Ninth In the World

Zhen Man’s heart started to pound. She did not understand why Di Jiu was so important as to stand at a place she could never reach. When she thought of her circumstances, she wondered whether she could ask for Di Jiu’s help.

She felt a little embarrassed and ashamed at the thought. However, once she thought of being able to head to the Small Central World, this thought grew as frantically as a weed.

Meanwhile, she understood why Di Jiu had suddenly disappeared from Pearl City. He was not using an invisibility talisman. He had just become the expert she had never imagined he could be.

“Senior Huan Mingzi, Daoist Di. Let me introduce you. This is Bai Jiucheng, the Sect Master of the Yalun Continent’s eight-star sect called the Desolate Cloud Valley. This is Ruan Shi, the Elixir Association Master; Tie Zhenghe, the Weapon Association Master; Luo Yixiang, the Sect Master of the seven-star sect called the Lofty Cloud Sect; Guang Mengxuan, the Palatial Lord of the seven-star sect called the Ice Jade Palace; and Xie Anguan, the Sect Master of the seven-star sect called the Mythic Ocean Sect…”

Thanks to Hai Hong’s introduction, Di Jiu now knew a few top-notch experts of the Yalun Continent. Other than the Palatial Lord of the Ice Jade Palace, Guang Mengxuan, who was a woman, the remaining sect masters were all men. Bai Jiucheng, the sect master of the eight-star Desolate Cloud Valley, had the highest cultivation level. He was at the seventh-stage Life Tribulation Realm. Di Jiu did not see anyone whose cultivation was at the True Form Realm.

“Guild Master Hai, you have already introduced us to Senior Huan, but you have yet to do the same for Daoist Di. The only thing I know about him is his surname,” said Guang Mengxuan as she covered her mouth and laughed.

As a lady, she possessed some privileges when it came to speaking. This was why she was the first to ask about Di Jiu’s identity while the remaining sect masters remained silent.

Hai Hong laughed. “I want to inform everyone that Daoist Di Jiu also comes from the Yalun Continent. That’s why he took a trip back to the Yalun Continent. He wanted to make the geniuses selected from the Yalun Continent proud.”

Hai Hong only knew Di Jiu’s name and the fact that he came from the Yalun Continent. The fact that Di Jiu had come back to take revenge was naturally not appropriate to mention. He was in the dark as to where Di Jiu planned on going after he took revenge.

“Brother Jiu also comes from the Yalun Continent? This is something worth celebrating. Brother Jiu is the pride of the Yalun Continent!” said Guang Mengxuan dramatically the moment she heard Hai Hong’s words. Although she knew that she was older than Di Jiu by a few hundred years, she still spoke unabashedly.

Di Jiu himself did not know how he could be considered the pride of the Yalun Continent.

“Ha ha…” Huan Mingzi laughed. “Di Jiu is now considered an existence on the Small Central World’s Dao Roll. He has the freedom to travel between the Small Central World and other realms. He also comes from the Yalun Continent, so I’m handing the responsibility of choosing five geniuses to Di Jiu…”

Huan Mingzi knew that what these people desired the most was to head to the Small Central World. That was why he had explicitly said that Di Jiu possessed the qualifications to enter and leave the Small Central World at will.

As expected, after hearing his words, everyone looked at Di Jiu in admiration. Some people even regretted not getting to know Di Jiu earlier, like Hai Hong had. Meanwhile, Hai Hong felt even more desperate to know that this matter was taken care of.

None of them knew that Di Jiu needed to spend large amounts of Spirit Stones if he wished to teleport between different realms. He could not afford to teleport many times, as each trip cost tens of millions of Spirit Stones.

…

“Junior Sister Man, isn’t Di Jiu the man we saw in Pearl City?” asked the gray-robed man standing beside Zhen Man in astonishment.

Suddenly, he understood and added, “I understand now. Back then, our Spiritual Force did not sense him because his speed was simply too fast. Junior Sister, you suffered an injustice during the preliminary selection process. Perhaps…”

His speech came to a halt when he discovered that Zhen Man had actually rushed up the selection platform.

The gray-robed man smiled bitterly. He knew what kind of person Zhen Man was, yet he was unable to stop liking her. It seemed like, from this moment on, Zhen Man would no longer give a damn about him.

Zhen Man, who was only at the early-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, was blocked from the platform before she could even manage to ascend it. As a result, she could only shout anxiously, “Ah Jiu, it’s me, Zhen Man! They seized my qualification to head to the Small Central World…”

The expressions of the people in charge, who were standing at the edge of the selection platform, changed drastically upon hearing Zhen Man’s words. In their opinion, an expert from the Small Central World should never be offended. Zhen Man’s actions were the equivalent of throwing a bomb. The Yalun Continent would be done for if the selection process was deemed unjust and they were stripped off any future rights.

The sect master of the Twin Waves Sect, which Zhen Man was currently a disciple of, turned pale. It would be a disaster for the sect if the expert on the platform got angry. If the Yalun Continent lost the opportunity to send geniuses into the Small Central World as a result of Zhen Man’s actions, the Twin Waves Sect would be done for.

Di Jiu’s gaze landed on Zhen Man, who was intercepted. When he noticed the hope and desire in her eyes, he sighed and said, “Let her come up the platform.”

Now that Di Jiu had spoken, the cultivator intercepting Zhen Man naturally dared not disobey. He hurriedly moved aside.

“Ah Jiu, I had originally acquired a slot to head to the Small Central World, but I was replaced by someone else later on,” explained Zhen Man anxiously as soon as she stepped onto the platform.

She had already forsaken her pride and sense of propriety. She only cared about heading to the Small Central World and cultivating there.

This was not because she was realistic, but because this was a realistic world. She had enjoyed too much worship and respect ever since she had left Pearl City, thus developing the desire for more. She wanted to be above even more people and become way more successful.

Di Jiu sighed silently. Although his thoughts had started drifting, he still remembered his youthful past self…

“Senior Di, I’m Hui Baiyu, the sect master of the Twin Waves Sect. There is a reason why the sect chose Yu Yongzhen over Zhen Man!” shouted a middle-aged man with a hair-bun anxiously as he bowed under the selection platform.

He was extremely distressed. No one had expected that Zhen Man would know the envoy from the Small Central World. If he had known this, he would have given her this opportunity, even though she had slightly inferior potential compared to Yu Yongzhen.

The Twin Waves Sect was a mere five-star sect. The reason this sect had gotten a slot this time was because it had given up a guaranteed Small Central World slot to the eight-star sect called the Desolate Cloud Valley. The previous time, a top-notch genius from the Twin Waves Sect with a pure mutated Spirit Root had lost the slot that had originally belonged to him, left the Twin Waves Sect and disappeared.

This incident was also why the Desolate Cloud Valley had agreed to give one slot to the Twin Waves Sect so it could also participate in this selection process. This slot would allow one to enter the top 20, but not the final five.

Di Jiu lifted his hand to stop the man. “This is not important. Zhen Man, you may join the lineup.”

On the platform stood the 20 chosen geniuses. Later on, only five of these 20 people would be chosen by Di Jiu to head to the Small Central World.

When he saw that Zhen Man knew Di Jiu and that Di Jiu had allowed Zhen Man to join the lineup, Yu Yongzhen, who was standing there, became nervous. Although his potential was only slightly superior to Zhen Man’s, he was unwilling to accept that he would have to leave the platform because of her.

“Okay…” Zhen Man, who was extremely excited, replied with clenched fists as she walked towards the group of geniuses.

She only sensed that something was amiss when she joined the lineup. Di Jiu had indeed helped her, yet he had not asked Yu Yongzhen to leave the platform. Something wasn’t right. Would Di Jiu do the same if anyone else pleaded for justice? Furthermore, when Di Jiu had said that this was not important, he’d also meant that he was not concerned about whether Zhen Man suffered as a result.

Zhen Man’s theory was not completely correct. Di Jiu would be understanding if anyone else pleaded for justice. However, he knew Zhen Man very well.

Her character was evident from her past actions. Even though he had been youthful then, she’d been free to choose. It was true that it was in a man’s nature to strive for the best. Hence, Di Jiu did not blame Zhen Man. However, it was evident that the two of them had different values in life. He no longer dwelled on the past. Everything was now water under the bridge. The reason he had allowed Zhen Man to join the group was only because Zhen Man also came from Pearl City and they had once known each other.

“Start selecting, Di Jiu. The 21 geniuses are all here. Choose five of them. I need to leave as soon as possible,” said Huan Mingzi impatiently after Di Jiu met the various sect masters.

He truly did not want to stay there. He did still have several hundred more years left to live, yet time tended to pass in the blink of an eye for a cultivator.

Di Jiu did not start the selection process. Instead, he looked at Huan Mingzi and said with a chuckle, “Senior Huan Mingzi, besides the Small Central Planet, did the rest of the five continents have to choose geniuses to head to the Small Central Planet?”

Huan Mingzi nodded his head. “This applies to all the star continents except the Night Star Continent. Although the cultivation standards of the Constant Heaven Continent are not inferior compared to the Small Central World, only about 50 genius cultivators are chosen each time. The Elixir Eclipse Continent, however, uses up 100 slots every time.”

“Does that mean that the Yalun Continent also gets 100 slots?” This was the question Di Jiu wanted to ask.

Huan Mingzi, who understood what Di Jiu was trying to say, fell silent for a short while before saying, “It would be impossible this time. I understand what you’re trying to say. The fact that you were able to enter the Sea Roll means that there’s a place for the Yalun Continent in the Small Central World. This time, I will bring these 21 people back with me. During the next Five Continent Dao Convention, you could help the Yalun Continent secure some slots yourself.”

“Thank you, sir.” Di Jiu was not surprised. If he had not brought this topic up, Huan Mingzi would definitely not have mentioned anything about it.

“All 21 of them can head to the Small Central World?” Hai Hong and the rest of the Sect Masters and Association Masters were all shocked.

Everyone was thinking about how different it was to have some or no support in the Small Central World. One sentence from Di Jiu had increased their slots by more than four times.

They did not know, however, that Di Jiu had no right to change the rules if someone else came over. Only during the next selection would he be able to help increase the number of slots of the Yalun Continent.

“Daoist Di, I want to thank you on the behalf of all the cultivators of the Yalun Continent. I had previously doubted Guild Master Hai’s words, but now I’ve finally understood,” said Bai Jiucheng, the sect master of the eight-star Desolate Cloud Valley, with a bow. Everyone else followed his lead, bowing and thanking Di Jiu as well.

The reason the Yalun Continent had never had a position was because no one in the Small Central World spoke up for them. Now that even more geniuses would be heading to the Small Central World, there would eventually be some experts that would support the Yalun Continent.

“Guild Master Hai, you will be heading to the Small Central World with Senior Huan Mingzi later as well.” Di Jiu clapped Hai Hong, who was also expressing his gratitude, on the shoulder.

Hai Hong widened his eyes before grabbing Di Jiu excitedly. “I get to go as well? Thank you! Thank you, Brother Di!”