Chapter 122: The Awakening of a True Prodigy

Li Qingshan nearly laughed out loud; he could already sense Zhu Hongdou’s fervor and longing.

It was rare for this woman to show such zeal—her admiration for XiXi and her desire to take her on as a true disciple and pass on her legacy were written all over her face.

“Go speak with XiXi’s father,” she ordered.

Zhu Hongdou crossed her arms, accentuating the impressive curve of her chest, while tilting her head away so as not to spare Li Qingshan a glance.

She seemed to already guess the mocking smile playing on his face.

Not to mention why Li Qingshan dared to jest at her. Although she was a Divine Appearance cultivator, she and Li Qingshan shared a warm rapport—even back when she was merely an Illusory Appearance cultivator and they’d teamed up on missions.

Now that Li Qingshan was on the verge of achieving Divine Appearance—a level that erased hierarchical restraints—their relationship was refreshingly unguarded.

“Elder Zhu, are you asking for a favor?”

“Is that really the proper way to request help?”

Li Qingshan beamed, his weathered face breaking into a radiant, chrysanthemum-like smile.

Zhu Hongdou snapped, “Will you say it or not?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. But… a three-year-old who has mastered Bone Tempering and even reached a breakthrough? A girl with such talent is in extremely high demand.”

“Look at Zhang Qingzheng—his face may seem as bitter as wormwood, yet his smile outshines a chrysanthemum. It’s just that his sour expression undermines it.”

Li Qingshan frowned and added, somewhat reluctantly.

Zhu Hongdou’s eyes narrowed, and she instantly grew tense.

“Not to mention Zhang Qingzheng—look at Elder Xu Jiuying and Weng Wuyu; aren’t their eyes ablaze with determination?”

Li Qingshan replied casually.

He knew that XiXi could never enter his sect; with such talent, she was destined for a true disciple status among the elders. After all, he hadn’t yet broken through to Divine Appearance and was not an elder of the Divine Sect.

Yet watching the elders’ desperate, almost covetous stares, he couldn’t help but find the spectacle amusing.

Growing visibly anxious, Zhu Hongdou’s dark brows furrowed as she glared at Li Qingshan. “My Hongyun Peak is perfect for XiXi. Go talk with her parents, and once you break through Divine Appearance, I’ll safeguard your path!”

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes and replied, “Hey, it’s a deal.”

That certainly offered Zhu Hongdou an easy out.

Even though he was set to break through Divine Appearance, many would surely oppose his success and might try to obstruct him.

But since he was to break through at Zheng Lei Peak, right beside the Golden Light Peak of the Divine Sect Mountain Gate, no one would dare act openly.

Moreover, with Sect Leader Nan Lihuo personally overseeing his breakthrough, Li Qingshan didn’t mind having an extra Divine Appearance expert on his side.

Upon hearing his promise, Zhu Hongdou proudly lifted her head. In a flowing red dress that burst forth like blooming flowers, she returned to the Grand Master’s Chair and sat down.

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo shot them a glance; he was well aware of their little maneuvers. A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

……

……

A gentle, hazy drizzle fell as the spring showers began.

The lingering chill of late spring was especially noticeable at the mountain’s base.

Many had even donned extra layers, shivering from the cold.

XiXi nestled beside Zhang Ya, who affectionately patted her head while asking what she wanted for dinner.

XiXi, tilting her head, continuously rattled off menu choices.

Nearby, Li Che watched his wife and daughter with gentle warmth; everything was peaceful, stable, and blissfully happy.

On the high platform.

The other bouts on the arena were drawing to a close as the first round of contests officially ended.

Zhang Qingzheng, his scholarly robe billowing as if hiding a breeze in its sleeves, stood tall on the platform.

“The final champions of the five arenas have been decided—Hai Chaosheng, Qin Fenghuo, Gong Yuanliang, Jin Ao, and Li Nuǎnxi. All received top scores in the first round!”

“They are eligible as reserve True Disciples.”

“After a 15-minute break, the second phase will commence. Using the complete Divination Array, we will observe the True Transmission’s divine aura. Scores are based on the height of the purple column—over fifty feet earns top marks.”

Zhang Qingzheng’s calm voice resonated throughout the arena, penetrating every ear.

The Divine Sect’s Divination of Essence is a unique Divine Secret Technique—one of Qianyuan Divine Sect’s closely held mysteries—not only for gauging divine potential but with many other uses.

When configured into the Divination Array, it proved far more precise than Li Qingshan’s solo assessments.

After speaking, Zhang Qingzheng lightly tapped his toes as he gracefully returned to the platform, settling firmly into the Grand Master’s Chair with a persistently sour expression.

With the end of the first phase, the area buzzed with activity and murmurs.

Many began conversing openly.

This was merely the true transmission assessment for the top-tier prodigies; later, evaluations would be held for lower-tier prodigies, eventually determining the inner and outer disciple quotas.

Yet this test was far less intricate than the true transmission exam.

For any sect, the status of a True Disciple was paramount—it ensured full access to the sect’s resources and formed the future backbone.

Naturally, the evaluation was extremely rigorous.

The Divine Sect’s test was known for its fairness—assessing both combat ability and divine talent. Even prodigies from outside the Capital’s Five Major Families or prominent factions had their chances to shine!

Below.

Li Che gently took XiXi from Zhang Ya’s arms. The little girl, still preoccupied with unspoken food choices, wore a pained frown.

Li Che couldn’t help but smile at the greedy little munchkin as he raised his hand, using his Pure Heart divine essence to gently groom her.

The first phase was combat, the second evaluation, and the third… could it be Temple Spirit Resonance?

Li Che turned to his side, asking Lu Chi, “Xiao Chi, let me ask— is the third phase of the Divine Sect’s True Transmission assessment Temple Spirit Resonance?”

Lu Chi chuckled and shook his head. “Not exactly. Temple Spirit Resonance requires a specific time window. With the divine weapon 【Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel】, you temporarily breach the barrier and create a direct path stretching a hundred Zhang in front of the Bizarre Temple…”

“The exact timing… depends on the situation at the Bizarre Temple.”

At those words, Li Che was momentarily stunned.

“So, ‘Temple Spirit Resonance’… isn’t it scheduled for today?”

Lu Chi tilted his head. “Probably not. When I first joined the sect, our Temple Spirit Resonance was delayed by about six months.”

“Six months?” Li Che inhaled deeply. “Is it really delayed that long?”

Before Lu Chi could answer, Shangguan Qinghong, approaching from afar, chimed in.

“Actually, it’s not all that long. Many Divine Sects conduct Temple Spirit Resonance; some might even plan delays stretching for years.”

Shangguan Qinghong elbowed Lu Chi aside as she plopped into a chair, producing a large handful of preserved fruit and stuffing it into XiXi’s hands.

“Sister Qinghong!”

XiXi was overjoyed.

“Thanks for giving your sister a chance, XiXi!” Shangguan Qinghong beamed, her eyes curving into a cheerful crescent.

Although Shangguan Qinglei was her own younger brother, she felt no special affection for him; in fact, seeing XiXi knock him around brought her an odd sort of delight.

“But…”

Shangguan Qinghong turned her gaze to Li Che, her expression growing somber.

“My jerk of a father—I know all too well how petty he is and how fiercely he dotes on Shangguan Qinglei. If XiXi hurts his precious son, he’ll never let it go.”

“He might secretly look for a chance to get his retribution.”

Shangguan Qinghong admonished Li Che.

“XiXi is guaranteed a place among the True Disciples—he won’t dare touch her—but you and Sister Ya must be extra careful.”

Li Che squinted and nodded in agreement.

“Shangguan Zhengheng…”

“Is he really that petty?”

“Or is his pettiness as notorious as Ogre’s?”

……

Time passed quickly—a mere fifteen minutes flew by.

After the break,

the black gong was struck once more by Zhu Hongdou from afar, its reverberations shattering the spring rain and the murmurs of the crowd.

The arena fell silent as Zhang Qingzheng gracefully reascended the wooden platform, standing with his hands behind his back, his face as grim as a withered lotus and his dead-eyed gaze scanning the crowd before he calmly ordered, “All top-tier and superior prodigies, step forward.”

Within the Capital’s thirteen cities, there were only three top-tier prodigies, while the number of superior prodigies exceeded fifty—and many more belonged to the average and lower tiers.

Only the top-tier and superior prodigies were eligible to take the stage.

“Dad, Mom, Grandpa Chen, Granny Mu, Sister Qinghong, XiXi’s up!”

With a preserved fruit stuffed in her mouth courtesy of Shangguan Qinghong, XiXi placed her hands on her hips, chin jutting out as she laughed.

Then, strutting confidently, she made her way alone toward the arena.

The other prodigies dared not get too close to her.

After all, everyone had witnessed the ruthless scene of XiXi nearly blowing Shangguan Qinglei to bits with a mechanism—it was downright terrifying. At that moment, seeing the three-year-old was as if they were facing a demon.

Yet XiXi paid it no mind; after climbing onto the platform, she stood alongside the top-tier prodigies.

“XiXi, come this way.”

Gong Yuanliang waved at her.

XiXi looked at him in confusion, “My aunt is the Junior Monitor of the Imperial Watch, and your father is too—we’re on the same side!”

Gong Yuanliang beamed a radiant smile.

Realizing this, XiXi happily skipped over to him.

“And me too! My grandpa is Gongyang Liancheng, also a Junior Monitor of the Imperial Watch! We’re in the same crew!”

The five-year-old Gongyang Xiu, just a bit older than XiXi, joined in.

With her eyes lighting up, XiXi nodded thoughtfully, pulling a handful of sunflower seeds from her bosom and giving three to each of Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang.

Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang stared silently at the three seeds in their palms.

Not far away, Hai Chaosheng—the prodigy of the Hai Family—folded his arms, his expression icy and forbidding.

He, too, had ties with the Imperial Watch; one of his cousins served as a guest official there. But did he really need to cozy up?

He disdainfully refrained.

Hai Chaosheng, cherished like a delicate treasure by the Hai Family Patriarch, stood out as a one-of-a-kind genius among the top prodigies.

Having been pummeled by XiXi earlier, Shangguan Qinglei still bore wounds. Now, standing alongside Qin Fenghuo, he hung back from XiXi, his fear lingering.

On the tiny platform, a myriad of expressions converged.

Below, nearly a hundred superior prodigies gathered from the Capital and its thirteen cities, lined up neatly.

“Silence!”

Zhang Qingzheng, his scholarly robe billowing, coldly commanded.

His stern, bitter expression was more intimidating than even Lei Gong’s; all the children fell silent, their eyes fixed on him in awe.

“Testing begins. No one is allowed to use their divine essence. Anyone who does will have their slot disqualified!”

Zhang Qingzheng scanned the room solemnly.

All the prodigies nodded in unison.

On the platform.

Li Qingshan suddenly sat up straight, squinting his eyes.

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo, his expression warm, glanced at the three elders—Zhu Hongdou, Elder Xu Jiuying, and Weng Wuyu—and nodded.

In the next moment, the three elders rose and pressed a mud pellet to their foreheads, unleashing bursts of divine aura.

In an instant, the entire area beneath the Divine Sect Mountain Gate was enveloped in a peculiar qi, as if a series of divine aura columns were rising to form a vast, mushroom-like canopy.

This canopy, towering a hundred feet high, appeared semi-transparent and weightless yet tangible, shielding the space from the cascading spring rain.

Amazed, XiXi looked up at the mushroom-like divine canopy and gasped, “Wow!”

“This is the Divine Sect’s Divination Array—a formation only an array master can set up…very impressive.”

Noticing XiXi’s astonishment, Gong Yuanliang quickly explained.

“I know—my grandpa is an extraordinary array master!”

Gong Yuanliang shot Gongyang Xiu a glance, “My aunt is even more formidable!”

“My grandpa is the best!”

“No, my aunt takes the cake!”

“My grandpa can soar into the clouds and traverse the earth!”

“My aunt can eat…”

Quickly, XiXi intervened to stop the bickering and, with a touch of sympathy, pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds, giving three to each of Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu.

“Stop arguing—have some seeds to cool off, or else the judge will give you a sour look!” she declared.

Recalling Zhang Qingzheng’s grumpy expression, both Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu fell silent and began munching on the seeds.

Below on the platform.

Li Che watched silently as Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu gathered around XiXi, his eyes squinting thoughtfully.

It was as if he saw their jet-black hair gradually turning gray.

“Are they the juniors of Junior Monitor Gongyang and of Junior Monitor Gong?”

Li Che exhaled.

Deciding not to dwell on it—although Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu showed signs of premature graying, it was still acceptable.

Li Che had business to attend to; he raised his head and fixed his gaze on the expanding, mushroom-like divine canopy.

“Divine Array…”

A formation built upon the Divination Technique…

One that only an array master can establish.

Much like master woodcarvers, it is a specialized craft evolved from divine essence.

It was Li Che’s first glimpse of an array master’s layout. As his eyes roamed, he saw seven charming wooden carvings of children—displaying expressions of crying, laughing, joy, and anger—arranged around the base of the Golden Light Peak at the Divine Sect Mountain Gate. These carvings served as the array’s platform.

Li Che found himself increasingly intrigued by the Divine Array, though having never studied it, he could only marvel.

Under its influence, all cultivators restrained their divine essence, careful not to unleash it and affect the assessment.

No wonder Li Qingshan had advised that it was best to probe for the Undead Curse Seal at this moment.

Even the Divine Appearance Patriarchs from the Five Major Families had their divine essence contained, unable to release it enough to be detected.

This ensured the safety of Li Che, the one conducting the examination.

After Li Qingshan asked if divine essence was needed for probing—and upon Li Che’s refusal—he set his plan in motion.

Suddenly, a tremor ran through his chest as his 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit quivered!

Li Che closed his eyes.

Instantly, the “Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal,” once suppressed at the center of the Cosmic Chessboard, began trembling violently, its dark, lifeless energy rippling outward like concentric storms.

Li Che’s eyes snapped open, as if a network of chessboard patterns crisscrossed his vision.

The stale energy from the Seal surged like a torrential river, rolling and overflowing as it burst forth in all directions.

It swept silently over every seated figure.

Unobtrusively, like a gentle spring breeze, it passed without drawing any attention.

And in Li Che’s eyes…

One by one, echoes of the Corpse Curse Seal began to dot the chessboard like morbid, hellish mandalas in bloom.

First one, then two, then three, four…

It was as if an unseen hand were placing chess pieces in midair, splattering dead energy like blossoming flowers.

Gradually…

they multiplied!

“Huh? So many?!”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed further, the intensity in them growing ever more formidable.

……

……

On the platform.

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo’s white robe billowed while his jet-black hair danced in the spring breeze. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and frowned slightly.

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, yet he found nothing amiss.

Still, he faintly felt a probing force at work.

But he couldn’t pinpoint its source!

“Is someone spying on me?”

“Who dares be so bold?”

Nan Lihuo’s brows furrowed as the divine pattern on his forehead twisted and burst forth with a radiant glow.

“Who is it?”

His gaze sharpened, and an almost terrifying surge of divine perception burst forth silently—so subtle that even the nearby Divine Appearance elders remained oblivious, and Li Qingshan remained completely unaware.

His divine perception spread in a fan shape, sweeping across to detect any trace of the probing force.

But he found nothing.

“Nothing?”

Nan Lihuo leaned back in his Grand Master’s Chair, his gaze suddenly resting on Li Qingshan’s face as he pondered.

……

……

Clad in his scholarly robe, Zhang Qingzheng stood close as the three elders activated their divine essence to trigger the Divination Array.

He stepped forward in his cloth shoes, forming a gesture— and in an instant, his eyes were enveloped in a deep, intense purple!

It was as though he were linked with the array; in a flash, his gaze swept over the hundred-plus prodigies on the platform.

“Innate divine essence, I observe you!”

“Hmph!”

“Arise!”

Zhang Qingzheng’s hair flew as his bitter, yellowish visage trembled ever so slightly; then, he pointed at the prodigies on the platform.

Boom——!

On the platform, every prodigy held their breath—a scene entirely unlike when Li Qingshan had previously gauged their divine essence.

XiXi felt as if something inside her was on the verge of bursting forth!

Drawn irresistibly by the canopy above, she couldn’t hold back!

A dense plume of purple smoke burst from her crown, snaking out like a little serpent!

Not only her—but Gong Yuanliang, Gongyang Xiu beside her, and even Hai Chaosheng, Qin Fenghuo, Huang Sixiang, Shangguan Qinglei, and others in the distance all saw purple smoke billowing from their foreheads.

This was the manifestation of their innate divine potential!

Below the platform.

In an instant, absolute silence fell, broken only by the collective, breath-held concentration of everyone present.

Even the Divine Appearance Patriarchs of the major families couldn’t help but cast their eyes in that moment.

Though talent evaluations weren’t as thrilling as combat, witnessing the prodigies’ innate abilities was profoundly moving.

After all, even the Divine Appearance Patriarchs were once prodigies whose talents had been tested…

Thus, they couldn’t help but be curious and compare.

In the parents’ area.

Zhang Ya, tense and rigid, clutched Li Che’s arm, her heavy breaths fixed on the platform where XiXi stood.

Old Chen leaned forward uncontrollably, his eyes wide as beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

His precious XiXi…what is her talent truly like?

Having watched her grow up as if she were his own granddaughter, Old Chen hoped fervently that her talent would be exceptional—which left him deeply anxious.

“Husband…”

Zhang Ya instinctively called out to the one she trusted most.

At that moment, Li Che’s dark eyes, as if navigating a chessboard of thoughts, fixed on the platform while scanning every direction with grave concern.

That somber look was as if he were worried about his daughter’s divine potential.

It was the natural concern of any parent.

Yet, when it came to XiXi’s innate divine essence, Li Che had no worries.

Every day, he used his Pure Heart divine essence to groom and cleanse her. Compared to when Li Qingshan first assessed her, XiXi’s innate potential had even surpassed that earlier level!

However, he had no clear idea just how high it might be.

“Qinghong, who is that?”

Li Che suddenly asked the woman by his side, Shangguan Qinghong.

Taken aback, Shangguan Qinghong hadn’t expected Li Che to ask such a thing at this crucial moment in XiXi’s assessment.

Instinctively, she looked in the direction Li Che indicated.

“Elder Guanchao… Xiao Baihe—a master of Illusory Appearance!”

Obliging Li Che, Shangguan Qinghong quickly introduced, as if she’d been instructed to know everyone by heart.

“And that one?”

“That’s Elder Zhao Kuyu from Guanchao Pavilion—a master of Perfect Illusory Appearance.”

She seemed to have all the details at her fingertips, naming anyone Li Che mentioned.

Meanwhile, as the two exchanged whispered remarks,

on the platform,

all eyes were fixed on the prodigies.

As the Divination Array was activated, the divine potential of all top-tier and superior prodigies erupted.

First, the fifteen top-tier prodigies released blue smoke in a burst; after five or six breaths, the superior prodigies’ divine essence began to rise!

Their divine essence coalesced into purple smoke columns that kept rising, as if drawn by the mushroom-like canopy—resembling delicate purple bamboo shoots thrusting upward after spring rains!

However…

All eyes converged on the fifteen top-tier prodigies.

Even among the top-tier prodigies, talents varied!

Leading the charge was Hai Chaosheng!

His purple column soared rapidly, quickly surpassing ten feet!

Trailing closely were Gongyang Xiu and then Huang Sixiang…

XiXi’s face flushed as she blinked her large eyes, watching the purple column erupt from her head.

Among the fifteen top-tier prodigies, she ranked sixth—an above-average level.

Hai Chaosheng, seeing his purple column grow the fastest, flashed a proud smile. Indeed, he dominated them all!

Things like XiXi, Huang Sixiang, Gongyang Xiu…

But that was that!

After all, Hai Chaosheng was the rare genius treasured by his own Divine Appearance Patriarch, too precious to let out.

When the divine columns of the top-tier prodigies neared fifty feet, their growth began to slow.

For some, the progress stalled beneath fifty feet, barely breaking through.

Hai Chaosheng’s purple divine column surged past fifty feet like a broken bamboo shoot, continuing its ascent!

Soon after, the purple columns of Huang Sixiang, Gongyang Xiu, Gong Yuanliang, Shangguan Qinglei, and others also broke the fifty-foot threshold—earning top marks.

But the final height would depend on where they eventually stalled!

Qin Fenghuo’s purple column stabilized at fifty-nine feet.

Gong Yuanliang reached sixty-five feet, while Huang Sixiang hit sixty-nine feet.

Gongyang Xiu’s purple column halted at seventy-two feet—still some distance away from the hundred-foot canopy.

Hai Chaosheng’s divine column, however, continued to grow.

But the pride on his face slowly faded, replaced by concern.

Because not far from him, another purple column was steadily rising!

It was slow, but steady…

Hai Chaosheng turned his head, his eyes narrowing.

It was that little firecracker!

How could that be?!

XiXi’s divine column had initially risen so slowly—slower than even Gongyang Xiu or Gong Yuanliang. How could it catch up?

The other top-tier prodigies noticed this too, their eyes widening in astonishment.

The two columns soared, standing out like cranes among chickens!

They hadn’t stopped—they were still rising!

Hai Chaosheng’s divine column maintained a lead of about five feet.

Suddenly, his face froze.

His divine column had stalled…

It was stuck at ninety-one feet!

It couldn’t go any further!

He turned and fixed his gaze on XiXi, staring intently at her purple column—at that tiny, fiery little firecracker!

Slowly, slowly…

XiXi’s purple column, moving at a snail’s pace, incredulously overtook his, surpassing ninety-one feet.

“Eh?”

XiXi’s eyes lit up, and soon her face burst into a radiant smile.

She placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest and belly.

XiXi, the Grand Empress, surveys all!

Traitorous subjects, kneel!

Even Li Che, who was busy probing the Undead Curse Seal, couldn’t help but divert his gaze.

On the platform,

Zhu Hongdou had risen completely, fixated on XiXi’s purple column.

Even Sect Leader Nan Lihuo looked on in stunned silence.

It swelled, swelled, swelled…

Under everyone’s watchful gaze,

XiXi’s divine purple column slowly pressed against the hundred-foot canopy.

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo abruptly sprang to his feet.

“A hundred feet of divine essence…”

“An innate child prodigy!”

P.S.: Monday—please send your fresh recommendation votes!