Zhang Su was a true Celestial Pride!
"Hahaha, he did it! He really did it! I never thought my disciple could actually become one of the Sect’s Celestial Prides..."
Zhao Qianfeng no longer bothered to suppress his excitement.
He began to laugh boisterously, drawing many gazes.
But he didn’t care.
All he wanted to do right now was laugh.
Zhang Su was his disciple.
A Celestial Pride disciple!
Beside him, Wang Dakui was also happy for his old friend.
He clapped Zhao Qianfeng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Old Cripple, you’ve only taken one good disciple in your whole life, but it was worth it!"
Zhao Qianfeng nodded repeatedly. "Worth it! So worth it!"
The Ten Great Martial Vein Masters, however, wore complicated expressions.
Cyan Wood Peak had produced a Celestial Pride, Yu Hualong, and ever since, it had vaguely become the head of the Guiyuan Sect’s Five Great Martial Veins.
The other Martial Veins had also hoped to produce a Celestial Pride.
Now, the Guiyuan Sect had indeed produced a new Celestial Pride, but unfortunately, he didn’t come from the Five Great Martial Veins.
He didn’t even come from any Martial Vein at all.
This was also quite rare.
Zhang Su was Zhao Qianfeng’s disciple, and Zhao Qianfeng didn’t belong to any Martial Vein.
He was just an Elder from the Instructor Pavilion, a marginal figure.
Yet a person like him had somehow managed to cultivate an Inner Sect Celestial Pride.
This left a sour taste in the mouths of the Martial Vein Masters.
This was especially true for Qu Zhengliu, the Master of Bamboo Sword Peak.
He remained silent.
Back then, Zhang Su had the chance to become a disciple of Bamboo Sword Peak, but Qu Zhengliu had personally rejected him.
At the time, he had felt that Zhang Su was merely a disciple from the Guardian Sequence whose potential had already been exhausted, not worth wasting time on.
But now, Zhang Su had become an Inner Sect Celestial Pride.
It was the biggest mistake of his life.
The expression of Tuoba Cangshu, Master of Thousand Mechanism Peak, wasn’t much better.
His disciple, Wei Yunzhou, had died at Zhang Su’s hands. Although he had said the matter was over, he still held some resentment in his heart.
Seeing Zhang Su become a Celestial Pride now only complicated his feelings further.
The other Martial Vein Masters didn’t speak, but their eyes were filled with envy and regret.
They envied Zhao Qianfeng for taking such a fine disciple and regretted not having snatched him up before Zhao Qianfeng did.
Xie Guanchao, Zhou Peng, and Mo Tingzhu were also very excited.
After all, Zhang Su was a good friend of theirs.
What could be better than having a Celestial Pride for a friend?
"I never imagined that I, a mere Jianghu wanderer, would one day be friends with a Celestial Pride from a Major Sect."
Mo Tingzhu said with a laugh.
His tone was tinged with a hint of pride.
Beside them, Bai Xuan now also understood what "Celestial Pride" truly meant.
Her expression was also one of immense excitement.
Zhou Peng and Xie Guanchao glanced at each other, their faces filled with shock.
They still remembered when, back in Hengshan County, Zhang Su was just an Outer Force Martial Artist who needed their protection.
Back then, although they felt Zhang Su had potential, they never could have imagined he would become the Sect’s Celestial Pride in such a short time.
In just a few short months, the world had been turned upside down.
And then there was Han Guiyi. Even though he was the number one expert in Huajin, what did that amount to compared to Zhang Su becoming an Inner Sect Celestial Pride?
No matter how strong he was in Huajin, he was still just in Huajin.
But Zhang Su was now a Celestial Pride.
In the Medicine Valley contingent, Ye Ling’s expression was complicated.
"An Inner Sect Celestial Pride..."
Ye Ling murmured under her breath.
If she had lost to just any Embracing Pill Martial Artist before, she would have indeed been unreconciled.
But now, losing to an Inner Sect Celestial Pride of the Guiyuan Sect... that seemed acceptable.
After all, the Inner Sect Celestial Prides of the Guiyuan Sect were renowned throughout the history of the Three Sects, the best of the best among Celestial Prides.
There was no shame in losing to someone like that.
"Senior Sister, it’s a shame about the Cyan Wood Spirit Pill..."
The female disciple beside Ye Ling was still unreconciled.
Her gaze was fixed on the porcelain vial in Zhang Su’s hand, her eyes filled with envy.
’We were so close.’
If Ye Ling had defeated Zhang Su, the Cyan Wood Spirit Pill would have belonged to Medicine Valley.
"There’s nothing to be regretful about. If Zhang Su hadn’t appeared out of nowhere, my chances against Zhou Dingshan would have been slim. Besides, I’m still alive. That’s already very fortunate..."
Ye Ling said faintly.
Indeed, she was still alive.
Meanwhile, Zhou Dingshan’s corpse was still lying on the tournament stage.
Ye Ling made up her mind.
’Since I didn’t get the Cyan Wood Spirit Pill, I won’t hesitate any longer. When I return to the mountain this time, I’ll go into seclusion and focus everything on cultivating Inner Strength to break through to the Postnatal Realm!’
’If I can become a Postnatal Realm Martial Artist, I can become a True Disciple of Medicine Valley.’
’Given time, it might not be impossible for me to contend for the position of Medicine Valley’s Celestial Pride!’
The Three Sects’ exchange conference came to an end.
The Jianghu wanderers, as well as the contingents from Medicine Valley and the Five Elements Sect, all departed from the Guiyuan Sect one after another.
The Martial Arts Arena gradually emptied.
Only a few Guiyuan Sect disciples remained in the stands, cleaning up.
Everything was returning to normal.
It was as if the great battle from just moments ago had never happened.
But everyone knew that the events of today would soon spread throughout the entire Jianghu.
Zhang Su’s name would be on countless lips.
An Embracing Pill expert defying and slaying a Gang Force master, killing Zhou Dingshan with a single sword strike, and becoming an Inner Sect Celestial Pride of the Guiyuan Sect.
These deeds were enough to make Zhang Su’s name shake the Jianghu.
At this moment, Zhang Su was summoned by the Sect Leader to the Sect Grand Hall.
He arrived at the grand hall on the mountain peak.
The hall doors were open, and the inside was already full of people.
Within the grand hall, the gazes of the Ten Great Martial Vein Masters and numerous Postnatal Realm Elders were all fixed on Zhang Su.
Sect Leader Meng Shouzhen sat in the center, a constant smile on his face.
"Zhang Su, you have done very well. I have just announced that you have become the Sect’s Celestial Pride. This is your Celestial Pride Token! Remember, with this token, you can peruse all Martial Arts, and all of the Sect’s Cultivation Resources will be prioritized for you, with no need to exchange contribution points or merit points!"
"If you need any other precious treasures, you may apply to the Sect, and the Sect will, at its discretion, find them for you."
Meng Shouzhen took a token from his sleeve and tossed it toward Zhang Su.
The token traced an arc through the air, flying steadily toward Zhang Su.
Zhang Su reached out and caught the token.
The token wasn’t large, only about the length of a palm and the width of two fingers.
It was pitch-black, made of an unknown material, heavy in the hand, and as warm and smooth as jade.
The front of the token was engraved with two words: Celestial Pride.
Looking at the token in his hand, Zhang Su’s heart surged with emotion.
’Celestial Pride isn’t just an empty title; it comes with tangible benefits!’
’Access to all Martial Arts, without any restrictions.’
’Priority supply of all Sect resources, no contribution points or merit points needed.’
’If I need any treasures, I can apply directly to the Sect, and they will do their best to find them.’
’This is truly the entire Sect pooling its power to support one person. It’s no empty promise.’
The status and position of a Celestial Pride were second only to the Sect Leader. Even the Ten Great Martial Vein Masters were, in theory, of lower standing.
This was truly being above ten thousand people, and beneath only one!
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
Zhang Su bowed to Meng Shouzhen.
"Since you have become the Sect’s Celestial Pride and enjoy the Sect’s support, you must understand that you also shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the Sect!"
"The Sect has another Celestial Pride, Yu Hualong. He was injured by the Five Elements Sect’s Celestial Pride, Shi Buyi, and is still recuperating. You have only one goal now: cultivate Inner Strength and advance to the Postnatal Realm as quickly as possible! When that time comes, you will defeat the Five Elements Sect’s Celestial Pride, Shi Buyi, and wash away our shame!"
Meng Shouzhen said with a grave expression.
At the mention of "Shi Buyi," the atmosphere in the Sect Grand Hall grew somber.
With Yu Hualong’s defeat by Shi Buyi, almost no one in the Guiyuan Sect, from top to bottom, could see any hope of defeating him.
Many Guiyuan Sect Elders had gone to watch that battle.
They had seen with their own eyes as Yu Hualong used every trick in his arsenal, yet still lost.
Shi Buyi’s Five Elements Unite, with its five types of Inner Strength rotating ceaselessly, was nearly invincible.
After his loss, Yu Hualong had been in secluded cultivation in the back mountains, seeing no one.
If this continued, the Guiyuan Sect would be completely suppressed by the Five Elements Sect.
Fortunately, Zhang Su had now appeared.
A sliver of hope was rekindled in the hearts of the many Guiyuan Sect Elders.
After all, Zhang Su was not like Yu Hualong.
Zhang Su cultivated the Pure Yang Nine Combinations Divine Skill, one of the Sect’s Supreme Secret Transmissions.
It was in no way inferior to the Five Elements Sect’s Five Elements Unite.
Furthermore, Zhang Su’s foundation was incredibly profound.
Once he broke through to the Postnatal Realm, he truly had a chance to contend with Shi Buyi.
As for Yu Hualong...
At this moment, everyone seemed to have silently forgotten about Yu Hualong.
No one mentioned him.
Two Celestial Prides in one sect was indeed a dazzling prospect.
But everyone knew that even among Celestial Prides, there was a hierarchy.
And clearly, Zhang Su, the Inner Sect Celestial Pride, was now the number one Celestial Pride of the Guiyuan Sect!