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Upon hearing this, the Peak Masters of the Seventh Peak exchanged glances.
No one knew what kind of trick the junior uncle was playing.
Nobody wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.
"Cough cough cough…"
Just as the atmosphere on the stage became somewhat awkward, a somewhat portly man with a scraggly beard and disheveled appearance coughed lightly and stepped forward.
"Since none of you seem too keen on taking this lad, I, Zhao Qian, will reluctantly accept him on behalf of the Seventh Peak."
The man spoke with a tone that suggested a selfless sacrifice.
Indeed, this was the Peak Master of the Seventh Peak, Zhao Linglong's father, Zhao Qian.
"After all, this boy was originally chosen by the Spiritual Bones Stele for our Seventh Peak. It seems our fate is still intertwined."
Zhao Qian walked over to Qingxiao and Xu Taiping with a chuckle.
As he spoke, he winked greasily at Xu Taiping, as if to say, "Kid, I have high hopes for you."
"Hold on!"
"What do you mean by reluctantly accepting him? We haven't even asked yet!"
Upon hearing this, the other Peak Masters also snapped to attention.
They had all been watching from the sidelines, not expecting Zhao Qian to make the first move.
As for whether they wanted Xu Taiping or not, they weren't blind. Based on Xu Taiping's performance in the sword inquiry with Ye Xuan, even if his spiritual bones limited his potential for advancement, he would still be more than capable of serving as an Elder in the Qingxuan Sect!
"Ha, Zhao Qian, you sure are wishful thinking!"
A woman in a dark Taoist robe with a cold and beautiful appearance stepped forward boldly.
"Little Taiping, think carefully. His Seventh Peak is so poor it rattles, they have nothing. My Sixth Peak, the Maiden Peak, is different. If you join us, I guarantee you'll have all the elixirs you need for your cultivation."
She pushed Zhao Qian aside and then looked at Xu Taiping with a warm smile, promising earnestly.
This cold and beautiful woman was naturally the Peak Master of the Sixth Peak, Xu Ziyan's master, Meng Qingqiu.
"Ah?"
Xu Taiping was a bit overwhelmed by the question.
He had made all sorts of preparations for the Seventh Peak selection, but he had not anticipated this scenario.
He instinctively wanted to scratch his head but accidentally touched the wound on his right hand caused by Sect Leader Zhou's sword qi, causing his mouth to twitch in pain.
"Snap!"
As he was considering whether to seal his acupoint to stop the pain, Uncle Nine, who had been tilting his head back pouring wine into his mouth, suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder from afar.
In an instant, not only did the pain in his arm vanish, but the bleeding stopped as well.
"Thank you, Uncle Nine."
Xu Taiping immediately expressed his gratitude.
"Carry on."
Uncle Nine waved his hand, looking like he was just there to watch the drama, and continued drinking on the side.
"Taiping, come to our Fifth Peak. We just happen to have an Elder who is a master of martial arts. With his guidance, you will surely advance further."
"Ha, a martial arts master? Du Peak Master, you're not talking about my defeated opponent Wu Lie, are you? Taiping, come to our Third Peak, I'll personally guide you in martial arts."
"How far can the path of martial arts take you? Come to our Second Peak, even if you're mere bones, I guarantee you'll break through to Profound Realm within thirty years."
With Zhao Qian and the Sixth Peak Master leading the way, all the other peaks, except for the First Peak, extended invitations to Xu Taiping, each offering very generous terms.
They had all witnessed Xu Taiping's performance.
With just a body of bones, he had broken through to the Gazing Abyss Realm in three years, surely possessing great insight and perseverance. They wouldn't miss out on him.
Moreover, the talent Xu Taiping displayed in martial arts was already quite impressive.
Although the Qingxuan Sect was a cultivator's sect, strong martial artists could compensate for the physical frailty of cultivators, complementing them during external trials, making them a rare commodity.
As for future potential, Xu Taiping had already reached the Gazing Abyss Realm. Even if he didn't advance further, as long as he continued to consolidate his realm, he would still achieve something significant.
"Cough cough cough…"
Seeing that several peaks had extended invitations, the First Peak's Master finally couldn't hold back and coughed lightly before addressing Xu Taiping:
"Taiping, although there was some unpleasantness just now, I still hope you'll join our First Peak."
Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Zhou Tong, although slightly displeased, didn't say anything.
Seeing that the Sect Leader didn't voice any objections, the First Peak Master breathed a sigh of relief and then continued to recruit Xu Taiping with a smile:
"Our First Peak has the most abundant spiritual energy among the seven peaks, the oldest spiritual medicines, and one of the Qingxuan Sect's three great techniques, the Dragon Flame Technique and the Frost Technique. If you're willing to join our peak, I can promise you right now that you can choose any one of these techniques."
Hearing this, Ye Xuan, who was being supported by Jin Hezhi, was immediately filled with rage. If not for Jin Hezhi holding him back, he might have rushed forward to argue with the First Peak Master.
He couldn't understand why the Peak Master would offer such generous terms to his rival.
The other Peak Masters also frowned upon hearing this, as the conditions they could offer were indeed much less attractive than those of the First Peak.
This was also why the best disciples were always picked by the First Peak every year.
"Jin Yue, you're making it too easy by bringing out the Dragon Flame Technique and the Frost Technique."
Zhao Qian grumbled and gave the First Peak Master a disdainful look.
"With Taiping's performance today, he's definitely worthy of these two techniques."
Jin Yue smiled and shook his head.
If you can't beat them, recruit them into your own ranks. This had always been the First Peak's principle.
It had to be said, this smiling tiger Jin Yue had a really thick skin, unaffected by the earlier conflict between Xu Taiping and Ye Xuan.
"This skin is really thick."
Zhao Qian muttered under his breath.
After speaking, he made a "I've done my best, now it's up to you" expression and gestured with his mouth towards Qingxiao.
Qingxiao, seeing this, was exasperated.
His master, in some ways, really was like his capricious junior sister.
However, Qingxiao didn't speak up, pretending not to see, and turned his head away.
Although he really wanted Xu Taiping to join the Seventh Peak, he didn't want to force or interfere with his choice.
Seeing this, Zhao Qian immediately rolled his eyes and muttered, "You little rascal, why is your skin so thin? Learn from Peak Master Jin Yue."
Half of his words were deliberately meant for Jin Yue to hear.
However, Jin Yue didn't care at all, still smiling and quietly watching Xu Taiping.
Thus, the other Peak Masters also fell silent, all turning their gazes to Xu Taiping.
In their view, the conditions they could offer couldn't possibly compare to the First Peak's, and now it was all up to Xu Taiping's own choice.