Chapter 504: Sect Competition

Half an hour later, Wang Yu stepped out of the hall and saw “Mu Bo” standing quietly outside the door; upon seeing Wang Yu emerge, the old man said nothing, merely bowed slightly.

Wang Yu promptly returned the bow, not daring to be negligent, and politely asked:

“Mu Bo, you are an elder of Jinghuo Peak—do you know of any places near Jinghuo Peak suitable for us inner disciples to establish long-term dwelling caves?”

“If you were asking about other matters, this old servant might truly not know, but if you’re asking where near Jinghuo Peak one can carve out a cave, I do know a few locations.”

Our Jinghuo Peak has roughly six hundred inner disciples, yet fewer than half can consistently pay contribution points to secure independent caves.”

Within a radius of several dozen li around Jinghuo Peak, there are only about two hundred independent caves, and among them, two locations are most suitable.”

One is the Red Lotus Cavern, ten li northwest of Jinghuo Peak.”

That is where our Jinghuo Peak cultivates fire lotuses—its fire qi is abundant, and nearby lie many underground caverns that, with minor modifications, become excellent natural dwellings; however, many inner disciples have chosen this spot, and over eighty independent caves have already been carved out.”

The other is Chipan Mountain, thirty li east of Jinghuo Peak.”

This mountain is only slightly shorter than Jinghuo Peak; though its spiritual energy is slightly weaker than the Red Lotus Cavern, its interior contains a lava river—an ideal location for cultivating fire-based arts—but without Jinghuo Peak’s magical arrays to regulate it, the fire qi here is wildly erratic, making it unsuitable for ordinary disciples to remain long-term.”

Thus, only a handful of disciples with sufficient strength dare to cultivate here, and merely over ten disciples from our peak have established caves there.” Mu Bo spoke fluently, clearly possessing intimate knowledge of the Jinghuo Peak region.

“Thank you for your guidance, Mu Bo—I now know how to choose.” Wang Yu nodded in understanding and bowed again to the elder.

“You’re too courteous, Young Master Wang—do you plan to carve out your own cave soon?” Mu Bo asked with a smile.

“Indeed—I intend to. Though Jinghuo Peak is excellent, I can only stay here three months, which is far too short for normal cultivation.” Wang Yu replied frankly.

“If you’ll heed this old servant’s advice, you needn’t rush to carve your own cave. Do you know that besides the Thirteen Spirit Peaks, our Bishui Palace has Seventy-Two True Mansions?” Mu Bo gazed at Wang Yu, his expression unchanged.

“The Seventy-Two True Mansions? I’ve heard Master Yan mention them—aren’t they exclusive dwellings for the seventy-two true disciples?” Wang Yu’s expression shifted slightly as he replied.

“Precisely. The True Mansions also enjoy third-rank spiritual energy—though slightly inferior to the Thirteen Spirit Peaks, they far surpass second-rank spiritual veins.”

Moreover, though called ‘caves,’ each True Mansion actually controls all spiritual fields and lands within a ten-li radius, and the True Mansion’s master may decide who may remain in the area and who is unwelcome—no one may linger near a True Mansion without permission.”

Additionally, each True Mansion has its own quota of servants—roughly thirty in number—so calling it a small spirit peak isn’t inaccurate.” Mu Bo’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.

“The True Mansion master holds such great authority! But why are you telling me this, Mu Bo?” Wang Yu’s expression changed, and he asked sharply.

“Naturally, because your timing in joining Jinghuo Peak is perfect: in about half a year, our Bishui Palace will hold its once-in-a-decade Sect Competition, and the True Disciple Contest—the main event of this competition—will determine who inherits the True Mansions.”

If you can secure a True Disciple position, you’ll directly receive a True Mansion—far better than carving out your own cave.” Mu Bo spoke with profound implication.

“Mu Bo overestimates me—I’m only at Foundation Establishment’s early stage; how can I compete against True Disciples who are at least mid-stage, some even late-stage? Is this your master’s suggestion?” Wang Yu fell silent for a moment, then asked slowly.

“Though the Master hasn’t said so outright, you should understand why he personally came to personally take you as his direct disciple—and you’re being too modest.”

The Master once said that while your other talents may be unremarkable, your comprehension of spells is unquestionably among the top in Bishui Palace; and spells are the most potent weapons for protecting one’s Dao. Though you’re only at early Foundation Establishment, your true strength is certainly no weaker than that of mid-stage disciples, and you might even stand a chance against late-stage ones. So, securing a True Disciple slot in this competition isn’t impossible—you needn’t rank high, merely claim the lowest True Disciple position.”

Of course, if you truly feel your strength is insufficient and refuse to enter this Sect Competition, that’s perfectly fine—but the next one won’t come for another ten years. Remember, becoming a True Disciple brings more than just the benefits of a True Mansion; your status compared to an inner disciple is worlds apart.”

Just consider this: True Disciples receive thousands of contribution points and nearly ten thousand spirit stones annually—far beyond what ordinary disciples can dream of.” Mu Bo spoke calmly.

“Thousands of contribution points and nearly ten thousand spirit stones! I understand. Please tell my Master that Wang Yu will participate in this Sect Competition.” Wang Yu’s expression remained calm, but after a swift turn of thought, he declared decisively.

“Excellent. The Master will be delighted to hear this. For the next half-year, focus your cultivation here on Jinghuo Peak. Though direct disciples are only granted three months, you may pre-claim next year’s time—this way, you needn’t worry about insufficient time.” Mu Bo smiled and advised.

“So it can be done that way—I’m reassured now. By the way, Mu Bo, I have another matter I’d like to ask your advice on.” Wang Yu bowed slightly, then seemed to recall something and asked again.

“Young Master Wang, you’re too courteous—anything this old servant knows, I’ll speak without reservation.” The robed elder replied without hesitation.

“Mu Bo, this is it: when I first arrived in the Chaotic Spirit Realm, I established a small force—no Foundation Establishment cultivators, only Qi Condensation cultivators. I originally intended it as my foothold, but I never expected to become a disciple of Bishui Palace.”

Now this force lies far away in a remote region, yet I don’t wish to dissolve it—I still hope to have some personnel to command in the future, to help me gather cultivation resources. So I’d like to know: can I register this force under Bishui Palace’s name?” Wang Yu asked the elder.

“This is easily done. Many Bishui Palace disciples, like you, have ancestral families or their own forces; whether family or other groups, as long as they pass inspection by the emissaries sent by Yuheng Hall, they may be registered under Bishui Palace’s name.”

Of course, small or medium forces cannot register as direct affiliates—they may only register as peripheral forces—but that’s sufficient for most forces to stand firm in the Chaotic Spirit Realm, as no one dares to provoke them.” Mu Bo stroked his short beard as he replied.

“I see. Thank you for your guidance.” Wang Yu nodded in understanding and bowed repeatedly in thanks.

Afterwards, Wang Yu asked the Jinghuo Peak’s chief steward several other matters concerning Bishui Palace before taking his leave.

The robed elder watched Wang Yu transform into a white fireball and fly off into the sky; after several flickers of his gaze, he first nodded, then shook his head, and turned to re-enter the hall.