The Heng Yue Sect rules state that as long as you reach the Foundation Building stage, you could become an elder and also enjoy the privileges. If you reached the Jiedan stage, then you could leap and become one of the sect’s real heads. If you reach the Yuanying stage, then pretty much you would be the founder of the entire Heng Yue Sect.
The 10 elders that were in the Foundation Building stage were usually training behind closed doors. Because of the exchange with Xuan Dao, Huang Long immediately contacted the elder, and got the elder to contact the two heads who were in the Jiedan stage.