366 Important Speeches by Relevant Leaders (1/2)
Qiong Hua?
Hearing this name was like hearing a thunder reverberating in one's ears for Wang Lu. In Nine Regions, perhaps there were people who were not aware of the people in Spirit Sword Sect, but people who were ignorant of Qiong Hua was extremely few.
As the lead disciple of Shengjing Sect, since her debut, Qiong Hua has always been radiant. All eyes were focused on her. Her words and deeds, and even her smiles always got people's attention. Not only because she was the last disciple of Daoist He Tu and also a strong contender for the next leader of Shengjing Sect, but also because of her appearance that looked like a fairy, devastatingly beautiful.
In any place, beautiful women were always more likely to catch attention, much less an extremely promising, extraordinarily beautiful, fairy-like woman? Originally, Spirit Sword Sect's Liu Li and Zhu Shiyao, as well as Kunlun Sect's Zhou Mumu, have special characteristics, but each of them has their own shortcomings.
Zhu Shiyao didn't understand human interactions, very cold and indifferent; Liu Li was naive, a child in a grown up's body; Zhou Mumu was frank and outspoken, impetuous. Each of them has their own defects. Compared to them, Qiong Hua was flawless, perfect inside and outside.
At any point, she was not the most prominent. She never had amazing record like when Liu Li, still in Foundation Building Stage, killed the twelve Blood Cloud Demons. She has also never done what Wang Lu did, repeatedly fighting against the more senior cultivators and creating miracles by the clever use of all resources at hand. She also never claimed to be invincible to her peers of the same level like Zhu Shiyao. However, step by step, in nearly twenty years of cultivation, she has already entered the realm of Jindan Stage.
Yes, Qiong Hua was already a real Daoist Master of Jindan Stage, which was something that Wang Lu immediately comprehended in the heart when his and Qiong Hua's eyes met. Jindan and pre-Jindan, this threshold could be shallow but it could also be deep. For many mediocre people, reaching Jindan Stage was nothing more than another level of magical power, nothing to be worried about. However, for a few people, before and after Jindan was entirely different realms. The gap between before and after the threshold was truly large. In Grand Cloud Mountain, Wang Lu, while still in low-level Xudan, actually dared to trade one or two blows against a Yuanying Stage Tiger King. However, this time, even with his high-level Xudan Stage power, he didn't dare to say that his Non-Phase Sword Defense would be break-proof in front of Qiong Hua.
Qiong Hua reaching Jindan Stage in twenty years was actually not unprecedented, but her speed was still amazingly fast. The more terrifying thing was that she has a very solid foundation. Once she reached Jindan Stage, it was like she was reborn. In the past, according to Wang Lu's level assessment, Qiong Hua's level was around plus fourteen or fifteen, not that much different from Liu Li. But now, after reaching Jindan Stage, Liu Li no longer even have the qualification to contend against her.
In addition, what caught Wang Lu's attention was that her pair of eyes seemed to be able to speak. When Qiong Hua stood up and withdrew from her spot on the order of her Master, their eyes only met for just a split second, yet it was as if Wang Lu heard Qiong Hua's gentle voice in his ears.
”I have long heard of sire's famous reputation, and today, I know that it is not just an empty reputation. I look forward for your speech.”
This courteous attitude greatly improved Wang Lu's impression on Qiong Hua. Before this, he had also heard of her famous name. People said that she was humble and polite, gentle and elegant, just like a flower on a tall mountain. And Wang Lu, according to the usual public opinion of Shengjing Sect, automatically judged that it was just a show off. However, at this time, he found out that his previous assessment of her seemed to be a bit biased. Qiong Hua seemed to be genuine and has her own way, not an exquisitely packaged product by Shengjing Sect publicity agency.
However, Wang Lu didn't have enough time to think about Qiong Hua. At this time, on the Golden Platform, one by one, each of the sect leaders has taken their seat. He Tu, Zhu Ri, Tian Lun, Kuqin, Feng Yin were all located on the center golden platform. On the two sides of golden platform sat the sect leaders of the top rank sects like Million Forms Sect and Flowing Cloud Sect. As for Zhan Ziye, Zhou Mumu, and the other lead disciples, they could only stand behind their sect's elders, without the qualification to sit. In contrast, Wang Lu was guided by Fang He and Wang Wu toward the center golden platform to sit down. Unexpectedly, Wang Lu's position was second only to the sect leaders of the Five Uniques!
As he sat down, his master whispered to him from behind, explaining to him everything that happened before.
That day, the Sect Leader received the key from Wang Lu and returned to Nine Regions. Afterwards, the Excavation Management conducted a very comprehensive inspection of the key together with the Union of Ten Thousand Immortals to ensure its authenticity and to prepare for today's grand ceremony. For this group of immortal tombs, for several years, the excavation management and even the entire Union of Ten Thousand Immortals have spent enormous resources without any income. But now, since they finally saw the dawn of victory, they were overjoyed, so much that the specific of the celebration was even comparable to the once in a decade assembly of Union of Ten Thousand Immortals.
The ceremony has three main agendas. The first was the speech by the leader of Union of Ten Thousand Immortals, Supreme He Tu, and then the Chairperson of the Excavation Management Committee, Daoist Master Feng Yin. Taking into account the identity of these two people, their speech was essential to the program. However, the surprising thing was the third: Union of Ten Thousand Immortals had arranged for Wang Lu, as the one with the most outstanding contribution, for the program to deliver a speech!
”Actually, there's nothing surprising about this.”
From behind Wang Lu, Wang Wu mockingly said, ”Think carefully about what the Union of Ten Thousand Immortals and Excavation Management team have done for several months on the Western Continent. They have spent a huge amount of resources to travel to the distant land, not for trade or colonization, but just for the key to open the group of immortal tombs. However, except for killing the local people, creating a lose-lose situation, have there been any practical and effective result? You're the one who met with Golden King, and you're the one that obtained the key. And from the beginning to the end, it has no relation whatsoever with them. If later you hadn't spent a month in Western Continent, which gave a time for the Excavation Management and the Union of Ten Thousand Immortals to wash themselves, the whole expedition thing would be a farce. In this opening ceremony, they must sum up their achievements in the past few months, or even years, but without you, what can they summarize? Summarize how bloated their own bureaucracy is?”