Mythical Cultivation

Chapter 259 The Road Ahead

At this moment, the tenth elder presiding over the Outer Sect Competition opened his eyes after the rankings were finalized, stood up with a smile, and said loudly, "Well, with this, this exciting Outer Sect Competition has come to a successful conclusion! Judging from the performance of each disciple, I believe that everyone has achieved satisfactory results. Here, I sincerely hope that you will continue to forge ahead courageously and work tirelessly on the long road of cultivation ahead, bravely overcoming the towering peaks and obstacles before you, and strive to climb towards even more unfathomable realms of cultivation..."

After standing still for a moment, he spoke briefly and concisely. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned slightly to look at Deacon Wang Cheng beside him, then nodded gently, indicating that he would hand over the final word to him. Then, he flashed away like a ghost, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

One must understand that a figure like him, one of the sect's ten elders, was usually busy with his duties, and something like the Outer Sect Competition wouldn't have required him to personally oversee it. However, the sect had specifically arranged for him to be present, simply to demonstrate the sect's high regard for the Outer Sect Competition and, by sending such a prominent figure, to stimulate the disciples' passion for cultivation. Now that the Outer Sect Competition had concluded successfully, there was naturally no reason for him to linger any longer, so he turned and left without hesitation.

At this point, Deacon Wang Cheng cleared his throat and spoke loudly, "The sect has witnessed everyone's brilliant performances in this competition. We are deeply pleased and satisfied with your diligent cultivation over this period. We also hope that you will remain true to your original aspirations and work tirelessly. As for the rewards for the top 100 disciples, we have already prepared them. However, due to the sheer size of the rewards, it is inconvenient to distribute them on the spot. Therefore, please register and claim them at the sect treasury afterward. It's worth mentioning that there is no time limit for claiming these rewards; you can claim them anytime, anywhere, based on your own progress and actual needs. Well, enough said, everyone may disperse!"

After Deacon Wang Cheng explained the reward matters that everyone was most concerned about one by one, the many disciples present felt relieved. They bowed to Deacon Wang Cheng and said goodbye, and then left the place in an orderly manner.

"Huang Hao, congratulations!" Walking on the winding path back to his residence, Wu Ming bowed and congratulated Huang Hao with a smile on his face.

Zhao Xiaohai on the side also quickly agreed: "Yes, Huang Hao, you are really amazing. It is really admirable that you can get the first place in the competition this time!" The other people also nodded in agreement, their eyes full of envy.

Hearing everyone's praise, Huang Hao couldn't help but smile modestly. He waved his hand and said, "Congratulations, congratulations. I'm just a little luckier and a little ahead of you. With your talent and hard work, I believe you will catch up with me soon."

"Haha, that's hard to say. Brother Hao, you're so amazing, we really have to work harder." Wang Xiaohu smiled brightly and responded to Huang Hao's words, "But no matter what, we will go all out and try not to be left too far behind you."

The group chatted as they walked, the atmosphere harmonious. They exchanged experiences with each other, discussed secret techniques, and occasionally burst into laughter. Before they knew it, they had reached a fork in the road.

"Okay, let's say goodbye for now. We'll make an appointment to get together again in a while, and then we must have a good exchange of martial arts." Huang Hao said goodbye to everyone with a smile.

"Of course, of course. We look forward to seeing you next time!" Wu Ming and others responded, then turned around and set off on their way home.

After everyone else had gone far away, Wu Ming walked slowly forward alone, thinking secretly in his heart: "Tomorrow I will go to the sect to receive the extremely precious foundation-building pill. After receiving it, I must quickly send it to Heshengtang to give it to grandpa. My cultivation is still far from the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. This foundation-building pill is not of much use to me at the moment. I'd better let grandpa take it and try it first. Maybe it can help him successfully build his foundation." Thinking of this, Wu Ming couldn't help but quicken his pace, wishing he could fly to Heshengtang immediately.

Having made up his mind, Wu Ming, knowing time was running out, dared not slack off even for a moment's rest, immediately throwing himself into intense training. He had a single, unwavering goal in mind: to quickly reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He had been deeply inspired by Huang Hao's recent display of strength. After all, they were brothers who had entered the sect together! And yet, Huang Hao had already reached the pinnacle of Qi Refining.

Furthermore, he already had the Foundation Establishment Pill. At this rate, Huang Hao would likely break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in just a few months, becoming the enviable inner disciple he so desired. Meanwhile, he and his fellow disciples remained mere outer disciples. The gap between them widened like a chasm, as if they were no longer starting from the same starting line.

Wu Ming knew full well that if he didn't want to be left far behind, he would have to work many times harder than everyone else. So, he gritted his teeth and concentrated on directing the Qi in his body through his meridians, over and over again...

"Aming, is the outer sect competition over?" Wu Tianlong saw Wu Ming walking into Hesheng Hall at a glance, and then asked with concern.

Hearing Wu Tianlong's question, Wu Ming quickly stopped what he was doing, stood up and walked forward to answer, "Yes, Grandpa, it ended yesterday. As soon as the competition was over, I hurried over to pay my respects to you!"

Wu Tianlong looked Wu Ming up and down, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was in high spirits and nothing was wrong with him. However, he still asked worriedly, "How is it? Are you injured in this competition?" As he spoke, he reached out and gently stroked his beard on his chin, his eyes always fixed on Wu Ming, revealing his concern.

"Grandpa, don't worry. With my current strength of the ninth level of Qi Refining, I can definitely travel easily outside. How could I get hurt easily? Today, your grandson came here specifically to tell you the good news. Let me tell you, in this outer sect competition, I made it through all the way and successfully entered the top 100, and ranked 89th!" Wu Ming said excitedly, and his pride was hard to hide in his words.