Seeing that Fang Qianyuan still looked puzzled, Gong Yuan recounted Jiang Yunfeng's achievements.
Only then did Fang Qianyuan realize that the notable figure he had seen that day was actually such a renowned senior expert.
Gong Yuan also brought up the sect's true disciple system. "Above the sect's inner disciples, there is another special status: true disciple. Generally, they are recruited by Earth Rank Experts and taught their true arts. True disciples are the sect's real masters, with the right to stand for election as heads of its academies and halls, appoint or dismiss the sect master, and decide major affairs!"
"True disciples also have far more freedom than ordinary training institute disciples. At the very least, they have one privilege others can only envy: they can leave their training institute's rolls and follow their own master to cultivate. That would be an enormous help to your personal development."
"In fact, the Institute Master and training institute elders like us were once true disciples as well. It was only because of the limits of our aptitude and opportunities that we failed to advance to Earth Rank and had no choice but to linger in the mortal world, tending to mundane affairs."
At this point, something seemed to come to Gong Yuan's mind, and he sighed wistfully.
Among the Azure Cloud Sect's hundred thousand disciples, only a few hundred were true disciples-an average of three to five under each Earth Rank Expert.
Some of them would inherit an Earth Rank Expert's mantle, attain Earth Rank themselves, and even win renown throughout the world. Others would remain trapped at Human Rank, unable to advance another inch for the rest of their lives.
From then on, the former would become the sect's Grand Elders, Attendants, and heads of its academies and halls, enjoying