"That kick wasn't just the strength of a Two-Star Battle Master. It was even more than that."
"What kind of Magical Beast is this? This terrifying aura—even a sixth-tier Magical Beast has never made me tremble like this."
"Battle Aura Solidification! Isn't that a technique only a Battle Spirit can possess?"
"Is he really just sixteen? Such talent…"
"I have a feeling that the name Chen Mo will echo throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire by tomorrow."
On the high platform, exclamations of astonishment continued to ring out.
Perhaps it was because most people hadn't expected much from Chen Mo's strength.
In the face of such a stark contrast, a few disciples still harbored deep doubts.
For the higher-ups of the Yunlan Sect and the various forces who had come to observe the battle, there was profound shock and a hint of fear.
"If he continues to grow like this, his future achievements will undoubtedly surpass that girl Yun Yun," Jia Xingtian muttered, his brows tightly furrowed as he gazed at Chen Mo.
For the royal family, the stronger the new blood of the Yunlan Sect, the greater the threat to the royal court.
Indeed, someone whom Yun Yun valued enough to take as a personal disciple and argue for in two Council of Elders meetings—how could his talent be anything less than extraordinary?
"Sect Leader Yun Yun's discernment is truly exceptional. Congratulations to the Yunlan Sect for gaining another prodigy."
"Congratulations, congratulations! From the first glance, I knew this disciple Chen Mo was extraordinary. Now, it's clear I wasn't wrong."
"Sect Leader Yun Yun, I have a granddaughter who is as beautiful as a fairy and possesses exceptional talent. I wonder if…"
…
The heads of the three great families spared no effort in showering the Council of Elders and Yun Yun with flattery.
To them, Chen Mo's place in the Inner Sanctum's top ten was already a foregone conclusion.
Yun Yun and the Council of Elders responded with equal politeness to the heads of the three families.
After exchanging a few courteous words, Yun Yun turned her gaze back to Chen Mo, feeling a sense of relief.
"You brat, you had me so worried. I didn't expect you to hide your strength so well."
On the field, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a bit strange at the sudden shift in attitude.
Before he revealed his strength, the looks he received were filled with deep doubt and disdain.
But after showing just a fraction of his power, the tables turned, and he was met with envy and jealousy.
For someone as inexperienced and young as Chen Mo, the praise from everyone had already started to go to his head.
But he didn't let it consume him. After stepping down, he began to think about what might happen next and the preparations he needed to make.
Everything has two sides. Strength doesn't just bring fame and glory—it also brings danger.
After all, the Yunlan Sect, as a colossal entity, wasn't without its rivals.
But Chen Mo didn't regret it. Compared to the troubles that came with hiding his strength, revealing his power to gain the Yunlan Sect's resources and protection was far more crucial for him at this stage.
As for the potential trouble from the Hall of Souls, Chen Mo wasn't too worried about that in the short term.
After all, during the three-year agreement, Xiao Yan caused such a huge commotion that he nearly destroyed the Yunlan Sect, yet the Hall of Souls didn't intervene.
Unless Chen Mo had that legendary piece of jade in his possession.
It seemed the main quest needed to be prioritized.
"Hey, junior brother, junior brother, let's get acquainted. I'm Yun Hai."
"I'm Yun Ling."
"I'm Yun Fei."
Suddenly, someone patted Chen Mo on the back.
Chen Mo turned around and saw that, except for the person in the middle who looked slightly better, the other two were gazing at him with admiration.
After a brief introduction, he learned that the slightly older one in the middle, with a small black mole at the corner of his upper lip and a delicate appearance, was named Yun Hai.
On the left and right were Yun Ling, a six-year-old girl with a ponytail and a somewhat kawaii look, and Yun Fei, a little boy who was a year younger than Yun Ling. They were siblings and members of the Third Elder's lineage.
"Junior Brother, you're amazing! I've been wanting to meet you. I heard you've been staying in the Sect Leader's palace these past few days—a privilege even Senior Sister Nalan hasn't had. Come on, tell us, what's it like sleeping with the Sect Leader?"
Yun Hai looked at Chen Mo with an extremely gossipy expression.
The eyes of the other two were also wide open, filled with curiosity.
Looking at Yun Hai, who seemed so familiar right off the bat, Chen Mo felt a few black lines forming on his forehead. Sleeping together? What nonsense was this? He immediately replied with a serious tone, "That's just a rumor. Where did you hear that?"
"Do I even need to hear it? The Grand Elder is my grandfather. How could I not know about such things?" Yun Hai said with a sly smile, his eyes glinting mischievously.
"Brother Chen Mo, don't lie. Brother Hai knows everything that happens in the sect," Yun Ling pouted, speaking in a grown-up tone.
"Yeah, yeah," Yun Fei chimed in with his childish voice.
"Uh..."
Yun Yun had mentioned Yun Hai's background to Chen Mo, but she hadn't said a word about his personality.
And then there were these two little porcelain doll-like kids.
Chen Mo looked at these three privileged descendants and couldn't help but inwardly complain, "Shouldn't your character archetype be the stepping stone for ridicule? How did you turn into gossip enthusiasts?"
Although Chen Mo himself wasn't too concerned, it did involve Sister Yun Yun's reputation.
Chen Mo chose to remain silent.
However, silence only fueled curiosity, and the gossip fire in Yun Hai's heart burned even brighter.
Mo Li, who was standing a few steps above Chen Mo, looked down at the group that had instantly become familiar with each other. His expression darkened, especially when he thought about the unusual look Yan Ran had given Chen Mo earlier.
Mo Li felt a sour taste in his heart.
But that wasn't the most crucial part. The most crucial part was that Chen Mo had stolen the spotlight meant for the grand finale.
Yun Hai's casual attitude had pushed Mo Li to the second-to-last position for his entrance.
Mo Li had originally planned to showcase part of his strength to amaze everyone.
But with Chen Mo's dazzling performance beforehand, only showing part of his strength naturally fell flat.
"Damn it!"
...
Yun Hai's performance surprised Chen Mo.
Chen Mo had expected him to show off in a high-profile manner, but who would have thought that after demonstrating a few sword techniques, he would hurriedly leave the stage.
Strangely, everyone seemed to take this in stride, as if it were completely normal.
"What a weirdo."
"I can't take it anymore, I'm exhausted," Yun Hai complained as soon as he returned to his seat. "What are those old guys thinking, always putting on these pointless shows? It's so hot under this sun, I'm dying."
"You're afraid of the heat?" Chen Mo asked in surprise.
"Brother Hai has a rare Ice Spirit Constitution. If it weren't for his laziness, he would have already..."
"Pfft, Yun Fei, what are you talking about? Brother Hai is just... a bit lazy with his training."
"Is it different?"
...
"Next up is Mo Li."
Mo Li's entrance caused quite a stir, with a large group of female disciples cheering him on.
His looks were the only thing in Yunlan Sect that could rival Chen Mo's.
"It's that annoying guy," Yun Hai sneered.
"What, does he have a bad reputation? He seems quite popular with the female disciples!"
"They're all just sycophants, just fawning over different people."
"Oh. Now I'm interested."