The Feiyun Sect's flying vessel tore through the sky, quickly arriving at the sect's mountain gate.
Elder Yin Dang gave the disciples no time to rest. The moment they landed, he hurried toward the Sect Leader Hall.
Ye Feng's performance in the Secret Realm had been far too shocking. He had to report it to the Sect Leader at once.
Inside the Sect Leader Hall, the Feiyun Sect Leader sat behind a desk, flipping through ancient texts. Upon hearing that Elder Yin Dang sought an audience, he raised a hand and motioned for him to enter. "Elder Yin, did you gain anything from your trip to the Secret Realm?" The Sect Leader did not even look up, his tone calm.
"Sect Leader, the gains were tremendous! It's just that... Inner Sect disciple Li Yue tried to kill Ye Feng over an opportunity in the Secret Realm, but was instead slain by Ye Feng." Elder Yin Dang bowed as he reported, deliberately placing emphasis on what came next.
"But more importantly, Ye Feng—"
"When he entered the Secret Realm, he was only at the Qi Gathering Realm Third Layer. By the time he came out, he had reached the peak of the tenth layer, just one step away from breaking through to the True Condensation Realm! He also comprehended Twenty Percent Fist Intent and Thirty Percent Sword Intent at the same time—and he's only seventeen!"
The Sect Leader's hand halted abruptly as he turned a page. At last, he raised his head, his eyes filled with astonishment. "Oh? There's actually such a heaven-defying prodigy?" He paid no attention to Li Yue's death, instead pressing on, "Tell me in detail. How exactly did Ye Feng perform in the Secret Realm?"
Elder Yin Dang hurriedly recounted everything from the Spirit Spring Contest to defeating Zhao Yu and driving away the Baiyang Sect disciples.
The brighter the Sect Leader's eyes grew as he listened. Once Elder Yin Dang finished, he abruptly slapped the table and rose, rare excitement appearing on his face. "Good! What an impressive Ye Feng! Forget our Feiyun Sect—even throughout the entire Yan Nan State, it would be hard to find a second seventeen-year-old genius who has comprehended two kinds of intent and cultivated Thirty Percent Sword Intent! He's the Hidden Dragon of our Feiyun Sect!"
After thinking briefly, the Sect Leader immediately issued an order. "Pass down my command. Promote Ye Feng to a True Disciple of the Feiyun Sect by special exception! There's no need to wait for him to break through to the True Condensation Realm. It takes effect immediately!"
Elder Yin Dang's heart jolted.
He had known Ye Feng would receive a heavy reward, but he had never expected it to be the position of True Disciple!
After all, ever since the Feiyun Sect was founded, the threshold for becoming a True Disciple had never been lower than the True Condensation Realm.
Ye Feng was the first exception!
"The Sect Leader is wise!" He hurriedly bowed and accepted the order, already anticipating what kind of storm it would stir within the sect.
Sure enough, when Elder Yin Dang relayed the Sect Leader's order to the Inner Sect, the entire Feiyun Sect was thrown into an uproar.
The Inner Sect disciples gathered together, their faces filled with disbelief as they discussed it.
"Did I hear that right? Ye Feng actually became a True Disciple? He hasn't even reached the True Condensation Realm!"
"This is the first case in the Feiyun Sect's history! When has anyone ever become a True Disciple before breaking through to the True Condensation Realm?"
"Stop being jealous. Senior Brother Ye can defeat Senior Brother Zhao Yu, kill Li Yue in the Secret Realm, and drive away the Baiyang Sect's people. His talent and strength are right there for all to see. He's more than worthy of being a True Disciple!"
"Speaking of which, True Disciples can freely choose cultivation techniques and martial skills in the Martial Pavilion without restrictions. Senior Brother Ye is about to trade in his old rifle for a cannon!"
Amid the discussion, the disciples' way of addressing Ye Feng quietly changed from "Ye Feng" to "Senior Brother Ye." No one questioned his qualifications anymore.
Sufficient strength earned one every privilege.
When Ye Feng learned of his promotion, he was organizing his gains from the Secret Realm in his small courtyard. His face first showed astonishment, then he nodded in satisfaction. "This Feiyun Sect Leader certainly knows quality when he sees it."
He had been worrying about lacking high-level cultivation techniques and martial skills to make up for his weaknesses. The status of True Disciple had come at exactly the right time.
He wasted no more time. Turning around, he headed straight for the Inner Sect Martial Pavilion.
At the entrance to the Martial Pavilion, the Pavilion Guard Elder sat on the stone steps, dozing.
When he saw Ye Feng approaching, he opened his eyes, a gratified smile appearing on his aged face. "Ye Feng, well done. You didn't disgrace our Feiyun Sect during your trip to the Earth Sun Secret Realm."
"It was all thanks to the Elder reminding me about the Earth Sun Secret Realm back then. Otherwise, I definitely would have missed the opportunity." Ye Feng cupped his hands and thanked him of his own accord, his tone sincere.
The Pavilion Guard Elder smiled and waved his hand. "That was because you had the ability. It had nothing to do with me. You've come to the Martial Pavilion at this time because you want to choose a cultivation technique and martial skill, right?"
When Ye Feng nodded, he pointed toward the Martial Pavilion Second Floor.
"Go to the second floor. The things on the first floor are no longer suitable for you."
Ye Feng understood.
The first floor was the area for Inner Sect disciples, and its highest-level cultivation techniques and martial skills were only Profound-grade high-tier. They indeed could not satisfy him.
The second floor was an exclusive area for True Disciples, and it undoubtedly possessed resources of a higher level.
He cupped his hands to thank the elder again, then strode into the Martial Pavilion and went straight up to the second floor.
Unlike the bustle of the first floor, the Martial Pavilion Second Floor was exceptionally quiet. There were only three sparse bookshelves, neatly displaying roughly twenty cultivation techniques and more than thirty martial skills.
Ye Feng casually picked up a cultivation technique and flipped through it. Four large words were written clearly on the cover: "Profound-grade top-tier."
He picked up another book and flipped through it. It was actually a low-tier Earth-grade martial skill!
"It really was worth coming." The corners of Ye Feng's lips lifted slightly, and he already had a plan in mind.
He did not agonize over which book to choose. Instead, he walked to the first bookshelf, picked up a cultivation technique, and quickly began reading through it.
He only needed to roughly memorize the contents of a cultivation technique, then use the system to modify it. He could master it directly, without having to spend time cultivating like ordinary disciples.
Over the next three days, Ye Feng practically lived on the second floor of the Martial Pavilion.
He left only to eat and sleep each day. The rest of the time, he spent flipping through cultivation techniques and martial skills. After finishing one book, he tossed it back onto the shelf and picked up the next.
Seeing Ye Feng work so diligently, the Inner Sect disciples on the first floor sighed in admiration.
"As expected of Senior Brother Ye. He just became a True Disciple and he's already working this hard. No wonder he's so powerful!"
"Look at Senior Brother Ye. He puts every book down after reading it for a while, as if he can remember everything. A genius really does learn differently!"
"If I had that kind of comprehension, I could break through sooner too..."
No one knew that Ye Feng was not studying at all. He was recording.
In just three short days, Ye Feng had memorized the contents of most of the Profound-grade top-tier cultivation techniques and martial skills on the second floor and used the system to modify and master them. Only the final cultivation technique remained.
The low-tier Earth-grade Body Refining cultivation technique, the Earth Fiend Technique.
Ye Feng picked up the Earth Fiend Technique and began reading it carefully.
This was precisely the Body Refining cultivation technique Ye Feng had been searching for. It could make up for the regret he had carried from failing to cultivate a high-level Body Refining cultivation technique during the Body Refining Realm.
After half an hour, Ye Feng had committed every detail of the cultivation technique to memory, ensuring that nothing had been missed.
"System, modify the Earth Fiend Technique. Set the time to one hundred years later."
Ye Feng silently recited the command in his mind, and familiar white light quietly swept across his body.
He clearly felt his understanding of the Earth Fiend Technique deepening at a rapid pace. The muscles and bones within his body seemed to resonate along with it.
Mastering this Earth-grade Body Refining cultivation technique would surely bring about a qualitative leap in his martial foundation.
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