Chapter 48

The elders of the Lake Sea Sect, who were kneeling on the ground, stared with wide eyes in disbelief! Yet, no one dared to raise their head or make a sound. The Divine Gate Training—how could their Lake Sea Sect be invited to participate!

Such a thing had never even been dared to be imagined. For four hundred years, even the Lake Sea Sect's Hall Master, Lake Three, who had reached the Celestial Venerable realm, had never had the honor to participate, nor even the confidence to strive for it, due to a clear understanding of their own limitations.

How could the elders still care about the threats of the messenger? Each of them was overwhelmed with joy and excitement, many trembling uncontrollably. Participating in the training was not only a great honor but also meant that the participants would receive merit and rank rewards, thus gaining a unique status. If the Lake Sea Sect could produce two such individuals, in the future, not only in a sect of the two-thousand-mile level, but even in a sect of the ten-thousand-mile level, they would be respected and envied!

Lake Three, rarely so agitated, was at a loss as to what to do. Such a surprise came too suddenly, leaving him completely unprepared!

For four hundred years—such a noble honor as the Divine Gate Training, he had never even dared to dream of it! And today it had become a reality!

"Master Lake Three obeys the command!" He stood up in excitement and hurriedly flew out to find the two individuals, a behavior so out of character that none of the elders found it inappropriate.

"The Peak Divine Sect bestows this honor, and the Lake Sea Sect is eternally grateful and will never forget it!" The head elder led the group in a passionate expression of gratitude, but the messenger did not even blink, showing no interest in the Lake Sea Sect, as the gap was so vast that the Peak Divine Sect did not even need to respond or comfort them.

"Who cares about the Lake Sea Sect's gratitude? It's worth nothing! It's also your Lake Sea Sect's luck to produce a genius like Heng Yi! He single-handedly challenged dozens of Earth Venerable disciples. If not for this, would such a favor ever be bestowed upon a small sect like yours?" The messenger sneered arrogantly, even he was moved by such a feat.

In the history of the Divine Gate, it was unprecedented for a small sect like the Lake Sea Sect to receive such great blessings in succession. While other small sects that produced geniuses might receive one reward, unless that genius achieved something and remembered to take care of their mother sect, it was a different story. But there had never been a precedent for a small sect to enjoy such benefits in just two days!

The sudden appearance of several sixteen-year-old geniuses in the Peak Star was already an unprecedented miracle, and they were from the Lake Sea Sect. The messenger couldn't help but secretly marvel at the Lake Sea Sect's good fortune.

"Who is Da Yuan?" The messenger took out the talisman given by Xiao Ying and saw Da Yuan crawl out, then casually threw it to him. "To have such a disciple, your ancestors must have accumulated great virtue!"

Da Yuan received the talisman and hurriedly thanked him.

The surrounding elders were both shocked and envious, speculating more about Heng Yi's current situation. To have a messenger from the Peak Divine Sect bring something on their behalf was an incredible honor!

When the elders learned that it was all because of Heng Yi, and that Heng Yi had just gone to the Peak Divine Sect and already made such a bold and reckless move, yet accidentally achieved a brilliant reputation, they were both terrified and extremely excited. Many elders felt that Heng Yi was simply the Lake Sea Sect's lucky god! Since Lake Three founded the Lake Sea Sect, no one had achieved as much for the sect as Heng Yi!

Shortly after, Lake Three brought Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan.

In a hurry, Lake Three didn't even have time to tell them why they were there. As soon as they entered, he knelt and said, "Noble messenger of the Peak Divine Sect, these are Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan."

"Go!" The messenger, who had been waiting impatiently, got up without a word and activated the talisman, taking the still confused Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan to the teleportation array in the Peak City...

As soon as the messenger left, the kneeling elders all stood up, their faces beaming with excitement and joy, congratulating Lake Three. "Congratulations, Sect Master! Our Lake Sea Sect will surely rise to new heights!"

Lake Three's face was full of joy, not hiding his inner elation!

They all knew that when Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan returned from the training and received their ranks, they would be true people of status and merit in the Divine Gate. At that time, the large sects of the million-mile level would certainly give the Lake Sea Sect new promotions and rewards. Within ten days, the Lake Sea Sect had been promoted from a few thousand miles to two thousand miles, and it would surely be promoted again! Such a fortunate event was worth waking up from a dream smiling, let alone showing it on their faces?

After the elders' wild joy subsided somewhat, they all looked at Da Yuan in the crowd.

Lake Three waved his hand and laughed heartily. "Deputy Sect Master, today is a big day for the Lake Sea Sect. Please organize a grand celebration to announce the glory and honor that Heng Yi has brought to our Lake Sea Sect!"

Da Yuan accepted the task and left.

In the new Dharma Transmission Hall, Wang Feizi and the other disciples gathered to see what Heng Yi had brought back. Seeing the numerous pills and immortal fruits, the young disciples all clamored to eat them. Da Yuan instructed to leave one for Lake Three and let Wang Feizi cut the rest to distribute to the disciples. The disciples from the Three Yuan lineage ate the immortal fruits while listening to Da Yuan explain the effects of the pills. Finally, he took out Heng Yi's letter, and everyone listened intently.

"Great Master, Third Master, your disciple Heng Yi greets you... The Peak Sect distributes immortal fruits and pills daily. I have saved them and will have someone bring them back regularly, hoping they will help in your cultivation. Please do not hesitate to use the pills, as they are beneficial for cultivation. Some healing pills are worth hundreds to thousands of gold. Please use them as you see fit. If you lack money, feel free to sell them... I am incapable and have no way to earn money, so I can only express my gratitude this way. In a hurry, I cannot explain in detail. Everything is fine, no need to worry."

Three Yuan wiped away tears, and Wang Feizi's eyes were misty. Except for the younger ones who only called out how good their big brother was, the more advanced disciples were moved to tears, frequently wiping their eyes. They all knew that these pills were not just about their value; Heng Yi himself did not eat them but saved them for them...

Da Yuan looked at the immortal fruits and pills, unable to hold back his tears. "This foolish disciple, he needs them more than we do..."

"Master, we should try to have someone send them back to Big Brother Heng Yi! Big Brother Heng Yi has outstanding talent, and if he misses out on cultivation due to not eating the pills, that would be terrible!" Wang Feizi's suggestion immediately received widespread agreement.

Three Yuan wiped away his tears and said, "Don't talk nonsense! Do you not understand Heng Yi's character? Since he has this intention, you should accept them. Eat what you should, and don't say Big Brother is biased. The pills are precious, and we should leave them for those who can benefit the most, right?"

Wang Feizi and the other disciples all clasped their hands. "We will follow Master's arrangements!"

A young female disciple spat out the immortal fruit in her mouth, held it in her hand, and raised it high, shouting, "I won't eat the fruit either, I'll leave it for Second Sister!"

Seeing the large piece of fruit in her hand, covered in saliva, everyone was stunned and burst into laughter...

At the Peak Divine Sect.

In the three-story tree house of the sixteen-year-old Earth Venerable disciples.

Chen Zizai, Hu Baijie, and Heng Yi waited in the same room for less than two hours. Xiao Ying, who had been waiting at the Peak Divine Sect's teleportation array, brought the hurriedly arrived Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan. The two were still unaware of what was happening and why they were there.

Hai Shan, who had never left the sect before, was as shocked by the grandeur of the Peak City as Heng Yi had been. When she saw the vast, endless Peak Mountain, she felt like a country bumpkin entering the city.

Hai Yuntian had been to the Peak City once before, but even he was still overwhelmed with excitement and emotion when he saw the Peak Immortal Mountain.

Compared to the naive Hai Shan, Hai Yuntian was the most excited. In the Lake Sea Sect, he had a record of nine consecutive top rankings in cultivation exams, but at eighteen, he knew he had no chance of entering the Peak Divine Sect. Since then, he never stopped practicing, winning first place in one cultivation exam after another, always hoping that one day his reputation would catch the attention of a large immortal sect, giving him a chance to see the true Divine Gate and not waste his life.

Until he was nearly thirty, this hope was finally extinguished. He knew he had no chance in this life, and the only realistic future he could reach was to become a Northern Region Elder in the Lake Sea Sect.

But now, he was at the Peak Divine Sect.

Finally, he saw the real form of the main Peak Immortal Mountain, which he had longed for countless times!

If not for his naturally calm demeanor, he would have been moved to tears long ago...

When he saw Heng Yi, even Hai Shan, who had always acted as she pleased in the Lake Sea Sect, did not dare to be disrespectful, not even daring to say an extra word.

Like Hai Yuntian, she bowed respectfully and remained silent. Now, Hu Baijie and Heng Yi were disciples of the Peak Divine Sect, and their status was incomparable to theirs.

"Senior Brother and Senior Sister, please don't be too formal. This is where I live, please sit down!" Heng Yi warmly invited them, but Chen Zizai said coolly, "Brother Heng Yi, the Divine Gate has its rules. You cannot call them Senior Brother and Senior Sister now. If someone else heard it, they would be killed on the spot! This is called insubordination, and the fault would be yours, and they would be punished."

"I understand." Heng Yi responded quietly. Seeing Heng Yi's unease, Chen Zizai smiled and said, "Don't be gloomy. Explain it to them clearly. I'll wait for you at the Dharma Artifact Hall. See you in half an hour!"

Chen Zizai intentionally left them some private time and took his leave.

After he left, the atmosphere became slightly more relaxed, but Hai Shan and Hai Yuntian were still tense and cautious, fearing any breach of etiquette that might be seen by others.

Heng Yi peeked outside the tree house, saw Chen Zizai walk away, and invited Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan to sit down.

"Can we? I'm scared to death. What if someone comes and says we shouldn't sit and punishes us?" Hai Shan nervously looked around, not daring to sit.

Hu Baijie watched with a cold eye, enjoying Hai Shan's frightened and pitiful appearance. "Oh, the fearless Hai Shan can be as timid as a mouse?"

Hai Shan was about to retort but, remembering Chen Zizai's words, quickly held her tongue.

"White Jie, don't be like that! It's rare for us to meet again."

"We just arrived at the Peak Divine Sect yesterday! How long has it been?" Hu Baijie laughed and asked, leaving Heng Yi puzzled, scratching his head. "Why does it feel like we've been here for a long time, like I haven't seen Master and the others for a long time..."

Hu Baijie hugged Heng Yi's arm and comforted him. "A lot happened last night, with the fighting and the water torture. It's natural to feel that way. Don't talk about that, quickly tell them about the training."

"Training?" Even the composed Hai Yuntian couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

Hai Shan blinked, still in a daze...

Training?

Could they have been called to participate in the training?

That's impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

It would never happen in their lifetime!

"Heng Yi... We, we weren't called to participate in the training... right?" Hai Shan, still in shock, hesitantly asked, thinking she might be overthinking it. Maybe they were called to help Heng Yi prepare for the training? But that didn't make sense; the Peak Divine Sect wouldn't lack for help. Could it really be the training? But they had no chance in their lifetime, how could it be possible?

"Yes! The training is said to be very dangerous. I didn't have time to ask if you were willing. We will go to the Seed Star in groups of five..." Heng Yi quickly explained, but Hu Baijie found it amusing. Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan knew as much or more about the training than Heng Yi, so there was no need for him to explain.

Most importantly, Hai Yuntian and Hai Shan were so stunned that they didn't even hear what he was saying.

After a while, Hai Shan finally came to her senses, gesturing in confusion. "Heng Yi, you said, you said we are going to participate in the training? I didn't hear wrong, did I?"

"Yes!" Heng Yi nodded. "It's said that there might be a risk to life. Are you unwilling to go?"

"Heng Yi—" Hai Shan suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Heng Yi by the neck and tackling him onto the bed, straddling him and squeezing harder, her voice urgent and excited.