Quite a few disciples looked bewildered.
By rights, a wisp of white light should have appeared for them as well and entered their bodies.
Yet they received nothing at all!
Meanwhile, the Sword Tempering Pool, which had previously seemed to be shaking like an earthquake, gradually returned to stillness.
It was like stagnant water.
The many Inner Disciples exchanged glances, their faces full of confusion.
At that moment, Song Yiling, who was surrounded by the Inner Disciples, carefully examined the Spirit Swords around Lin Feng.
Unlike the others, she was not curious about where her own reward had gone.
"I possess two layers of Sword Intent, along with cultivation at the peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm."
"I can awaken quite a few Tier-Two Spirit Swords, yet the commotion is nowhere near as great as his."
"So what grade are the Spirit Swords he awakened?"
Song Yiling stared in Lin Feng's direction, deeply puzzled.
One had to know that opportunities in the Sword Tempering Pool did not grow on trees. They were exceedingly rare, and obtaining this chance had taken great effort.
Song Yiling had prepared for a very, very long time for this Sword Tempering Pool opportunity, all so that she could awaken more Spirit Swords within the sword pool!
Awakening more Spirit Swords meant gaining greater recognition from the Sword Saint, and the rewards afterward would naturally be extraordinary as well.
It was said that there had once been someone with unparalleled talent in the sword who, at the Palace of Destiny Realm, awakened ninety-nine Tier-Four Spirit Swords in the Sword Tempering Pool. In the end, they received Sword Pool Empowerment, and their Sword Intent directly rose by two layers, advancing by leaps and bounds.
Song Yiling was quite formidable herself. Among the Inner Disciples, she held a respectable ranking, yet now she had been surpassed by an unknown disciple. How could her heart remain undisturbed?
Boom! Elder Zhu's massive figure descended beside the sword pool. Light shot from his eyes as he studied Lin Feng. "You awakened Tier-Five Spirit Swords?"
Tier-Five Spirit Swords!
Upon hearing this, the hearts and minds of many disciples shook violently!
Song Yiling's pupils contracted sharply.
Tier-Five Spirit Swords?
Many disciples inwardly cried that it was impossible.
One had to know that the Spirit Swords in the Sword Tempering Pool were anything but ordinary. They were absolutely not things that any random artifact refiner could forge.
The Spirit Swords here had all once been used by that Sword Saint. Even Tier-One Spirit Swords were extraordinary, while Tier-Five Spirit Swords were simply unimaginable. Many geniuses at the Palace of Destiny Realm could not accomplish such a feat at all!
Song Yiling was widely informed and remembered that there had once been a Core Disciple at the peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm who awakened a single Tier-Five Spirit Sword!
At the time, it had shocked the entire inner sect. Quite a few elders at the Venerable Realm had rushed over, all wanting to take that disciple as their student.
But Lin Feng had not awakened just one!
He had awakened this many!
Count them carefully.
There were a total of one hundred and forty-five. That was an astonishing number.
In that instant, Song Yiling developed the desire to befriend him. No one would refuse to befriend a genius, much less one like Lin Feng, whose realm was not yet high. He was absolutely worth befriending!
The other disciples were equally stunned.
Even awakening more than a hundred Tier-One Spirit Swords would have been incredibly impressive, let alone Tier-Five ones!
Quite a few people stared at Lin Feng with shock in their eyes. This man had the makings of a Core Disciple!
Lin Feng nodded slightly.
Seeing Lin Feng admit it, the other disciples could not help their eyelids twitching. If it was true, then this man's talent in the sword was simply too terrifying. There were probably very few among the inner sect who could rival him!
Elder Zhu said nothing, continuing to examine Lin Feng. "You gained quite a lot from this Sword Tempering Pool. It seems your realm has increased considerably as well."
Lin Feng could be called the person who had gained the most from this sword pool, without question.
At the side, a disciple suddenly asked, "Elder, why... why did he receive a reward while we received nothing?"
Elder Zhu's expression was calm, as though he was not surprised in the slightest. "That is perfectly normal. In the eyes of the Sword Tempering Pool, the gap between you and him is like the light of fireflies compared to the bright moon, so naturally it gave the reward to him."
"If your levels had been similar, then the rewards would naturally have been divided among you."
Once the reason was explained, every Inner Disciple could not help their faces twitching.
That was the reason?
Did that not mean they had failed to obtain the Sword Tempering Pool's recognition?
They had not received even the tiniest reward!
This trip to the Sword Tempering Pool had been for nothing!
Quite a few Inner Disciples felt utterly depressed.
Song Yiling, meanwhile, stepped forward with a smile on her face. "May I ask how I should address you, Junior Brother? Which elder's descendant are you?"
Even now, Song Yiling still believed Lin Feng might be the descendant of some elder at the Venerable Realm.
Lin Feng said calmly, "Lin Feng. I am merely an ordinary disciple from a cultivation clan, not the descendant of any elder."
A disciple from a cultivation clan?
The smile on Song Yiling's face did not fade, but inwardly, she was greatly shaken.
Did that not mean Lin Feng had no background?
A genius with no background...
And he had not even fully grown yet. Someone like this had to be properly won over!
Song Yiling's beautiful eyes shifted as she smiled faintly. "Junior Brother Lin, I truly admire your talent. I prepared for this Sword Tempering Pool for a long time. Although my Sword Intent has broken through as well, I never expected that the Sword Tempering Pool's recognition of me would fall so far short of yours."
"This is our first meeting, and I have nothing particularly valuable. Please accept this small token of goodwill."
Song Yiling's gaze flickered, and she immediately tossed out a spatial ring. Lin Feng froze for a moment. After catching it and inspecting it carefully, he discovered what was inside.
There were actually two hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones?
That was truly generous!
An ordinary Inner Disciple's monthly stipend was only ten thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones. Song Yiling had casually given away so much, which was enough to show that her background was far from ordinary!
Lin Feng did not refuse such goodwill and accepted it directly.
After awakening the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, Lin Feng felt as though his body was in an extreme state of hunger every moment.
In that state of hunger, he desperately wanted to devour origin energy.
These Origin Stones were exactly what he needed most.
"Thank you," Lin Feng said softly.
Song Yiling's face lit up with joy. What she feared most was that a genius like Lin Feng would refuse. Since he had accepted, it would be easier to approach him in the future!
At the side, quite a few Inner Disciples revealed envious expressions.
Sure enough, geniuses had their advantages. Even Song Yiling had directly given him a meeting gift. Anything she gave would certainly be extraordinary, after all, her elder brother's status was incomparably noble, and her elders were also high-ranking figures within the holy land!
Still, some Inner Disciples felt that Lin Feng was putting on airs. If it were them, they would have long since gone over to speak enthusiastically with Song Yiling. Being able to attach themselves to someone like her was simply a blessing accumulated by their ancestors!
But Lin Feng seemed to lack that awareness. He only wanted to return and cultivate.
Before leaving, Lin Feng gave Elder Zhu a certain amount of Origin Stones and said that they were to repay the elder from the Cultivation Arts Pavilion.
Elder Zhu was startled, then smiled and accepted them.
Lin Feng then left without the slightest hesitation.
Song Yiling lightly walked over to Elder Zhu and softly asked, "Elder Zhu, he took first place in the disciple assessment? Then does that mean..."
Elder Zhu nodded. "That's right. Those three boys from the Wei Clan, Xu Clan, and Chen Clan were all defeated by him. And he defeated opponents above his realm. His Sword Intent has already reached three layers. The rewards from this Sword Tempering Pool will certainly allow him to go even farther on the path of the sword!"
Before you continue