C703 Congratulations!

The sun rose, painting the sky with hues of dawn. Today, the Profound Heaven Sect was even more dazzling than the morning light, with beams of seven colors shooting straight into the sky.

Beneath the mountain gate of the Profound Heaven Sect, a large crowd of cultivators had gathered. Some sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation, while others chatted in small groups, enjoying each other's company. A few had even managed to procure a spread of food and drink, relishing the moment with friends in complete relaxation.

This scene had persisted for over two weeks. Ever since Woo Zhengyang's powerful return, many onlookers had stayed, and as news spread of the Heavenly Martial Sect's downfall, more people arrived, swelling the crowd to the point where even Profound Heaven Town couldn't contain them all.

The buzz only grew when word got out that the Profound Heaven Sect was advancing to become the Profound Heaven Gate and was openly recruiting disciples. Joining a sect of such stature was a dream for many, typically a challenging feat. This was evident from the Heavenly Martial Dao Discussing Great Association hosted by the Heavenly Martial Sect.

Now, with the Profound Heaven Sect actively recruiting, it presented an unprecedented opportunity for many cultivators. Once the Profound Heaven Gate was fully established, such chances would be rare. Eventually, the Profound Heaven Gate would likely take over the Heavenly Martial Academy, renaming it the Profound Heaven Academy. The Heavenly Martial Dao Discussing Great Association might also transform into the Profound Heaven Dao Discussing Great Association, with its final battles held in what was once the Heavenly Martial Realm, now the Profound Heaven Realm.

Since the news broke about the Heavenly Martial Sect opening its doors to new disciples, it was like an earthquake shook the entire region. Every day, countless cultivators flocked to sign up, including entire families and smaller sects. Notably, even those on par with the Profound Heaven Sect, like the Iron Cloud Sect, Wind Howl Sect, and others from neighboring countries, sent their disciples.

In this world, such actions are perfectly understandable. Many disciples attend the Heavenly Martial Dao Discussing Great Association simply to gain entry into the Heavenly Martial Sect. The future of the Profound Heaven Sect promises to be even brighter than the Heavenly Martial Sect's past. Joining now offers the best chance of being noticed.

Of course, even with a need for new members, the Profound Heaven Sect isn't desperate. Every applicant must pass rigorous tests, and only those with exceptional talent and determination can become outer disciples for further observation. Existing disciples, regardless of their cultivation level, are promoted to the inner circle.

Additionally, many powerful individuals, already at the Shape Gathering or Reality Condensing stages, are eager to join the Profound Heaven Sect. While the sect welcomes them, it also evaluates their character, preferring quality over quantity.

Except for Woo Zhengyang, who remains secluded on Heavenly Death Peak, everyone else in the Profound Heaven Sect is incredibly busy during this time. Despite their efforts, many applicants still haven't been assessed, resulting in a constant, bustling crowd at the sect's entrance.

As dawn broke, the crowd, already dense, swelled even more. Unlike in the past, today these people weren't here to join the Profound Heaven Sect; they were simply here to witness the grand ceremony of its elevation to the Profound Heaven Gate. Many were also drawn by the legendary Woo Zhengyang.

Woo Zhengyang, once unknown, had risen to fame with his audacious feats, including his bold challenge to the Heavenly Martial Sect. His reputation as an undefeated maverick intrigued many who had never seen him and wanted to witness this legend firsthand.

"From the Kingdom of East Awakening, the Iron Cloud Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its elevation to the Profound Heaven Gate, wishing it eternal prosperity as it leads the four kingdoms!"

As the morning hour arrived, the leader of the Iron Cloud Sect and their entourage made a grand entrance, walking along the red carpet stretching from the gates of the Profound Heaven Sect to Profound Heaven Town, weaving through the crowd.

"From the Kingdom of Cloud Fluttering, the Snowfall Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its elevation to the Profound Heaven Gate, wishing it eternal prosperity as it leads the four kingdoms!"

The Iron Cloud Sect had barely moved on when the next sect appeared.

"From the Kingdom of Cloud Fluttering, the Sound Demon Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its elevation to the Profound Heaven Gate, wishing it eternal prosperity as it leads the four kingdoms!"

Then came the third, the fourth...

From the Kingdom of East Awakening came the Wind Howl Sect and the Blue Moon Sect; from the Kingdom of Cloud Fluttering, the Snowfall Sect and the Cloud Fluttering Sect; and from the Kingdom of Peaceful Mountain, the Peaceful Mountain Sect, the Hook Moon Sect, the Chaotic Blade Sect, and the Graceful Dance Sect. All ten remaining sects within the four kingdoms arrived one after another, each led by their leaders and elders.

Some sects specifically chose envoys familiar with Woo Zhengyang, like Huang Ruoshan from the Iron Cloud Sect, Yelv Qingyin from the Sound Fiend Sect, and Tang Xiaoyue from the Snowfall Sect. These were the more prominent sects, but there were countless smaller ones, each presenting gifts to show their allegiance.

Thankfully, for this grand event, the Profound Heaven Sect had cleared the entire outer grounds to accommodate everyone. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough space. As for the ordinary cultivators outside, the Profound Heaven Sect couldn't manage them all, so they used formations to project the event into the sky for everyone to see.

However, the crowd's attention wasn't on the sky projection. They were more eager to see which sects would come forward to offer their congratulations. Within the four countries, the largest groups were sects. If only these sects showed up, it would be a letdown for the Profound Heaven Sect.

"Ice Heart Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its advancement. May its disciples spread across the world, and may talent emerge in every generation!"

The first sect to appear with "Sect" in its name was the Ice Heart Sect, but this didn't satisfy the crowd. Everyone knew about the connections between the Ice Heart Sect and the Profound Heaven Sect. Rumor even had it that Bing Yue, the leader of the Ice Heart Sect, was Woo Zhengyang's woman and lived at the Profound Heaven Sect. So, their appearance wasn't surprising.

"Light Sword Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its advancement. May its disciples spread across the world, and may talent emerge in every generation!"

Finally, a second sect with a "Gate" in its name appeared, and it was none other than the Light Sword Gate, ranked third under the Golden Scale Sect. With congratulations from these two sects, the Profound Heaven Sect's reputation was at least preserved.

After all, not long ago, the Profound Heaven Sect was just a small sect, teetering on the brink of extinction, with little influence outside. Having two sects with "Gate" in their names show up was already quite impressive.

However, people clearly underestimated the situation.

"Dark Sword Gate, congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on advancing to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

"Four Seas Gate, congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on advancing to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

"Mindful Gate, congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on advancing to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

"Six Desires Gate, congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on advancing to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

"Seven Emotions Gate, congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on advancing to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

As each sect name was announced, the crowd was left in stunned silence. Could the Profound Heaven Sect, which had almost no contact with the outside world, really wield such influence?

But the real surprise was yet to come. Suddenly, a lone figure appeared from afar, descending onto the red carpet. Although it was just one person, their presence was even more formidable than that of the sects, causing some to avert their gaze in awe.

"Who is this person with such an imposing presence?" the crowd murmured.

"That's a Sovereign!" someone replied, sparking a wave of astonishment.

"A Sovereign? No way! Could the Profound Heaven Sect really attract the attention of such a powerful figure?" some remained skeptical.

However, once the figure on the red carpet spoke, all doubts vanished.

"The Golden Scale Sect congratulates the Profound Heaven Sect on its advancement to the Profound Heaven Gate, with disciples spread across the land, producing talent generation after generation!"

Even the Golden Scale Sect has sent someone!