What Kind of Name Was That?

"Congratulations, Young Master Tang, on testing with earth grade talent!"

"The top spot this year is surely yours, Young Master Tang!"

"You're truly amazing, Young Master Tang. A pity some people have eyes but cannot see!"

"Young Master Tang..."

The moment Tang Yu stepped down from the trial platform, an excited crowd surrounded him.

Among them were people speaking up for him over the rebuff he had suffered earlier.

Golden Core fourth tier, earth grade talent-their influence was just that staggering!

Tang Yu responded with a smile, not forgetting to glance toward Lin Yu with a smug look.

Anyone who rejected him, Tang Yu, would absolutely come to no good!

"Father, there's actually another disciple with earth grade talent this year! Heaven truly blesses our sect!"

Meanwhile, beside Yun Tianci, Yun Nianshan's face brimmed with delight.

Naturally, seeing the Qianyuan Sect flourish was what she most hoped for!

Yet Yun Tianci remained silent throughout, seemingly deep in intense thought.

The testing continued.

"Next, Ling Yiran!"

The trial elder called out loudly. Hearing him, the girl slowly stood and walked toward the trial platform.

As she made her way onto the platform, her fists were already clenched so tightly that her nails nearly pierced her palms.

The series of interactions between Lin Yu and Xiaobai just now had left her thoroughly unsettled.

"Huh? Isn't that Ling Shanhai's granddaughter from the Ling Household of Sea Heart City? Why is she here instead of cultivating properly at the Ling Household?"

Someone among the spectators suddenly exclaimed, apparently recognizing Ling Yiran!

Unlike many lineages, the Ling Household of Sea Heart City relied on the Sea Heart Auction House and had its own internal cultivation system!

Unless there was a special need, very few members of the lineage chose to join outside cultivation sects!

After all, joining a sect meant competition!

Staying home, on the other hand, allowed them to enjoy the best cultivation resources their lineage could provide!

The Ling Household's uniquely favorable advantages were something many lineages, such as the Tang Household of Spirit Ice City, simply could not possess.

Thus, Ling Yiran's appearance here left those who knew the circumstances utterly astonished!

Of course, Ling Yiran had no attention to spare for those voices.

There was only one thought in her heart:

In front of him, I must give my very best performance!

Ling Yiran quickly stepped onto the trial platform, held her breath, focused her mind, and sent a strand of her purest spiritual power into the Qianyuan Spirit Stone!

"Look, the color seems to be changing rapidly!"

Once Ling Yiran's strand of spiritual power had fully poured into the Qianyuan Spirit Stone, its color instantly began changing at an astonishing speed!

The extent of the changes seemed even greater than during Tang Yu's test!

These changes immediately drew waves of startled cries from the spectators!

Within a single minute, the Spirit Stone had already turned pitch-black!

Moreover, a fiery crimson had begun to emerge over that blackness!

That red seemed far more pronounced than the red during Tang Yu's trial!

"How is this possible!"

Tang Yu watched the Qianyuan Spirit Stone's color flicker incessantly, his face livid.

Only a short while ago, he had solemnly assured his lackeys that he would take first place at this sect recruitment assembly!

Yet in the blink of an eye, a girl had appeared whose talent test grade might surpass his!

This instantly left Tang Yu struggling to save face!

Moreover, he remembered that this girl seemed to have gone over to greet Lin Yu and the others earlier!

He found that completely intolerable!

"Second Elder, after the trial ends, find a suitable opportunity and finish that girl off!"

Tang Yu's expression was as dark as stagnant water. His lips moved as he transmitted his voice to an old man outside the testing area.

"As you command!" A sinister smile appeared at the corner of the old man's mouth. He licked his lips, cruelty showing on his face.

Murdering for goods, plundering wealth, and seizing treasures-these were precisely what their Tang Household of Spirit Ice City excelled at!

At that moment, the Qianyuan Spirit Stone finally stopped changing color!

Its color settled into a brilliant blood-red!

Everyone, including Yun Tianci, stared at the Qianyuan Spirit Stone in astonishment, disbelief in their eyes!

Tang Yu's low-grade earth rank result had already shaken everyone present!

Yet Ling Yiran's blood-red was stronger than Tang Yu's pale red by far more than a little!

No one had expected this ordinary-looking girl, who merely seemed rather stubborn, to possess such tremendous potential!

"Earth... earth grade middle rank!"

"Miss Ling Yiran, con... congratulations on passing the test!"

The elder responsible for testing could no longer conceal his excitement.

Earth grade middle rank!

He had served as an elder in the Qianyuan Sect for decades, yet he had never seen earth grade middle rank talent!

This girl's talent surpassed every Qianyuan Sect disciple of the past several decades!

"Ling Shanhai, you certainly have a fine granddaughter."

Yun Tianci, whose brows had remained tightly knitted, finally revealed a hint of a smile.

Although the Ling Household's strength could not compare to their Qianyuan Sect's at all, its connections were extensive, so even Yun Tianci knew something about the Ling Household of Sea Heart City.

The day before yesterday, Ling Shanhai had called upon every connection he had and finally managed to send a message to Yun Tianci himself, hoping he would look after Ling Yiran a little.

Although Yun Tianci had not given a direct response, he had decided to give the Ling Household some face.

After all, one more friend was better than one more enemy.

But from the looks of things, Ling Shanhai had worried needlessly.

Ling Yiran joining the Qianyuan Sect was not a matter of reaching above her station-it was a blessing for their Qianyuan Sect!

"My heavens, earth grade middle rank! This girl is incredible!"

"Heavens, I misjudged her! To think the Ling Household's granddaughter is this year's greatest dark horse!"

"Her cultivation seems to be at Golden Core second tier. Though it's a little weak, with talent that terrifying, what does a slightly lower cultivation matter!"

"It looks like this year's top spot is still up in the air!"

Many spectators cried out excitedly. Ling Yiran, a girl who had shown neither mountain nor water, had stunned everyone on her very first appearance in the public eye!

"Thank you, Elder!"

Ling Yiran bowed to the elder who had announced the result, then slowly walked off the trial platform.

From beginning to end, Ling Yiran's gaze had never left Lin Yu's direction.

"What is she looking at? Why does she keep staring that way?"

"No idea. Didn't Young Master Tang keep looking over there earlier too?"

"Just what is over in that direction?"

Now, under the combined attention of Ling Yiran's and Tang Yu's gazes, someone finally noticed Lin Yu and Xiaobai.

Both Ling Yiran now and Tang Yu earlier seemed to have been looking at this man and woman!

But apart from their higher average good looks, there didn't seem to be anything special about the two of them?

Many spectators found it rather strange, because if these two had any status, someone should have recognized them long ago.

Tang Yu went without saying; a crowd of lackeys had surrounded him before he even entered.

Even the less famous Ling Yiran had been recognized very quickly.

On an occasion like this, with so many cultivators present, concealing one's identity was practically impossible!

Yet it seemed no one knew Lin Yu and Xiaobai below the platform!

Except for a certain person in the sky with tightly knitted brows...

But clearly, even though the person in the sky had long since recognized Lin Yu, he dared not say anything.

Although Yun Tianci was very puzzled about what Lin Yu wanted to do, Lin Yu had helped him so greatly yesterday that he could essentially be certain Lin Yu bore no ill intent.

Besides, even if he did bear ill intent, what could they do?

Even his pet cat could smash the entire Qianyuan Sect to pieces with a single slap!

Then what was there to worry about? Life and death were ordained by fate!

Thus, Yun Tianci's tightly knitted brows truly had little to do with Lin Yu and Xiaobai.

He was simply pondering over and over just where the strange aura on Tang Yu came from...

"Next... Xiaobai!"

The testing elder read out the name with some puzzlement.

Xiaobai?

What kind of name was that?

The testing elder was lost in a fog, utterly bewildered.