Chapter 271: The Tempest of Talent and Fate

A torrential spring shower howled down from the heavens.

A bitter northern current swept over the mountains, plunging the world into a cold spring chill worthy of the harshest of winters.

Beneath the White Jade Archway and the Qiankun Plaque.

A heavy silence reigned—the oppressive atmosphere even carried a deadly intent. The spring rain fell like a barrage of arrows laced with an eerie murderous threat.

Elder after elder of the Qianyuan Divine Sect sat solemnly in the Grand Master’s chairs, their eyes lowered in quiet appraisal.

Every prodigy vying for the Sect Master’s personal assessment had once attempted to enter the Tiny Cosmic Niche. When no one else could, Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, draped in a simple robe, spoke in a deep, commanding tone to bar any further entry.

Many of the prodigies who hadn’t entered the niche let out frustrated cries.

Soaking wet and full of indignation, they clenched their fists in helpless resignation.

Unable to even breach the entrance, their innate talent proved utterly insufficient—they were simply too weak.

The opportunity lay right before them, yet they couldn’t even muster the ability to reach out and grasp it.

Who could blame them?

After all, the Sect Master’s personal assessment only favored those with exceptional talent.

The prodigies lingering by the White Jade Archway sank into sorrow and defeat until they suddenly sensed a chilling and lethal aura.

After a shudder of cold, they felt a weight on their shoulders as one by one the elders of the Qianyuan Divine Sect fixed them with steely, cold glares.

Their hairs stood on end; unwilling to linger, they quickly left the archway, crossed the Grand Plaza, and returned to their respective camps.

In truth, the elders’ ire wasn’t directed at the prodigies but at the two dark-robed guards assigned to escort Jin Taisui, the prodigy with the bloodline of the Great Witch God from the Da Li Wangting.

These were warriors of the Da Li Wangting.

“Da Li Wangting—quite brazen indeed, daring to let a descendant of the Great Witch God step into the Great Realm. Aren’t they afraid of being trapped here forever?”

A resounding slap echoed as Elder Fang Hanshu struck the armrest of his chair, instantly evaporating the droplets clinging to it.

His gaze locked onto the two Da Li strongmen in dark robes.

The oppressive might exclusive to cultivators of the Divine Infant realm pounded down like a collapsing mountain.

Meanwhile…

Second Elder Zhao Fangzhou and the Martial Saint expert, Third Elder Ding Zi, also a Divine Infant, released their potent auras simultaneously.

The battle-readiness of the Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Martial Saint-level Divine Infant roared in defiant brilliance.

In an instant, countless spring raindrops were completely evaporated.

Howling winds surged, and turbulent air currents took flight!

Before the White Jade Archway, the atmosphere underwent a dramatic, cataclysmic shift!

Elders from Shendiao Ridge also burst forth with their auras one after another.

Li Che scanned his surroundings, and after a moment’s thought, he unleashed his hard-won Divine Vision aura.

His faint Divine Vision, stark against the overwhelming auras of so many formidable elders, seemed oddly out of place.

It was like spotting a husky amidst a pack of wolves.

Many couldn’t help but cast puzzled glances his way.

But Li Che’s expression remained unchanged; his dark robe billowed, his raven hair whipping about as he maintained the dignified mien of an elder.

The two Da Li Wangting strongmen let out low, amused laughter.

“We’ve gained access to the Great Realm with clearance documents. And now that Da Li Wangting and the Great Realm have been at truce for ten years, if you provoke a war and bring suffering to the border people—”

“Then by all means, attack!”

One of the Da Li strongmen smirked coolly.

“Master Taibai, ranked fifth among the Gods of the World, is known for his indiscriminate teaching. Even our unruly Prince Chikuang of the Da Li royal blood can become his disciple. Why shouldn’t descendants of the Great Witch God be allowed the same chance?”

As his cloak flared open, the figures hidden in the dark robes were revealed.

They were two very elderly figures with white beards, their faces decorated with intricate paint and markings.

Lü Taibai’s silvery hair fell in distinct, smooth strands swaying like a gentle spring breeze.

“A Divine Infant from Witch God Mountain?”

“Bold indeed—no matter. Once we return, I’ll have a word with your Great Witch. I, Lü, shall pay him a visit in due time,” Lü Taibai replied coolly.

The two elderly cultivators from Witch God Mountain respectfully formed the Witch God salute.

Devotees from Witch God Mountain revered strength, and Lü Taibai’s prowess had long earned their admiration.

Lü Taibai raised his hand lightly to signal calm.

Only then did Elder Fang Hanshu, Zhao Fangzhou, and the others subdue their auras.

Likewise, Gongshu Jingjun and Tang Xiejia from Shendiao Ridge reined in their formidable auras.

Even Li Che’s husky aura among the pack of wolves softened, and his expression turned gentle.

The spring breeze stirred effortlessly, unruffled and composed.

Despite the odd looks and even faint chuckles directed his way, he remained calm and collected.

Part of his mind observed with a gentle smile as he watched XiXi’s situation unfold.

But when his kind gaze shifted to the two Witch God Mountain cultivators, a barely noticeable chill crept in—after all…

Inside the Tiny Cosmic Niche, the descendant of the Witch God, Jin Taisui, had just cursed XiXi as trash, even launching a devious move,

attempting to undermine XiXi’s budding talent.

Though no fatal blow was struck, it was clear his aim was to disrupt her innate potential.

How dare they bully XiXi!

A cold determination surged in Li Che’s eyes.

On the Grand Plaza before the Mountain Gate of the Divine Sect, the murmur of discontent began to swell.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the portal of the Tiny Cosmic Niche, yet its inner workings remained utterly inscrutable.

Lü Taibai rose, his white gauze robe fluttering with the spring breeze, and approached the entrance of the tiny space.

His elongated eyes swept indifferently over the curious onlookers.

“To ensure fair recruitment for my disciples, let me show you the details of this talent trial.”

Lü Taibai calmly announced.

Then, placing one hand behind his back and raising the other, he flicked his finger; in an instant, surging sword light blasted against the entrance.

The portal of the Tiny Cosmic Niche was instantly engulfed by a cascade of silvery sword light.

Gradually, the inner scene of the niche began to reveal itself.

Everyone’s gaze turned rigid.

Parents in nearby carriages scrambled out, clutching oil-paper umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain, craning their necks through the blurred downpour to catch a glimpse of the unfolding scene in the silver light.

A white staircase twisted like a dragon’s spine, shrouded in swirling mists that exuded an ethereal mystique.

At the peak of the staircase stood an otherworldly Taoist statue—the ancestral figure of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

On the jade steps resembling a dragon’s backbone, tiny figures struggled upward.

The revolving sword aura acted like a zooming camera, clarifying the scene on the White Jade Stairway.

At the top of the staircase, the leading climber had already ascended more than half the steps.

Everyone could now see the climbing order clearly on the White Jade Stairway.

For a moment, gasps of surprise erupted across the Grand Plaza.

“First place belongs to Gongshu Wéntian! Truly, a genius from the venerable Gongshu family!

“Second is Xuan Yue?! This little girl is incredible! I thought Gu He had entered before her?

“Who’s third? It’s a bit hazy—I can’t quite make it out—”

“And who is this young girl?! She doesn’t look like Ning Caihe of the Seven Treasure Divine Sect!”

“Yun’e of the Yun Family! The prodigy from the Yun Family! My word, she even outclasses Gu He, Lü Qingxuan, Ning Caihe, and Yang Yi?”

The rankings defied everyone’s expectations.

While Gongshu Wéntian in first was unsurprising, both Xuan Yue in second and Yun’e in third were startling!

As the ranking continued, next came Gu He, Lü Qingxuan, Zhou Peng, Ning Caihe, Yang Yi, Tie Shancai, Lu Chi, and Yue Linghu—

This ranking left many exchanging astonished looks between the Zhou and Yun families. The top-tier houses of Qianyuan Daocheng were clearly envious!

Who would have thought Zhou Peng could surpass Ning Caihe and Yang Yi, leaving Tie Shancai from Divine Capital and little Prince Lu Chi far behind?

It was truly unexpected.

“And what about Li Nuǎnxi, Elder Li’s daughter—the first to enter the Tiny Cosmic Niche?”

“Right, why isn’t she anywhere in sight?”

“What else could it be? She must have been pushed back due to inadequate talent. Even the Sect Master’s sword aura couldn’t be caught on camera—she was simply too low in the order.”

“And what of the young Dragon Maiden from the Princess’s clan of the Dragon God, who too has vanished? It shows she climbed too low—her talent was too weak.”

The comments rang out incessantly, with onlookers even lacing their tones with schadenfreude.

“After all, Li Nuǎnxi is Elder Li’s daughter—though considered a prodigy at Jingguang Prefecture, she still pales in comparison to the true prodigies of Daocheng, Divine Capital, and the Divine Sect.”

“As for Gongshu Wéntian, rumor has it that his purple aura nearly touches the heavens—just a whisker away from the ultimate talent of Tongtian Purple Qi.”

“How can anyone compete?”

Their voices drowned out the sound of the spring rain.

Zhang Ya, seated in a carriage, looked thoroughly displeased.

Opposite her, Granny Mu and Shangguan Qinghong offered a few words of comfort.

“Zhang Yi, don’t mind what they say. XiXi’s ability to breach the niche entrance already surpasses many prodigies!”

Shangguan Qinghong, clenching her fist in anger, spoke up.

Zhang Ya pursed her lips and shook her head, her eyes dim: “My husband’s talent is unquestionable, and XiXi surely has inherited it—”

“But I am her mother, just an ordinary woman—” My talent is painfully average.

Surely I’d only hold XiXi back.

Zhang Ya folded her hands on her lap, biting her lip in self-reproach.

Aware that talent is deeply linked to bloodline and knowing Li Che’s bloodline was impeccable, she silently acknowledged that the flaw lay with her.

Oh, dear XiXi, it’s your old mother who’s jeopardizing your path to greatness.

Suddenly, another cry of astonishment rang out across the Grand Plaza.

“Who’s that?”

“It’s that Da Li spawn who just entered!”

“A prodigy from Da Li? How did he get here so fast?!”

“Looks like he’s about to catch up with Xuan Yue!”

“Damn, he’s so devious! He must be using dirty tricks!”

The shouts exploded like firecrackers across the Grand Plaza.

Zhang Ya, too, cast aside her self-reproach and peered through the rain towards the scene displayed in the interlaced sword light inside the niche.

On the Grand Plaza,

two strong Da Li warriors from Witch God Mountain, cloaked in dark robes, exchanged knowing smiles as they listened to the gasps of the Great Realm’s people.

And this was only the beginning!

Watching the furious Jin Taisui rampage on the White Jade Stairway,

their eyes gleamed with excitement.

In Great Realm territory, suppressing many of its inhabitants—and even having the Sect Master personally recognize Jin Taisui as his protégé and heir—the scene was simply too fascinating.

As tensions between the Great Realm and Da Li border escalated, on the verge of full-blown war,

if Jin Taisui succeeded, it would be tantamount to a resounding victory!

Suddenly,

a hint of worry crossed the faces of the two as they noticed Jin Taisui stumble.

Then, a small figure with bent arms, a protruding belly, and short legs—like a bouncing cannonball—charged after him with even greater ferocity!

Before long—

he had caught up with Jin Taisui.

And then—

in front of everyone’s eyes,

the little fellow pulled out a pink mechanical contraption with six rotating metal tubes.

Furious, he aimed the six metal tubes at Jin Taisui.

Inside the Tiny Cosmic Niche,

on the White Jade Stairway amid swirling mists,

the entire staircase began to quake violently, as if a giant beast were stomping on it, bending its dragon-like spine and shaking it!

That once peaceful, cloud-wreathed scene instantly exploded into a dense, raging vortex.

Little Ao Qingqing trembled as she looked at the diminutive Li Nuǎnxi like a tiny bean.

Her hair whipped wildly, the chubby flesh on her cheeks quivering uncontrollably, as if a blazing furnace roared within her.

XiXi took a step, and the staircase shuddered.

It was as if a cascading purple waterfall of divine essence roared and surged downward!

Ao Qingqing’s face turned to sheer terror—could it be her eyes were deceiving her?

Was that a divine pillar of essence a mortal could ever possess?

No,

this was beyond any mortal concept of a divine pillar!

Even a prodigy of Tongtian Purple Qi could never achieve such an outrageous display!

She looked at the purple pillar of divine essence streaming from her brow, feeling utterly devastated.

How could she possibly overcome such a monster?

Little sister…

Ao Qingqing thought she could never measure up.

BOOM!!!

Then, Ao Qingqing discovered that Li Nuǎnxi had vanished!

That heavy step had unleashed a tremendous force, uprooting the cascading purple divine waterfall and rocketing forward like a cannonball!

Ao Qingqing felt the crushing pressure from the White Jade Stairway—a force that seemed to consume twice as much divine essence as her own.

In a fleeting moment of distraction, when she looked up again,

XiXi was already nowhere to be seen.

A gentle breeze stirred as Ao Qingqing reached the eleventh step of the White Jade Stairway—

it seemed—

the view was rather pleasant here.

But XiXi paid her no mind, her heart aflame with anger!

After all, she felt that she was about to earn the Ancestral Patriarch’s favor!

Yet, that purple-haired youth’s flaming slap had ruined it, forcing her to awaken prematurely!

XiXi was furious—ambushed and rudely awakened!

Her morning mood was nothing short of explosive!

“Heyya—!”

XiXi stepped off the White Jade Stairway, which trembled once again as she was propelled upward like a bolt of blood-red lightning across hundreds of steps.

Yue Linghu’s forehead broke into a cold sweat. What in the world was that streak of red lightning?

Earlier, the purple-haired youth had leaped ahead, spanning over a dozen steps with ease on the awe-inspiring White Jade Stairway.

Now, another streak of red lightning had appeared—

“That is—”

“Is that the little bean?!”

Yue Linghu recognized her immediately, inhaling deeply.

Wasn’t that little girl stuck on the tenth step?

What made her suddenly go berserk?

Was she not afraid that the power of the White Jade Stairway might dissolve her purple pillar of divine essence?

A trace of nervousness crept into Yue Linghu’s expression as he fumbled for a pill, swallowing it hastily. His talent surged, and he quickly pulled out a Divine Talisman—Xuan Huang Talisman Paper ignited—to infuse his body with its invisible rune power.

His talent spiked once again!

Every possible method to enhance his gift was activated!

BOOM!!!

Yue Linghu could only feel his purple pillar of divine essence grow by thirty percent!

But that was all.

It only slightly eased his climb on the White Jade Stairway.

To truly dash upward in a flash—

the rate at which his purple pillar might dissolve could well exceed what he could endure.

He simply wouldn’t be able to keep up!

Yue Linghu sighed in resigned satisfaction.

XiXi was overtaking prodigy after prodigy like a compressed spring launching upward, stunning every climber.

Lu Chi, watching how XiXi zoomed past him without pause, slowly exhaled and retrieved a Third Prince Divine Wooden Sculpture from his bosom.

It was what he had acquired upon returning to Divine Capital—a treasure carved by a famed Divine Eagle artisan.

“XiXi, I will catch up to you,” he vowed as he firmly pressed the Third Prince Divine Wooden Sculpture against the intricate Corpse Lotus divine pattern on his brow.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Chi felt as if he had returned to Feilei City, right outside the Xu Family residence, using the Third Prince Wooden Sculpture to ignite his divine essence and shield XiXi’s family.

It was a feeling filled with intense nostalgia.

His lips twitched, and he couldn’t help but let a slight smile break through.

In the next moment,

the Third Prince Divine Wooden Sculpture erupted with an overwhelming infusion of divine essence, reminiscent of the madness of the Temple Spirit.

That wild divine power surged into Lu Chi’s Corpse Lotus pattern.

Lu Chi’s aura soared as he began dashing after XiXi.

Meanwhile, Yang Yi, Ning Cai, and Zhou Peng, who had hoped to muster the courage to chase after the exuberant Da Li Jin Taisui, found their spirits quickly shattered by a flash of blood.

The steamed bun Zhou Peng had been munching on fell from his lips onto the steps.

“Is that—XiXi?”

XiXi paid no heed to those around her.

She charged ahead, activating the three Mythic Weapons within her body and shattering the White Chess Piece given by her father.

With each shattered chess piece, she felt as though celestial assistance complemented her—a sensation eerily similar to that mystical feeling during her assessment in the Divine Talisman Pavilion against the Sect Master’s wife and master!

Dragon Elephant roars, immaculate divine essence, dazzling Xiangong, and ink-like talismans—

each corresponding respectively to the martial, divine, Divine Eagle, and Divine Talisman aspects—coupled with the three Mythic Weapons in her body, perfectly compensated for her lack in the divine pill domain.

Only her talent in divine pills remained to be addressed, and just as XiXi conceived a plan to remedy it,

she was abruptly cut off!

The hexagonal warrior known as XiXi the Great—

failed to fully materialize!

XiXi was beside herself with rage.

After shattering the White Chess Piece given by her father, just as a divine inspiration to fix her divine pill talent arose, it was snatched away!

How could the girl who adored little snacks possibly endure such injustice?!

“Ah, yikes!”

XiXi roared as her molten flesh ignited, while the Dragon Elephant resounded!

Her speed escalated relentlessly!

At her current pace, her purple divine waterfall could effortlessly counterbalance the energy drained by the White Jade Stairway.

At last,

XiXi caught sight of the purple-haired, wind-swept Jin Taisui with a purple bell swinging from his neck!

Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of that purple-haired youth—it instantly reminded her of those once-undigested snacks!

The more she thought of it, the angrier she became!

With a clenched fist, she seized the Pink Xiangong Bloodfire Bodhi Gatling.

A flurry of Spirit Wood Muduya squawked chaotically, hovering around her like a ring of stars before springing into frenzied motion to reload automatically!

She stamped her foot forcefully.

In an instant, XiXi closed the gap and appeared right before the purple-haired Jin Taisui.

All he felt was a wild gust of wind accompanied by searing, surging blood energy.

He turned and saw—like a wild, bristling lion—a small young girl.

How was she here?

Hadn’t he just struck her down on the White Jade Stairway with the flame from his Purple Gold Bell?

Jin Taisui’s eyes narrowed, and in a brief moment of satisfaction,

the six tubes, coated in pink metal, suddenly slammed into his face.

A spine-tingling terror swept over him—a sensation as if he were staring death in the face.

This contraption…

might well kill him!

“A mechanism?”

“Little girl, what do you plan to do? Are you trying to injure me? This is during the assessment—”

Before Jin Taisui could finish his sentence,

XiXi, bursting with fury and in a shrill childish tone, retorted, “You started it!”

“You’re in big trouble now, you know?”

“Traitor! Kneel down!”

XiXi, unable to tolerate even the slightest slight, was determined to repay every ounce of injustice as her father and Master Niu Niu had taught her.

Any wrong committed against her must be reciprocated immediately!

And if not right away, then she’d build up her strength to strike back in secret!

In the next moment, XiXi furiously triggered the mechanism’s trigger.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! A terrifying cacophony erupted, instantly blinding Jin Taisui with its intensity!

Six metal tubes belched scorching tongues of flame as they spun rapidly, their searing heat interweaving and spreading wildly!

The powerful recoil made XiXi’s chubby frame tremble, with her protruding belly quivering at an astonishing rate.

Jin Taisui’s hairs stood on end!

This crazy little girl!

He frantically tapped the Purple Gold Bell twice; two explosive chimes resounded as a circumferential purple shield enveloped him.

The Muduya ejected at high speed from the barrel smashed violently against his protective shield, erupting in shower of sparks and searing flames as a massive shockwave pummeled him!

At eight hundred rotations per second!

The deafening explosion, immense impact, and roaring shockwave slammed into Jin Taisui’s shield, causing his eyes to crinkle in pain.

What kind of contraption was this?!

Had that cannonball hit him directly, with his perfected mastery, he’d have been obliterated to nothing but dust!

BOOM!!!

Blazing flames surged upward as billowing black smoke spread!

No one dared act during the talent trial—after all, they needed to leave a good impression on the great Sect Master.

Yet, XiXi seemed completely indifferent…

Up on the White Jade Stairway,

the once-boisterous prodigies fell silent.

Not far off, Xuan Yue’s eyes began to shine with adoration—like a fan dazzled by her idol!

Could this be the little disciple of our revered Grandmother?

So formidable!

Gongshu Wéntian, sensing something, drew a deep breath and then spun around, hastening his pace to scale the top of the White Jade Stairway!

Amid the bursting fireworks, Jin Taisui’s Purple Gold Bell and his five sacred weapons proved exceptionally resilient.

Inside his protective shield, Jin Taisui remained unscathed—even as the tremendous impact hurled him down thousands of steps on the White Jade Stairway.

Like a ball, he tumbled downward.

As he fell, his purple pillar of divine essence was rapidly eroded by the force of the White Jade Stairway. Panic surged in him—no matter how strong, his pillar wasn’t invincible!

XiXi hefted the Pink Xiangong Bloodfire Bodhi Gatling; its six metal tubes radiated blistering heat.

Massaging her trembling, slightly numb belly, XiXi exhaled deeply.

Her little nose wrinkled in defiance: “Hmph!”

Gazing at Jin Taisui, who had been blasted back down thousands of steps,

XiXi lifted her chin triumphantly. Clutching the Xiangong Gatling, she kicked forcefully,

sending the entire White Jade Stairway into violent tremors.

XiXi, like a cannonball, rocketed upward.

“She’s caught up!”

“She’s here!”

Gongshu Wéntian advanced, his eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the peak of the White Jade Stairway.

He could see the ancestral Taoist statue of the Sect’s founder—the Divine Eagle.

He was determined to be the first prodigy to reach the summit!

Throughout his life, he had always been first in everything!

This time, he vowed, he would also be the first!

He could not afford to lose!

He had to be the first to reach the pinnacle!

Suddenly, Gongshu Wéntian’s expression froze. With only a hundred steps remaining to the Divine Eagle,

his purple pillar of divine essence suddenly gave out.

He had exhausted every means to amplify his talent.

But it was no use—his gift seemed to have been spent here.

Desperately, he glanced toward the Divine Eagle.

The Divine Eagle kept its eyes shut, showing no sign of awakening.

“Open your eyes!”

Gongshu Wéntian panted heavily, sweat streaming down his face!

Then,

XiXi, wielding the Xiangong Gatling, surged forward with barely a moment’s hesitation, overtaking him.

Even as his once-proud purple pillar of divine essence faltered, it did nothing to slow XiXi down.

Was the gap this wide…?

Gongshu Wéntian, though pleased, saw that the once-healing glass-like divine core now bore countless cracks.

“Heyya!”

XiXi was beside him, vaulting the final hundred steps as if performing a long jump.

She landed atop the White Jade Stairway’s summit, right before the Divine Eagle statue.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

On the White Jade Stairway,

Ao Qingqing trembled, Da Li Jin Taisui frantically scrambled back, Lu Chi—almost a living embodiment of the Third Prince—appeared, Yun’e, as serene as if carried by the wind, and Gongshu Wéntian, his divine core shattered,

all were frozen in place.

Except for XiXi, who stood before the ancestral statue.

XiXi set aside the Xiangong Gatling.

With her chubby face tilted upward, she stared at the constantly trembling Divine Eagle.

Then, with eager anticipation, she carefully crushed the white chess piece Li Che had left for her.

Her father had said that within this chess piece lay a little snack prepared by the Boss.

As soon as she shattered the white piece,

a cracked, brown Tea Egg materialized in her hand.

Its rich aroma was so enticing that XiXi couldn’t help but drool.

There, in front of the ancestral Divine Eagle,

XiXi squatted on the ground and began earnestly peeling the tea egg.

As the broken egg shells fell onto the White Jade Stairway, they dispersed like tiny specks of dust around the Divine Eagle.