Nearly four months passed in the blink of an eye.

  Winter had arrived.

  Snow had fallen for dozens of days, covering Sword Peak in white.

  "Young Master, have you really broken through?"

  "Sometimes I wonder if Young Master is really a third-grade spiritual root! Your cultivation speed is no slower than that of a prodigy."

  Ye Chen was about to head out.

  Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er, the two maids, were becoming more diligent, carefully arranging Ye Chen's attire.

  Ye Chen looked at the two women busying themselves in front of him and smiled.

  His breakthrough was entirely due to his own efforts; the System only provided a little help.

  "I managed to break through, thanks in no small part to you two."

  Upon hearing this, the two women didn't blush.

  They just looked at Ye Chen with charming eyes, even gazing at him longingly, "Since that's the case, we must help Young Master cultivate again tonight!"

  "I'll go first tonight. Yesterday, Lin Ke'er cheated; it was supposed to be my turn, but she sneaked in!"

  The two women were no longer as shy as when they first arrived at Qingyun Sect.

  Now they were completely at ease.

  Their enthusiasm was high.

  After all, the benefits they received were considerable.

  Ever since becoming Ye Chen's maids, they had access to almost every kind of pill.

  Additionally, they could enjoy the cultivation boost from the Stone Bell Jade Essence Bed.

  And there were evening lessons for cultivation.

  Honestly, their treatment was better than most disciples of Qingyun Sect.

  Their cultivation had also advanced rapidly, both breaking through to the sixth yer of Qi Refining.

  Ye Chen watched the two women bickering over who would sit first, unable to suppress a slight smile. He didn't intervene but leisurely walked towards the door.

  The reason he wasn't cultivating this morning and was heading down the mountain was that today was the third day of the sect's grand competition.

  The sect's grand competition was the biggest event in Qingyun Sect.

  All disciples who had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining had to participate.

  Moreover, if they performed well, they might be taken as a disciple by an elder.

  Even if they weren't chosen by an elder, as long as they made it into the top hundred, there were almost always rewards.

  Naturally, this made the disciples of Qingyun Sect very enthusiastic.

  Ye Chen was determined to win the Foundation Establishment Pill, the prize for this year's sect competition.

  Why was he so confident?

  Because Ye Chen had the strength.

  Currently, Ye Chen's cultivation had once again broken through, reaching the eighth yer of Qi Refining.

  As for the Five Elements Pill, he had long since consumed it to its limit.

  His dantian had expanded threefold compared to before.

  His mana was far more abundant than that of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

  And with abundant mana, he had greater endurance.

  His meridians were also strengthened.

  The greater the mana output, the more powerful the magic, naturally.

  Not to mention the magic artifacts and spells.

  Looking across the entire Qingyun Sect's Qi Refining stage, there was absolutely no one who could challenge him.

  Not even in Qingyun Sect.

  Even in some of the more powerful sects or holy nds, finding someone at the Qi Refining stage to arm-wrestle with Ye Chen wouldn't be easy.

  So, Ye Chen was truly confident.

  Upon reaching the sect's square, the crowd of disciples was bustling, even those eliminated in the previous days had come to watch.

  The reason Ye Chen was only participating on the third day was due to sect rules.

  Direct disciples and those at the ninth level of Qi Refining didn't need to participate in the preliminary rounds and would only start competing from the top hundred.

  Otherwise, it would be too unfair to the ordinary disciples.

  "Junior Brother, you're here?"

  Ye Chen looked at the list posted by the Internal Affairs Hall.

  He wanted to see who he would be fighting.

  It would be great if it were Li Xiaoyao.

  Even though nearly half a year had passed, Ye Chen hadn't forgotten the grudge from being mocked back then.

  But before Ye Chen could find his name, he heard a soft ugh from behind.

  Turning around, who else could it be but Senior Sister Yao Xi?

  Senior Sister Yao Xi's aura was visibly much stronger than during the Five Elements Cave slot contest.

  Clearly, the various gifts Ye Chen had given her during this time had greatly benefited her.

  "Do you have confidence, Senior Sister?"

  The two were now quite familiar with each other.

  So Ye Chen asked with a light smile.

  Yao Xi nodded immediately upon hearing this, "If I encounter Li Xiaoyao again, I think I can put up a fight."

  "But those direct disciples are another matter."

  "Sometimes winning first pce depends on luck; the strongest doesn't always win."

  "But it's always worth striving for."

  "What about you, Junior Brother?"

  Yao Xi turned to ask.

  Ye Chen's lips curled slightly, "Since I'm participating, I naturally aim for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

  Yao Xi covered her mouth and ughed, thinking Ye Chen was joking, "In that case, if we meet, I won't hold back, and you shouldn't go easy on me either."

  Ye Chen nodded.

  If he encountered Yao Xi, he certainly wouldn't hold back.

  For Ye Chen, if he didn't take first pce, it wasn't the end of the world.

  After all, he could only break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining next year.

  Waiting another year was no big deal.

  But anyone could take first pce, except Yao Xi.

  After all, if Yao Xi got lucky and took first pce, received the Foundation Establishment Pill, and broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, what would he do?

  So, Yao Xi had to lose.

  ...

  Yao Xi didn't know Ye Chen's thoughts. Hearing her name called by the Internal Affairs Hall for her match, she smiled and bid farewell to Ye Chen.

  Ye Chen continued to search for his name on the list.

  Soon, he found his name.

  But upon seeing his opponent's name, he smiled.

  His first opponent was Ye Tian.

  He hadn't expected this guy to be quite capable, making it into the top hundred.

  But it was good that he did; he was always spreading rumors about him in the sect.

  Ye Chen had long wanted to teach Ye Tian a lesson.

  While Ye Chen was pondering, he heard Ye Tian's voice from behind.

  "Seventh Brother, Seventh Brother, I saw it, we're opponents!"

  Ye Tian's expression was particurly excited.

  "Yes, what a coincidence!"

  Ye Chen also smiled warmly, appearing amicable.

  "Seventh Brother, let me tell you, I've already broken through to the eighth yer of Qi Refining."

  "I swept my way into the top hundred."

  "Technically, I should aim for a higher rank, maybe even the top ten."

  "But since we're brothers, I can't ignore our bond."

  "As a direct disciple, if you lose in the first round, it would be quite embarrassing."

  "So, Seventh Brother, if you give me a top-grade spirit stone and the Five Elements Cave slot for the next two years, I'll go easy on you in the ring..."

  "Performing well in the sect competition could earn you a chance to be taken as a disciple by an elder."

  "I'm offering a lot, aren't I!"

  Ye Tian whispered into Ye Chen's ear.

  Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly.

  This fake cousin of his, whenever he saw him, couldn't stop talking about spirit stones.

  He had suspected before that Ye Tian was caught in a scam.

  Now it seemed likely.

  Though they weren't blood-reted, he couldn't just watch Ye Tian continue down this path.

  So Ye Chen smiled and patted Ye Tian's shoulder, "Since you call me Seventh Brother, I'll hold back a bit ter."

  With that, Ye Chen leisurely headed towards the ring to watch Yao Xi's match.

  Ye Tian was stunned for a moment.

  You're a third-grade spiritual root, even if you're a direct disciple, you've given all your good stuff to women.

  What do you have to fight me with?

  But since Ye Chen didn't appreciate his kindness, he wouldn't hold back either.

  Defeating a direct disciple in the ring would certainly boost his reputation.

  Maybe an elder would take notice and accept him as a disciple.

  Once he became an elder's disciple, he could just default on his debts.

  Let those creditors see if they dared to ask him for spirit stones again!

  ...

  Ye Chen didn't know the strange thoughts running through Ye Tian's mind.

  As Ye Chen moved, he noticed many people watching him.

  There was Li Xiaoyao.

  And some people Ye Chen didn't recognize.

  For instance, a certain eighth yer of Qi Refining who looked at him with displeasure.

  And a few ninth level of Qi Refining with three cloud patterns on their chests, looking at him with amusement.

  Ye Chen could sense their malice.

  However, Ye Chen didn't care and couldn't be bothered to figure out who they were.

  After all, not being envied is the mark of mediocrity.

  Whoever they were, if they met in the ring, he'd just beat them up!

  CPDD