"What about you, Disciple Min Li? You didn't promise her, right? And even if you did, you can still change your mind. How about joining my Peak? It's the strongest," Qin Mu said, turning his attention to Min Li.
"No, I didn't promise her," Min Li replied a bit awkwardly. Qin Mu's eyes lit up, but her next words nearly made him stumble.
"I already joined the Jade Peak before the exam even started," Min Li added. Everyone turned to glare at Zhou Huixin, who looked smug but remained silent. The other Peak Masters silently raised their guard against her, realizing they had underestimated how sneaky she could be.
"Alright, I'm promoting all of you to Core Disciples as well," Jiang Hong announced, handing them their new robes, tokens, and contribution points.
The other Peak Masters didn't object. After witnessing their performances, even if they weren't as overwhelming as Wang Ming's or Bai Lingxi's, the girls were still more than qualified to become Core Disciples.
After speaking with the Peak Masters, Wang Ming and the girls left the meeting room and began walking toward their destination.
"So, why are you following us again?" Luo Li asked curiously, directing the question to the fifth person in their group—Min Li, who was quietly following behind them.
"Hah, don't you get it? Did he seduce you too?" Bai Lingxi snorted, teasingly. Min Li blushed slightly but quickly laughed it off and regained her composure.
"Hey, hey, I didn't seduce her—she's the one who said she wanted to be my partner. And I don't reject beauties, so I accepted," Wang Ming replied with a shrug.
To be fair, Wang Ming had Dual Cultivated with many women, but he didn't accept just anyone. They had to either be exceptionally beautiful, talented, or somehow catch his interest. Min Li happened to meet all of those criteria—and, impressively, she had been bold enough to make the first move. It was a rare experience for Wang Ming, who was usually the one doing the seducing.
"A-Anyway, have you decided whether you're going to choose a technique or a weapon?" Min Li asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. Her tone was genuinely curious, and the other girls looked at Wang Ming with interest as well.
"Hmm, I have—but what about you girls?" Wang Ming asked in return.
"Well, we'll just follow you wherever you go. If we like something, we'll take it. If not, we'll head to the other place you didn't choose," Luo Li replied. The others nodded in agreement. If Wang Ming went to the weapon hall, they'd check for a weapon they liked. If nothing caught their eye, they'd go to the technique hall instead—and vice versa.
---
After Wang Ming made his decision, they headed toward the Technique Hall. According to the information Wang Ming had received, the Technique Hall was located near the elders' residences for protection, as it contained many powerful techniques that ordinary and rogue cultivators could never access. The techniques stored within a sect are what define its fame and foundation—the main reason top sects maintain their status is because these techniques attract powerful cultivators from across the kingdom to join their sect. If anything were to happen to this place, it would be disastrous for the sect. Therefore, it was strategically placed near where all the elders resided, ensuring maximum protection.
After walking for a few minutes, Wang Ming and the girls reached their destination. The Technique Hall was a massive structure, shaped like a humongous scroll and made entirely of wood. Intricate glowing lines covered the surface—these were inscribed arrays for protection, offense, and various other functions. The glowing inscriptions clustered together made it look as though the lines were made of pure light.
As Wang Ming approached, he noticed a small number of Inner Court and Core Disciples nearby. It made sense—earning the privilege to learn a technique from the sect's archives was rare and highly coveted, so the low number of disciples was explainable.
Wang Ming walked toward the building with the girls, drawing attention from those nearby. He and the girls were still wearing their Outer Court robes, having not yet bothered to change into their new ones.
"What's an Outer Court disciple doing here?" muttered one of the Inner Court disciples with a frown.
"The last time an Outer Court disciple came here was decades ago, and they belonged to top families whose clans donated resources to the sect," another disciple said, speculating whether Wang Ming and his group were from powerful families or clans.
Wang Ming ignored the whispers and approached the person in charge. His eyebrows twitched slightly when he noticed something.
'Sigh… this is going to cause another scene,' Bai Lingxi thought as she saw the elder in charge leave momentarily, replaced by a disciple in Inner Court robes. The new gatekeeper looked at Wang Ming and the girls approaching with an immediate scowl.
Hah, another day, another drama, Wang Ming mused, shaking his head as he walked up to the disciple who was glaring at him.
"I'm sick of this drama. Everyone, just put on your Core Disciple robes," Bai Lingxi said with a sigh. The girls nodded, but before they could take out their badges and robes, the Inner Court disciple opened his mouth.
"What are you doing here, trash? How dare you sully this place with your presence?" he spat, glaring at Wang Ming, who was about to say something but was interrupted by the disciple.
'Oh no… looks like a scene is about to break out,' the girls thought. They weren't surprised by the outburst—Inner Court disciples often looked down on those from the Outer Court, and the one in front of them seemed particularly extreme.
The disciple reached out to grab Wang Ming by the shoulder, clearly intending to toss him out. But before he could, Wang Ming caught his wrist.
"Ahhh!" the girls near him heard the scream, followed by the sharp, unmistakable sound of bones cracking.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!