Grandmaster Token

Ning Ri did not hesitate. With a solemn expression, he immediately bowed. "Disciple Ning Ri pays his respects to Elder!"

As for that "Grandmaster Ning" from earlier, he pretended not to have heard it.

He guessed that the other party might be pulling some kind of stunt.

This elder had most likely cultivated some [Heaven-Defying Path of Reversed Seniority]. His usual cultivation involved throwing everyone else's seniority into chaos—for instance, calling an Outer Sect disciple "Grandmaster"... Over time, everyone's seniority would become a tangled mess, and he could even muddle the seniority of the Heavenly Dao.

Then, he could swap seniority with the Heavenly Dao, make the Heavenly Dao his grandson, and thereby achieve the heaven-defying goal of turning the natural order on its head.

Well, this was the Heaven Defying Sect, after all...

Everything they did began, developed, turned, and then became heaven-defying.

Those who knew, knew!

And this elder had clearly realized that Ning Ri did not know him, so he simply introduced himself. "Grandmaster Ning, there's no need to be so polite. My name is Cheng Zhushan. Just call me Old Cheng."

Ning Ri could no longer pretend he had not heard him. "..."

He really was calling me Grandmaster?!

He gave an awkward laugh. "Elder Cheng, why are you calling me Grandmaster? Is there some profound mystery behind it?"

Upon hearing the words "profound mystery," Cheng Zhushan clearly realized that Ning Ri might have mistaken this form of address for something related to a Heaven-Defying Path. He waved his hand. "Wrong, wrong. There's nothing mysterious about it. Calling you Grandmaster Ning has nothing to do with my Heaven-Defying Path."

"According to the sect rules, you truly are now a Grandmaster of the Heaven Defying Sect!"

Ning Ri froze, then pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Really?"

I'm a Grandmaster?

Did I return to the wrong sect?

Is this even the Heaven Defying Sect?

But Cheng Zhushan nodded. "Yes! You are now a genuine, bona fide Grandmaster of the Heaven Defying Sect."

Ning Ri: "..."

Was the title of Grandmaster in the Heaven Defying Sect this casual?

That was far too heaven-defying.

Just then.

The boisterous Pillars of Cultivation Pavilion suddenly fell silent.

Immediately afterward.

A large group of elders walked out of the Pillars of Cultivation Pavilion.

They had clearly noticed Ning Ri's arrival.

Among the elders, Zhou Hai was walking at the very front. The moment he saw Ning Ri, he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Grandmaster Ning, it seems your trip to Luoxia City was quite fruitful!"

The moment he finished speaking, a hubbub broke out behind him. Words like "Grandmaster," "artifact forging," and "peerless talent" filled the space before the Pillars of Cultivation Pavilion. The air before the pavilion was thick with heaven-defying Air Qi.

Ning Ri's head throbbed from listening. "This disciple pays respects to all the elders!"

"Could you tell this disciple what exactly happened?"

At this moment, Mo Cuidao stepped past Zhou Hai and looked at Ning Ri. His face was stern, but his eyes brimmed with satisfaction.

He was deeply satisfied with both Ning Ri's cultivation and his artifact-forging abilities.

Especially with the fact that Ning Ri had left Chen Xingfeng dumbfounded—he was even more satisfied with that!

At that moment, Mo Cuidao said in a deep voice to Ning Ri, "Beloved disciple, do not panic. Let your master explain."

Ning Ri: "Huh?"

Beloved disciple?!

When did I become a beloved disciple?

"You merely happened to learn a bit of my artifact-forging techniques. How did that make you a beloved disciple? Stop yammering." Zhou Hai snorted coldly, then blocked Mo Cuidao behind him and said to Ning Ri:

"Here's what happened."

"Chen Xingfeng has already sent the news back!"

"He said that in Luoxia City, you comprehended a Heaven-Defying Path. You treated artifact forging as equivalent to Qi Refining, ingeniously combining the two to raise your cultivation..."

"That is simply too powerful!"

"And now that I see it for myself, it is indeed true! Before leaving the sect, you were only at the Third Stage Qi Refining. Yet in just two days, you have already reached the peak of Qi Refining. This proves that you have indeed begun to grasp your own Heaven-Defying Path."

"Of course, you may be confused. Outside, Grandmasters are ranked by cultivation; only the powerful may become Grandmasters. Why does that change in the Heaven Defying Sect?"

"But in truth, our sect's rules are no different in essence from those of other sects."

"Outside, one must possess great cultivation to become a Grandmaster. But in the Heaven Defying Sect, according to sect rules, comprehending a Heaven-Defying Path means possessing great cultivation."

"Those who achieve are honored first. Since you have already attained something upon the Heaven-Defying Path, you must naturally be respectfully addressed as Grandmaster."

"And this is likewise a manifestation of powerful cultivation, so..."

At this point, Zhou Hai reached out with a face full of approval and patted Ning Ri on the shoulder. "You are, without question, now a Grandmaster of the Heaven Defying Sect!"

"And we have gathered here to celebrate the appearance of a new Grandmaster in the Heaven Defying Sect!"

"Accept our congratulations, Ning Ri!"

As soon as his words fell.

The elders behind Zhou Hai began offering their congratulations one after another. "Congratulations, Grandmaster Ning!"

Ning Ri: "..."

After the congratulations, Zhou Hai took out a palm-sized jade token. It was entirely azure-blue, clear as a cloudless sky. The words "Grandmaster Token" were written at the top, while two words were inscribed in the center—

"Ning Ri."

Seeing that even his identification had been prepared, the newly promoted Grandmaster Ning could not help pursing his lips...

Zhou Hai said, "This is a Grandmaster Token. Keep it for now."

Ning Ri accepted it blankly. "Thank you, Elder Zhou."

Zhou Hai said in a deep voice, "The Grandmaster Token is not a treasure used for cultivation or attack, but it will greatly help you comprehend your Heaven-Defying Path. Once you return, you may have this token acknowledge you as its master. Like the Disciple Token, it also possesses a spirit."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Ning Ri thought that the token was probably not very useful.

He had already turned the spirit of his Disciple Token into a taciturn arch-enemy.

This Grandmaster Token probably would not fare much better.

Yet what Ning Ri had not expected was that the moment he gripped the token, it suddenly trembled, making his heart jolt.

Immediately afterward.

"Ding—"

"Ding—"

"Ding—"

A succession of ding-ding-ding sounds rang out in his mind, crisp and loud, endlessly chiming—

He could not help but freeze...

What was going on?!

Seeing Ning Ri's drastically changed expression, none of the elders spoke. Zhou Hai also fell silent...

They were quietly waiting for Ning Ri's transformation!

The purpose of the Grandmaster Token was to help every Grandmaster deepen their own Heaven-Defying Path. It was said that other Grandmasters would gain insights upon receiving their Grandmaster Tokens...

At the same time, the satisfaction on their faces deepened, and some even revealed traces of envy...

For Ning Ri to wear such an expression while holding the Grandmaster Token, there had to be some change. This also indirectly proved that Ning Ri truly possessed his own [Heaven-Defying Path].

Only those who possessed a Heaven-Defying Path would undergo changes upon holding the token.

Although these elders had all tried the heaven-defying method of cultivation before, they had failed, and in the end had no choice but to embark on the traditional path of cultivation.

Since they lacked Heaven-Defying Paths, the Grandmaster Token was useless to them.

How could they not envy Ning Ri because of that?

Meanwhile, Xun Zang and Zhou Hai, who had recruited Ning Ri into the sect, wore expressions of satisfaction mixed with emotion—

They had known their judgment was not wrong.

After Ning Ri endured the uninterrupted "ding—" sounds in his mind for quite a while.

He suddenly discovered that the panel had changed.

Ning Ri's pupils immediately contracted...

On the panel, [Mortal Blade Technique] had originally occupied the first slot.

But at this moment, [Mortal Blade Technique] suddenly shifted into the second slot.

And in the first position, the symbols "[" and "]" slowly emerged.

1,[]:0

The moment it appeared, Ning Ri's expression shook—

There was actually a new skill?

What was it?!