"Thank you, Senior Brother Ji."
Qin Xuan clasped his hands in gratitude.
The Golden Finger hadn’t issued a warning, which ant there was no problem with this opportunity.
Since there was no issue, Qin Xuan accepted it with a clear conscience.
’I’ll take the sweet deal for now. I’ll worry about the fallout when it cos.’
Ji Boying smiled brightly. "I’m glad you like it, Junior Brother Qin. I wonder if you would be willing to join my Vast Qi Tower..."
Before Ji Boying could finish, a demonic light suddenly descended from the sky, materializing into a young man in green robes.
The mont he saw the green-robed youth, Ji Boying’s pupils shrank.
The young man wore a ghastly green robe woven from Ghost Vine. His eyes were unlike a normal person’s, with eerie, vertical, jade-green pupils, just like a viper’s.
"Congratulations on achieving Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt, Junior Brother Qin. A small token of my esteem."
The green-robed youth flipped his hand, revealing a jet-black Jade Tube.
Qin Xuan was taken aback. "And you are...?"
"Hahaha, I am Wei Qingyi, a Full-ti Deputy Incense Master from the Punishnt Hall’s Bureau of Punishnt Sub-Altar."
"By order of Hall Master Chen Xuanba, I have co to invite you, Junior Brother Qin, to join the Punishnt Hall!"
It was actually Wei Qingyi, the younger brother of Wei Qingshan, the Altar Master of the Ten Thousand Laws Altar!
An uproar swept through the crowd.
At his words, pair after pair of burning gazes locked onto Qin Xuan.
No one had expected that Qin Xuan would be courted by two major Inner Sect powers the mont he erged from seclusion.
Ji Boying’s eyes darkened, and killing intent surged in his heart.
anwhile, Wen Shichu also appeared, his face expressionless.
The three ford a triangular standoff. The vast pressure of their Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt auras crackled like thunder as they all stared at Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan felt like he had needles at his back.
The surrounding Demon Cultivators were stunned.
"Master Qin is truly capable. No wonder he reached Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt so quickly. It turns out he’s backed by the Master Demon Child, Blood Tyrant!"
If one were to na the most powerful and influential departnt in the Blood Demon Sword Sect, the Contribution Hall, with its Blood Loan Money Shop, would rank first.
The Vast Qi Tower, led by the Golden Core Blood Demon Ji Boyan, barely made the list of the top ten powers on Ten Thousand Poison Peak.
However, the Punishnt Hall, controlled by the Blood Tyrant Demon Child, was definitely in the top three—and not necessarily in third place.
Everyone’s eyes lit up as they began to gossip.
Master Qin was still nominally the Vice Incense Master of the Plague Poison Altar, yet he had the support of the Blood Tyrant Demon Child.
But he had also just accepted the Innate Fire Spirit Root from the Vast Qi Tower’s Master Yanxue Sword Demon. Wasn’t he trying to play three sides at once?
No matter which faction he chose, the other two would surely not let him off the hook!
From his corner, Hou Qi grew curious about who Qin Xuan would choose to join.
But just then...
Wei Qingyi shook his head slightly. "Master Demon Child, Blood Tyrant has entered seclusion. However, before he did, he made it clear that if Junior Brother Qin had not yet reached Foundation Establishnt, it wouldn’t matter who killed him."
"But now that Junior Brother Qin has achieved Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt, he is free to choose which faction to join."
At this, Wei Qingyi smiled faintly.
"If anyone is foolish enough to interfere, don’t bla for being unreasonable."
BUZZ—!
The silver-white Lifebound Longsword in Wei Qingyi’s hand trembled lightly, and the dark, erald Sword Patterns etched upon it glowed with an eerie light!
Wen Shichu said, "Junior Brother Wei, you misunderstand. I ca here today to invite Junior Brother Qin to participate in the Incense Master ranking assessnt."
"As for which hall he wishes to join, why don’t we wait until after the Incense Master ranking assessnt to see? How about it?"
Ji Boying’s eyes lit up. "Excellent!"
Wei Qingyi shrugged noncommittally.
"???"
Qin Xuan’s eyes widened.
’Senior Brothers, couldn’t you at least ask for my opinion? You’ve decided my fate so casually?’
Wen Shichu gave a slight, knowing smile. "Well, Junior Brother Qin? Are you willing to participate in the Incense Master ranking?"
Just then, the massive sphere of light in Qin Xuan’s mind suddenly began to flicker.
Two bamboo slips flew out from it.
[Middle-Upper Draw: Choose to participate. The three-way balance will be maintained, granting temporary stability. No opportunity. Auspicious.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Refuse to participate. The balance will be broken, posing a threat to your life. Inauspicious!]
Without a second thought, Qin Xuan spoke decisively. "Of course, Senior Brother Wen. Participating in the Incense Master ranking is my duty."
Wen Shichu nodded in satisfaction.
Hearing this, the killing intent in Ji Boying’s eyes dissipated, and he gave a faint smile.
The so-called Incense Master ranking, as the na implied, was an assessnt that assigned a rank to newly advanced Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivators from one of four tiers: Jia-level, Yi-level, Bing-level, and Ding-level.
It was a stage that every Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Demon Cultivator in the Inner Sect had to go through, held once every ten years.
Those who received a Jia-level evaluation could be directly promoted to Chief Incense Master of a sub-altar!
Those who received a Yi-level evaluation would beco a Full-ti Deputy Incense Master.
As for those who received Bing-level or Ding-level evaluations, they were considered unremarkable, and their status would remain unchanged.
Logically, Qin Xuan could have waited for the next decade. After all, the Incense Master ranking was competitive, and newly promoted Incense Masters were often given a year to rest and consolidate their cultivation.
But now, Wen Shichu had forced him into it.
’Damn you, Plague Bone! I’ll get my revenge for this one day!’
...
「After Ji Boying and Wen Shichu left.」
Qin Xuan asked, "If I may ask, Senior Brother, how many Jia-level spots are usually available in the Incense Master ranking?"
If he wasn’t going to participate, it would be one thing.
But since he was, he was definitely going for the best!
Wei Qingyi replied, "Usually about three. The top three are selected from one hundred eligible Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivators to receive a Jia-level ranking."
"Fourth to twentieth place receive a Yi-level ranking. Bing and Ding aren’t worth ntioning."
Qin Xuan was shocked. "Our Blood Demon Sword Sect actually has one hundred eligible Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivators?"
Wei Qingyi seed to have expected this reaction and chuckled.
"That’s nothing. It’s just Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt. As long as the Blood Demon Sword Sect has enough resources, we’ll never be short on talent."
"Oh, right. Junior Brother Qin, I should also tell you that things are a bit special this ti. A few spots have already been decided, so strictly speaking, there might only be one Jia-level spot left in this assessnt. One out of a hundred."
Hearing this, Qin Xuan’s brow furrowed.
One hundred Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Demon Cultivators, with only one being chosen. The difficulty was imnse.
"Senior Brother Wei, what are the rules of the trial then?"
"Very simple." Wei Qingyi gave a mysterious smile and unrolled an ancient-looking Sheepskin Scroll.
The Scroll displayed a map of the Daqian Dynasty’s territory, densely packed with the nas of countless places, large and small. There were at least several hundred small kingdoms, and each one had at least one Foundation Establishnt Sect.
"So ti ago, a Nascent Soul Demon Monarch from the Cyan Cloud Sect shalessly used a Curse Technique to curse and kill dozens of our Holy Sect’s Foundation Establishnt Great Demons."
"The Sect Leader was furious and ordered us to retaliate. Therefore, this Incense Master assessnt has beco a choice between two options."
Wei Qingyi pointed at the map. "Either wield a Demon Sword and kill one thousand Righteous Dao Cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer or higher;"
or single-handedly annihilate a Righteous Dao Foundation Establishnt Sect!"
"Hiss..." Qin Xuan couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.
’, an Incense Master.’
’Annihilate an entire Sect?’
He finally understood why the Cyan Cloud Sect had allied with the Thirteen Righteous Sects to attack the Blood Demon Sword Sect.
’...With rules like these, how could the Righteous Dao not co knocking on their door?!’
"Don’t worry, I’m also participating in this assessnt,"
Wei Qingyi grinned. "Junior Brother Qin, co and pick a Sect that catches your eye. The ti limit is one year."
The Sects on the map before him were all different, their strange and myriad nas dazzling to the eye.
’Which one should I choose?’
Qin Xuan fell into deep thought.
Wei Qingyi thought Qin Xuan had been frightened by the rules of the Incense Master assessnt.
"Junior Brother Qin, do you find these rules to be bloody, outrageous, and difficult to accept?"
Qin Xuan shook his head. "The strong make the rules, and the weak follow them. Whoever holds power decides what is right."
"The so-called Righteous Dao and Demon Dao are rely a matter of different standpoints."
"If the one sitting on the dragon throne of the Daqian Dynasty wasn’t Emperor Taizu Qian, but the Demon Venerable of our Blood Demon Sword Sect from long ago, then we would be the ones considered righteous now."
’Why is it considered righteous and proper for the Righteous Dao to hunt and kill us Demon Cultivators?’
’Can’t the Demon Sect strike back at the Righteous Sects and enact justice on behalf of heaven?’
This speech made Wei Qingyi’s heart surge with emotion. He had originally planned on giving Qin Xuan a pep talk, but he never expected the kid to see things even more clearly than he did.
"Haha, well said!"
"Junior Brother Qin, you truly are a natural-born Demon Cultivator! You are fit to be a Demon Child of our Sword Sect!"
"A disposition like this far surpasses that good-for-nothing Xiao Ran!"
Wei Qingyi clapped his hands in high praise.
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