Supreme Dragon Lord

Zhang Cangsong stared straight at Long Chen, his eyes full of disdain. With his arms crossed, his disgust was palpable. He turned his head away, unwilling to watch Long Chen bask in the limelight.

After all, that guy won’t be arrogant for long. He’ll be put in his place soon enough. When that happens, I’ll have quite a show to watch.

In the face of these compliments, Long Chen said nothing, offering only a faint smile.

Lei Yiqun said in a deep voice, "Everyone is here, so the welcoming ceremony will now begin. Mind the occasion. No fooling around here."

Hearing this, everyone present fell silent, not daring to speak another word.

"Enter now."

As Lei Yiqun spoke, he leaped into the air, landing gracefully in a seat above the crowd. Two others were seated above him: Lei Changshan and Lei Yujing. In the very center of it all was the main seat for the welcoming ceremony, but it remained empty.

The surrounding area was packed with disciples of the Jinglei Sect. The scene was quite grand, a clear sign that the Jinglei Sect was quite invested in this new batch of disciples.

Lei Yiqun stood up and called out loudly, "The welcoming ceremony officially begins! Now, let us welcome the new disciples!"

At Lei Yiqun’s announcement, a Jinglei Sect disciple standing beside Long Chen and the others beckoned. "Follow me."

Heeding the call, Long Chen and the others followed the disciple, heading straight into the main arena.

The Jinglei Sect disciples already present were immensely curious about what kind of exceptional talents had been recruited this time. After all, this year’s assessment only had ten spots. As a result, there was intense discussion surrounding the assessment, and they were all eager to gauge the caliber of this new batch of disciples.

When Long Chen and the others slowly made their entrance, the chatter in the arena instantly reached a fever pitch.

"Is that kid Long Chen?"

"That’s right! It must be him!"

"I heard he ranked first in the assessment, and with effortless dominance, too."

"Looks like this kid is really something!"

Everyone discussed in hushed tones, their gazes converging on Long Chen. Among them, however, several gazes were tinged with malice.

"So, this is the kid?" a handsome, white-robed youth asked, a disdainful look on his face.

"That’s him, Brother Han!" a disciple responded. "The three of them just came out of Shenmo Mountain."

"Shenmo Mountain?!" Han Zongwei’s voice was frigid. "I’ve been in the Jinglei Sect for years and have never received such treatment. And yet, these newcomers get to reap the benefits."

"Exactly! They’re just new recruits! What gives them the right to enter Shenmo Mountain?" a man beside Han Zongwei chimed in. "If anyone should enter Shenmo Mountain to cultivate, it should be you, Brother Han! When did it become their turn?!"

"That kid just got lucky. It was a fluke that the sect made a new rule allowing the top three from the assessment to enter. Otherwise, they would’ve never had the chance. Unlike our Brother Han, who will soon be able to apply for tempering in Shenmo Mountain through his own genuine ability..."

Before he could finish, Han Zongwei’s icy gaze swept over him. Feeling the chill in Han Zongwei’s glare, the disciple immediately shut his mouth, not daring to ramble on.

Han Zongwei’s eyes were filled with venom. Everyone knew he had applied to the elders countless times for permission to temper himself in Shenmo Mountain, but what was the result? Every single application was rejected. The reason given was always the same: his strength was insufficient! Yet now, these new disciples could enter directly, just for ranking in the top three! The comparison filled Han Zongwei with outrage. Why could a newcomer get to enter Shenmo Mountain for tempering directly, while he, who had cultivated painstakingly in the sect for years, was repeatedly denied?

Therefore, seeing Long Chen, Long Xin, and Tang Le, his expression turned foul as he gritted his teeth in fury.

Meanwhile, Lei Changshan’s expression had also darkened. His eyes, fixed on Long Chen, gradually narrowed as a cold glint appeared in their depths.

That brat ruined my plan! I have to find a chance to settle the score!

"Welcome, new fellow sect members!"

As Lei Yiqun’s voice rang out again, the arena erupted in warm applause. Long Chen and his group stood at the very center of the arena, waiting for Lei Yiqun and the elders to speak. A moment later, Lei Yiqun waved his hand to signal for silence, and the arena immediately quieted down.

He extended a hand toward Lei Changshan and Lei Yujing, introducing them to the new disciples. "These two are the Second Elder and Third Elder of our Jinglei Sect! The Great Elder has been away training for many years and has not yet returned. The Sect Master is still in seclusion, which is why he could not attend today’s ceremony. Currently, the affairs of the Jinglei Sect are overseen by the Second and Third Elders!"

Zhang Cangsong, ever the opportunist, respectfully called out, "Junior Zhang Cangsong pays his respects to the Second Elder and Third Elder!"

Seeing his example, the other new disciples also greeted Lei Changshan and Lei Yujing respectfully. Both elders nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"Congratulations to you all!" Lei Changshan began with a hearty laugh. "From the many candidates in the assessment, the Jinglei Sect chose only the final ten to become our official disciples. Your presence here is proof of your excellence. Rest assured, now that you are disciples of the Jinglei Sect, the sect will provide you with cultivation resources! However, I must make one thing clear: the quality of those resources will depend entirely on your strength."

Lei Yujing waved her hand, and ten scrolls materialized before each of the new disciples. Long Chen and the others were taken aback. They looked at the scrolls and saw two large characters written on them: Sect Rules.

"You are now official members of the Jinglei Sect," Lei Yujing said coolly. "Before you begin your life of cultivation here, there is one thing you must do: commit the sect’s rules to heart. The scrolls clearly document what is permitted and what is forbidden. You must memorize every rule. If you violate any of them, regardless of who you are, you will face the appropriate punishment!"

"Yes!" Long Chen and the other disciples replied in unison, nodding in agreement.

Seeing this, Lei Yujing gave a slight nod. "Very good."

"I have one more matter to address," Lei Changshan suddenly interjected.

At his words, all eyes in the arena turned back to him. His gaze was locked firmly on Long Chen.

Long Xin’s brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding washing over her. Long Chen, however, remained calm, meeting Lei Changshan’s gaze directly.

A hint of a smile suddenly broke through Lei Changshan’s serious expression. He stared at Long Chen and said, "You entered our sect with the highest rank among the new disciples, and you will receive more of the sect’s cultivation resources in the future. In time, when you have truly grown, you will be the future hope of the Jinglei Sect. Therefore, I need you to set an example in certain matters."

Long Chen asked coolly, "And what matters might those be?"