fixed foolishly on the black-robed youth. If Qin Feng’s previous identity as a fifteen-year-old First-grade Official Xuan Master was surprising, then possessing Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
A fifteen-year-old First-grade Official Xuan Master was rare, but not terrifying. Without Martial Arts Talent, the greatest he could ever hope to become was a Second Grade Xuan Master.
But if that same fifteen-year-old First-Grade Xuan Master also possessed Eleventh Grade, Super-Grade Martial Arts Talent, then he was truly someone to be feared.
After all, the great Dinghai Xuan Venerable back in the day only had Eighth Grade Martial Arts Talent!
But now Qin Feng possessed Eleventh Grade, Extraordinary Martial Arts Talent. Didn’t that mean his future achievements could far surpass even those of the Dinghai Xuan Venerable?
"He actually has Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent?" The Elders from the Major Sects looked at each other, their expressions stiff as they stood rooted to the spot.
"Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent!" The members of the Nine Great Families fell into a collective silence. In the crowd, Yu Yao’s face was numb as she watched the figure who was suddenly bathed in boundless radiance, feeling sharp pangs of pain in her heart.
’I actually rejected such a stunningly brilliant fiancé and chose that pretty-boy-for-nothing Ning Yutang instead!’ Yu Yao’s heart bled. Only today did she finally understand who was the dragon and who was the worm.
It was this realization that brought the young woman heart-wrenching, gut-twisting regret.
"Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent... what a terrifying young man!" Up in the restaurant, Zuo Song watched the black-robed figure walk down from the Array Map, a fervent gleam in his eyes and a smile on his face that he could barely contain.
’Super-Grade Martial Arts Talent! What do the Upper Three Grades of Martial Arts Talent even count for? What are the so-called Three Heroes of Mountain and River City? In the face of Super-Grade talent, they can only be crushed. This time, the Zuo Family has truly hit the jackpot!’ Zuo Song was ecstatic, his mouth stretched in a grin so wide it nearly wouldn’t close.
"You lucky old dog," Master Hall said, his tone sour as he watched his friend lose his composure.
...
With a fiery glint in his eyes, Elder Xu Changsheng of the Cyan Wood Sect appeared on the testing platform like a phantom, the first to extend an olive branch.
"Qin Feng, join my Cyan Wood Sect! The Cyan Wood Sect is a renowned power in the area around Mountain and River City. If you are willing to join, I will personally guarantee that you will become a True Disciple immediately. Any of the sect’s True Inheritances will be open to you, no questions asked!"
Xu Changsheng’s aged face was full of amiable smiles, his eyes fixed eagerly on Qin Feng. The conditions he offered shocked many of the youths present.
The Cyan Wood Sect was a well-known major power around Mountain and River City. Many of the youths had heard of its great name. In previous years, when the Cyan Wood Sect recruited disciples, countless young Martial Artists would flock to them.
To become a True Disciple of the Cyan Wood Sect in a single step, skipping the climb through the Outer and Inner Sect Disciple stages—this was a meteoric rise. It was an opportunity that countless youths could only dream of.
All eyes fell upon Qin Feng, their gazes filled with an envy so intense it could almost melt him.
"The Cyan Wood Sect?" Qin Feng was just walking down from the testing platform. He raised an eyebrow and blinked. ’This old man sure changed his tune fast. A moment ago he was disdainful and sarcastic, how did he become so friendly in the blink of an eye?’
Just then, another figure bounded over like a tiger. A slightly breathless voice called out.
"Hold on, hold on! Qin Feng, why don’t you consider our Taibai Mountain first? We are immensely powerful, one of the top Major Sects around Mountain and River City! If you’re willing to join Taibai Mountain, not only will we grant you the status of a True Disciple and allow you to train in any True Inheritance, but we also have a Third-grade Xuan Master whom you can consult at any time!" Taibai Mountain threw out an even more tempting offer.
"Qin Feng, don’t be hasty! You might want to consider our Wuji Sect. The Wuji Sect governs three cities and twelve towns. If you’re willing to join us, I guarantee that not only will you become a Wuji Sect True Disciple, but we will also grant you a major town to serve as a foothold for your family!" The Wuji Sect was not only willing to nurture Qin Feng, but even offered him the privilege of establishing his own family’s power.
"Qin Feng, you can join our Heaven’s Edge Illusionary Sound Pavilion! If you do, I will do everything in my power to help you become the next Pavilion Master! I am the Grand Elder of the Heaven’s Edge Illusionary Sound Pavilion; my authority is second to none. With my support, you will be the next Pavilion Master!" Elder Yuqing He of the Heaven’s Edge Illusionary Sound Pavilion was even more ruthless, going all in.
"And our Lingyun Sect..."
...
The experts from the Five Great Sects all extended their olive branches, each of them staring at the black-robed figure with fiery gazes. They occasionally glanced at each other, their eyes burning with hostility.
Xu Fei and Qin Tianjiao stood frozen in place, their faces ashen. They bit their lips, silent. The offers the experts from the Major Sects had made to them were nowhere near this generous.
Qin Feng sneered. "Didn’t someone just say that I was arrogant, ignorant, and didn’t know my own limits, and that I was destined to pay the price? Have you all forgotten?"
"That was a misunderstanding! It was entirely the work of petty individuals, jealous of your talent, who misled us. For such villains to twist right and wrong is truly detestable!" one of the experts from the Five Great Sects explained with a laugh. In the distance, the faces of the people from the Nine Great Families darkened.
Qin Feng pursed his lips and glanced at the experts from the Five Great Sects without a word. He turned around, his gaze falling on the two somewhat lonely figures in the distance.
"Then what about them? What positions are there for the two of them?" Qin Feng said, pointing at Xu Fei and Qin Tianjiao.
The experts from the Five Great Sects exchanged a look. After a moment’s hesitation, one of them said coldly, "How can the light of a firefly compete with the radiance of the full moon?"
CRACK! Xu Fei and Qin Tianjiao were so filled with hatred they nearly ground their teeth to dust!
