In a valley surrounded by precipitous peaks, tens of thousands of cultivators were gathered, dressed in colorful clothes, in groups yet maintaining a certain distance from one another. It was obvious that this was the venue for the selection of saints, the Valley of Saints.
"There are significantly more sects participating in this year's selection than in previous years!"
"Indeed, it is said that this is the best chance to obtain the mantle of a sage!"
"Oh! I see. If it is the mantle of a sage, then these people before us are actually few!"
"Yes, after all, there wasn't much of value going back nine hundred years, at most just some strange and wondrous techniques..."
"If that's the case, then this selection of saints is bound to be a bloodbath!"
"That's for sure. Our sect has already decided to give up, and we're just waiting to pick up the last bit of scraps, hehe!"
"Giving up now might not be a bad thing!"
"..."
Inside Sage Valley, crowds thronged, whispers filling the air. Ling Quan stood atop a low hill, gazing at the throng below, and turned his head to say:
"Have all the members of the Hidden Moon Sect arrived?"
Right next to Ling Quan was the Sect Master of the Flying Flower Sect, Fairy Qingdai, who said calmly:
"Except for Sect Master Feng Teng and that kid, almost everyone is here..."
Ling Quan nodded and said nothing more. A short distance away stood an elderly man who seemed oblivious to their conversation, glancing at them briefly before closing his eyes again to rest. Ling Quan seemed to sense the old man's gaze and smiled slightly.
"Master Guangyuan, we will have to trouble you with your efforts in this operation. If there are any oversights, we will make amends after this matter is over!"
"Palace Master Ling, you're too kind. We're all just doing our jobs and following orders. There's no need to be so concerned about this old man..."
"That's excellent."
After exchanging pleasantries, Ling Quan ignored the old man and turned to look at Fairy Qingdai. The latter sat calmly on the Azure Lotus artifact, looking confident about what was about to happen. This reassured Ling Quan, who had been somewhat hesitant.
"It looks like most of the people have arrived. Can we begin?"
The Azure Fairy and the Master of Guangyuan nodded slowly, saying nothing more. Seeing this, Ling Quan's face lit up with a smile again. He suddenly took a few steps forward, looking down at the bustling crowd below. His cultivation surged, and his voice, like thunder, instantly resounded above the crowd:
"Everyone, quiet down! The once-in-a-century selection of sages is about to begin!"
Lingquan's voice boomed, especially in the valley, echoing endlessly like rolling thunder. The previously noisy crowd instantly fell silent, for they all knew that the selection of the saints was about to begin!
"Very good! The selection of sages should be familiar to you all. The final ranking order is related to the order in which you enter and leave the sage's mansion. I will not go into the details of its importance!"
There is still more than a year before the arrival of the Sage's Mansion. You all usually bury yourselves in cultivation, and with the restrictions of your sects, you should rarely have the opportunity to meet. Even if you don't participate in the selection, exchanging ideas and learning from each other is a rare opportunity. However, please remember that any private activities must not interfere with the normal conduct of the Sage's selection, otherwise you will be expelled from Sage Valley!
This selection process is largely the same as in the past. Each sect can send ten disciples to participate. Afterwards, a flag will be issued, which is divided into red and white. Red represents participation, and white represents abstention.
The top three sects that collect the most red array flags will be qualified to challenge us. If they win, they will take our place; if they lose, they will withdraw. But please note that unlike the battle for array flags, which is a matter of life and death, the challenge we face is a matter of life and death. Please consider this carefully!
Finally, let me mention something different from before. Previously, only the top three in the final rankings qualified for entry into the Sage's Palace. But this time, a fourth spot has been added, and this spot will naturally be chosen from the top three sects in terms of the number of red array flags!
Ling Quan paused here, and seeing that everyone was staring at him intently, he continued:
"In other words, the top three sects with the red flags have an additional option: they don't have to challenge our three sects. Instead, they can compete against the other two sects that hold the red flags, and only one sect will be chosen. The winning sect will then enter the Sage's Palace along with our three sects!"
As soon as Ling Quan finished speaking, a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd. Compared to the three major sects of Saint Hill of Ili over the centuries, challenging the other two sects was clearly the wisest and most likely to succeed. This new change was actually a great thing for these sects!
As the saying goes, the strong always get stronger. On the land of Sage Hill, the True Martial Hall holds the top position with an absolute advantage, followed closely by the Primordial Academy in second place, while the Flying Flower Sect ranks third. This order has remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years, with no changes except for changes in the third and fourth places.
The so-called selection of saints eventually evolved into a contest between other sects of Saint Hill and the three major sects of Saint Hill. The outcome was basically predictable, but there was another reason why so many people would gather for each selection.
When the Sage's Mansion arrived, the three major sects were the first to enter. After they left, the Sage's Mansion would stay at Sage Hill for a period of time, which would vary in length. At this moment, the greatest test would be the cultivators' decisiveness and luck!
During this period, the Sage's Palace is open to anyone. As long as you're not afraid that the Sage's Palace will disappear at any time, you can take a gamble!
Therefore, although so many cultivators have gathered in Saint Valley at this moment, the vast majority of them do not have much hope of challenging the three major sects. They are just hoping to get a share of the spoils at the last moment.
Of course, the reason why this selection is so attractive is not just because of the gambling mentality, but more because of the covetousness of the saint's mantle. It is said that this is the greatest treasure of the saint's mansion. Any cultivator who obtains the saint's mantle can ascend on the spot, cross the Bone-Body Mountain above his head, and directly step into the terrifying and longed-for Shura Ridge!
At the same time, they will inherit the mantle of the sage, gain the legendary cultivation and techniques of the sage, and their strength will increase dramatically!
After all, he was a divine figure who once founded Sage Hill. Even if one could only obtain a tiny bit of his legacy, let alone a 100% inheritance, it would be equivalent to a lifetime of arduous cultivation. Moreover, the Sage's Mansion is full of rare treasures and supernatural powers. If one could obtain his mantle, those things would naturally be no problem. The speed of becoming rich on the spot is a temptation that no cultivator could resist!
Ling Quan and Qing Dai exchanged a glance. They saw a commotion below, with many cultivators blushing and seemingly already in fourth place. Clearly, his final change had been very popular. Previously, they only received scraps from the three major sects, but this time was different; they actually had a chance to get something hot. No one could remain calm about that…
"The bait has been cast; now all we need to do is patiently wait for the fish to bite!"
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