The competition in Long Clan had attracted the attention of many in the city. In a strength-oriented world, martial prowess decided one's status.
The stronger a person was, the better his or her prospects.
Hence, even Long Clan where the majority of the people were involved in businesses, paid attention to the martial strength of the younglings.
Even the elders who were presiding over the competition were looking at it with rapt attention. It was to evaluate the youth of the clan while also searching for outsiders with potential.
Moreover, this year's competition was much more serious than the previous year.
Hence, among the Jade Core cultivators who were presiding over the ceremony, both the peak Third revolution Alchemist Long Fang and Long Ling'er were present.
Currently, the two of them were having an intense discussion regarding the matter of the talents in the clan.
This naturally drew attention to the youngest peak first revolution alchemist that the clan had produced in hundreds of years.
"Senior, she just recently turned seventeen."
The answer wasn't given by Long Zheng, but Ji Cangyue.
As a Yin Yang Cleanser, she didn't have the right to sit there along with the Jade Core experts. However, being Long Zheng's wife, she could accompany him.
Upon mentioning the age of Long Qingxue, the eyes of everyone present there glistened.
The old alchemist Long Fang slammed his hands in the armrest and said, "This girl, if she doesn't qualify for Grand Xia, then I'm definitely accepting her as my disciple!"
Eight Level of Qi Condensation and Peak First Revolution Alchemist, any of these statuses was enough to make a seventeen year old famous. But if someone possessed both of these statuses at the same time, one could describe the shock others would feel!
"You are acting as if your opinion is the only one that matters. Did you forget that taking a disciple is an agreement between two parties?" Long Ling'er sneered at him and continued, "I'm sure that a delicate girl like her wouldn't want to learn from someone like you! Isn't it right Long Zheng?"
"I-"
Before he could say anything, Long Fang interrupted the conversation again.
"Why are you asking him? That guy doesn't even know the age of his own daughter!" Instead of looking at Long Zheng, he looked at Ji Cangyue. "Little Cangyue, when you had joined the clan, you were under my apprenticeship for six years. I wanted to take you as my disciple but you refused. This time I don't want to hear it again!"
Long Ling'er couldn't stand the man's overbearingness. "Since you already instructed little Cangyue before, you have even less reason to take her daughter as your disciple. Whatever you can teach, little Cangyue can teach as well! I'll be the one who takes that girl in this time!"
Their argument continued like usual with no seeming end.
Long Zheng was irritated by the constant squabble of the two alchemists. However, he couldn't say anything to them. Their position was higher than him
Cultivation was his main passion. He didn't like interacting with people too much. Even the time he spent with his family was nearly non-existent.
That's why he wasn't able to answer Long Ling'er's question instantaneously. And by the time he calculated Qingxue's age, Ji Cangyue had already answered.
He was slightly angered, both at the alchemists and his wife.
Meanwhile, Ji Cangyue smiled wryly at the two old alchemist's antics. Except for the patriarch, maybe she was the only one who understood them the best.
"If she fails to get into the academy, I'll let her select on her own. With her limited talent, it'll be Xue Er's fortune to be guided by any of you." She didn't want to get into the mess of dealing with them. So, she passed all the trouble to Qingxue.
Long Ling'er shook her head and said, "Excessive modesty isn't good. Since we are saying she's talented, then she's talented! Even if we link her fast cultivation base to the spirit water, her achievements in alchemy are all due to her own hard work! No one in the younger generation can match her!"
The other elders including Long Fang also nodded in agreement. If Long Qingxue was ordinary, then what were the others?
Ji Cangyue knew that Long Ling'er was slightly displeased with her statement, but she didn't mind. "Forgive me, but I would have to disagree. I know the limits of my daughter. She's far more talented than I am. However, to say that she's unmatched among her generation in the clan would be wrong."
Long Fang and Long Ling'er both squinted their eyes. They knew that Ji Cangyue wasn't someone who would talk nonsense. "Oh, so who is it? Because I can't see anyone special among these participants."
Bowing her head, she replied, "It's my disciple Yun Tianlong." Her tone quaked a little when she said the word 'disciple'.
The elders were confused for a moment due to the unfamiliar name. However, once they realised that person's surname wasn't Long but Yun, all of them identified him at the same time.
Long Qianmei and Yun Dingxing were pretty famous among the circle of elders. Only the old-timers like them knew about her details and those bits of information were enough to make all of them apprehensive.
"Is he Mei Er's son?" Long Zheng broke the silence.
Ji Cangyue nodded in affirmation. However, no one noticed that her hands were clenched inside her sleeves. Upon seeing her husband who had kept silent during the entire conference suddenly calling another woman's name in such a way in front of everyone, even she didn't know what she should feel.
It wasn't only her who noticed it but other elders too and all of them were stunned.
While none of them knew Long Qianmei's true cultivation realm, all of them knew that she was the strongest in the clan. In fact, they were specifically instructed by the patriarch to never disturb her.
Combined with her lack of interaction with anyone in the clan, she became a figure covered in mystery.
Even the old-timers in the clan wouldn't dare to address Long Qianmei in such an endearing fashion.
As if noticing the strange atmosphere, Long Zheng quickly explained, "She was once my junior sister!"
Quite a few eyebrows were raised upon the revelation. After all, the time when Long Qianmei garnered all attention on herself was more than a century ago. Not many people remembered things from back then.
"What's his cultivation realm?" Long Fang asked. His eyes while looking at Ji Cangyue contained a hint of pity.
Others may not know, but he clearly knew how back in the day Long Zheng felt towards Long Qianmei.
Ji Cangyue who had just suppressed her unease, trembled when she noticed the gaze. She lowered her head and replied in a soft tone, "I don't know the exact details, but at the very least it's greater than Qingxue's …and he started cultivation much later than Qingxue. With his strength, he can crush any of these participants here like an ant!"
She still couldn't forget the dangerous feeling she was getting from when Tianlong was standing near her. Although as an alchemist she wasn't much strong, she wouldn't feel such blatant threat from just anybody.
"You said that he was your disciple?" Long Ling'er questioned her in a sharp voice.
Ji Cangyue straightened her posture and nodded. "Yes. I have taught him medicine for years now, and from what I've observed, he's an absolute genius in the field of medicine!" Upon thinking about Tianlong, her mood improved a bit.
"Oh?" Long Ling'er raised her eyebrows. "What level is he at in alchemy?"
Ji Cangyue revealed a smile and replied, "His topic of research is Internal Alchemy of cultivators and doesn't concern with the refinement of pills. So, I dare not rank him with our standard. However, in terms of purely theoretical foundation, he can be regarded as a Second Revolution Alchemist…"
For a moment, everyone became quiet.
One Long Qingxue was enough to make all of them excited but if what she said was true, then this was an even bigger matter!
"If he is so strong, then why isn't he participating in the competition?" Long Fang said with slight dissatisfaction in his voice.
Although participation in the competition wasn't really compulsory, the youth were encouraged to participate in it nonetheless.
After all, the show of strength would increase the glory of the clan in front of the outsiders.
This matter wouldn't have been bought up if he wasn't strong. However, carrying a different surname while also refusing to participate in the tournament made some of them assume that he didn't consider himself as part of the clan.
"He's currently with the patriarch." Long Qiansheng spoke. He was there when Tianlong had bought that lamp with him.
"Elaborate."
"I don't know the details." Long Qiansheng shook his head. He had been told by the patriarch to not disclose anything about the lamp.
The lack of information caused their interest to peak even more. All of them were lost in their own thoughts.
Only when the noise from the audience told them that Long Ding had won yet another match, some of them shift their gazes.
Looking at Long Ding, Long Zheng was reminded of his past.
That proud figure of a woman that stood there under the envious gazes of many including himself was deeply etched in his mind.
Her stay in the clan was short. But everyone who saw her glory could never forget her.
"Qianmei, you are the only woman in this clan who can match my talent. I hope your son doesn't disappoint us." He mumbled quietly under his breath while looking at the fights.
Had he been born a decade before or after her, he would have never have come into contact with her.
However, as fate would dictate, the clan produced two geniuses at the same time.
Despite his overwhelming talent, he was overshadowed by Long Qianmei. Forever destined to be second.
Hundred years later, it's the same case. Just that the position of the first and second most talent was taken by their children.
If there was any difference, it would be that the romance between the two actually came to fruition. Well at least in some sense.
Of course, he didn't know any of that.
While Long Zheng was smiling at the irony, Ji Cangyue was feeling disappointed due to her husband.
The marriage of the past was just a beautiful memory, the vows are already forgotten, as for love …maybe it never existed in the first place…
"Xue'er, unlike me, I hope you find your true love…"
Her mind was immediately filled with the images of her disciple who had changed her life. As a mother, she could clearly see the yearning Qingxue had for him.
The other elders were similarly thinking about Tianlong. However, they were more curious about his relationship with the patriarch.
While the others were all thinking about him, Tianlong was absorbed in his cultivation.
Staying inside the statue of the Candle Dragon for an entire month, he had arrived at a crucial point that may very well turn him into a Yin Yang Cleanser.
The boiling of his bloodline had reached such a phase that it looked as if he was only half a step into Yin Yang Cleansing realm. However, there was no happiness in his expression, only a bit of confusion.