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Chapter 102 Victory Grants Entry into the Sect
Although no one dared to refute them openly, many people were indignant and clenched their fists.

This was exactly the effect Chen Xuan wanted. "You don't believe me? Then come back tomorrow, and I'll give you a chance to prove yourselves."

Finally, one of the cultivators couldn't help but speak up, "May I ask, senior... how can this be proven?"

"It's very simple. Tomorrow I'll set up a challenge in front of the gate, and you can all take turns fighting her for ten rounds. If you can beat her, wouldn't that prove that you're stronger than her?"

Upon hearing that the competition would be held publicly, everyone began to whisper among themselves.

In Chang'an, where numerous sects exist, it is not uncommon for cultivators to spar with each other. Their discussion is not about one-on-one duels, but about the obviously unfair format of the gauntlet battles.

From any perspective, this rule is clearly in their favor.

Those who move in front can test the waters and wear them down.

Those who come later can wait in comfort.

“No need to wait until tomorrow, I’m willing to try now!” A man with long hair, dressed like a noble young master, stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lingdang, saying, “My name is Zhou Xubai, a disciple of the Jinglan Sect. I humbly request your guidance, young lady—”

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Chen Xuan interrupted coldly. "I said tomorrow, so it's tomorrow."

The challenger's face turned slightly pale.

"You can all leave now." He was too lazy to explain anything more to these people, and turned to wave at the equally dazed Lingdang, "Come with me."

After entering the manor building, Lingdang removed her veil and stared at Chen Xuan, scrutinizing him repeatedly. "Are you the sect leader?"

"if not?"

"You're Chen Xuan?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"What, you think I'm just a recruiter?" Chen Xuan frowned. So this person only knew his name, but didn't recognize him?

"Uh... how can a sect leader personally take charge of the entrance test? Where are your disciples? Where are the servants?" She still couldn't quite believe it.

"They're all busy cultivating and don't have time for this. Didn't you say that the more talented a person is, the more they understand the importance of hard work?" Chen Xuan said dismissively.

How can this be? The sect leader is handling the sect's daily affairs while the disciples focus on cultivation. Isn't this going against the natural order?
Lingdang felt a bitter taste in her mouth... Her father had indeed said that Chen Xuan was a cultivator in his twenties, but there were far more than just one or two young people in a sect. Even the cultivators who had come over to watch the spectacle were all in their teens or twenties. In other small sects, they wouldn't even let cultivators do the job of recruiting new disciples, since any ordinary person could easily do it.

Moreover, no sect can only accept cultivators; non-Qi-sensing individuals who understand business are also highly favored by sects.

It's all my father's fault for talking so much, but barely mentioning Chen Xuan's appearance, only describing the form of his spiritual energy. Now look what's happened, he's already left the sect leader with the impression of being impolite before even joining the sect.

Lingdang showed a look of deep regret, "I...I...I offended you the other day, please forgive me."

“Since you don’t know, then it’s not offensive,” Chen Xuan said magnanimously. If someone were truly rude and had connections within the Immortal Alliance, they probably wouldn’t waste time with the receptionist; they would have directly demanded to see the sect leader. He could tell that this girl wanted to enter the sect based on her own abilities, not on her connections.

The reason she wore a mask to enter was most likely because she didn't want to be recognized. Moreover, Chen Xuan now knew where the gauze covering her head came from—a large tear had been made in the hem of her skirt behind the bell, revealing half of her calf.

"You ran much faster this time than last time, how did you do that?" Chen Xuan asked.

"I adjusted how I used my breath, strengthening my leg strength on uneven roads and relaxing when running in open areas, trying to maintain a consistent speed throughout," Bell answered honestly.

She grasped the importance of rhythm after only two runs; she's definitely not stupid. Chen Xuan smiled. "However, you're still a bit short of passing. Considering your courage in standing up for our sect, I've decided to give you a special opportunity: if you can defeat ten people tomorrow, you can join the Sovereign Sect."

"Winning means you've passed?"

“Yes, winning means you pass,” Chen Xuan affirmed. “I’m already the sect leader, so the entrance exam is definitely up to me, isn’t it?”

“Okay, I’ll definitely come!” Bell immediately replied.

She couldn't compare to her father and couldn't sense how special his spiritual energy was, but this person had manipulated those cultivators with just one word, a magical technique she had never heard of before.

And that boy, who was about the same age as her, had an incredibly high level of spiritual energy. It was unbelievable that such a genius was unknown in Chang'an.

Father was right. Chen Xuan does indeed possess immeasurable potential. Given time, the Sovereign Sect will surely be able to gain a foothold in Chang'an City, where numerous sects exist.

"Okay, you can go back now and get some rest today," Chen Xuan said. "You can soak your feet in hot water before bed to avoid soreness the next day."

Lingdang felt a sudden warmth in her heart.

It turns out that he scheduled the challenge for tomorrow because he realized he was quite exhausted and unable to perform at his full potential.

"Yes, then I'll take my leave." She raised her hands and bowed formally.

...The next day, the open space in front of the manor had changed drastically.

Following Chen Xuan's instructions, the villagers of Mala Village used wooden blocks to create a circle with a diameter of thirty meters to mark the area of ​​the arena. To the east, south, and north of the arena, the villagers erected long wooden benches, four tiers in total, each tier capable of seating about one hundred people.

The west side of the arena faces the manor, so the referee's table and VIP viewing seats can be set up directly on the balcony of the manor building.

Not only that, but many "billboards" were also erected around these benches, with colorful papers full of introductions to the Sovereign Sect, the background of the competition, the basic rules of the contest, and the story of the demon war in the west... Of course, the last one was fictional. Chen Xuan had drafted the copy overnight and had it printed out, all for the sake of getting free publicity today.

Therefore, there must be a day between matches so that he can make the necessary preparations.

Chen Xuan could easily imagine how furious those cultivators must be. Compared to those "losers" who, despite awakening their Qi-sensing abilities, could never enter a sect in their lifetime, they were already the envy of everyone as "top students." It was precisely this arrogant sense of superiority that led them to approach the Sovereign Sect with such sarcastic eyes.

As a result, these people not only failed to make a fool of themselves, but were also ridiculed and lost face, a humiliation that was hard for them to accept.

Few cultivators could swallow this insult. Even if they could, their senior brothers and sisters, as well as the sects that recruited them, would not be able to swallow it. Otherwise, wouldn't it mean that their own recruitment threshold was too low, and that they were inherently inferior to the Sovereign Sect?
This news will definitely spread, and it will spread very quickly.

As it turned out, his guess was correct. Around 8 or 9 a.m., people began to gather and were quite surprised to find that chairs had been set up. However, everyone's reaction was quite consistent: to find a seat first.

Chen Xuan scanned the crowd with his mental cultivation technique and discovered that among the visitors were not only cultivators, but also many ordinary people from Chang'an.

Of course... judging from their clothes and appearance, they should not be ordinary people. They are most likely scions of wealthy and noble families, or relatives of cultivators.

By 10 o'clock, more than 400 people had gathered in front of the manor. When they were bored, the conversation naturally turned to the billboards.

Then, Lingdang walked into the manor.

She was clearly somewhat surprised, because only twenty or thirty people came to see the sect make a fool of itself yesterday, so how did it turn into a huge crowd today?

She had clearly made preparations, changing her clothes into a short robe and trousers more suitable for combat, with a peach wood sword slung across her back and a beaded hat on her head, thus completely covering her head.

However, this results in a very poor field of vision.

"What are these people here for?" she asked, puzzled.

"What, are you scared?" Chen Xuan took off her bamboo hat.

“Um—” Bell instinctively tried to grab it, but he stuffed something else into her hand. “This is better. It’s less likely to fall and won’t obstruct your view.”

That was a medical mask.

Anyway, the store has a ton of them, might as well use them.

"Oh." Lingdang obediently put on her mask. "I'm not afraid at all. The sect competition is packed with people. Although I've never been on stage myself, I've received just as much attention as I do now."

"That's good." Chen Xuan led her to the edge of the arena. "Get ready and step in."

Bell nodded and jumped into the center of the circle.

A commotion immediately erupted at the scene!

"Look, look, that girl is here!"

"This person doesn't look very old. Is he really as powerful as the Sovereign Sect claims?"

"What nonsense! How dare you boost others' morale while crushing our own?"

Another group of people are focusing their attention on Lingdang herself.

"Why does she still cover her face with a mask? If she's so capable, what's there to be ashamed of in public?"

"Or I'll remember your face so you can get revenge on her later?"

"Why do I feel like...this girl looks familiar?"

"Quiet!" Chen Xuan took a deep breath, gathered his energy, and shouted, his voice carrying a thunderous force. "This young lady is Lingdang, and she hasn't officially joined the sect yet. Yesterday, many fellow Daoists disagreed with my views, so I gave them a chance to prove themselves. Now the time has come, and I wonder if these people truly have the courage to put their opinions into practice. If you're here, you can register to go on stage!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several cultivators came over.

The person in the lead was none other than the young master who had been eager to try his luck yesterday.

"Zhou Xubai, a disciple of the Jinglan Sect, is willing to step onto the stage to challenge!"

(End of this chapter)