"You, Sima Xu, are quite impressive!" Gu Yu said angrily.
His talent was not much worse than Sima Xu's, and their cultivation was similar, so he was not intimidated by Sima Xu's words.
Sima Xu's eyes flashed with cold light, and just as he was about to make a move, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from within the valley. It swept through the entire Lotus Valley like a tide, instantly calming the previously noisy disciples.
An elder was about to emerge from seclusion!
For many disciples of the Lotus Valley, the elder was a legendary figure. From the time they entered the sect, they had known of the elder's existence, but they had never seen him, only knowing that the elder in seclusion was the top expert of the Lotus Valley, and had also transcended a heavenly tribulation, becoming a Loose Immortal!
"The consciousness of the elder has begun to return. He will emerge from seclusion tomorrow. From now on, we, the disciples of the Lotus Valley, can contend for the identity jade medallion on our own. Remember, each person can only receive one jade medallion." The voice of Lu Renxing echoed throughout the entire Lotus Valley.
Each person could only receive one jade medallion.
This also cut off the possibility of relying on others for help, forcing these disciples to rely on their own strength.
Suddenly, the eyes of many disciples began to shine, and their gazes fell on the top ten disciples in the middle.
Every time the Lotus Valley distributed the jade medallions, they were handed to the top ten disciples. In other words, the only way to obtain a jade medallion was to defeat the top ten disciples who held them.
For a moment, the eyes of many disciples focused on Fang Yuyao.
This Ninth Senior Sister doesn't have any attack divine abilities!
"Sister, Wu Wei wants to learn from Senior Sister's divine abilities, and hopes that Senior Sister will not hesitate to teach him!" Wu Wei was the first to step forward and address Fang Yuyao.
Once one entered the mortal world, they could be a king and court, held in high esteem. Who wouldn't want to live such a life? Moreover, after entering the mortal world and experiencing the trials and tribulations of life, one might come to understand the intent of cultivation. In that case, it could greatly assist in breaking through the cultivation realm and achieving the status of a Loose Immortal. Wu Wei was born in the cultivation world and naturally understood this point very well.
Seeing this, many disciples couldn't help but curse Wu Wei for being shameless, and some regretted being too slow and being preempted by this Wu Wei.
Fang Yuyao stood up and walked to the open space in the middle.
"Wu Wei, you dare! Good! Good! Good!" Gu Yu hurriedly said, with a hint of complexity in his eyes, as he gazed at Wu Wei, repeatedly uttering the word 'good' three times.
Anyone could tell that this third senior brother now truly intended to kill Wu Wei.
Wu Wei's heart chilled, but after glancing at Si Ma Xu, he slightly eased his mind. "Third senior brother, according to the rules of the sect, you already have a jade token, so you cannot challenge me again."
Since entering the mundane realm, Wu Wei didn't care about Gu Yu's revenge. He knew that although the mundane realm was inside a formation, it was still a world. After disciples with a jade token entered the large formation, they would be teleported and dispersed to various locations, making it highly unlikely for the opponent to find them.
Gu Yu said nothing, but sat cross-legged to the side.
Seeing Gu Yu remain silent, Wu Wei felt relieved, and then turned to Fang Yuyao, saying, "Senior sister, hand over your identity jade token."
Fang Yuyao remained silent, closing her eyes as her black hair floated in the air. Around her, silent and transparent water droplets gathered, swirling around her like a celestial maiden in the rain, exuding an ethereal beauty.
Fang Yuyao knew that the identity jade token to the mundane realm was different from the identity of the top ten disciples. For them, entering the mundane realm represented wealth, prosperity, and a shortcut to achieve the realm of scattered immortals.
Seeing this, Wu Wei's expression grew serious.
Fang Yuyao's realm was two levels higher than his, as she had reached the eleventh level of Qi refinement. If he didn't know that Fang Yuyao had no means of attack, Wu Wei would never have challenged her.
"The eleventh level of Qi refinement!"
"She truly deserves to be one of the top ten disciples..."
"Even in a direct clash of cultivation, Wu Wei won't easily win!"
Many disciples, upon seeing this scene, revealed looks of schadenfreude.
In the center of the rain, Fang Yuyao suddenly felt a sense of disgust towards the cultivation world.
At this moment, she suddenly thought of Mo Feifan and the long-disappeared Ding Yan...
Apart from the valley master Lu Renxing, few people in the Lotus Valley knew that Fang Yuyao, Mo Feifan, and Ding Yan came from the same place. In this unfamiliar cultivation world, Mo Feifan and Ding Yan were the only ones who could give Fang Yuyao the feeling of having family.
The same was true for Mo Feifan and Ding Yan.
Mo Feifan had taken the risk of crossing his tribulation in order to successfully become a scattered immortal, so that he could give his identity jade token to Fang Yuyao. Similarly, Ding Yan would bring gifts for Fang Yuyao when he returned from his journeys.
This was a kind of familial bond, a kind of affection!
The rain droplets around Fang Yuyao gathered more and more, until she was almost invisible.
These raindrops were condensed from Fang Yuyao's elemental power.
She had no attack techniques; her only means of combat was to confront others with her elemental power.
"Ding Yan, is he doing well?" Fang Yuyao silently thought in her heart.
Boom!
Wu Wei was shocked back by the explosion of dozens of raindrops from the periphery. His expression grew even more serious.
"As long as I can dissolve this elemental power, I can defeat her!" Wu Wei understood that Fang Yuyao had no means of attack. The elemental power that turned into raindrops was her cultivation. As long as he could break through it, he could defeat her.
"Pure Spirit Sword!"
With a shout, Wu Wei suddenly held a sword emitting a faint blue light.
"A magic weapon!"
"So Wu Wei actually has a magic weapon! No wonder he isn't afraid of the third senior brother."
Many disciples were astonished.
Feeling the pressure coming from the sword, Fang Yuyao opened her eyes with a slight dimness, and the raindrops around her gradually disappeared.
Raindrops were ultimately not a means of attack and could not resist the Wu Wei who possessed a magic weapon.
Looking at the distant sky, Fang Yuyao suddenly felt very tired.
"I just want to be an ordinary person again..."
"Haha! Senior sister really is a sensible person." Feeling the disappearance of Fang Yuyao's raindrops, Wu Wei was first startled, then burst into laughter.
This magic weapon was Wu Wei's hidden move; for this sword, Wu Wei had paid a lot of effort. He was confident that with his cultivation and the magic weapon, breaking through Fang Yuyao's raindrops would not be difficult.
Just then, the protective formation outside the Lotus Valley suddenly trembled, followed by a breath that spread from outside the valley.
"Lurenxing, the jade token of the Lotus Valley has been delivered!"
"We have been waiting for you." Lurenxing's voice rang out.
In an instant, a faint green light spread across the extensive formation covering the entire valley, and the runes on the formation visibly dissipated after a slight tremor.
Outside the formation, a woman in white stood in the void!
The woman appeared to be around twenty years old, with long jet-black hair floating in the wind, emanating a cold and chilling aura.
A scattered immortal!
Flying in the void was a sign of a scattered immortal!
After the formation was opened, the woman in white didn't even glance at the disciples in the valley. With a wave of her sleeve, ten green rays of light formed an arc and fell into the inner valley. Then, the woman in white turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky.
Within the valley, Lurenxing held ten identity jade tokens in his hand, while Elder Xue remained silent.
"The girl just now seems to be the direct disciple of that old fellow from the Skyscraper Sect..." It took a while for Lu Renxing to speak up.
"Shouldn't be wrong," Elder Xue nodded. "I remember last year, that girl was still at the Qi Refining level, but now she has successfully entered the Ascended Immortal realm. I estimate that the old man from the Skyscraper Sect sent her out this time to give us a warning," Elder Xue said.
After the appearance of Fu Qinghai, the Skyscraper Sect has gained another Ascended Immortal!
For the three major sects under the Skyscraper Sect, this news is truly oppressive.
"It's been nearly fifty years since we had an Ascended Immortal at the Lianhua Valley..." Lu Renxing said quietly.
Elder Xue also remained silent. Fifty years without an Ascended Immortal is definitely not a good sign for a top-tier sect like Lianhua Valley.
"The Skyscraper Sect has produced another genius. When will the Lianhua Valley have a chance for resurgence?" Lu Renxing said, breaking the silence after a while.
"I hope that after these disciples return from their experience in the mundane world, one or two Ascended Immortals will emerge. Otherwise, shortly after the Heavenly Gate opens, I'm afraid the Lianhua Valley will really be disbanded," he added.
"The Skyscraper Sect's appetite for monopolizing the treasure in the Heavenly Gate is growing, and then there's the Tianbao Pavilion. I think this matter..."
As the two were talking, they suddenly felt a terrifying divine sense sweeping from outside the valley, like a storm!
Their faces changed and they exchanged a glance.
"Such a strong divine sense!"
"Could it be that the old fellow from the Transformation Gate has come?"
In their perception, this divine sense is not something an ordinary Ascended Immortal can possess. Only those at the Tribulation-level Ascended Immortal can exert such pressure.
At the outskirts of the Lianhua Valley, Ding Yan stood in a blue robe, standing in the void.
"These are the three Ascended Immortals of the Lianhua Valley?" Ding Yan guessed as he took step by step towards the valley. His powerful aura was unconcealed.
Returning to the Lianhua Valley, apart from obtaining the identity jade card, Ding Yan also needed the cultivation method of the original body and the cultivation methods after becoming an Ascended Immortal. The cultivation methods open to disciples of the sect are mainly for the Qi Refining realm, and the parts after becoming an Ascended Immortal are extremely precious to the sect. Ordinary disciples cannot access them.
"I wonder which Daoist friend is visiting? I am Lu Renxing, the Valley Master of Lianhua Valley," Lu Renxing's voice came clearly from inside the valley.
Immediately, two rays of light flew out from within the valley and appeared in the sky above the Lianhua Valley.
It was the Valley Master Lu Renxing and Elder Xue.
"Valley Master," Ding Yan stood in the void, his expression calm.
In the memory of the original body, Ding Yan knew that Lu Renxing was the one who introduced him to the cultivation world and had brought him, along with Mo Feifan and Fang Yuyao, out of the mundane world. Because of this, in the memory of the original body, Lu Renxing had a deep impression, mostly of reverence.
Of course, the current Ding Yan naturally didn't have this feeling, as he was now an Ascended Immortal! In fact, in terms of aura, he even surpassed this former mentor.
"It's you?! Ding Yan?"
"You've become an Ascended Immortal?!" Elder Xue and the Valley Master both spoke, their faces filled with shock.
To them, an Ascended Immortal meant a remarkable breakthrough! In their eyes, Ding Yan, who had been abandoned, had suddenly become an Ascended Immortal, and in terms of aura, even surpassed them. This shock was much stronger than when the Skyscraper Sect had gained another Ascended Immortal.
"I've had some opportunities and managed to pass the Mortal Transcendence Tribulation by sheer luck," Ding Yan said without saying much more.
He did not have much awe for Lu Renxing and certainly did not consider him as a mentor. In Ding Yan's own memory, he had only one mentor from beginning to end - the Sect Master of the Qiankun Sect who had brought him back from the brink of death!
"How is that possible?!" Elder Xue still looked incredulous.
After all, when Ding Yan disappeared, they had discussed it, and they knew that he was seriously injured and unlikely to recover. Now, after a few years, not only had his injuries fully healed, but he had also transcended the Mortal Transcendence Tribulation and achieved the third level of Ascended Immortal.
"How can your aura be so strong? How many levels have you passed?" Lu Renxing looked at Ding Yan, his eyes flashing.
Compared to Elder Xue, Lu Renxing, as the Valley Master, was clearly more stable. He wasn't concerned that Ding Yan didn't consider him as a mentor. After all, in the cultivation world, strength was paramount. Now that Ding Yan, in terms of aura, was not inferior to him, he had completely acquired the qualification to stand as equals with him.
Elder Xue also looked at Ding Yan differently. When he first achieved Ascended Immortal, he couldn't even find a method to enter the Ninth Level of Void Skyline. Afterward, Elder Xue had consulted many ancient books and gradually understood that the Illusory Nine Heavens had the ability to identify a person's potential. Those with poor potential couldn't find the entrance, while those with better potential didn't need to exert any effort, and the passage would appear automatically before them.
"Well done!" Lu Renxing said, "Since you've returned, come with me into the valley. Now that you're an Ascended Immortal, you can also be a senior of our Lianhua Valley. From today on, you can call me senior brother."
With Ding Yan's potential of two levels, Lu Renxing naturally would want to win him over. Furthermore, Ding Yan could be said to have been brought out by him, and his background was not problematic. Having another Ascended Immortal in Lianhua Valley is a great boon.
However, Lu Renxing could not have imagined that Ding Yan's potential was not just at the level of the first two realms, but rather it approached the level of the demonic nine realms! The potential of the ninth realm was rarely encountered in ten thousand years! If Lu Renxing knew about this, he would probably not hesitate to plot against Ding Yan and even take over his body.
The three of them flew back into the valley.
At this time, some disciples below had already noticed Ding Yan's presence.
"Isn't that... Senior Brother Ding?!"
"How is that possible? Surely it's an elder who looks similar to Ding Yan."
"But he's a wandering immortal, a figure on par with the valley master and Elder Xue! How could Ding Yan possibly reach that level?"
"It really seems like Senior Brother Ding..."
Sima Xu's face was dark, and next to him, Wu Wei's expression showed a hint of fear. Almost all the disciples in the valley knew about the relationship between Ding Yan, Fang Yuyao, and Mo Feifan. If the person above was really Ding Yan, the two of them would probably not have a good ending, as it would be too easy for a wandering immortal to crush them.
Fang Yuyao looked blankly at the handsome youth in the air, lost in thought.
"He has achieved wandering immortality..."
While Gu Yu remained silent, looking at the person in the air with an expression that seemed vacuous and bitter.
Upon hearing the disciples below discussing, Lu Renxing glanced at Ding Yan and ventured, "Aren't your former junior brothers all down there? Won't you go and take a look? Fang Yuyao is also among them..."
"Fang Yuyao..." Ding Yan muttered absentmindedly.
In his mind, a fleeting figure suddenly appeared.
It was a memory from the previous owner of his body.
"Speaking of which, when I brought you three out of the mortal realm, it was because I saw the potential in you three. Although Mo Feifan failed in his tribulation, you became a wandering immortal, which shows that my judgment wasn't too bad," Lu Renxing hinted.
"Mo Feifan failed in his tribulation?" Ding Yan's heart shook.
Mo Feifan and Ding Yan both came from the mortal realm, their hometown, and grew up together, with deep affection for each other.
"It's not exactly a failure, it's just that he didn't become a wandering immortal," Lu Renxing said.
"You mean he became a ghost immortal?" After a brief moment of thought, Ding Yan understood.
Lu Renxing nodded.
Ding Yan fell silent.
Mo Feifan must have been very sad about failing in his tribulation...
Seeing Ding Yan's gaze falling on Fang Yuyao below, Lu Renxing asked, "Do you want to go down?"
Ding Yan didn't answer, but instead said, "I need an identity jade token."
Lu Renxing was taken aback and then smiled, "Since you have become a wandering immortal, you naturally don't need that kind of token anymore. I'll give you a jade token later, and you can inscribe one yourself."
Seeing Ding Yan's confusion, Elder Xue explained the relationship between the two types of identity jade tokens.
"I see..." Ding Yan touched his nose.
If he had known he could make the jade token himself, he wouldn't have rushed back and could have even closed for a dozen or twenty years without worry.
"Alright, that's fine. After all, I still need to come back to collect the techniques," Ding Yan thought, no longer concerned about the issue.
His gaze fell on the figure below.
A ripple suddenly arose in Ding Yan's heart.
This feeling, it's as if he's returned to a past life...
"This is the elder's token. From today, you will be the third elder of my Lotus Valley." After saying this, Lu Renxing handed Ding Yan a bamboo-made token with two ancient seal characters on it - "lotus."
The Lotus Valley has three wandering immortals. Aside from the Supreme Elder, Lu Renxing as the Valley Master, and Elder Xue ranking second, Ding Yan, having become a wandering immortal, naturally became the third elder.
In a flash, Ding Yan's figure appeared in the martial arts arena below.
"I... I'm back..."
Without looking at anyone, Ding Yan walked straight to Fang Yuyao, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.