“Immortal Alliance leader selection—selecting the Immortal Alliance leader. The alliance leader must possess excellent team management abilities. Therefore, this selection will use team competitions as the selection method. The winning team’s captain will become the alliance leader.”
After everyone finished registering together, Jian Xingzhi took the registration guidelines from the registration point and read them aloud to everyone following beside him.
Nanfeng stood on his shoulder, peering at the registration guidelines and continuing to read the contents: “The selection is divided into three stages, all using elimination format. Teams scoring below sixty points will be eliminated. Teams scoring sixty points or above will advance with accumulated points. The final victor will be determined by total points.”
“The finals location is set at Xuanshan,” Cuilu said, finding Nanfeng too slow. She snatched it away and frowned: “Xuanshan is a place with abundant evil energy and extremely high risk. Once one falls into demonic cultivation, the Sword-Wielding Elders will immediately execute them. There is mortal danger. All participants in the selection are asked to consider carefully.”
“That’s it?”
Seeing Cuilu finish reading without continuing, Qin Wanwan asked curiously. Cuilu handed the registration guidelines to Qin Wanwan and shrugged: “That’s it.”
“It doesn’t say what the specific selection content is?”
Qin Wanwan found this strange. After carefully examining the registration guidelines and seeing that this was indeed all the content, she couldn’t help frowning: “They won’t test arithmetic, will they?”
“No way, right?” Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi became somewhat fearful. While feeding Nanfeng pine nuts, he said nervously, “Does the alliance leader need to do arithmetic?”
“Probably not,” Cuilu pondered. “After all, not everyone is as peculiar as Huarong.”
Qin Wanwan felt somewhat uneasy. She had zero confidence in this world.
So after returning from registration, she proactively proposed giving everyone mathematics tutoring.
Hearing this proposal, everyone exchanged glances.
After a moment, Cuilu suddenly clutched her stomach: “Oh no, I have a stomachache. I’m leaving first.”
With that, Cuilu disappeared before everyone.
“I’ll go check on her.”
As soon as Cuilu left, Xie Gutang spoke up and left as well.
The remaining three were quite shocked. Nanfeng couldn’t help murmuring: “Daoist Xie really can bend and stretch…”
Hearing Nanfeng speak, Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi both looked at Nanfeng. Nanfeng jolted and immediately said: “I’ll go check on Daoist Xie. Master, you just need to educate Daoist Jian properly!”
With that, Nanfeng also disappeared at the doorway. Qin Wanwan’s gaze settled on Jian Xingzhi, quite aggrieved: “Are you also going to check on Sister Cuilu?”
“I…” Jian Xingzhi looked at Qin Wanwan’s expression. He felt that as a man, even if he had to study arithmetic, he couldn’t retreat at this moment. He gritted his teeth and spoke: “Of course I’m staying to listen to you!”
“I knew you were the best.” Qin Wanwan smiled slightly and proactively pulled him over. Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat dazed. After being pulled to sit down, Qin Wanwan said gently: “Let’s start with the chicken and rabbit cage problem.”
Jian Xingzhi: “…”
Jian Xingzhi was forced by Qin Wanwan to study hard for ten days. On the morning of the tenth day, Jian Xingzhi was beaming with joy, excitedly telling everyone he met: “The alliance leader selection assembly is starting!”
“The alliance leader selection assembly starts today!”
“I’m going to participate in the alliance leader selection assembly!”
No more tutoring or studying arithmetic!
Everyone heard his underlying meaning and felt very sympathetic toward him.
Xie Gutang patted his shoulder: “Senior, don’t worry. You won’t have to study anymore.”
With that, Qin Wanwan came out, glanced at everyone, and said with a smile: “Everyone’s up? Shall we go?”
“Let’s go!”
Jian Xingzhi picked up Nanfeng, full of enthusiasm, and made a ‘forward’ gesture toward Qin Wanwan: “Captain, lead the way.”
Qin Wanwan smiled sheepishly at Xie Gutang and Cuilu. Cuilu waved: “Let’s go.”
Qin Wanwan led the group toward the assembly point at the entrance of Xuanshan. The entrance to Xuanshan was a large grassland. When they arrived, many people were already gathered around the mountainside. All contestants had a special passage. They first went to the registration point to check in, and after completing registration, they received a badge and stood to the side waiting.
Qin Wanwan saw many cultivators standing on the mountain and many cultivators in the sky as well. She couldn’t help asking curiously: “Why are there so many people?”
Before she finished speaking, she heard Luo Bufan’s voice ring out from the judges’ seats set up in the distance: “Everyone, everyone please quiet down. The Immortal Alliance leader selection assembly is about to begin. First, allow this old one to say a few words.”
When Luo Bufan spoke, everyone’s voices gradually diminished. Luo Bufan waited a moment until there was no more sound around him, then continued: “Recently everyone knows that the Evil God has appeared in the world and demon seeds have reemerged. The cultivation world is in grave danger. To resist the Evil God, the three sects and four cities have deliberated and decided to rebuild the Immortal Alliance. This is not just a matter for the three sects and four cities—it concerns the entire cultivation world. We call upon the hundred sects of the immortal path to actively support and join. To show our sincerity, this Immortal Alliance leader will not be selected solely by the three sects and four cities, but rather we will widely recruit heroes from across the realm, using the fairest and most appropriate method to select the Immortal Alliance leader in all our hearts. As the highest-standard, most populous, and most widely-participated selection activity in the history of the cultivation world, we have carefully selected the most authoritative, most impartial, and most qualified panel of judges, and will use water mirror projection to broadcast the entire competition process openly to everyone. Now, let us begin welcoming the competing teams.”
When Luo Bufan finished speaking, music suddenly rang out around them. Qin Wanwan was startled and turned to discover a group of music cultivators playing instruments.
Qin Wanwan moved closer to Jian Xingzhi and lowered her voice: “They’re making quite a production of this.”
“The Immortal Alliance leader,” Jian Xingzhi said, crossing his arms and looking around, “you think this is a joke?”
With that, he smiled and glanced at her: “Scared?”
“No.” Qin Wanwan spoke nervously. “What do I have to be scared of?”
As the music played, someone in front of where they stood led competing teams toward the center of the lawn.
“Now walking toward us is the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Righteous Spirit Team,” Luo Bufan announced the team name. Several young people wearing Heavenly Sword Sect robes appeared on the lawn, led by Luo Xingzhou, who was greeting everyone. Luo Bufan introduced them: “This is an upright, decisive, and brave team. Heavenly Sword Sect, this old one cheers for you!”
“Next appearing before everyone is the Desolate City Never Say Die Team…”
Luo Bufan continued introducing teams. Qin Wanwan inexplicably felt like she was attending a school sports meet. She scanned around and saw many familiar faces on the lawn—Ning Buyan, Liu Feixu, Luo Xingzhou… they were all there.
Having registered late, they stood at the end of the waiting area. By the time their names were called, the cultivators on the mountain had already grown bored and begun yawning. But when their group walked out, everyone’s attention was immediately captured.
“Now coming out is one of the most anticipated rookie teams in this selection—the Refuse Steamed Buns and Pickled Vegetables Team! In this team, we have the Heavenly Sword Sect’s strongest new generation cultivator, Xie Gutang!”
As soon as the words fell, cheers erupted from the mountain. Xie Gutang, accustomed to composure, raised his hand and greeted everyone.
“Ghost City’s strongest, current acting Ghost City Lord, Cuilu!”
Another round of screams. Cuilu slightly raised her head and waved in greeting.
“Unfathomably powerful with earth-shattering good looks, the rogue cultivator Jian Xingzhi!”
The instant the words ended, female cultivators’ cheers and screams from across the mountain echoed throughout the venue. Jian Xingzhi casually nodded, a polite response to the screaming.
“As well as—someone who could rely on her face but chooses to rely on ability instead, winner of this year’s Heavenly Sword Sect Sword Trial Assembly championship, Desolate City’s Gentleman Sword, captain of this team with an unlimited future, Shangshan Sect Leader Qin Wanwan—”
Everyone erupted in screaming together.
“And her spirit beast—Nanfeng!”
The screaming reached its peak.
The five of them stood in position and waved together toward the mountain. Nanfeng was so excited he stood up on Qin Wanwan’s shoulder, his antennae waving frantically.
After the five stood ready, they thought the Immortal Alliance assembly should begin, but who knew the staff never closed the passage for competing teams to enter, and Luo Bufan also cleared his throat: “Now, we welcome the most prestigious team in this selection. The captain is a legendary figure from the Wuxiang Sect from a thousand years ago, currently the Wuxiang Sect’s Ancestor—”
Before he finished speaking, screams had already erupted. Qin Wanwan, Jian Xingzhi and the others all looked over to see golden powder swirling in mid-air. Following Luo Bufan’s words, the golden powder condensed into human form.
“Venerable Miaoyan!”
With that, Venerable Miaoyan and his four attendants appeared in mid-air. He wore white robes, one hand holding a scroll behind his back, while his other hand had the index and middle fingers extended together with the remaining fingers interlocked in a mudra, lightly pressed against his lips.
“I speak the heavenly mandate to command all gods.”
The young man smiled and spoke softly. The entire venue erupted in excited screaming.
Venerable Miaoyan led his attendants in a gentle descent and stopped before all the competing teams.
Qin Wanwan looked at Venerable Miaoyan from afar and couldn’t help raising her hand to cover her mouth, speaking softly: “Now I understand the Evil God’s common characteristics.”
“What?”
Jian Xingzhi was curious. Qin Wanwan summarized: “Especially good at putting on airs.”
From the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Baisui You, Ghost City’s Song Shi, Desolate City’s fortune-telling scholar, to later Mei Suihan and Venerable Miaoyan.
Without exception, they all wore smiles while hiding killing intent, appeared with falling flowers, and descended from the heavens.
Looking elegant, handsome, and formidable.
“That’s right,” Jian Xingzhi heard Qin Wanwan’s words with great agreement and nodded: “And passive-aggressive too.”
After these words were spoken, Venerable Miaoyan standing in front froze with his smile on his face.
“Now, all competing teams have gathered at the venue. The Immortal Alliance assembly selection officially begins. First stage: Secret Realm Trial. Each team selects their strongest member to individually enter the secret realm for trials. Below sixty points means direct elimination. Sixty points and above will be scored according to points obtained. All teams have fifteen minutes for discussion. After fifteen minutes, please submit the badge of the person entering the secret realm.”
As soon as Luo Bufan’s words came out, the competition venue immediately buzzed with discussion.
Qin Wanwan hadn’t expected this development either. For a moment she had trouble making a decision. Cuilu said urgently: “What do we do? Only one person can enter. Who goes?”
“For this one person, we need to choose someone with the strongest comprehensive abilities,” Xie Gutang pondered. “Secret realm trials mostly involve combat.”
“I can’t do this,” Qin Wanwan had full self-awareness. “If it’s about breaking through secret realms, fighting, discussing various sect formation arrays, then Jian Xingzhi is most suitable.”
“But what if they test studying?” Cuilu was somewhat worried.
Jian Xingzhi considered: “I’ve memorized seven thousand books. If they test poetry and verse, it should be fine.”
“What if they test arithmetic?” Nanfeng worried.
Jian Xingzhi looked at everyone: “I’ve been specially trained by Wanwan. I should be stronger than most cultivators.”
“What about general knowledge?” Xie Gutang frowned.
“As long as it’s related to cultivation, I should know it.”
Calculating this way, the person with the strongest comprehensive abilities here was indeed Jian Xingzhi.
“Let’s go with this then.”
Seeing that everyone around them had already finished discussing and begun submitting badges, Qin Wanwan made the decision: “It’s Jian Xingzhi. Give me the badge.”
Jian Xingzhi handed the badge to Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan took the badge to Luo Bufan.
Luo Bufan wasn’t surprised they had selected Jian Xingzhi. He accepted the badge without saying much. Venerable Miaoyan walked up behind Qin Wanwan to submit his badge. Seeing Jian Xingzhi’s name, he couldn’t help smiling.
“Having Jian Xingzhi do such an important task—can you really rest assured?”
“I trust him.”
Qin Wanwan’s expression was calm: “In my heart, there’s nothing he can’t accomplish.”
With that, Qin Wanwan bowed to Luo Bufan and turned to leave.
Returning to Jian Xingzhi’s side, Jian Xingzhi glanced at Venerable Miaoyan, not very happy: “What did you say to him?”
“He said you’d definitely lose.” Qin Wanwan smiled as she provoked him. Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi cast a cold glance toward Venerable Miaoyan.
“For him to make me lose, he probably doesn’t have the ability.”
As they spoke, everyone had successively submitted the names of their contestants. Liu Feishuang verified the names, then following Luo Bufan’s instructions, opened a swirling light portal in the air.
After the competing contestants verified their names, they entered the light portal one by one.
“I’m off.” Jian Xingzhi bid everyone farewell cleanly and efficiently, then headed toward the light portal.
After everyone entered the light portal, it disappeared from its location. In its place appeared a water mirror split into screens showing all the contestants.
The water mirror was densely packed with images of contestants entering the secret realm. They seemed to have entered different secret realms, but basically all entered a small town.
“As the Immortal Alliance leader bearing great responsibilities, we dozen or so judges engaged in heated discussion and unanimously agreed that the most important quality of an alliance leader is the ability to manage teams. Therefore, what we’re testing in this first stage is—”
With that, four large characters appeared on the water mirror—
Interpersonal Relations.
When these four characters appeared before Qin Wanwan’s eyes, she instantly held her breath.
It’s over.
These four characters—she feared Jian Xingzhi fundamentally couldn’t comprehend them.