34: Generous rewards

When Lin Ye emerged from the Grand Elder's quiet room, the news that he had been personally praised by the Elder as "accumulating strength for a massive breakthrough, with great wisdom appearing foolish" spread like wildfire throughout the entire Outer Sect.

If Lin Ye's previous rise still carried a hint of "luck" and "fluke," making people half-believe, half-doubt, then now, with the "official certification" from the Grand Elder of the Outer Sect, a figure like Mount Tai and the North Star, everything was completely settled!

Lin Ye was no longer some anomaly relying on luck.

He was a true, peerless uncut jade who understood how to endure, with a Heart-Nature as tough as a demon! A Body Cultivator Genius who found a new path in desperation and entered the Dao through martial arts!

In an instant, the entire Outer Sect's view of Lin Ye underwent a shocking 360-degree reversal!

The previous mockery and disdain vanished instantly, replaced by a kind of almost blind fanaticism, mixed with awe and worship!

...Three days later, at the Outer Sect's Martial Arts Training Ground.

Today, the final award ceremony for this Minor Competition would be held here. Thousands of Outer Sect Disciples once again gathered, but unlike the tense and oppressive atmosphere of the previous days, today's Martial Arts Training Ground was filled with a sense of calm after the dust had settled, and envy and jealousy towards the ten powerhouses who were about to ascend to greatness.

Lin Ye was still mixed in the crowd, but his treatment was already vastly different.

Within three feet around him, there was no one. All the Disciples, upon seeing him, would subconsciously lower their heads, respectfully making way, and even address him as "Senior Brother Lin," their attitude completely different from before.

"Lin... Brother Lin!" Fatty Wang finally squeezed through the crowd. He looked at Lin Ye, who was "isolated" in the center by everyone, his chubby face filled with excited pride. "You... you are now the true celebrity of our Outer Sect!"

Lin Ye looked at his only friend, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "Celebrity is too much, but from now on, no one should dare to shortchange your meals."

"That's right! That's right!" Fatty Wang smiled so wide his eyes disappeared.

Just then, on the high platform, the bell rang.

The Outer Sect Grand Elder, Elder Zhang, personally appeared in the center of the high platform. His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the entire venue, and his profound Aura instantly quieted the entire Martial Arts Training Ground.

"This Minor Competition has thus concluded successfully," his voice, amplified by spiritual power, clearly reached every corner. "The rules, this old man will not repeat. Today, it is only for one thing—to reward according to merit!"

"All who entered the top hundred shall receive rewards! Those who entered the top ten shall receive double rewards and the qualification to be promoted to the Inner Sect!"

"Now, I will read out the names of the top ten. Please come to the stage to receive your rewards!"

"Tenth place, Sun Hao..."

"Ninth place, Wang Qilong..."

One name after another was called, and one figure after another, under the gaze of thousands of envious eyes, walked onto the high platform with high spirits.

"Fourth place... Lin Ye!"

When this name was read out by the Grand Elder in a tone full of appreciation, the atmosphere of the entire venue instantly reached its peak!

All eyes focused simultaneously on that slender figure!

Lin Ye took a deep breath, and under Fatty Wang's gaze, which was so excited he almost fainted, he calmly, step by step, walked onto the high platform that symbolized the highest glory of the Outer Sect.

He walked in front of the Grand Elder and bowed: "Disciple Lin Ye greets the Grand Elder."

"Good, very good!" Elder Zhang looked at the young man before him, whose face was still "pale" but whose eyes were as calm as water. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

He personally took a heavy Storage Pouch and three white jade porcelain bottles emitting a rich medicinal fragrance from the tray of a nearby attendant Disciple and handed them to Lin Ye.

"Lin Ye," he encouraged in a voice that everyone could hear, "you, with an unyielding heart, forged a new path, truly a role model for Cultivators of our generation! This time, the Sect specially rewards you five hundred contribution points, one bottle of Low Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, and two bottles of Low Grade qi and blood pills!"

"I hope that after entering the Inner Sect, you will remain humble and continue to strive forward, not to disappoint this hard-won Foundation of yours!"

Five hundred contribution points!

What kind of concept was that?!

An ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, without eating or drinking, working desperately as a menial servant for a whole year, might not even save fifty points! And Lin Ye, in one go, received five hundred points! This huge sum was enough for him to exchange for any Mortal-grade Cultivation Technique in the Outer Sect's Scripture Pavilion!

And... Marrow Cleansing Pills!

Those were Medicinal Pills more than ten times more precious than qi and blood pills! They could cleanse the marrow and wash the tendons, strengthen muscles and bones, and were the ultimate treasures all Body Cultivators dreamed of! Ordinary Disciples might not even see one once!

Such generous rewards, let alone for fourth place, even first place might not receive such treatment!

Everyone understood that this was not just a simple reward.

This was the Sect's undisguised, blatant investment in this "accumulating strength for a massive breakthrough" Body Cultivator Genius!

Lin Ye accepted the heavy rewards, feeling the substantial weight of the Storage Pouch and the warm touch of the jade bottles, and a surge of emotions rose in his heart.

For the first time, he so truly experienced the benefits of being a "Genius"!

Once upon a time, for a mere lowest-grade qi and blood pill, he had to overdraw his body, desperately doing dirty and tiring chores.

And now, simply because he showed enough "potential," these resources he once dreamed of came flooding towards him like a tide!

In this world, weakness is the original sin.

And strength, possesses everything!

"Disciple... thanks the Grand Elder! Thanks the Sect for the cultivation!" Lin Ye bowed deeply, his voice filled with "excitement" and "gratitude"... When the award ceremony ended and Lin Ye walked off the high platform, he clearly felt that the entire world had changed.

The Disciples who used to avoid him now flocked around him, their faces covered in fawning smiles.

"Senior Brother Lin! Congratulations!"

"Senior Brother Lin is truly a role model for our generation! We hope Senior Brother will guide us more in the future!"

All sorts of flattery were endless.

Lin Ye merely nodded calmly at everyone and then, under Fatty Wang's "guard," squeezed through the crowd.

In the distance of the crowd, he saw a familiar figure.

It was Steward Zhang, the Steward of the Menial Servants who had once made things difficult for him and regarded him as an ant.

At this moment, Steward Zhang was looking at him from afar, his dark face no longer showing the arrogance and harshness of the past, replaced by deep, unconcealed fear and flattery.

The moment his gaze met Lin Ye's, his entire body trembled violently. Then, from afar, he forced out a smile uglier than crying at Lin Ye, and then nodded heavily and fawningly.

Lin Ye withdrew his gaze expressionlessly.

In another corner of the crowd, a gentle gaze also remained on him.

It was Senior Sister Yun Shu.

She did not push forward like the others, but simply stood far away, her clear eyes filled with genuine, pure joy and blessings.

Lin Ye nodded solemnly in her direction from afar.

Some kindness needs no words, only to be remembered in the Heart-Nature.

Returning to the still crowded but soon-to-be-departed wooden hut, and closing the door, Lin Ye finally let out a long sigh.

He placed the heavy Storage Pouch and the three bottles of Medicinal Pills on the bed board.

He opened the Storage Pouch, and his Divine Sense probed inside, only to see five contribution points jade tokens emitting a faint white light and engraved with the character "one hundred" lying quietly within.

He then opened the jade bottle labeled "Marrow Cleansing Pill," and an aroma of medicinal fragrance, a hundred times richer than that of the qi and blood pill and full of vigorous vitality, instantly assailed him!

Just by smelling a mouthful, he felt that his Qi and blood, depleted from days of intense fighting and "acting," had recovered considerably!

"This, this is what true resources are..."