Transmigration After Becoming Love Saint

Entering Gu Yun Mountain, then the Mystic Water Sect, Wang Mu finally returned to the Sword Sect.

Nanrong Biyou… Mu Hongyuan… His experiences with these two had made Wang Mu realize that even if one severed romantic destiny, as long as one lived in the Cultivation World, no matter how much one tried to slack off, it was ultimately impossible to avoid them. Thus, Wang Mu also came to understand the year he had spent with Mu Hongyuan. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. His Heart Realm had subtly changed.

He returned to the Sword Sect.

As was his custom, Wang Mu first went to pay his respects to the Sect Master.

"You, kid, always wander off without a care, disappearing for a whole year at a time."

At Upper Cloud Peak, Sect Master Jian sized up Wang Mu, frowning slightly. "I don't quite understand your Cultivation… Your Taixiao Sword Mysterious Skill should have reached Sword Heart Realm Perfection… but why do I detect a hint of Golden Core energy in you?"

Wang Mu coughed a few times.

This Golden Core wasn't a Sword Dao Golden Core… It was a Primordial Golden Pill. To be precise, it was a special Golden Pill formed by the Spiritual Power cultivated through the Taixiao Sword Mysterious Skill, combined with the Great Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram. Without forming a Sword Dao Golden Core, his Taixiao Sword Mysterious Skill couldn't advance to higher realms—meaning he couldn't step into the Sword Core Realm. Therefore, Wang Mu now primarily cultivated the Great Yin-Yang Harmony Diagram and the Primordial Mystic Sea Control Technique. That little droplet was almost a Golden Core now…

"I've had a fortuitous encounter... I guess it counts as having formed a Golden Core," Wang Mu said.

"Interesting…" Jian Wuqing pondered thoughtfully but did not inquire further.

The master leads the disciple to the door, but Cultivation depends on the individual. What kind of achievements the disciples at the Sword Sect could attain was not something he could control. As long as it wasn't the cultivation of the Demon Path, it didn't matter.

It was rare for the Sword Sect to constrain its disciples, insisting they only cultivate the sect's techniques. In fact, even Sect Master Jian himself had, for some time, cultivated profound spells from the Buddhist Sect.

"Now that you have a Golden Core…" Jian Wuqing said, "then, youngster, you can participate in the upcoming Century's Heavenly Pride Battle. Of course, with your mere early-stage Golden Core Cultivation, taking part in such an event in the Nine Provinces Cultivation World, you'll only be there to make up the numbers."

Wang Mu was silent.

"It's quite difficult to achieve good results," said Jian Wuqing. "However, by participating in such an event, there is always something to be gained. You'll broaden your horizons and experiences, witnessing the style of the top young cultivators of the Nine Provinces, and maybe even gain enlightenment through the process."

"After all, you were previously ranked first on the Potential List, so you should be able to snag some nice things at the event."

The Century's Heavenly Pride Battle was considered a major event in the Nine Provinces Cultivation World. It had been held for several hundred years.

Held every century, it was a grand event jointly hosted and led by the top sects of the Nine Provinces Cultivation World. Its purpose was to select the most formidable young cultivators and crown them as the Number One Heavenly Pride of the Nine Provinces, serving as an example and inspiration for the cultivators of the Nine Provinces.

Of course, this 'Number One' referred to the first among the younger generation. Those at Nascent Soul Realm or above were generally not considered part of the younger generation; they belonged to the older generation.

Centuries ago, this event was held once every hundred years. At that time, Spiritual Energy was not as abundant as it is now, and it would take young cultivators a full century to barely reach the Golden Core Realm and qualify for participation.

In recent years, as Spiritual Energy in the world became increasingly abundant, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm became the new threshold for a Heavenly Pride. Consequently, it was often held every few decades. After all, the faster the younger generation cultivated, the more frequently such events were naturally held.

During this event, many top sects would also recruit disciples from other sects and discover powerful Loose Cultivators to serve as reserves for their future elite combat forces. It was also a time when the major sects covertly competed with one another. This involved issues such as the distribution of resources among the various Continents.

In the Cultivation World, conflict is inevitable. However, because Ascension Realm powerhouses act as a deterrent, a ceiling over the Nine Provinces, there are defined boundaries. This generally maintains peace and prevents widespread, bloody conflicts.

Of course, the fundamental purpose of the Century's Heavenly Pride Battle was still for the benefit of the younger generation of cultivators.

"Sect Master, I heard... this time the Century's Heavenly Pride Battle has something to do with an Ancient Immortal's Cave Mansion?" Wang Mu, intrigued, suddenly asked.

"Correct..." Jian Wuqing nodded. "Traveling does have its benefits. This matter hasn't been officially announced yet, and you already know something about it."

"A few months ago, I was invited to the Great Wilderness. There, I joined forces with sects from other Continents to lift the seals and explore," Sect Master Jian said, his expression turning solemn. "This Century's Heavenly Pride Battle is also related to this. According to the original schedule, it should have been held in five or ten years."

"Unexpectedly, this Ancient Cave Mansion emerged..."

Sect Master Jian mused, "This cave mansion is extremely mysterious. It has ancient steles outside and prohibitions within, and it restricts Nascent Souls. Yet, the Spiritual Energy inside is rich and seems to contain tremendous fortune. On those steles, a female figure can be faintly discerned, presumably the lady of the mansion."

"Based on our assessment at the time, this is likely some Ancient Divine Girl with astonishing cultivation. It's unclear whether she had achieved Ascension or perished in the mortal realm while on the path to Ascension…"

"We couldn't investigate the specifics clearly…"

"Later, we intended to dispatch Nascent Soul Cultivators to explore, but none of the major sects could agree… everyone wanted a share of the pie…"

Sect Master Jian said with a smile, "So, in the end, we decided to address it through this Century's Heavenly Pride Battle. Just then, the Dan King Sect issued a proclamation to the Nine Provinces, stating that they would oversee this iteration of the Heavenly Pride Battle. Furthermore, that old ancestor of theirs personally placed an additional layer of restriction upon the cave mansion."