Chapter 75: The Feeling of Being in the Spotlight (Part Two)

The sky stretched thousands of miles, ablaze with crimson. Su Fan lowered his head in silence. Around him, disciples milled in chaos, with only the disciples of the Yellow Division appearing somewhat dejected; perhaps without their leader, they found themselves unable to lift their heads among their peers.

Suddenly, Su Fan noticed a short yellow-robed cultivator standing at the front of the Yellow Division. The man was diminutive in stature, but possessed a disproportionately large head, and Su Fan immediately recalled his origins. Seeing this big-headed cultivator standing confidently before the Yellow Division, gazing calmly at the chief elders in the sky, while disciples behind him cast reverent glances his way, Su Fan surmised that his identity must be extraordinary.

Su Fan felt deeply moved. That humble abode of a mere registered disciple had produced so many remarkable figures: not only geniuses like Xiao Lin, and superior sword cultivators like Qin Yu, but also this strangely distinguished big-headed cultivator.

The big-headed cultivator seemed to sense Su Fan’s gaze, and turned to smile at him. Su Fan nodded in response, then lowered his head again.

A loud voice suddenly rang out. The elder in red robes shouted, “The reason I have gathered you all here again is to announce several matters.”

At his words, the previously noisy Seven-Colored Platform instantly fell silent. Some disciples raised their heads to gaze with awe at the exalted sect leader; others bowed their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

The red-robed elder surveyed the crowd, his tone grave. “Previously, the chief of the Yellow Division—my junior, the Yellow-robed Elder—fell victim to traitors. Despite my efforts to investigate, I have been unable to uncover the murderer. I am deeply pained, unable to avenge my junior.

“However, the Yellow Division is an indispensable branch of our Tianyuan Sect. Though the Yellow-robed Elder has passed, the Division cannot go without a leader for a single day. Thus, after consultation with the chief elders and the disciples of the Yellow Division, we have decided to appoint disciple Ding Ming as the new chief of the Yellow Division.”

An uproar broke out immediately. All eyes turned to the big-headed cultivator, and Su Fan was astonished—so Ding Ming possessed such abilities after all.

The red-robed elder smiled at Ding Ming and said, “Ding Ming, from today onward you are the chief of the Yellow Division. Do you accept?”

Ding Ming’s eyes gleamed with fervor, clearly delighted within. He clasped his fists and declared loudly, “I am willing to accept. I will certainly fulfill my duties as chief.”

The red-robed elder laughed heartily, waved his hand, and drew Ding Ming up beside him in the air, signaling him to sit. Ding Ming’s eyes shone as he sat cross-legged in the sky.

Most disciples on the Seven-Colored Platform revealed looks of envy, though a few concealed disdainful glances, and some remained indifferent.

Qin Yu belonged to the latter; he continued wiping his long sword, which exuded an astonishing aura—its sword intent seemed able to slice through the void and shatter mountains.

Su Fan shuddered, then lowered his head in silence. Though he remembered the elder’s words, he felt helpless after offending Hong Yuan earlier. Had Hong Yuan not been so aggressive, Su Fan would not have acted as he did.

After a moment, calm returned to the platform. The red-robed elder continued, “In the Nine Cities of Tianyuan, the general of Luo City, Er Gou, perished through improper cultivation, leaving the position vacant. So far, no suitable candidate has been found.

“Upon consideration, only one person is fit for this post: Su Fan of the Purple Division. His cultivation is formidable, and he understands worldly matters—unlike most sect disciples, who only know cultivation and not how to interact with others.”

Su Fan thought to himself that if he went to Luo City, he would inevitably clash with Zhao, the local magnate. According to the elder in purple robes, Zhao’s cultivation was now terrifyingly strong—far beyond Su Fan’s ability to contend.

Su Fan frowned, looked up at the red-robed elder in the sky, and said calmly, “I do not wish to go to Luo City.”

The platform grew eerily quiet. To defy the sect leader’s command was an act of grave rebellion, for the leader’s words were law, and none dared disobey. Furthermore, the general’s mansion offered tremendous benefits—a place many dreamed of attaining.

Hong Yuan, standing among the Red Division, shouted, “How dare you refuse the sect leader’s command?”

The red-robed elder’s expression remained unchanged, as though he had anticipated Su Fan’s answer. He glanced at the purple-robed elder, whose eyes were closed, then looked back at Su Fan and laughed, “Why do you not wish to go?”

The disciples exchanged astonished glances. The sect leader was not angry, but spoke to Su Fan in a gentle manner—something unprecedented. The disciples recalled the rumors about Su Fan, and immediately began to believe those they had previously doubted.

Su Fan smiled and replied, “Sect leader, I stayed in Luo City for some time, and during that period I offended some of the city’s guards. If I return, I fear it will bring me no benefit.”

The red-robed elder shook his head. “That is unfortunate. I will discuss this further with the chief elders. You may step down.”

Su Fan clasped his fists, thinking to himself how shrewd the red-robed elder was: first appointing Ding Ming to lead the Yellow Division, thus drawing him in; then attempting to send Su Fan, the Purple Division’s sole disciple, to Luo City, thereby weakening the Purple Division’s influence once more.

As for the elder’s ready acquiescence, it was likely due to the purple-robed elder’s presence, but Su Fan doubted that he would let the matter rest so easily.

The red-robed elder continued, “Next, I will announce a major event: the Seven Divisions Grand Competition, held every ten years in Tianyuan Sect. The rewards for this competition are exceptionally rich.

“The disciple who takes first place will gain entry to the Seven-Colored Hall, receive a thousand Tianyuan Pills for their division, and be awarded a magical artifact crafted by the Chief Elder of the Azure Division, the Azure-robed Elder.”

The platform erupted. Each reward was enough to drive anyone mad: be it the Seven-Colored Hall, the legendary Tianyuan Pills, or the mysterious magical artifact forged by the Azure-robed Elder—all were rare treasures.

Su Fan knew of the Seven-Colored Hall; it could increase the chances of forming a nascent soul. He was also familiar with the Tianyuan Pill, having seen it once with the red-robed elder—a single pill contained more spiritual energy than hundreds of low-grade spirit stones. As for the Azure-robed Elder’s artifact, Su Fan was unfamiliar, but judging from the shock among the usually indifferent disciples of the Azure Division, it must be exceptional.

The red-robed elder smiled faintly. “Since there are many disciples in each division, after discussion with the chief elders, each division will send two disciples to compete. The Purple Division has only one disciple, so only one may participate.”

Su Fan paused. This put him at a disadvantage, for all hope of the Purple Division rested on him alone, and he would have to fight quietly by himself.

The red-robed elder continued, “The Red Division will send Hong Yuan and Hong Yan.”

Hong Yuan immediately became the center of attention again. Under countless gazes, he remained radiant with confidence. All the disciples looked at him with envy—even the Green-robed Elder in the sky smiled at him.

The red-robed elder glanced at Hong Yuan with fondness and continued, “The Orange Division will send Hong Ling and Ye Xue.”

Such an exquisite name as “Ye Xue”—what manner of person could she be? Su Fan couldn’t help but look toward the Orange Division. He immediately spotted Hong Ling, who was looking at him. Hong Ling quickly became flustered and withdrew her gaze.

Su Fan sighed softly, about to lower his head again, when he suddenly saw a female disciple in white amidst the Orange Division. The woman had pale blue eyes, as if covered in a layer of frost.

Su Fan recognized her, but upon seeing her again felt something different—she seemed like an iceberg, impossible to approach or fathom.

The red-robed elder continued aloud, “Next are the disciples of the Yellow Division…”

“We of the Yellow Division forfeit. We will not compete this time.”

A flattering voice rang out, and the eyes of the Yellow Division disciples turned to Ding Ming in the sky. Ding Ming continued, “Our chief has just passed away, so it is inappropriate for us to participate in such a festive event.”

The red-robed elder nodded. “In that case, the Yellow Division disciples may observe the competition, and after it ends, each will receive a Tianyuan Pill.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples of the Yellow Division no longer blamed Ding Ming’s decision, but instead showed joy. Ding Ming hurriedly clasped his fists and said, “Thank you, sect leader.”

Xiao Lin, below the platform, immediately revealed a look of disdain and turned away. Su Fan smiled at Xiao Lin, who returned the smile, and Su Fan shook his head helplessly.

The red-robed elder waved his hand and continued, “Next is the Green Division; the disciples participating are Qin Yu and Qi Xuan.

“As for the Azure Division, I received a letter from the Azure-robed Chief Elder the other day, naming Shi Nan and Shi Han to compete. If you have objections, speak now.”

The Azure Division disciples remained silent, indicating their assent. Shi Nan and Shi Han were brothers, highly respected within the division, kind to their peers, and possessed the highest cultivation among them—thus, they were the most suitable candidates.

“Blue Division,” the red-robed elder said after a pause. “The participants are Xiao Lin and Ning Yuan.”

A wave of cheers swept through the crowd, even surpassing those for Hong Yuan. Xiao Lin smiled and waved to the disciples, causing the cheers to cease abruptly, showing his tremendous influence among them.

The red-robed elder’s face showed a trace of displeasure—clearly, Xiao Lin’s prominence made him uneasy. Yet, the elder was shrewd; he quickly concealed his feelings and continued calmly, “The Purple Division has only Su Fan, so he alone will compete.”

The moment Su Fan’s name was spoken, thunderous cheers erupted. Su Fan looked around in surprise, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under the weight of so many eyes.

The disciples chanted in unison, “Su Fan, Su Fan…”

Su Fan surveyed the crowd, spotting Xiao Lin’s mischievous grin, and immediately understood. He also saw the odd expressions on Qin Yu and Hong Ling’s faces, and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Hong Yuan, standing at the front of the Red Division, looked extremely displeased; the cheers for Su Fan outnumbered his own several times over, making his earlier pride seem awkward in retrospect.

Even the purple-robed elder, who had kept his eyes closed throughout, now looked at Su Fan with a peculiar expression. The blue-robed elder smiled and waved at Su Fan in greeting.

Su Fan smiled wryly, clasped his fists, and bowed respectfully.

The red-robed elder’s face darkened; he coughed, and the cheers gradually subsided.