"Tang Ming, how do you want thispetition to be decided?" one of the elders asked, his voice calm but carrying across the arena.
Tang Ming lifted his chin, pride glinting in his eyes. "A few years ago, I ced eleventh in the herb knowledge test. My name is carved into the stone stele rankings—you can see it for yourself."
There was no modesty in his tone-only certainty. Among the younger generation, he stood alone. Everyone ranked above him had long since died. There was no one left to challenge his im.
"So,” he continued, ncing at Alex, "I''ll take the herb ranking test again. I''m confident I''ll enter the top ten. You should take it too. Whoever ranks higher wins thispetition."
"Alright," Alex said.
His voice was t, almost indifferent. The truth was, he didn''t care.
"Good!" Tang Ming grinned, already turning away. "I''ll head to the medical pavilion now."
Without waiting another second, he rushed down the peak toward the stone stele test, his robes fluttering behind him.
He left Alex standing in the arena with the referee.
The referee watched Tang Ming disappear, then let out a quiet sigh. "He truly believes he''s going to win... and no one even bothers correcting him anymore."
Alex nced at him. "So... what now?"
The referee looked exhausted, as if the oue had already drained him. He raised his handzily.
“I dere Jun Jiu—ranked first on the stone stele rankings—as the winner.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the disciples burst intoughter.
No one questioned it. No one objected.
Waiting for Tang Ming''s result would''ve been nothing but a waste of time.
Without any trouble, Alex advanced to the next round. Only sixteen remained.
"I want to fight him." Alex''s next opponent a very big guy-stepped forward, eyes
burning with confidence-confidence built on disbelief.
He refused to ept that Alex was unbeatable.
That belief didn''tst long.
Momentster, he was on his knees, head lowered in surrender.
Even elders couldn''t defeat Alex-what chance did an outer disciple have?
Soon, Alex stood among the top eight.
For the outer disciples, this was more than just another round.
This fight would decide their fate for the entire year.
Their rank would determine everything their resources, their status, their future within the sect.
And for many of them... it was the difference between rising or being forgotten.
"Jun Jiu."
A very beautiful female disciple stepped onto the arena, her movements calm, deliberate. She didn''t take a fighting stance. Instead, she faced Alex with a faint, confident smile.
"I don''t want to fight you," she said. "Let''spete in something else herb cultivation."
Alex looked at her for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright."
To him, it made no difference.
With Gaia''splete knowledge of herb growth-and the countless experiments he had already run in the virtualb, testing every possible method to push growth to its absolute limit—this kind ofpetition was effortless.
"I choose the Eternal Blue Flower," the beautiful woman said, her smile widening.
A ripple of shock spread instantly through the crowd.
"That''s cheating!" a disciple shouted from outside the arena. “Xiao Huang is Elder Xiao''s disciple! Only their lineage has ever grown the Eternal Blue Flower!"
"Exactly! For hundreds of years, it''s been passed down only between them!" "It''s impossible for anyone else to grow it!"
"I heard even the sect library doesn''t have aplete method-just fragments of basic records!"
"There''s no way Jun Jiu can beat Xiao Huang in this!"
The murmurs grew louder, turning into a wave of certainty.
This wasn''t a fairpetition.
It was a trap.
Alex, however, simply nodded again. "Okay. I agree."
Xiao Huang''s smile deepened, almost radiant with victory. In her eyes, the oue was already decided.
"Good," she said. "We''ll both write down our methods. Then we''ll let an elder judge." Her confidence wasn''t without reason.
The judge would be Elder Xiao-her own master.
And in the entire sect, no one understood the Eternal Blue Flower better than her.
There was only one thing Xiao Huang had worried about-
That Alex might refuse.
But he didn''t.
And now, there was nothing left that could threaten her win.
Paper and ink were brought forward.
The two of them sat across from each other and began to write.
The arena fell into a tense silence, broken only by the faint scratch of brush against paper.
Alex finished first.
Without hesitation, he set his brush down.
One of the staff members quickly collected his paper and delivered it to Elder Xiao.
The old woman took it, her expression indifferent as her eyes scanned the contents.
A second passed.
Then her lips curled in disdain.
"What nonsense."
She scoffed, her voice sharp and dismissive.
"This isplete garbage."
With a flick of her wrist, she threw the paper aside as if it disgusted her.
"Even as a theoretical method, this is nothing but fantasy. Unrealistic. Absurd."
Xiao Huang''s paper was finally delivered to Elder Xiao.
The moment the old woman began reading, her expression lit up. A wide, satisfied smile spread across her face.
"Yes... this is correct. Good. Very good."
She lifted her head and looked toward the Peak Leader. "I''ve reviewed both
submissions. My decision is clear-Xiao Huang is the winner."
Li Qingxue''s brows drew together. "Are you certain?”
Elder Xiao gave a short, confidentugh. "Of course, Miss Li Qingxue. You may be a
core disciple, but I''ve spent my entire life cultivating the Eternal Blue Flower. Who
could possibly understand it better than I do?"
The referee didn''t hesitate. He raised his hand.
"The winner is Xiao Huang."
A ripple moved through the arena.
Alex simply nodded.
He didn''t argue. Didn''t react.
To him, thispetition had been nothing more than a way to pass time. His method was correct he knew that—but it was far beyond what these people couldprehend. Too advanced. Too far ahead of their understanding.
And he had already secured a ce in the top ten.
That was enough.
Li Qingxue would have no reason to make a move against him now.
He turned, ready to leave the arena and return to his hut.
But before he could take more than a step, a suddenmotion broke out among
the elders and the Peak Leader.
Li Qingxue''s voice cut through the noise. "There may be valuable insight in Jun Jiu''s theory. How can you dismiss it as garbage without even properly reading it?"
Elder Xiao let out a harshugh.
"I don''t need to read the entire thing," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "The moment I saw him im the Eternal Blue Flower could grow to twenty-five centimeters, I knew it was nonsense."
Her eyes gleamed with certainty.
"In all my years, thergest I''ve ever cultivated was twenty centimeters. That alone
proves his theory is absurd."
The Peak Leader leaned forward slightly, his tone calmer, more measured. "It wouldn''t hurt to read it fully. He is ranked first on the herb stele. There may be something worth considering—perhaps a new perspective.”
"Rubbish is still rubbish," Elder Xiao snapped.
She rose to her feet, her sleeve flicking sharply as she pointed directly at Alex.
"You-Jun Jiu!"
Her voice rang across the arena, loud and unforgiving.
"You''d better admit it yourself that what you wrote isplete nonsense!"
Her gaze burned with disdain.
“An Eternal Blue Flower reaching twenty-five centimeters? Who do you think you
are?"
She let out a cold, mockingugh.
"I''m starting to wonder... have you ever even seen an Eternal Blue Flower in your
life?"
Alex frowned, his gaze locking onto the arrogant elder.
Of course he knew the Eternal Blue Flower.
He had stolen a small one before-studied it, nted it himself, and then run countless simtions in the virtual world. Millions of iterations. Every variable tested Every possibility refined.
He knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Why are you silent?" Elder Xiao pressed, her voice sharp with contempt. "Did your lies choke you? Goon-admit it. Admit in front of everyone that what you wrote is nothing but nonsense."
Alex didn''t want trouble.
Not here. Not now.
But he wouldn''t deny the truth.
"I admit it!” Alex suddenly shouted, his voice cutting through the arena like a de.
The crowd froze.
"My theory is the truth. And if someone can''t understand it..." His eyes hardened.
"Then they''re simply too stupid toprehend it."
The wordsnded like thunder.
In front of everyone, it was no different than saying-
Elder Xiao is the one too stupid to understand.
For a heartbeat, the entire arena fell into stunned silence.
Then-
Elder Xiao''s face flushed deep red. Rage twisted her features as she drew her
sword in one sharp motion.
Steel shed.
"Impudent brat!" she roared. "You dare call me stupid?! If you don''t die today, then I
am no longer Elder Xiao!"
The killing intent in her voice was suffocating.
But Alex didn''t flinch.
He even bowed slightly, calm—almost polite.
"Please don''t force me," he said evenly, "to make another person kneel... and shit
themselves. It''s not a sight worth seeing."
The moment those words left his mouth-
Elder Xiao froze.
So did the other elders.
Even Elder Han had been humiliated like that before.
And she knew it.
She knew exactly how powerful Alex was.
There was no chance she could defeat him.
The rage in her eyes flickered... then dimmed.
Slowly, stiffly, she lowered her sword.
"I am an elder," she said coldly, forcingposure back into her voice. "I will not
lower myself to fight an outer disciple."
She turned sharply toward the Peak Leader.
“Peak Leader—I demand that he be expelled from the Wudang Sect! A disciple who dares humiliate an elder has no morals, no respect!"
"Yes, Peak Leader," Alex added immediately, almost too quickly. "Please expel me."
The Peak Leader stared at him, his expression darkening.
For a moment, it looked like he genuinely wanted to strike Alex''s head on the spot.
Li Qingxue stepped forward, her eyes zing as she red at him.
"Jun Jiu! Do you want to die?"
Alex instinctively took a step back.
Out of everyone here—
She was the only one he truly feared.
"I don''t," he admitted.
"Then prove your theory," Li Qingxue said coldly. "Instead of causing trouble."
Alex let out a slow breath.
He didn''t want this.
But now, his life was on the line.
"Miss Li Qingxue," he said, steadying his voice, "you can go to my ce. Ask the
disciples there to bring one of the Eternal Blue Flowers."
He paused, then added calmly, "But tell them to pick the smallest one. The others
are still under observation."
Elder Xiao''s eyes widened in disbelief. "You... nted the Eternal Blue Flower?" Her
voice sharpened. "And you''re asking for the smallest one?"
Li Qingxue didn''t waste time arguing.
Without another word, she rose into the air and shot toward Alex''s herb garden, her
figure vanishing into the sky.
The arena erupted into murmurs.
Elder Xiao turned immediately to the Peak Leader, her voice tight with anger.
"Leader, this man is not only insane—he''s delusional. No one can grow the Eternal Blue Flower. No one."
Xiao Huang stepped forward, stopping just a few paces from Alex. Her expression was cold, but there was a flicker of impatience behind it.
"You should just admit you''re lying," she said. "You''re clinging to your pride. When the truthes out, you''ll only make a fool of yourself in front of everyone." Alex let out a quiet, dismissive snort. "We''ll see who ends up being the fool."
Xiao Huangughed, sharp and mocking. "You really think you can grow the Eternal
Blue Flower?"
Her eyes gleamed.
"If you''re so confident... then let''s make a bet."
Alex didn''t respond immediately.
“If you lose,” she continued, her voice rising so everyone could hear, “your
technique will be confiscated. And you will serve me. Whatever Imand-you will
obey."
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
"You''ll sign a ve contract."
Alex''s gaze sharpened, but his voice remained calm. “And if I''m telling the truth?"
Xiao Huang smiled wider, almost daring him.
"If you''re telling the truth," she said loudly, “—which is impossible—then I''ll be your ve."
The entire arena fell silent.
Every eye was on them.
"Deal," Alex said.
"Deal," Xiao Huang echoed.
The words rang out clearly, witnessed by everyone present.
A wager had been made.
A brutal one.
The outer disciples buzzed with excitement, tension building like a storm on the
verge of breaking. Some were eager. Some were uneasy. But all of them were
watching—waiting.
Especially Xiao Huang.
She wasn''t just talented-she was widely recognized as one of the top five most beautiful virgins of the Herbs Peak. Her reputation alone.
drew attention, and her presence carried an almost untouchable: allure. Everyone knew she had hundreds-if not thousands-of admirers among the disciples.
An idol.
And now-
That idol had just wagered herself.
If she lost, she would be a ve.
The thought alone sent a surge of energy through the crowd.
Every outer disciple—especially the men-turned their eyes toward Alex.
Their expressions had changed.
He wasn''t just apetitor anymore.
He stood on the edge of something unreal—
the one man who might reach what no one else could.
If... he actually won-
He wouldn''t just be another disciple.
He would be the man.
The one every other man looked up to.
The kind of man they could only dream of bing.
Then-
A streak of light cut across the sky.
Li Qingxue returned.
She descended slowly into the arena, her robes fluttering as shended.
In her hand-
A single flower.
The moment it came into view, the entire arena froze.
Shock rippled outward like a wave.
Because what she held...
Was unmistakable.