Amidst this chaos in the Stone Mountain Sect, Ye Fan thrived. Treated with a newfound respect bordering on reverence, he enjoyed a stark contrast to his initial humiliating experience. Disciples and elders alike showered him with attention, clinging to the hope that he, the celebrated hero, could vanquish the demon.
Among them was Zeng Liuli, one of the three beauties of the sect. Her playful nature remained, yet a newfound earnestness shone in her eyes as she interacted with Ye Fan. Their conversations, once light and teasing, now held a deeper undercurrent, a blossoming connection fostered by shared anxieties and a flicker of something more.
However, the other two beauties presented a different picture.
Shi Feiyan, the introverted cultivator, emerged from seclusion, having attained the late stage of Core Formation. However, true to her nature, she maintained a distance from Ye Fan.