Hong Yu stared blankly at the single, erald-green pill in the wooden box.
It wasn't a precious Martial Skill, a valuable Primordial Weapon, or even a High-Level Spirit Pill...
Lying in the wooden box in his hands was, of all things, a Nourishing Essence Pill!
A pill so common it didn't even qualify as a Tier One Spirit Pill. It was the most ordinary of pills, used only by cultivators at the Essence Realm to aid their training.
Hong Yu stared intently at the Nourishing Essence Pill in the box, his chest swelling with frustration and humiliation.
Tie Shou, the seventh-ranked True Disciple, received a Mortal-level Middle-grade Primordial Weapon.
Ling Tian, who placed fifth, received a Mortal-level Middle-grade Martial Skill.
Feng Xue Xin, in third place, received a Mortal-level High-grade Martial Skill.
Even another expert from the Wind and Snow Association, who only ranked ninety-ninth, received a Tier Two Spirit Pill as his reward.
But what about Hong Yu?
He was the most outstanding perforr in the Inner Sect Disciple promotion tournant, placing first in all three trials. He was the undisputed First True Disciple, the genuine champion.
Even the person in ninety-ninth place got a Tier Two Spirit Pill, and the one in hundredth place received a Tier One Advanced Spirit dicine.
But what did Hong Yu get?
A Nourishing Essence Pill. A pill that wasn't even Tier One.
"How could this be?" Ling Tian whispered.
Feng Xue Xin frowned.
Tie Shou also found it unbelievable. "How is this possible? It must be a mistake. Hong Yu is the champion! At the very least, his reward should be a Mortal-level High-grade Primordial Weapon or Martial Skill! How... how could it just be a Nourishing Essence Pill?"
Hong Yu felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, a raging fire of anger burning in his chest.
He didn't understand why this was happening.
'I'm clearly the champion! I should have gotten the best reward!'
'But why did it turn out like this?'
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is this the champion's reward? Man, I'm glad I didn't win. It would be so pathetic to work that hard just to get such a piece of trash."
Hong Renjie's sarcastic voice suddenly rang out, his smug tone making one want to rush over and beat him up. "Tsk, tsk, look at my reward for second place. A Mortal-level High-grade Primordial Weapon! Tsk, tsk. Now this is sothing good! So much better than so Nourishing Essence Pill or Yunyuan Pill!"
Hong Gang added casually from the side, "I only placed sixth, but my reward isn't bad either. It's a Breaking Forbidden Spirit Pill. Once I spend a few more days stabilizing my Peak Earth Soul Realm cultivation, I can use this Spirit Pill to break through to the Celestial Soul Realm!"
The two of them went back and forth, their words buzzing in his ears like hundreds of flies.
Hong Yu took a deep breath, but he still couldn't quell the rage in his chest.
Ling Tian snatched the wooden box from Hong Yu's hand and was about to angrily confront the Elder who handed out the rewards when Feng Xue Xin stopped him. "What are you doing?"
Ling Tian said furiously, "Can't you see soone is targeting Hong Yu? He's the champion! He deserves the best attention and rewards, but he ends up with this piece of trash. I won't stand for it on his behalf."
Feng Xue Xin shook his head, his expression uncharacteristically grave. "Since you know soone is targeting him, then who among the Elders would dare to target and humiliate him like this in the main hall, with the Sect Leader present?"
"Are you saying my master ordered this?" Ling Tian's eyes widened.
Feng Xue Xin gave a wry smile. "Whether the Sect Leader ordered it or not, he at least knows about it. If you go argue with him now, aren't you just going to blow things up and make it even more awkward for Hong Yu?"
"I... I... Fuck..."
Furious, Ling Tian crushed the wooden box containing the Nourishing Essence Pill in his hand and took out his own reward. "Hong Yu, I apologize to you on my master's behalf. I can't give you anything more valuable, but this is my reward. Take it as compensation."
Looking at Ling Tian's sincere and clear gaze, Hong Yu's heart ward, and he smiled. "There's no need." Before Ling Tian could say more, Hong Yu continued, "Your friendship ans more to than any reward."
"Hong Yu..."
Ling Tian was speechless.
Hong Yu smiled faintly. "Since soone is deliberately targeting , it ans they want to see flustered and disappointed. But what does a little humiliation like this matter? Do they really think Hong Yu can be brought down so easily?"
He didn't bother to lower his voice.
His words drew the attention of many of the experts present.
Several Elders looked at the neither servile nor overbearing Hong Yu, secretly praising him for remaining calm even after being so disgracefully cheated of his reward. But then they rembered the secret eting and the Sect Leader's words, and the flicker of appreciation for his talent they had just felt was forcibly extinguished.
The rewards for the one hundred disciples were distributed quickly.
A dozen or so minutes later, Wang Jiankun continued, "Everyone has received their rewards. I hope you will all continue to strive for excellence and not betray the Sect's investnt in you." After a pause, he went on, "Next, you will have half a double-hour to choose disciples and masters. Those who already have a master may return to their side."
"The ti starts now!"
An hourglass was placed on Wang Jiankun's desk, and the half-double-hour countdown began.
Many of the experts on the Celestial List began walking toward their chosen targets.
In the crowd...
Hong Yu stopped Feng Xue Xin and asked, "Senior Brother Feng, excuse , but which one is Elder Zhu?"
"You want to ask Elder Zhu to be your master?"
Feng Xue Xin gave him a surprised look, then pointed to the old woman in the first seat on the left. "That's Elder Zhu. But, Junior Brother Hong, she has a strange temper. She's not a good choice for a master!"
"It's fine!"
Hong Yu smiled nonchalantly, bid farewell to Feng Xue Xin, and walked toward Elder Zhu.
"Disciple Hong Yu pays his respects to Elder Zhu!"
Hong Yu bowed respectfully, as a disciple should.
The middle-aged but still handso Elder Zhu glanced at him and said coolly, "What is it?"
Hong Yu said solemnly, "This disciple, Hong Yu, has long heard of Elder Zhu's great na and deeply admires your accomplishnts on the path of the Spiritual Craftsman. I hope that Elder Zhu might accept as your disciple!"
"Oh? You want to be your master?"
Elder Zhu paused, blinked, and said flatly, "Sorry, I have no intention of taking on a disciple. You should look for soone else."
"Elder Zhu, I..."
Hong Yu grew anxious and quickly said, "I am truly sincere in my wish to beco your disciple. I implore Elder Zhu to grant my request!"
Elder Zhu snorted. "Did you not understand what I said? I said I'm not accepting disciples. If you don't scram, don't bla for being rciless."
"Elder Zhu..."
Hong Yu tried to insist, but Elder Zhu struck out with her palm.
The Palm Wind was fierce. Caught off guard, Hong Yu was sent flying, landing in a heap in the center of the main hall, looking utterly wretched.
'This... This Elder Zhu is so ruthless?' Hong Yu clenched his fists, feeling utterly dejected.
'If I had succeeded in becoming her disciple, it would have been simple to ask her to help Yun ngyao.'
'But from the looks of it now, my plan was clearly too naive.'
"Tsk, tsk, isn't this our First True Disciple, Hong Yu? What's this? You actually got rejected by Elder Zhu?" Hong Renjie's voice sounded in his ear again, his face full of smugness and arrogance as he continued to spout mocking and nasty words.
Hong Yu glared at him. "Hong Renjie, don't take things too far."
"Hahaha, I haven't done a thing! I'm just waiting here to watch a certain soone's little show!" Hong Renjie laughed mockingly.
"Hmph..."
Hong Yu snorted and thought, 'Since Elder Zhu rejected , I'll just have to find another Elder with Real Power. That's right, Elder Li Tie seed to favor . I'll try asking him!'
Li Tie was sipping fragrant tea when he suddenly saw Hong Yu approaching. The teacup in his hand paused mid-air.
Hong Yu said earnestly, "Elder Li, disciple Hong Yu..."
Before he could finish, Li Tie waved his hand. "You should go. It's impossible for to accept you as my disciple!"
"Elder Li, why is that?" Hong Yu asked urgently.
If only Elder Zhu had rejected him, he could have chalked it up to her dislike of him. But for even Elder Li, who had previously shown him such approval, to act this way ant sothing unusual was afoot.
Li Tie looked at Hong Yu and gave a bitter smile. "Forget it. I don't want to see you hit a wall everywhere you turn. Hong Yu, you should just give up. No Elder will accept you as their disciple. Or rather... no one *dares* to accept you."
"Why? Why is that?"
Hong Yu clenched his fists, his voice hoarse as if he had a cold.
Li Tie said flatly, "Soone has forbidden us from taking you as a disciple. Even the champion's reward you deserved was taken from you."
"Who?"
Hong Yu asked.
His tone had returned to a state of calm, his eyes holding a placid gaze.
But a closer look would reveal his shoulders trembling slightly, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, trickles of blood seeping out and dripping from between his knuckles.
"Don't ask who. Even if I told you their identity, you would have no chance of getting revenge. Hong Yu..."
Li Tie hesitated for a mont, then sighed. "Give up. Don't try anymore. If you resist and that person loses their patience, then what awaits you will be far worse than re suppression."
"Worse than re suppression? Are they preparing to eliminate ?"
Hong Yu was surprisingly calm. "I don't believe it. I don't believe the Celestial Dao is so unjust. I don't believe they can blot out the sky with one hand."
He spun around abruptly and walked toward another Elder.
The result was self-evident: a heartless refusal.
Still, Hong Yu didn't give up. He continued on to the next one...
Rejection!
The next!
Rejection...
Back and forth he went, until he had approached every single one of the more than one hundred Elders present. Without exception, they all rejected him rcilessly.
By now, the half-double-hour was almost over.
Even the Inner Sect Disciple who ranked one-hundredth had found a master, leaving only Hong Yu standing alone in the center of the vast main hall. Under the gazes of hundreds, filled with a complex mixture of disdain, mockery, contempt, and pity, Hong Yu felt utterly alone.
Hong Renjie's unbridled mockery rang out in his ears once more. "The champion? Hahaha, the Cyan Nether Sword Sect has just produced the only First True Disciple in its history who couldn't find a master! Hahaha..."
"If I were him, I would have killed myself long ago. How could he still be standing there, embarrassing himself?"
"His skin must be thicker than a city wall! To be rejected by so many people and still have the face to stay here..."
All sorts of foul language and derisive jeers echoed in his ears.
Hong Yu's body trembled slightly, his breathing growing ragged and his eyes turning bloodshot. He slowly raised his head, sweeping his gaze across the high and mighty Elders and disciples. His voice was sowhat hoarse, yet strangely resonant and firm.
He spoke word by word, sharp and decisive, filled with a young man's unyielding indignation...
"You all must think I'm pathetic and ridiculous, don't you? After a whole month of fighting my way to the championship with blood and sweat, I can't even find a master or receive the reward I deserve. You must find so pitiful, right? Well, thank you, but I don't need your pity!"
Hong Yu's gaze was firm and clear as he stared at the crowd, his every word like a pearl, resonant and powerful. "Let leave you all with a saying: the river flows east for thirty years, and west for thirty years—never bully a young man for being poor! Today, I, Hong Yu, have suffered this humiliation. In the future, I will carry this disgrace and stand here again. When that ti cos, it will no longer be begging you, but you begging !"
Having said his piece, Hong Yu walked out of the hall with a dignified gait, his spine held straight.
Just as he was about to step through the hall's doors, an aged voice, accompanied by a crisp round of applause, suddenly sounded from outside...
"Excellent, excellent. 'Never bully a young man for being poor,' indeed."
"Hong Yu, are you willing to beco my disciple?"
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