The elder patted his bag of holding and took out the rewards that had been promised to the top three finishers.
Li Xiaoman received three sect technique scrolls—two Spirit-grade scrolls and one Earth-grade scroll.
Not only that, she was also given a box containing one Earth-grade pill and one thousand spirit stones.
In second place, Gu Qinghe received two Spirit-grade sect technique scrolls.
He also obtained two additional items: a box containing an Earth-grade pill and five hundred spirit stones.
Yun Shangxing received the same type of rewards as Gu Qinghe, except he was given only one technique scroll and a smaller number of spirit stones.
The three of them stored their rewards into their bags of holding, then bowed their heads in gratitude for the generosity of the Yin-Yang Sect Master.
The tournament was officially concluded. The elder then produced a token slip with two colors on its surface—black on one side, white on the other.
The token floated toward the three of them as the elder explained its function.
"That is your identity token. As core disciples, you may enter certain places that are forbidden to inner and outer disciples."
"You may also form small groups to hunt monsters outside the sect. With this token, forming such cultivation teams will be much easier."
"Use it wisely."
The three smiled and bowed once more in thanks. The invited guests of the sect began to take their leave.
They praised the Yin-Yang Sect's Talent Trial Tournament as spectacular, having clearly witnessed the promising growth of the sect's disciples.
"The Yin-Yang Sect never runs out of talented individuals," another guest said in admiration.
"You flatter us," Han Shen replied, clasping his hands in return.
"I look forward to hearing good news from your young talents, Sect Master Han."
Before long, most of the guests flew away after receiving commemorative gifts from the Yin-Yang Sect.
However, Elder Shang was different. She remained seated, and Han Shen understood exactly what that meant.
"Elder Shang."
Without touching the tea before her, Elder Shang stood up and smiled at Han Shen.
"An impressive tournament. The Tianyun Sect is honored to have such a reliable partner sect," Elder Shang said.
"Thank you, Elder Shang. If you don't mind, please convey my regards to Sect Master Yao," Han Shen replied.
She nodded, saying she would pass along his greetings to Yao Guangxi, the Sect Master of the Tianyun Sect.
Even so, Elder Shang understood that Han Shen's words were merely polite formalities.
"Regarding Han Xiao… I humbly ask that you allow us to restore his meridians," he said.
"Once he recovers, the elders of my sect will personally escort Han Xiao to the Sect Alliance Palace."
The core principle among cultivators was to prioritize saving lives. Only when all paths were closed would death become the final option.
It was a noble principle upheld by the Song Sect Alliance. Yet in practice, it was often nothing more than empty words.
"Very well. I will report this matter to Sect Master Yao," Elder Shang replied.
She took her leave and summoned her flying sword. However, her attention shifted downward as she noticed Gu Qinghe's face.
"Gu Qinghe," Elder Shang greeted.
"Greetings, Elder Shang."
"I will tell Junior Qingyin about your achievement. She will surely be surprised."
Gu Qinghe remained silent, responding only with a slight nod. Shortly after, Elder Shang flew away on her sword, leaving the sect's territory behind.
To Gu Qinghe, there was no need for Gu Qingyin or anyone in the Gu Clan Mansion to know about his current situation.
He believed it was best for them to remain unaware of the drastic changes he had undergone. It would clearly help him avoid dangerous suspicion.
After all the guests had left, Han Shen turned sharply around.
A wave of cultivation pressure slammed into Gu Qinghe's body, forcing him to his knees as he spat out blood.
This man… I must kill him!
A few seconds later, Han Shen withdrew his intimidation.
The pressure vanished, allowing Gu Qinghe to breathe again, even though his internal organs had been injured by the assault.
A Nascent Soul cultivator was no joke. With Han Shen's strength, he could have killed Gu Qinghe with ease.
Yet he never did. Gu Qinghe knew exactly why.
Han Shen could not fight Gu Zhen.
After all, Gu Qinghe was the son of Gu Zhen and Wang Yunxi, a direct descendant of the Gu Clan.
Going to war with the Gu Clan would cost too much and require too many sacrifices—especially since the Gu Clan was known to be closely allied with the Tianyun Sect.
After Han Shen returned to the Sect Master's Hall, two elders arrived before Gu Qinghe, Li Xiaoman, and Yun Shangxing.
The qi aura emanating from the two of them felt different—stronger and far more dominant.
Compared to Elder Li, they surpassed him by a wide margin.
Golden Core elders?
"Since you are now core disciples of the sect, the three of you will cultivate under our guide," said the man, Ming Hui.
"The pills you received are Realm-Breaking Foundation Pills. With proper cultivation, you can break through to the next stage in less than a week," added the woman, Lin Ruyue.
"We understand and will obey the commands of the great elders," the three replied in unison.
The two great elders nodded and allowed the three core disciples to return and rest.
As for Gu Qinghe and Li Xiaoman, they would be transferred to the spring region to maximize their cultivation.
After taking their leave, the three departed.
Gu Qinghe and Li Xiaoman flew side by side back toward the snowy hill of the winter region.
"I finally defeated you! This proves that I'm the strongest!" Li Xiaoman declared proudly.
Gu Qinghe listened but did not react. He did not need a response to her arrogance—she simply did not know what had truly happened with him.
"After becoming the champion of the Talent Trial Tournament, my next goal is to reach the position of great elder of the sect!"
The young man beside her remained silent, thinking about the best way to find information related to the Ice Meridian Curse.
He realized he had already stayed in the Yin-Yang Sect for too long. He worried that Wang Yunxi's Yin-Yang Balancing Pills might run out.
If that happened, her condition would worsen drastically.
Upon arriving at the wooden house on the snowy hill, Li Xiaoman immediately opened the Earth-grade technique scroll she had received as a tournament reward.
She did not feel tired at all. On the contrary, she wanted to train the technique right away to strengthen herself further.
Gu Qinghe was different. He had no interest in the mediocre techniques the sect had given him. Instead, his attention was fixed on the Realm-Breaking Foundation Pill.
If what Elder Lin had said was true, then consuming this pill would help him break through to Core Formation.
I should break through as soon as possible, before something dangerous happens again.
With a Core Formation foundation, my strength will be on par with the elders.
Li Xiaoman turned to him with an excited expression. "What are you going to do, Gu Qinghe?"
"It's not your business."
Gu Qinghe summoned his sword once more and flew away from the snowy hill, leaving Li Xiaoman alone behind.
Li Xiaoman narrowed her eyes. Gu Qinghe's behavior felt extremely mysterious to her. Even so, she had no intention of interfering.
She feared that Gu Qinghe might kill her if she provoked him too much.
In the end, Li Xiaoman focused on training while comprehending the technique scroll.
High above the snowy hill, Lin Ruyue stood atop her flying sword.
Her eyes gleamed when she sensed that only Li Xiaoman was present. There was no trace of Gu Qinghe's aura inside the wooden house, which confused her.
"Where did he go?"
She continued circling the hill, raising a finger while keeping her aura sight activated. A faint trace of aura could be felt in a secluded location.
There was a good chance that Gu Qinghe was there, fully immersed in secluded cultivation.
Unsatisfied with aura sight alone, Lin Ruyue touched her forehead and closed her eyes.
She activated a qi and aura detection technique, confirming whether the person inside the cave was Gu Qinghe.
A man enveloped in golden energy could be seen sitting cross-legged inside the cave. He did not move or form hand seals, completely focused on secluded cultivation.
"It seems he knows how to improve his strength efficiently."
"With his current item, that pill alone won't be enough to help him break through."
Lin Ruyue crossed her arms.
"Breaking into Core Formation… is not easy, Gu Qinghe."