From Beast Abilities to Sect Grand Master

Central Square in Qing Feng sect.

After the inner disciples talked about making bets, someone got to work and started to organize.

"I bet on the menial disciple losing."

"You traitor! I'll double his bet and place it on the menial disciple to win."

"We want to join in too."

Disciples from the Storm Fist Thunder sect didn't want to miss out on a win and joined in with their money.

Only some of the inner disciples had the faith to bet on Lin Fan.

Overwhelmingly, everyone was putting their bets on Lin Fan losing.

This led to a massive difference in odds.

Very soon, it was fifty times the reward when you bet on Lin Fan to win.

Lin Fan didn't think twice and bet his remaining ten contribution points on himself.

"Fifty contribution points, on Lin Fan winning."

Seeing how the tide was against Lin Fan, Ho Ming also went in and bet his fifty contribution points on Lin Fan.

This was the least he could do to show support for him.

Lin Fan smiled and nodded at Ho Ming, acknowledging his support.

You'll surely not regret it, Lin Fan thought to himself silently.

When the Storm Fist Thunder sect disciples saw Lin Fan making the bet on himself, they couldn't help but laugh.

This menial disciple was just so ignorant.

They would show him later what it meant to be a cultivator.

"The young ones are so lively," Qing Yang Zi said, looking at all the activity happening, as he stroked his beard and smiled.

He looked approvingly at the liveliness of all the young disciples.

"Set up the place for the match. Come, let's go somewhere for a better view; we shouldn't let our guest be standing here all day," Qing Yang Zi instructed, and the disciples got to work.

"We certainly can't wait for the match ahead."

Storm Fist Thunder sect master, Low Qiang, said and stole a glance at Tan Fei.

He was anxiously waiting for Tan Fei's signal that it was done.

To his disappointment, Tan Fei dodged his glance and kept quiet.

Low Qiang frowned and started to think otherwise about Tan Fei's plan.

Soon, the central square was set up with a formation array, marking the sparring area's boundary and containing any damages within the boundary.

Qing Yang Zi led the peak lords and Storm Fist Sect's leadership to a hall.

It was the one where Lin Fan and the other new disciples were tested for cultivation roots.

They were then led to the upper floor with a direct view of the sparring area.

After they were seated, disciples quickly poured tea and refreshments for the guests.

With a teacup in his hand, Qing Yang Zi stood up and said, "Here, a toast to Storm Fist sect with tea in replacement of wine."

Low Qiang obliged, with his head up, drinking the tea in one mouthful.

Taking the chance to see whether there was any ambush on the ceiling.

"Enough of the formalities. Let's start," Low Qiang sat down, banged the teacup on the table, and said impatiently.

"Sure, let's start then. I figured you weren't in such a hurry," Qing Yang Zi said and shifted his glance at Tan Fei. "You are unusually quiet today."

Tan Fei steadied his hand holding his teacup and said, "I'm focused on my Alchemy Peak disciple's performance."

Qing Yang Zi nodded approvingly and said, "As it should be. Qing Feng sect is honored to have such dedicated disciples."

When everything was in place, the first match started immediately.

It was a match between the formation cultivators.

Qing Feng sect won by a small margin; having home ground advantage, the formation disciple was able to select the best formation to use with the surrounding elements.

Next up were the artifact cultivators.

The draw was for forging of a curved saber, something the Qing Feng sect artifact cultivators weren't so used to.

They had primarily focused on the forging of Swords, due to the dominance of the Sword Peak in the sect.

The Storm Fist Thunder sect won for this round.

When the alchemical furnace was brought to the sparring area.

The Qing Feng sect disciples had a bad feeling about it.

Theirs was an entry-level one, while the alchemical furnace brought up by the opponent was a special artifact.

With its scriptures glowing when the furnace burned, the resulting pills were of a much higher level.

By now it was one win for Qing Feng sect and two wins for Storm Fist Thunder sect.

They needed to win the remaining two matches.

The Storm Fist Thunder sect disciples began to hold their heads up high.

While the Qing Feng sect's disciples bit their lips and kept quiet.

It was however, eerily peaceful and quiet in the hall.

They looked at the matches and sipped their tea.

The real battleground for Qing Yang Zi, Tan Fei, and Low Qiang was not in the central square.

Next up was the Sword Peak.

Ho Ming, with his double cultivation root and top monthly ranking, was one of the nominations.

Together with another senior disciple, Khoo, they got ready for the match.

"Ho Ming, just remember what we went through during practice," Lin Fan said as he patted Ho Ming's shoulder.

Reminding and assuring him.

Ho Ming's opponents were wielding their curved saber when they stepped into the sparring area.

They were two burly men who spat on the ground and sneered at Ho Ming when he entered.

Ho Ming looked like one of those studious disciples, following instructions to a T.

They'd seen far too many disciples like him.

It should be a piece of cake for them, they thought.

"On the count of three. One... two... three... Start!" the judge shouted.

The two burly men separated, and one of them lunged at Ho Ming.

Ho Ming, with his right hand, thrust a twirling wind strike at the man.

With a smirk, the man sidestepped the strike to the left as he had anticipated it.

However, Ho Ming with his left hand, using the slithering stroke, thrust the sword at the man's chin.

Double sword cultivator!