Chapter 225: Not Many, Yet Many
Qin Yi asked this not only to know where he stood among his peers, but also to gauge the strength of others and determine how many potential formidable enemies he would face in the upcoming Sect Grand Competition.
If he could know in advance who was worth watching, his main body would naturally be able to take precautions, pay closer attention, and prepare ahead of time.
However, Su Meier's answer was somewhat unexpected and ambiguous.
"Not many, yet many."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yi couldn't help but pause, his sword-like eyebrows knitting together: "What does that mean?"
Su Meier leaned lazily in his arms and giggled: "It means that not many have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm yet. As far as I know, at most, it won't exceed the number of fingers on one hand."
Five people—
Qin Yi calculated silently in his heart.
This number, when placed against the massive base of new Disciples, was indeed extremely rare.
One must know that every year, the Great Dao Heavenly Demon Sect lures and abducts countless Mortals from all over the world, seeking that ethereal "immortal fate."
Among them, how many could survive the brutal selection process, truly guide Qi into their bodies, and become Outer Sect Disciples?
And among these Outer Sect Disciples, only a mere five people had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm within a short year.
He steadied himself and asked in a deep voice: "Who are these five people?"
Knowing yourself and your enemy is the only way to win every battle.
He intended to master all intelligence on these people in advance, understand their Cultivation Technique patterns, and find their weaknesses.
This way, even if they crossed paths in the future at the Sect Grand Competition, he would be able to seize the initiative and remain invincible.
Unexpectedly, Su Meier shook her head gently, her jade finger pressing against his lips to stop his next words.
"Remembering their names is of no great significance, because soon, there will no longer be only these five Disciples who have achieved a Foundation EstablishmentBreakthrough."
"On the eve of the Sect Grand Competition, countless Qi Refining Perfection Disciples will spring up like bamboo shoots after rain, one after another, stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Qin Yi was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was the true meaning of Su Meier's earlier words, "not many, yet many."
But his brows furrowed even deeper: "Why is that? Isn't the foundation establishment pillextremely difficult to obtain? Could it be that they all have their own channels to easily acquire this pill?"
"Giggle—" Su Meier was amused by his serious expression, her fragrant, soft body trembling slightly in his arms. "For a Qi Refining Cultivator, the foundation establishment pill is indeed as difficult to obtain as ascending to heaven. Take you, for example; you probably don't know how this pill is refined, do you?"
Qin Yi's lips moved, but he didn't speak.
Su Meier continued: "Of course, even if you knew the method to refine the foundation establishment pill, just cultivating the anomalythat serves as the main ingredient would require months of time and massive resources. Almost no one can successfully refine it on their own."
"However, for Cultivators like us, this foundation establishment pill is not a rare item. After long years of cultivation, who doesn't have a few useless Medicinal Pills saved up? This pill is useless to us, and it feels a pity to discard it, so the best method is—"
She leaned into Qin Yi's ear, the warm breath she exhaled making his earlobe itch slightly.
"Naturally, it is to find a junior Disciple with decent talent who catches one's eye, bestow this pill upon them, and help them achieve a Breakthrough. At the same time, one can also have them agree to certain requests. A very fair trade, isn't it?"
So that was it.
Qin Yi's heart suddenly cleared; he finally understood a little.
Rather than calling it a trade, it was more like an investment.
On the eve of the Sect Grand Competition, those Senior Cultivators who had already achieved fame and success would select "potential stocks" they favored from the Qi Refining Perfection Disciples and reach a consensus with them.
They would assist them in a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough, and in return, the other party would need to fulfill certain conditions for them after the Breakthrough.
For those Seniors, this was also a gamble.
If they bet on the right treasure, they could not only have the other party accomplish an important task for them but also gain an ally with infinite potential.
But if their judgment was wrong, and after the Foundation Establishment, the other party not only failed to fulfill the promise but also perished quickly in the brutal fighting, then their foundation establishment pill would have been wasted.
And wasn't his current relationship with Su Meier exactly like this?
He pondered for a while, then raised his head again and asked the most critical question: "Then, with my current strength, is there any hope of seizing the title of champion in that Sect Grand Competition? What kind of cultivation level did the strongest participants have in previous Sect Grand Competitions?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the charming smile on Su Meier's face faltered slightly, and a trace of worry quietly appeared between her brows.
"I hadn't joined the Sect during the Sect Grand Competitions from too long ago, so I don't know much about them," she sighed softly, her tone carrying a hint of gravity. "But I clearly remember that the strongest person who stood out in my session of the Sect Grand Competition was at the Golden Core StageEarly Stage!"
Golden Core Stage!?
Qin Yi felt as if a bolt of thunder had exploded in his mind, and his pupils contracted in an instant!
Golden Core Stage!?
How is this possible!?
He had only just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the other party was already an Immortal Master at the Golden Core Stage?
Between them lay an entire uncrossable major Realm!
Let alone contending with them, the other party could probably crush him to death with just a thought!
If such a Prodigy appeared in this year's Sect Grand Competition, just like in those years, how could he have even half a chance of winning?
How could he even talk about seizing the title of champion?
Su Meier seemed amused by his shocked appearance; she covered her mouth and giggled, rolling her eyes at him coquettishly: "Look at you, so easily rattled. The Golden Core Stage Early Stage I spoke of was naturally someone who successfully broke through by chance during the Sect Grand Competition. Otherwise, how could he have cultivated to that Realm within a short year of joining the Sect?"
"You are now considered a person of outstanding talent, and it is fortunate enough that you could break through to Foundation Establishment before entering the sect. No matter how Heaven-Defying a person's talent is, it is absolutely impossible to cultivate from a mere Mortal to the Golden Core Stage in just a year. Such a person, looking at my entire Great Dao Heavenly Demon Sect, is probably only the Ancestral Master himself."
Upon hearing this, the heart that had been in Qin Yi's throat finally slowly returned to its place.
So, they broke through during the Sect Grand Competition.
That was still reasonable.
After all, during the Sect Grand Competition, all restrictions were lifted, and slaughter and plunder were the only themes.
As long as your strength was sufficiently tyrannical, all the surrounding fellow Disciples were just fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, resources to help your strength grow rapidly.
In such an environment, it was not impossible for one's cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds daily.
Qin Yi took a deep breath, banished all distracting thoughts from his mind, and a raging Battle Intent reignited in his black eyes.
He looked at Su Meier and finally asked the last question.
"Then, how should I improve myself so that I have a chance—to become the champion?"