After searching the entire hidden chamber, Jun Tianming found nothing else of value.
With the mysterious ring now resting on his finger, he calmly turned around and left the passage.
Soon, he descended the pagoda floor by floor.
As he walked down the spiral staircase, the pressure gradually weakened.
But when he finally stepped outside the Golden Spiritual Pagoda,
All eyes were on him.
Disciples, elders, and even outer sect members had gathered around the area. Their expressions were filled with shock, disbelief, curiosity, and even envy.
Some whispered among themselves.
"That's him…"
"He's the one who climbed to the fifteenth floor."
"I heard the pagoda even released a strange light afterwards…"
Even the old man who had been lazily sleeping near the entrance was now staring at Jun Tianming with wide eyes.
His earlier sleepy expression had completely disappeared.
At that moment, an elder standing at the center of the crowd stepped forward.
He had a long white beard and wore elegant sect robes embroidered with golden patterns.
"Oho!" the elder laughed warmly.
"Good disciple! You managed to reach the last floor of the Golden Spiritual Pagoda."
"What great fortune for our Azure Cloud Sect!"
Another elder beside him stepped forward as well.
She appeared to be an elderly woman, yet her beauty had not completely faded with age. Her calm eyes examined Jun Tianming with clear interest.
"It truly is a blessing," she said with a gentle smile.
"It has been a while since another disciple from our sect has reached that level."
Jun Tianming listened quietly.
He had little interest in speaking with them, but maintaining a respectable image within the sect was necessary.
After all, the Mortal Realm still held many opportunities for him.
"Another disciple…" Jun Tianming thought inwardly.
"Could she be referring to that girl?"
Su Yao's figure briefly appeared in his mind. Her beauty was truly distinctive, and the aura she carried set her apart from everyone else. It was not a face one could easily forget.
At that moment, another elder stepped forward.
Unlike the others, this middle-aged man wore a slightly displeased expression.
His face was thin and sharp, with narrow eyes and long moustaches that gave him a somewhat fox-like appearance.
He stared at Jun Tianming suspiciously.
"Whose disciple are you?" he asked coldly.
"I have never seen you before in the core disciples' area."
His tone carried a faint hint of hostility.
After all, a stranger suddenly appearing and climbing the pagoda to the fifteenth floor was naturally suspicious.
The surrounding disciples also fell silent, waiting for Jun Tianming's answer.
Jun Tianming looked at the elder calmly.
Then he spoke.
"I am a newly accepted direct disciple of Sect Master Shen Qinglan."
The moment those words left his mouth.
The crowd erupted into whispers.
"A direct disciple of the Sect Master?!"
"No wonder…"
"So that's why his talent is so terrifying."
However, the fox-faced elder's expression darkened slightly.
"Hmph."
"A direct disciple, you say?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then tell me, young man…"
"How did someone at the Qi Condensation Realm manage to reach the fifteenth floor of the Golden Spiritual Pagoda?"
The question immediately made the crowd restless again.
All eyes turned back toward Jun Tianming.
Even the elders looked curious.
Jun Tianming simply smiled faintly.
His golden eyes showed not the slightest trace of panic.
Old bastard… his cultivation must be high enough to see through things. Explaining this might become troublesome, he thought calmly.
"Well," he said slowly,
"perhaps…"
"The pagoda simply likes me."
A faint smile remained on his face.
The fox-faced elder's expression instantly darkened.
"What nonsense!"
"You expect us to believe such bullshit?"
His anger erupted as he pointed toward Jun Tianming.
"Fellow elders, this boy must be a spy sent by the Sword Dao Sect!"
Before the atmosphere could worsen further, the elder standing at the center stepped forward.
He had a long white beard and carried an imposing yet composed aura.
"Enough."
His calm voice instantly suppressed the noise.
"Good disciple, I am Luo Cheng, a High Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect."
His sharp eyes examined Jun Tianming carefully.
"I would like to hear a proper explanation from you. As Elder Zhang said, this matter is extremely serious for the sect."
However, Elder Zhang's anger had already reached its limit.
"Explanation?!"
"Why should we waste time listening to this brat!"
His fox-like face twisted with rage.
"Just capture him and extract the truth. How dare this bastard cause chaos in our sect!"
The moment he finished speaking, Elder Zhang suddenly moved.
His body flashed forward like lightning.
Spiritual power surged around his palm as he struck toward Jun Tianming.
The disciples nearby gasped in shock.
But before the attack could reach him—
A figure suddenly appeared.
WHOOSH!
A graceful woman descended from the sky like a falling moon.
Her long robes fluttered softly as she stood directly in front of Jun Tianming.
Her slender hand effortlessly caught Elder Zhang's strike.
The violent spiritual energy instantly dispersed.
Her cold eyes stared straight at him.
"Sect… Sect Master?!"
The surrounding elders were stunned.
The disciples erupted into chaos.
"It's the Sect Master!"
"Shen Qinglan!"
Even Elder Zhang's face froze in shock.
Shen Qinglan's expression was cold as ice.
Her beautiful yet imposing presence made the entire area fall silent.
"Elder Zhang," she said slowly.
"Since when did the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect start attacking my disciples without permission?"
Her voice was calm.
But the killing intent hidden within her voice made everyone present feel a chill run down their spine.
Behind her, Jun Tianming simply watched the scene with a faint smile.
As if everything had unfolded exactly as he had expected.
"Disciple Jingyi greets Master."
Continuing his act, Jun Tianming stepped forward and respectfully bowed.
Among the crowd, LiLi and RiRi stood frozen in shock.
Their faces had turned pale.
They had mocked him earlier inside the pagoda, and now they realized he was actually the direct disciple of the Sect Master.
Fear quietly crept into their hearts.
What if he takes revenge on us…?
Shen Qinglan slowly glanced toward the elders.
"Elder Zhang," she said coldly, "I hope you learn to control your temper."
Her gaze was icy.
"My disciple is a once-in-a-million genius. I have allowed him full freedom within the sect."
"He may go wherever he wishes and cultivate as he pleases."
"So there should not be any problems… correct?"
The pressure in her voice was overwhelming.
"Yes, Sect Master."
All the elders bowed their heads in agreement.
Elder Zhang bowed the lowest.
No matter how unwilling he felt, he did not dare oppose the Sect Master. In front of her, he was completely powerless.
After that, Shen Qinglan turned toward Jun Tianming.
The cold expression on her face softened slightly as she gave him a small nod.
In the next moment—
Her figure disappeared into thin air.
The terrifying pressure that filled the area instantly vanished.
Only then did the disciples finally breathe again.
Jun Tianming calmly walked toward the entrance of the pagoda.
The lazy old man who guarded the pagoda was no longer lounging carelessly.
Seeing Jun Tianming approach, he immediately stood up.
Jun Tianming extended his hand.
"My token."
The old man quickly took out the token and returned it with both hands.
"Forgive this old man for earlier, young master."
He even gave a slight bow as a form of apology.
Jun Tianming took the token back without saying anything.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked around at the stunned disciples.
To them, he was now a mysterious genius who had climbed the entire Golden Spiritual Pagoda.
But only he knew the truth.
This was merely the beginning of his cultivation in the Mortal Realm.
Inside a private chamber, Elder Zhang sat on a wooden chair, calmly sipping tea from a cup placed on the table beside him.
But the calm expression on his face did not match the rage burning inside his heart.
"That bastard and that bitch… how dare they mock me in front of everyone," he muttered coldly.
"I will not let him go."
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"MASTERRR!"
Chen Ye stumbled inside, his body covered in injuries. His face was pale, and blood still stained the corner of his lips.
He staggered forward and collapsed onto Elder Zhang's lap.
"Master… he beat me… please take revenge for me…"
Seeing the miserable state of his disciple, Elder Zhang's anger doubled instantly.
"Ye'er, what happened? Who did this to you?" he asked with a dark expression.
Chen Ye clenched his fists weakly.
"Master… a boy suddenly came into the pagoda. H–he had silver hair and golden eyes…"
"He beat me… and he even stole LiLi and RiRi from me!"
"I need justice, Master!"
Elder Zhang's eyes narrowed slightly.
This idiot…
He thought coldly to himself.
Chen Ye came from an influential family that had many connections within the sect. They also provided Elder Zhang with many valuable cultivation resources.
Otherwise, he would never have accepted such a half-assed fool with no talent as his disciple.
Still, he could not afford to offend Chen Ye's family.
Elder Zhang slowly stroked his long moustache.
"I understand," he said calmly.
"I will definitely handle this matter."
"Good disciple, you should go and rest first."He said with a smile.
Chen Ye nodded weakly before leaving the chamber.
The moment he disappeared outside the door…
Elder Zhang's expression turned completely cold.
He waved his sleeve.
A dark shadow suddenly appeared in the corner of the room.
A man slowly stepped out.
His body was wrapped in tattered black robes. Half of his face was horribly burned, leaving twisted scars across his skin.
His eyes were filled with madness.
The killing aura surrounding him made the entire room feel colder.
He looked like a monster that had crawled out from hell.
Elder Zhang looked at him calmly.
"No. 8."
"You know what you need to do, right?"
His voice turned colder.
"Finish him, for me."
"Do it when he leaves the sect. The sect master must not learn about this."
The man's twisted lips slowly curled into a horrifying smile.
"Yes… Master."
He licked his lips with his long tongue, his eyes shining with bloodthirst.
Like a hunter who had just been permitted to kill his prey.
High on a quiet mountain peak within the Azure Cloud Sect, the wind flowed gently through the air.
A young girl stood respectfully with her head lowered.
In front of her stood a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Her long robes fluttered gracefully in the wind, and her soft eyes carried a calm elegance that could easily make anyone fall for her at first sight.
She was none other than the Saintess of the Azure Cloud Sect — Su Yao.
"Saintess," the girl spoke respectfully, still bowing.
"He is the Sect Master's disciple."
Su Yao's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh?"
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Interesting."
"It has been a while since I've had someone worth competing with."
Her gaze slowly lifted toward the distant sky.
For some reason, the image of the silver-haired youth she met inside the pagoda surfaced in her mind again.
His calm golden eyes.
His mysterious aura.
And the strange feeling she had when she stood near him.
Su Yao's lips curved slightly.
"Jingyi…"
Meanwhile, the disciple continued speaking.
"Saintess, you should also prepare yourself. The Five Sect Tournament is approaching soon."
"Master Ruoyi asked me to deliver this message."
Su Yao turned around calmly.
"Tell Master that there is no need to worry."
Her expression became firm.
"Su Yao is always ready."
Far away in another part of the sect…
Jun Tianming was casually walking along a stone path, speaking with a fellow disciple.
The young man beside him was none other than Gu Tian.He had spotted Gu Tian earlier among the crowd when the commotion outside the pagoda occurred, and the latter had quickly approached him afterwards.
Since Jun Tianming also wanted to gather more information about the sect, he reluctantly allowed Gu Tian to accompany him.
Gu Tian scratched his head while speaking enthusiastically.
"Senior Brother Jingyi, the Azure Cloud Sect is actually divided into four main areas…"
Jun Tianming listened calmly, gathering more information about the sect.
After all, understanding the environment was always the first step before making a move.
Soon after, Jun Tianmeng arrived near a large wooden board with numerous papers pinned onto it.
Many disciples were gathered around it, reading the announcements posted by the sect.
According to Gu Tian, the Azure Cloud Sect was divided into four main areas.
"The first is the Outer Sect," Gu Tian explained while pointing toward one of the notices. "New disciples and those with the least talent are placed there. If no elder selects them as a disciple, they remain in the Outer Sect and must rely on their own efforts to improve."
"The second is the Inner Sect. Disciples who show decent talent or achieve good results in sect missions are promoted there. They receive better cultivation resources and techniques."
"The third area is the Core Disciple Region."
When Gu Tian mentioned it, his voice lowered slightly with admiration.
"Only the most talented disciples of the sect are allowed to enter that place. Each core disciple is personally guided by an elder and receives abundant resources from the sect."
He then glanced at Jun Tianmeng with slight envy.
"Senior Brother Jingyi… since you are the personal disciple of the Sect Master, your status is even higher than that of ordinary core disciples."
Jun Tianmeng merely nodded calmly.
"To be honest," Gu Tian continued, "most disciples can only dream of reaching the Inner Sect, let alone becoming a Core Disciple."
He then pointed toward the highest mountain peak in the distance.
"And the fourth place… is the Elder Peak."
"That is where the Sect Master and the elders reside."
Jun Tianmeng followed his gaze toward the towering peak covered in clouds.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"I see…"
To him, the sect hierarchy was nothing impressive.
In the God Realm, even beings stronger than these elders would not dare to stand straight in his presence.
But for now…
Jun Tianmeng needed to play his role well.
After all, this small sect was merely a stepping stone for him.