"Do you think it is that easy? Even though outer court female disciples have access to cultivation manuals and are allowed to practice real cultivation manuals from there, there has been only one Bai Qing'er after so many years of sect's establishment."
Even Zheng Xiang was now paying attention to what the disciples were discussing about. Just a few moments earlier he had declared his aim to Ye Tian Yun that he wanted to become a Sword Saint and comprehend the legendary Sword Intent.
And now, someone younger than him has already taken the first step and was already proclaimed as a super genius.
He turned towards Ye Tian Yun, who had already resumed his way towards the counter as soon as the topic shifted to someone else.
Zheng Xian asked him in a low voice, "Brother Fang, how do you think she was able to comprehend Sword Intent?"
Ye Tian Yun looked at him with a straight face and said, "Sword Intent? When did she comprehend that?"
"Uh… Brother Fang, did you not pay attention to what everyone is talking about?"
"I did. But you got the meaning wrong. In fact, most of the disciples here got it wrong. What she has reached is the Manifestation Realm. This realm doesn't signify Sword Intent, it is just the first step of a never ending ladder."
"But isn't that already big thing?"
"Maybe, maybe not. It isn't a big thing yet. Manifestation Realm is the most unstable realm on the path of sword intent and one can very easily lose his way here, losing the chance to ever comprehend the Sword Intent."
"Oh?"
"Yes. And Bai Qing'er's real struggle has just begun. I will acknowledge her talent after she passes through the manifestation realm."
While Ye Tian Yun and Zheng Xiang were discussing, the other disciples were also chatting away and talking about Bai Qing'er's talent.
"I wish we, the male disciples, were allowed to cultivate those manuals and were given enough resources. Maybe we could have had someone like Bai Qing'er among our ranks too."
Another disciple nodded and said, "The closest who can get to her in terms of her talent in sword right now is Mu Xing of the Fifth Peak."
A disciple beside him agreed on this remark, "Mu Xing is a weird fellow. It is said that he joined the sect about three years ago and was mostly out of the sect since then, doing missions. He only came to Fifth Peak twice and challenged the then top disciples, defeating them in less than three moves."
"Well, guys like Mu Xing, Xiao Ming and Bai Qing'er have already begun to leave their mark on the sect's history."
A disciple who was just a bystander in this discussion till then, said, "In my opinion, these weren't the true dark horses of this event."
"Then who?"
"Zheng Xiang and Fang Chen of the Seventh Peak, Xu Peng of Eighth Peak and Qin Feng of Sixth Peak." He said a few new names, attracting the attention of everyone around him.
He continued after a slight pause, "Except for Fang Chen, all of these were ranked lowest after stage Two and in fact, Zheng Xiang of Seventh Peak was ranked at the very last. Surprisingly, by the time the Stage Three came to an end, all of these were in the top three of their peaks."
"What about Fang Chen?" A female disciple asked.
The disciple replied, "Fang Chen is the craziest. Tell me the number of Qi Stealing Moles hunted by Mu Xing, Xiao Ming and other top disciples?"
"Well, the highest for the Ninth Peak was Four Hundred Twenty One by Xiao Ming."
"Fang Chen hunted Four Hundred Eighty Two!"
"Damn the heavens, what did you just say!?"
"Is this even possible?"
"Xiao Ming already had an impossible score and now this Fang Chen. What is his cultivation realm?"
"He didn't reveal it."
"How is that possible? Didn't he fight with other disciples?"
"He did. But none of them were powerful enough to make him use his full cultivation level."
A guy who had been silent till now, shook his head and said, "Actually, I think all of this was his pure luck. By hunting the highest, he already had the First position in the Pre Rankings, and then he didn't get to fight the best disciples on his peak like Zheng Xiang and Hou Xing."
"Lmao, I wish I had that luck"
"What's that?"
"Luck is… being lucky?"
"No, not that. What's lmao?"
"Lick my a*s onii-chan."