After a brief silence, the audience erupted in thunderous shock. Even the elders of the Divine Will Sect were taken aback by the result.

The Divine Will Assembly had a history spanning two hundred sessions. Two hundred sessions, two thousand years. Never had there been a case where a cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment secured first place. This was truly shocking.

An Miaoli, upon seeing Ye Chen's victory, looked at him with eyes that seemed to be veiled by a mist. There was both surprise and a hint of unease. If Li Feihuang had won, there would have been opportunities for exchanging benefits.

After all, Li Feihuang, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, no longer needed the Divine Will Pool. But Ye Chen, being at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, had a great need for it.

An Yuyi, though still shocked, felt a surge of excitement in her eyes. While she was angry that Ye Chen had stolen her opportunity, Ye Chen's victory and the prize of the Divine Will Pool slot gave her a chance.

Ye Chen owed her so much. This Divine Will Pool slot had to be hers.

...

"The first place of this year's Divine Will Assembly is Ye Chen! He will receive the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple spot! He will also gain entry to the Divine Will Pool! The remaining rankings for the cultivators..."

"This year's Divine Will Assembly is officially concluded!"

The elder's voice rang out across the city. Amidst the awe-struck and astonished gazes of the cultivators, and the endless murmurs of discussion, Ye Chen's name reverberated throughout Divine Will City. It would spread to every sect and family as the cultivators from outside the city left.

After stepping down from the platform, Li Feihuang looked at Ye Chen, who was the center of attention, with a gaze full of resentment. She didn't feel that she lost to Ye Chen because her strength was inferior. On the contrary, she was absolutely far superior to Ye Chen.

The problem was that she couldn't fully activate her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, for fear that doing so would expose her to the Great Chu Dynasty, who might come after her. Once the Fire Phoenix Spirit Body was fully activated, a phantom Fire Phoenix would appear behind her, making it impossible to hide. If she had used it, Ye Chen would have never been her opponent.

Li Feihuang's face was full of frustration.

At that moment, an elderly man with white hair appeared beside her silently and without warning. "I didn't expect you to lose," he said.

Li Feihuang, still frustrated, replied, "I didn't dare fully activate the Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, fearing that the Great Chu Dynasty would learn of my identity and come to take me. Otherwise, I would have won without question. Uncle Zhang, is there any other chance to get a direct disciple qualification?"

To obtain the Phoenix Blood, one must be a direct disciple. Ordinary inner disciples were not qualified. But Li Feihuang was after the Phoenix Blood. If it weren't for that, she would have had better options.

Hearing this, Elder Zhang shook his head. "The direct disciple qualification of the Divine Will Sect represents power and resources, and there are only so many slots available. There's intense competition within the sect.

"Recently, two slots opened up, and there was a fierce dispute over them—elders even fought each other. For the past few years, it's basically been impossible to get new slots. So, the slot from the Divine Will Assembly is probably the only chance."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Li Feihuang gritted her teeth. With her innate Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, she was perfectly aligned with the Phoenix. If she could use the Phoenix Blood to form her Golden Core, it would definitely be a Nine-turn Golden Core. Not to mention, her physique could tap into the bloodline power and improve even further. She could not afford to miss this opportunity. Otherwise, she would never regain what she had lost. She would have to watch as those disgusting relatives enjoyed what should have been hers.

Li Feihuang clenched her teeth, her face, which seemed ordinary, now showing a remarkable resolve. "Uncle Zhang, is it possible to give the direct disciple slot obtained from the Divine Will Assembly to someone else?"

Elder Zhang smiled upon hearing this. "The direct disciple qualification is a serious matter, and in principle, it cannot be transferred to someone else."

Seeing the disappointment on Li Feihuang's face, Elder Zhang smiled again.

"However, your combat strength and talent have not gone unnoticed by the sect," he said. "If it were up to me, I could have a word and perhaps make an exception. After all, having you as a direct disciple wouldn't be a bad thing for the sect."

Li Feihuang immediately brightened up with joy.

But Elder Zhang quickly became serious again. "But there can be no coercion involved. The Divine Will Assembly is one of the sect's most prestigious events, with a history spanning two thousand years. If the first place were to be forced into giving up their direct disciple qualification, it would cause immense damage to our sect's reputation. The sect will never allow that to happen. So, it can only be discussed."

Elder Zhang handed her a storage bag. "This storage bag contains two thousand high-grade spirit stones. Take them for now."

Li Feihuang looked at the storage bag and then at Elder Zhang's smiling face. A bitter feeling rose in her heart.

Two thousand high-grade spirit stones were not a small sum, even for a Golden Core cultivator. Her father had passed away. And her relatives had immediately fought for power, even attempting to kill her. Yet, her father's old friend had done his best to help her.

"Uncle Zhang, I can't accept this. I have some here!" Li Feihuang said, lowering her head.

Elder Zhang smiled lightly. "If you need anything, just ask. If it truly can't be helped, there's no harm in becoming an inner disciple for a few years. If a slot opens up during these five years, it will definitely be yours. I've never fought for anything in my life. They'll have to give me some face. So, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

With that, Elder Zhang left without a sound.

Li Feihuang stood there, looking at Ye Chen on the platform. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. What could she use to persuade Ye Chen?

On the platform, an elder spoke a few encouraging words to Ye Chen and asked which elder he would like to become an apprentice under. Given Ye Chen's displayed talent, there were few elders who would refuse such a prodigy.

Ye Chen, however, appeared hesitant and asked if he could take a few days to consider.

The elder nodded immediately. "Of course. The direct disciple slot must be decided within three days. As for the Divine Will Pool, it will open in half a month. You can come directly with the token you received from the Divine Will Assembly."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded in acknowledgment. Ye Chen certainly had no intention of taking the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple slot. Joining the Divine Will Sect didn't hold much significance for him. Even if he became a direct disciple, it would be difficult to approach a grand elder like An Miaoli.

As for Li Feihuang, she seemed to be scheming something secretly. Who knew when she might run off?

Clearly, she wasn't a suitable target for a regular reward exchange. Occasionally, he might get lucky, but in the end, it seemed better to stick with his master.

Moreover, Ye Chen realized something. It seemed that the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple slot and the Divine Will Pool slot couldn't be transferred. The sect directly recorded his identity with them. That extinguished Ye Chen's earlier fantasies of sending the rewards elsewhere. The direct disciple slot was useless now.

As for the Divine Will Pool, it was worth going, as it could save time in cultivation. But overall, Ye Chen felt that this Divine Will Assembly had been rather unremarkable. If he had known the slots couldn't be transferred, he wouldn't have bothered coming.

With a slight pout, Ye Chen walked off the platform. But just at that moment, a nondescript woman stood in front of him. It was Li Feihuang, with her three hundred times multiplier!

Li Feihuang looked at Ye Chen seriously and spoke, "Fellow Daoist Ye, would you mind finding a quieter place to talk?"

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