Chapter Twenty: I Am One of You

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Silence—absolute, deathly silence.

Tens of thousands of people filled the arena, elders among them, and in this moment, they all wore the same expression.

Their eyes were wide as saucers, their minds buzzing blankly.

Even Lin Bufan and Zhu Qianqing, who knew Shen Wan at least a little, were stupefied.

This was not the same as inside the tower.

No matter how formidable the restrictions within the tower, they were only truly dangerous to Spirit-Concentrating cultivators; but the Grand Elder had just unleashed a Heaven-rank spell.

That last strike alone would have been enough to obliterate a cultivator at the Golden Core stage.

Shen Wan, meanwhile, after drawing out the jade token, let out a long sigh of relief—this thing had just saved his life.

“Huh?”

He blinked in confusion, only to realize that a massive crater had appeared out of nowhere before him.

And he was standing right in the center of it.

“What… just happened?”

Shen Wan was bewildered. Perhaps he’d been too focused on retrieving the jade token, for he hadn’t sensed anything of what had transpired around him.

The patch of ground where he stood, roughly a square meter in size, seemed an untouched sanctuary.

Not only was it undamaged, but even the violent tremors just now hadn’t made him so much as sway.

So, what exactly had happened? Shen Wan had no idea.

But the aftermath—the deep crater blasted into the earth—was no illusion. It was right there before his eyes, solid and undeniable.

He glanced down at the pit, more than ten meters deep.

Shen Wan swallowed hard, his mind still reeling.

“It seems this world really is as Brother Lin described—a place where the strong rule. This is the first time since I arrived here that I’ve truly felt the destructive power of human strength. It’s simply terrifying.”

A chill swept through him. If he hadn’t possessed a spiritless constitution, he’d likely have been wiped from existence.

Clutching the jade token, he looked up at the elder floating in the sky, his expression solemn.

At that moment, Wei Zhen hovered above, his fingers beginning to tremble.

“Impossible… That was a top-tier Heaven-rank spell. Don’t tell me… did I practice a fake technique?”

He was, after all, one of Heavenly Mystic’s most favored disciples, and the first to be granted a Heaven-rank spell.

Back then, not even the current sect master could compare to him.

And he hadn’t disappointed—he’d taken just over a decade to master the spell to perfection, wielding it with ease.

Although the sect had seen no wars for centuries, and he’d never needed to use this art again, that didn’t mean he’d grown rusty.

This was a soul-deep, innate technique.

He glanced at the crater below—several times larger than any he’d ever created, even at his fullest power.

“No, it’s not the spell that’s wrong—it’s that damned brat!”

He’d nearly been fooled again.

Wei Zhen felt like an utter fool today, having been tricked twice in a row.

“Who exactly are you?”

Having figured things out, Wei Zhen suppressed his internal energy. Though he was not yet calm, at least his mind was no longer clouded with anger.

His voice, imbued with powerful spiritual pressure, shook the arena.

Shen Wan looked up, squinting.

“Old man, can’t you speak up? All that mumbling and I can’t make out a word.”

He glanced at the jade token in his hand, then finally held it up.

The token glowed with a faint purple light, the character for “Mystic” clearly visible.

“I am… um… um… a disciple of Heavenly Mystic, many generations down the line. Truly one of your own!”

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At last, he remembered the old man’s name from atop the tower, so he shouted it out with all his might.

Of course, he didn’t mention that he was merely a registered disciple.

Who knew what status a registered disciple truly held? If it didn’t carry enough weight and he ended up getting beaten, that would be troublesome.

His voice drifted up to Wei Zhen.

Wei Zhen stared closely at the jade token in Shen Wan’s hand, his pupils contracting sharply.

In a flash, he appeared before Shen Wan.

Startled, Shen Wan nearly stumbled off the pillar.

“That’s… Master’s disciple token…”

Wei Zhen’s lips quivered, and there was a hint of emotion in his voice.

From registered to personal disciples, Heavenly Mystic had accepted more than a dozen disciples in his lifetime.

But since his passing, most disciples had died or drifted away, and now there were hardly any left who acknowledged each other.

The token in Shen Wan’s hand was something Wei Zhen hadn’t seen in centuries.

But the aura of Heavenly Mystic emanating from the token was unmistakable.

“What is your name?” Wei Zhen’s expression was grave, but the murderous intent in his eyes had faded.

“Shen Wan!” Shen Wan replied truthfully, finally able to hear the old man’s voice.

“Shen… Wan?” Wei Zhen frowned slightly at the surname, as if recalling something, but soon relaxed.

“Master would never bestow this token lightly. Since you hold it, there can be no deception.”

After all, from the moment he gave the disciple token, it fused with the disciple’s soul.

That was why, when Shen Wan received it, the token emitted a faint purple light.

It was a mark of Heavenly Mystic’s recognition.

Of course, it had nothing to do with spiritual power.

It was a soul-bound contract, transcending spiritual attributes, so even someone without spiritual roots, like Shen Wan, could accept it.

The pale purple glow said it all.

Suddenly, Wei Zhen burst into loud laughter.

“Junior brother, I am Wei Zhen, our master’s third direct disciple. You may call me senior brother.”

His voice was bold and brimming with excitement.

As Grand Elder, it had been many years since anyone had addressed him as senior brother.

Over the centuries, Heavenly Mystic had taken five direct disciples and over a dozen registered ones.

Now, in the current Mystic Sect, aside from the sect master, the other disciples hadn’t been seen in centuries.

How could Wei Zhen not be moved by Shen Wan’s appearance?

Even if he was only a registered disciple, he was still family.

The old man was overjoyed, but Shen Wan was left speechless.

“Damn it, did you really have to emphasize you’re a direct disciple?”

Though he grumbled inwardly, he still bowed respectfully.

“Junior Shen Wan pays his respects to Senior Brother!”

Tears welled in Wei Zhen’s eyes. He hurriedly helped Shen Wan up, patting him on the shoulder, his voice choked.

“Get up, get up. We’re all family here. When the sect master emerges from seclusion, I’ll introduce you to our eldest senior brother as well.”

He was genuinely warm.

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Wei Zhen’s large hand, devoid of spiritual power, smacked Shen Wan’s shoulder repeatedly, making him grimace in pain.

It genuinely hurt.

The two exchanged pleasantries atop the pillar, while the rest of the crowd looked on, bewildered.

The elders exchanged suspicious glances—how had these two, who were just on the verge of life and death, suddenly become so close?

“What… is going on here?”

The Fourth Elder, Lian Qiuhan, voiced his confusion quietly. Beside him, the Second Elder, Zhang Qi, shot him a look and replied, “Nonsense. If you have to ask, do you really think anyone knows?”

“Why are you everywhere? Why do you care what I say?”

“You’re polluting my ears, isn’t that enough?”

“You—!”

Just as the two were about to quarrel again, the Eighth Elder, Yu Yan, quickly intervened.

“Can you two stop bickering for a moment? Must you argue on every occasion? With so many disciples watching, have you no shame?”

Lian Qiuhan and Zhang Qi both snorted and turned away, saying nothing more.

At that moment, the Sixth Elder, Qu Fanghua, moved gracefully to Yu Yan’s side and said with a soft laugh, “Only Sister Yu can keep those two in check.”

Yu Yan replied calmly, “Please, sister, don’t tease me. I’m the lowest in seniority; the elders only indulge me.”

Qu Fanghua covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed again, a different light flickering in her eyes.

Yu Yan, not wanting to elaborate, pretended not to hear and shifted her gaze elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the two atop the stone pillar seemed to have concluded their conversation.

Wei Zhen grabbed Shen Wan’s arm and, with a leap, returned to the crowd.

He set Shen Wan down gently, but Shen Wan still ended up sitting on the ground.

It was only a leap, but it spanned dozens of meters.

Feeling embarrassed, Shen Wan hastily got up and brushed the dust from his clothes.

Seeing the puzzled looks around him, Wei Zhen offered no explanation. Instead, he addressed the tens of thousands of disciples behind him:

“The sect competition is concluded. The rankings and rewards will be compiled and distributed by the elders of each hall.”

With that, he glanced at the other elders and sent a message:

“Let’s discuss anything else back at the hall.”

Clearly, the Grand Elder had no intention of explaining the matter here—not yet, anyway. Whatever had just happened would surely be addressed in an official announcement later.

The elders exchanged glances and, without further questions, vanished from sight.

Wei Zhen, seeing this, didn’t hesitate.

He glanced at Shen Wan, grabbed his shoulder, and the two of them disappeared as well.

Instantly, the entire arena fell silent.

A gentle breeze swept through—the place was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

Every disciple stared blankly at the spot where the elders had vanished.

For at that moment, there was one person even more bewildered than anyone else present.

Shen Wan watched, wide-eyed, as the elders disappeared before him.

And he…

Remained standing exactly where he was—not having moved an inch.