I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

The elders of Wanjian Pavilion, Xuantian Sect, and Youming Palace also received replies almost simultaneously, with the conditions escalating again, even mentioning astonishing benefits such as "disciple of the Pavilion Master/Sect Master," "pre-requisite inheritance of the sect's most powerful cultivation technique," and "independent peak of the Spirit Mountain."

Only Elder Mu Sangzi of the Qingmu Sect, after receiving the message, only frowned slightly and did not immediately raise the stakes. Instead, his eyes darted around, as if he was hesitant.

When he was selecting disciples, he had already taken in the descendants of several close deacons in his sect, as well as a disciple who was favored by a powerful elder in the sect. He reserved the last spot for his own nephew, a wood-type cultivator with decent talent but who was by no means top-notch.

He had already received instructions from the sect to try to win over Qin Yuan, and he had also witnessed Qin Yuan's terror firsthand.

However... if Qin Yuan joins the sect, given his performance, he will undoubtedly steal all the spotlight and resources, leaving his nephew without even a sip of soup. Not to mention, the already delicate balance of power within the sect might be disrupted.

When he sent a message to the sect earlier, although he mentioned that Qin Yuan had won the championship, he intentionally or unintentionally downplayed the shocking details such as "breaking through three realms in succession" and "instantly killing Li Han", only vaguely referring to him as "exceptionally talented", and did not go all out to strive for higher conditions.

The sect's reply was just the usual treatment for a genius, which was decent but far inferior to the other three sects, and they instructed him to "strive for what he could, but not to force it, and to prioritize the harmony of the sect," which was exactly what he wanted.

At this moment, seeing that the conditions of the other three sects were ridiculously high, Mu Sangzi's selfish desires grew stronger. He gritted his teeth and decided to play dumb.

So, after the elders of the other three sects put forward their astonishing conditions, Mu Sangzi simply stroked his beard and gave Qin Yuan a slightly perfunctory smile: "Our Qingmu Sect also welcomes young friend Qin. You can enter the 'Qingmu Garden' to cultivate as a core disciple, and you will have access to wood-based cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities to choose from."

These conditions are far inferior to the initial conditions offered by the other three parties, let alone compared to the current, enhanced conditions. It's like comparing heaven and earth.

"Um?"

"Fellow Daoist Mu Sangzi, what is the meaning of this?" Zhou Qingxuan frowned first, looking at Mu Sangzi with confusion. The elders of the Myriad Swords Pavilion and the Xuan Tian Sect also cast surprised glances. Given Qin Yuan's performance, for the Qingmu Sect to offer such conditions seemed like an insult, or perhaps... a sign of giving up on themselves?

The cultivators watching below were in an uproar.

"What's wrong with the Aoki Sect? Why are the conditions so bad?"

"Does the Green Wood Sect have such high standards that they don't even think much of Qin Yuan?"

"That's not right. The Green Wood Sect ranks low among the five major sects, and they used to be the most aggressive in recruiting people. What happened this time?"

"That's tough! I didn't expect the Green Wood Sect to be so principled, disdaining to compete with other sects on terms?" someone speculated wildly.

Mu Sangzi seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter and Zhou Qingxuan's questions. Instead, he turned around and beckoned to a smug-looking young man in green robes behind him: "Mu Xuan, come here. From today onwards, you are one of the disciples recruited by my Qingmu Sect." The young man in green robes quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and looked at Qin Yuan with a hint of hidden schadenfreude.

This move was tantamount to announcing to his face: I've given the last spot to my own people, there's no place for you, Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan had been calmly observing everything until this moment, when his gaze finally fell entirely on Mu Sangzi. He remembered this face; it was this very person who had taken Lin Qing'er away.

"Elder Mu Sangzi," Qin Yuan spoke, his voice clear and steady, "May I ask, besides this quota, are there any other ways to join the Qingmu Sect? I have an agreement with one of your sect's disciples."

Mu Sangzi frowned even more, his impatience growing. Of course, he knew Qin Yuan was referring to Lin Qing'er. That girl possessed an innate wood spirit body and was indeed highly regarded within the sect, but how could he change his mind and offend his own faction just because of an agreement?

He waved his hand, his tone impatient and bureaucratic: "Sects have their own rules and regulations for recruiting disciples. The quotas have been set and there's no possibility of change. As for other methods? Hmph, without the approval of the upper sect, no matter how talented you are, it's difficult to enter the sect. You should really consider the offers of the other three sects."

The words sounded grand and dignified, but in reality, they blocked all paths.

Qin Yuan looked at Mu Sangzi, then glanced at the smug-looking young man named Mu Xuan behind him, and the last trace of emotion in his eyes faded into silence.

He said no more, and with a slight thought, he sent a brief message through a special communication talisman bearing a faint mark of the Qingmu Sect, which was only connected to Lin Qing'er: "The Qingmu Sect's quota is full, and the elders are blocking the way, so the appointment may not be made on time. I have made another choice. Do not worry, take care of yourself, and we will meet again at the sect."

The message was sent, and the green wood mark on the talisman glowed slightly before fading completely, indicating that the message had been delivered, but the channel might be under unilateral surveillance or about to be closed.

After doing all this, Qin Yuan raised his head and glanced at Zhou Qingxuan, the elder of Wanjian Pavilion, and the elder of Xuantian Sect.

The three elders immediately held their breath, awaiting his final decision. The black-robed figure from the Netherworld Palace also stood silently.

Qin Yuan bowed to Zhou Qingxuan and calmly said, "Junior Qin Yuan wishes to join the Taiyi Sect."

The sound was not loud, but it was like a hammer blow, marking the end of this struggle.

Zhou Qingxuan was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes filled with satisfaction and joy: "Good! Good! Qin Yuan, from this day forward, you are the prospective Dao Child of my Taiyi Sect!"

The elders of the Myriad Swords Pavilion and the Profound Heaven Sect looked regretful, but they knew that the conditions were not as favorable as those of the Taiyi Sect, so they could only sigh and shake their heads. The figure of the black-robed man from the Netherworld Palace trembled slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Mu Sangzi breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a little uneasy. However, since things had come to this point, he could only force himself to remain calm and pretend that nothing had happened.

Below, the Xuan Yuan Sect members were overjoyed. Although they were somewhat disappointed that they could not join the same sect as Qin Yuan, their eldest brother had entered the strongest Taiyi Immortal Sect and was even a prospective Dao Child. This was simply wonderful news! Countless spectators were also filled with emotion at this final result, their gazes turning to the blue-robed figure who was about to soar into the sky.

Qin Yuan remained expressionless and, at Zhou Qingxuan's signal, walked towards the Taiyi Sect's group.

Aoki Sect? A Pact?

The path has been shown; it was you who closed the door.

The Taiyi Sect might be a new beginning. As for Lin Qing'er... now that she's joined a higher sect, there will be a day when they meet again. And some scores can wait.

Above the sky, clouds surged and churned, as if an even greater storm was quietly brewing within the embrace of Qingzhou's premier sect.

Qin Yuan left with the elders of the Taiyi Sect, while the others left with their respective elders.

The Grand Gathering of Prodigies has ended, and I wonder when we'll meet again.