Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 193 Proof of Earth Rank, Recognition of the Water Vein!

Bibo Pavilion is an elegant pavilion on the top floor of a building on the main peak, reserved for celestial disciples and true disciples to meditate in seclusion.

Three distinguished young men sat facing each other, sipping spiritual tea.

One of them, dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns, had a handsome face and a calm demeanor. He was Zhou Lingyun, the fifth disciple of the Heavenly Rank and a potential contender for the position of the next sect leader.

He looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but his aura was as deep and unfathomable as the ocean, clearly indicating that he was already a powerful expert in the Marrow Refining Realm!

At this moment, he was slowly and deliberately fiddling with his teacup, his eyes lowered, seemingly indifferent to everything around him, exuding an aura of detachment, aloofness, and absolute confidence.

It was as if nothing in the world could catch his eye, nothing more than ants and dust.

The other person, dressed in purple, stood tall and straight like a spear, with a cold and stern face and a sharp aura between his brows. He was none other than Lin Jingyun, who ranked eighth among the Ten True Disciples and was famous for his "Flowing Cloud Spear Technique".

He was about thirty-two years old, and his cultivation was at the Marrow Refining Realm. His aura was sharp and incomparable, like a divine spear about to be drawn from its sheath.

The third person was a young man who looked to be no more than twenty years old. He was dressed in a crimson martial arts uniform, with arrogant eyes and a fiery aura. He was Xiao Chen, a genius disciple who had recently gained popularity and was vying for a place in the true lineage.

Although he was only at the peak of the Refining Realm, he possessed formidable combat prowess. He once used his "Breaking Army Spear Technique" to challenge and defeat several veteran Refining Realm masters, earning him the reputation of a once-in-a-century spear prodigy and a recognized strong contender for the next true successor.

"I heard that a few days ago, a disciple from the Water Cultivation Sect named Song Jing got a chance to pay his respects to Grandmaster Jinghong?" Xiao Chen toyed with the teacup in his hand, his tone tinged with disdain. "And he's a Xuan-rank disciple at the late Bone Forging stage? Ha, when did Grandmaster Jinghong's taste become so...unique?"

Lin Jingyun picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Grandmaster Uncle has his reasons for acting. Song Jing was able to kill many Refining Realm cultivators, pass the seventh level of the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, and advance to the Earth Rank, so he must have extraordinary abilities. However—"

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Grandmaster Uncle's Swift Shadow Spear Technique cannot be lightly passed on to anyone but an unparalleled genius."

Although Song Jing is talented, it will be difficult for him to catch the eye of his grandmaster.

Six months to master a rare spear technique? Ha! It took me three years of arduous practice to reach mastery of the Flowing Cloud Spear Technique, enduring countless hardships along the way. Him? Difficult, difficult, difficult.

Clearly, he was not entirely unmoved by Song Jing's opportunity to meet Elder Jinghong.

After all, he had once longed to become a disciple of Elder Jinghong, but was politely refused.

The fact that a mere youth at the Bone Forging Realm could receive such an opportunity, even if it was just a test, made him somewhat uncomfortable.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's disdain deepened: "Even the most talented person has their limits in the Bone Forging Realm. Rare cultivation techniques, especially Grandmaster Uncle's spear technique, are not so easy to master. Half a year to achieve minor success? I think Grandmaster Uncle deliberately set a difficult problem to make him give up."

True inheritance depends on strength and realm of understanding. Only those like Senior Brother Lin and Senior Brother Zhou are worthy of inheriting the ultimate techniques of their grandmaster.

As he spoke, he gave Zhou Lingyun, who had remained silent, a fawning look.

Zhou Lingyun seemed not to hear their discussion. She simply put down her teacup, turned her gaze to the sea of ​​clouds outside the window, her eyes indifferent, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

To him, neither Song Jing nor Elder Jinghong's inheritance seemed to be anything more important than trivial matters, failing to arouse his interest in the slightest.

In his world, it seemed that there was only the supreme position of sect leader and his own path of martial arts.

In his eyes, these disputes among the outer sect disciples, these rivalries among the disciples, were perhaps truly like the squabbles of insects, not worth a second glance.

"Senior Brother Zhou, what do you think?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Lingyun slowly withdrew his gaze and glanced at Xiao Chen. His eyes were calm and expressionless, but they made Xiao Chen's heart skip a beat, as if all his thoughts had been seen through.

"A mere clown, not worth mentioning." Zhou Lingyun's voice was flat, without the slightest inflection. "Grandmaster Jinghong knows what he's doing."

The allocation of resources has been decided, so let's proceed according to the rules. If Song Jingzhen can truly master the spear technique within six months, it proves he is indeed qualified, and receiving some opportunities is only fair. If not, then everything is in vain.

After saying that, he fell silent, closed his eyes again, and seemed to enter some kind of mysterious state of cultivation.

For him, coming here today was probably just to give Lin Jingyun and Xiao Chen face and listen to some unimportant gossip.

Lin Jingyun and Xiao Chen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

Zhou Lingyun's attitude was always aloof and indifferent.

However, they've gotten used to it.

This senior brother is a prodigy in terms of talent, strength, and temperament. His goals have never been at their level, so he naturally can't be bothered with such "trivial matters".

"Fine, let's see how far he can go," Lin Jingyun said calmly, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He didn't think Song Jing could succeed, but if Song Jing really did something amazing, he wouldn't mind personally "giving him some pointers" to make this arrogant brat understand that a true disciple should not be humiliated.

Xiao Chen pursed his lips, stopped talking about Song Jing, and started talking about other things.

In his mind, Song Jing was nothing more than a lucky clown, not worth his attention at all.

What he cared about more was how to break through the Marrow Refinement stage as soon as possible and become a true disciple. At that time, the tests of Song Jing and Elder Jinghong would be far behind him.

The Alchemy Hall is a side hall where outer disciples receive their monthly allowance of pills.

Song Jing changed into a brand-new cyan-colored Earth-rank disciple's robe, with a cyan jade pendant hanging from his waist. Several Water Vein disciples either enviously...

Amidst gazes filled with curiosity or mixed feelings, they entered the side hall.

He came to update his disciple level information and to collect his first month's share of ten Profound Origin Pills after advancing to the Earth Rank.

Inside the hall, many disciples were already queuing up to receive the pills.

When Song Jing walked in, many eyes were immediately drawn to him, especially his blue clothes and waist tag.

"A disciple of the Earth Rank? Who is that? He looks unfamiliar."

"The cyan robes belong to the Water Vein? When did the Water Vein gain another Earth-rank disciple?"

"Hiss—isn't that Song Jing? The ruthless man who killed seven Refining Realm experts in Tianshui City!"

"It really is him! He's advanced to the Earth Rank? So fast? He's only been a beginner for a short time!"

"I heard he passed the seventh level of the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion! My god, late-stage Bone Forging cultivator passed the seventh level? That combat power—"

Whispers arose, a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and envy.

Song Jing remained calm, as if he hadn't heard the surrounding discussions, and walked straight toward the disciple in charge of registering and distributing the pills.

However, just as he was about to reach the counter, a slightly shrill voice suddenly rang out from beside him: "Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this our Water Clan's rising 'genius,' Junior Brother Song Jing?"

Song Jing paused, glancing sideways.

Two young men dressed in gold-plated clothing stood with their arms crossed, looking at him with a half-smile.

One of them, Song Jing recognized, was Zhou Ming, with whom he had clashed in the mission hall.

The other person, whose face bore a resemblance to Zhou Ming, was Zhou An.

He looked Song Jing up and down in his blue robes, his eyes flashing with intense jealousy and disdain. He said sarcastically, "Tsk tsk, Earth-rank disciple's robes? Junior Brother Song, your advancement speed is really fast."

Could it be... stolen from somewhere? Or perhaps Senior Brother Lu Jiutian gave you an early start because you did some good work?"

Upon hearing this, the surroundings immediately fell silent.

Many disciples looked over, their eyes filled with anticipation for a good show.

The conflict between the Zhou family and the water veins was no secret within the sect.

Zhou An's words were clearly a deliberate attempt to provoke and humiliate Song Jing.

Song Jing's eyes turned slightly cold as he calmly looked at Zhou An: "Senior Brother Zhou, what makes you say that? When a disciple's level is promoted, they need to be assessed by the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion. There are records from the gatekeeper elders and the sect's formations. How can it be faked? If Senior Brother Zhou doesn't believe me, he can go to the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion to check."

"Inspection?" Zhou An stepped forward, blocking Zhou An's path. He was tall, a head taller than Song Jing, and looked down at Song Jing with a mocking smile. "That's unnecessary. But Junior Brother Song, you, a mere late-stage Bone Forging cultivator, actually managed to pass the seventh level and advance to the Earth Rank. It's truly—tsk tsk, quite impressive."

He deliberately emphasized the phrase "merely late-stage Bone Forging," his sarcasm evident in his words.

Then, he changed the subject, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "However, even if you advance to the Earth Rank, so what? Ten Profound Origin Pills a month probably won't be of much use to you, right? After all, you're cultivating that famous 'Profound Origin Heavy Water True Technique.' Without enough Profound Origin Pills, you'd probably struggle to even get started, let alone achieve minor success."

Oh, I heard you've managed to achieve some minor success?

"Heh, so what? Without follow-up resources, can you keep making rapid progress indefinitely?"

Zhou An chimed in, deliberately speaking loudly: "That's right! Junior Brother Song, I heard you even dared to dream of becoming Elder Jinghong's disciple?"

Wow, what kind of person is Elder Jinghong?

Even Senior Brother Lin Jingyun, who is the eighth in the True Disciple realm, and Senior Brother Xiao Chen, who is trying to become a True Disciple, look down on you. Why would they look at you, who is only at the Bone Forging Realm?

Could it be that you used some underhanded methods, or begged and pleaded on your knees, to get Elder Jinghong to reluctantly give you a chance, and then kicked you out? Haha!

A low murmur of laughter rose from the surroundings. Zhou An's words were extremely malicious, not only questioning Song Jing's strength but also slandering his character and even attempting to ruin Elder Jinghong's reputation.

Song Jing's eyes turned completely cold. He didn't want to get entangled with such a despicable person, but the other party provoked him again and again, even involving Elder Jinghong, which crossed his bottom line. After all, Elder Jinghong had already established a master-disciple relationship with him and had the grace of imparting knowledge and teaching him.

Moreover, he keenly sensed that it was no coincidence that Zhou An and Zhou An had jumped out at this moment.

This is likely another attempt by the Zhou family to suppress and test him, or rather, to test the water veins.

If he swallows his anger today, not only will he lose face, but the reputation of the water vein will also be damaged. More importantly, if this gets to Elder Jinghong's ears and he is said to be a cowardly and incompetent person, it may really affect the elder's opinion of him, making him think that he is not worth cultivating.

"Senior Brother Zhou, you are mistaken." Song Jing's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Elder Jinghong is a reclusive master, and his actions are guided by his own principles. How can we disciples presume to know? As for whether I am qualified, we will find out in six months. But Senior Brother Zhou, you—"

He turned his gaze to Zhou An, his tone calm yet carrying a sharp, confrontational edge: "Senior Brother Zhou seems quite concerned about my ten Profound Origin Pills each month? What, does Senior Brother Zhou think I shouldn't receive these pills? Or is it that the Zhou family is eyeing my water vein's quota and wants to seize it by trickery?"

"You!" Zhou An's face darkened. He hadn't expected Song Jing to be so sharp-tongued, directly directing the attack at the Zhou family's resource dispute with the water veins. He snorted coldly and said, "Eloquent and deceitful! I simply can't stand some people who, relying on a bit of luck, are arrogant and think they can rise to the top overnight just because they've got a stroke of good fortune! Do you think someone like you can covet Elder Jinghong's inheritance?"

He paused, a calculating glint in his eyes, then suddenly raised his voice and addressed the surrounding disciples: "Everyone..."

With all my fellow disciples here, they can serve as witnesses! Song Jing, you keep claiming you're qualified and received Elder Jinghong's test. But to me, you're nothing more than a late-stage Bone Forging cultivator who barely passed the seventh trial. What right do you have to presume to talk about inheritance?

If you're really that bold, why don't you have a duel with me! Let everyone see just how good you, this so-called "genius," really are!

"A contest?" Song Jing's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Not bad!" Seeing that Song Jing seemed interested, Zhou An immediately pressed his advantage and said loudly, "Let's bet on our share of Xuan Yuan Pills this month!"

If you win, I will give you all twenty Xuan Yuan Pills this month, along with the pill bottle!

If you lose, all ten of your Xuan Yuan Pills this month will be mine!

Furthermore, you must publicly admit that you are unworthy of Elder Jinghong's test and voluntarily give up! How about it? Do you dare to take the gamble?

Twenty against ten! It seems that Song Jing has the advantage, but Zhou An is in the early stage of Refining the Inner Marrow, while Song Jing is only in the late stage of Bone Forging, and the difference in cultivation level is obvious.

To most people, this was an unfair bet.

Zhou An clearly intended to take this opportunity not only to steal Song Jing's Xuan Yuan Pill, but also to publicly humiliate him, undermine his confidence, and ideally make him give up Elder Jing Hong's test, thus becoming a laughingstock.

An uproar immediately erupted around them.

"Twenty for ten? Zhou An's generosity is truly astounding!"

"He's only in the early stages of the Digestion Refining realm, while Song Jing is only in the late stages of the Bone Forging realm. Isn't this blatant bullying?"

"Exactly. Although Song Jing is powerful, Zhou An has also been in the early stages of the Refining Realm for quite some time, and it's said he's recently made a breakthrough, so his strength is considerable. Can Song Jing win?"

"I doubt it. The difference in cultivation level is obvious; Zhou An is not someone those rogue cultivators can compare to."

"If Song Jing doesn't dare to accept the challenge, it will confirm that he's a coward, and Elder Jinghong will probably look down on him even more."

"But if we lose the battle, not only will we lose the pills, but we will also have to admit defeat in public, lose face, and give up the opportunity—the price is too high."

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, their gazes toward Song Jing filled with sympathy and curiosity, while some looked on with schadenfreude.

Song Jing remained silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Seeing this, Zhou An assumed he was afraid and became even more smug, adding fuel to the fire:

What's wrong?

Junior Brother Song, are you scared?

Didn't you want to become Elder Jinghong's disciple?

You don't even have the courage to fight against me, a mere early-stage Refining cultivator. How dare you mention the name of Elder Jinghong?

What kind of person is Elder Jinghong? Would he accept a cowardly man who is as timid as a mouse and doesn't even dare to accept a challenge as his disciple?

I advise you to give up on this idea as soon as possible, lest you tarnish the elder's reputation!

These words were extremely hurtful, putting Song Jing in a very difficult position.

To refuse the challenge is to be cowardly and incompetent, unworthy of Elder Jinghong's test; to accept the challenge and lose will have even more serious consequences.

Song Jing slowly raised his head, looking at Zhou An's smug, confident face, and sneered inwardly.

He was originally thinking about how to "reasonably" get more resources from the Zhou family, but he didn't expect them to deliver themselves to his door.

Twenty Xuan Yuan Pills are almost equivalent to two months' worth of his normal diet!

Moreover, Zhou An's strength might be considered decent in the early stages of the Refining Realm, but compared to Tu Gang, Liu Wumei, and others he killed, he might not be much stronger.

Moreover, he has now achieved minor success in the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill" and entered the "Surprising Shadow Spear" stage, greatly improving his strength. He was just worried about not having a place to test his skills, and Zhou An was like a pillow delivered to his sleepy head!

As for losing?

Song Jing had never considered it.

He's killed countless people at the mid-stage of the Dirty Refinement realm, so why would he be afraid of someone at the early stage of the Dirty Refinement realm?

Zhou An thought he was on the second level, but little did he know that Song Jing had already reached the fifth level.

"Alright." Song Jing's calm voice rang out, instantly silencing the noisy hall.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, not expecting that he would actually agree!

"Junior Brother Song, don't be impulsive!" an urgent voice called out.

Song Jing turned his head and saw Chen Mo and Liu Feng, senior brothers of the Water Vein, a disciple in the early stage of the Refining Realm with a kind face and a steady aura, squeezing through the crowd with anxious expressions on his face.

They had obviously come to collect the pills and happened to witness this scene.

Chen Mo quickly walked to Song Jing's side and whispered, "Junior Brother Song, don't fall for his provocation! Zhou An has been in the early stage of the Refining Realm for a long time, with a solid foundation. He has also mastered the 'Gengjin Posha True Technique' of the Fire Vein, and his strength should not be underestimated! Although your combat power is not bad, the difference in realm is too great—"

Liu Feng also advised, "Yes, Junior Brother Song. A moment of patience brings peace, and taking a step back opens up a vast horizon. You can earn more pills, but if it's done in public—"

Song Jing shook his head at his two senior brothers, giving them a reassuring look, then looked at Zhou An and said calmly, "I accept Senior Brother Zhou's bet. However, words alone are not enough; we need to draw up a written agreement and have the deacon senior brother witness it, so that no one can deny their loss."

"Haha! Good! You've got guts!" Zhou An laughed, a smug glint in his eyes. "As you wish! Let's make a written agreement."

"Please, elder brother in charge, bear witness! All fellow disciples present are witnesses!"

Soon, witnessed by He Gongping, a middle-aged senior disciple of the Fire Meridian who was a deacon of the Alchemy Hall, the two signed a written agreement, pressed their fingerprints, and agreed to a public duel in the outer sect's martial arts arena one hour later.

The winner will receive the other party's share of Xuan Yuan Dan for the month, while the loser must publicly admit defeat and fulfill the additional condition that Song Jingruo must admit that he is not worthy of Elder Jinghong's test and voluntarily give up. This clause was not written into the agreement, but it has become a common practice under the watchful eyes of everyone.

With the agreement signed, Zhou Anzhi was smug, as if the twenty Xuan Yuan Pills were already his for the taking. He glanced at Song Jing and sneered, "Junior Brother Song, see you at the martial arts arena in an hour. I hope you won't desert your post and disgrace your Water Clan." After saying that, he followed Zhou Ming and left laughing.

The surrounding disciples looked at Song Jing with sympathy and regret, while a few looked with curiosity and expectation.

After all, Song Jing has a fearsome reputation; perhaps a miracle really is possible?

"Junior Brother Song, you're too impulsive!" Chen Mo said urgently. "Zhou An is no weakling, and he must have something to rely on to propose a duel! You—"

"Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Liu, don't worry." Song Jing interrupted Chen Mo, his tone calm yet carrying a strong sense of confidence. "I know what I'm doing. I don't take Zhou An seriously. I'm determined to have those twenty Xuan Yuan Pills of his."

Looking at Song Jing's calm yet incredibly confident eyes, Chen Mo and Liu Feng were speechless for a moment.

They recalled Song Jing's achievements in Tianshui City and the rumors of him passing the seventh level, and a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts again.

Perhaps—Junior Brother Song really can create a miracle?

"Sigh, it's no use saying more now." Liu Feng sighed, took a small cloth bag from his pocket, and handed it to Song Jing. "Junior Brother Song, here are the five Xuan Yuan Pills I just received this month, and Senior Brother Chen's as well. We—we bet on you to win!"

Chen Mo silently took out his five Xuan Yuan Pills, put them in his cloth bag, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Song, the honor and disgrace of the Water Vein rest on your shoulders. In this battle, victory is not an option! These ten Xuan Yuan Pills are a token of our goodwill from Liu Feng and me, and also a bet! If you win, the pills are yours; if you lose—consider it our support for you!"

Looking at the undisguised trust and support in his two senior brothers' eyes, Song Jing felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

The Water Clan is small in number, but their unity and camaraderie are invaluable. He nodded emphatically and accepted the cloth bag: "Thank you both, senior brothers. I will certainly not disappoint you in this battle!"

Just then, several sarcastic voices came from the side.

"Oh, the Water Vein is really united, isn't it? They've already started placing bets? What, so confident in their genius?" The speakers were two Gold Vein disciples and two Fire Vein disciples. They weren't from the Zhou family faction, but they were clearly dissatisfied with Song Jing or didn't think much of him. They were gathered together, pointing and whispering about Song Jing.

"The betting is open! Song Jing vs. Zhou An, 3 to 1! Place your bets now!" A seemingly clever Fire Vein disciple shouted out on the spot, setting up the betting tables. Clearly, the vast majority of people favored Zhou An, and Song Jing's odds were astonishingly high.

"I'm betting on Senior Brother Zhou An, five Xuan Yuan Pills!"

"I'm also betting on Brother Zhou An, three coins!"

"I'm betting ten! Senior Brother Zhou An will definitely win!"

Many disciples placed bets, almost unanimously betting on Zhou An to win.

Only a handful of disciples who knew something about Song Jing, or simply disliked the Zhou family, hesitated before betting on Song Jing, but the amounts were not large.

Chen Mo and Liu Feng's expressions darkened further upon seeing this. This was not just a bet, but a matter of the water vein's dignity!

Their water veins were already weak; if they suffered a crushing defeat in public and were humiliated in such a way, they would never be able to hold their heads high within the sect again.

"We're betting on Song Jing to win! Twenty Xuan Yuan Pills!" Chen Mo suddenly shouted, snatching back the cloth bag he had just given to Song Jing. Together with the spare pills and spirit stones he and Liu Feng had left, they gathered resources worth about twenty Xuan Yuan Pills and bet them all on Song Jing.

"We're betting on Junior Brother Song too! Five Xuan Yuan Pills!" Two more Water Vein disciples, at the mid-stage of Bone Forging, rushed over upon hearing the news, gritting their teeth and betting their entire monthly quota.

Although they were uneasy, at this moment, the dignity of the water veins outweighed everything else!

Losing money is a small matter, but losing one's integrity is a big one!

We must never let outsiders look down on the water veins!

The disciple who opened the betting was taken aback, not expecting the Water Vein people to be so "stubborn," then chuckled: "Good! The Water Vein senior brothers have guts! Once you've placed your bet, there's no going back!"

A low chuckle rippled through the crowd, clearly indicating that no one had high hopes for the water vein.

Looking at Chen Mo, Liu Feng, and the two junior brothers from the Water Vein Sect who were betting with gritted teeth, Song Jing was moved and felt a surge of excitement.

He patted Chen Mo and Liu Feng on the shoulder, saying nothing more, but the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.

"See you at the training ground in one hour."

After saying that, he ignored the noise and discussion around him and turned to leave the side hall of the alchemy hall.

He needs some time to get into top form.

Zhou An?

However, it was merely a stepping stone on his path to greater heights, and also—a money-bringing boy.

An hour passed quickly. The outer training ground was already surrounded by layers of disciples who had rushed over after hearing the news.

Everyone wanted to see who was stronger between this newly emerged, infamous water vein genius and Zhou An, a veteran early-stage refining expert.

This bet is no longer just about the ownership of twenty Xuan Yuan Pills; it concerns the reputation of the water vein and the Zhou family, or rather, a part of the fire vein, and even subtly attracts the attention of higher levels.

Can Song Jing create another miracle, defend the dignity of the water veins, and give the Zhou family a resounding slap in the face?

Everyone is waiting for the answer.