When the Heavenly Punishment Elder announced that Ye Kuang would fill Si Kongs spot, countless gazes turned enviously toward him.

Ye Kuang had stumbled upon such a rare opportunity.

His once dejected face lit up with unrestrained joy, in the depths of despair, a sudden glimmer of hope had broken through.

Next is the distribution of your rewards!

The Heavenly Punishment Elder acted swiftly, wasting no time.

For someone of his cultivation, handling the rewards of countless participants was as effortless as breathing, with a single thought, he knew exactly who deserved what, down to the last merit point.

With a wave of his arm, immortal light descended from the sky. Radiant streams descended, transforming midair into treasures and resources, each prize finding its rightful owner according to their performance.

Naturally, the most generous rewards went to the top ten.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder casually flung his hand, and a stream of light fell into Chen Fans hand.

Chen Fan, this is your reward!

It was a storage pouch. Chen Fan immediately probed it with his divine will, and his heart stirred. The rewards for first place were nothing short of astounding.

Inside lay a hundred thousand immortal stones, accompanied by a dazzling assortment of elixirs. Although they were not immortal elixirs, they all reached the level of top-tier Grade-9 pills. There were also all kinds of quasi-immortal artifacts.

And nestled at the very center was the prize among prizes: an Immortal Breakthrough Pill.

Deep within the pouch, sealed inside a protective barrier, glowed a golden pill. A flood of medicinal energy emanated from the pill, yet the barrier held firm, preserving its potency.

The pill radiated such intense spiritual essence that it seemed almost alive. It seemed like the moment the barrier was released, it might sprout wisdom of its own and soar into the heavens.

Chen Fan knew that this was the Immortal Breakthrough Pill. It was a genuine, immortal elixirnot the low-grade kind, but a mid-grade one.

The rewards were truly overwhelming, making him feel as though he had become rich overnight.

Over the past year and a half, Chen Fan had poured every ounce of his resourcesmerit points, immortal stones, elixirs, everythinginto cultivating within the Man-character secret realm, draining his reserves dry. Now, all of it was replenished and more in one go, enough to sustain his cultivation for a long time to come.

And why shouldnt he enjoy it? Every reward was rightfully his, earned through strength and skill. There was no guilt in accepting them.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder added, Alright, your rewards have been distributed to you. Chen Fan, Mo Xue, Ye Kuang, you will set off for the Immortal Conferral Ancient Realm in a month.

Yes! the three of them answered in unison.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder nodded and announced, Alright, the martial meet has officially come to an end. I hope you will continue cultivating diligently and strive to ascend to immortality as soon as possible.

We shall follow the Heavenly Punishment Elders teachings! countless voices echoed like thunder.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder nodded, shifted his gaze to Chen Fan, and said, Chen Fan, you come with me.

Chen Fan froze for a heartbeat, then immediately returned to his senses and followed the Heavenly Punishment Elder to the Heavenly Punishment Great Hall under the watchful stares of the crowd.

Did the Heavenly Punishment Elder call Chen Fan for a private meeting to give him personal guidance?

Hmph, nonsense! Hes probably going to punish him for being too heavy-handed during the competition.

You fool, if he meant to punish him, hed have done so long ago. Why wait until after he handed out rewards?

Previously, wasnt there a rumor that some behemoth had taken an interest in Chen Fan after he killed Lin Heng? Could that behemoth be the Heavenly Punishment Elder? After all, they fought to the death at the Heavenly Punishment Platform, his territory. Nothing that happens there could escape his eyes.

I dont think so. Wasnt there word that it was only a rumor?

Hoho, who cares if its a rumor or not. In my opinion, Chen Fan is about to ascend to heaven in a single step.

As the crowd discussed, they scattered in small groups.

……

Chen Fan followed the elder to the Heavenly Punishment Great Hall, silently turning over countless guesses in his mind about why he had been summoned.

In the solemn great hall:

I wonder for what matter you have called me for, Elder? Chen Fan said politely. In front of the Heavenly Punishment Elder, he naturally maintained the utmost etiquette. Showing even a hint of disrespect was unthinkable.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder looked at Chen Fan, who was clearly acting cautiously, and found it amusing.

Youve performed very well in this competition.

During the martial meet, Chen Fan had been fearless, yet now he seemed reserved, almost tense. But of course, the Elder understood that being summoned to this hall would make even elite disciples uneasyhow much more so for a mere lower-class disciple like Chen Fan.

Elder is overpraising me, Chen Fan replied humbly.

Haha, Chen Fan, you struck cleanly and ruthlessly during the competition, utterly without fear. Yet here you are, acting so restrained.

I wouldnt dare act insolently in front of an Elder.

Alright, no need to feel pressured. The Heavenly Punishment Elder waved his hand and continued, Chen Fan, are you willing to accept me as your master?

Huh? Chen Fan froze, staring blankly as if he had misheard. Surely, he wasnt hearing this correctly.

Chen Fans shock was within the Heavenly Punishment Elders expectations. He asked again, Are you willing to accept me as your master? .

Chen Fan shook inside. To become the disciple of the Heavenly Punishment Elder was to gain an unshakable backer. Even organizations like the Hua Alliance wouldnt dare provoke him easily in the future.

In this world, accepting a master was like gaining a parent for life. Once he became the Heavenly Punishment Elders personal disciple, his status in the Featherlight Sect would soar. It was a momentous change.

When Chen Fan was in the True Martial Academy, he had joined the Peerless Peak and became Zhang Daolings disciple. Afterward, Zhang Daoling assisted him on numerous occasions. Even during the marriage ceremony of the Ji Clan and the Sun Moon Divine Sect, Zhang Daoling appeared at a critical moment to support him.

Chen Fan didnt hesitate for long. He immediately knelt down and bowed. This disciple greets his master!

This world did not forbid having more than one master. Wisdom, after all, followed those who guided you best. Even Zhang Daoling, were he present, would approve of Chen Fan taking the Heavenly Punishment Elder as a teacher.

Good, good, good! The Heavenly Punishment Elder laughed heartily. His gaze toward Chen Fan was filled with adoration and admiration.

Previously, Chen Fan was only a low-class disciple of the Featherlight Sect. Now, he was his personal disciple. Naturally, things were different.

There was an old saying: a teacher for a day, a father forever. Disciples were like children, for many martial artists who never married, disciples became their heirs.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder said boldly, Who dares to lay a finger on you now that you are my disciple? Ill fend off those old coots for you. If anyone so much as harms a hair on your head, Ill storm their door and overturn the heavens!

His sentiments touched Chen Fan. With such a protective master shielding him, things would be much easier for him in the future.

The Heavenly Punishment Elder added, But for the young ones, youll have to deal with them yourselves. They are your grinding stones. If you cant even deal with those people, Ill be too disappointed in you.

Of course. With Master guarding the elders, it would be shameful if I could not deal with the younger generation, Chen Fan said powerfully.

So long as the old coots stayed out of it, Chen Fan felt certain he could face any challenger among the juniors.