"He actually broke through to the Third Transformation."
"The aura of the Third Transformation is genuine, and there's Silver True Essence too. There's no mistake."
The hall of the Patriarch Pavilion was solemn and stately.
Patriarch Gu Yue Bo sat in the seat of honor at the top, while numerous Elders occupied the two rows flanking him on either side.
Whispers rippled through the room, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes turned, each to varying degrees, toward the young man standing tall in the center of the hall.
It was Fang Yuan.
"Who would have thought it would be this Fang Yuan who reached the Third Transformation?"
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it either..."
"Doesn't he only have Grade C aptitude? How could it happen so suddenly?"
"Actually, when you think about it, it's not all that sudden. Did you forget he obtained two Red Iron She Li Gu?"
"Right, a full two She Li Gu — his cultivation was simply brute-forced upward. When I think back to my own training days, sigh..."
The Elders were both shocked and bewildered, caught off guard by this revelation.
"This Fang Yuan actually achieved the Third Transformation! With nothing but Grade C aptitude, to reach this level in such a short time — it's truly beyond anyone's expectations." Gu Yue Mochen, seated at the head of the left row, marveled inwardly.
He recalled that two or three years ago, when Fang Yuan was still at the Academy, the boy had killed one of his household servants.
The servant's name had long since slipped Gu Yue Mochen's memory. But afterward, Fang Yuan had dismembered the body and sent it as a gift — leaving a deep impression on him.
From that day on, he had viewed Fang Yuan in a somewhat different light.
However, constrained by the boy's poor aptitude, he had never harbored much hope for him.
Who could have imagined that Fang Yuan would achieve something like this today?
According to the clan's system, any Gu Master who reached the Third Transformation was newly qualified to become an Elder.
A new Elder was bound to send a shockwave through the existing political landscape.
"If I had recruited him earlier, that shockwave could have worked in my favor — I would have had a definite political advantage. What a pity..." At this thought, Gu Yue Mochen couldn't help glancing across the hall.
His old rival, Gu Yue Chilian, sat at the head of the right row, and at this very moment wore a dark expression, an inscrutable gleam flickering in his eyes.
"There must be some secret about this Fang Yuan. Even with two Red Iron She Li Gu assisting him, to advance to the Third Transformation this quickly — even Qing Shu didn't accomplish that." Gu Yue Bo was privately musing as well.
He inevitably thought of his adopted son Qing Shu, and a quiet sigh rose in his heart.
If Gu Yue Qing Shu were still alive, he would likely have reached the Third Transformation by now too. But reality was cruel.
"Elder of the Medicine Hall, Lady Gu Yue Yao Ji, has arrived!" At that moment, a door attendant suddenly announced in a ringing voice.
An elderly woman walked in through the doorway. Her face was pale and lined with wrinkles, and beneath her drooping eyelids her gaze was razor-sharp, locking onto Fang Yuan almost in an instant.
Gu Yue Yao Ji strode forward briskly as she spoke: "Fang Yuan, you actually managed to break through to the Third Transformation? I don't believe it! Come, let this old woman inspect you herself — I want to examine your Empty Orifice!"
The Empty Orifice was a Gu Master's most important secret and trump card — how could it be inspected by others so casually?
Fang Yuan shifted slightly to the side, watching Yao Ji approach, and let out a cold laugh. "Gu Yue Yao Ji, on what grounds do you demand to inspect my Empty Orifice?"
In the past, when he had just begun his cultivation, he had been subject to periodic inspections by the Academy Elder. But things were different now — he was a Third Transformation Gu Master, on equal footing with the Academy Elder, the Medicine Hall Elder, and all the rest.
Besides, verifying one's cultivation level was quite simple.
Silver True Essence was not easy to forge, and the aura of the Third Transformation was unmistakable.
"Insolent! A junior like you dares to address me by name?!" Yao Ji's eyes widened immediately. "And why shouldn't I be allowed to inspect you? My status alone demands it — I am the Medicine Hall Elder, and moreover, your elder!"
"Hmph, old woman, using your name is me doing you a favor. We still have old scores to settle. Before, you wanted to buy my Wine Worm, and when I refused, you bore a grudge. You even tried to seize my Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass! Hmph, when I wanted to trade for that Three-Step Fragrant Grass Gu, you obstructed me from behind the scenes. Now I'm a Third Transformation cultivator too — you'd best drop the airs around me!"
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, his words cutting like blades. He was ruthlessly direct, tearing away all pretense without hesitation.
Had he been a First or Second Transformation cultivator speaking like this, he would certainly have been suppressed and attacked from all sides. But now, with Third Transformation cultivation, his status was equal to that of the Elders, and the entire dynamic had shifted.
Seeing Fang Yuan openly trade barbs with Gu Yue Yao Ji, the other Elders remained silent, content to watch from the sidelines.
Those who held high positions were deep in thought. Even those without natural cunning would develop it over time.
They didn't know Fang Yuan very well yet — this was a perfect opportunity to observe him quietly.
"You brat, how dare you make such reckless accusations!" Gu Yue Yao Ji flushed with fury. Although Fang Yuan's words were true, how could she possibly admit it publicly?
The Elders in attendance remained silent, watching the situation unfold. Many of them knew about the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass affair as well — some had even engaged in their own exchanges with Gu Yue Yao Ji.
But that was politics. There were only eternal interests — no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends.
Seeing Gu Yue Yao Ji turn on him with a counterattack, Fang Yuan simply chuckled coldly and didn't even bother to refute.
The great hall echoed with the lingering resonance of Gu Yue Yao Ji's shrill voice.
But the old woman was trembling faintly all over. This suffocating silence made her feel how isolated she truly was!
Things were different now.
Everything had changed.