In the Central Region, there is a secluded courtyard.
There were no flowers or plants in the courtyard, only a few withered trees. The ground was covered with a thin layer of white frost all year round, and even the sunlight seemed to carry a chill when it shone in.
A woman sat quietly by the window, dressed in a plain white dress. Her silvery-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, obscuring half her face. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the air around her was slightly condensed, with a layer of frost, invisible to the naked eye, spreading out from her center. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator who approached within three zhang would feel a bone-chilling cold, and those with slightly weaker strength would likely be frozen into ice sculptures instantly.
"Miss." A maid tiptoed in, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, her breath coming out as she spoke, clearly also enduring a considerable chill. "News has come from Hidden Dao Mountain that a powerful cultivator has emerged in the Trial Grounds, wielding a spear. At such a young age, he has already reached the thirty-eighth level and slain three peak-stage Nascent Soul demonic beasts."
The woman didn't turn around, but just stared at the withered tree outside the window, her voice as cold as ice: "Oh."
Her voice was beautiful, yet it carried a sense of aloofness that kept people at arm's length.
The maid looked at her white hair and the layer of frost that wouldn't melt away, and sighed inwardly. Her young mistress wasn't always like this. As a child, she was lively and cheerful, like a little sun. But ever since she awakened the "Innate Ice Soul Body," her constitution has become increasingly special. The slightest emotion would cause her to emanate a chilling aura, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close. Over time, she has become the cold and lonely woman she is today, and even going out has become a luxury.
"I've heard that the cultivator's spear intent is very powerful," the maid said, trying to lighten the mood. "Many people say that his spear intent has already reached the threshold of 'momentum'."
The woman's hand, resting on her lap, twitched slightly, a tiny ice crystal forming at her fingertips before quietly dissipating. She remained silent. The wind outside the window whipped up the frost and snow, which pattered against the windowpane, creating a soft, rustling sound that accentuated the stillness of the courtyard.
Meanwhile, the stone tablet at the entrance to the Trial Grounds of Zangdao Mountain was already packed with people.
The stone tablet was a massive piece of dark iron, inscribed with golden runes bearing the names of those who had attempted the tower and the floor number. At the very top was the "First Floor," unchanged for millennia (unbreakable), with floors arranged sequentially below. At this moment, countless eyes were fixed on the area beneath the stone tablet—
"Ninth place: Xiao Chen, thirty-eighth floor."
The golden runes emitted a faint light, standing out starkly among the names of the well-established cultivators from the Central Region.
"Who exactly is this Xiao Chen? Which sect's genius is he? I've never heard of him before?"
"Judging from his young age, he's probably in his early twenties at most, yet he managed to reach the thirty-eighth floor and fight three peak-level fusion-type magical beasts. Even the core disciples of the Three Saints Sect in the Central Region might not be able to match his talent!"
"I just heard from the people who came out of the Trial Grounds that this Xiao Chen... seems to be from the Southern Region?"
"The Southern Region?!"
Upon hearing this, there was a brief moment of silence in front of the stone tablet, followed by an even louder murmur of discussion.
"Impossible, right? Isn't the Southern Region a notoriously desolate place? The spiritual energy is scarce, and the sects are declining. How could such a genius emerge there?"
"I've been to the Southern Region. The strongest sects there rarely have sect leaders who are even at the Integration stage. How could they possibly raise disciples who can fight against peak Three Integration stage cultivators?"
"Could there be a mistake? Perhaps he deliberately concealed his origins and impersonated a cultivator from the Southern Region?"
A cacophony of doubts, exclamations of surprise, and curiosity filled the air as everyone was intrigued by this suddenly appearing "Xiao Chen of the Southern Region." In the minds of cultivators from the Central Region, the Southern Region was practically synonymous with "genius," yet the name and number on the stone tablet definitively proved them wrong.
"Regardless of where he's from, with this kind of strength, he's bound to become a prominent figure in the Central Region in the future!"
"When he comes out, we must make good friends with him!"
Among the crowd, some had gleaming eyes, clearly intending to recruit him; others had solemn expressions, vaguely sensing a threat—the landscape of the Central Region might be about to change because of this young man from the Southern Region.
Qingyun Sect, Lin Zhou's small courtyard.
Lin Zhou lay on the bamboo chair, listlessly counting the leaves on the old locust tree, muttering, "A bit boring..."
[If the host feels bored, they can check the disciple's status panel to relieve boredom.] The system's cold voice echoed in his mind.
"Oh? It has this function too?" Lin Zhou became interested. "Let's see what my eldest apprentice is doing."
A semi-transparent light screen instantly appeared before his eyes, displaying the scene of Xiao Chen's fierce battle on the thirty-eighth level of the Trial Grounds. Beside it was a brief note: [Disciple Xiao Chen, Current Status: In the midst of fierce battle, Qi and Blood slightly depleted, Spear Intent stable, Potential being activated…]
Lin Zhou glanced at it and yawned: "Not bad, didn't embarrass me."
He casually turned off the light screen and continued counting the leaves. The turmoil in the Central Region and the discussions in front of the stone tablet were less interesting to him than the old cat dozing in the corner of the courtyard.
As for whether Xiao Chen can break through to deeper levels and gain a foothold in the Central Region...
Lin Zhou squinted, the sunlight filtering through the leaves and falling warmly on his face.
Within three days, Zangdao Mountain was in complete uproar.
Xiao Chen's name, as if it had sprouted wings, spread to every corner of the Central Region. His ranking on the stone tablet quietly rose another place—
"Eighth place: Xiao Chen, thirty-ninth floor."
In just three days, he advanced another step! This speed made those cultivators who had been stuck at a certain level for years or even decades feel utterly ashamed. The crowd in front of the stone tablet never dispersed; instead, it grew denser. Everyone was waiting for the young man from the Southern Region to emerge from the trial grounds, wanting to see with their own eyes just what kind of extraordinary genius he was.
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