"Tsk tsk, the assessment's over. Not only did we all become inner disciples, but we also got to watch quite the spectacle. Worth the trip!"
"Yeah, who'd have thought someone would be foolish enough to challenge Senior Brother Hua? That's like throwing an egg at a boulder. The next Mountains and Rivers Ranking challenge is just a few months away—let's see if this Fang Han even makes it on the list."
"I heard the sect gives a real treasure—a genuine spirit weapon—to whoever ranks first on the Mountains and Rivers list! Even those in the top ten get flying swords or enchanted robes."
"Bah! Fang Han on the ranking? Please. The only reason he's been so cocky is because of that Seven Fiend Gourd. Now that Senior Brother Hua's taken it, what's he got left? Any inner disciple with a flying sword could cut him down with ease."
"Exactly. The Mountains and Rivers Ranking isn't for the likes of him. Those listed are all cultivators on the verge of reaching the Divine Ability Realm. The sect already treats them like half–True Disciples—flooding them with treasures and elixirs."
"Quiet, will you? Don't you see he's gotten close to Senior Sister Jialan? You'll bring trouble if you keep talking."
"Alright, alright, let's go cultivate. The ranking tournament's only months away—if we perform well, the sect will reward us handsomely!"
The whispers echoed around Fang Han, but he didn't care. He stood, brushed the dust from his robes, and straightened. He knew full well what people were saying—that he had become the very image of arrogance and overconfidence. Soon enough, the entire sect would mock him.
But instead of discouraging him, it only hardened his resolve.
Never before had he craved power so desperately.
"Hua Tiandu won't trouble me for a while. When Fang Qingxue comes out of seclusion and hears I challenged him, what will she think? She'll have to see me differently. And if the sect really rewards the first place on the Mountains and Rivers Ranking with a spirit weapon… then I'll claim it. I'll make everyone shut their mouths—and prove I have the right to challenge Hua Tiandu."
That was Fang Han's true motivation. Risking his life wasn't just about avoiding future trouble—it was about making Fang Qingxue see him as her equal.
She admired those with iron will, those who dared to stand defiant. For an outer disciple like him to challenge the sect's foremost True Disciple—wasn't that the kind of reckless courage that drew her attention? Dare to die, dare to defy the heavens.
When she returned from the Immortal Realm, she would have to look at him anew.
"Fang Han, this is Senior Sister Jialan."
Xuyue and Yeyu still looked shaken, glancing at him in awe. They couldn't understand how a mere mortal frame could contain such fearless resolve.
They, in Hua Tiandu's presence, wouldn't even dare to breathe loudly. If he'd wanted to kill them, they'd likely have accepted it in silence—his authority was that absolute.
Fang Han bowed deeply. "Senior Sister Jialan, thank you for stepping in. Otherwise, I'd have been crippled for life."
"Ten years is too short," Jialan said.
"…What?"
"I mean, ten years isn't enough for you to surpass Hua Tiandu. I don't believe you can do it." She shook her head slightly. "Judging by your vitality and cultivation, you must have had some kind of fortuitous encounter—that explains your confidence. But remember, every True Disciple of the Yuhua Sect has their own fortune. Even those on the Mountains and Rivers Ranking have had incredible encounters.
"Hua Tiandu's talent is unmatched, and his luck extraordinary. He stumbled into an ancient immortal's cave as a child and inherited the legacy of Panwu the Immortal Sovereign—a legend of the ancient era. He possesses countless treasures, elixirs, and scriptures. His cultivation in the Panwu Divine Strength Technique is so profound that even the sect's Grand Elders and our very Sect Master see him as the hope of the Yuhua Sect—to one day outshine all other sects in the Grand Assembly of Immortals."
Jialan's calm voice painted Hua Tiandu's greatness in vivid strokes—a mountain of destiny impossible to scale.
Fang Han's face paled slightly. He hadn't expected that others, too, had their miracles. "Even so," he muttered, "no matter how far he advances—even if he reaches the Realm of Longevity—I'll fight him head-on. The stronger he is, the more reason I have to grow stronger."
Jialan smiled faintly. "You and Fang Qingxue truly are alike—fierce, unyielding, burning like fire wine in the blood. When she first became a True Disciple, she dared to face a Sword Elder of the Sun and Moon Sword Sect head-on…"
Then, with a small flick of her wrist, three crystalline flying swords drifted out of her sleeve and hovered before Fang Han. "You saved Xuyue and Yeyu today. This set of flying swords—the Three Crystalline Ice Jade Swords—I found in an ancient ruin. They're not exceptional, but they'll serve you well. You'll need them for the Mountains and Rivers Ranking."
The swords gleamed like frozen light—pure, translucent, sharp as willpower. Fang Han's eyes lit up. Jialan was indeed generous; for someone of her level, who could likely forge her own spiritual weapons, such gifts were nothing. But to him, they were priceless.
Still, even these couldn't compare to the Seven Fiend Gourd.
Jialan turned to the others. "Congratulations on becoming inner disciples. Xuyue, Yeyu—each of you may take a sword. The rest of you will receive enchanted artifacts."
With another gesture, the other female disciples found pouches of treasure materializing in their hands.
"Go now. Fang Han, though Jialan Peak does not accept male disciples, I admire your courage. I'll be watching you. Ten years pass in the blink of an eye—if you encounter difficulties in your cultivation, come to my peak."
With that, Jialan rose upon a lotus platform of light and vanished into the air.
Fang Han turned toward the vast stone gate ahead—the Yuhua Sect had opened a portal for disciples to return.
"Yan, are you awake?" he asked silently.
A cold, ancient voice answered in his mind. "Yes. I woke as soon as Jialan left. These people are terrifying… until I regain my strength, I can't face them."
Then, after a pause, Yan added with excitement, "But those three swords Jialan gave you—excellent! You now have ten flying swords in total, perfect for your ten Flying Yaksha puppets. When they evolve into Asuras, I'll fuse these swords into their bodies. Their power will be far greater than before!"