Chapter 198: Borne of Change
Dugu Nian paused, thinking it was just a trick of the eye. He squinted for another look, but there indeed was another golden name.
Fang Lin!
Fang Lin’s name was shining golden, hovering on the large stone slab at the very top, sharing a spot next to the names of the Four Saints of the Pill Sect.
“Wow!” Dugu Nian exhaled in surprise at the sight, a shocked look written all over his face.
His outburst startled everyone else. Even Fang Lin cast a sideway glance at him, wondering why he was behaving so histrionically.
“What’s happening? Why the fuss?” Fang Lin asked, rolling his eyes.
Dugu Nian was too astonished to speak, gesturing frantically towards the stone slab.
Everyone followed her pointed finger, just in time to see a golden light glow around Fang Lin’s name on the stone slab. It was very conspicuous.
At that moment, Fang Lin’s name was captivatingly bright, it was even more alluring than the golden names of the Four Saints on the stone slab. Their names paled in comparison to Fang Lin’s radiant letters.
All who witnessed the scene shared the same dumbstruck expression with their eyes wide-opened, and mouths agape, as if they had turned to stone.
Gu Hanshan was also taken aback, his mind echoing with confusion, what on Earth was happening? How did Fang Lin’s name mysteriously appear on the stone slab? And why was it in gold?
This was beyond any logical explanation; no one had ever had their name show up on the ancient stone slab without first deciphering a stele. Fang Lin was also at a loss. He didn’t understand how his name appeared on the stone slab, especially considering he hadn’t done anything.
Elite disciples all acted as if they were seeing a ghost, especially upon seeing Fang Lin’s name alongside the Four Saints. They were shocked to their core.
Old One-Eyed had somehow stood up and appeared before the stone slab, her cloudy old eye locked onto the stone slab, her aged face also showing signs of astonishment.
“This can’t be!” Gu Hanshan yelled out with disbelief, his eyes questioning Fang Lin.
Fang Lin looked innocent because he truly was innocent. He hadn’t done anything. He had walked into the cave but was kicked out by the ancient cave. He didn’t understand why his name had appeared on the stone slab already.
“Look! Numbers are appearing!” An elite disciple exclaimed in shock.
Everyone turned to look, and saw a golden figure gradually appearing behind Fang Lin’s name.
It was still partly hidden, but everyone could see it clearly.
Ninety-nine!
The numbers representing the understanding of ninety-nine steles appeared behind Fang Lin’s name in a dazzling gold, extremely conspicuous and eye-catching.
At the same time, from inside the cave, came a series of peculiar and delightful sounds.
“What’s this…” Old One-Eyed wore a look of horror and staggered several steps backwards.
Her shock was due to the fact that she, having guarded the cave for so many years, had only read about such a situation in an ancient book.
The scene from the book occurred during the Pill Sect’s most glorious era, where the Four Saints had deciphered ninety-nine steles which engendered the emergence of similar pleasant sounds from the ancient cave.
Initially, the old woman thought that the ancestors of the Pill Sect had fabricated the story to magnify the Four Saints, but the incident unfolding before her proved that their records weren’t myth.
The sounds resonating from the ancient cave were like celestial music, causing a transient mesmerizing effect. People seemed to grasp something vaguely.
However, except for Fang Lin, others only sensed something mildly, meanwhile, Fang Lin received significant benefits.
The sound enclosed was the Pill Sect ancestors’ enlightenment on the Alchemy Tao, it wasn’t any ordinary enlightenment, it belonged to a Pill Refining expert who had reached Six Cauldrons.
Listening to the sounds, Fang Lin felt as if a stream of clarity was pouring into his mind, making him feel more alert and improving all his senses significantly.
The celestial music arrived swiftly, and left just as hastily, lasting for only a moment before it disappeared completely.
Everyone started to regain their senses only after the celestial music had been silent for a while; they felt as if they had just awoken from a dream.
The old woman turned to face Fang Lin, her emotions surging. She was excited to the point she was on the verge of touching Fang Lin randomly with her two shriveled palms.
“Our Pill Sect has yet another unprecedented genius! A genius that can rival the Four Saints!” The old one-eyed lady declared ecstatically.
Upon hearing her words, Gu Hanshan felt as if he was stabbed with a knife, his face burning with a sudden discomfort.
All the other elite disciples were left speechless. They were all looking at Fang Lin with eyes full of awe. At that moment, they all stood in complete awe of Fang Lin’s ability.
It was insane!
Without deciphering a single stele, his name had appeared on the stone slab, moreover being positioned alongside the Four Saints was both startling and thrilling. Even without the shocking number of ninety-nine, the fact was enough to shake the entire Purple Mist Sect.
Undoubtedly, Fang Lin was a true genius. Moreover, a genius of a caliber that could be compared with the Four Saints. The name and number on the stone slab were both the most direct and compelling evidence of his genius.
Four pillars of light rose from atop the Pill Array, illuminating the sky for thousands of miles around. Anyone within that radius could see these lights.
The sudden spectacle startled everyone in the Purple Mist Sect. Numerous experts revealed themselves, rushing toward the Pill Array to investigate what was happening.
Especially the people from the Pill Sect, they gathered atop the Pill Array, looking up at the towering pillars of light, then began to kneel and worship the Four Saints.
Visible to the naked eye, it seemed like each of the four light pillars contained something within.
Gu Daofeng stood outside his grand hall, looking at the four light pillars. He held a message transmitting jade slip in his hands, his face extremely grim.
In anger, he crushed the jade slip.
At the Martial Sect, Xing Tianxiao stood in the sky, a look of surprise in his eyes.
“This is mind-blowing.” Xing Tianxiao mumbled to himself.
At the grandest hall at the foot of Purple Mist Peak, a handsome man in a green robe stood under a sky-grazing ancient tree, his deep gaze fixed on the four pillars of light.
“Father.” Han Yinyue appeared behind him.
This man in the green robe was none other than Han Luoyun, the master of the Purple Mist Sect.
“Yinyue, do you know what’s happening?” Han Luoyun asked.
Han Yinyue replied calmly, “Fang Lin.”
Han Luoyun didn’t say anything else, a small smile seemed to linger at the corners of his mouth.
At that moment, another unexpected event occurred in front of the cave. A violent suction force came from inside the cave, but it only affected Fang Lin. Everyone else was knocked to the ground by a powerful gust, only Fang Lin was drawn into the ancient cave by the force.
Everyone, scattered on the ground, could only watch helplessly as Fang Lin’s figure disappeared without a trace..