Chapter 123: Monstrous Genius, A Peerless Benefactor and Fame Skyrocket

After the flying ship landed at the Cloudwater Sect’s main docking platform, Yu Liang prepared to head to the Mission Hall to submit his report.

However, to his slight surprise, Ling Tao, Chen Rui, Gao Feng, and the rest of the rescued disciples refused to leave his side. They followed him like a devoted retinue, their eyes shining with reverence every time they looked at his back.

Yu Liang found the situation rather uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to having so many people following him around like this.

When such a large group of disciples walked into the bustling Mission Hall, it immediately attracted quite a few glances. The Mission Hall was always crowded with outer sect disciples coming and going, but seeing so many people walking together behind one person was a rare sight.

They waited in line, one disciple after another stepped forward to submit their mission reports. Each one reported what they had discovered during their missions, including the enemy’s movements, unusual findings and any other information they had gathered along the way.

When it was finally Yu Liang’s turn, he stepped up to the counter and handed over his mission jade slip, along with a small spatial bag containing the blood stained tokens and heads of the Passion Sect disciples as proof of completion.

The Mission Hall disciple in charge, a senior brother named Wang, casually took the jade slip to scan it.

But the moment the information entered his mind, Brother Wang’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. His hands began to tremble and the jade slip slipped from his grasp.

He looked up at Yu Liang and asked in a stuttering voice, "Y-Yu Liang right? did you... did you really complete this mission? The Blackstone Mountain... Passion Sect hideout? A-and you did it... alone?!"

His shocked voice instantly quieted the surrounding area. Many disciples turned to look what’s going on.

Before Yu Liang could even nod to confirm, Ling Tao and the others immediately stepped forward, their voices filled with absolute pride as if they had done it.

"Of course he did." Ling Tao said loudly, ensuring everyone could hear properly. "Senior Brother Yu didn’t just complete it, he wiped them out! Over a hundred Passion Sect disciples and a Peak Foundation Establishment Realm Overseer, all killed by Senior Brother Yu’s own hands."

"What?!" Brother Wang gasped.

The commotion naturally attracted the attention of the hundreds of other disciples in the hall. They quickly gathered around, asking what was going on. When Ling Tao and the others recounted the gist of the situation, the entire Mission Hall fell into a stunned silence, followed by an eruption of questions.

First, they were shocked by Yu Liang’s monstrous strength. To slaughter over a hundred demonic cultivators and defeating a Peak Foundation Establishment Realm expert while only being in the Qi Condensation realm? This defied all common sense in the cultivation world.

Then, when the disciples mentioned how Yu Liang had casually handed out Tier 4 and Tier 5 pills and materials to restore their foundations, the shock turned into sheer envy.

"Tier 5 pills?! Handed out like candy?!" A nearby disciple choked on his own saliva, looking as if he were about to cough up blood. "I’ve been in the sect for five years and haven’t even seen a Tier 3 pill."

But the envy reached its absolute peak when they revealed the final piece of news. Inner Sect Elder Shen had personally arrived, praised Yu Liang’s foundation and given him a token to choose any Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation method without restrictions.

Countless praises were stacked onto Yu Liang’s name in a single breath. He was no longer just an outer sect disciple, in their eyes, he was a monstrous genius and a peerless benefactor.

Seeing the crowd’s eyes burning with a mix of awe, envy, and intense respect, various people quickly surrounded him.

"Senior Brother Yu, congratulations on your monumental achievement."

"Senior Brother, next time you take a mission, please take me along! I don’t need any merits, I’ll just carry your bags and set up the camps."

"Senior Brother Yu, can you teach me movement technique or it could be anything? I don’t care if I have to practice it ten thousand times!"

"Senior Brother Yu, I admire your sword intent so much. Would you be willing to be my sparring partner? I just want to experience your moves."

"How do you even know Senior Brother Yu has sword intent? What if it’s spear intent?"

"Who cares? As long as I get to spar with Senior Brother Yu, I’m not complaining!"

Facing the enthusiastic crowd, Yu Liang didn’t show any arrogance. He answered everyone politely with gentle with "Thank you, Fellow Daoist." "Perhaps we can team up next time." "My cultivation is currently a bit unstable, I must apologize for declining the spar."

His humble and polite attitude, combined with his terrifying strength and unimaginable wealth, further skyrocketed his likeability. In the eyes of the crowd, he wasn’t just strong, he had the perfect temperament of a supreme young master.

Seeing that the crowd was getting more and more unruly, Yu Liang raised his hand slightly, signaling for them to quiet down.

"Thank you all for your kindness," Yu Liang said. "However, I have to withdraw for now. I need to prepare for my breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm and I still need to go to the Pavilion to select my cultivation method. So, I must take my leave."

Hearing that he was going to break through to Foundation Establishment, the crowd immediately showed understanding and respectfully parted ways, creating a clear path for him.

Yu Liang nodded to Ling Tao and the others, then turned and walked out of the Mission Hall.

By the end of the day, the story of Yu Liang had spread like a wildfire throughout the entire outer sect. His fame didn’t just rise, it skyrocketed uncontrollably. In a single afternoon, his name had bypassed all the usual rising stars, instantly placing him at the level of the Top 10 Outer Sect Disciples, and perhaps... even surpassing them.