Chapter 19: Sect's Grand Competition_1

"Sister Bai Yan, long time no see." Qin Changqing greeted with a smile.

"Indeed, it's been a while." Bai Yan ran over with quick steps, pouting, "Senior Brother went down the mountain without a word, leaving us behind."

"I told everyone when I left; you just happened to be out."

"Hmph, you didn't wait for me to come back before leaving. You clearly don't care about me at all."

"How could that be? You guys are more important to me than Master."

With a gentle attitude and always being especially kind to his junior brothers and sisters, the role of Senior Brother is naturally more intimate than that of a master. After chatting for a while, Bai Yan immediately started smiling.

Speaking of Bai Yan, she came back from Mang Mountain Mine some days ago and had been cultivating in seclusion in her cave ever since.

At the age of twenty-four, she had already reached the peak of Qi-Refining Stage and was just waiting for the right opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment.

[Bai Yan, female, Spiritual Root: Upper-tier 8th grade, Fortune: 345, capable of producing offspring with spiritual roots.]

What an upper-tier 8th-grade spiritual root! Qin Changqing couldn't help but want to take her back home to have babies.

"Sister Bai Yan, your cultivation has progressed rapidly."

Being an upper-tier 8th-grade is completely different from being a lower-tier 9th-grade.

Without the resources he had, Bai Yan still managed to be on the verge of Foundation Establishment.

At the end of the day, the rationale was the same - there's no point in cultivating if you have no talent or resources.

Bai Yan knew that cultivation had always been a sore point for Senior Brother, so she changed the topic and chuckled, "I heard you married Sister Xi'er."

"Eh, Xi'er has lost hope in cultivating and decided to live with me in the secular world."

"How are you guys getting on now?"

"Pretty well."

Bai Yan was curious, "Senior Brother, what's the difference between living down the mountain and up the mountain? I don't even know what I could do without cultivating. I always hear ordinary people saying they envy mandarin ducks but not immortals. Is getting married really that great?"

Qin Changqing chuckled lightly, "It depends on individual circumstances. You have good talent, and if you encounter a great opportunity, you might even have a chance to reach the Golden Elixir Stage. By then, you would have a five-hundred-year lifespan in the eyes of mortals, making you a real immortal so don't envy anything."

"Golden Elixir Stage, huh..." Bai Yan sighed, "I'm afraid only Senior Sister Lingshuang has a chance. I definitely won't make it."

The Golden Elixir Stage was too far away. Even though there was only a single step from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Elixir Stage, the difficulty was several times greater than that from Qi-Refining to Foundation Establishment.

With her spiritual root, she could only rely on 'great opportunities.'

"Sister Lingshuang..." Qin Changqing, thinking about her still at Mang Mountain, asked, "How is she doing?"

"Her time stationed there was almost up, but she wanted to break through to the late Foundation Establishment Stage before she returned. So she applied for an extension, and she told me she'll be back before the Sect's Grand Competition."

The Sect's Grand Competition is held every three years for small competitions and every ten years for large competitions.

Small competitions aren't very exciting, it's considered an opportunity for the disciples to test their cultivation results.

But the grand competition is a big deal.

Not only does it involve the honor of each peak, but the disciples who achieve good rankings also receive generous rewards.

The requirement is that cultivators below the age of fifty and at the Foundation Establishment Stage can participate.

Qi-Refining Stage cultivators participate in small competitions.

As for those above Foundation Establishment Stage, at the Golden Elixir Stage, that's another level entirely, they don't have to join such competitions.

If Qin Lingshuang can reach Tier 7 Foundation Establishment, she should, without any accidents, have a chance to rank well.

There's less than three years left until the grand competition, and Bai Yan also plans to break through to Foundation Establishment Stage before then.

However, when Bai Yan came back from Mang Mountain, Qin Lingshuang asked her to keep an eye on Qin Changqing.

Watch?

Watch what?

Bai Yan was a bit puzzled, but it was her duty as a junior sister to look after her senior brother.

She came out of seclusion this time to go down the mountain and visit Qin Changqing and taste his long-lost chicken. She didn't expect to bump into him like this.

"The Sect's Grand Competition, huh?" Qin Changqing rubbed his chin.

He wasn't thinking about the rewards, but rather, there should be quite a few talented junior sisters participating in the competition, right?

If he could marry a few Foundation Establishment Stage fairies and bring them back, the strength of the Qin Family would surely double."By the way, this is for you." Qin Changqing took out a bottle of elixir.

Bai Yan asked in confusion, "What is this?"

"It's a Holding Spirit Pill, which can refine the spiritual qi in your body and help you with your attempts to reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

Bai Yan was startled: "A Tier 6 Holding Spirit Pill?" She hurriedly waved her hands. "Senior Brother, such a precious elixir... you should keep it."

"Just take it."

Qin Changqing smiled lightly, "The Foundation Establishment stage is risky. It's better to be well-prepared. Besides, this pill is of no use to me."

The Holding Spirit Pill had a gentle effect and would hardly leave toxins in the body after consumption. As a result, it was often used by many large sects to help disciples with exceptional talent refine their spiritual qi, consolidate their cultivation, and break through to higher realms.

These medicines had been given to him by Mo Jiuzhou in the past.

The old man wasn't very good at teaching disciples but he never skimped on gifts.

However, the system provided a solid foundation for his cultivation, so he didn't need such an elixir to break through.

As for his wives at home, they could just ask the old man for more if they needed it.

Bai Yan held the pill bottle in her hand, feeling deeply moved.

As expected, her Senior Brother was the one who treated her best.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother! I will do my best to reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

Qin Changqing said with a faint smile, "Go on."

After parting with Bai Yan, Qin Changqing took a walk around Xuanyi Peak.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any trace of his second junior sister, Nangong Xue.

Very few Golden Elixir Stage experts would stay within the sect for long, as they usually spent more time traveling and practicing outside. Unless they were in seclusion for a breakthrough, they would be gone for several years or even more than a decade once they left.

Unable to find her, Qin Changqing had to return to Heiyu Town and resume his efforts to make babies.

Although it was unlikely that he would win any honors in the Sect's Grand Competition, he still wanted to go and have a look. Of course, he wasn't there to bond with his junior sisters; mainly, he wanted to broaden his horizons.

Moreover, his second junior sister might come back as well.

With this in mind, Qin Changqing put more effort into his preparations.

Since their last battle, the Qin family had grown to be the number one family in Heiyu Town. Their business in the Chamber of Commerce had also grown rapidly. After reaching cooperation agreements with the Lian Family and the Su Family, they formed a commercial chain that covered the entire town's trade.

The businesses they were involved in included not only cultivators but also ordinary people – their business operations kept expanding.

Qin Changqing entrusted all these matters to Su Xiaoyue. She was born into a wealthy merchant family and had been smart and knowledgeable since childhood. She was the perfect person to handle these affairs.

However, Su Xiaoyue's spiritual roots were not very good, and she hadn't even broken through to the third level of the Qi-Refining Stage. Fortunately, she was still young and had potential for the future.

Xi'er had successfully broken through to the seventh level of the Qi-Refining Stage, and Lian Caini was in the same situation. Clearly, the improvement of their natural talents was essential to them.

Shu Tian was still new to the Qin family and young. There was no need to rush her.

Wang Xiaoxiao might have a small name, but she had a broad mind and full buttocks, as well as a steady cultivation base.

Qin Changqing hoped that the next Fortune reward would give the Qin family another boost.

Nine months later, the baby in Shu Tian's womb was born successfully.

Accompanied by the baby's cry, the joyful voice of the midwife rang out from the delivery room.

"It's born! It's born! Master, it's a girl!"

Outside the house, the anxious Qin Changqing instantly received the system prompt.

[Ding~ Shu Tian has given birth to a child for you. Family members +1, Family Fortune +355, small bonus to spiritual root quality, and ten-year cultivation progress]

Qin Changqing was puzzled.

"This child... seems quite impressive."

Shu Tian had been with the Qin family for almost a year and had not shown any special signs.

The 777x boosted Fortune initially made Qin Changqing think that the system had made a mistake since it seemed to have no effect, like a decoration.

However, when Shu Tian gave birth to their first child, he realized that the Fortune was actually in the child!

Qin Changqing immediately checked the little girl's spiritual roots.

Tier 8 Superior!