Devour

Everyone present knew that the true decision maker for the Jingtao Sect's internal competition wasn't the elders or the four candidates, but Wang Hong. Regardless of who arrived early or late, until the Sect Master announced the start, everyone else had to wait patiently.

Wang Duxing tossed his long hair in a casual manner and lowered his voice to persuade his opponent, "Elder Zhonghan, cultivation is not easy, and precious resources are extremely scarce! How about I arrange 500,000 taels of platinum for you? From now on, you will still be able to sit firmly on the throne of the Elder of Zhangjian Peak. How about withdrawing from the competition?"

Wang Zhen echoed, "Brother Duxing is very generous. It's rare for an ordinary ruler of a mortal kingdom to have ten thousand taels of platinum in their treasury. It would take the entire dynasty's resources to raise five hundred thousand taels! Furthermore, internal conflicts are bound to result in bloodshed, which is ungentlemanly. Peace is the most important thing!"

Seeing that the internal competition is about to begin, it is extremely disrespectful to openly bid for a deal in front of the ring.

This would be unimaginable in other sects, but within the Jingtao Sect, it seemed like no big deal. Pan Yue and Wang Zhen, standing nearby, paid no heed to the whispers, and even the onlookers, the elders, barely batting an eyelid at the whispers.

Pan Zhonghan closed his eyes slightly as if he didn't notice anything. Just when he was forgetting himself and the world, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked up at the north-facing stands, with a look of surprise on his face.

It is high up there, and the ground is made of high-quality mutton-fat white jade. It glows softly under the sunlight, as if shrouded in a layer of sacred light.

The misty purple jade nine-dragon throne of the Holy Lord stands high in the center of the place, looking majestic and solemn. Sitting on it, one can have a panoramic view of the entire open-air martial arts field.

At this moment, several attending disciples brought in three desks in an orderly manner, carefully adjusted their positions, and made sure that the combination was correct before retreating in an orderly manner.

The tables are made of fine materials and feature a simple and elegant style. The one to the left of the throne is a Feiying stone table, while the two to the right are Yanfei purple jade tables.

Both were rare spiritual stones, rarely found in large pieces, and rarely used in large instruments. The former, in particular, was of a higher quality than the material used in the Saint Lord's throne, and was usually used to refine magical weapons, but now it was being used to entertain guests.

Pan Zhonghan was apprehensive. "Is it some powerful elder or senior figure from the Council of Elders who is here in person to oversee the Neibi Conference? Even the Grand Master who teaches the first-rank skills couldn't take the seat. Who has the dignity to deserve such a high standard?"

Wang Duxing looked confident, his face tilted slightly to the right with a smile on his face as he said, "Junior Sister Zhen, Junior Brother Yue, do you know why the Sect Leader was late today, yet the accompanying spectator seat was given the highest treatment?"

Pan Yue's eyes rolled, and he continued with a smile, "If the Senior Master and the Heavenly Master from the Elders' Council were present, it wouldn't take long. They must have invited distinguished guests from outside the sect."

Wang Zhen frowned slightly and said, "Even the great figures at the top of the Sage List aren't blessed with such hospitality. Could it be... an immortal saint from the upper realm, from the Imperial Star or the Holy City, visiting the North Sea for a tour?"

Wang Duxing was almost beaming with joy as he chuckled softly, "Although this immortal saint isn't from the upper realm, it's no exaggeration to call him the number one person under Mount Xumi!"

He paused for a moment and guessed, "The identities of the other two are unknown, but they appear to be heavyweights in the top 20 of the Sage List."

Pan Zhonghan, however, took the conversation of the three of them lightly, thinking, "I am a youngster, ignorant and uninformed. Although powerful beings who can be called immortal saints are rare in the Five Continents and Four Seas, strictly speaking, there are more than one."

Everyone sensed several powerful auras approaching. Wang Mingsheng, the elder teaching the skills at the west desk, immediately stood up, bowed slightly toward the Nine Dragon Throne, and solemnly announced, "Welcome the virtuous and capable Holy Lord Hongde!"

All the surrounding elders, as well as Pan Zhonghan and the other four, also stood up, bowed in worship, and shouted in unison: "Welcome the virtuous and capable Holy Lord Hongde!"

The sound of laughter and chatter drifted in from far away, gradually becoming clearer. Then, the Holy Master of Jingtao Sect led two men and one woman from the back of the hall and leisurely entered the high platform of the Transmission Hall.

Wang Hong looked to be about thirty years old, with a handsome face. He wore black armor inside and a crane cloak outside, and held a feather fan and a scarf in his hands, exuding the unrestrained demeanor of a Confucian general.

"Master, you have come from afar and have brought honor to our humble sect. I apologize for the inadequacy of my humble hospitality!" Wang Hong, with perfect courtesy, first led Master Li to the Feiying Stone Table to the left of the Nine Dragon Throne. "Master, please take a seat. The last-minute preparations were a bit hasty."

Master Li pulled out three cushions from a mustard seed and called to a man and a woman beside him, saying, "It's the old rule on Jing'ao Island that everyone, except the head, sits on the floor. If you want to feel more comfortable, bring your own cushions. This rudimentary piece of woven grass is not available anywhere else. I'll give you one each."

"Thank you, Master."

The graceful young man in the dark blue body armor had a childish face, no older than the age of a dancing elephant. His slightly longer black hair flowed naturally across his fair face, and his deep eyes held a wisdom that belied his age.

He was naturally Cheng Bai, who had come to Jing'ao Island with Master Li. He calmly took the cushion and sat down at the misty purple jade table on the right side near the throne.

Her flowing hair and pristine white dress made Bei Tingjun appear even more radiant, her every smile and frown radiating a captivating charm. With graceful steps, she sat down at the misty purple jade table on her right.

Wang Hong sat high on the Nine Dragon Throne and spoke in a clear voice, "Our Jingtao Sect has experienced prosperity and development for three thousand samsara eras, and has produced countless talents in the past thousand years. The auspicious time has arrived, and we are welcoming this Internal Competition, which aims to select the most outstanding Holy Son to inherit the Taoist tradition. This grand event has attracted the attention of the senior immortal saints to come and guide us. It is a great honor for our sect!"

After a brief pause, Wang Hong continued, "Today, we have specially invited three distinguished guests to attend the ceremony. Master Li, the dean of Taowu Academy, Baidi, the leader of the Swallowing Heaven Sect, and Fairy Bei, an elder in the Swallowing Heaven Sect's cabinet."

The elders watching exchanged glances, slightly surprised at the unknown names of the last two visitors, but they calmly bowed their heads and said, "Welcome, three fellow Taoists, to our sect. Please give us your guidance."

Cheng Bai and Bei Tingjun clasped their fists together and saluted: "Fellow Daoists, thank you for your courtesy."

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone returned to their seats. Pan Zhonghan and the other four responded in unison, but secretly held skepticism.

Pan Yue exclaimed in amazement, "The Heaven-Swallowing Sect? I've never heard of it. And they even dare to call themselves the 'White Emperor'? A sect with such pretensions will probably not last more than a year or two."

Wang Zhen took in Bei Tingjun's beauty and graceful figure, a surge of jealousy welling up in her heart. She said angrily, "Fairy Bei? You look enchanting and charming, but you don't look like someone from a respectable sect. Your appearance isn't as beautiful as my dignified appearance."

Wang Duxing, however, stared with his eyes wide open, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Wow...their elder Bei is so charming, she has simply won my heart!"

Wang Zhen covered his mouth and whispered, "The White Emperor Sect Master has such a baby face. Cultivators have different experiences, so it's hard to tell their true age from appearance. One can only accurately determine their age by observing their aura and bone structure. This person's cultivation level is unknown, and his temperament is clearly very immature. Junior Brother Pan Yue's youngest disciple is older than him, right?"

Seeing Pan Yue on her right pondering in silence, she suddenly felt that he was a boring person, so she turned to approach Wang Duxing on her left and whispered, "Brother Duxing seems to be very interested in Fairy Bei. Do you want me to lend a hand?"

Wang Duxing said with a frivolous smile, "Hehe... I have successfully obtained the title of Holy Son. I will definitely go and ask Fairy Bei to spend a night with me."

Pan Yue said with a half-smile, "Senior brothers and sisters, please proceed with caution! Someone favored by the Sect Master and traveling with Master Li is definitely not an ordinary female cultivator."

Wang Duxing said nonchalantly, "I've traveled the world for many years and have seen countless self-proclaimed heroes. Sects with arrogant reputations don't survive for long. It's just that Taowu Academy has always treated everyone equally and taught them with equality. Perhaps that's why we have some connection with the Heaven-Devouring Sect."

Pan Yue was not in a position to refute, so he suggested, "Master Zhonghan has traveled the world for far longer than we have, and perhaps he knows more inside information."

The three of them looked eagerly to the left with anticipation.

A complex expression flashed across Pan Zhonghan's eyes, and he said helplessly, "The Heaven-Swallowing Sect is a newly emerging sect that refines weapons and spiritual medicines. They are able to refine high-grade soul weapons and holy pills. Rumor has it that they have the potential to surpass the weapon-refining masters of the Changsheng Society. The Prison Sword Sect has a very high opinion of them, and the Dan Ding Society also has an ambiguous attitude towards them. Don't underestimate them!"

Wang Duxing uttered an "oh" and said, "No wonder."

Pan Yue exclaimed in surprise, "So this is a sect that is treated like a treasure. No wonder the Sect Master values ​​it so much and treats it with such courtesy."

Wang Zhen was slightly puzzled and asked, "Why choose the name 'Tian Tian'? It sounds greedy and avaricious. Why not choose a more elegant sect name that reflects the value of the treasure and makes it clear at a glance?"

Wang Duxing jokingly said, "The Sect Master must be uneducated, so he approached the Master to get what he wanted. That makes sense."