81: Famous in the Yin Yang Sect

The three characters, Yao Delong, were prominently displayed at the top of the Pill Dao ranking!

In an instant, the entire stone pillar plaza fell into a strange silence.

The nearly ten thousand Disciples observing and participating in the assessment were, a second ago, immersed in the shock and discussion of the auxiliary cultivation assessment results.

The next second, all sounds were choked as if by an invisible large hand.

Countless gazes fixated on those three characters, their expressions shifting from confusion and bewilderment.

Quickly turning into extreme astonishment, finally dissolving into a blank daze.

Luo... Luoxia Peak... Yao Delong?

That name... a name known to everyone in the Yin Yang Sect... "Yao... Yao Delong?!"

A young Disciple rubbed his eyes vigorously, his voice squeezed from his throat, sharp and distorted.

"Is it... is it that Yao Delong, the one who was at Qi Condensation Layer 8 for eighty years?!"

"Impossible! It must be a namesake! How could a Trash with Spiritual Power Affinity of 2 possibly achieve Foundation Establishment?! His Lifespan must be almost depleted?!"

Another Disciple shrieked, her face filled with disbelief.

"There are only so many Luoxia Peak Disciples, and I haven't heard of any with the same name! And he's clearly right there! That bald man!!"

Someone pointed with a trembling finger at the figure sitting cross-legged, adjusting his breath in the corner of the plaza.

All eyes instantly converged!

That bald head, that ordinary green robe, that calm and unruffled face... although his appearance was middle-aged.

But at this moment, in everyone's eyes, that abundant vitality, that profound and imposing aura.

Where was there even a trace of the decrepit, unstable Foundation, or the appearance of a Trash?!

That profound Qi and blood power even made many Disciples at Foundation Establishment Perfection feel a suffocating pressure!

"Hiss—!"

"It's really him!"

"This old fellow... no, this Senior Brother... what exactly did he go through?!"

"Spiritual Power Affinity of 2 can also achieve Foundation Establishment?! This... this is simply Heaven-Defying fate alteration!"

"Eighty years of obscurity... a sudden rise to fame?!"

Shock, bewilderment, disbelief, and even a hint of underlying fear, spread like a tide among the Disciples.

The discussions erupted with a roar, more intense than any before, like cold water splashed into a boiling oil pot, completely blowing up the scene!

Countless gazes were locked onto Yao Delong, filled with scrutiny, reverence, and incomprehensible shock.

Above the high platform.

The atmosphere was even more peculiar!

When the three characters "Yao Delong" appeared, the expressions on the faces of several Peak Masters instantly froze, far more dramatic than those of the Disciples below.

The Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, Li Cen, known for his cold and sharp Sword Cultivator demeanor, now had his pupils suddenly contract like pinpricks;

His knuckles, gripping the armrest, turned bluish-white from exertion, even emitting faint cracking sounds.

He stared intently at that name, as if trying to pierce through the light screen, and scenes from eighty years ago surged uncontrollably in his mind—

The young child, led by the hand by Leng Yuekui, with a bewildered yet subtly precocious look in his eyes, and the dazzling '2' light spot on the Spirit Measuring Stone.

He had flicked his sleeves and left back then, his pronouncement of "rotten wood cannot be carved" still echoing in his ears... now... the top of the list?

That stunning Five Elements Sword Array? That profound and deep Spiritual Power Foundation? How could this be?!

The Peak Master of Chiyan Peak, Ji Yanshuang, this fiery-tempered beautiful woman, had her Phoenix eyes wide open, her red lips slightly parted, as if an egg could fit inside.

Her ample bosom rose and fell violently, showing the turbulent waves in her heart. "Yao... Yao... Yao Delong?!"

She suddenly turned her head to look at Li Cen, as if to confirm she wasn't seeing things;

Her expression a mix of extreme shock and a bizarre, "seeing a ghost" feeling.

She also recalled her disdainful sneers and opposition when Leng Yuekui sought an outer Sect status for this "Trash" back then.

"It's him... it's actually him..."

Liu Yue, Peak Master of Spirit Water Peak, was the first to recover, her beautiful face unable to hide her emotion.

She was one of the few Peak Masters back then who hadn't explicitly opposed Leng Yuekui taking in Yao Delong, merely thinking Leng Yuekui was too persistent.

At this moment, that hint of calm smile was tinged with deep emotion and a sigh about the unpredictability of life.

"Everyone," her clear voice carried a peculiar penetrative power, breaking the dead silence on the high platform.

"Since he is Junior Sister Leng's Personal Disciple, then the previous talk of 'contending for a Disciple' was naturally a misunderstanding. This can be considered... a flower with an owner."

Peak Master Mu Xianglan of Jinxin Peak and Dan Chenzi, Dan Chenzi, had relatively few interactions with Yao Delong.

At this moment, they also looked at each other, their eyes filled with unbelievable shock and a daze from being impacted by a massive amount of information.

They looked at the light screen, then at the figure in the corner,

Finally, they could only nod slowly, their throats seemingly blocked, unable to utter a single word.

Especially Dan Chenzi, thinking of the emerald Pill Fire and the six-revolutions foundation establishment pill just now;

That it came from such a person's hand felt even more absurd yet incredibly real.

Vice Peak Master Bai Lengchan of Spirit Plant Peak, her perpetually icy face, was now also filled with extreme astonishment.

Her gaze was fixed on Yao Delong, as if she wanted to see through him, inside and out.

"Yao Delong... so it was you..." She murmured softly, her eyes complex and unreadable.

"Cough cough."

From the main seat, Sect Head White Cloud Master coughed lightly, the sound not loud.

Yet it seemed to contain a strange power, instantly suppressing all the chaotic thoughts on the high platform and the tsunami-like clamor below.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily converged on the Sect Head.

White Cloud Master's profound eyes swept across the entire scene, finally landing on the figure in the corner who slowly opened his eyes and stood up.

His gaze was complex, with shock, admiration, and an unquestionable resolve.

"Since he is Junior Sister Leng Yuekui's Personal Disciple, the discussion of taking him as a Disciple ends here."

The Sect Head's voice was steady and clear, echoing in everyone's ears.

His words paused, and his gaze became even sharper, falling on Yao Delong as if substantial.

"However, Luoxia Peak Disciple Yao Delong, though his Spiritual Power Affinity is Innate lacking, his Heart-Nature is resilient, and his fortuitous encounters are extraordinary.

In the Inner Sect Assessment, his Spiritual Power, Divine Sense, and combat strength all surpassed his peers, and his Pill Dao attainments are also astonishingly brilliant!

His profound Foundation, exceptional talent, and steady Heart-Nature are rarely seen in the world!"

Every word that fell was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts, especially those Disciples still immersed in the impression of him being "Trash."

Their faces alternated between red and white.

Surpassing his peers! Astonishingly brilliant! Rarely seen in the world! What kind of evaluation was this!

"Such an unpolished jade, if constrained by old rules, would truly be a regret for the Sect!"

White Cloud Master's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"After deliberation by this Seat and the various Peak Masters, we have decided to exceptionally promote—Luoxia Peak Disciple Yao Delong, to Core Disciple of the Inner Sect!"

Boom—!

A thunderclap from a clear sky!

If Yao Delong's identity and strength were the first bombshell.

Then the Sect Head's decision to "exceptionally promote him to Core Disciple" was the second, even more powerful, heavy bomb!

"Core Disciple?!"

"Directly... skipped the Inner Sect Disciple status?!"

The Disciples below were completely dumbfounded! What was the concept of an Inner Sect Core Disciple?

That was almost a symbol of the Sect's future pillar!

Their status far surpassed ordinary Inner Sect Disciples, and the privileges and treatment they enjoyed were incomparable!

Usually, only Golden Core Cultivators with exceptional talent, or those who made great contributions to the Sect, had a chance to obtain it!

And Yao Delong, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had just passed the Inner Sect Assessment, actually ascended to heaven in one step?!

"This... this cross-level promotion, it hasn't happened in the Sect for decades, has it?"

An older Deacon Elder's voice trembled.

"The last one... was Senior Brother Dao Changge, who joined Heavenly Sword Peak decades ago!"

Someone nearby responded, startled.

"Senior Brother Dao Changge?! The one whose Sword Qi soared to the heavens, now a Core True Disciple.

Already a Late Nascent Soul Stage mighty figure, and rumored to be the next Sect Head's successor, Senior Brother Dao?!"

The mention of Dao Changge's name sent another massive shock through everyone's hearts!

That was a name that lived in legends, shining with boundless glory!

The Sect Head promoting Yao Delong to Inner Sect Core Disciple at this moment, the expectations and importance placed on him were simply self-evident!