Chapter 21: Chapter 21: The Shattered Pillar of Legends
BUZZ!
The stone talent pillar trembled with even greater intensity, its vibrations echoing throughout the Fenghua Hall like thunder!
The brilliant light enveloping the ancient artifact blazed ten times brighter than before, forcing the assembled elders to shield their eyes from the overwhelming radiance.
If an ordinary mortal without cultivation had been present in the hall, the blazing luminescence would have permanently blinded them without question!
What...?
Su Zhan gazed at the pillar before him with growing confusion as something unprecedented began to unfold.
Under the cascading golden light emanating from his divine physique, a hairline crack appeared on the surface of the pristine white-gray stone.
The fissure spread rapidly, dividing into two fractures, then four, then countless spider-web patterns racing across the pillar's surface. In the next moment, the legendary talent pillar—said to have been personally crafted by the sect's founder and considered one of the greatest treasures of the Yuntian Sword Sect—began crumbling piece by piece!
Su Zhan reacted swiftly, stepping back from the collapsing artifact as he watched in amazement. The ancient pillar, which had stood for over a thousand years, disintegrated completely and crashed into the reflecting pool with a tremendous splash.
"The talent pillar... destroyed?" Elder Miao whispered in disbelief.
The assembled elders stared at the rubble floating in the pool, their minds struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.
"The talent pillar was designed to manifest and measure even divine physique capabilities. How could it possibly be destroyed?" Elder Liu stammered.
"Divine physiques exist in different tiers—some weaker, others incomparably powerful," another elder observed thoughtfully. "Didn't you notice that Su Zhan's natural talent nearly reached the pillar's maximum limit even before he activated his divine body?"
"Are you suggesting that this child's fundamental talent is so overwhelming that he surpassed the maximum threshold the pillar could measure, causing its ancient formations to malfunction and collapse?"
"Talents of this magnitude... exist only in the oldest legends!"
After several seconds of stunned silence, the elders finally recovered from their shock. They collectively drew sharp breaths and regarded Su Zhan with expressions mixing awe, disbelief, and profound respect.
Elder Miao composed himself first, approaching Su Zhan with a gentle smile. "Su Zhan, the path of cultivation is fraught with difficulties and tribulations. With a proper guide to help you navigate the various obstacles in your training, your divine physique talent could be utilized to even greater effect. If you wouldn't mind..."
"Elder Miao speaks wisely!" Elder Liu interrupted eagerly. "If you're willing, I would be honored to take you as my exclusive personal disciple!"
"Liu Fan! You audacious scoundrel, how dare you attempt to steal my potential disciple!" Elder Miao's fury erupted instantly, his Core Formation Realm true qi surging and causing thunderous reverberations throughout the hall.
"Miao Hai! The last time an exceptional genius joined our sect, I graciously stepped aside for you. Haven't you already acquired several disciples with remarkable talent under your tutelage?" Elder Liu refused to back down, releasing his own overwhelming aura in response.
"Enough! Both of you, silence yourselves immediately!"
Sect Master Qin Jincheng raised his hand with casual authority, and the oppressive auras of both elders instantly vanished as if they had never existed.
"Esteemed elders of the Yuntian Sword Sect squabbling like children—what kind of dignity does this display?" he reprimanded with obvious displeasure.
"The sect master is absolutely correct!" both elders immediately apologized, though they continued glaring at each other with obvious animosity.
Qin Jincheng turned his attention to Su Zhan, and a warm smile replaced his typically stern expression. "Su Zhan, I am the Sect Master of the Yuntian Sword Sect and the ultimate authority here. Whatever resources they can offer you, I can provide as well. Whatever they cannot accomplish, I certainly can. How about considering... accepting me as your master?"
As these words echoed through the hall, the attending elders immediately regarded Qin Jincheng with expressions of betrayal and disbelief.
So we shouldn't have fought over him because you intended to claim him as your disciple all along?
As the saying goes, the older someone becomes, the more shameless they grow!
The six elders sighed inwardly, realizing their chances had evaporated now that the sect master had personally intervened.
Chen Changfeng observed the proceedings from the sidelines, struggling to contain his amusement.
During our entire journey here, I exhausted every possible argument and enticement trying to convince Su Zhan to become my disciple, all to no avail. And now you expect to succeed where I failed? That's nothing but wishful thinking! Taking Su Zhan as a disciple isn't a simple matter, and none of you are remotely qualified for such an honor.
At that moment, Su Zhan spoke with calm composure.
"Sect Master, honored elders, I don't believe one should rush into the sacred relationship of master and disciple. I have no such intentions at present, but if I do consider accepting a master in the future, I will certainly seek your guidance first."
If any other disciple of the Yuntian Sword Sect had heard these words, they would have collapsed from shock.
How could someone at merely the Yuan Condensation Realm refuse offers of discipleship from both elders and the sect master himself?
However, the powerful experts present felt no anger at Su Zhan's response.
With talent so extraordinary that even the legendary talent pillar couldn't measure it properly—combined with his Sun God Divine Body—Su Zhan possessed every right to decline their offers.
"Very well. If that's your decision, I won't press the matter," Qin Jincheng nodded, though disappointment flickered across his features. It seemed that even he didn't qualify to serve as master to a divine physique genius of this caliber.
"Su Zhan, although you decline to become my disciple for now, your talent certainly merits receiving the finest resources our Yuntian Sword Sect can provide."
As he spoke, Qin Jincheng withdrew an ornate token from his storage ring and channeled his true qi into it through his fingertips.
"Of course, the ancient rules of our Yuntian Sword Sect, which have been maintained for thousands of years, cannot be arbitrarily broken. Since your cultivation is at the Yuan Condensation Realm, you can only hold the rank of Inner Disciple. However, with this token, you may freely access anywhere within the sect, excluding private residences and forbidden zones."
The token flew gracefully through the air toward Su Zhan.
Su Zhan examined it carefully. His name was engraved on the front in elegant script, while Qin Jincheng's personal seal marked the reverse.
Is this some form of identification pass?
Su Zhan tested it by injecting a small amount of his true qi into the token.
Immediately, the artifact blazed with light, projecting a beam that connected with his forehead.
Though initially surprised, Su Zhan quickly realized the light was merely transmitting information about Yuntian Sword Sect rules and regulations, so he relaxed and allowed the process to continue.
After several seconds, the light faded, and comprehensive knowledge of the sect's laws and a detailed map had been imprinted in his mind.
"This is your identity token," Qin Jincheng explained. "As long as you remain within the Yuntian Sword Sect's territory, the sect can transmit important information to you through this artifact. Keep it on your person at all times—never store it in spatial rings or storage devices."
"Understood," Su Zhan acknowledged with a respectful nod.
"Additionally, your residence has been assigned to Baiyun Peak, dwelling number seventeen. You should know its precise location after absorbing the information from the token, correct?"
Baiyun Peak was the mountain with the most concentrated spiritual energy in the entire Yuntian Sword Sect—the very heart of a massive spiritual energy gathering formation that activated every three months, causing pure spiritual energy to cascade down the mountainside like a waterfall of power.
It was a location typically reserved exclusively for true disciples.
After processing this information, Su Zhan smiled faintly. "I understand completely. If there's nothing else the sect master wishes to convey, I'll take my leave."
"By all means! I eagerly await the day when you become an unrivaled powerhouse throughout the realm!" Qin Jincheng replied with genuine warmth.
"How fortunate that this extraordinary child chose to join our Yuntian Sword Sect!" the assembled elders murmured among themselves, expressing their collective relief.
After a moment of celebration, all eyes inevitably returned to the pool where fragments of the ancient talent pillar floated like broken dreams.
Elder Miao released a heavy sigh. "I never imagined that the talent pillar, which has stood for over a thousand years, would be destroyed in such a manner."
Elder Liu nodded solemnly. "Though it's been damaged beyond repair, we also witnessed the emergence of an unparalleled genius, which makes this loss... acceptable."
Qin Jincheng's expression grew troubled as he turned toward Chen Changfeng. "Su Zhan is clearly a genius possessing a divine physique. Why did you insist on bringing him to the Fenghua Hall for talent testing in the first place?"
"Don't blame Brother Chen—weren't we all equally skeptical?" another elder interjected. "He simply wanted to demonstrate the full extent of Su Zhan's capabilities!"
All eyes focused on Chen Changfeng, who found himself the target of their collective scrutiny.
"This isn't my fault!" Chen Changfeng protested defensively. "Besides, weren't you all expressing doubts about his abilities? I merely wanted to see exactly how extraordinary Su Zhan's talent truly was!"
"And in the process, you allowed him to destroy our most precious testing artifact?" Qin Jincheng's displeasure was evident in his voice.
"Well..." Chen Changfeng opened and closed his mouth helplessly, his face reflecting profound dejection.
Who could have possibly predicted that Su Zhan's talent would be so monstrously overwhelming that it would exceed the pillar's very capacity to measure it?