"They can even fake disciple statuses?"

Zhao Lingyin, taken aback by Shen Mo's explanation of the related procedures, was quite surprised.

She soon raised another doubt: "If they can go to such lengths, why not allocate more resources to you two?"

The resources Zhao Lingyin mentioned weren't just Spirit Stones and Elixirs. They also included higher-grade cultivation methods, magic artifacts, guidance and teachings from the peak's experts, and more special treatment.

Shen Mo chuckled.

It couldn't be said that Stars Peak hadn't focused on cultivating the two of them. At least for the past six months, the monthly stipend Shen Mo received was somewhat more generous than that of other disciples within the peak. If he were to seek guidance on cultivation from the Elders within the peak, he would also receive meticulous instruction. After all, the rankings in the Tianshan Ceremony concerned the interests of everyone in the sect. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that when one prospered, all prospered!

Compared to Lu Ming, however, the support he received seemed rather insignificant.

As far as Shen Mo knew, Lu Ming had not only obtained magic artifacts, Thunder-type magic, and a Thunder-type exotic treasure, but also personal teachings and guidance from the Peak Master. The reason was simply that the immortal sect's Tianshan ranking depended on which of the two performed better. Lu Ming was Zhou Shili's Direct Disciple and possessed the Thunder Body; his Talent and age gave him a significant advantage over Shen Mo. It was understandable that the sect favored him more and invested as many resources in him as possible. As for Shen Mo, although he had shown exceptional improvement recently and possessed impressive combat capabilities, in the eyes of Peak Master Zhou Shili and others, he was likely just a support to help Lu Ming achieve a better result.

It wasn't just the Riverside Sect doing this.

The other Four Great Immortal Sects had likely made similar arrangements.

The one the Ghost Corpse School placed their hopes on was probably Li Chen, not Xun Tian. For Seven Stars Altar, it was Yang Chi. For the Profound Moon School, Xiao Ling'er. And for the Heaven Sword Sect, Meng Sanchi. The other three new rising talents, like Shen Mo, were merely there to make up the numbers!

"I still think more highly of Junior Brother Shen. Peak Master Zhou might have misjudged," Zhao Lingyin mused for a moment before sending her thoughts via voice transmission.

She still vividly remembered the scene of her first encounter with Shen Mo in the Alchemy Zone.

With her cultivation at Layer VI of the Qi Gathering Realm, she hadn't been able to offer the slightest resistance against him.

The trace of killing intent he had inadvertently revealed at that time still made Zhao Lingyin's heart palpitate whenever she recalled it.

DONG!

The Elder from the Profound Moon School struck the Daoist bell.

The disciples from the immortal sects on the flat ground fell silent, and the atmosphere grew solemn.

Immediately after, the middle-aged woman presiding over the proceedings, following custom, explained the origin and significance of the Tianshan Ceremony.

She encouraged the many immortal sect disciples to unite with common purpose, to jointly resist the demonic calamity, and so forth.

After announcing the rules of the Tianshan Ceremony, she signaled to the experts on the stone platform and struck the Daoist bell once more.

DONG!

The Daoist bell chimed, its sound long and resonant.

The Profound Moon School Elder's voice also reached the ears of Shen Mo and the others.

"The Tianshan Ceremony begins!"

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Ten figures transformed into streaks of light, flying towards the stone steps of Tianshan Mountain.

"May Junior Brother Shen achieve supreme success on this endeavor!"

Shen Mo's gaze swept over to Zhao Lingyin. She was standing in the crowd, a radiant smile on her face, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Lingyin."

With that said, he focused his mind. Hidden within his sleeves, several middle-grade Spirit Stones had already appeared in his hand.

Special Destiny: "Insight into All Beings"!

As each Spirit Stone crumbled into dust and scattered from his fingertips, streams of detailed information slowly materialized before Shen Mo's eyes.

There were too many Spirit Sea Realm experts on the suspended stone platform, making it inconvenient to take out Spirit Stones to scrutinize the information of the competing disciples. Now that the competition had started and he had flown away from the stone platform, Shen Mo had no more reservations.

The disciples, riding their swords at extreme speed, all vied to be the first to ascend the stone steps.

There was a certain strategy to this. If someone was confident their strength was unmatched, they could seize the foremost position. By withstanding the attacks of those behind in the early stages and then pulling further away from the others as they ascended Tianshan Mountain, they would reduce the greatest variable: the competitors. Then, all they would need to do is keep climbing upwards! Other disciples, who didn't think they could contend for the top spot, also wanted to secure a relatively forward position. If one fell to the very back of the ten, even with superior strength, advancing would mean facing obstruction from more people, leading to a significant drain on their power.

Among the streaks of sword light, Shen Mo was roughly in fourth place.

Ahead of him were only Meng Sanchi from the Heaven Sword Sect, Li Chen from the Ghost Corpse School, and Lu Ming from the Riverside Sect.

If he wished, he could naturally have seized the foremost position. However, through "Insight into All Beings," he discovered that several people possessed means to harm him; being the first to stand out would make him an easy target for concentrated attacks. That was why he had deliberately fallen back a step to secure the fourth position. Later, when he decided to make his move, he wouldn't need to worry much about Lu Ming; he just had to take down Meng Sanchi and Li Chen.

Shen Mo's calculations were quite sound.

However, the Tianshan Ceremony was never short of variables.

Xun Tian, who was in sixth position, couldn't even wait until they began climbing Tianshan Mountain.

His speed suddenly skyrocketed, allowing him to overtake Xiao Ling'er in fifth place and stick closely behind Shen Mo.

"Brat, when I said you wouldn't even climb a single stone step, did you think I was just bluffing?"

Xun Tian cackled, slapped the black coffin on his back, and flung it out to block Shen Mo's path.

"Still this trick! Haven't you learned anything new in the last six months?"

Shen Mo's expression remained unmoved. The Demon Slaying Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with brilliant Sword Light, and a single slash sent the black coffin barring his path flying.

How sharp the Demon Slaying Sword was! With the enhancement from two Body Refinement magic arts, Shen Mo's simple slash directly cleaved the black coffin in half.

Seeing this, Xun Tian's expression changed drastically.

All along, he had believed that he had only been wounded by the then-unknown Shen Mo due to a moment of carelessness. He had been brooding over this matter for the past six months! It wasn't just that his body and pride had been damaged. More crucially, since leaving the Mountain River Realm, he had gradually fallen behind Li Chen, with whom he had once been on par. Although he had also obtained a spot for this Tianshan Ceremony, the resources he had received over the past six months were far less than Li Chen's, and his progress in strength had lagged considerably.

Xun Tian blamed all of this on Shen Mo.

He felt that Shen Mo's sword strike had been the beginning of his misfortune!

Therefore, he disregarded his Master's instructions and was determined to cause trouble for Shen Mo as soon as the competition started.

Who would have thought that after a brief clash, he would perceive the gap between them?

While shocked, his resentment burned even hotter.

"Dragon-Tiger, come out!"

Xun Tian formed a hand seal and shouted resentfully.

Immediately, the lid of the half-cloven black coffin flew off.

A Ghoul, built like an iron pagoda and spewing a destructive aura, leaped out of the coffin. Without the slightest pause, it swung its iron fist towards Shen Mo.

Xun Tian's cultivation Talent was inferior to Li Chen's.

During the intra-sect competition, being able to fight Li Chen to a draw and tie for first place naturally meant he had something to rely on. That was this Ghoul named "Dragon-Tiger." After leaving the Mountain River Realm, he had invested seven to eight-tenths of his cultivation resources into this Ghoul, making its power even more terrifying than it had been six months ago. It could be said that most of his strength lay in this meticulously refined Ghoul. He had originally discussed with Li Chen using this Ghoul to wear down the strength of the strongest competitors. But now, he couldn't be bothered with that anymore!

"If I don't tear you apart alive, this hatred in my heart will never be appeased!"

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