Chapter 8: The Perfect Candidate

Elder Zhou’s eyes flashed with a trace of viciousness that Zhou Yichen had never witnessed before, making Zhou Yichen shrink back nervously. Yet in just a few seconds, Elder Zhou’s expression returned to normal.

“Good child, go on,” Elder Zhou said, barely able to contain his anticipation for seeing a prodigy fall before reaching their prime.

Zhou Yichen’s gaze returned to the arena, where a man stood confidently with a smile on his lips. Zhou Yichen’s fists clenched tightly.

“Referee, can you announce the end of the match now?” Lin Hao, having left the field, looked at the stunned crowd and sighed helplessly at the referee. After a single fight, he was already hungry—if they didn’t end things soon, he’d miss the lunch at the Zhenxian Pavilion!

Snapping back from his astonishment, the referee glanced at Lin Hao with a look of horror. In the eyes of the elders, the outer and inner disciples, and even the referees themselves, Yun Fei had always been the favored candidate to enter the inner sect. They had thought that even if Yun Fei didn’t take first place, a spot in the top five was guaranteed. No one expected Yun Fei to be defeated in the first round by a virtually unknown Lin Hao who had appeared out of nowhere!

The referee had watched the bout closely. He’d thought Yun Fei summoning a fire python was already impressive, but when Lin Hao’s fire python appeared, it had scared Yun Fei into unconsciousness.

Ferocious—too ferocious! He dared not offend this formidable one.

Swallowing hard and feeling conflicted, the referee raised Lin Hao’s flag and announced loudly, “This match—Lin Hao wins!”

Lin Hao!

With this battle, his name would take root in everyone’s mind, laying the first foundation for his future success. But that was a story for another time.

As the result was announced, several people rose at once.

“I didn’t expect the outer sect to have such a hidden gem…,” Chen Jingrong murmured as she stared at Lin Hao’s face. “I underestimated the outer disciples' strength. Looks like this will be a tough fight.”

Her goal was to take first place. Now that Lin Hao had revealed a portion of his strength, it was enough to put her on guard. Not only had Lin Hao not shown his full hand, but this was only the first round—there were still many others who might be lying in wait.

She clenched her fists in silence and left the arena without a word.

Another pair who stood were Liu Baxian and his daughter Liu Xiaoxi.

“That was spectacular!” Liu Baxian’s eyes were filled with shock and delight. “Xiaoxi, it seems we’ve found the right person!”

Though Lin Hao’s current strength was still a bit below his own, at the rate Lin Hao was progressing, his cultivation would surely surpass Liu Baxian’s in the future.

Just as Lin Hao was about to rush to Zhenxian Pavilion to reserve lunch, Liu Baxian and Liu Xiaoxi stopped him.

Compared to that night, Liu Baxian’s gaze had changed dramatically—now he looked at Lin Hao as a starving wolf would look at a sheep, his desire undisguised.

“Brother Lin Hao,” Liu Baxian said, his enthusiasm almost overwhelming. Lin Hao began to wonder if he had overdone his performance on the stage.

“It’s already noon. Do you have any plans? If not, I’ve booked a table at Zhenxian Pavilion. Would you mind joining my daughter and me for a drink?” Liu Baxian quickly brought him back to reality.

What a coincidence—Lin Hao had just been planning to get lunch at Zhenxian Pavilion. But reservations were notoriously difficult to secure. Given his status, even if he went, he likely wouldn’t get a table. Since Liu Baxian had extended the invitation, Lin Hao accepted with a smile.

“I’ll follow your arrangements, then.”

Zhenxian Pavilion’s tables were hard to come by because it was highly sought after, especially by the wealthy and powerful. Whenever there was a delicate matter to discuss, inviting someone to Zhenxian Pavilion with fine wine and food always sealed the deal. The cuisine there was said to possess such magic.

Arriving at the elegant restaurant, Lin Hao was in high spirits. Yet Liu Baxian kept quiet about his intentions until the wine and dishes were served. Then he spoke, “Brother Lin Hao, as before, I’d like to discuss your marriage with my daughter.”

“No need to rush,” Lin Hao replied.

Lin Hao’s calm attitude made the usually proud Liu Xiaoxi arch her brows in displeasure. She retorted, “My father only wants to discuss with you. Who’s in a hurry to marry you?”

“Xiaoxi!” Liu Baxian chastised her. She pouted in discontent but said nothing more. Liu Baxian then turned to Lin Hao. “Why do you say so?”

Though Liu Xiaoxi had misunderstood him, Lin Hao wasn’t angry. He explained to Liu Baxian, “My victory today is bound to draw attention. In the days ahead, those who wish to eliminate me will constantly cause trouble. If I marry your daughter now, she will also suffer unfair treatment. With your abilities, I fear you may not be able to protect us both. So I’d rather resolve these matters first, prove my strength, and ensure no one can threaten me before discussing marriage with your daughter.”

Lin Hao’s heartfelt words left Liu Baxian and Liu Xiaoxi stunned. Liu Baxian spoke first, “I hadn’t considered all those factors—you’re right. I once thought your temperament was lacking after seeing how you spoke with Zhou Yichen, but now… I see I misjudged you.”

While Lin Hao and Liu Baxian discussed these matters, neither noticed a pair of malicious eyes watching from not far away.

“Is that the one?” A man dressed in white, scholarly in appearance but with undisguised contempt in his gaze, stared at Lin Hao. Had Liu Baxian been present, he would have recognized this man as Bai Shili, who had narrowly missed entering the inner sect in the last selection.

“It was careless of me. Your performance on the stage today is bound to arouse jealousy. If you ever need help, just come to me. I may not be able to resolve everything, but I can at least keep you safe,” Liu Baxian offered.

“No need,” Lin Hao replied with a smile. “If I need your help with such trivial things, how could I hope to protect your daughter?”

“By the way, it seems you have some history with Zhou Yichen?” Liu Baxian asked seriously.

“Someone at the Foundation Establishment stage isn’t worth my concern,” Lin Hao said, a trace of worry in his brows. “What truly worries me is Elder Zhou behind him.”

Liu Baxian’s appraisal of Elder Zhou was less than favorable. “That old man is full of tricks. You must beware of him targeting you in secret.”

Those words proved prophetic.

Zhou Yichen, sitting some distance away, couldn’t hear their conversation, but Bai Shili, already at mid-Foundation Establishment, could easily use his spiritual sense to eavesdrop undetected.

“I overheard something interesting. Would you like to know?” Bai Shili withdrew his spiritual sense and addressed Zhou Yichen.

“Speak plainly.”

If not for needing something from Bai Shili, Zhou Yichen would never have met with such a person. Despite his handsome appearance, Bai Shili was as venomous as a snake; even someone like Zhou Yichen dared not provoke him lightly. Rumor had it, the one who defeated Bai Shili in the last inner sect selection was now dead within the sect.

“Lin Hao doesn’t take you seriously. What truly frightens him is Elder Zhou behind you. And Liu Baxian’s opinion of your father isn’t great either,” Bai Shili said with a mocking glance. “Elder Zhou may have power and status, but his connections don’t compare to Liu Baxian’s. If it comes to a contest, you’ll lose out.”

Bai Shili spoke without restraint, calling Liu Baxian by name. Among most outer disciples, someone of Liu Baxian’s strength would be addressed as ‘Elder Liu.’ Bai Shili made no effort to hide his arrogance.

“I’ve known that for some time,” Zhou Yichen replied darkly. “That’s why I’m asking for your help—to use my father’s Yin-Yang Talisman against him. If he grows stronger, you won’t stand a chance in this selection.”

For the first time, Bai Shili’s perpetual smirk froze.

If there was anything that could capture Bai Shili’s attention, it was the position of sect leader. Becoming an inner disciple as early as possible was crucial—he’d missed the chance once and couldn’t risk losing again.

Zhou Yichen was well aware of Bai Shili’s ambition. Seeing everything fall into place as planned, Zhou Yichen smiled. “So, will you cooperate with me?”

“Hand over the talisman,” Bai Shili narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Zhou Yichen. “Looks like I’ll have to deal with this person seriously.”

Taking the talisman paper from Zhou Yichen, Bai Shili left the restaurant without a backward glance. To others, a meal at Zhenxian Pavilion was worth a fortune, but to him, it was tasteless—only cultivation truly mattered.

...

Three days later.

“Hoo…” Lin Hao let out a long breath and glanced out the window.

He had spent the past three days cultivating. Though his spiritual sea had healed, he found his foundation still unstable. As for the fire python he had absorbed from Yun Fei—

Since Yun Fei had already fainted, Lin Hao had no qualms about making it his own.

With the fire python now his, and his foundation stabilized over these three days, Lin Hao’s strength had reached the third stage of Foundation Establishment. He was now more than a match for those at the mid-Foundation stage. In fact, with the fire python, he was eighty percent confident he could defeat any such foe.

The fire python was a valuable asset—pity Yun Fei never knew how to use it properly.

With the competition about to resume, Lin Hao rose and left his room.

The square was still packed with people, though not as crowded as before. Lin Hao soon spotted Liu Baxian and Liu Xiaoxi in the distance, watching him without approaching.

Soon, he felt a burning gaze upon him. Following it instinctively, he saw Zhou Yichen staring at him intently.

Not that Lin Hao cared—Zhou Yichen’s fighting strength was pitiful, hardly worth his time, not even for a verbal sparring match.