Xiao Fan couldn't stand out and had to perfunctorily cup his hands as well.
Shen Mo smiled faintly and returned the gesture.
The reverence in the eyes of these three was naturally due to him defeating Lei Xiaojun in public.
The three of them had not yet reached Lei Xiaojun's level, so they held great respect for Shen Mo, who had defeated him.
One of the female disciples quickly approached Shen Mo.
Although her appearance was not exceptionally stunning, her features were delicate, her skin fair, making her a pleasant sight.
Particularly striking was her waist—slender yet strong and agile, like a leopardess.
It was hard to look away once you saw her.
The female disciple reached Shen Mo and said enthusiastically, "Senior Brother Shen, hello, I'm Zhao Rou. If you have time, we could do some missions together?"
He smiled and nodded, "Sure, when I have time."
Hearing his affirmation, Zhao Rou was very pleased and eagerly continued chatting with Shen Mo.
Xiao Fan glanced at Zhao Rou's waist a few times, feeling quite disappointed.
He thought to himself, "I'm so handsome, strong, and full of potential. I should be the center of attention."
Just then, continuous footsteps sounded from behind.
Shen Mo looked back.
Three middle-aged men were striding towards them.
The leading man, with graying temples and dressed in a purple brocade robe, walked with a dragon-like stride, clearly of high status.
Beside him was a beautiful young girl.
Following them were two middle-aged men in their forties or fifties, dressed in moon-white robes with powerful auras.
Their chests were embroidered with a green mountain insignia.
Moon-white robes with a green mountain were worn only by inner sect elders of Qingxuan Sect!
Seeing the young girl, Xiao Fan's eyes brightened instantly.
Shen Mo frowned. Wasn't that Liu Fei?
So, the middle-aged man beside her was... the deputy sect master of Qingxuan Sect?
What were they doing here?
"Deputy Sect Master Liu, stop keeping us in suspense. Why did you bring us here? Isn't this just about some new inner sect disciples soaking in the medicinal pool?" the tall elder frowned.
"Indeed, I'm busy with my cultivation. Aren't you wasting my time?" the skinny elder also complained.
Deputy Sect Master Liu Yuanfeng laughed heartily, "Don't be impatient. I brought you here to see my future disciple!"
The tall elder was stunned, "Didn't you say you wouldn't take any more disciples? Why the change of heart today?"
The skinny elder nodded, "Yes, I remember both the sect master and you, Deputy Sect Master Liu, said ten years ago that you wouldn't take any more disciples to avoid delaying your cultivation."
Liu Yuanfeng laughed again, "You'll see soon enough! If I tell you now, it won't be as interesting."
The two elders smiled wryly, "Alright, alright, let's see what kind of disciple can make you break your rule!"
Their arrival made the disciples present nervous.
All the disciples, including Shen Mo, hurriedly saluted.
Liu Yuanfeng waved his hand grandly, "You all continue with the medicinal pool. We are just here to take a look."
Liu Fei winked at Xiao Fan from afar. Xiao Fan felt a surge of excitement, understanding that Liu Yuanfeng was here for him.
Today would be the day he made a name for himself in Qingxuan Sect!
Shen Mo quickly understood as well. Liu Yuanfeng wanted to show off in front of the two elders.
Look, the one who awakened a powerful physique is my future disciple!
However, the outcome might disappoint them. Shen Mo smiled knowingly.
By this time, all the medicinal liquid had been poured into the pools.
Zhang Weihu nodded slightly, "Five junior brothers, the medicinal liquid is ready. You can start soaking now."
Zhao Rou glanced around. The pools seemed no different from each other, so she headed towards pool number two.
Shen Mo took big strides towards pool number three, "I'll take number three."
Xiao Fan also wanted pool number three, instinctively feeling a connection to it.
But since Shen Mo had already chosen it, he couldn't get angry in front of Liu Yuanfeng and the two elders, so he chose pool number five instead.
Soon, all five new inner sect disciples had chosen their respective pools.
Zhao Rou quickly removed her disciple robe, revealing the tight white inner clothing she had prepared.
If she had only worn undergarments underneath, it would have been embarrassing.
The other four disciples, all male, entered the pools shirtless without concern.
Shen Mo leaped and dived into the bottom of the pool.
Shen Mo's eyes scanned the bottom of the pool. Sure enough, he spotted a fist-sized, fiery red crystal in an inconspicuous crevice.
Its surface was covered by accumulated medicinal liquid, which had kept it hidden all this time.
Shen Mo reached out and grabbed it, holding it in his palm.
The Scorching Sun Flowing Fire Essence wasn't scorching; instead, it felt pleasantly warm.
Shen Mo then floated back to the surface, closing his eyes like Xiao Fan, Zhao Rou, and the others, focusing on absorbing the medicinal liquid from the pool.
However, while others were only absorbing the medicinal liquid, Shen Mo was also absorbing the power of the Scorching Sun Flowing Fire Essence.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
The warm energy flowed through him like a fiery red snake, nourishing every inch of his skin, flesh, and bones.
Meanwhile, changes were occurring in Xiao Fan's pool.
The medicinal liquid began to boil. Xiao Fan's skin turned red, as if he were about to burst into flames! The air temperature around him rose sharply.
Zhang Weihu and Liu Fei immediately felt a wave of heat.
The two elders stood up in shock.
"That disciple is about to awaken his physique!"
"His physique is so powerful that it's affecting the temperature within dozens of feet, even before fully awakening... This phenomenon... it must be at least a mid-grade earth-level physique!"
They turned their bright eyes to Liu Yuanfeng, "Deputy Sect Master Liu, no wonder you brought us here. You wanted to show off, didn't you?"
Liu Yuanfeng laughed heartily in delight.
He had expected Xiao Fan to awaken a top-grade profound physique, which would already have been incredibly fortunate.
He never imagined Xiao Fan would awaken an earth-level physique.
With such a physique, Xiao Fan could potentially reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage!
Qingxuan Sect had a bright future ahead!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Several figures flew in from various parts of Qingxuan Sect, landing in the valley.
Almost all of them wore moon-white robes with green mountains, signifying they were inner sect elders of Qingxuan Sect.
Usually high-ranking and hard to meet for ordinary disciples, now all the inner sect elders had gathered here!
Their strength was on par with Liu Yuanfeng, being the strongest under the sect master.
"What's happening here?"
"I sensed the temperature rising and came to check."
"A disciple is awakening their physique! It seems to be earth-level!"
"A new inner sect disciple? They must be mine!"
The elders looked at Xiao Fan in the fifth pool with astonishment.
Liu Yuanfeng cleared his throat and said calmly, "He is already my disciple, so there's no need for you to waste your words."
"Ah..."
The elders' faces immediately showed disappointment.
This guy was too quick.
blub, blub, blub!
The medicinal liquid boiled. Thick green steam completely enveloped the fifth pool.
The medicinal liquid turned into gas, merging into Xiao Fan's body at an accelerated pace.
Moments later, Xiao Fan's eyes shot open, and he roared towards the sky.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind erupted, blowing the steam away. A robust figure came into view.
Xiao Fan's entire skin was bright red, as if he were on fire. His heart seemed like a fireball bouncing in his chest!
Several crimson lines radiated from his heart, extending to his shoulders, arms, and legs. At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Xiao Fan.