The competition ended, and Ye Xuan’s fierce aura rapidly retracted as he slowly descended, the dragon scales on his body also gradually dissipating.
After he landed, Ling Qianxue immediately appeared by his side and supported him, whispering, "Are you alright?"
Ye Xuan nodded his head. He was just severely drained of his True Qi, and the battle with Dugu Hao had truly been more ferocious and intense than all the previous ones, forcing him to give it his all. Moreover, his cultivation was ultimately two levels lower than Dugu Hao’s, and if not for the cultivation of a divine-level cultivation technique, he would have likely been overwhelmed earlier.
"I lost. But don’t think that I’ll always lose to you. Next time, I will find a chance to defeat you."
At this time, Dugu Hao also struggled to stand up from the ground. Though he appeared somewhat dejected, there was no sense of decay. On the contrary, a spark of fighting spirit flitted across his eyes, which quite surprised Ye Xuan.
It seemed that Dugu Hao, truly deserving of being from a Semi-Saint family, had the capacity to accept defeat gracefully. If he couldn’t manage even a single loss, then his future would probably be limited. No matter how formidable his lineage, he wouldn’t achieve much later on.
Ye Xuan didn’t say much. Dugu Hao’s temperament was indeed more likable than most. However, for Ye Xuan, catching up to him wouldn’t be easy. From the Tiannan Region, the Demon Beast Territory, to the present human realm, those who had been defeated by him always ended up falling further and further behind, until they couldn’t even see the back of his neck.
At that moment, all the seven Sect Envoys on the high platform stood up, then leapt down from the platform, stopping mid-air.
The elder in golden robes scanned the surroundings and then his voice dispersed, "The top ten of this competition, please come forward."
As his voice fell, the venue immediately echoed with the sound of rushing wind. Figures successively landed in the area in front of the seven Sect Envoys.
In terms of the rankings, the top ten for this competition were Ye Xuan, Dugu Hao, Jue Wuchen, Liu Qinghe, Zhao Xin, Ling Qianxue, Lou Baiyue, Lian Yunsheng, Gui Qingluo, and Nangong Yao.
The ten people standing together posed an astonishing momentum, causing the atmosphere to change and currents to swirl over the venue.
It seemed as if ten ferocious beasts were converging in the sky, clashing and battling each other.
"Firstly, I, Jin, would like to congratulate the ten of you. According to the rules we set, all ten of you will become Inner Sect Disciples of our Six Great Sects." The elder in the golden robe said with a smiling face.
Hearing this, all ten participants simultaneously felt a stir in their hearts. Apart from the Xuantian Sect, the other Six Great Sects were all Fifth Grade Sects of the Spirit Martial Continent. To be able to enter and train in a Sect of the Spirit Martial Continent, and become its Inner Sect Disciple, was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity.
Although they hadn’t managed to enter the Sixth Grade Xuantian Sect, the Fifth Grade Sects of the Spirit Martial Continent were not much less in comparison.
The elder in golden robes looked at Ye Xuan, his eyes revealing a hint of admiration, "Would you like to join our Xuantian Sect and become an Inner Sect Disciple?"
As these words surfaced, they immediately drew many envious glances. That was a Sixth Grade Sect. Alas, only Ye Xuan, the first place in the competition, had this choice.
"There is no reason to refuse."
Ye Xuan nodded his head and agreed, he couldn’t possibly refuse. Joining a Sixth Grade Sect and stabilizing his footing in the Spirit Martial Continent was paramount, although he didn’t rely much on the Sect himself. Having a powerful backing undeniably gave him more confidence while venturing outside.
A hint of joy emerged on the face of the elder in golden robes. Although he knew Ye Xuan couldn’t refuse, he couldn’t help but be very happy. This time, he had recruited an excellent prospect for the Sect. Upon returning, he was sure to be richly rewarded.
His Cultivation, although already at the Second Grade Martial Venerate Realm, was still just that of an Outer Sect Elder within the Xuantian Sect, which was not a high status. There were many Outer Sect Elders like him in the Xuantian Sect, but few possessed the potential of Ye Xuan, especially since Ye Xuan had already distinguished himself before even joining the Xuantian Sect. It was sure that Ye Xuan would show even greater potential in the future.
It was foreseeable that Ye Xuan’s status in the Xuantian Sect would surely surpass his as an Outer Sect Elder. Establishing a good relationship with Ye Xuan now was indeed a wise move.
"This is the reward for obtaining first place in the conference. Once you arrive at the Sect, there will be even greater rewards."
The elder in golden robes took out a brocade box from his Qiankun Ring and handed it over to Ye Xuan.
Without hesitation, Ye Xuan opened the brocade box. Instantly, a rich treasure light burst from the box, nearly blinding him temporarily.
Threads of electric light crawled from the box onto Ye Xuan’s hands. Inside the brocade box lay a black pearl, from which the violent thunder light was emanating.
"It’s actually a Thunder Spirit Pearl, quite a grand gesture."
An envoy from the Sect exclaimed from the side.
"Thunder Spirit Pearl?"
Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up. The Thunder Spirit Pearl was a treasure crafted by High Rank Martial Venerate experts, encapsulating extremely dense Thunder Attribute Spiritual Power. For someone like Ye Xuan who hadn’t yet reached the Martial Venerate Realm, it was undoubtedly a wonderful treasure to enhance his Cultivation.
Like the Thunder Spirit Pearl, there were other pearls corresponding to different attributes of True Qi, including Fire Spirit Pearls, Water Spirit Pearls, Earth Spirit Pearls, Wind Spirit Pearls, and so on. However, as the mainstream Cultivation Technique of the Xuantian Sect was of the Thunder Attribute, they chose the Thunder Spirit Pearl as the reward.
However, this suited Ye Xuan perfectly, since the second transformation of the Hidden Dragon Skill was the Thunder Attribute.
With this Thunder Spirit Pearl, his Cultivation, which had been stagnating at the Fifth Grade Martial Sect, could presumably break through.
"Many thanks, Elder Jin."
Ye Xuan bowed to the elder in golden robes. This initial reward being a Thunder Spirit Pearl, the Sixth Grade Sect indeed lived up to its reputation. He was now somewhat excited about what the subsequent rewards would be.
Ye Xuan joining the Xuantian Sect had been decided, and the other six Sect Envoys began to choose their preferred candidates in turn. The top ten were quickly selected. Among them, Xuantian Sect chose only Ye Xuan. The other nine were taken by the other Six Great Sects.
This was an unwritten rule. After all, since the first had been taken by the Xuantian Sect, as a Sixth Grade Sect, they couldn’t act too domineering. The others were naturally let off a bit.
Dugu Hao entered Mountain River Mansion, which was only second in strength to the Xuantian Sect amongst these seven great Sects. Ling Qianxue and Nangong Yao, however, joined the same Sect, which exclusively recruited female disciples, the Snow Soul Palace.
After selecting the Inner Sect Disciples, the elder in golden robes and others began picking Outer Sect Disciples. Despite their low status and poor treatment, many people were still very eager to join, but not everyone who wished could enter. Even for the Outer Sect Disciples, one had to catch the eye of these seven individuals to have a chance of being selected.