Li Yundong stared at the commotion below the stage, his face black as the bottom of a pot. He desperately wanted to charge down there and shout at Cao Yi and the others, "What are you doing here?"

But he couldn't. Thousands of people were watching under the gaze of the crowd, and he still had to finish reading this speech!

Li Yundong coughed dryly, just about to open his mouth, when he saw the students below had already erupted in laughter. As soon as he spoke, his voice couldn't even be heard coming from the microphone.

The school teachers on the rostrum watched the scene below, completely dumbfounded. Not in their wildest dreams did they imagine such a thing would happen. The Principal, standing closest to Vice Mayor Luo, was sweating profusely.

Vice Mayor Luo said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Well, Tiannan University truly has a lively and unique school atmosphere!"

This single remark made the school leaders break out in a cold sweat, wishing they could rush onto the stage and stuff cotton in every student's mouth.

Though these teachers were furious and beside themselves with anxiety, there was someone even more frantic and exasperated than them—and that person was none other than Yan Hua.

Yan Hua watched his meticulously prepared speech be completely overshadowed by the other party's silence. Especially since he had gone to great lengths to invite Vice Mayor Luo to support him, only to have all the spotlight stolen by that bastard Li Yundong. How could he not be angry? How could he not be beside himself?

Yan Hua’s heart bled with hatred. Seeing the scene descend into utter chaos, he kept thinking to himself: Riot, riot! Let’s see how you get off that stage!

Seeing that the situation was truly spiraling out of control, Li Yundong frowned, secretly circulated his True Essence, and invoked the technique of the Great Hand Seal of True Words. He reopened his mouth and said, "Respected leaders, teachers, and students, greetings..."

As soon as he uttered these words, the sound of everyone else in the venue was instantly suppressed. His voice carried an inherent, majestic power, akin to a Vajra reciting scripture or a Buddha chanting sutras, compelling everyone to quiet down without realizing it.

The playground, which had just been a boiling pot of noise, immediately fell silent. Everyone looked up toward Li Yundong on the rostrum, listening to him speak. Even though the young man was reading platitudes from a script, people felt a sense of gentle reliability emanating from his voice, warming their hearts and inspiring a vibrant, life-affirming strength within them.

As the saying goes, outsiders watch the fun, but insiders watch the technique. At this moment, Cao Yi and the others, hearing Li Yundong employing the Great Hand Seal of True Words, couldn't help but murmur in admiration, "The Sect Master's cultivation is truly pure and unparalleled; worthy of respect and awe!"

Just as she was marveling, she suddenly heard a low gasp nearby: "Sixth Martial Uncle, Third Martial Uncle, Fifth Martial Uncle, what are you all doing here?"

Cao Yi and the others turned to see Su Chan pushing through the crowd toward them.

Cao Yi and the others joyfully went to meet her. Just as they were about to greet each other properly, they noticed a woman standing beside Su Chan—stunningly beautiful, possessing an icy aura, and a graceful figure. Cao Yi swallowed her words, merely smiling and saying, "Su Chan, you’re here too?"

Su Chan had heard the heckling earlier and found the voice familiar. She had pulled Zhou Qin along to see what was happening. Upon squeezing close enough, she realized the hecklers were none other than the elders of the Fox Charm Sect. She was both surprised and delighted, exclaiming with a laugh, "Are you all here looking for Yundong?"

Cao Yi nodded: "Yes!"

Su Chan, someone who loved stirring the pot, didn't find Cao Yi and the others' mischief inappropriate at all. Instead, she clapped her hands and laughed, "Wonderful, wonderful! Now that you're here, I have company."

Zhou Qin, standing beside her, watched coldly. Su Chan had already told her much about the Cultivation World, including the fact that Li Yundong had become the Sect Master of the Fox Charm Sect, the leader of a group of fox spirits. Zhou Qin felt a mixture of horror and disbelief, yet she couldn't deny it, as all the facts were right before her eyes, leaving no room for contradiction.

Seeing the fox spirits' unconventional and flamboyant behavior, Zhou Qin worried they might cause trouble for Li Yundong, so she said, "What you are doing might bring trouble to Master."

"Master?" Cao Yi, Liu Yuehong, and Zhuang Yating, the three elder foxes, were immediately startled. The younger generation of fox spirits, however, paid no heed to this detail and instead spoke with a hint of jealousy: "Who are you? By what right do you say these things?"

Su Chan, noticing the tension in both parties' voices, immediately played the peacemaker. She took Zhou Qin's hand and said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce. This is Yundong's classmate, good friend, and primary disciple, Zhou Qin."

Then, Su Chan introduced the Fox Charm Sect disciples to Zhou Qin one by one: "These are my Martial Uncles and Martial Sisters." After introducing them all, Zhou Qin offered a courteous greeting to each one. Although polite, her face remained perpetually cold, without a trace of a smile, giving off an air of aloof superiority.

The younger disciples of the Fox Charm Sect didn't pay much attention to Zhou Qin's status but were quite put off by her icy expression and lukewarm demeanor. One by one, they grumbled inwardly, unconvinced: What's so great about her? Strictly speaking, we can also be considered the Sect Master's disciples.

But Cao Yi and the others understood the weight of Zhou Qin's status as a disciple.

Cao Yi thought: If Li Yundong ever becomes a Grandmaster and establishes his own lineage in the future, Zhou Qin will be the founding senior disciple, the very pillar of the sect. Throughout the ages, senior disciples of every sect have always been pivotal figures, renowned names in the cultivation community.

Even if Li Yundong doesn't abandon the Fox Charm Sect and remains the Sect Master, Zhou Qin still represents his direct successor. Li Yundong’s voice and will would need to be conveyed through Zhou Qin! None of them—the fox spirits—were strong fighters. Clearly, Li Yundong intended to cultivate a personal disciple to stand guard for him in the future.

In the cultivation world, it is the same as in martial arts: for a master, taking a disciple is as significant as having a child. Both are matters of lineage continuation; indeed, having a disciple is akin to having a son, and sometimes a master treats a disciple even more intimately than a son.

Because no matter how skilled a person is, they cannot handle every matter personally, nor can they engage in every fight. Thus, they must take disciples to help them take the heat and bear the burden. But the disciple cannot afford to lose when they step forward, otherwise, people will say the sect's martial arts are useless.

Therefore, the older generation was extremely strict when taking disciples. But once they found a promising seedling, they immediately treated them as their own flesh and blood, teaching them their most genuine secrets. They hoped the disciple would not only expand the sect but also support them in their old age.

While the cultivation world does not focus on disciples for old-age support like the martial arts world, the principle is largely the same. Moreover, the rules for taking disciples are a hundred times stricter than in martial arts.

Seeing how young Li Yundong was yet already had a disciple, Cao Yi couldn't help but muse: This woman is so young and beautiful. Will the Sect Master be able to teach her properly? Or is he taking her as a disciple because he fancies her looks? If so, it might hinder the Sect Master's own cultivation.

Cao Yi was one of the more astute among the older generation of the Fox Charm Sect. She proactively extended her hand with a smile to shake Zhou Qin's, taking the opportunity during the handshake to examine her thoroughly from head to toe. As she looked, Cao Yi gasped in shock.

She saw that Zhou Qin was not only exquisitely beautiful, but her brow held a compelling heroic spirit. Furthermore, the sharp angles hidden beneath her eyebrows, combined with her piercing gaze, clearly marked her as a person of profound inner conviction, capable of decisive action. Most importantly, through the physical contact of the handshake, she channeled a trickle of her own essence into the other’s body and immediately discovered that this woman was not only an exceedingly rare Virgin of Profound Yin, a Cauldron for Zhanü practices, but her extreme Yin physique also faintly exuded a powerful Yang energy.

This discovery was staggering!

For men, cultivating from a state of pure Yang is optimal. However, the most difficult aspect of cultivating from a state of pure Yang is cultivating a force of pure Yin within that extreme Yang state.

Women, already possessing the Five Leaks Body, find cultivation a hundred times more difficult than men, and cultivating innate Yang energy from a virgin Yin body is even more challenging.

Before the major sects besieged the Fox Charm Sect, there were dozens of disciples. Counting the already deceased Mo Ashi, perhaps only Ye Yu and Ao Wushuang managed to cultivate pure Yang energy from their extreme Yin state.

The reason why Cao Yi and the others were not effective fighters was precisely because they failed to cultivate pure Yang energy from their extreme Yin.

Yet, this woman before them was not only naturally a Virgin of Profound Yin and a Cauldron for Zhanü practices, but her body already contained not only extreme Yin energy but also vital Yang True Qi!

This was equivalent to what a female cultivator of an inner circle disciple might achieve after struggling to cultivate for more than a decade—and Zhou Qin possessed it effortlessly!

Cao Yi took a sharp breath, thinking: This girl is a natural cultivator! Such innate talent is truly a rarity once in a century! If cultivators from other sects saw her, they would surely fight tooth and nail to claim her! Where did the Sect Master find such a raw jewel? What incredible luck! With just a little cultivation, she would immediately become a formidable fighter capable of both combat and spell casting!

In the cultivation world, finding a good disciple is even more important than finding a powerful magical artifact. As the saying goes: Artifacts are easy to find, but rare and exceptional disciples are hard to come by!

Cao Yi's impression of Zhou Qin changed drastically; she dared not hold any contempt anymore. She knew that while Zhou Qin's current cultivation was far below her own, she was destined to surpass her in the future. Moreover, given her relationship as both disciple and friend to the Sect Master, blocking her was out of the question; supporting her progress was the sensible course of action!

Especially when Cao Yi considered that once Zhou Qin achieved success in her cultivation, the Fox Charm Sect would have two pillars to rely on, never again fearing bullying. She couldn't help but smile.

Holding Zhou Qin’s hand warmly, Cao Yi said intimately, "So you are the Sect Master's personal disciple. What a coincidence meeting you here today. I take the liberty of calling you Martial Niece. I don't have a proper welcoming gift for you today..."

Saying this, she removed a jade bracelet from her wrist and moved to place it on Zhou Qin's: "Take this, a small token of my regard, unworthy though it is."

Zhou Qin glanced at the bracelet; the jade was pure, emitting a warm glow through its deep green hue. It was clearly an object worn for a long time, an immensely valuable treasure. She quickly declined: "No, no, I cannot accept gifts without merit. I should be the one offering greetings to the Martial Uncles."

At this moment, Liu Yuehong and Zhuang Yating also caught up, enthusiastically trying to get close to Zhou Qin. This caused the young fox spirits to roll their eyes, and even Su Chan felt a pang of jealousy: None of the Martial Uncles were ever this warm toward me...

While they were exchanging pleasantries beneath the stage, Yan Hua on the rostrum was burning with rage. He watched Li Yundong silence the roaring playground the moment he spoke, as if commanding wind and rain. Gritting his teeth, his peripheral vision caught sight of a circuit board lying by his feet, still connected to the microphone’s power supply.

A thought struck Yan Hua. Without changing his expression, he subtly kicked the power cord away with his foot.

With a sharp, piercing hum, an ear-splitting screech erupted across the school field, and the sound system immediately died.

Everyone on the field—students, teachers, and even the onlookers—instinctively covered their ears, grimacing in pain.

But even as they covered their ears and the loudspeakers went dead, Li Yundong acted as if he noticed nothing, continuing to read his speech. His voice reached every person present as clearly as before.

The crowd froze for a moment, then instinctively uncovered their ears. Sure enough, Li Yundong's voice was still resonating, calm and clear, as if whispering in their ears. They covered their ears again, but Li Yundong's voice did not weaken at all; it only seemed to grow more distant, like a scripture master chanting from a faraway mountain peak.

This casual display by Li Yundong stunned everyone. To make thousands of people in such a large field hear him clearly without a microphone or amplifier was not something an ordinary person could achieve!

Even the dullest and most unsophisticated among them knew how extraordinary this technique was, despite its seemingly effortless execution. Soon, some of the onlookers outside the field couldn't help but offer silent praise in their hearts.

The field was now quieter than before. Everyone listened intently to Li Yundong reading the speech. They no longer cared about the content; simply hearing the young man's voice felt like drinking a bowl of hot soup—warm and deeply comforting.

Not long after, Li Yundong finished the script in his hand and bowed before stepping off the stage as customary. As he descended, the onlookers outside the field were the first to erupt in a long-suppressed cheer, immediately followed by thunderous applause that shook the entire field.

Cao Yi and the others applauded and cheered with deep respect. The young fox spirits, led by Su Chan, screamed loudly: "Li Yundong, keep it up!"

But their voices were like small pebbles in a raging tide of applause and cheers, splashing only a brief ripple before vanishing.

Yan Hua watched Li Yundong walk off stage, consumed by intense jealousy and hatred. He could hardly comprehend how Li Yundong managed to control the atmosphere under such circumstances. Everything he had done previously had only served as a foil for this young man.

Am I inherently destined to be the supporting backdrop for this boy? Yan Hua roared internally. No, impossible! I have always been number one; I will never lose to him!

The surge of anger and frustration overwhelmed Yan Hua. While no one was paying attention, he fiercely stomped and plugged the power back in. Then, he lunged toward the rostrum, snatched the microphone, pointed at Li Yundong, and shouted, "Li Yundong! In front of all these people, do you dare debate the Dao with me!"