Chapter 109: Saint-Rank Potential
–Storm Realm, Gray Shadow Mountain
A massive, cloud-shrouded mountain range, the sky hazy with a smog-like mist.
Gray Shadow Mountain, a subsidiary force of the Gray Citadel, was filled with powerful Spirit Masters and overflowing with talent. They lacked nothing except for Saint-rank Spirit Masters and Nether Traverse Stage experts.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Suddenly, a terrifying, icy aura, like a tolling bell, reverberated through the testing hall, its powerful waves shaking the very foundations of the mountain.
In an instant, everyone, both inside and outside the hall, was enveloped in a bone-chilling cold, their minds plunged into an endless icy abyss.
What was this…?
Like an avalanche, a scene of utter devastation, snowflakes scattering, the earth shattering.
Inside the testing hall, the girls who had climbed the mountain together collapsed like dominoes, blood trickling from their orifices, unconscious.
The gray-robed Spirit Master fell to the ground as if struck by a hammer, her face pale and drained of color.
A mere Illumination Stage Spirit Master, she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. A release of spirit energy that could knock out a Spirit Master? How was that even possible?!
A layer of frost covered her body, her teeth chattering uncontrollably, her limbs stiffening from the cold.
Swish, swish!
Two figures materialized in the hall, radiating a powerful aura.
Ignoring the near-frozen gray-robed Spirit Master, they focused their attention on the source of the icy aura.
One of them, a beautiful woman with her hair in a bun, stepped forward and picked up the frost-covered spirit crystal the silver-haired girl had just released.
With a simple pulse of spirit energy, the previously blank crystal now throbbed with power, its energy density comparable to the high-grade crystals they used for cultivation.
After a moment of stunned silence, the woman with the bun looked at the expressionless silver-haired girl, her own expression turning to excitement.
“Her eyes… the whites and pupils are indistinguishable! Just like that woman!!!”
“Yes, I saw that woman from afar once. They are indeed very similar,” the other, masked woman nodded in agreement.
Gong Lianyue knew instantly who they were talking about: He Daoqi, the Swallow God, currently imprisoned in her Crystal Chamber.
Heh, the woman the Storm Realm Spirit Masters dreamt of… A single press of a button, and she would scream in agony.
Ahem! Truth be told, those colorless eyes were quite distinctive and memorable.
But she hadn’t intentionally imitated them. This was simply one of the Sorrowful Saintess’s trump cards: [Show-Off Mode].
By changing the shape of her eyes and then using the Cloud Dream Flower’s pollen, she had created these dull, gray eyes, the perfect disguise.
The two plump, middle-aged women stared at Shui Qingyue, their expressions filled with awe.
Her appearance, her aura, her composure, and that terrifying chill she had just unleashed… she was far superior to Gray Shadow Mountain’s current Saintess.
This was a woman who, just by standing there, exuded power!
“Could she be… a Saint…?”
The woman with the bun asked tentatively. The masked woman shook her head, then nodded.
The word “Saint” held too much weight for Gray Shadow Mountain. If she truly was Saint-rank, they would have to immediately report it to the higher-ups. Concealing it would result in severe punishment.
So, even if she was Saint-rank, they couldn’t acknowledge it.
“You want to hide it? What if the Gray Citadel finds out?” the masked woman asked cautiously.
“Think about it. We’re currently in the process of returning the Swallow God. Another Saint-rank Spirit Master appearing at this time is… sensitive. It might trigger internal conflict within the Gray Citadel. We’re trying to avoid that by keeping it quiet. What’s wrong with that?”
“…”
The two women exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up.
If they could recruit this girl with Saint-rank potential, then Gray Shadow Mountain would no longer be just a subsidiary force of the Gray Citadel.
The woman with the bun composed herself, adopting an air of elegance and nobility, and addressed the silver-haired girl.
“We are senior instructors of Gray Shadow Mountain, second only to the Vice Palace Master. You possess remarkable talent. Would you be willing to follow us on the path of a Spirit Master?”
“W-What?” Gong Lianyue asked, stunned.
“I said, I am a senior instructor of Gray Shadow Mountain. I see your talent and wish to take you as my disciple. Do you understand?”
“Huh?”
“Um… have you ever suffered any hearing damage?”
Normally, if someone asked repeatedly and still didn’t receive a clear answer, they would ask, “Are you deaf?”
But the woman with the bun maintained a gentle and kind expression, her tone polite, careful not to show any hostility.
This girl before her possessed Saint-rank potential. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had some physical or mental impairment.
Gong Lianyue remained expressionless, inwardly speechless.
She had heard the woman’s question. It was precisely because she had heard it that she was so bewildered.
A Spirit Master of the same rank as her, the Dead Sea Stage, wanted to take her as a disciple…?
Lady, the only reason you’re still standing there spouting nonsense is because I only released a fraction of my power, equivalent to the Awakening Stage.
If the Frost Snow Woman’s Saint-rank aura erupted, you would be lying on the ground unconscious like those other girls.
Of course, Gong Lianyue wouldn’t reveal the truth.
The next second, the gray in the silver-haired girl’s eyes shimmered slightly, and a forced smile appeared on her face.
“I apologize. I understood your words, Master. I was simply too overwhelmed to speak.”
“I grew up playing in the mud in my village. I’ve never seen the world, but I’ve heard stories about the great Gray Shadow Mountain, a sacred land for Spirit Masters, and the esteemed position of senior instructor.”
“To have a senior instructor from Gray Shadow Mountain personally offer to take me as a disciple… I am truly honored!!!”
The two senior instructors exchanged glances, a hint of delight in their eyes.
Although the girl’s tone was flat, the excitement in her eyes betrayed her. She must be ecstatic.
To remain so calm in such an exciting moment… she truly had Saint-rank potential!
Chapter 110: Novice Missions
–Storm Realm, Gray Shadow Mountain
An unprecedented event. A mere village girl, still in her awakening period, had caused a surge of spirit energy for miles around.
During the Gray Shadow Mountain aptitude test, the terrifying aura emanating from the silver-haired girl had startled even the Dead Sea Stage senior instructors. It was like the presence of a legendary Saint-rank Spirit Master.
Although they couldn’t be certain she was Saint-rank, she definitely had the potential to reach the Nether Traverse Stage!!!
A Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Master could hold a prominent position even within the Gray Citadel.
If she truly reached that level, Gray Shadow Mountain’s status would also rise, becoming a leading power among the Ten Citadels.
After briefly probing Shui Qingyue’s intentions and goals, the two satisfied senior instructors departed.
The aptitude test continued.
As the other girls watched in awe, the silver-haired girl was led to a separate passage.
The female Spirit Master who had almost fainted during the test, her heart still pounding, nervously addressed the silver-haired girl.
“Shui Qingyue, although you have been chosen by the senior instructors, you still need to successfully complete a week-long probationary period. The specific rules will be explained by the new recruit guide.”
“One week?”
Gong Lianyue frowned slightly. A little over a month remained until the Hibernating Sun’s birthday celebration. Factoring in the travel time to the Gray Citadel for the handover ceremony with Gray Shadow Mountain, time was running short.
She didn’t know if she would have enough time after wasting a week here…
The main purpose of concealing her identity was to avoid conflict with the Shadowcandle Temple and the Windchaser Emperor. If she ran out of time, she would have to reveal her true strength.
The Gray Citadel would surely assist in their Swallow God’s return.
Lost in thought, Gong Lianyue followed the Spirit Master through the dark passage. The wind spirit energy grew increasingly dense and violent, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Yet, the Illumination Stage Spirit Master beside her seemed completely unaffected, even invigorated, like a fish in water.
Wind-attribute Spirit Masters in a wind-rich environment were like water-attribute Spirit Masters in the Sea Region…
Since she couldn’t breathe, she would simply stop.
Gong Lianyue slightly adjusted her respiratory system, regurgitating a mouthful of water, then closing her airways, storing the water within.
As long as she had water, she could survive, needing nothing else.
Whoosh!!!
The moment they exited the dark passage, a violent gust of wind almost ripped the girl’s skirt off.
The terrifying hurricane, the swirling, chaotic spirit energy, made it impossible for Gong Lianyue to see clearly.
She narrowed her eyes, the outlines of the surrounding mountains gradually coming into focus. So this was the interior of Gray Shadow Mountain.
The testing Spirit Master, after a brief farewell, quickly departed, replaced by another young girl in strange attire—the new recruit guide.
Gong Lianyue looked at the girl, a slightly puzzled expression on her face.
The girl’s long skirt had been cut short, the remaining fabric tied around her thighs, resembling shorts from her previous world, a rather revealing and provocative style.
To withstand the endless wind, clothing in the Storm Realm had evolved, but most Spirit Masters found this style too indecent and vulgar. It was still a niche trend.
“Greetings, I am the new recruit guide for Gray Shadow Mountain. I will now explain the basic rules and procedures.”
The guide bowed to the silver-haired girl, a sweet, professional smile on her face.
The highest rank among the new recruit guides was Illumination Stage Spirit Master. Most were still in their awakening period.
Their talent was too poor to ever reach the Spirit Master realm, so they worked for Gray Shadow Mountain, earning spirit crystals, hoping for a chance to break through.
“New recruits must complete a one-week probationary period before officially joining Gray Shadow Mountain.”
“During this period, the more trials you complete, the better your final score and the greater your reward.”
“Trials?” Gong Lianyue asked, puzzled.
“Yes, completing any of the following trials within one week will allow you to pass the probationary period.”
“Even if you don’t pass within a week, you have up to one month. If you still haven’t completed any trials by then, you will have to leave Gray Shadow Mountain.”
The guide handed a list to the expressionless, silver-haired girl.
The list was covered in densely packed text, like a university course catalog.
[1. Break through the Awakening Period (1000 points)]
[2. Learn a spirit technique (1000 points)]
[3. Gain the favor of a high-rank spirit beast (1000 points)]
[4. Memorize the characteristics, battle techniques, appearance, habits, and history of all wind-attribute spirit beasts (1000 points)]
[5. Present a constructive theory related to the Spirit Path and have it adopted by Gray Shadow Mountain (1000 points)]
“Ah, sorry, wrong side! It’s this one!!”
Before Gong Lianyue could finish reading, the guide flipped the list over.
The difficulty on this side was drastically different.
[1001. Master basic spirit technique theory (10 points)]
[1002. Gain the favor of a low-rank spirit beast (10 points)]
[1003. Donate 1 spirit crystal to Gray Shadow Mountain (10 points)]
[1004. Find a low-rank medicinal herb (10 points)]
[1005. Memorize a complete book related to the Spirit Path (10 points)]
What were these…?
Gong Lianyue was speechless. There were a total of 2000 novice missions, and she had already passively completed about eighty percent of them. It was practically free points.
And there was even a mission to donate a spirit crystal to Gray Shadow Mountain. Such a blatant cash grab.
Surely no one would fail to complete even one of these within a month and be expelled from Gray Shadow Mountain…
She would complete the most obvious one, breaking through the Awakening Period, after a week.
To defeat Gray Shadow Mountain’s current Saintess, she couldn’t hide her strength too much. After all, how could she defeat a Spirit Master if she wasn’t even one herself?
With a one-week time limit, Gong Lianyue’s probationary period at Gray Shadow Mountain officially began!
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