"Impossible. Elder Ding is a Grand Elder of the Sect, holding an incomparably lofty position. Since the battle with the Three Great Demon Sects, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. I heard he is currently in seclusion, striving to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage. How could he possibly preside over a mere entry-level disciple assessment?" Another young cultivator, seemingly more composed, shook his head and analyzed, "This must be a rumor."

Lei Dong listened, slightly stunned. Wan Yan was already pushing toward the late Nascent Soul stage? However, he couldn't fully trust the words of these low-tier cultivators; their channels of information were surely irregular.

"Your news is outdated. Years ago, Elder Ding and Elder Dongfang both announced they were entering seclusion to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage. But I heard from my elders that six months ago, both seniors emerged from seclusion, having successfully reached the late Nascent Soul realm," declared the young man named Gu Hao, who clearly had an influential background, fanning himself with a folding fan. "My elder said that in the entire world today, the cultivation base and fortune of the 'Twin Elites and One Cloud' are unmatched. They have all reached the late Nascent Soul stage at such a young age, each carrying a sliver of hope to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage. Perhaps the future Guardian of the Spirit Transformation realm will fall upon them."

Spirit Transformation? The moment this term was uttered, a wave of deep breaths swept through the crowd of low-tier cultivators. Clearly, it was a concept of supreme significance. It had only been less than forty years since the Taiyi Sect's outrageous actions in Kangzhou.

That incident was a profound humiliation for all of Kangzhou. Almost everyone knew that the Taiyi Sect dared to be so arrogant and overbearing in Kangzhou precisely because Kangzhou lacked a Spirit Transformation expert. Since then, nearly every cultivator in Kangzhou, regardless of righteous or demonic alignment, had hoped for Kangzhou to produce a Spirit Transformation master.

Even if their factions were different, it didn't matter; at least with a Spirit Transformation expert, they would no longer fear other continental sects coming to stir up trouble.

Not only the middle and low-tier cultivators longed for a Spirit Transformation expert, but even the high-tier cultivators deeply desired for Kangzhou to produce one. Including the Yin Sha Sect, all the powerful sects began allocating the majority of their precious high-grade resources toward those Nascent Soul cultivators who showed some hope of advancing to the Spirit Transformation realm.

But, currently, the consensus in Kangzhou was that the Twin Elites and One Cloud held the greatest hope of success. The so-called Twin Elites and One Cloud referred to Ding Wanyan and Dongfang Fu of the Yin Sha Sect (the Twin Elites), and Tantai Bingyun of the Tianyin Palace (One Cloud).

Compared to the older generation of Nascent Soul cultivators, the Twin Elites and One Cloud were considered heaven-defying. Not only were their individual aptitudes peerless, but their blessings were also profound. They achieved the late Nascent Soul stage at the tender age of just over a hundred years old. Of course, many did not know that the progress of the Twin Elites was due to Lei Dong's Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land. As for Tantai Bingyun's success, it was attributed to the Sacred Land of the Yaksha Tribe, the Azure Wave Illusory Realm—especially its extremely difficult trial, which reportedly only the Yaksha King had passed in his youth over the last thousand years.

Below the absolute pinnacle of the Twin Elites and One Cloud, many outstanding talents had emerged, such as Jie Chen of the Vajra Temple and Qi Feifei of the former Hehuan Sect. However, compared to the brilliance of the Twin Elites and One Cloud, they were a noticeable step behind.

As for Lei Dong, he remained too low-key. His name was only whispered among the very top echelon of cultivators. To the vast majority in the outside world, they didn't even know who Lei Dong was. Even those who did often referred to him merely as Ding Wanyan's husband, earning the deep jealousy of many who considered themselves young talents.

Learning that Wan Yan and Dongfang Fu had both advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage, Lei Dong couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Talent truly was paramount. Originally, both women possessed outstanding aptitude, coupled with special constitutions, and driven by a competitive spirit fostered by their unique environments; such achievements were, in retrospect, entirely normal.

Of course, their aptitude wasn't the absolute best Kangzhou had seen over thousands of years. However, many exceptionally gifted individuals often grew isolated, lacking worthy rivals, which diminished their competitive drive, causing them to eventually settle for mediocrity.

But the Twin Elites and One Cloud were the vibrant blossoms of this era because, not only were their own talents exceptional, but they were also fortunate enough to possess companions or enemies who spurred them constantly forward. This was a fortune not all geniuses shared.

Moreover, what others didn't know, but they themselves understood, was that beside them stood an even more heaven-defying existence: Lei Dong. In terms of pure cultivation levels, Lei Dong might not surpass them. But in actual combat power, Lei Dong left them far behind. After all, up to this point, several Spirit Transformation level experts had died, directly or indirectly, by Lei Dong's hand.

With Lei Dong—that great catfish—present, the Twin Elites and One Cloud naturally cultivated with desperate intensity, unwilling to fall behind.

Hearing the low-tier cultivators discussing things endlessly, and having been away for a long time—his last return was a hurried trip to the Great Qian Continent—Lei Dong suddenly felt a playful impulse. He retracted his aura, found a lone itinerant cultivator along the way, stripped him of his gear, and repaid him with a pile of high-grade spirit stones.

He disguised himself as a minor rogue cultivator who admired the Yin Sha Sect and wished to join as an outer disciple. He avoided teaming up with anyone, heading leisurely and alone toward the Yin Sha Sect's mountain gate.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Lei Dong felt his actions were somewhat absurd. The area at the base of the mountain was entirely different from when he first joined the sect. Sometime in the past, an Outer Domain had been established specifically for visiting cultivators to rest.

This outer city looked quite aged. People bustled in and out, a throng composed mostly of middle and low-tier cultivators who had flocked from all over Kangzhou. Some were there to seek opportunities and gain experience, some for trade, and some, likely, with ulterior motives.

Regardless, this outer city was incredibly vibrant, having transformed into a bustling market situated right beneath the Yin Sha Sect's mountains.

Lei Dong, disguised as a rogue cultivator, wandered through it, savoring a rare half-day of leisure, indulging a long-neglected desire to stroll through a market. Back when he was a minor cultivator constantly scrambling for spirit stones, he seemed to frequent these low-tier bazaars often.

Now, looking at the familiar low-grade cultivation supplies on the stalls, priced in tens or hundreds of spirit stones, he felt a peculiar sentiment well up within him, filled with deep emotion. Back then, he ran everywhere as a minor cultivator. Now, as a Nascent Soul powerhouse, he was still running around.

The street wasn't exclusively filled with rogue cultivators. Many young disciples wearing the Yin Sha Sect's red and black uniforms were also present, men and women, some in groups, some in pairs. Yet, not a single one was someone Lei Dong recognized. Recalling that he was already over a hundred years old, his former sect brothers had either died or grown old; only a small number had managed to advance to the Golden Core stage, becoming Golden Core Ancestors.

"Lei... Junior Brother Lei?" Just as Lei Dong's heart was turbulent, an elderly man with an extraordinary bearing, his hair and beard entirely white, trailed by a group of younger men and women, suddenly called out tremblingly, looking utterly incredulous.

Lei Dong turned his head and saw an old man whose face was a roadmap of wrinkles, the very picture of an elder. He frowned, genuinely unable to recall the man's identity. However, judging by his aura, he should be at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Seeing Lei Dong frown and maintain his appearance as a lowly rogue cultivator, the old man's face immediately paled, and he began to tremble in fright. He glanced at the descendants following behind him, panic overwhelming him. Steel ing his nerves, he transmitted his voice: "S-Senior Lei. It is this junior who has been presumptuous. In consideration of the fact that this junior is an old acquaintance of Senior, please take only this junior's life and spare my descendants." Clearly, he mistook Lei Dong's casual wanderings for some hidden agenda.

Lei Dong was also bewildered. Seeing how terrified the man was, he had no choice but to transmit back: "Senior Brother, do not fear. I am merely strolling here with no other business. It's just that I genuinely cannot recall who you are?" Lei Dong assumed that even with his photographic memory cultivated through practice, if a person changed too drastically, memory alone wouldn't suffice.

The old man's expression eased, and he let out a long sigh, wiping cold sweat from his brow as he transmitted: "Lei... Ancestor Lei, you truly frightened old Zhao half to death! I am Zhao Baiwan, do you not remember me?"

Surname Zhao, Zhao Baiwan? The memories of bygone days suddenly rushed back like a tidal wave. Lei Dong widened his eyes, a mix of shock and joy, and transmitted back: "So it is Senior Brother Zhao! It must be decades since we last met? Senior Brother Zhao, I owe you a great debt for your care back then. Let us continue to address each other as fellow disciples."

"Heh heh, it's been at least eighty or ninety years. Junior Brother Lei, you are a very busy man, wandering everywhere and rarely frequenting the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave," Zhao Baiwan transmitted excitedly due to Lei Dong's friendly attitude. "Old Zhao never imagined that in my lifetime, I would have the fortune to see Junior Brother Lei again. As for 'caring for me,' that hardly counts. I hope Junior Brother Lei won't hold it against Old Zhao for my old habit of trying to gain small advantages when trading back then."

As the two exchanged vocal transmissions, the crowd of descendants trailing behind Zhao Baiwan couldn't help but stare sideways, scrutinizing Lei Dong. After all, Lei Dong's current appearance was rather shabby—that of a destitute rogue cultivator at the Qi Refining stage.

"We are all old now, why bother dwelling on such trifles? Come, let's find a place for a couple of drinks," Lei Dong said, equally overjoyed, throwing an arm around Zhao Baiwan's shoulder. One had to admit, Zhao Baiwan was an extremely pivotal figure in Lei Dong's life. If Zhao Baiwan hadn't tried to squeeze a small profit by selling a heaven-defying treasure as trash to Lei Dong, Lei Dong's life might not have taken such a decisive turn.

In other words, if Zhao Baiwan had possessed the capability to discover the secrets of the Soul Devouring Pagoda, perhaps Zhao Baiwan would be the one commanding authority now. And Lei Dong himself would be as aged and withered as Zhao Baiwan appeared.

The twists and turns of fate often hinge on a single moment or two. Similarly, a single thought can change a person's entire destiny. ....