"And when does the ranking tournament take place every year?"

"This year's ranking tournament is just around the corner – yes...... More than half a month will be there!Senior Brother Aotian, are you going to participate in the ranking competition?"

"Well, I'd like to try it!" replied with a nod of his head.

Hearing this, the man nodded, smiled flatteringly, and said: "The strength of Senior Brother Aotian is definitely the first in the Inner Sect, but the junior brother may not know the Dao, the Inner Sect has regulations, the disciples who have just entered the Inner Sect can only watch the ranking competition, and cannot participate in the ranking competition, only those who have successfully passed the martial arts assessment after you have entered the Inner Sect for five years can participate!"

"There is still such a rule!" Aotian said with a frown and some disappointment.

Seeing that Aotian seemed to be a little unhappy, the man was a little frightened, and hurriedly explained: "Yes, yes, the disciples who have just entered the Inner Sect will not be able to get any rankings even if they want to participate in the ranking competition, after all, it is naturally rare to see such a prodigy as the junior brother, but the junior brother can go to the elder hall and ask, I estimate that the elders will give you some special care!"

"Well, I know what to say, let's go!" Aotian waved his hand and pondered to himself.

"Yes, then I'll leave first!" The man bowed his hand respectfully, and then hurriedly took a few men with him, smeared oil on the soles of his feet, and escaped from the courtyard gate in a puff of smoke.

After leaving the courtyard, several people fled in a hurry as if there were pursuers behind them, and then stopped again.

"Damn, how the fuck did you inquire about the news, didn't you say that Aotian was in courtyard seventy-seven, how could he be in courtyard eighty-two?"

"Yes, that's right, by the way, Senior Brother Ma, listen to what the disciple just said, this Aotian shouldn't be from this courtyard, I guess I'm here for something!"

"Well, it's not rough, Senior Brother Ma, I did see him in another person's room just now, I think he should be looking for something with that person!"

"Damn, it's really a disadvantage, I just came to the first courtyard and met this Aotian!" the man surnamed Ma said a little depressedly, but there was still a hint of palpitation on his face.

If it weren't for the disciple who said Aotian's name, a few of them would have had eyes and didn't know Taishan, and they would have shouted at Aotian recklessly, and they would have eaten a fist.

Thinking about it now, several people are really a little afraid.

"Senior brother, should we go to other courtyards to contribute value badges?"

"Forget it, I don't want to bump into this Aotian, go back and tell our people that they are not allowed to come over and ask for the contribution value badge again, lest that ignorant person get into trouble with Aotian!" said the man surnamed Ma with a wave of his hand.

Immediately, with a few people accompanying him, he quickly left the new disciple's accommodation area.

......

After Aotian left Shen Kuo's courtyard, he returned to his courtyard again, and then sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard, secretly thinking about what Shen Kuo and the man just said.

"There is more than half a month before the ranking tournament, it seems that I really need to go to the Hall of Elders to ask if I can make an exception to participate in this ranking tournament!"

Now that Xuan Qi really seems to be in front of him, Aotian doesn't want to wait another five years.

So after a little silence, Aotian immediately got up, left his courtyard, and walked towards the Elder's Hall.

When he came to the Hall of Elders, Aotian reported his name to the guard disciple at the door, and the guard disciple immediately went in to report, and soon came out again and invited Aotian in.

After entering the Hall of Elders, Aotian saw the elder on duty today, and immediately bowed his hand and said, "Disciple see Elder!"

"Aotian, do you have anything to do with the old man?" the elder smiled and spoke politely.

He was also in the Valley of Trials the morning before yesterday, so he had seen Aotian's strength with his own eyes, and he admired Aotian quite a lot in his heart.

"Elder, the disciple heard that the Inner Sect Disciple Ranking Contest is about to start, I wonder if the Dao Disciple can participate in this ranking competition!" Aotian said straight to the point.

"You want to participate in the ranking competition?" The elder showed a slight look of surprise on his face, and then shook his head slightly, and said with some regret: "I'm afraid this won't work, although your strength is indeed qualified to participate in the ranking competition, but the inner sect has always had a rule that disciples who have just entered the inner sect cannot participate in the ranking competition!"

Hearing the elder's answer, Aotian was a little disappointed, but he didn't want to give up, so he gave up his hand again and dared to ask: "Elder, the disciple knows that my request is a bit excessive, but the disciple is still bold, and I hope that the elder can make an exception to allow the disciple to participate in this ranking competition!"

"Alas-to be honest, this old man really can't help you, after all, this is a sect rule, and others can't change it!" The elder showed a look of embarrassment on his face, and after a slight groan, he asked a little puzzled: "Aotian, why are you in such a hurry to participate in the ranking competition, is it for the so-called false name of the heavenly and earth rankings?"

"It's not ......," Aotian didn't know how to answer.

"If not, do you want to get better material treatment, in this case, I can apply to the Material Hall for you, you don't have to fight for that false name, in fact, the ranking competition is just a kind of competition, and its purpose is to allow the disciples of the Inner Sect to learn from each other in the competition and increase their combat experience. And you have to know that the high place is not cold, and the first place is not as good as you think, I advise you to calm down and cultivate hard, there are some things that cannot be rushed!" the elder persuaded bitterly.

Hearing the elder say this, Aotian had nothing to say, so he could only sigh helplessly, arched his hand and said, "Thank you for the elder's teaching, the disciple understands!"

"Well, that's good, then go back and cultivate well, if you need anything, you can come to me at any time!" the elder smiled slightly and said.

"Thank you, Elder!, the disciple will take his leave first!" Aotian bowed his hand, and then turned and left the Hall of Elders.

Leaving the Hall of Elders, Aotian returned to his room sullenly, and then lay on the bed, looking at the beam of the room and thinking for a long time.

"Alas—is it really going to take five years?" said Aotian with a helpless sigh.

Now there are only two choices in front of him, one is to wait five years, participate in the ranking competition, get the first place, and then obtain the qualification to enter the land of inheritance.

The second is to sneak into the land of inheritance and steal that Xuan Qi out, but this choice is too risky, so Aotian just thinks about it.

At lunch, Zhou Zhirui saw that Aotian was a little preoccupied, and couldn't help but ask him if he had something on his mind.

But Aotian didn't know how to explain to Zhou Zhirui, so he simply didn't say anything, and after dealing with it casually, he diverted the topic.

The days passed, and in a blink of an eye, the day of the Inner Sect Ranking Tournament was approaching, and in the huge martial arts arena of the Inner Sect, a ring and a stand were also set up, and all the topics of the Inner Sect disciples after tea and dinner began to revolve around the ranking match.

Although Aotian has basically given up the idea of participating in the ranking tournament now, but when he thinks that the Xuan Qi is by his side, but he can't get it, Aotian is really a little distressed in his heart.

And no matter where he goes these days, he can hear about the ranking tournament, which can't help but make him feel like a stone is blocked in his heart, and it is very uncomfortable to go up or down.

At dinner that day, Aotian couldn't help but feel a little worried because he thought that tomorrow would be the ranking tournament, and he was going to really miss the opportunity this time.

"What's the matter?" Zhou Zhirui saw that Aotian had something on her mind, so she asked with concern, her voice quite soft.

"Oh, what's wrong?" Aotian squeezed out a smile, still didn't say what was on his mind, but he didn't say anything more, and he poured rice into his mouth.

Seeing that Aotian had no intention of saying what was on her mind, Zhou Zhirui didn't ask any more, but her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she thought to herself for a while, and then suddenly sandwiched a piece of meat for Aotian, put it in a bowl, and said with a smile: "Aotian, after eating, I'll take you to a place!"

"Where is it?" Aotian looked at Zhou Zhirui in some surprise and asked.

"You'll know Lu Dao later!" Zhou Zhirui smiled mysteriously, and then I didn't know what Lu Dao thought, and suddenly retracted his gaze shyly, and a touch of crimson rose on his cheeks, which was as beautiful as the morning glow reflecting the snow.

However, Aotian missed this beautiful moment, and his mind is now full of the ranking match.

After dinner, Zhou Zhirui pulled Aotian out of the dining hall, and then walked through a long corridor into a quiet bamboo forest.

Seeing that Zhou Zhirui actually brought herself to the bamboo forest, Aotian was surprised in his heart, and couldn't help but think a little about it.

After all, in the dead of night, lonely men and widows, dry firewood and fire running into this quiet and uninhabited bamboo forest will inevitably make people infinitely reverie.

However, after entering the bamboo forest, Zhou Zhirui didn't seem to have the intention of stopping, and still pulled Aotian to continue walking towards the depths of the bamboo forest.

Seeing this, Aotian was even more curious about where Zhou Zhirui was going to take him this time, but he knew that Zhou Zhirui wouldn't say it if he asked him, so he simply went with her, after all, he was a big man, and he was afraid that he would not be eaten by a woman.

Soon after, the two of them walked through this bamboo forest, and Aotian suddenly felt that there was an open space in front of him, as if his whole heart had become vast in this instant.

"It's here, it's here!" Zhou Zhirui's smiling voice sounded, and then turned her head to look at Aotian with an expectant face.

At this moment, Aotian didn't speak, his eyes widened slightly, looking intently at the scene ahead, and a slight smile appeared on his cheeks.

The place where Aotian and Zhou Zhirui are now is actually on a cliff on this peak, but standing here you can't see the darkness and depth under the cliff, but it makes people feel like they are above the clouds.

As far as the eye can see, there is a vast sea of clouds ahead, and the afterglow of the sunset leaves a golden yellow in this sea of clouds, outlining the arc of the clouds, just like the sparkling sea, which is beautiful, and it makes people feel relaxed and happy.

......