The sect leader choked on a mouthful of wine, coughing incessantly. "You... you're going to the Four Great Sects too!"
"Yes, the Four Great Sects have deep foundations and richer cultivation resources. The Seven Sects can't be suppressed by them forever." Xiao Man said unhurriedly, "Disciples naturally have to go to the Four Great Sects to learn more, and then bring our Hundred Herbs Hall to greater glory. We can't always be their servants, can we?"
The sect leader swallowed, completely unaware of Xiao Man's intention. "You're entering the Four Great Sects to bring Hundred Herbs Hall to greater glory?"
"Not just that, I will also pull the Four Great Sects down from their pedestal!"
The sect leader felt his heart pounding like a drum. Pulling the Four Great Sects down from their pedestal was something he dared not even dream of, yet the Xiao Man before him audaciously declared she would do so! Such bold words, such arrogant demeanor!
"Well done, you are indeed my disciple!" Jun Fei'er was already drunk, her face flushed. She hooked her arms around the sect leader's neck and Xiao Man's neck. "Senior Brother Sect Leader, isn't my disciple amazing?"
Zhu Qing wanted to say, "More than amazing, she's simply lawless! At such a young age, with only late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, she actually dares to aspire to bring down the Four Great Sects and replace them!"
But why did he feel so excited? Just thinking about that scene made him feel a surge of passion! It had been so many years since he had felt this way. This girl was truly someone who dared to dream. The question was, did she also dare to act?
"This goal is very ambitious, and the path ahead is not easy."
Xiao Man steadied Jun Fei'er to prevent her from falling. "I know."
"Haha, I'm old." The sect leader raised his wine bowl and drained it in one go. "Good, let this old man see how far you can go!"
"One day, I will become the ruler of this Cangxuan Continent!"
"Noble aspirations!" The sect leader slammed the table. "To become the ruler of Cangxuan Continent, you must first surpass the Three Prodigies!"
"Three Prodigies?"
"Yes, the Three Prodigies: Yue Ran, the Heavenly Sword Son of the Heavenly Sword Sect; Mu Qi, the Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Spirit Sect; and Ze Fang of the Heavenly Profound Sect. Especially Ze Fang, who is the first of the Three Prodigies to enter the Nascent Soul stage, a heaven-favored prodigy!"
With one day left until the trial grounds opened, Xiao Man stood a short distance away, observing the entrance to the trial grounds, drawing no attention.
The sect leader's words before he left echoed in her mind. The Three Prodigies of Cangxuan Continent – she might know them all!
However, she was not entirely sure if the Ze Fang mentioned by Sect Leader Zhu Qing was the Ze Fang she knew. After all, the Ze Fang she knew was just a boy of fifteen or sixteen, with only Foundation Establishment cultivation, far from Nascent Soul. Perhaps they were just namesakes.
As for Yue Ran, the Heavenly Sword Son of the Heavenly Sword Sect, he was her sworn brother. Mu Qi could also be considered a friend. She never expected to be involved with both of them unintentionally.
Xiao Man secretly inquired about Ze Fang, wanting to know if the Ze Fang spoken of by others was the one she knew. However, there was very little information about Ze Fang outside, especially in such an isolated place where few people knew who he was.
"Junior Brother Xiao."
An Yue saw Xiao Man alone and immediately went up to her. "Junior Brother Xiao is also here to participate in the trial of the trial grounds, right?"
"Senior Sister An." Xiao Man quickly bowed. "Senior Brother Liu."
Liu Hong returned the bow. "Are you alone? Have your fellow disciples from Hundred Herbs Hall not joined you?"
"They are behind and should arrive by tomorrow at the latest." Xiao Man's gaze fell on An Yue. "Senior Sister An, why do you always arrive early?"
An Yue was slightly taken aback. Arrive early?
"In the Roland Mountain Range, you arrived early. When hunting in the Eastern Yue Forest, you also arrived early. Now, entering the trial grounds, you are still arriving early."
"Oh, you mean this." An Yue covered her mouth and smiled. "I don't like being confined at home, so I often travel. Whenever there's a grand event, I rush there in advance to avoid missing the timing."
"I see." Xiao Man nodded. "Senior Sister An and Senior Brother Liu have been to many places, haven't you?"
"Not many places to speak of, but we've been to quite a few." As they entered an inn and sat down, ordering dishes, they continued to chat. "Does Junior Brother Xiao want to go anywhere?"
"It's not that I want to go anywhere in particular, but I accidentally heard someone mention the Three Prodigies. Do Senior Sister An and Senior Brother Liu know about the Three Prodigies?"
Liu Hong shook his head, while An Yue's eyes twinkled with a smile.
"I know about this. The Three Prodigies refer to the Young Sect Masters of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Heavenly Spirit Sect, and the Heavenly Profound Sect." An Yue said with great interest. "Junior Brother Xiao is very interested in them?"
"I've heard that these three have exceptionally high talent, so I'm very curious about how strong they truly are."
"The Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect is said to be able to kill cultivators one major realm higher than him when using secret arts. His combat power is formidable, and he is already a Golden Core stage expert at seventeen."
"That is indeed very impressive."
"The Heavenly Spirit Sect's Young Sect Master's strength lies not in combat power, but in alchemy. He is the youngest Rank Three Alchemist on the Cangxuan Continent, with limitless prospects. Moreover, his own cultivation is not low; it is said he has also entered the Golden Core stage."
"A Rank Three Alchemist at such a young age is indeed not to be underestimated. What kind of person is the Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Sect?"
An Yue frowned slightly. "The Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Sect is very mysterious and rarely appears in public. However, he is the oldest among the Three Prodigies, at twenty-four years old, a peak Nascent Soul stage expert, just one step away from entering the Soul Transformation stage. He is said to be comparable to that peerless genius of the Heavenly Profound Sect."
"Peerless genius?"
"That is the Soul Transformation stage mighty figure of the Heavenly Profound Sect." An Yue lowered her voice. "Legend has it that the Soul Transformation stage mighty figure of the Heavenly Profound Sect violated a taboo, and his cultivation plummeted. The Heavenly Profound Sect no longer has a Soul Transformation stage mighty figure. However, my father said that the Heavenly Profound Sect's mighty figure might have perished. The Heavenly Profound Sect, to conceal the truth, spread the news that he suffered a qi deviation during cultivation and went into seclusion."
"What is the name of that Soul Transformation stage mighty figure?"
"Tian Ze, Lei Tian Ze." An Yue's eyes gleamed with interest. "He is from the Lei family of Jiuyang City. The Lei family produces monsters, and it is said that Ze Fang also comes from the Lei family."
"Do the Young Sect Masters of the Three Great Sects all come from noble families?"
"Not exactly." An Yue immediately unleashed her inner informant. "The Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect is the biological son of the Heavenly Sword Sect Master, but his mother is from the Huo family of Qingyan City. The Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Spirit Sect is the young master of the Mu family. However, his paternal aunt married the Sect Master of the Heavenly Spirit Sect. The young master of the Mu family has always been raised by Madam Jiang and is highly favored by Sect Master Jiang. Coupled with his exceptional talent, he became the Young Sect Master of the Heavenly Spirit Sect. However, his position as Young Sect Master may not be stable, as Sect Master Jiang has his own biological son."