While everyone was still speculating, Ye Wushuang had already taken a shortcut and left for a Cold Pool on Yunhua Peak.
He was covered in the Blood of Fierce Beasts and urgently needed to wash his clothes.
An hour later, he finally returned to the Yunhua Martial Arts Arena.
The names of those who passed the assessment to enter the Inner Sect, as well as the top ten rankings, would be displayed on a pillar of light. A total of one thousand people had participated in the assessment, and half of the Disciples successfully entered the Inner Sect.
"Hahaha, I passed!"
"I passed, too!"
Looking at the names displayed on the pillar of light, some of the Body Tempering Six Layer Disciples were so excited they danced with joy. As for the Disciples at the Body Tempering Seventh and Eighth Layers, although they showed no sign of joy, they held a trace of expectation.
"Wait, everyone, look! Ye Wushuang passed the assessment, too."
Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out across the grand plaza, sweeping through the entire crowd like a storm.
SWISH!
All at once, countless eyes stared at an inconspicuous spot at the very bottom of the pillar of light. The two words displayed there were, precisely, Ye Wushuang.
"How is that possible? He broke through to the Body Tempering Six Layer and passed the assessment."
"That piece of tra—... Did that guy defy the heavens?!"
A Disciple at the Body Tempering Six Layer in the crowd exclaimed. He originally wanted to say "that piece of trash," but he swallowed the words halfway through.
If someone who could break through the Fourth Layer in half a month and still pass the assessment was trash, then wouldn't he, who hadn't passed, be worse than trash?
Therefore, he didn't have the face to say the word "trash." Saying it would be like slapping his own face, so he could only force himself to swallow it.
"Look, Ye Wushuang is here."
As the crowd murmured, Ye Wushuang appeared. As he walked over, he noticed the way people looked at him had changed; there was now a trace of awe in their eyes.
'Perhaps this is the treatment geniuses and the strong receive!'
Ye Wushuang sighed inwardly, which also strengthened his resolve to become even stronger.
Ye Wushuang's appearance immediately attracted even more attention, including that of Dii Qingxue and Elder Huang outside Yunhua Hall.
"It's him!"
Elder Huang looked as if he had discovered a rare and priceless jade. Overjoyed, he was about to rush down to the Martial Arts Arena but was stopped by Dii Qingxue.
"From now on, stay out of his affairs." Dii Qingxue's eyes flickered for a moment before she added coldly, "Also, do not speak to anyone of what you have seen today."
Hearing this, Elder Huang was extremely puzzled but didn't dare to refute her in the slightest. Dii Qingxue's power lay not only in her Cultivation but also in her immense Combat Power, which was enough to kill him a thousand times over.
However, Elder Huang hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then, what about the rankings...?"
"That is also none of your concern!"
Dii Qingxue uttered coldly before walking into the hall.
"Look, the rankings are out!"
Just as everyone's gazes were focused on Ye Wushuang, the rankings appeared on the pillar of light.
The crowd didn't care much about the rankings in general, but they were intensely curious about the ruthless man who had torn ten Fierce Beasts apart with his bare hands.
Nine names were displayed at the top of the pillar of light. The second name was Duan Yu. Above Duan Yu, there was another spot, but it was vacant, with no name displayed.
"What the hell! How can there be no name? Is there some kind of mistake?"
Seeing the ranking at the very top of the pillar, the group of Disciples was stunned. The number one, that ruthless man, was nameless?
"What are the Elders doing? Why won't they announce that ruthless man's name?"
"Yeah, yeah! I fucking worship the guy! I wanted to see who that ruthless man was."
The group of Disciples around Ye Wushuang clamored loudly, extremely dissatisfied with this result.
'Huh, why isn't my name there? And who is this 'ruthless man'?'
Ye Wushuang frowned, also very confused. He was the first one to enter, so his name should have been at the top of the rankings. It didn't make sense. Also, everyone kept talking about the 'ruthless man' in first place, which made him wonder.
Ye Wushuang frowned. After a moment of thought, he turned to a Disciple and asked, "Friend, what's this about a 'ruthless man'?"
"You don't know?"
The Disciple was taken aback for a moment. Then, as if realizing something, he sneered, "I guess it makes sense that you don't know. Even if you passed the assessment, you probably ranked at the very bottom. How would you know about the ruthless man?"
"That guy tore ten Fierce Beasts apart with his bare hands during the assessment. It was incredibly brutal, but also super cool."
The Disciple continued speaking for himself, his face full of adoration. Then he added with regret, "It's just a pity we don't know who he is."
'Er... The one who tore apart ten Fierce Beasts, wasn't that me?'
Ye Wushuang was bewildered. He rubbed his nose, his eyes flickering as he thought, 'When the hell did I become a 'ruthless man'?'
'Forget it. Improving my strength is what matters. I'm still very weak right now. Without powerful strength, a title like 'ruthless man' is just an empty name. The Inner Sect is full of countless experts; I'm still a long way off.'
Ye Wushuang shook his head with a smile and strode away. He knew clearly in his heart that only by entering the Inner Sect could one be considered a true Disciple of the Ancient Spirit Sect. Only the Inner Sect was the true gathering place for geniuses and experts.
"Ye Wushuang, come to Yunhua Hall at once."
He hadn't gotten far when a voice echoed in his ear. He glanced around but couldn't find the person who had spoken.
But when he turned toward Yunhua Hall above the Yunhua Martial Arts Arena, he saw a white-haired old man beckoning to him.
'An Elder!'
Ye Wushuang's heart skipped a beat, and he strode up toward Yunhua Hall.
"Greetings, Elder!"
Ye Wushuang gave a respectful bow, then his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the bald, middle-aged man standing beside the Elder.
'Isn't that Chen Kun from the Steward Pavilion?'
Chen Kun gave Ye Wushuang a faint smile, but it was somewhat cold and sinister. He had witnessed Ye Wushuang's sudden rise, and while he watched calmly, his heart was in a panic.
He hadn't forgotten a single word the young man before him had said to him previously.
"Not bad!" The Elder, unaware of the history between the two, stroked his white beard and nodded with a smile as he sized up Ye Wushuang.
Ye Wushuang understood that the Elder's scrutiny was a sign of approval, so he didn't say much.
Soon, however, Ye Wushuang's eyes were drawn to a figure in the corner by the hall's entrance.
He saw a beautiful young girl in a purple dress, half-hidden behind the hall door, revealing a pretty face as she secretly peeked at Ye Wushuang.
But to his confusion, Ye Wushuang saw a trace of terror and fear in her eyes.
"AH!"
Seeing Ye Wushuang look over, Yangg Qing'er cried out in terror, as if she'd been frightened, and immediately ran into the hall.
'Uh... I don't eat people. Am I really that scary? How did I scare that girl so badly?'
Ye Wushuang was stunned. He looked himself over, but he couldn't find anything particularly terrifying about his appearance.
But how could Ye Wushuang know? From his body tempering under the waterfall to tearing Fierce Beasts apart with his bare hands, he had delivered a massive psychological shock to the young girl. It was a wonder she hadn't fainted.
"AHEM!"
The Elder cleared his throat a few times, pulling Ye Wushuang's attention back.
"Not bad, kid. You passed the assessment at the Body Tempering Six Layer. You have a boundless future. I'll report this to the Inner Sect and make sure you receive preferential treatment," the Elder said with a smile.
But when Chen Kun heard this, his expression changed, and he hurriedly called out, "Elder Yunn!"
"What is it?" Elder Yunn turned to Chen Kun, confused.
"Elder Yunn, although Ye Wushuang passed the assessment, he is only at the Body Tempering Six Layer. He hasn't met the minimum requirement to enter the Inner Sect."
"If we rashly let him into the Inner Sect, not only might the other Inner Sect Disciples bully him, but this matter will likely cause controversy within the Sect."
"This subordinate believes it would be most appropriate for Ye Wushuang to remain in the Outer Sect to further cultivate and polish himself for a while before entering the Inner Sect."
Chen Kun lowered his head and spoke quickly. He then turned to look at Ye Wushuang, a cold, murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
'If he stays in the Outer Sect, it will be much easier for me to deal with him.'
Listening quietly, a cold gleam suddenly erupted in Ye Wushuang's eyes.
He knew perfectly well that the only reason Chen Kun wanted to keep him in the Outer Sect was because he was afraid Ye Wushuang would retaliate in the future. Chen Kun wanted to find a chance to get rid of him for good now.