Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er spoke of Baifu City, where they found a beautiful and unique two-story pavilion in the central area and settled in temporarily. As Golden Core cultivators, renting a suite in an inn was out of the question.

Since only cultivators belonging to the Tiandao Alliance were permitted to participate in the Island Seizing Convention, Ye Qin specifically made a trip to the Baifu Hall to apply for membership in the Tiandao Alliance.

The application process for a Golden Core cultivator was almost entirely frictionless. As the most massive and intricate cultivation organization in the East Sea, the Tiandao Alliance had very open membership requirements. They only scrutinized a cultivator's strength, never inquiring about their background, identity, or past actions. As long as one was a cultivator from the Central Lands and not a disguised demon race member, joining the Tiandao Alliance presented no issue.

Once a cultivator joined the Alliance, they incurred an obligation: should the Tiandao Alliance declare war against the Demon Race and the Sect Master issue a summons, no member cultivator could refuse under penalty of death for treason against the Alliance.

Ye Qin’s admission as a Golden Core cultivator was swiftly processed. He received a dark-gold token, and a small emblem of the Tiandao Alliance—a "lightning bolt splitting the sea"—was added to his sleeve. This mark was also present on Bing'er's sleeve, along with the marking of the Shuiyun Palace, which Ye Qin was already quite familiar with.

The Island Seizing Convention was still nearly a month away. Ye Qin had to wait for the time being.

Huangfu Bing'er sent out a Myriad Mile Sound Transmission Talisman to the several Golden Core Ancestors of the Qingdan Sect residing near Baifu City. She informed them that she and another Qingdan disciple had successfully formed their Golden Cores and invited them to gather on Baifu Island. She also summoned the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Qingdan Sect who were stationed in the area.

Upon hearing the news that the Qingdan Sect had gained two new Golden Core cultivators in one breath, the assembled Golden Core Ancestors were overjoyed and deeply excited. One ancestor even broke precedent by ceasing his seclusion, flying to Baifu City to the unique pavilion where Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er were staying to celebrate the great joy of their two disciples achieving the Golden Core stage.

However, while they knew of Huangfu Bing'er, they were unaware of the identity of the other disciple who had formed a Golden Core.

In truth, among the East Sea islands, the Qingdan Sect as an established sect was little more than a name. The vast majority of Qingdan Sect disciples were now members of the Tiandao Alliance, with a small fraction having joined the Heaven Demon Alliance.

The Golden Core Ancestors each possessed their own islands and cave residences, establishing their own small spheres of influence, or becoming part of one of the various Palaces under the Tiandao Alliance.

Meanwhile, the lower-level Foundation Establishment disciples had joined various lesser organizations. These cultivators did not exist in the form of a unified sect.

Nevertheless, even though sectarianism was downplayed among the East Sea islands, the camaraderie from their former sect days persisted. Former sect-brothers continued to interact frequently, addressing each other by their old designations. Should any of them ever return to the Lingwu Realm in the Central Lands, they would still regard themselves as disciples of the Qingdan Sect.

In the unique pavilion within Baifu City, Huangfu Bing'er and Ye Qin stepped out together to welcome the arrival of Sun Ran, Chen Weidan, Yuan Ningzhi, Feng An, and the other Golden Core cultivators from the Qingdan Sect.

"And who is this?"

Sun Ran, seeing Huangfu Bing'er being greeted alongside a young Golden Core cultivator whose face he didn't recognize, couldn't place Ye Qin.

"This is a disciple from the Lingquan Peak of the Qingdan Sect, and he is also my husband; we formed our Golden Cores together. To be precise, he was a disciple under Senior Uncle Sun back then. I wonder if Senior Uncle Sun remembers him?" Huangfu Bing'er explained Ye Qin's background.

"Disciple Ye Qin greets Senior Uncle Sun!"

Ye Qin smiled faintly, offering a slight bow to Sun Ran—a gesture of respect from a junior. This was his only time meeting the cultivator Sun, formerly the ancestor of Lingquan Peak, in the capacity of a junior, and likely the last time he would use such a formal address.

"Uh,?"

Sun Ran was astonished. He furrowed his brow, searching his memory to recall if he remembered this disciple. He had indeed been the ancestor of Lingquan Peak in those days, but he frequently remained in seclusion, ignoring administrative matters. Moreover, the Qingdan Sect had numerous disciples; he naturally had no inclination to memorize every ordinary disciple, and thus did not recall having such an outstanding disciple named Ye Qin on Lingquan Peak. Still, crossing the East Sea, he seemed to retain a faint impression—a disciple with this appearance might have traveled with them during the sea crossing.

Sun Ran genuinely couldn't recall. After a pause, he gave an awkward smile and said, "Since Disciple Ye has already reached the Golden Core stage, we can simply address each other as Martial Brothers. There's no need for the 'Senior Uncle' title. We all originate from the Qingdan lineage. In the future, among the East Sea islands, we must work together and support one another."

"I will still rely on Senior Brother Sun for guidance in the future," Ye Qin replied with a smile, subtly mocking himself internally. It seemed he truly made no impression on these Golden Core cultivators. However, from this moment forward, their impressions would be indelible.

The Golden Core cultivators exchanged greetings with Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er before entering the pavilion for a small gathering.

The expressions they cast toward Ye Qin, though their smiles were genial, held secret reservations. The reason for their unspoken disapproval was singular: Ye Qin originated from the low-status background of a rogue cultivator, possessing no established backing.

In the cultivation world, a rogue cultivator managing to reach the Golden Core stage through sheer effort was acknowledged as possessing exceptional talent and deserved admiration. Thus, they held no critique of Ye Qin's individual talent or strength. Their concern lay entirely with his lack of familial or sectarian background. Without a solid foundation or powerful connections, this remained a massive vulnerability that would severely restrict the pace of his future cultivation.

Rogue cultivators, relying solely on their own meager savings accumulated over a mere few decades, were inevitably short on resources, often appearing somewhat impoverished. In the cultivation world, high talent alone does not guarantee great achievement. The purchase of raw materials for pill refinement, artifact forging, talismans, and the spiritual stones required for practicing techniques—every aspect demanded vast sums of wealth. Without the accumulated capital and connections afforded by a family lineage spanning hundreds or thousands of years, even a cultivator with staggering talent could be bogged down by worries over cultivation supplies, leading to slow progress or even complete stagnation.

Talented yet destitute cultivators were not uncommon in the cultivation world. Unless they were selected by a major cultivation family to become a live-in son-in-law, or unexpectedly favored by an Ancestor and taken as a direct disciple, upward mobility was rare. For rogue cultivators to advance rapidly to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages through self-reliance was exceedingly rare; their cultivation paths were infinitely more arduous than those born into great families.

Huangfu Bing'er, a disciple from a major family like the Qingdan Sect, possessed excellent family backing, superior spiritual root aptitude, and stunning beauty—her future in cultivation was boundless, ideally suited for a marriage alliance with someone from a similar prominent background. Yet, she was now choosing to be a dual cultivator and Dao companion to a poor Golden Core cultivator stemming from a rogue background. It felt somewhat regrettable. The road ahead for her cultivation would surely be difficult. To earn spirit stones, she would likely have to fire up her pill furnace daily, selling elixirs for the resources needed to advance. One could only imagine the hardship. Whether she could ever reach the Nascent Soul stage remained uncertain!

Sun Ran, Chen Handan, and the few other Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances, unable to voice their concerns. If Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er were still at the Foundation Establishment stage, as their elders, they would have grounds to intervene and stop this. However, since Ye Qin and Huangfu were now Golden Core cultivators, their status was equal to their own; the elders held no right to interfere in their personal affairs. Unless Huangfu Rui were present, nothing could dissuade them. The Golden Core cultivators shook their heads, lamenting that Huangfu Bing'er was entering a dual cultivation path with a Golden Core cultivator born from poverty.

The only source of satisfaction for them was that Ye Qin was also a Qingdan Sect disciple; thus, the addition of two Golden Core cultivators was undeniably excellent news for the sect's standing.

Accompanying them in celebration were numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Qingdan Sect. In total, over seventy Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived. Excluding the twenty-odd who had perished during the sea crossing or within the last decade, more than fifty were residing near Baifu City and rushed over to congratulate them upon hearing the news.

Most of these cultivators recognized Huangfu Bing'er. Among them were also Elder Yan's daughter, Yan Dong, and Shen Bao, individuals Ye Qin knew, who were prominently present.

When these Foundation Establishment disciples learned Huangfu Bing'er had successfully achieved the Golden Core, they were naturally thrilled and came to offer congratulations. In the eyes of these disciples, since Huangfu Bing'er had been accepted as a personal disciple by True Master Liu Yu, forming a Golden Core was merely a matter of time; they were only surprised it had happened so quickly, within just over a decade.

However, the younger generation of Qingdan disciples were utterly stunned, feeling a mix of bewilderment and jealousy, and some even showing their agitation upon seeing Ye Qin present and already a Golden Core cultivator. Most of them retained their impression of Ye Qin from the time he relinquished a Foundation Establishment Pill to Yan Ying, Shen Bao, and others. Beyond that single event, they could recall nothing else particularly noteworthy.

Despite their astonishment and envy, these few dozen young cultivators stepped forward to formally pay their respects to the two Golden Core cultivators, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er. Since both had achieved the Golden Core stage, they felt obliged to show the deference expected of juniors.

"Martial Uncle Ye!"

Shen Bao's expression was strange; he addressed Ye Qin as Martial Uncle with palpable reluctance, feeling intensely awkward. Back in Lingwu City, when they both joined the Qingdan Sect in the same year, Shen Bao's Qi Condensation cultivation level had been one or two layers higher than Ye Qin's. Later, during their joint trials in the Wanku Ridge, Ye Qin gradually caught up. During their perilous encounter in the Cold Lake Forest, Ye Qin had already begun displaying strength far surpassing his own. Throughout their journey, they had always addressed each other as Martial Brother or Martial Junior. Now, in the East Sea, Shen Bao had exerted immense effort just to reach the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment, believing his progress to be rapid and feeling rather smug. Unexpectedly, Ye Qin had leaped forward to become a Golden Core cultivator, completely transcending the Foundation Establishment realm. Such a speed of cultivation was utterly beyond his reach; he couldn't hope to catch up even if he rode a fast horse.

"Heh, Shen Bao, let's grab a few drinks at an inn when you're free," Ye Qin chuckled inwardly, understanding his thoughts. He clapped Shen Bao on the shoulder, offering some gentle encouragement. Among the Qingdan cultivators, Shen Bao was the most familiar peer; Ye Qin would not allow the difference between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment to create a rift.

As for Yan Dong, the gaze she fixed on Ye Qin from the crowd was far more complex. She had adventured alongside Ye Qin and Shen Bao in the Wanku Ridge, where Ye Qin had once rescued her in a cave and even gifted her a Foundation Establishment Pill—a debt of gratitude she deeply felt, nursing an unusual sentiment toward him. Yet, back then, she was a proud disciple from a cultivation family, and with her father being Elder Yan the Great, she paid Ye Qin little mind, always holding a subtle disdain for rogue cultivators like him. This made any close association impossible. This Junior Martial Brother Ye, who once required quiet support from her father, was now a Golden Core cultivator, holding a status vastly higher than her father, Elder Yan the Great, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nine Great Ancestors of the Qingdan Sect. She sighed softly. Seeing the figure closest to Ye Qin, constantly veiled by a thin gauze yet smiling serenely—Huangfu Bing'er, the most mysterious Senior Martial Sister of the Qingdan Sect—now achieving Golden Core status alongside him and embarking on dual cultivation, a pang struck her heart. It was an indescribable mix of envy, jealousy, sadness, and confusion.