Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 249 First Victory
"This time, the reward also includes a Heavenly Grade Golden Jade Pill."

"So everyone should still try their best to fight for it."

At this moment, Dean Zhong spoke up again.

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze became intense once again.

The Heavenly Grade Golden Jade Elixir is a treasure that is extremely difficult to obtain.

Especially since several of the people present were already in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

They had already begun preparing the materials for forming their core.

Perhaps, the reason they participated in this competition was to obtain the Heavenly Elixir of Gold and Jade.

Zhou Ling was also filled with excitement; such a reward only strengthened his resolve to win the championship.

"This leader is not so easy to defeat. Of these six peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, which one of us here can guarantee a victory?"

At this moment, Xi Mo shook his head and spoke.

"Yes, among all the thirty-two disciples who participated in the competition, only Senior Brother Cang ranked fifth."

Another disciple echoed this.

I don't know what the criteria were for this ranking.

Zhou Ling, who was originally the champion of the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy competition, was only ranked thirteenth.

He is behind both Cang Zhi and Xi Mo.

However, Zhou Ling didn't take it to heart. He guessed that perhaps Cang Zhi and the other two had given up because they were too exhausted in that battle.

"Although it will be difficult to win the championship this time, everyone should strive for the top four."

"The reason why our Xuan Yuan Dao Academy participates in this competition is to demonstrate the combat strength of our disciples."

"Of course, because there is a Heavenly Grade Golden Jade Pill as a reward in this competition, the Foundation Establishment disciples from other academies will go all out."

"And they will also get the most support from the Taoist temple."

"Furthermore, the higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more they rely on their own magical power."

"Therefore, by then, the runes, magical artifacts, puppets, and other means that everyone has may not have as many advantages!"

Dean Zhong then spoke slowly.

Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat helpless. After all, they were all magicians, and it was understandable that they couldn't compare to the disciples of other academies in terms of actual combat strength.

Afterwards, Dean Zhong gave a brief introduction to the six Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators.

Everyone else listened attentively.

Only Zhou Ling had already learned about their situation through [Intermediate Observation] and [Intermediate Analysis].

So I didn't listen very carefully.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began his cultivation in peace.

The others watched, somewhat surprised, but didn't pay much attention.

······.

Soon after, the spirit boat landed on the square of Tianxia Taoist Academy.

The square was enormous, with eight spacious competition platforms set up in the middle.

It was already packed with people.

After disembarking from the spirit boat, Dean Zhong led them to the rest area of ​​Xuan Yuan Dao Academy.

As Zhou Ling's gaze swept across the area, he could sense that the concentration of spiritual energy here was even more concentrated than that of the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy.

The other three rest areas were occupied by disciples from the other three Taoist academies.

Each one exuded a powerful aura.

Most of them are in the late or peak stages of Foundation Establishment.

Don't even mention the early stage of Foundation Establishment, there isn't even the middle stage.

Of course, this is normal.

After all, as a master of techniques, one must invest a lot of time and energy in practicing techniques, so it is reasonable for one to be a little slower in terms of cultivation.

After a quick look, Zhou Ling stopped paying attention and found a futon, where he sat down cross-legged.

Wang Xin and Sun Dajie also came to his side.

"Brother Ling, the outside rankings predict you won't even make it into the top eight!"

"I wonder who lined it!"

"It's a pity that the four major academies prohibited the opening of external markets this time, otherwise we could have made some money."

Sun Dajie said with a smile.

Although the opponent he faced this time was formidable, Zhou Ling was not one to be trifled with.

Winning the championship is definitely very difficult.

However, he believes there is still a good chance of making it to the quarterfinals.

"The opponent this time is indeed not weak, but it's not likely that we won't make it into the top eight."

Zhou Ling smiled and said.

"I knew it! You'd most likely make it into the top five!"

Sun Dajie nodded and said with a serious expression.

"Top five!"

Zhou Ling shook his head and didn't say anything more. This kid just doesn't have confidence in himself!

But thinking about it, it makes sense. None of the disciples from the other three major academies are easy to deal with.

Moreover, according to the competition rules, three rounds of competition will be held today.

Two rounds in the morning, one round in the afternoon.

With his cultivation level at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and facing opponents at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, even if he were lucky enough to win, he would still suffer a huge loss.

Therefore, in most people's eyes, Zhou Ling's ability to survive two rounds was already the limit.

Wang Xin, on the other hand, had great confidence in Zhou Ling. She sat down next to him without saying a word and waited patiently.

"Alright, disciples participating in the competition, please follow me to the judges' table to draw lots."

As Dean Zhong's voice rang out, the eight disciples who were participating in the assessment walked towards the judges' table.

Upon arriving at the judges' table, the disciples from the other three academies, led by their respective team leaders, stood in a straight line on the judges' table.

"Dean Huang! It's been a long time."

"Dean Gong! Greetings!"

"Dean Qi!"

Dean Zhong and the other three team leaders bowed to each other.

The other three returned his greetings one by one.

Zhou Ling's gaze swept across the group, and on the left side of their formation, from left to right, was still the Flying Dragon Battle Academy.

Dean Huang was a burly, square-faced middle-aged man with an imposing presence.

The second was the Nine Heavens Sword Academy. To Zhou Ling's surprise, the dean of the Nine Heavens Sword Academy was a beautiful woman with an extraordinary temperament, who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

However, Zhou Ling estimated that to reach the position of dean, one must be at least in their early fifties.

On the far right is Dean Qi of Tianxia Academy, an old man with a goatee who looks kind and approachable.

Clearly, these four deans were the judges for this competition.

Of course, auxiliary means are allowed in this kind of combat capability competition.

Therefore, their main task is to prevent accidents from happening during the competition.

The four deans exchanged a few brief pleasantries.

Then it was time for the disciples to draw lots.

Since the only woman present was the head of the palace, she presided over the lottery.

Thirty-two jade tablets floated in front of her.

"Disciples, the drawing of lots will now begin. The jade tablets have the numbers A, B, C, D and the numbers one through eight on them."

“If you draw A1, you will face B8; if you draw C1, you will face D8, and so on.”

"Disciples from the same academy will not meet in the first round."

Dean Gong's voice was soft yet slightly magnetic as he swept over everyone and spoke calmly.

"Alright, starting with the disciples of Tianxia Dao Academy, everyone come up one by one to draw lots."

As soon as the words were spoken, eight disciples from Tianxia Dao Academy went over to draw lots.

Soon it was Xuan Yuan Dao Academy's turn.

Zhou Ling received the jade pendant and then looked at it; it said "Bing San" on it.

My opponent should be Ding Wu.

Of course, he didn't care who his opponent was.

No matter who it is, just give it your all.

With the talents of "Restore to Original State" and "Medicinal Stress Response", he recovers much faster than others.

For him, these consecutive matches were not a disadvantage, but rather an advantage.

"Alright, now that we have A1 to A4, C1 to C4, and their opponents, let's begin preparations."

"The first round of the competition will begin in one incense stick's time!"

After examining the jade tokens in everyone's hands, Dean Gong announced.

Zhou Ling looked at his jade token and saw that it was graded C3, which meant he would be competing in the first round.

He was then about to step down from the judges' seat.

"Deputy Chief Zhou, please wait a moment!" Zhou Ling was taken aback upon hearing this.

Outside of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, few people addressed him in this way, so he was almost taken aback at first.

Then he looked at Dean Gong and saw her smiling at him.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Dean Gong, what advice do you have for me?"

"I didn't expect that Deputy Chief Executive Zhou would also participate in this kind of competition!"

Dean Gong looked at Zhou Ling and smiled.

A deputy governor is currently in Qingyun Immortal City; he is a person of real power.

However, she did not expect that Zhou Ling was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

How did this deputy chief clerk get promoted?

Even if you're born into a prestigious family, without real strength, you can't expect to reach such a position in the Dao Alliance.

Moreover, it is said that Zhou Ling is a disciple of a rogue cultivator.

The other two deans also looked at Zhou Ling with curiosity after hearing what Dean Gong said.

They shared almost the same doubts as Dean Gong.

"How did this kid become the Deputy Director of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau?"

"I want to get rid of you and have a batch of swords forged. I'll find a time to discuss this in detail after this competition is over!"

Dean Gong glanced at Zhou Ling with her beautiful eyes and said with a smile.

"Alright, thank you for your care, Dean Gong!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling cupped his hands in response.

I didn't expect that I would be able to accept orders under these circumstances.

Zhou Ling then stepped down from the judges' panel.

They knew that he was Zhou Ling, who was now hailed as the number one in skill and talent in the Qingyang Immortal Realm.

The other disciples participating in the competition couldn't help but turn their attention to him.

Zhou Ling felt helpless; he didn't want to become the focus of everyone's attention.

But with Dean Gong's words, the focus of the entire room immediately shifted to him.

Not only the disciples, but also many spectators in the square.

"This is Zhou Ling, who is known as the most talented in technique. How come he's so young?"

"And he's only at the early Foundation Establishment stage?"

"A Heavenly Guardian at the early stage of Foundation Establishment? How did they manage that?"

"With such amazing skill and talent, how did he come to participate in this kind of combat strength competition?"

"It is said that he directly crushed many of the most talented martial arts masters in Qingyang Immortal City!"

“Excellent technical talent does not necessarily mean outstanding combat ability.”

·······
In the audience, many disciples began to discuss it with curiosity.

Clearly, Zhou Ling's identity and cultivation level presented a stark contrast to them.

"Congratulations, Dean Zhong! Xuan Yuan Dao Academy has produced such a genius!"

Dean Gong sat down to Dean Zhong's left, looked at Zhou Ling's file, and said with a smile.

"Hehe, Zhou Ling is indeed a surprise!"

Dean Zhong chuckled, his tone humble yet revealing a hint of self-satisfaction.

You should know that Qingyun Immortal City hasn't produced a Heavenly Guardian for many years.

"Dean Zhong, if I'm not mistaken, he is at the third level of Foundation Establishment. Although he is at the Five Elements Foundation Establishment level and his internal mana is pure and abundant, it's really hard for me to understand how he could refine a third-tier treasure!"

Dean Qi of Tianxia Dao Academy was also quite curious. He stroked his goatee and asked with a smile.

"This kid has a unique talent for weapon crafting; it can't be judged by ordinary standards!"

Dean Zhong said with a mysterious expression.

Even though he often saw Zhou Ling refining artifacts, he still couldn't understand how Zhou Ling could refine a third-tier treasure artifact at the third level of Foundation Establishment.

"With such talent in weapon crafting, why participate in this combat strength competition?"

"This kind of competition isn't a weapon-forging competition. If you get injured, it would be a huge loss!"

Dean Huang, with his burly physique, spoke in a loud voice.

Of course, in his opinion, Zhou Ling, who was only at the third level of Foundation Establishment, might have a unique talent in weapon crafting.

However, in actual combat, they might not even make it past the first round.

"Naturally, it's to demonstrate the strength of my Xuan Yuan Dao Academy and to earn a good reputation for the academy."

Dean Zhong said with a smile.

Although, based on his understanding of Zhou Ling, he figured he was mostly after the generous reward.

But we still need to build a good reputation for Zhou Ling.

He will become a role model for other disciples in the academy.

Clang!

As the ancient bells rang out.

The competition among the top eight has officially begun.

Zhou Ling was positioned on the second competition platform to the south.

"He Rui from Tianxia Taoist Academy!"

A young man standing opposite Zhou Ling cupped his hands in greeting.

"Zhou Ling from Xuan Yuan Dao Academy!"

Zhou Ling also cupped his hands in greeting.

The disciple of Tianxia Dao Academy in front of me is at the late Foundation Establishment stage and is also a sword cultivator, so his strength is not bad.

He ranked twelfth among the thirty-two disciples.

No more, no less, one place higher than Zhou Ling.

Of course, Zhou Ling was not afraid of sword cultivators.

"I hope Fellow Daoist Zhou will offer me more guidance!"

After bowing, a black, second-tier top-grade sword shot out from He Rui's body like a black lightning bolt.

A burst of thunderous sword energy slashed towards Zhou Lingpu.

In an instant, thunder rumbled.

Thunder roared.

Now Zhou Ling understood why this person was ranked ahead of him.

Not only is he a sword cultivator, but he is also a lightning-attribute sword cultivator, which is extremely rare.

This means that his combat power is several times stronger than that of other cultivators in the same generation.

"Sigh, I wanted to see more of Zhou Ling's performance, but I didn't expect him to run into He Rui in the first round. It seems I won't have a chance!"

"Yes, He Rui came in fourth place in the Tianxia Dao Academy competition last year, and almost made it to the finals!"

"His Thunder Dragon Sword Technique is not something that an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator can withstand."

"It's not just that Zhou Ling is in the early stage of Foundation Establishment; even those in the late stage of Foundation Establishment would find it difficult to achieve this!"

Looking at the sky filled with thunderous sword energy on the competition stage, the disciples in the stands exclaimed and discussed in surprise.

Everyone thought that Zhou Ling would have difficulty blocking this powerful Thunder Dragon Sword Qi.

But what happened next was quite unexpected.

Zhou Ling pointed his finger, and two swords shot out from his body.

A burst of firelight rose, and with a swift slash, fiery cloud sword energy surged forth.

A golden light burst forth, and amidst the howling sword energy, the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard. The sword energy condensed into a golden dragon sword light, which also slashed down.

Zhou Ling was clearly taking his opponent very seriously, unleashing two third-tier swords at once for a simultaneous attack.

Rumble!
Under the fierce bombardment of the Fiery Cloud Sword Qi and the Golden Dragon Sword Qi, He Rui's Thunder Sword Qi was continuously shattered.

For a time, they were completely on the defensive.

He Rui's expression changed, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Early Foundation Establishment stage, simultaneously controlling two third-tier swords, how is that possible?"

Of course, he wasn't the only one with this question; other audience members also exclaimed in surprise.

"These are two third-tier natal swords?"

"How can you control two third-tier swords at the same time?"

"Could this be the sword control technique practiced by the Nine Heavens Sword Academy?"

As the audience's discussions continued to rise.

He Rui grew increasingly terrified as the fight progressed, and could only helplessly shout, "I surrender!"

This lightning sword was his natal sword.

At this moment, under the bombardment of two third-tier swords, it is on the verge of collapse.

If it is destroyed, it will undoubtedly suffer a severe blow.

They had no choice but to admit defeat.

The opponent's sword control technique far exceeded his expectations.

So powerful that he had no chance to fight back.

(End of this chapter)