Once Yuan took a seat, Elder Xuan continued to speak, "Because of your performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate Tower, it has caught the attention of many, and experts from the other elite sects are currently approaching the Dragon Essence Sect even as we speak."
"Is that so..." Yuan mumbled in a calm voice, clearly still unable to grasp the situation at hand.
Elder Xuan shook his head and sighed, "I know you probably don’t understand the dangerous situation you’re in right now, so I’ll explain it to you again."
"Do you remember what we told you about remaining lowkey until the Mystic Realm? If you’re too talented, people will become jealous, and they will do everything in their power to destroy you so that you won’t become a threat in the future. However, at the Mystic Realm, if you can attract the attention of the people managing the event, they will be able to protect you, and you might even be able to ascend to the next realm— Spirit Heavens!"
"This place we are currently in is called the Lower Heavens, and the next realm is called Spirit Heavens, where Cultivators above Spirit Grandmaster exists." Elder Xuan said.
"Anyway, that isn’t important right now. What’s important is your safety, Disciple Yuan. The other sects will definitely pressure us into revealing your identity, but you can rest assured that we give your name to them even if we have to fight."
"I’m sorry, Senior Xuan, I didn’t think that I would cause such a commotion by participating in the trial, as I was only trying to experience the sect like a normal disciple," Yuan sighed afterward.
Elder Xuan immediately became speechless. Indeed, it wasn’t Yuan’s fault for going to the tower, as every disciple will eventually challenge it at least once. And nobody could’ve predicted that Yuan would clear all 100 floors, nor could they have predicted that the tower would react in such a manner when someone cleared the 100th floor, as it has never happened before.
"You don’t need to blame yourself for this, Disciple Yuan. We want you to continue to experience life as a normal disciple even after this, but you should avoid things in the sect that has a ranking." Elder Xuan said.
"As for the other elite sects... they will only pressure us, and I doubt there will really be any fighting because our Dragon Essence Temple isn’t weak, and the others know of this. They won’t risk going to war with us over a single disciple, especially if they don’t know your identity."
"If the sect is really in trouble because of me, I will do something about it myself," Yuan suddenly said.
"Huh? What do you mean by..." Elder Xuan’s eyes suddenly widened as he’d just realized the aura coming from Yuan.
"Second level Spirit Warrior?! But you should have consumed the Pill of Concealment! Does this mean you’re actually at the peak level now?! Ninth level Spirit Warrior?!" Elder Xuan exclaimed in a shocked voice, as he could’ve never imagined that Yuan would increase his cultivation level by four whole levels in a single day.
"Is this the result of clearing all 100 floors in the tower?" Elder Xuan couldn’t help but ask.
Yuan nodded and said, "I think so."
"Can you tell me what you’d experienced in the tower? Especially on the 100th floor."
"Okay." Yuan then recalled his experience in the tower to Elder Xuan.
"Dragon difficulty? Only 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors? 100,000 magical beasts at the peak Spirit Warrior realm?" Elder Xuan began sweating midway through Yuan’s experience.
’Heavens! I don’t think I would be able to defeat 100,000 peak-level Spirit Warrior magical beasts in such a short time even at my current level! Yet this young man who was only at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm at the time was able to achieve such an incredible feat in four short days!’ Elder Xuan looked at Yuan with deep admiration within his gaze.
"To think you’d experienced such a journey... It’s no wonder the Founder called the 100th floor ’terrifying’." Elder Xuan sighed, completely unaware that the Founder had another challenge, which was much easier than the one Yuan had to endure because Yuan didn’t mention the Great One changing the challenge for him.
"Anyway, I will let the Sect Master know about this once he’s done with our guests. In the meantime, you can stay here until they leave." Elder Xuan said to him. "I don’t want to risk anything."
"Okay. Once again, I apologize for the trouble..." Yuan said to him.
"There’s no need for you to apologize, as this is simply how the cultivation world works." Elder Xuan said to him before leaving the building to group up with Long Yijun and the other sect elders so he can assist them in case anything happens.
Once Elder Xuan was gone, Feng Yixiao’s voice resounded, "Don’t worry, Young Master. If anyone dares to try and harm you, I will burn them alive until there’s nothing left of them— not even their bones!"
"You don’t need to worry about protecting Brother Yuan because Xiao Hua alone is enough to protect him." Xiao Hua said afterward.
"Won’t it be problematic if a Spirit King like you suddenly starts killing Cultivators in the Lower Heavens? You might even invoke a Heavenly Tribulation..." Feng Yixiao said. "I think it would be safer if I, a Spirit Grandmaster, protects the Young Master. After all, I am more than enough to protect him from most threats in the Lower Heavens."
"You don’t have to worry about Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua has permission to be in the Lower Heavens, and killing a few Cultivators won’t affect Xiao Hua," she responded in a calm voice.
"Why are we even competing with each other about who should protect the Young Master?" Feng Yixiao sighed.
Meanwhile, in the Sect Master’s headquarters, Long Yijun sat in his chair while the other sect elders stood beside him like a group of bodyguards, and sitting before them was a group of Spirit Master experts, each of them wearing uniforms belonging to a different sect.