Chapter 266: Curiosity Will Kill the Cat, Do You Know That!

After Jialan, Fang Yu, and Long Xuan arrived, they immediately drew the attention of many Nei and Wai Men disciples, each bowing to Jialan.

After all, Jialan is a being of the 7th Stage of Divine Abilities and Golden Core Realm—wherever she goes, she commands people's respect.

Some also turned their gazes toward Fang Yu.

"Ah, the one walking with Senior Sister Jialan is the legendary Senior Brother Fang Yu—he's from the Fang family of Long Yuan Province, and after joining our Yuhua Sect, he cultivated straight to the Divine Ability Secret Realm!"

"I've heard the story of Senior Brother Fang Yu—he was originally a clansman of Senior Sister Fang Qingxue; soon after coming to our Yuhua Sect, during an external training expedition, he slew the Prince of the Evil Moon, earning great renown. Later, on another expedition, he killed the Crimson Powder Crown Prince of the Hongchenmo Sect and obtained a Yin-Yang Wan Shou Pill!"

"Senior Brother Fang Yu is truly a prodigy of heaven; during the last Nei Men disciple assessment, when the Tian Mo Battlefield was invaded by countless Tian Mo, it was Senior Brother Fang Yu who arrived first and slew over three thousand Tian Mo."

"Once you step into the Divine Ability Secret Realm, it's like ascending straight to heaven—if I could break through to the Divine Ability Secret Realm and become a True Disciple, I'd be watching the disciple duels from up there today, not down here fighting while being watched by True Disciple senior brothers and sisters."

"I heard Senior Sister Jialan never shows favor to ordinary men—why is she treating this Senior Brother Fang Yu differently? Look at how they laugh and chat—just what realm has this Senior Brother Fang Yu reached?"

When Fang Yu arrived at Shanhe Courtyard, he sensed countless spiritual fluctuations—some envious, some fantasizing, others desperate to rise above.

Fang Yu saw through these thoughts clearly; walking with Jialan, he arrived beneath a yellow banner inscribed with three gilded characters: "Shanhe List."

The yellow banner radiated ten thousand rays of aurora and a thousand lines of auspicious energy, emitting torrents of potent magic power—it was a treasure artifact.

The Shanhe List bore ten names.

The top-ranked name remained Long Xuan.

Although Long Xuan had already become a True Disciple of Yuhua Sect and was no longer classified among Nei Men disciples, the Shanhe List rankings were set last year, when Long Xuan was still first, so they had not yet been updated.

After this year's Shanhe List competition, Long Xuan's name would surely vanish.

First place: Long Xuan. Third place: a man named Ye Nantian. Tenth place: one named Yuan Jiankong.

Fang Yu observed all this, then sat on a chair beneath the Shanhe List, where several True Disciples and some Sect Elders were already conversing.

When they saw Jialan and Fang Yu arrive, several True Disciples and Elders turned their gazes toward them—some greeted Jialan, others studied Fang Yu, as if sizing up his worth.

"Hmm, strange—what realm has this Fang Yu reached? I'm already in the Heavenly Man Realm, yet I sense he's strangely inscrutable."

On a nearby seat sat a veteran True Disciple named Bai Zhan True Person, surrounded by many True Disciples—he was clearly the leader of this group.

At this moment, his gaze fixed on Fang Yu, as if trying to gauge his true strength.

But to his surprise, he could not discern Fang Yu's level at all; the newly promoted True Disciple brother seemed utterly elusive.

"That fellow who came with Jialan—Fang Yu, they say he's a clansman of Fang Qingxue. Seeing him now, he seems like a smooth-talker, getting so close to Jialan."

On the other side, a True Disciple who had cultivated to the 6th Stage of Divine Abilities and Return to Oneness Realm, Xuan Tie True Person, also cast his gaze toward Fang Yu, his brow slightly furrowed.

He had reached the 6th Stage of Divine Abilities, just one step away from the 7th Stage and Golden Core Realm—but crossing that step was extremely difficult; he had cultivated for centuries and still had not broken through.

He was gathering strength; the moment he stepped forward, he would become one of Yuhua Sect's Six Great True Disciples.

Around Xuan Tie True Person gathered many True Disciples—some at the 5th Stage of Divine Abilities and Heavenly Man Realm, others at the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Stages.

Fang Yu saw a True Disciple at the 2nd Stage of Divine Abilities, who had cultivated roughly four hundred Xuan Huang Lie Ma of power, sitting beside Xuan Tie True Person, speaking eagerly.

This 2nd Stage True Disciple had clearly broken into the Divine Ability Secret Realm several years ago and been recruited by Xuan Tie True Person as his follower.

"Senior Brother Fang Yu, those few are among the highest-cultivated True Disciples in our Yuhua Sect. As for True Disciples below the Heavenly Man Realm, I see no need to introduce them."

After greeting several Elders and True Disciples, Jialan sat down and spoke to Fang Yu.

"Xuan Tie True Person, Bai Zhan True Person. And that one…"

As she spoke, another True Disciple arrived nearby.

This True Disciple wore a purple Dao robe embroidered with nine dragons—each dragon a different color: black, yellow, green, red—each a five-clawed true dragon, faintly radiating an aura of imperial nobility.

It was vastly different from the ethereal style of the Immortal Dao, yet the robe perfectly matched his demeanor, creating a harmonious effect.

"Ling Xiao."

Jialan looked at the arriving True Disciple and uttered two words.

The True Disciple clad in the Nine-Dragon Dao robe, radiating imperial nobility, was none other than Dong Ling Xiao—the master of Ling Xiao Peak, one of Yuhua Sect's Five Great True Disciples, famed far and wide, immensely powerful, with boundless magic power, who had cultivated to the 7th Stage of Divine Abilities and Golden Core Realm.