Chapter 80 Ye Fan, the Hot Commodity

"You are Ye Fan, correct? Your performance today truly makes me see you in a new light. The Qingyun Sect is truly ashamed in comparison this time," Dao Xuan said, completely convinced.

"Amitabha, my Heavenly Thunder Temple had thought we could take first place in this grand assembly, but I never expected the Joyous Union Sect to produce such an outstanding junior Disciple. This old monk concedes," Sorrowless said, concluding with a Buddhist chant.

"Young Ye Fan, you are truly remarkable. The Prodigies of my Kunlun Palace are not worth mentioning compared to you," Sect Master Chong Guang said sincerely.

The Sect Heads of the Glazed Sect, Medicine King Valley, Qingtian Sword Sect, and others also offered continuous praise, practically showering Ye Fan with compliments to the heavens. Even with his thick skin, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Seeing his own Disciple praised so highly, Qing Mingzi also felt a bit smug, his back straightening involuntarily.

To kill a Core Formation Realm Cultivator while only having a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation was something that, while perhaps not unheard of, hadn't happened in at least the last few hundred years.

However, Qing Mingzi hadn't enjoyed his pride for long before he suddenly felt that what he was hearing was increasingly amiss, and the smile on his face gradually froze.

After praising Ye Fan for a long time, Dao Xuan suddenly changed his tone, and the content of his next words left Ye Fan stunned.

"Young Ye Fan, I see you have outstanding Aptitude. Why don't you switch over to my Qingyun Sect?"

"As long as your performance is good enough, this old man can promise you the treatment of a Dao Child. What do you think?"

Dao Xuan's single sentence shocked everyone present.

No one expected him to be so generous, directly offering to recruit Ye Fan as a Dao Child of the Qingyun Sect.

A Dao Child was hailed as the future successor of the Sect, and it was no exaggeration to say the entire School poured its resources into cultivating him. The resources he possessed far exceeded ordinary imagination, making even Core Formation Realm Cultivators envious.

Even among the Nine Great Sects, there were very few who could be called Dao Children, showing just how high its value was.

Of course, Dao Xuan's words were somewhat boastful, as selecting a Dao Child was a major matter concerning the future of the Sect.

Even though Dao Xuan was the Sect Head, he couldn't make unilateral decisions, so he planted a subtle caveat in his words.

What exactly did 'as long as your performance is good enough' mean?

What was the definition of 'good enough performance'?

Was there a difference between Dao Child treatment and being an actual Dao Child?

These questions couldn't truly be scrutinized deeply.

Nevertheless, even so, the conditions Dao Xuan offered were extremely tempting, and few people could refuse him.

Sect Master Chong Guang of Kunlun Palace reacted quickly, secretly cursing Dao Xuan for acting so fast, and hurriedly extended an olive branch of his own.

"Ye Fan, if you are willing to switch to my Kunlun Palace, I dare not promise the position of Dao Child, but this old man can accept you as a Personal Disciple and guarantee you reach Core Formation within thirty years. In the future, when bathing in the Kunlun Divine Light, you will surely have a place."

The mention of Kunlun Divine Light caused an uproar among the crowd, who secretly cursed Chong Guang for being willing to pay such a high price just to snatch someone.

If Ye Fan continued his current cultivation speed, reaching Core Formation within thirty years was a sure thing, so that condition wasn't much. However, the Kunlun Divine Light was entirely different.

Legend held that the Immortal Realm was located above the Kunlun Palace, and every hundred years, a seven-colored divine light would descend.

Those who bathed in the Divine Light would undergo a complete transformation; their Aptitude in all aspects would surge significantly, giving them a better chance of breaking through to the Golden Core Realm in the future.

But the Kunlun Divine Light appeared for only a very short time, and the area it illuminated was extremely limited.

Every time it appeared, a massive 'civil war' would erupt within the Kunlun Palace just to fight for a spot, showing how precious it was.

Yet today, Chong Guang promised the Kunlun Divine Light to Ye Fan with a single sentence, demonstrating his immense resolve and sincerity.

"Amitabha, while this old monk cannot promise the position of Dao Child, the Heavenly Thunder Temple also lacks a heaven-and-earth wonder like the Kunlun Divine Light."

"However, if Young Benefactor Ye Fan is willing to convert to my Heavenly Thunder Temple, this old monk is willing to offer a Sarira for the Young Benefactor to contemplate the Buddhist teachings."

Abbot Sorrowless's statement carried even greater weight, almost making several Sect Heads consider changing their allegiance.

Legend said that a Sarira was left behind only after a high monk with profound Buddhist teachings and who had reached the Golden Core Realm passed away. It contained the essence of his power and enlightenment in the Dao during his life.

Cultivating under the illumination of the Buddha's light allowed one's speed to far surpass that of other Cultivators.

If one were ruthless enough to directly refine it, there was even a possibility of breaking through the barrier and becoming a new Golden Core Realm Great Cultivator.

Therefore, in a sense, a single Sarira could almost create a new Golden Core Realm Great Cultivator.

Sorrowless offering such an item showed the sincerity of his intentions.

Even Ye Fan's breathing became rapid upon hearing this. If he hadn't been fundamentally unable to Cultivate, he probably would have agreed without hesitation.

"Wait a minute, Abbot Sorrowless, that's not right! Young Ye Fan already has a Dao Companion. You can't just tear a couple apart, can you?!"

Dao Xuan was the first to jump out in opposition, causing many Sect Heads to chime in with agreement.

Who knew Sorrowless merely smiled faintly, completely unconcerned by their badgering.

"What if he has a Dao Companion? Rules are dead, but people are alive."

"If Young Benefactor Ye Fan is willing, this old monk can make an exception and accept him as a lay Disciple, allowing him and his Dao Companion to enjoy the treatment of a Personal Disciple."

The assembled Sect Heads stomped their feet mentally, cursing, finally realizing what it meant when they said a biting dog doesn't bark. This old monk usually looked like an enlightened Master, but who knew he was so insidious deep down? They had truly underestimated him before.

The several Sect Heads, vying to poach the talent, started arguing one after another, quickly sparking a tense atmosphere. Ye Fan was dumbfounded, standing aside and not daring to say much.

Finally, Qing Mingzi could bear it no longer. Throwing aside all pretense of Sect Head decorum, he burst out cursing.

"You old fellows are trying to poach someone right in front of me. Do you think I'm already dead?!"

Qing Mingzi was so angry his beard nearly flew off. His own Disciple had finally gained such great recognition, and the Joyous Union Sect could share in the glory. But these people trying to poach him right to his face was simply too much.

Qing Mingzi wanted to offer some superior rewards as well, but after pondering for a moment, his expression became somewhat awkward.

While the Joyous Union Sect could rank in the middle tier based on strength, its foundation was far inferior.

The Joyous Union Sect had only been founded for a thousand years, making it one of the youngest among the Nine Great Sects.

Its current strength and status were entirely due to the rapid cultivation speed brought by the Yin Yang Secret Manual. If they truly competed based on foundation, they had little to show.

Even if Qing Mingzi could raise Ye Fan to Dao Child treatment, it was still slightly lower than the offers from Sorrowless and the others.

Facing Qing Mingzi's questioning, Dao Xuan and the others looked completely unconcerned.

The truth was that the major Sects poaching each other's talent was not an isolated incident; they usually turned a blind eye to it, and Ye Fan was no exception this time.

Everyone stated plainly that whether to change allegiance was entirely up to Ye Fan; Qing Mingzi, as the Sect Head, could not make the decision.

"You all!"

Seeing the tension escalating, Ye Fan quickly tried to interject and persuade them, but a cold voice suddenly rang out.

"If he, as the Sect Head, doesn't have the authority to decide, then perhaps I, as his Master, have the authority?"