13: I respectfully listen to your virtuous words; you are of high moral character and great prestige!

"This stone weighs a thousand jin; you must carry it on your shoulders to the foot of the Immortal Gate's mountain. This is your punishment for peaking at the previous session's exam questions. Do you have any complaints?"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, and an imperceptible smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"This Junior has absolutely no complaints!"

"It's only a thousand jin, nothing more!"

"Even if it were another thousand jin, I, Xiao Chen, would still take first place!"

How arrogant!

The other young Cultivators in the square felt inexplicably annoyed.

Claiming first place while carrying a thousand jin—this was not taking them seriously at all!

[Detected Passerby A's dislike for Xiao Chen, absorbing...]

[Detected Extra's dislike for Xiao Chen, absorbing...]

...A series of notification sounds rang out.

But Qin Tian couldn't feel happy at all.

This protagonist vibe was simply too strong!

Qin Tian could already imagine the grand scene of Xiao Chen carrying the thousand-jin stone, braving the heartless mockery of the crowd to seize first place and show off before everyone.

"No, this Villain won't allow it!"

"You want to show off? Let's see if you can handle the weight!"

As his voice fell, Qin Tian flickered and arrived at a relatively high point on the city wall.

From his high vantage point, he looked down upon Xiao Chen.

He took a deep breath and took out a scripture.

"Great Virtuous Senior, assist me."

In an instant, Qin Tian's Aura became incredibly solemn and dignified, and a booming voice echoed from his mouth.

"Listen to the Virtuous Voice, I am highly respected!"

(One with great virtue, standing on high—a single gaze will make the observed object become extremely heavy...)

Qin Tian raised his eyes and gazed at the stone on Xiao Chen's shoulders.

Boom!

In the center of the square, Xiao Chen's knees buckled, and he knelt directly on the ground, which was instantly covered in countless cracks!

The sudden, powerful pressure left him dazed.

This wasn't a thousand jin; it was clearly more than tens of thousands!

It was as if a mountain were crushing him!

"Tch, he was talking big just now, but now he's kneeling on the ground like a stinking Maggot. And he still wants first place? He's not afraid of his tongue falling off from boasting. I bet he can't even stand up!"

"Hahaha!"

The crowd's mockery rose and fell.

As Xu quiet watched Xiao Chen's state, her brow furrowed, and a flash of disappointment crossed her eyes.

She hadn't expected him to be unable to withstand just a thousand jin... Xiao Chen's face was currently the color of pig liver; he wanted to roar in anger but couldn't make a sound.

"Damn it, who is it!?"

"Is it him?"

"Yes, it must be him. Who else could do this so silently?"

"Old man surnamed Wang, I, Xiao Chen, will repay this a hundredfold in the future!"

[Congratulations to the Host for heavily suppressing the son of destiny Xiao Chen, fate reversal points +200.]

[Congratulations to the Host for causing the son of destiny Xiao Chen to be heavily humiliated by bystanders, losing face, fate reversal points +100.]

"Comfortable."

Qin Tian smiled slightly.

Just then, the jade pendant in his robes lit up.

"Revered Master is looking for me. It seems everyone has arrived over there; I must return as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, it'll be bad if I'm discovered."

Qin Tian flickered to the teleportation array, and with a flash of light, he returned to the Dao Seeking Immortal Sect... "Senior Brother looked really handsome just now~"

Not far away, Su Ningying walked out excitedly, her eyes full of agitation... "Listen to the Virtuous Voice~ Heehee~ Senior Brother really is the best gift heaven gave me; even a casual remark is filled with divine charm..."

Squeak squeak (Exactly).

"Hragh!!!"

Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the center of the square!

Pale blue flames ignited on Xiao Chen's body. As if borrowing Divine Power from nowhere, he actually slowly stood up!

Su Ningying's eyes instantly went hollow, and the joy on her face vanished without a trace.

"Unfortunately, there's an eyesore of a Maggot here, preventing me from staying by Senior Brother's side at all times. I must poison it to death first..."

The surrounding crowd was startled.

The Aura Xiao Chen displayed was heart-palpitating.

Xu quiet narrowed her eyes, but even she found it difficult to see through the origin of those flames.

"In fifteen minutes, depart from the city gate. The first thirty thousand to reach the foot of the Dao Seeking Immortal Sect's mountain will be qualified for the mountain-climbing assessment."

Wang Teng's voice resounded through Mu Tian City, and all the young Cultivators immediately perked up.

"Revered Master, can you still hold on?"

"Don't worry, supporting you for a few hours won't be a problem."

Xiao Chen felt a wave of relief.

Once he reached the foot of Dao Seeking Mountain, he could throw away this damned stone!

"Young Master Xiao."

Xiao Chen's ears perked up, and his eyes lit up. He turned to look—who else could that petite and lovely figure be but Su Ningying!

"Fairy Su, are... are you here specifically to see me?"

Get lost, Maggot!

Su Ningying stepped back slightly without leaving a trace.

"Yesterday, Xiao Zi fell into the River Boundary, and it was thanks to Young Master Xiao's rescue. Today, learning that Young Master Xiao is participating in the sect entrance exam, Ningying thought that Young Master Xiao's injuries must not have healed yet."

"Therefore, Ningying specially brewed some Spirit-Nurturing Soup for Young Master Xiao, hoping that drinking it will help Young Master Xiao win from the start and take the top spot."

Squeak (Drink it quickly).

Xiao Chen was overjoyed. "As expected, no woman can resist my charm."

He took the Spirit-Nurturing Soup, swept it with his Divine Thought, and after confirming there was no problem, drank it in one gulp.

In his stomach, a warm current surged through his entire body. The complexion Xiao Chen had just overtaxed improved significantly.

"Thank you for the medicine, Fairy Su. Once Xiao Chen joins the Dao Seeking Immortal Sect, I will surely repay your great kindness many times over."

A signature fake smile appeared on Su Ningying's face.

"Young Master Xiao, please be sure to give it your all!"

"Haha, don't worry, Fairy Su. I, Xiao Chen, will certainly do my utmost to seize the first position!" Xiao Chen said with a face full of confidence. "It's getting late; I'll go prepare first and have a heart-to-heart with Fairy Su after I join the sect."

"Take care, Young Master."

(Hurry up and scram, Maggot.)

Su Ningying watched Xiao Chen's departing figure, her eyes filled with gloom.

"Go to hell, Maggot."

"This Spirit-Devouring Soup was meticulously prepared by me with ten times the dosage and supplemented with Miraculous Spirit Wood. Although it looks no different from Spirit-Nurturing Soup, as soon as you circulate your spiritual power, the poison will invade your Meridians and Divine Soul. The harder you push yourself, the faster the erosion!"

"The moment you give it your all will be the moment your Divine Soul is swallowed and you lose your life!"

"For someone who wants to kill Senior Brother to die like this is actually letting you off easy...!"

Su Ningying smiled coldly and vanished into the crowd... Beixuan Peak, one of the twelve main peaks of the Dao Seeking Immortal Sect, was also the main peak presiding over this Mountain Opening Ceremony.

Qin Tian walked up the mountain at a leisurely pace.

After all, he was still in the Qi Nurturing Realm on the surface and couldn't fly.

"Where did you go?"

In the blink of an eye, Yun Xi's figure appeared beside Qin Tian.

Today, she wore a light veil over her face, as if she didn't want anyone to see her features clearly.

"Revered Master, I went to Mu Tian City to see if there were any new Disciples with outstanding talent."

As Qin Tian spoke, he prepared to step back.

He wanted to stay ten feet away from Yun Xi to avoid making her uncomfortable.

Yun Xi's lips parted slightly. "Stay still."

"Hmm?"

Qin Tian's footsteps paused.

Then, a wisp of cold Qi pulled him directly to Yun Xi's side.

"As your Revered Master, I will take you up."

"Uh... okay..."

Qin Tian didn't refuse; after all, even if he wanted to, he didn't have the ability.

He looked at Yun Xi, struggled for a long time, and finally took a deep breath, saying:

"Revered Master, can this Disciple ask a favor of you?"

"What is it?"

"This time, can our Divine Firmament Peak not recruit any new Disciples?"

Hearing this, Yun Xi's expression paused slightly, as if she didn't understand why Qin Tian was asking for such a trivial matter.

"Tian'er..."

"Hahaha! If it isn't Senior Sister Yun and Martial Nephew Qin Tian!"

A rough and heroic voice interrupted Yun Xi's words.

Not far away, two long swords streaked through the air.

One man had a scruffy beard and was unkempt, looking very slovenly.

He was the head of one of the twelve peaks, Ancient Sword Peak—

Jian Wuhen!

The other person had a long sword humming beneath his feet, his whole body surrounded by sharp Sword Intent, showing off his youthful vigor.

He was a Disciple of Ancient Sword Peak, known as the peerless Genius of the Dao Entry Realm with the greatest killing power—

Jian Qi.

Qin Tian's expression shifted slightly.

Just now, when his eyes met Jian Qi's, he seemed to sense a trace of disdain and hostility...