"This concludes the ranking competition for the Strong List. Additionally, since the original top-ranked Lin Xuan has advanced to become a true disciple, the top position is now vacant. Following the order, Bai Yunfei will ascend as the new top-ranked on the Strong List. However, since Bai Yunfei did not earn this through the ranking competition, he will not receive the rewards for the top position, only those for the original third place. ......"
With that, the Fifth Elder delivered a concluding speech and declared the competition over.
The crowd on the field let out a wave of sighs and murmurs. The upheavals of the day had far exceeded anything they had witnessed in their years since joining the sect, leaving them almost unable to process it all.
On the small platform, Bai Yunfei listened, a bitter and complex look in his eyes. He hadn’t expected that the top spot on the Strong List, which he had dreamed of, would fall into his hands like this. But it wasn’t something he had earned himself. It had been passed down to him. He didn’t know what to say. Though he had obtained it, he found he wasn’t as happy as he had imagined. Only an endless complexity remained in his heart. Perhaps it was because the top position had changed hands three times today, losing its value in his eyes. Or maybe it was because a new disciple had far surpassed him, leaving him with a sense of unwillingness he could do nothing about. Bai Yunfei could only let out a sigh.
Below, Zhang Kuishan was also deeply shaken. He never imagined that the top position he had pursued would end up in the hands of Bai Yunfei, who had always been far inferior to him. Now, he was severely injured and, until he recovered, wouldn’t be a match for Bai Yunfei in the short term. His mood was equally complicated.
However, since both former top-ranked disciples, Chen Yu and Lin Xuan, had advanced to true disciples and could no longer stay in the inner sect, Zhang Kuishan was also promoted by default to his original second-place position. After a whole ranking competition, he had lost, yet his rank remained unchanged. He could only manage a bitter smile.
And all of this was brought about by the new disciple, Lin Xuan. But Lin Xuan had already advanced to true disciple status, ahead of even them and Chen Yu, who had broken through to the Spirit Opening Realm. Once again, Zhang Kuishan was utterly astounded by Lin Xuan. He realized that, perhaps soon, the sect would produce a formidable powerhouse.
...
As the Fifth Elder’s voice spread, the crowd buzzed with noise for a while before the disciples gradually dispersed. Chen Yu cast a complicated glance at Lin Xuan before turning and leaving. To advance to true disciple, he still needed to go to the Inner Sect Hall and pass a series of assessments. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, had been directly promoted, personally granted by the sect leader. The so-called procedural steps were likely just a formality. The difference in treatment was as vast as a chasm. But faced with this, he could only sigh in resignation, unable to even muster a sense of resentment. Because even after advancing, he would only be an ordinary true disciple for a while. Lin Xuan, once promoted, would receive focused attention and training. And when Lin Xuan eventually broke through to the Spirit Opening Realm, he would instantly become a top-tier true disciple. Such was the gap—so immense it was beyond reach. He could only envy, not even manage jealousy.
Before long, most of the disciples on the field had dispersed. Lin Xuan followed the Fifth Elder and left the square. He went through the process of advancing to true disciple. And indeed, it was just a formality. Every step went smoothly, with no obstacles at all. It was merely a series of simple procedures: registration, assignment of living quarters, allocation of benefits, and so on. The assessments normally required for true disciple advancement were directly skipped. After all, this was the sect leader’s decree. Everything went without a hitch, and no one dared to object.
Taking advantage of this, Lin Xuan also got close to many high-ranking sect members and copied numerous treasures. His gains were even richer.
Half an hour later. In a luxurious courtyard nestled halfway up a mountain, enveloped by dense spiritual energy nearly turning into mist, countless servants bustled about diligently. Inside this opulent courtyard, in a spacious cultivation chamber, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a cushion. This luxurious courtyard was one of the benefits granted to true disciples by the sect. After completing the procedures, Lin Xuan had moved all his belongings from the Strong List area here. This place was indeed far superior to the inner sect. It was likely one of the areas in the entire Flowing Cloud Sect with the highest purity and density of spiritual energy. Lin Xuan was quite satisfied.
But after taking a brief look around and resting a little, Lin Xuan still headed to the cultivation chamber, preparing to go into seclusion to cultivate and enhance his strength. He understood that these benefits, no matter how good, were merely investments the sect made based on his potential. They appeared splendid on the surface but were hollow inside. If he failed to maintain his previous progress, he would immediately face criticism, mockery, and sneers. He had stood too high before, trampling countless sect disciples underfoot. He had suffocated them. If he fell, it would be devastating. So, he couldn’t afford to relax now. It was better to use the abundant cultivation resources at hand to quickly convert this potential into real power under his control. In this world, strength reigned supreme. With enough power, one held absolute authority. Then, such trivial matters wouldn’t matter.
With that, Lin Xuan took out forty-nine low-grade spirit stones from his storage ring. He inserted them one by one into the small holes around him. The entire cultivation chamber floor was covered in dense, intricate black patterns. This was the spirit-gathering array. A special privilege granted to true disciples by the sect. It could maximize the extraction of spiritual energy from the spirit stones, accelerating cultivation speed. These forty-nine small holes were the array’s forty-nine nodes. Lin Xuan had learned all about this after arriving.
Typically, a newly promoted true disciple would be lucky to use nine of them. Using all forty-nine nodes simultaneously was something only true disciples at the peak of the Spirit Opening Realm would do. And even then, only cautiously when sensing a breakthrough. Because using all forty-nine nodes at once produced an overwhelming concentration of spiritual energy. Most at the Spirit Opening Realm couldn’t withstand it and would be burst apart, dying horribly. There had been precedents for this.
But Lin Xuan ignored this entirely. His current physical strength was likely unmatched by few in the entire true disciple district. Coupled with his talent, which surpassed the entire Cangyuan Nation, he had nothing to fear. On the contrary, this would significantly boost his cultivation speed.
Thus, Lin Xuan placed the forty-nine low-grade spirit stones into the nodes. He channeled his true qi and activated the spirit-gathering array. Soon, the cultivation chamber became so thick with spiritual energy that figures were barely visible. Satisfied, Lin Xuan sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.