Seeing Shen Haoran’s wild arrogance, Elder Huo was secretly overjoyed. ’I was just wondering how to ignite Shen Haoran’s fighting spirit, and now Mu Feng has gone and done me a huge favor!’

Elder Huo glanced at the genius disciples from the other three halls. Just two Spirit Generals and one with an Extreme Attribute Physique. Before meeting Shen Haoran, Elder Huo had indeed considered them geniuses, but after witnessing Shen Haoran’s monstrous talent, they were no longer worthy of his notice.

’Especially that Mu Feiyu. Is having an Extreme Attribute Physique so impressive? Is being a Half-Step Spirit General so impressive? Is fighting a Spirit General to a draw so impressive? My Shen Haoran went from an ordinary person who couldn’t cultivate to a Tier Eight Spirit Pupil in just two years! He also has an Extreme Attribute Physique, not to mention the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, and he even crippled a Spirit General! Comparing talent with Shen Haoran? Even ten Mu Feiyus couldn’t hope to catch up!’

Elder Huo might have been pleased, but the other side was in an uproar. Aside from Linglong Hall, which had yet to arrive, the members of the other three halls were all glaring furiously. This Shen Haoran was simply too arrogant!

"Good. Very good! Do you have any idea what the consequences of saying that are?" Mu Feng gave a cold, furious laugh upon hearing Shen Haoran’s words.

"Consequences? You mean me taking first place and rubbing it in your faces? Are there some other rewards I don’t know about?" Shen Haoran said nonchalantly. ’If I’m going to be arrogant, I might as well go all the way! I’m not about to show these people any respect.’

Mu Feng was speechless. He’d seen arrogance before, but never anything on this level. His face turned livid with rage, and he was too choked up to speak.

"Fine! Since you’re so arrogant, let’s make a bet!" Mu Feiyu stepped forward.

"A bet? Great, I love betting!" Shen Haoran replied.

"Let’s bet on who takes first place in this disciple test. If I win, you have to cripple your own cultivation and get kicked out of the Five Elements Sect. And from now on, whenever you so much as hear my name, Mu Feiyu, you’d better make yourself scarce!" Mu Feiyu stared at Shen Haoran, his eyes full of malice.

Hearing Mu Feiyu’s terms, the crowd was stunned. They never imagined that this seemingly gentle-looking young man possessed such a venomous heart. Forcing a Martial Artist to cripple their own cultivation was a fate worse than death!

"Deal!" Shen Haoran agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

"And what if I win?" Shen Haoran asked.

"Hah. As if you have any chance of winning," Mu Feiyu scoffed.

"Heh, I don’t know if I have a chance of winning, but I do know you only have a chance of losing. I’m staking my entire cultivation. What about you? You can’t expect to get something for nothing, can you?" Shen Haoran snorted.

"Hmph. If you win, you can name your terms!" Mu Feng cut in from the side.

"Haha, wonderful! Elder Mu is so magnanimous. I don’t want anything too valuable. If I win, I want all the cultivation resources the Cyan Wood Hall provides for its new disciples!" Shen Haoran declared.

"I agree. If you win, I will give twenty percent of the Cyan Wood Hall’s resources to the Red Flame Hall!" Mu Feng declared.

"Heh, Elder Mu, you underestimate me. I want *all* of the Cyan Wood Hall’s cultivation resources," Shen Haoran said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he looked at Mu Feng.

"What an appetite!" Mu Feng roared. He hadn’t expected Shen Haoran to demand all of the Cyan Wood Hall’s cultivation resources. Even though they were meant for new disciples, it was by no means a small amount. Shen Haoran’s greed was truly immense!

"You’re too kind, Elder Mu. My appetite is just average. What’s the matter? Don’t you have confidence in your own disciple? He’s a Half-Step Spirit General with an Extreme Attribute Physique who even fought a Spirit General to a standstill. I’m just a brat at the Tier Eight Spirit Pupil realm. No matter how you look at it, the odds are stacked in your favor!" Shen Haoran said, putting on a woeful expression.

"Master, please grant me this opportunity. I will cripple him with my own hands!" Mu Feiyu said, cupping his fists. His gaze, fixed on Shen Haoran, was filled with a malevolence that wished it could tear him limb from limb.

"Very well. I hope you won’t disappoint me. Otherwise... you know the consequences," Mu Feng said to the supremely confident Mu Feiyu.

At the thought of the consequences of failure, Mu Feiyu couldn’t help but shudder. He quickly replied, "Yes! I’ll make him regret the day he was born!"

Shen Haoran paid Mu Feiyu’s vicious threats no mind. ’It’s not yet certain who will win and who will lose. Besides, I have no intention of losing! Now, all we have to do is wait for the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect to arrive, and this year’s disciple test can officially begin.’

The wait felt endless. After the earlier commotion, the atmosphere on the platform grew tense. The genius disciples from the three halls fixed Shen Haoran with hostile glares, wishing they could settle the score with him right then and there.

However, Shen Haoran acted as if they didn’t exist, simply laughing and joking around with Ji Lingxuan. This only infuriated the other geniuses even more.

WHOOSH! Suddenly, a curtain of water descended from the sky, and an old woman floated down upon it.

As soon as the old woman appeared, the leaders of the four halls quickly had their disciples bow in respect. Elder Huo hastily stopped Shen Haoran, and they all said deferentially, "Greetings, Hall Master She!"

That’s right. This old woman was none other than the current Hall Master of Linglong Hall, She Master!

She Master murmured in acknowledgment. Her gaze swept over everyone present, and she nodded in satisfaction. "This year’s new disciples show decent talent. You’ve all worked hard."

"Not at all, it is all for the Sect! However, the disciple Elder Huo recruited is a bit..." Mu Feng stepped forward to say.

"Oh? What about him?" She Master’s gaze fell upon Shen Haoran and Ji Lingxuan. In that instant, Shen Haoran felt as though he was being completely seen through, as if every secret he held was being laid bare before her.

It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed, and he slowly circulated the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within him to envelop his Dantian, cutting off She Master’s intrusive probe.

"Oh?" She Master let out a soft sound of surprise, suddenly discovering that her Spiritual Thought had been blocked. However, when her gaze fell upon Ji Lingxuan, her very spirit trembled.

"This... This is..." An expression of shock appeared on She Master’s face. She strode quickly to Ji Lingxuan and seized her delicate hand.

"Young lady, you’re not from the Southern Domain or the Northern Domain, are you? You’re from... that place?" She Master asked softly. Her question left everyone around them completely baffled. But Ji Lingxuan didn’t say a word; she only smiled.

Seeing Ji Lingxuan’s smile, She Master understood instantly. She said at once, "Young lady, what do you say to following me from now on? Be my Direct Disciple!"

The moment She Master finished speaking, Elder Huo and the other elders were stunned. They all knew She Master hadn’t accepted a disciple in nearly a hundred years. Her standards were simply too high; she had even turned down candidates with a Water Attribute Extreme Attribute Physique. They never imagined she would take the initiative to accept a young girl as her Direct Disciple today.

"Huh?" Ji Lingxuan was also taken aback and didn’t know how to respond. She immediately looked toward Shen Haoran.

This subtle gesture did not escape She Master’s notice. She immediately understood that Ji Lingxuan seemed to defer to Shen Haoran’s opinion, so she turned to him and said, "Young man, this girl’s physique is rather special. It would be of great benefit to her if she were to follow me."

Hearing this, Shen Haoran nodded. ’Ji Lingxuan is a heaven-blessed prodigy,’ he thought. ’Her talent is even greater than my own. All this time, she has stood in my shadow, content to be my backdrop. Now, it’s time for her to shine in her own right.’

Seeing Shen Haoran agree, Ji Lingxuan had no objections, and just like that, she accepted She Master’s offer.

Elder Huo was astonished. He never thought that the young girl he had casually recruited would possess such immense potential that even She Master was desperate to take her as a disciple.

"The Sect Leader has arrived!" Just as everyone was still marveling over Ji Lingxuan, a thunderous cry echoed from the distant horizon. Immediately after, a torrent of five-colored light descended from the sky, and a figure appeared in everyone’s line of sight.