Chapter 9
Crows, magpies, wild geese, and eagles... countless birds swept in from all directions, obediently circling around her.
The crowd stood frozen, unsure of what was happening.
But up in the stands, the high-ranking members of Qingyuan Sect sensed something.
Behind Ying Bing, they seemed to see a moon-white bird, its feathers shimmering, its presence majestic and mysterious.
The usually silent sect leader of Qingyuan suddenly stood up.
"This girl can condense the forms of a hundred birds! She gathers the divine phoenix! She reveals the scene of the great moon!"
Shangguan Wencang's gaze was intense.
...
The others on the steps to the heavens could not see the phenomenon.
Yet they heard the astonishing call that echoed through the clouds and saw the hundred birds circling.
Wang Hu was in disbelief.
That fairy-like figure was only forty steps away from him.
Just as he was filled with raw possessiveness and prepared to charge a few steps closer, he heard—
Thud—
Footsteps behind him.
Li Mo?
How did he get up here?
"You must have used some trick to sneak onto the steps to the heavens!"
"Still want to stand next to her? Get lost!"
Wang Hu's eyes were bloodshot, his face dark with anger.
Straining against the pressure, he reached to grab Li Mo by the collar and throw him down.
Li Mo: "?"
To him, the other’s movements were as slow as a turtle.
Even now, he still wouldn’t back off?
Li Mo had no interest in slapping faces.
"Heh heh heh, the rules didn’t say you can’t make a move on the steps..."
"Oh? What did you say?"
"I said..."
Bang—
Li Mo executed a swift kick.
There’s a kind of pain that just watching it makes you hurt.
The boys witnessing this scene felt a chill in their lower bodies.
"Ugh..."
Wang Hu's face turned a deep shade of purple.
The intense pain made it impossible for him to stand, especially on the steps where the pressure was immense.
"Ahhh..."
His screams and rolling sounds gradually faded away.
"Get out of the way!"
Someone shouted a warning, and fortunately, everyone dodged in time, avoiding being crushed by Wang Hu, who was rolling down like a tumbling gourd.
"All clear now."
Li Mo shrugged and continued his ascent.
A steward had just glanced at him but said nothing more.
It seemed Wang Hu was right.
There were indeed no rules against attacking others on the steps to the heavens.
However, since everyone was not in direct competition, expending energy to annoy others was simply self-destructive, which was why no one had ever done it before.
"That guy smiles like sunshine, but his moves are ruthless."
"Wait, that’s not the point."
"Isn’t he supposed to have C-grade talent?"
Suddenly someone spoke up, and everyone finally reacted.
Yeah, that’s not right!
How did he climb to over fifty levels... no, now it’s already eighty levels!
He looked so relaxed, as if it was a walk in the park.
If Ying Bing’s performance left everyone shocked and envious, then Li Mo’s was pure astonishment.
You call that C-grade?!
"Steward Han, you didn’t misjudge this kid’s talent, did you?" a short, stout elder asked, uncertainty in his voice.
The old woman who had just assessed Li Mo’s bone structure changed her expression and could only murmur, "Perhaps I’m just getting old and my eyes are failing me."
At her words, the high-ranking members fell into contemplation.
That steward had a sharp eye and rich experience.
Could one really make a mistake in assessing bone structure?
In just a few moments, over there, the figure at the peak had transformed from one into two.
Ying Bing’s eyes flickered with unusual colors.
Reaching the top?
In her eyes, that was not difficult.
Even on the complete steps to the heavens, she had encountered countless people who could reach the summit.
But none of them were him!
A gentle breeze rustled, Li Mo’s robe billowed, and he smiled, "What a coincidence, you’re here too."
With a view of the mountains beneath him, a sense of openness surged within him.
It was a beautiful day, yet a crow landed on the young man’s head, oblivious to the beauty around.
---
**Chapter 8: His Manifestation is the First Purple Destiny**
"He made it to the top too?"
"If I weren’t barely standing, I’d think the steps to the heavens were malfunctioning!"
"But he reached the top without causing any special commotion?"
"Who cares? He climbed up so easily; his talent is definitely more than C-grade."
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
Earlier, Ying Bing had attracted a hundred birds, creating quite a spectacle.
But when Li Mo ascended, there were no strange occurrences.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! He must have cheated!"
Wang Hu, having rolled down dozens of steps, was already dazed.
Seeing that shameless sneak who ambushed him reach the top only made him angrier, his vision going dark.
He was practically grinding his back teeth, wishing he could rush up and drag Li Mo down.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t even stand.
"Cousin! That guy is underhanded and vicious; he doesn’t deserve to be a disciple of Qingyuan Sect!"
"Shut up, the elders will decide!"
Wang Hao felt embarrassed but quickly interrupted his cousin’s reckless words.
How that kid was judged was up to the higher-ups.
It wasn’t their place to question the fairness of the entrance ceremony.
Of course, Wang Hao also believed that Li Mo must have used some other means.
The sect had records.
The fifth-generation leader of Qingyuan Sect had a presence like a waterfall cascading from the Milky Way, while the sixteenth-generation leader stirred the springtime of a thousand trees.
Even the current leader, Shangguan Wencang, had countless swords bowing in submission.
All those who reached the top had extraordinary manifestations.
...
Unlike those currently climbing the steps, the high-ranking members in the stands fell silent.
They were all at least in the Divine Vision realm, able to see what ordinary eyes could not.
Thus, in their eyes, the boy with the crow on his head had an extraordinary manifestation.
Behind him, there was a shadow, turned away from the world.
That silhouette seemed ordinary yet profoundly deep.
Fishermen on the riverbanks... scholars reading by lantern light... generals stepping into the imperial court...
It was as if, in the blink of an eye, that figure changed.
And when they came back to their senses, it had returned to its original form, still that elegantly dressed young man.
Li Mo’s silhouette?
He reflected his true self on the steps to the heavens?
What the hell is this?!
The elders exchanged glances, seeing absurdity and astonishment in each other’s eyes.
They had never imagined such a thing could happen.
But one thing was beyond doubt.
This boy was extraordinary.
"Since he has reached a hundred steps, he can be considered a true disciple. What do you all think?" Xue Jing said, casually releasing the beard he had accidentally torn.
"Agreed."
"Yes, I think we should observe further."
"But both of them have reached a hundred steps."
Elder Hanhe set down his teacup, hesitating as he spoke, "The ancestral teachings say that those who reach the top are candidates for the sect leader and should be cultivated as successors of Qingyuan Mountain."
"How can a sect have two successors?"
This had never happened before; it was unprecedented for two people to reach the top within a hundred years.
For a moment, all the elders turned to the sect leader.
Shangguan Wencang paused for a moment before saying, "Ying Bing is the true successor, and Li Mo is also a true disciple."
To this, the elders were not surprised.
One reflected the ordinary self of a person.
The other reflected the noble and mysterious, like a moonlit phoenix.
The latter clearly had more potential.
...
Ding—
A long bell echoed through the mountains.
The long incense in the massive bronze furnace had burned out; an hour had passed.
As the time came, the young men climbing on the platform gradually relaxed, some overjoyed, some calm, and others filled with reluctance.
But now, everything had settled.
In the second round, only about seven or eight hundred people could truly enter Qingyuan Sect.
The elders from each peak also descended from the high platform.
Shangguan Wencang stepped forward, and the noisy crowd fell silent.
"Those entering the outer sect, go to the Outer Court Affairs Hall to collect your waist tokens and miscellaneous items."
"Those entering the inner sect may choose a peak to join. Each peak has different functions and focuses, and the martial arts they excel in also vary. You have three days to familiarize yourselves."
"Whether you join the inner or outer sect, do not be complacent. You are all still young, and the world is yet to be determined."
The sect leader’s voice carried a weight that commanded respect.
Li Mo looked towards the elders but paused slightly.
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