Although no one believed Ye Chen could be a match for the Law Peak's direct disciple, the disciples all felt that Ye Chen had already proven himself by reaching this stage. From being considered a useless lick spirit who relied on connections to becoming the second in the sect, his defeat was still honorable.

  On the stage, the Law Peak's direct disciple smirked, not taking Ye Chen seriously at all. If not for his master's orders to avoid a quick battle and to toy with Ye Chen a bit, he could have easily defeated Ye Chen in a hundred breaths.

  "Boom..."

  The battle began. The Law Peak's direct disciple raised his hand, unleashing a series of fire magic spells mastered to perfection. The same spells, in his hands, were at least fifty percent more powerful, leaving the disciples in awe. An exotic spiritual root was truly impressive.

  However, the audience's expressions soon turned to shock. Contrary to expectations, Ye Chen was not struggling to hold his ground. Instead, he seemed to have the upper hand. Most importantly, Ye Chen was not limited to just the Purple Gold Hand technique. He effortlessly wielded various powerful spells.

  The Law Peak's direct disciple was also shocked, his expression turning serious. Ye Chen's strength was beyond his expectations. He had to take this seriously!

  But within a few dozen breaths, the Law Peak's direct disciple's face turned stiff. Ye Chen's combat power was terrifying. The spells he used were absurdly powerful, even stronger than his own fire spells enhanced by his exotic spiritual root. Most importantly, many of Ye Chen's spells were ones he had never seen before, leaving him utterly defenseless.

  After a few more breaths, the Law Peak's direct disciple no longer had his previous graceful demeanor. He y on the ground, spitting blood, his eyes filled with a dazed sense of disbelief. Had he lost? He, with his exotic spiritual root, had been defeated by someone with a lower cultivation level and only third-grade spiritual roots?

  How were Ye Chen's spells so powerful and his mastery so proficient? How was his magical power so abundant and his output so fierce? What was going on?

  The Law Peak's direct disciple, who once considered himself invincible below the Foundation Establishment stage, felt his Dao heart shatter. Unable to accept it, he struggled to his feet, shouting at Ye Chen, who was already turning to leave the stage, "Why?"

  "I've trained diligently for seven years with my exotic spiritual root, avoiding distractions, focusing solely on cultivation and learning spells... Why can you defeat me?"

  The Law Peak's direct disciple truly couldn't accept any of this. The disciples and elders watching could understand. In the cultivation world, being defeated by someone of a lower realm was always a humiliating experience, marking one as a failure. Unable to defeat someone of a lower realm was a disgrace.

  The Law Peak's direct disciple had always considered himself a genius. Now, he was defeated by someone with inferior aptitude and cultivation, someone who spent all his time chasing female cultivators. Anyone in his position would struggle to accept it.

  Ye Chen, hearing this, turned back to gnce at the unwilling Law Peak's direct disciple. You're not convinced? Do you know how painful it is to be a lick spirit? Do you know how humiliating it is? Do you know how difficult it is to deal with these high-maintenance female cultivators? Do you know how much I've sacrificed over these three years?

  Three years of being a lick spirit, walking on thin ice. The path I've walked has been incredibly tough. So why do you think your seven years of hard cultivation should surpass my three years of being a lick spirit? Do you really think all my spells, cultivation, physical body, and treasures were handed to me by the system for free? No! All of this was earned through my own hard work.

  Oh right! System, when you deliver the Foundation Establishment Pill to Yao Xi ter, make sure you do it well!

  As Ye Chen leisurely walked off the stage, the silent crowd erupted into a roar. The disciples' eyes were filled with disbelief, and even the elders were surprised. The Law Peak's peak master's face darkened, while Gu Yunyun's lips curled into a smile, though her eyes also hid a hint of shock. No one had expected such an outcome. Ye Chen's combat power was simply too formidable. He mastered various powerful spells, some of which even the elders had never seen.

  But if it were just powerful spells, it could be attributed to Gu Yunyun's influence. With Gu Yunyun's strength, providing such resources to a direct disciple wasn't difficult. However, merely possessing powerful spells wasn't enough. Even the strongest spells require mastery to unleash their full potential. Yet Ye Chen's dispy of spell mastery during the battle was equally astonishing. Nearly every spell he used was at a level of mastery, effortlessly wielded with great skill.

  The more powerful the spell, the harder it is to learn. Ye Chen's ability to comprehend so many spells to such a profound level indicated his exceptional talent. He was a genius of the highest order.

  Moreover, Ye Chen's magical power output was fierce and sustained, indicating that his dantian was likely more expansive than that of ordinary cultivators, and his meridians more resilient. Additionally, Ye Chen's physical body was exceptionally strong. Considering all this, Ye Chen was far from a waste. If not for his poor spiritual roots, making it nearly impossible to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, Ye Chen's performance would have easily earned him the title of the sect's top genius.

  "Unexpectedly, besides being transcendent in swordsmanship, Peak Master Gu also has an eye for recognizing exceptional talents. I truly admire you."

  "Your choice of disciple is truly impressive."

  "You truly adhere to the principle of quality over quantity. I actually believed the rumors that you accepted Ye Chen due to personal connections!"

  "Elder Chen, we must address the rumors within the sect. Sndering the peak master is no small matter!"

  The elders' reactions made Gu Yunyun's smile widen. Yes, yes, you're all right. I accepted Ye Chen because of his talent. My disciple really did make me proud today. And now that he's the sect's number one, I, as his master, must reward him. I'll give Ye Chen a reward when we return.

  The sect master, having watched the competition, gnced at Elder Chen again and transmitted a message, "Elder Chen, do you have an issue with Gu Yunyun or Ye Chen?"

  "We're all part of the Qingyun Sect and should support each other. Besides, when Gu Yunyun breaks through to the Golden Elixir Stage, the position of sect master will surely be his. If you fall out with him, how will you manage in the future? Let's pretend you never said anything."

  Elder Chen's mouth twitched. I didn't, I don't. Ye Chen's rapid progress, even defeating the Law Peak's direct disciple, was completely unexpected for Elder Chen. But this can't be bmed on me. Third-grade spiritual roots, and a lick spirit at that. Anyone would think there's no future in that. Elder Chen truly couldn't understand. He thought Ye Chen had given up, but now he realized that apart from his poor spiritual roots, Ye Chen's other talents were extremely strong. In this situation, why be a lick spirit and do nothing? Couldn't those resources be used for himself? It's absurd, truly absurd.

  Although Ye Chen won, everyone still felt a bit regretful. Ye Chen's spiritual roots were too poor, making it incredibly difficult to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Giving Ye Chen a Foundation Establishment Pill seemed like a waste. But regardless of what they thought, it was soon time to distribute the rewards.

  Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ye Chen was soon encouraged by the Golden Elixir Stage sect master and received a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Holding the pill bottle in his hand, Ye Chen's face was full of joy. The Foundation Establishment Pill was finally in hand. It's secure...

  CPDD