’This is it!’

As Zhong Ming’s thoughts raced, he focused his consciousness on it, and the dormant eye snapped open.

BOOM!

The moment the vertical pupil opened, the Divine Treasure Area deep within Zhong Ming’s body erupted with boundless light. It was as if a Great Sun now hung amidst his meridians and organs. Scorching Flame and a faint sense of majesty intertwined and spread, threatening to shatter the confines of his physical body.

With that, the gestation of the First Realm Initiation trait for the *Daoist Canon - Celestial Derivation* was complete.

A system notification also appeared in Zhong Ming’s Sea of Consciousness.

[You have acquired the trait: Divine Treasure: Candlelight Heart Eye]

...

SWOOSH!

After spending more than six hours in the private room, Zhong Ming finally pushed the door open and walked out.

That long period had given him some time to get a basic understanding of the Divine Treasure: Candlelight Heart Eye’s abilities.

However, the more he explored it, the more questions arose in his mind.

’Candlelight represents Flame, light, the Sun... but my primary focus is a Water Element Technique. Why would I awaken an eye like this?’

’Could it be because I once wished to infuse the power of the sun, moon, and stars into my water currents? Is that what triggered this strange transformation?’

’But that seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?’

As Zhong Ming emerged from the private room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the eye he had awakened. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

’There has to be a deeper reason I was able to awaken this eye... but what is it?’

Unable to unravel this mystery, Zhong Ming emerged with a look of deep, unshakable confusion etched on his face.

To the onlookers, his expression was naturally misinterpreted as the dejection of someone who had failed to comprehend the technique.

Seeing this, many of them shook their heads.

"Another failure."

"It was inevitable. Comprehending a technique from our Golden Jade Tower is a miracle in itself, and miracles don’t happen every day."

"It’s a shame for the Seven Profound Sect. They paid a hefty price for this opportunity."

"Heh, when a minor sect tries to reach for the heavens in a single bound, they’re bound to pay a price. We’ve been more than fair. At least we gave them a chance, clearly priced and all. Others wouldn’t even bother. But the biggest loser this time is still Yi Qing."

"Exactly. She went to all that trouble to promote someone like him to a Celestial Level guest... Heh, now she’s going to have to face the consequences."

Zhong Ming’s apparent "failure" to comprehend the technique turned Yi Qing into a laughingstock for the crowd from the Golden Jade Tower.

Qin Yi was among them.

But beyond the gawkers, there were people who genuinely cared for Zhong Ming, like Wei Jingcheng and Yi Yunya.

Seeing Zhong Ming’s troubled expression, Yi Yunya immediately walked up to him and began to comfort him in a soft voice.

"Senior Brother, there’s always been something strange about the Celestial Level Cultivation Techniques from the Golden Jade Tower. Succeeding is a miracle; failing to comprehend one is the norm. You don’t have to be so sad."

"In my heart, Senior Brother, you’ll always be the best."

Following her, a sighing Wei Jingcheng suppressed his own disappointment and stepped forward, preparing to console Zhong Ming as well.

But before he could get a word out, he heard Zhong Ming subconsciously mutter, "Sad? Why would I be sad? My comprehension this time..."

Zhong Ming was so preoccupied with why he had awakened the Candlelight Heart Eye, and he wasn’t guarded around Yi Yunya, so he had answered her question without thinking.

He caught himself halfway through, realizing this wasn’t something to announce in public.

So, with a cough, he quickly backtracked. "You’re right. There’s certainly no need to feel dejected over this."

With that, Zhong Ming led the suddenly stunned Yi Yunya and Wei Jingcheng toward the exit of the Golden Jade Tower.

Zhong Ming had reacted quickly, but his words had already sent ripples through the crowd in the Golden Jade Tower.

"Did... did he actually succeed?"

"Impossible. Our Golden Jade Tower’s Celestial Level Cultivation Techniques aren’t that easy to comprehend."

"But if he didn’t succeed, why would he say something like that?"

The question gave some of them pause, but others just snorted coldly.

"Hmph. What else could it be? A genius’s pride."

"And his status... He used up so many of his sect’s resources and got nothing in return. His standing in the sect is bound to suffer. It’s no surprise he’d lie to save face and protect his position."

The Stewards of the Golden Jade Tower knew better than anyone how difficult their Celestial Level Cultivation Techniques were to learn. Therefore, they all assumed Zhong Ming’s earlier words were just a bluff.

Throughout the entire Golden Jade Tower, only Yi Qing, Qin Rou, and Dong Jinhai had flickering glints in their eyes.

Qin Yi noticed the trio’s reactions, and the sight made her own thoughts grow unsettled.

’No, I have to find Qin Rou and ask what’s going on!’

...

In truth, it wasn’t just them; even Wei Jingcheng had his doubts about Zhong Ming’s words.

It wasn’t his fault for thinking that way. Ever since they decided to purchase a comprehension slot for a Celestial Level Cultivation Technique from the Golden Jade Tower, the Seven Profound Sect’s upper echelons had used their connections to make inquiries and investigate the sales history of these techniques.

They had discovered that because the asking price wasn’t high—for a Celestial Level Cultivation Technique—many sects purchased the slots. Some had even bought them three to five times over. Yet even so, in the last century, only a paltry three to five people had ever gained anything from the Golden Jade Tower’s Celestial Level techniques.

With such a low success rate, it was no wonder he was worried about Zhong Ming.

Yet Wei Jingcheng was even more reluctant to press the issue, fearing it would damage their relationship.