At this moment, outside the Flowing Cloud Sect, a dense, dark mass of people could be seen.
It was a vast gathering of inner and outer disciples.
There were also the Outer Sect Grand Elder, the Inner Sect Fifth Elder, and other inner and outer sect elders, along with the sect's high-ranking officials.
At the very front stood a figure bearing a striking resemblance to Liu Qianyu—the Sect Master, Liu Wuya.
At this moment, nearly the entire sect had turned out, as if waiting outside the sect gates.
The Fifth Elder stood beside Sect Master Liu Wuya. Seeing Lin Xuan and the other core disciples approaching, he declared in a loud voice:
"We welcome the return of our Flowing Cloud Sect's prodigy, Lin Xuan!"
This voice was not only thunderously loud but also infused with spiritual energy, spreading in all directions and shaking the surroundings.
"We welcome the return of our Flowing Cloud Sect's prodigy, Lin Xuan!"
"We welcome the return of our Flowing Cloud Sect's prodigy, Lin Xuan!"
"..."
Following that, all the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples shouted in unison.
The sound waves shook the heavens.
Even the white clouds in the sky were scattered by this surging, wave-like roar.
At this moment—
It was clearly—
The entire sect welcoming him!!
Hundreds of meters away, Lin Xuan looked at this scene, momentarily stunned.
He had never expected such a spectacle.
"Senior Brother Lin Xuan, after leaving the Puppet Secret Realm, I used this transmission talisman on the way to inform the sect's high-ranking officials of everything that happened inside the Puppet Secret Realm.
Everything..."
Beside him, Liu Qianyu, who had been a step behind, took the initiative to explain to Lin Xuan.
The other core disciples around them were all dumbfounded by this scene.
It took them a while to snap out of it.
But their hearts were shaken.
The entire sect welcoming him!
This was a formation usually reserved for a major sect figure returning after achieving great merits!
Yet now, it was to welcome Lin Xuan, a new disciple who had joined less than two months ago and was the youngest.
How could the core disciples not be utterly astonished?
At the same time, they realized just how highly the sect valued Lin Xuan.
It was almost on par with the Sect Master himself.
However, recalling Lin Xuan's performance in the Puppet Secret Realm, which surpassed even the Four Young Masters, they could understand.
Lin Xuan, upon hearing this, nodded slightly to show he understood.
A hint of joy stirred in his heart.
Though he didn't care much for such a display, the commotion it caused was considerable.
In the attribute panel before him in the void, the energy points were rapidly increasing.
A trace of a smile flickered in Lin Xuan's eyes.
And since the Flowing Cloud Sect was treating him this way, he wouldn't let them down either.
When the opportunity arose later, he would repay them in kind.
"Let's go."
With that, Lin Xuan called out.
He led the core disciples, walking quickly forward.
At the front of the sect, all the high-ranking officials and disciples had their eyes fixed on the core disciples.
Among them, over ninety percent were focused on Lin Xuan.
Their expressions were filled with excitement, exhilaration, and awe.
Sect Master Liu Wuya, along with the high-ranking officials, took the initiative to greet him, wearing smiles.
"Disciple Lin Xuan pays respects to the Sect Master and all the elders!"
Lin Xuan cupped his hands, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Now, although his strength couldn't compare to Sect Master Liu Wuya's mid-stage Spiritual Origin realm, he was unafraid.
He no longer needed to bow in formal respect.
Behind Lin Xuan, Liu Qianyu, Xu Anlan, and the other core disciples all bowed in salute.
The sect's high-ranking officials, led by Sect Master Liu Wuya, paid no attention to this, their gazes burning as they looked at Lin Xuan.
Liu Wuya smiled and said:
"Lin Xuan, I've learned of your performance in the Puppet Secret Realm from Liu Qianyu.
You did very well!
Not only did you protect our Flowing Cloud Sect's disciples, but you also upheld our sect's reputation.
..."
Liu Wuya praised Lin Xuan at length.
His heart was also filled with endless emotion.
Not long ago, from the information sent back by Liu Qianyu's transmission talisman, he had learned of Lin Xuan's deeds in the Puppet Secret Realm.
But even as a sixth-layer Spiritual Origin realm cultivator, ranked among the top experts of the entire Cangyuan Nation, he was still greatly startled upon hearing it.
What was it about? A single sword strike killing Fengyan Valley's core disciple Ye Li, a single sword strike annihilating nearly a hundred Opening Spirit realm martial artists, forcing Duan Feichen—second only to the Four Young Masters and a top genius of the Red Sun Domain—to hand over his storage ring, and so on.
This series of actions was enough to scare anyone to death.
He still remembered that just a few days ago, during the Ranking Tournament, Lin Xuan was only at the eighth layer of the Condensation Rotation realm.
It was he who personally promoted Lin Xuan to core disciple.
But now? How many days had passed?
Lin Xuan breaking through to the Opening Spirit realm was one thing—given his previous cultivation speed, it was barely acceptable.
But having just broken through to the Opening Spirit realm, and only at the early stage, he could actually kill Ye Li, an Opening Spirit realm peak cultivator whom even Liu Qianyu and Chen Hanshuang couldn't defeat.
Wasn't this strength progression too fast?
Later, from the information Liu Qianyu sent back, he learned that Lin Xuan had killed nearly a hundred Opening Spirit realm martial artists with a single sword strike.
Among them were many late-stage Opening Spirit realm cultivators, and even several at the peak.
He even scared off Duan Feichen, a top genius of the Red Sun Domain, rumored to be able to hold his own against early-stage Spiritual Origin realm cultivators for dozens of moves without losing, and snatched his storage ring.
All of this indicated that Lin Xuan's strength had transcended the Opening Spirit realm and reached the Spiritual Origin realm!
A full major realm leap.
Such cross-realm combat power was unheard of, even unprecedented, in the entire Red Sun Domain.
At the time, upon hearing this, he felt a sense of absurdity.
This almost shattered his understanding.
But he knew that Liu Qianyu wouldn't lie to him about such matters.
Because Liu Qianyu was his own son, and he had raised him himself.
He knew Liu Qianyu's character best.
Thus, though he found it absurd and unbelievable, he chose to believe it.
So he arranged this spectacle.
The entire sect welcoming him!
To show his attitude toward Lin Xuan.
And as Lin Xuan led the disciples back, the core disciples' attitude toward him, along with his own perception that Lin Xuan had reached the fourth-layer peak of the Opening Spirit realm, and his faint sense that Lin Xuan's combat power far exceeded the Opening Spirit realm, truly confirmed that Liu Qianyu's reports of Lin Xuan's performance in the Puppet Secret Realm were all true.
A storm of shock surged in his heart.
He realized he had once again underestimated Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan's terrifying talent was now on par with, or even surpassing, the top geniuses of the Red Sun Domain—the Four Young Masters.
He was once again utterly astounded by Lin Xuan's talent.
At the same time, he knew that with Lin Xuan's talent, the bizarre *Golden Scale Barbarian Elephant Art* could no longer hinder his progress.
Lin Xuan was no longer just the Flowing Cloud Sect's top genius.
He might become the sect's greatest genius in history, the first prodigy to be listed on the Xuan Yuan Ranking.
Thinking of this, Liu Wuya was filled with immense excitement and exhilaration.