“Max, have you heard…” a young man asked his friend, who was hacking away at a training dummy with a wooden sword.
“Heard what?” The one referred to as Max asked, momentarily pausing his sword practice and turning to face his friend.
“Some bastard by the name of Kent, who happens to be the disciple of the Sword Saintess, challenged 100 Grandmaster Swordsmen. The battle will happen in two days in the arena meant for the Trial of the Sword,” the young man said, making Max furrow his brow.
“Well, he is bold, but I’m afraid he’ll just be disgracing himself.” Saying that, Max resumed his training.
He was one of the finest Grandmaster Swordsmen in the sect, so this challenge was right up his alley. Of course, while he appeared composed, he was cursing Kent in his heart.
Why?
He was one of the many who had aspired to become the disciple of the Sword Saintess. Hearing that she now had a disciple was a harsh blow to him.
Of course, he could join the challenge, but it would be of no use considering she had already chosen her disciple, and there was no changing that.
Well… that was until his friend Dominic uttered the next few words. His mind changed immediately.
“Whoever manages to defeat him will get a Heaven-grade sword skill, 100 million spirit stones, and a chance to become the disciple of the Sword Saintess…”
Immediately after Max heard that, he dropped the wooden sword and sped toward the registration centre, hoping he wasn’t too late.
Of course, he would have a chance, considering he was ranked within the top 20 on the Grandmaster Swordsmen chart.
He would still have a chance even if over a hundred people had already registered.
The Gate Master would make sure of that.
Kent’s disrespect was something she wouldn’t take lying down. In fact, she had already warned her five disciples to do whatever it took to win, considering she wasn’t about to let a youngster have his way with her disciple just like that.
Though the aura Kent unleashed was powerful, she trusted in her disciples and knew Kent wouldn’t be able to have a shot at winning this challenge.
After Max left, Dominic followed.
However, it wasn’t just Max who had heard about Kent’s challenge; hundreds and thousands of others had also heard of it and were currently making their way to register.
Meanwhile, Saintess Selene, along with Elsa and Unity, made their way to the Archer Gate. Lilian had already returned to the Mage Gate, where she planned to immediately inform her friends about what was happening in the Sword Gate.
Unity, who held the Token of Privilege, was allowed to take the exams for the inner disciples, which consisted merely of some hunting trials.
They took her to a hunting field where she was tasked with hunting Tier 4 Spirit Beasts. It took her less than 30 minutes to hunt ten beasts, passing the trial.
The trial was timed at 60 minutes, but she managed it in under 30. The moment she was done with that, she was taken to her room and given uniforms and other essentials she would need while inside the sect.
Of course, with the Sword Saintess present, she received the best of the items. She introduced Unity as her sworn sister, so things went smoothly for her.
When everything was set, she bid Unity goodbye and left with Elsa.
At first, Elsa had wanted to join the Sword Gate, considering she also wielded a sword. However, she reconsidered that idea and chose to join the Soul Gate instead.
In the Divine Palace Sect, there are seven gates, each specializing in a specific field: Sword Gate, Archer Gate, Soul Gate, Alchemy Gate, Mage Gate, Body Gate, and Spear Gate.
Of course, the Soul and Alchemy Gates are closely related, as most soul cultivators are also alchemists.
However, just as there are alchemy enthusiasts, there are also soul cultivators who are not alchemists. This was the path Elsa wanted to pursue, and with her strong connection to the soul, the Soul Gate was a perfect fit for her.
As expected, when she registered as a challenger, she won against her opponent, who was also a Root Sage.
In fact, Elsa won with just a single soul attack, which immediately caught the attention of the Soul Gate Master. He promptly asked her if she wanted to become a true disciple and even offered to take her as his personal disciple.
Of course, Elsa accepted both offers, as Vexthra had advised her not to reveal her true identity. If she were to reject him and later display extraordinary abilities, he would become suspicious.
However, by employing the age-old tactic of hiding in plain sight and using his resources to steadily develop, she ensured he would not suspect anything.
She even played her part well by showcasing her inexperienced nature during the battle despite winning easily. This was all part of Vexthra’s plan.
Now that she had managed to not only become a Core Disciple but also the disciple of the Gate Master, Elsa had practically ascended to a position of power within the Soul Gate.
The Gate Master immediately sent her into the Soul Pagoda, one of the most powerful treasures of the Soul Gate, where she was tasked with comprehending at least two Soul Skills before coming out.
Once she was settled in, Saintess Selene departed. She went to the Mage Gate to see Lilian and ensure that she was recognized as her sworn sister. This was to guarantee that she wouldn’t be bullied.
Among all the gates, the Mage Gate was where beauties and bullies congregated. It was also the largest of them all, and it was where most of the powerful disciples could be found.
There were hidden dragons among them.
So, in order to avoid making her a target of bullies, she ensured everyone knew she was Lilian’s sister. This, of course, elevated Lilian’s status, making her one of the most popular mages in the Mage Gate.
After completing her task, Selene left and headed to the Spear Gate to see her best friend, who had been her sister since they were young.
But while all this was happening, somewhere in the Kyrrith Kingdom, the wicked Poison Witch was in the final phase of her experiment.
She was creating a pill recipe that would undoubtedly become one of the most powerful poison pills on the continent.
It was a Tier 7 pill, and she had completed 98% of the experiment. She was nearing the final stage.
However, while she was making progress, her disciple, Annabelle, couldn’t seem to focus. She was giddy with anticipation at the thought of slapping Kent in the face for disrespecting her.
She was arrogant, and as someone who had been humiliated and whose shame had already spread, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that if she didn’t slap Kent, she wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully.
Annabelle had always gotten her way, thanks to her master’s influence. However, after meeting Kent, she began to realize that, without her master, she was a nobody.
This realization made her feel weak, and she hated it. She wanted to feel strong again, and the only way to achieve that was to take revenge on the one who had disrespected her.
If only she knew what she had gotten herself into… well.