Chapter 212 - 129: Meteoric Rise
Chen Qing’s gaze swept calmly over the page.
To him, it was merely a change in status, far less tangible than an increase in his own strength.
Following that was a detailed report on the preparations for the Wutai Sect’s seven-hundredth anniversary celebration.
It was a lengthy piece, detailing the festival’s itinerary, its projected scale, the status of each institute’s preparations, and the news that the sect leaders of the three major sects would likely be unable to attend in person due to the hidden threat of the Demon Sect.
Flipping further revealed a few miscellaneous items:
Remnants of the Zheng Family and some escaped Water Bandits from Nine Waves Island were reportedly spotted near a few desolate islets deep within Qianchuan Marsh, preying on passing boats. The Xuanjia Sect had issued a bounty for them.
A band of particularly vicious roving bandits had struck again at the border of Yunlin and Linping Prefectures, wiping out a small merchant caravan.
Closing the small paper, Chen Qing placed it on his desk.
Wu Manqing had also sent a letter by messenger. Besides offering congratulations, it also conveyed the intentions of the Gu and Li Families.
Chen Qing flatly rejected their offers.
Although the Gu and Li Families were Prefecture City clans with deep roots, and their offers were quite sincere.
However, given his current status, he no longer had any need for a monthly stipend of silver.
Becoming a Tributor for the two families would only be a burden, creating needless attachments. It wasn’t worth the trouble.
After packing a few things, Chen Qing returned to the Wutai Sect.
With the Sect’s grand celebration imminent, a festive atmosphere enveloped all of Lake Heart Island.
Lanterns and colorful banners adorned the area inside and outside the mountain gates. Meticulously arranged festive decorations were everywhere, and disciples normally stationed outside or on missions were rushing back one after another.
When Chen Qing arrived at the Cyan Wood Institute, the bustling Transmission Square instantly grew a few degrees quieter.
"Chief Senior Brother!"
"Brother Chen!"
"The Chief Disciple is back!"
After a moment of silence, a wave of greetings erupted as all the disciples chimed in.
Chen Qing’s expression was calm. He gave a slight nod in response.
Just then, a voice as clear as a warbler’s song rang out. "Oh! Chief Senior Brother! I’m Yu Bao’Er! I just joined the institute today!"
Chen Qing looked toward the voice and saw a girl of about sixteen or seventeen squeezing her way out of the crowd.
She was wearing a brand-new Cyan Wood Institute disciple’s uniform. She was petite, with a cute, round face and a pair of large, lively eyes that sized up Chen Qing with curiosity.
She carried herself with the pampered air of nobility, clearly the child of a wealthy Prefecture City family.
"Junior Sister Yu."
Chen Qing acknowledged her with a nod, his voice even.
Yu Bao’Er seemed fascinated by the Chief Senior Brother and was about to move closer to say more, but several male disciples who knew her chuckled and gently pulled her aside, whispering a quiet warning.
"Chief Senior Brother!"
Just then, a burly figure parted the crowd and strode purposefully to stand before him.
It was Luo Xinyi.
She was still dressed in the same tight Martial Attire, the lines of her corded muscles clearly visible beneath the fabric. Her build was taller and more robust than many of the male disciples.
Right now, she was staring directly at Chen Qing.
Luo Xinyi cupped her fist. "I’ve run into some difficulties in my recent cultivation. I was hoping the Chief Senior Brother could offer me a pointer or two."
As soon as she spoke, all the disciples froze, their gazes snapping to Chen Qing and Luo Xinyi.
Everyone could tell that this so-called request for guidance was nothing more than a challenge born of Luo Xinyi’s dissatisfaction with Chen Qing’s appointment as Chief Disciple.
She intended to test the mettle of this new Chief Disciple in front of everyone!
Xu Qi had somehow made his way to the front of the crowd, a sharp glint flickering in the depths of his eyes.
He, too, wanted to know what exactly qualified Chen Qing for this position.
Faced with this blatant challenge, Chen Qing’s expression remained placid.
He nodded calmly. "Since Junior Sister Luo has questions, it is only natural for fellow disciples to clarify them through sparring. Please!"
As his words fell, the crowd of onlookers receded like a tide, clearing a wide space in the center of the Transmission Square.
Every gaze was filled with curiosity.
They were all well aware of Luo Xinyi’s strength. She had been at the Mid-stage Embracing Pill Power for three years, her foundation was solid and deep, and she was exceptionally talented.
How long had it been since Chen Qing broke through to the Embracing Pill realm? If he lost, what would become of his dignity as Chief Disciple?
While the crowd watched in suspense, Luo Xinyi’s muscles and sinews instantly tensed. The dense True Qi of her Mid-stage Embracing Pill Power erupted from her Dantian like a flash flood, surging through her limbs.
Having been in the Wutai Sect for nearly two years, Chen Qing had a fair understanding of this Senior Sister Luo’s strength.
Although she was a disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute and cultivated the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique, her martial art of choice was the Geng Metal Institute’s Vajra Armor-Breaking Fist.
He spread his feet, slightly lowered his center of gravity, and rested the ball of his left foot lightly on the ground while his right heel remained planted. Relaxing his waist and hips, he slowly raised his arms into the opening stance of Long Arm Fist: Spiritual Ape Asks the Way.
"Chief Senior Brother, watch out!"
Before her voice had faded, Luo Xinyi stomped her right foot. A loud CRACK echoed as spiderweb-like fissures instantly spread across the iron-hard flagstone beneath her.
Using the force of the stomp, her powerful body shot forward like a cannonball. Her right fist, like a massive siege ram, drove straight for the center of Chen Qing’s chest!
The punch condensed all her body’s power and the True Qi of a Mid-stage Embracing Pill expert into a single point. The air itself compressed, creating ripples visible to the naked eye.
Before the fist even arrived, the force of its wind blasted against him, making his robes snap and flap as if they might be torn to shreds at any moment.
Faced with a terrifying punch that could shatter a Fine Steel stele, Chen Qing moved.
He didn’t meet the blow head-on. The instant the force of the punch reached him, he used his waist and hips to shift his upper body to the side with the slightest of movements.
The movement was as subtle as Willow Catkins Following the Wind, yet it was precise enough to let the Fist Force graze past the front of his robes.
At the same time, he didn’t counter with the typical hard-hitting style of Long Arm Fist, but instead used the Cyan Wood Institute’s Floating Light and Shadow Hand.