Zheng Yuandong wasn’t the only one who noticed Bai Xiaochun. Everyone else was in a huge commotion, but Bai Xiaochun was simply standing there like a member of the senior generation. He couldn’t have stuck out more from everyone else.

One of the elders on the balcony smiled and said, “Young Bai Xiaochun is already in the eighth level of Qi Condensation, and fought his way out of certain death at the hands of the Luochen Clan. He’ll definitely make it into the top ten. In fact, he probably has a shot at the top five.”

“That’s right,” said another elder. “Not only does he have extraordinary skill with plants and vegetation, he also cultivates a shocking type of body refinement. I'd say he’s a definite dark horse in the qualifying round today.”

Hearing these comments caused the faces of Li Qinghou and Zheng Yuandong to beam. Exchanging a glance, they laughed heartily.

“He's different from the rest of them,” Li Qinghou said. “He has much stronger convictions than his contemporaries. When I brought him here to the sect all those years ago, I asked him why he wanted to practice cultivation, and he said it’s because he wants to live forever.” He looked over at Bai Xiaochun with a warm gaze. He’d finally finished...