Chapter 19: The War for Talent, The Resurrection Match

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Several sounds of breaking the air rang out.

The three Peak Masters who had just departed hurried back.

"Oho... I say, why have you three come back again?"

Hong Niang had a smile playing on her lips.

Watching the three Peak Masters return in such a rush, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Once the business is done, I must return. An event as grand as the decennial disciple recruitment—how could I possibly be absent?"

Yun Ding spoke without a hint of shame, plopping himself down into his seat.

His eyes, gleaming with sharp light, incessantly scanned Zheng拓 up and down.

The scrutiny made Zheng拓 feel incredibly uncomfortable, causing him to instinctively tighten his collar.

"What about you two?"

Hong Niang looked toward Yun Qianli and Lei Xing.

"Senior Brother Yun and I share the same thought. They are our own children; how could we neglect them and break their hearts?"

Yun Qianli's skin was no thicker than Yun Ding's.

Hong Niang shook her head and looked at Lei Xing.

"Ahem..."

Lei Xing was a man who cared about his reputation.

Unlike Yun Ding and Yun Qianli, he wasn't quite so thick-skinned.

"Junior Sister, why are you looking at me? I just went to relieve myself. You didn't actually think I left, did you? Hahaha... haha... ha... *cough, cough*..."

His words drew several eye-rolls from the group.

A dignified Golden Core stage cultivator, and you need to go "relieve yourself" even without eating?

Are you trying to fool ghosts with that nonsense?

These old fellows were incredibly shameless.

They claimed to have left, but in truth, they had been paying close attention the entire time.

Upon seeing the emergence of a Supreme Spiritual Root, they had cast aside their dignity to return and take a gamble.

If a person with a Supreme Spiritual Root could be taken as a disciple, their respective lineages would undoubtedly rise to prominence.

In the future, they would certainly need this disciple to lift them up.

If things went well, walking the path to immortality would no longer be a dream.

"Supreme Spiritual Root?"

Zheng拓 was no fool.

Back in school, he had read quite a few cultivation novels.

A Supreme Spiritual Root was the aircraft carrier of spiritual roots.

If someone else's daily cultivation was a small stream, then his daily cultivation would be the entire Pacific Ocean.

If someone else's daily cultivation was a single snowflake, then his daily cultivation would be an avalanche on Mount Everest.

If someone else's daily cultivation was a drop of rain, then his daily cultivation would be a torrential downpour during the apocalypse.

In short, it was an existence that was exceptionally, incredibly, extremely badass.

This "golden finger" was a bit too big!

Zheng拓 felt quite distressed.

He had intended to keep a low profile and progress through the cultivation world step by step.

Now, with a Supreme Spiritual Root, he feared that trouble would be unavoidable.

"Zheng拓, let me introduce myself. My name is Yun Ding, Peak Master of Immortal Cauldron Peak, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. My alchemy skills have reached the realm of perfection. Join my Immortal Cauldron Peak, and while I can't promise much else, you can eat medicinal pills as much as you want. With your talent, the Nascent Soul stage is within reach in less than a hundred years."

Yun Ding took the lead in striking up a conversation with Zheng拓.

They were all old foxes who had lived long enough to become cunning.

They knew exactly what it meant to recruit a disciple with a Supreme Spiritual Root.

Therefore, they set aside their pride for the moment.

Taking Zheng拓 as a disciple was the real priority.

"Senior Brother Yun is certainly quicker than us at perceiving the will of heaven," Yun Qianli remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

"However, Senior Brother, I fear you have overlooked one point. Since Zheng拓 possesses a Supreme Spiritual Root, cultivation for him is as simple as eating and sleeping. Therefore, Zheng拓, what you need is not cultivation resources, but divine abilities and combat techniques."

Yun Qianli pulled Zheng拓 into his own rhythm.

"I cannot speak for my Thousand People Peak in other matters, but our divine abilities and combat techniques are undoubtedly the strongest among the five peaks. Every year, we supply a massive number of high-quality cultivators to the Golden Battlefield. I can tell you responsibly that on that Golden Battlefield, the name Yun Qianli is a monument."

Speaking of his strengths, Yun Qianli was high-spirited, his entire being radiating a dazzling light.

Yun Ding and Yun Qianli.

Zheng拓 looked at the two of them, recalling the records in his mental notebook.

Both were relatively prestigious figures within the Falling Immortal Sect.

Joining either peak would be acceptable.

But to be cautious, he intended to see the offers from the other peaks first.

"Ahem..."

Lei Xing felt that he should say something at this moment.

But after thinking about it...

Forget it.

His Falling Immortal Peak was quite unique.

Even if Zheng拓 joined his peak, he wouldn't have the time to look after him.

If he ended up wasting Zheng拓's talent, the Sect Master would tear him apart.

Wait!

Then why did I come here to join the fray?

Lei Xing fell into a state of self-doubt.

"Since Senior Brother Lei has chosen to pass, then I shall say a few words as well," Hong Niang spoke gently.

"No way, Junior Sister. Doesn't your Ethereal Peak only recruit female disciples? What, are you going to break your precepts for Zheng拓?" Yun Ding interjected.

"Exactly. Ethereal Peak has historically only recruited female disciples, and has never broken this rule in hundreds of years. Although a Supreme Spiritual Root is a rarity in the world, breaking a rule held for centuries for this reason is truly inappropriate," Yun Qianli followed closely behind.

Regarding Hong Niang, their competitor, Yun Ding and Yun Qianli uncharacteristically stood on the same side.

"Hehehe..."

Hong Niang chuckled softly.

"It is rare to see my two Senior Brothers set aside their grievances to stand together against an outsider; I am 'overwhelmed by the favor.' But then again, as the current Master of Ethereal Peak, I have the right to change the regulations. Besides, a Supreme Spiritual Root is a once-in-a-lifetime rarity... shouldn't we ensure more descendants are left behind?"

As these words left her mouth, the others thought for a moment and all nodded.

It seemed to make sense.

They turned their gaze toward Zheng拓.

Zheng拓's heart skipped a beat.

What was going on!

Was he about to be forced into being a "stud"?

"That being said, we must still respect the wishes of young friend Zheng拓. Our Falling Immortal Sect follows the righteous path of cultivation; we must never knowingly persist in evil."

These words from Yun Yangzi allowed Zheng拓 to feel somewhat at ease.

Hong Niang's strength was at the mid-stage Golden Core; if she wanted to force him, he would have no power to resist.

"Of course," Hong Niang smiled radiantly and looked at Zheng拓.

"Zheng拓, if you are willing to join my Ethereal Peak, I can not only satisfy all the conditions set by Senior Brothers Yun Ding and Qianli, but I can also tell you clearly: the three thousand female disciples of Ethereal Peak are yours to choose from, including Ye Qingqing."

The phrase "the most poisonous thing is a woman's heart" was perfectly embodied by Hong Niang.

To recruit Zheng拓 as a disciple, she was willing to sacrifice the youth of the three thousand female disciples of Ethereal Peak.

Faced with such temptation, Zheng拓's heart stirred.

*Bah.*

He refused.

*Asking for Ye Qingqing to be my wife? Do you think I want to live too long? What if those super-monstrous Saint Sons and Princes come looking for my life with blades in hand?*

However, it wasn't entirely out of the question.

After Hong Niang proposed her conditions, everyone looked toward Wu Dao of Enlightenment Peak.

Regarding Zheng拓, who possessed a Supreme Spiritual Root, they believed Wu Dao would not remain silent.

As expected.

Wu Dao slowly opened his eyes.

His clear eyes shone like bright pearls.

He did not possess a particularly memorable appearance, yet he gave off a sense of being transcendent and detached from the world.

He opened his mouth and slowly uttered two words: "Possible."

Having said that, Wu Dao slowly closed his eyes again.

That was it!

Compared to the previous Peak Masters, this one was far too brief.

While Zheng拓 was astonished, the others were already used to it.

"Alright, all the Peak Masters have presented their conditions. Next, ahem..."

Yun Yangzi cleared his throat.

"Zheng拓, of course, besides the Peak Masters, I personally intend to take you as my disciple. I won't say much more; you should know my status. So, please begin your choice."

Although Yun Yangzi was only the Vice Sect Master, he had several proud disciples.

And his meaning was quite clear.

If you choose me, I will pass the position of Sect Master to you in the future.

"Senior Brother Yun, you are going too far."

The others immediately expressed their dissatisfaction.

Competition was already fierce enough; as the Sect Master, instead of mediating, you're actually jumping in?

Zheng拓 was also somewhat stunned.

Even Yun Yangzi wanted to take him as a disciple.

It seemed the importance of a Supreme Spiritual Root was much higher than he had anticipated.

It had even prompted Yun Yangzi to make such a move.

Zheng拓 looked at the group.

He had some understanding of them, with much recorded in his mental notebook.

But it was clearly not comprehensive.

Therefore, he was well-prepared.

"Um... can I make a tiny request?"

*I have a Supreme Spiritual Root; making a tiny request shouldn't be too much, right?*