Originally, for a top genius like Lin Xuan, Liu Wuyan was naturally reluctant to let him abandon a future that promised at least the Spiritual Yuan realm. He wouldn't have had Lin Xuan cultivate the *Golden Scale Elephant Art* just for short-term combat prowess. But now that Wang Xufeng had acted first, Lin Xuan had already begun practicing it. One of the traits of the *Golden Scale Elephant Art* was that once started, it couldn't be stopped. He had no choice but to make up for it in these ways. Moreover, Lin Xuan's talent far surpassed Wang Xufeng's by a vast margin. He also wanted to see if Lin Xuan could break this curse. If he did and advanced to the Spiritual Yuan realm, with the power of the *Golden Scale Elephant Art*, even at the early Spiritual Yuan stage, he might achieve invincibility within that realm. So, he poured resources into Lin Xuan and gave him special treatment. Perhaps, this time, the sect would produce an unprecedented powerhouse.
Having said that, Liu Wuyan gave Lin Xuan a deep, sweeping glance and let out a sigh. In his heart, there was still a trace of regret. Originally, with the talent Lin Xuan had displayed, if he hadn't cultivated the *Golden Scale Elephant Art*, his achievements would have been boundless. Not just the Spiritual Yuan realm, but even the higher Yuan Sea realm was well within reach. At that point, the Flowing Cloud Sect could return to its peak, dominating the entire Red Sun Domain, and perhaps even go further. But Lin Xuan had still practiced it. Based on his years of studying the *Golden Scale Elephant Art* and understanding its traits, even if Lin Xuan broke the curse and advanced to Spiritual Yuan, the difficulty of progressing from Spiritual Yuan to Yuan Sea would skyrocket by dozens or even hundreds of times. It would be nearly impossible to advance further. He would be trapped at the Spiritual Yuan realm for life. Even if he were invincible within that realm, so what? He still couldn't match a Yuan Sea powerhouse. A future with boundless potential was thus halted and limited. He was helpless, only able to resent inwardly and let out another sigh.
Then, Liu Wuyan turned to the inner elders nearby: "Fifth Elder, next, you'll handle the procedures for Lin Xuan's promotion to true disciple."
"Yes, Sect Leader!" The Fifth Elder quickly stepped forward and bowed in response.
With that, Liu Wuyan shook his head again, turned, and walked down the high platform. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he departed swiftly, disappearing from sight in no time.
Unfortunately, Liu Wuyan didn't know that Lin Xuan's talent could be infinitely high—given enough time, he could surpass anyone. Even a peculiar art like the *Golden Scale Elephant Art* couldn't stop Lin Xuan's progress. But Liu Wuyan, hailing from a small domain like the Red Sun Domain, had limited insight and couldn't imagine that far. Or rather, his background and experience constrained him from daring to think so.
Once the Sect Leader had left, Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze, came back to his senses, and felt the weight of the true disciple token in his hand, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. Originally, he had planned to advance to true disciple after breaking through to the Opening Spirit realm. He hadn't expected the Sect Leader to approach him directly and promote him on the spot. It caught him off guard, but it was a pleasant surprise. As a true disciple, he would enjoy better treatment, higher safety, and more cultivation resources, allowing him to progress faster in strength and cultivation. Lin Xuan was delighted.
The arena remained silent. Only after the Sect Leader's figure vanished from sight and a few breaths passed did everyone fully snap out of it, realizing what had just happened. Instantly, the place erupted into a clamor, waves of noise surging.
"Am I dreaming? Senior Brother Lin Xuan just got promoted to true disciple directly!" "And it was granted by the Sect Leader himself!" "If so many of us hadn't seen it at once, I'd think I was hallucinating!" "Senior Brother Lin Xuan truly is the sect's top genius—clearly valued by the higher-ups, even the Sect Leader showed up personally!" "With his talent, he's probably the number one genius in our Cangyuan Kingdom. Breaking through to Opening Spirit is a sure thing, and it won't take long. An early promotion to true disciple makes sense." "Now Lin Xuan just became the top of the Elite Ranking, and within a day, he's already a true disciple—that's too fast!" "Yeah, and he's broken another sect record!" "The top spot now falls to Senior Brother Bai Yunfei. Three people in one day—unheard of, unseen before!" "..."
The disciples buzzed with discussion, deeply shaken. None of them had expected the Sect Leader to suddenly appear, specifically to promote Lin Xuan to true disciple. Even the Sect Leader, the strongest and highest authority in the sect, treated Lin Xuan this way, showing how much the higher-ups valued him. It further highlighted the terrifying extent of Lin Xuan's talent, leaving the disciples even more awestruck.
On the high platform, Chen Yu, standing beside Lin Xuan, was also stunned. After snapping out of it, he was immensely shaken. He hadn't anticipated such a turn of events. Originally, he had looked forward to meeting Lin Xuan in the true disciple area. But before he could even become a true disciple, the Sect Leader had come and promoted Lin Xuan first. This vast gap was hard for him to accept, and it only deepened his awe of Lin Xuan. Even the Sect Leader, rarely seen by true disciples and inner elders, had shown up for Lin Xuan. It proved that Lin Xuan's talent far exceeded his imagination. Chen Yu was lost in profound shock, unable to compose himself.
Not far away, the elders were also stunned, especially the few Spiritual Yuan realm elders among them. They hadn't foreseen this scene either. After recovering, they let out bitter smiles. They had originally planned to personally seek out the Sect Leader after the Elite Ranking Tournament, swallowing their pride to request a true disciple status for Lin Xuan. After all, such a top genius shouldn't be wasted. But now, before they could act, the Sect Leader had already done it. They were at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. They could only attribute it to Lin Xuan's good fortune or extraordinary talent, which had even caught the Sect Leader's covert attention. Still, it was good for Lin Xuan, saving them the trouble. They were quite pleased.
Then, the Fifth Elder looked at Lin Xuan and the other two and said, "Lin Xuan, Chen Yu, Bai Yunfei, you three can step down now. Also, Lin Xuan, stay behind after the tournament ends. I'll take you through the true disciple procedures."
"Yes, Fifth Elder!" The three nodded in response.
With Lin Xuan leading, they descended the high platform together and returned to the smaller platform. Lin Xuan sat back down at the highest spot, the top position, while Chen Yu and Bai Yunfei took the second tier below. Although Lin Xuan had now become a true disciple, no longer an inner disciple or eligible for the Elite Ranking top spot, his talent was so immense and his strength so great that even the Sect Leader had intervened. Naturally, no one objected. Chen Yu and Bai Yunfei willingly placed themselves beneath Lin Xuan, no longer harboring any thoughts of comparison.