The Sword Discussion Conference is approaching, and the atmosphere at the Taixu Gate has suddenly become tense.
From top to bottom, everyone is holding tight to a thread in their hearts.
Elder Master Xun has not shown his face for a long time.
Now, all the Formation classes, from lesson preparation, teaching, to homework correction, are all handled by Mo Hua alone.
Elder Master Xun, on the other hand, has become a hands-off shopkeeper, sitting quietly in the Elder’s Residence, wholeheartedly and tirelessly deducing something day and night.
Even the Taixu Sect Master is not that leisurely.
When Mo Hua went to feed the Big White Dog, he occasionally saw the Sect Leader a few times and found that he looked somewhat haggard, with his thick black hair finally beginning to fall out.
Moreover, the Elders that Mo Hua encounters are all hurrying about, with solemn expressions, each busily preparing for the various matters of the Sword Discussion Conference.
And the most nervous are the disciples of the Taixu Gate.
The honor of the Sect, the interests of the family, and personal future all depend on this competition.
In everyone’s heart, it feels like a stone is hanging, apprehensive, yet also pressing down like a stone, making it hard to breathe.
In the tense cultivation and magic duels, the disciples’ expressions become increasingly solemn and grave.
They even do not speak much during meals.
Noon, at the Disciple’s Residence.
Mo Hua was gnawing on a chicken leg, looking left and right, and found that the originally lively dining hall with laughter and conversation was now shrouded in a layer of frost. Everyone was eating with their heads down, without saying a word, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.
This is not good.
The atmosphere is too depressing, it will cause indigestion.
Mo Hua then turned his head and looked at Cheng Mo beside him.
The originally talkative Cheng Mo was now truly "silent," with a stern face, chewing tastelessly on a pork knuckle.
Mo Hua handed him a chicken leg.
Cheng Mo was momentarily stunned, looked up to see it was Mo Hua, and slowly said, "Thank you, Junior Brother."
Mo Hua then asked him, "How’s the practice for the sword competition going?"
Cheng Mo nodded and said, "It’s okay..."
But his expression was uncertain, clearly lacking confidence.
Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, "Isn’t your foundation quite good? Still no confidence?"
Cheng Mo felt oppressed inside and didn’t really want to talk, but he couldn’t ignore Mo Hua’s words, so after pondering for a moment, he sighed:
"Junior Brother, to be honest, with this cultivation level of mine, whether it’s in cultivation techniques or physique, there are almost no weaknesses. In my Cheng Family, if I say I’m second, no one dares to claim first."
"But this is the Qian Learning State Boundary, a place where only the ’top’ disciples of the Four Great Sects and Eight Gates can come. My qualifications can only be considered standard, and at best, I rely on being ’thick-skinned and sturdy’ to be slightly stronger than others."
"When it comes to actual sword competition and contending with the geniuses from various sects, I... truly have no advantage..."
Cheng Mo was lacking in confidence.
The nearby Situ Jian and a few others also nodded.
In their respective families, undoubtedly, they were the "elite."
Put them elsewhere in the Nine State, and they would be "geniuses" that are rare even in a hundred years.
Not to mention, any random disciple from Taixu Gate set in the Big Black Mountain State boundary, where Mo Hua comes from, would be considered a "remarkable prodigy."
But all these prodigies gathered in the Qian Learning State Boundary, because they are all "elite" in their families, comparatively, they all became "mediocre," lacking any particularly outstanding abilities, naturally blending in with everyone else.
It’s not that Cheng Mo and the others are weak, it’s just that the surrounding disciples are too strong.
There is always a sky beyond a sky, and people above others.
Above geniuses, there are always stronger "geniuses."
Their "genius" is merely the threshold to step into the Qian Learning State Boundary to see even stronger geniuses.
Mo Hua felt a bit emotional inside.
Luckily, he relied on Divine Sense Proving the Dao, and by coincidence took a "backdoor."
If not, with his qualifications, he wouldn’t even reach the threshold of the Qian Learning State Boundary, let alone be accepted into the Taixu Gate as their Junior Brother.
Mo Hua counted silently in his heart and realized that in today’s Taixu Gate, the only one who could truly be considered a "top genius" was the one who had joined from ’outside,’ Xiaoxiao.
Linghu Xiao, a disciple of the Chongxu lineage.
With a Sword Heart of clarity, his talent in the Sword Dao is considered to be a rarity even in the five-hundred-year history of the former Chongxu Gate.
If not for the Three Sects Unification, the Taixu Gate wouldn’t even have this sole "top genius."
Mo Hua was somewhat unhappy, but upon deeper thought, found it reasonable.
Top geniuses, naturally, should join the top Four Great Sects.
Only then can other talents be distributed to the Eight Great Gates.
The Four Great Sects, having gained the top geniuses, will naturally excel in sword discussions and always hold the upper hand.
By always being on top, they naturally would continue to attract top geniuses.
Those they don’t take would then go to the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and further down to the Qian Learning Hundred Gates.
In this context, for the Taixu Gate, including the Eight Great Gates, to recruit a few true top geniuses is actually very hard.
"It’s not just Spirit Stone and heritage being differentiated, but talents are also being divided..."
Mo Hua sighed in his heart.
The only unusual one was still the Tai’a Sect from three years ago.
At the time, Tai’a Sect was ranked first among the Eight Great Gates, with substantial fame, and within the Sect, there were two or three top geniuses.
However, top geniuses inevitably become arrogant, and being young, full of Blood Qi, due to an incident on the Rouge Boat, they all had their qualifications for the "Sword Discussion" revoked.
Subsequently, failing in sword discussions, Tai’a Sect became somewhat despondent.
Nowadays, superficially, Taixu Gate has united with the Three Sects, gathering the talents from the three sects.
But because the "elite" have been removed, it doesn’t really surpass the former Tai’a Sect, which was ranked first among the Eight Great Gates, by much.