’There shouldn’t be any mistake. That kid Zhong Ming is too straightforward; he wouldn’t stoop to lying.’

’Besides, his position in the sect is as solid as a rock. Even if he failed to comprehend it, there would be no consequences for him. He has no reason to lie.’

Zhong Ming’s words threw Wei Jingcheng’s mind into turmoil. Yi Qing, who had come to see Zhong Ming off, was also in a state of confusion, her thoughts racing endlessly.

But soon, they no longer had the chance to ponder.

Indoors, where the sunlight wasn’t strong, Zhong Ming’s Candlelight Heart Eye hadn’t changed much.

But once outside, under the direct rays of the sun, BOOM! A blazing golden, vertical pupil materialized directly above Zhong Ming’s head.

Moreover, this pupil was absorbing Solar Power and rapidly growing in size.

"Huh?!"

This abrupt scene made both Yi Qing and Wei Jingcheng’s hearts skip a beat, nearly stopping altogether.

When they came to their senses, they were filled with a mix of shock and utter ecstasy.

"He... He actually succeeded!"

Their excitement and elation were so overwhelming that they couldn’t restrain their auras.

Realizing this, instead of withdrawing their auras, they let them flare out. The next moment, the two old foxes exchanged a look and began to put on an act.

His eyes wide with fury, Wei Jingcheng roared at Yi Qing, "Hmph! Yi Qing, is this the promise you gave me? You clearly said that the Cultivation Techniques at the Golden Jade Tower were viable!"

"Heh. Our Cultivation Techniques here are perfectly viable. In the last hundred years, five people have successfully cultivated them. If you failed to comprehend one, you have only yourselves to blame!"

"You..."

Enraged, Wei Jingcheng’s aura grew increasingly violent.

On the other side, Yi Qing’s imposing presence was no less intense.

The erupting auras of the two completely concealed the vertical pupil floating above Zhong Ming’s head. It also made the various stewards of the Golden Jade Tower, who had sensed the commotion downstairs and were about to come check, stop in their tracks. They couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Just as I thought, a conflict broke out."

"Come to think of it, this kind of thing happens several times a year, doesn’t it?"

"I always feel like the higher-ups sent us here not to escort the Cultivation Techniques, but to suppress the anger of those who fail."

"Can’t be helped. The resources a single attempt consumes are no small matter for a minor sect. Who could stand to see so many resources go down the drain..."

While the people upstairs were laughing, Wei Jingcheng and Yi Qing’s performance grew ever more intense.

They had no choice.

Right now, Zhong Ming was, after all, only a prodigy. As such, it was possible for him to be assassinated.

If news got out that he had comprehended a Celestial Level Cultivation Technique—and a Celestial Level Cultivation Technique from the Golden Jade Tower at that—even Wind Fiend Unity Cultists might come to assassinate him.

Unwilling to let that happen, they could only hide Zhong Ming’s situation.

Fortunately, the Candlelight Heart Eye was controllable. Slowly, Zhong Ming retracted the eye above his head back into his body.

Even so, he could feel that the eye, now hidden within his body, was still continuously absorbing Solar Power.

And as it absorbed the Solar Power, the abilities of the Candlelight Heart Eye were also gradually unlocking.

"Hmph! You’ve deceived us! This matter won’t end so easily!"

Tossing out this harsh threat, Wei Jingcheng flicked his sleeve and left with Zhong Ming and Yi Yunya.

Meanwhile, Yi Qing, who remained behind, took a long time to slowly suppress the excitement and ecstasy in her heart, replacing it with a—placid expression.

’I have to force myself to look calm. An expression like this won’t arouse suspicion...’

While she composed herself, Wei Jingcheng, once they were far from the Golden Jade Tower, could no longer suppress his own ecstatic joy.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Looking at Zhong Ming, he repeated the word "good" three times, his gaze filled with relief and admiration.

His voice snapped Yi Yunya, who was standing beside them, out of her daze.

She had been quiet until now, not because she wasn’t happy, but because the overwhelming excitement had caused her mind to completely freeze up. Only now was she starting to process it.

’Senior Brother actually managed to comprehend it... A Celestial Level Cultivation Technique... Senior Brother has a chance to become a Golden Core Daoist, maybe even a Nascent Soul Master... And I’ll be the partner of a Golden Core, or even a Nascent Soul...’

At this thought, her gaze toward Zhong Ming grew as gentle and soft as water.

While the other two couldn’t contain their ecstasy, Zhong Ming himself—was quite calm.

He had been somewhat confident even before coming here.

Succeeding now simply met his own expectations.

Therefore, rather than being excited, he was more focused on the abilities of his Candlelight Heart Eye.

His calm and composed expression made Wei Jingcheng even more satisfied.

’As expected of a prodigy from my Seven Profound Sect. Composed when things happen, unflustered in a crisis!’

To avoid any unexpected complications, Wei Jingcheng flew with great urgency. In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had returned to the Seven Profound Sect.

After dropping Zhong Ming off at Longxi Peak, he hurried to the sect’s main hall to find the Sect Leader.

After he left, Zhong Ming asked Yi Yunya to stand guard while he began to test the abilities of his Candlelight Heart Eye.

BUZZ!

As the burning pupil reappeared above Zhong Ming’s head, rays of sunlight immediately flooded into the Candlelight Heart Eye. The light caused the pupil floating above him to burn even hotter, and information about its corresponding abilities began flowing into Zhong Ming’s mind.

’The first ability is True Sight. After activating it, my own two eyes will become like the Great Sage’s Eyes of Golden Flame, able to see through an enemy’s Illusion Techniques, transformations, and disguises in a single glance.’

’The second is As Clear as Daylight. By observing all things with the Candlelight Heart Eye, I can see them with greater clarity and thoroughness.’

Sensing this, a thought occurred to Zhong Ming. With a flicker of his consciousness, he turned his attention back inward, into his own body.