That night, Sect Master Tian Qing confirmed Luo Chen's suspicions.
"Word is spreading through the cultivation world," the sect master said gravely. They were in a private chamber deep within the sect's tower, sealed from external observation. "Your victory over Yang Kuo was too impressive to be explained away as simple skill or luck. Various sects are now asking about you, wondering if you might be a candidate for recruitment or... elimination."
"What do you suggest I do?" Luo Chen asked.
"For now, continue your training. I have arranged for you to have complete privacy in the sect's core cultivation facility. You have reached the ninth stage of Qi Gathering. It is time for you to attempt your breakthrough to the next realm—Spatial Mastery. That breakthrough will fundamentally change your status in the cultivation world."