The green auras around the remaining participants continued to flicker as the Wood Seed stage drew to a close.
One by one, the participants either reached their limits or managed to advance further. Some could no longer endure the growing pain, while others gritted their teeth and continued to hold on.
Soon, bronze light began to appear around several participants.
In the viewing stands, some families immediately rose to their feet.
"Look! Our daughter has reached the Bronze Seed!"
A middle-aged man from a small family grabbed his wife's hand, unable to hide his excitement.
His wife stared at the formation, tears gathering in her eyes.
"She really did it..."
The man nodded repeatedly, his eyes fixed on their daughter.
"Good girl. You've done well. Even if you stop here, your father will still be proud of you!"
Their family had spent years struggling to gather enough resources for her cultivation. They had never expected her to achieve something that even many experienced cultivators in Qinghe City had failed to accomplish.
Similar scenes unfolded throughout the viewing stands.
The five great clans were also pleased with the results of their younger members. Although they possessed far more resources than ordinary families, they understood how difficult it was to awaken a high-grade Seed.
In Qinghe City, even many clan elders and patriarchs possessed only Wood Seeds.
A Bronze Seed was already a remarkable achievement for a fifteen-year-old.
On the Wu Clan's side, an elder watched the formation with a satisfied smile.
"Wu Lang has reached the Bronze Seed. Not bad at all."
Another elder nodded.
"With his talent and our family's support, he has a promising future."
The elders exchanged pleased looks. They hoped Wu Lang could advance further, but even this result was enough to make them proud.
The Yi Clan was equally delighted when Yi Feng reached the Bronze Seed.
"Good! That boy has finally shown what he is capable of."
An older member of the clan laughed.
"Remember how he used to complain whenever we made him train longer? If he heard us praising him now, he'd probably be grinning from ear to ear."
The people around him chuckled.
However, the ceremony was far from over.
The pressure continued to increase, and not everyone could endure it.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth as he tried to advance beyond the Wood Seed stage. The aura around him flickered several times, but the bronze light he hoped to see never appeared.
No matter how hard he tried, his aura remained green.
In the end, Lin Feng could only accept his limits.
He lowered his head and prepared to leave the formation.
Not far away, Gu Chen faced the same situation.
His hands clenched into fists as he continued to endure the pain, unwilling to give up so easily. Yet after several more attempts, his aura showed no sign of changing.
He finally opened his eyes and let out a bitter sigh.
He had reached the Wood Seed, but he could go no further.
Just as the two young men were about to withdraw, one of the three sect elders noticed that they had reached their limits.
The elder raised his hand.
The immense pressure surrounding Lin Feng and Gu Chen suddenly disappeared.
At the same time, a gentle force lifted both of them from their seated positions and carried them out of the formation.
The two young men landed safely outside the formation.
For a moment, they stood there in a daze.
They had barely felt the force that moved them. The elder had removed them from the formation so effortlessly that neither of them had even managed to react.
Lin Feng looked toward the three elders on the northern platform, his eyes filled with awe.
So this is the power of a true expert...
Gu Chen swallowed nervously.
He had always known that the elders of the three great sects were powerful, but witnessing their strength so closely was an entirely different experience.
They exchanged a glance before stepping aside to make room for the other participants who would soon be removed.
Meanwhile, the ceremony continued.
Among those who remained, Shen Tong successfully reached the Bronze Seed.
A trace of satisfaction appeared on his face.
He glanced toward the Shen Clan's seats, hoping to receive praise from his father, Shen Honglie.
Shen Honglie gave him a small nod.
"Well done, Tong'er."
Shen Tong smiled faintly.
For someone who had trained hard for this moment, those few words were enough to make his efforts feel worthwhile.
Unfortunately, his satisfaction did not last long.
As the spiritual pressure increased, the bronze aura around him began to tremble. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold on, but the pain continued to grow. You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
His breathing became ragged.
His hands trembled.
He wanted to advance further, but his body had reached its limit.
Finally, the bronze light around him flickered and disappeared.
Shen Tong had reached the Bronze Seed, but he could not advance any further.
He remained seated for a moment, struggling to catch his breath.
Then, one of the sect elders raised his hand again.
The pressure surrounding Shen Tong vanished.
A gentle force carried him out of the formation and placed him safely beside the other participants who had been eliminated.
Shen Tong's eyes widened.
He had not even realized when the elder had acted. One moment, he had been struggling beneath the immense pressure; the next, he was already outside the formation.
He turned toward the three elders, his heart filled with respect.
Their strength is truly terrifying.
Even though he had only experienced a small portion of their power, he could hardly imagine how strong they would be if they fought seriously.
Shen Tong took a deep breath and returned to the Shen Clan's seats.
Shen Honglie looked at him.
"You've done well. Don't be disappointed."
Shen Tong nodded.
"Yes, Father."
He had hoped to achieve a higher Seed, but he understood that reaching the Bronze Seed was already a good result.
Shen Hongyuan watched his younger brother's son return and gave him an encouraging smile.
"Rest for now, Tong'er. You've made the Shen Clan proud."
Shen Tong bowed his head slightly before sitting down.
Not far away, Lu Bai was facing the same difficulty.
A bronze aura had appeared around him, raising the hopes of the Lu Clan members watching from the stands. For a brief moment, they believed he might advance even further.
However, the pressure eventually became too much.
His bronze aura began to flicker.
Lu Bai gritted his teeth, determined to hold on for a little longer, but his body could no longer endure the pain.
The light around him finally disappeared.
Once again, one of the sect elders raised a hand.
The pressure surrounding Lu Bai vanished in an instant, and a gentle force carried him out of the formation.
Lu Bai landed safely beside the other eliminated participants.
He looked toward the formation, still somewhat stunned by how effortlessly the elder had moved him.
Only after a moment did he regain his composure.
Lu Wei, who was seated among the Lu Clan members, sneered.
"That's all you've got? You're completely useless."
Lu Bai lowered his head without replying.
Their father shook his head, while the Lu Clan elders remained silent. They had no intention of interfering in a public ceremony over a few harsh words.
Lu Wei leaned back in his seat, looking unimpressed.
"He only reached the Bronze Seed. What's so impressive about that?"
After all, Lu Wei himself had awakened a Gold Seed. In his eyes, Lu Bai's achievement was nothing worth celebrating.
He then turned his attention toward Shen Yanzhou, who was still sitting inside the formation.
"Let's see how far that young master of the Shen Clan can go."
Shen Yanzhou heard the mockery but did not even turn his head.
His expression remained calm, and his posture did not change. To everyone watching, he looked like a composed young master who was entirely focused on the ceremony.
However, deep inside, he was anything but pleased.
Damn it! So what if you've awakened a Gold Seed? Hmph! What's the point of having a Gold Seed if you haven't even seen Shiyue's face?
He recalled Chang Shiyue's beautiful face and immediately felt better.
Hehehe. I'm the first man outside her family to have held her in my arms! Hehehe!
He nearly laughed at the thought, but quickly suppressed it.
Hmph! What a loser.
On the outside, Shen Yanzhou remained perfectly calm. His face showed neither anger nor impatience, making him look like a mature young man who would not lower himself to answer petty insults.
No one could have guessed what was going through his mind.
The ceremony continued.
Wu Lang and Yi Feng remained seated inside the formation, their bronze auras still surrounding them.
Their families watched with pride, hoping they might still achieve something more. However, as the spiritual pressure continued to rise, both young men began to struggle.
Wu Lang's breathing grew heavier, while Yi Feng's face became pale.
They gritted their teeth and tried to endure, but the pain eventually became too much.
Their bronze auras flickered and disappeared.
The three sect elders acted almost simultaneously.
The immense pressure around Wu Lang and Yi Feng vanished, and a gentle force carried both of them out of the formation.
The two young men landed safely outside.
They stared at the formation in surprise before looking toward the three elders.
They had just experienced how terrifying the ceremony's pressure could be. Yet the elders had controlled it so easily that they could remove participants without causing them any harm.
Wu Lang clenched his fists.
I still have a long way to go.
Yi Feng took a deep breath and bowed respectfully toward the elders.
"Thank you, elders."
The elders gave a slight nod before turning their attention back to the formation.
The families of Wu Lang and Yi Feng welcomed them with proud smiles. Although the two boys had failed to advance beyond the Bronze Seed, their achievements were still worthy of celebration.
Meanwhile, the number of participants remaining inside the formation continued to decrease.
Among them, Shen Yanzhou remained seated.
The bronze aura around him had grown brighter and steadier.
Shen Hongyuan stared at his son, his eyes widening slightly.
"Father... Yanzhou has really reached the Bronze Seed."
His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and pride.
He had watched his son grow up. He knew better than anyone how much Yanzhou disliked training and cultivation. For years, he had worried that the boy would waste his potential and bring shame upon himself.
Yet now, Yanzhou had achieved something that many cultivators in Qinghe City could only hope for.
Shen Honglie looked toward his nephew and slowly smiled.
"That rascal has finally done something worth praising."
His voice was light, but his eyes showed genuine pride.
Shen Tianxiong remained silent for a moment.
The old man stroked his long white beard, his sharp eyes fixed on his grandson.
Even he had not expected Yanzhou to reach this stage.
In Qinghe City, many clan elders and even some patriarchs possessed only Wood Seeds. Even Shen Tianxiong himself, the former pillar of the Shen Clan, had awakened only a Wood Seed.
For Yanzhou to reach the Bronze Seed at just fifteen was an achievement that surpassed his grandfather's own result.
The old man's hand paused on his beard.
"Good," he said quietly. "Very good."
Those two simple words carried more pride than a long speech could have expressed.
Shen Hongyuan lowered his head slightly, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes.
"Father, our Shen Clan has another promising young man."
Shen Tianxiong nodded.
"Indeed. Whatever happens next, he has already made us proud."
The other Shen Clan members exchanged delighted looks. Some smiled openly, while others nodded in approval.
For a family that had spent years worrying about its young master's future, this result meant far more than a single stage in a ceremony.
It was proof that Shen Yanzhou had potential worth nurturing.
Across the viewing stands, Chang Weiming's expression became complicated.
He remembered the promise he had made publicly: if Shen Yanzhou managed to awaken a Bronze Seed, the Chang Clan would no longer interfere in his relationship with Chang Shiyue.
Now, Yanzhou had met the condition Chang Weiming himself had set.
The patriarch might regret his words, but he could not simply take them back. A public promise from a patriarch concerned the reputation of his entire family. Breaking it over a marriage arrangement would make the Chang Clan a laughingstock among the other great clans.
Beside him, Chang Shiyue watched Shen Yanzhou in silence.
Her expression remained calm, but her gaze lingered on him for a moment before returning to the formation.
She had always known that Yanzhou possessed potential. Seeing him reach the Bronze Seed after finally taking cultivation seriously brought a quiet sense of relief to her heart.
Meanwhile, Lu Wei's expression darkened.
"So he managed to reach the Bronze Seed," he muttered with a sneer. "And now everyone is supposed to think he's impressive?"
No one nearby bothered to answer him.
Shen Yanzhou did not look in his direction.
He remained seated inside the formation, his expression as calm as ever. He had no interest in trading insults with Lu Wei while the ceremony was still underway.
Besides, Bronze Seed was only one stage.
There was no reason to celebrate too early.
Hmph. Keep talking, you loser. Let's see who's laughing when this is over.
His face remained completely composed, revealing none of his thoughts.