In the arena, ten contestants stood in a straight line.
They were the final victors of this year's Hundred Sects Recruitment of Blueleaf Town, the ones who had survived every test and battle.
Chen Ziming.
Lu Haoran.
Zhao Wenjie.
Meng Yaoyao.
Han Qixing.
Wang Xiaohu.
Chen Ziling.
Lin Chen.
Lu Haochen.
Zhao Wenyi.
Each name carried a different weight, some backed by powerful families, some by sheer perseverance, but at this moment, they stood on the same ground.
The gray-robed old man stepped forward.
With a wave of his sleeve, ten tokens floated out and landed gently into their hands.
Each token was carved from dark jade, cold to the touch, with ancient runes engraved upon its surface. On one side was the emblem of Blueleaf County, and on the other, the words:
Hundred Sects Recruitment — Qualified
"These tokens represent your qualification," The gray-robed old man said evenly, "They are proof that you are the selected participants of Blueleaf Town."
He paused, letting the significance sink in.
"Three days from now, you are to gather at the town gate. The town magistrate will personally escort you to Starfall City."
His gaze swept across the ten youths.
"Whether you arrive early or late does not matter. Once the appointed time passes, the convoy will depart. Those who fail to appear will be deemed to have forfeited their qualification."
The warning was calm, but absolute.
No one spoke.
Each of the ten clenched their token slightly, understanding what it meant.
This was no longer a local competition.
It was the threshold to a far larger stage.
On the sidelines, Han Xuan watched quietly.
When his gaze landed on the small figure standing among the ten, Han Xuan felt the tension in his chest ease noticeably.
His son made it!
At that moment, a familiar, cold notification suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Han Xuan's pupils contracted.
[Congratulations, your son, Han Qixing, has achieved a major milestone: Obtaining a spot for Hundred Sects Recruitment's main event.]
'As expected…'
Han Xuan was not surprised. Ever since his son got reward for winning his first battle, he had already anticipated that the system would issue more rewards once the qualification was secured.
The notifications continued.
[Congratulations, you have obtained: Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained: Soul-Star Binding Method.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained: A bottle of Heaven-Pushing Pill.]
Han Xuan suppressed the urge to immediately examine the rewards.
Before he could even sort through the information, several figures had already approached him.
"Owner Han, congratulations!"
"To raise such an outstanding son. Truly enviable."
"Brother Han, have you ever considered joining a family or force? With your connections and your son's future…"
Some offered sincere congratulations. Others carried hidden intentions beneath polite smiles, subtle invitations, probing words, even thinly veiled attempts to rope him into their factions.
Han Xuan responded calmly, neither arrogant nor overly enthusiastic, deflecting where necessary and offering polite refusals when needed.
A few minutes later, Han Xuan finally managed to extricate himself from the surrounding crowd.
Polite words had been exchanged, vague promises deflected, and invitations declined without offending anyone outright. By the time the last person withdrew, Han Xuan felt a faint sense of fatigue—not physical, but mental.
He let out a quiet breath.
Turning around, he saw Han Qixing has already waiting nearby, standing straight with the same calm expression he had worn throughout the entire event.
"Let's go," Han Xuan said simply.
Han Qixing nodded.
Before leaving the plaza, they encountered Wang Dazhu and Wang Xiaohu one last time.
"Brother Han," Wang Dazhu said warmly, cupping his hands, "Three days from now, Starfall City awaits. Take care on the road."
Han Xuan returned the gesture, "You as well, Brother Wang. We'll meet again at the town gate."
Wang Xiaohu looked at Han Qixing, he waved his hands and said, "See you later, little brother~"
Han Qixing paused briefly, then inclined his head. "See you later."
After parting ways, father and son left Blueleaf Town together.
By the time the sun dipped low and the shadows stretched across the road, Five Paths Mountain came into view once more.
The familiar mountain path was quiet.
Wind rustled through the trees, and the distant cries of demon beasts echoed faintly from the forest.
Han Xuan walked ahead, his pace steady.
Behind him, Han Qixing followed in silence.
When they had set out earlier, Shui Lanyue and Shui Huoyan had accompanied them part of the way.
However, on the first day, Shui Lanyue had turned back. The garden at home still needed tending, and Shui Huoyan's condition made prolonged travel unwise. Han Xuan did not insist.
Instead, he sent Baobao and Qingfeng back with them.
Although Baobao and Qingfeng usually looked cute and harmless, appearing no different from ordinary spirit pets, they were still True Spirits.
And not weak ones at that.
Qingfeng had already reached the Fifth Stage of Qi Refining, while Baobao's cultivation was even higher, firmly at the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining.
With such strength, they were more than enough to deal with most loose cultivators and minor threats.
As long as a Foundation Establishment cultivator did not personally intervene, very few people in Blueleaf Town or along the surrounding mountain paths would dare provoke them.
That was precisely why Han Xuan felt at ease sending them back with Shui Lanyue and Shui Huoyan.
With Baobao's vigilance and Qingfeng's speed, even if something unexpected occurred, they would have ample time to respond or escape.
By the time Han Xuan and Han Qixing returned to Five Paths Mountain, the sky had already begun to darken.
Warm light spilled out from the wooden house.
The moment they stepped through the door, the familiar scent of food greeted them.
Inside, Shui Lanyue and Shui Huoyan were already waiting.
The table had been set, dishes neatly arranged, steam still rising gently into the air.
They had clearly prepared a celebratory dinner.
Shui Lanyue looked up first, "You're back."
Her tone was calm, as if this were just an ordinary evening.
Shui Huoyan smiled softly, one hand resting on her belly, "You must be tired. Sit down first."
Neither of them asked about the result.
Whether Han Qixing had succeeded or failed, they had prepared the meal all the same.
At that moment, Baobao leapt lightly, landing with practiced ease on Han Xuan's shoulder and curling up as if it had never left.
Qingfeng let out a soft chirp and flew toward Han Qixing, circling once before settling near him.
Han Xuan glanced at the table, then at the two women, and chuckled, "Aren't you two curious about the result?"
Shui Lanyue smiled gently, "Of course we are."
Shui Huoyan pouted, "Husband, I wanted to stay and watch the event until the very end, but you insisted I come home early."
Han Xuan laughed, "You're pregnant. We can't be careless."
"I'm only a month along," Shui Huoyan said, crossing her arms, "The babies aren't that fragile, alright?"
"It doesn't hurt to be careful," Han Xuan replied with a sigh, "I've heard of many cases where wives suffered miscarriages just from being jostled in crowds—"
"Alright, husband," Shui Lanyue interrupted with a light chuckle, "You're starting to talk nonsense."
She then turned her gaze to Han Qixing, "Xing'er, why don't you tell us about the entire event?"
"Yes, Mother," Han Qixing replied.
Though his manner of speaking was somewhat reserved and occasionally a little stiff, he did not omit any details.
He carefully recounted everything.
From the Spirit Bone Mirror that tested age and cultivation… to the comprehension trial and the Dragon Soaring Palm… and finally, the battle tests, including how the matches were evaluated and decided.
His tone remained calm throughout, as if he were merely reporting facts rather than recounting moments that could have altered his future.
As he spoke, Shui Lanyue listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
Shui Huoyan's expression shifted repeatedly, sometimes tense, sometimes relieved, especially during the parts about the battles.
By the time Han Qixing finished, the room had grown quiet.
Only the soft crackling of the lamp and the gentle aroma of food filled the air.
Han Xuan looked at his son and smiled faintly. He thought, 'It seems that participating in such an event was a good thing for him.'
Han Qixing had always been reserved.
During family gatherings, he rarely spoke more than necessary. Perhaps it was because he lacked companions of his own age, or perhaps it was the influence of his spiritual body, which made him naturally calm and inward-looking.
But tonight was different.
His son had spoken at length, calmly, clearly, without missing any detail. Though his tone was still restrained, Han Xuan could sense a faint undercurrent of excitement woven into his words.
It was subtle, almost imperceptible.
Han Xuan glanced briefly at the table, then back at his son.
This was the influence of a lively event like the Hundred Sects Recruitment.
Exposure to the outside world, the competition, and the people of the same generation.
Perhaps… these factors would help his son grow not only in cultivation, but in spirit as well.