Chapter 117 - 114: Making Things Difficult

Chapter 117: Chapter 114: Making Things DifficultLeaving the grand hall, Ye Xuan let out a slight sigh of relief. The only thing that puzzled him was why Murong Yun had summoned him and what his intentions were. However, he wasn’t overly worried. The Flood Dragon was well-hidden inside the Beast Soul Token, and the Blood Demon Body Sacrifice Skill had not been exposed. It seemed unlikely that the other party would take any actions against him. "Brother Ye, you are definitely the most outstanding person in this assessment. I think Hall Master Murong highly likely wants to focus on nurturing you. He must have something good in mind when he asked to see you in three days." Just then, Xiang Qing suddenly spoke up, interrupting Ye Xuan’s thoughts with a smile. Although he was slightly older than Ye Xuan, the strength of the practitioner was the true measure of seniority. Ye Xuan was the strongest among the new disciples, so there was nothing inappropriate about calling him Brother Ye. "Hehe, I hope that’s the case." Ye Xuan nodded, not dwelling on it further—it was indeed quite possible, as the other had suggested. "Brother Ye, to be honest, I really envy you. Having a confidante here means you definitely won’t be lonely in the Heavenly Martial Hall. Unlike us, we still need to work hard in the future to solve our singleness..." Xiang Qing seemed to sigh as he looked at Ye Xuan, his words tinged with envy, recalling the moment during the entrance assessment when Ye Xuan had led Tang Xiaoyan through the Copper Man Formation. Everyone had seen it—it was incredibly enviable. If anyone said there was nothing between them, no one would believe it. "We’re just ordinary friends, not what you’d call confidantes. You’re thinking too much." Ye Xuan shook his head, noncommittally. "Oh? Really? Given Miss Tang’s beauty, she’s bound to be very popular here in the Heavenly Martial Hall. Brother Ye, could you really stand by and not care? Aren’t you worried that someone might woo her away?" Xiang Qing was somewhat incredulous. "That’s natural. I came to the Heavenly Martial Hall for cultivation, not to engage in romance." Ye Xuan felt nothing more than sympathy and compassion toward Tang Xiaoyan. He had helped her repeatedly, and now that her life was back on track, he would no longer interfere. Since he had no romantic intentions, why should he offer any false hopes and possibly hinder her? "Brother Ye truly is a person who wholeheartedly pursues martial arts. I admire you." Xiang Qing’s admiration for Ye Xuan grew. It was impressive how he could remain unaffected by a beauty like Tang Xiaoyan and focus solely on martial arts cultivation. Following the disciple who was leading the way, the two talked as they walked. After some time, they saw a slightly lower peak in their view—this was where they would be living from now on. Inner Hall disciples like Ye Xuan and Xiang Qing each had their own exclusive courtyards, unlike the Outer Hall disciples, who had much fewer perks and often had to share a residence with several others. The status differences also reflected in their living quarters; Inner Hall disciples could live at the peak where the spiritual energy was richest, Outer Hall disciples on the less favorable mid-mountain, and the most meager lower mountain was reserved for servant disciples. Upon reaching the mountain peak, the two temporarily parted ways. They were both tired from the day’s traveling and bustle and had not yet had a chance to rest properly, even Ye Xuan was feeling fatigued. As for familiarizing himself with the surroundings of the Heavenly Martial Hall, he could check it out after a good rest. ... Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Just as Ye Xuan was getting familiar with the area around the Yang Hall, the day appointed by Murong Yun arrived. On the fourth day, as the morning sun rose, Ye Xuan punctually set off for Jade Sun Peak. Having spent the past two days gathering information, Ye Xuan knew about a place called Yang Yuan Pond on Jade Sun Peak. Naturally emitted Yang Gang energy from the depths of the mountain concentrated in this pond; its immense energy was not only excellent for tempering the body but also greatly beneficial for enhancing cultivation. Typically, only a very few disciples within the Yang Hall were qualified to enter the Yang Yuan Pond. This time, Murong Yun calling him there probably meant he was considering allowing him an exception to cultivate in the pond. Otherwise, there was no need to particularly summon him to that spot. Understanding Murong Yun’s intentions, Ye Xuan boldly ascended the mountain. The opportunity to cultivate in the Yang Yuan Pond was too good to miss for boosting his cultivation. Murong Yun planned to give him such a generous gift upon his arrival; how could Ye Xuan refuse? Upon reaching the summit of Jade Sun Peak, Murong Yun was already there ahead of him. Also present were Feng Yuan and several elders of the Yang Hall, clearly indicating that the upper echelons of the hall viewed the matter of Ye Xuan highly. "Hall Master, esteemed Elders," Ye Xuan bowed to Murong Yun and Feng Yuan, among others. Seeing today’s grand assembly, he was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected that his arrival as a newcomer would stir almost the entire high echelon of Yang Hall. Each person present was, without exception, a Martial Sect Master. Among them, Murong Yun’s aura was the strongest. Ye Xuan guessed that he must be at least a Third Grade Martial Sect, a cultivation level that, in the Great Xia Kingdom, made one almost invincible. He presumed that even in the Heavenly Martial Hall, there wouldn’t be many who were stronger than Murong Yun right now. "Sixth Grade martial master realm?" One of the Yang Hall elders probed Ye Xuan’s cultivation level and immediately frowned. At his side, two other elders exchanged glances, their expressions changing slightly—clearly, they all thought Ye Xuan’s cultivation was too weak. "What, do the Elders only value cultivation when assessing someone?" Seeing the expressions of these three elders, Murong Yun’s face slightly cooled. If it were not for the need for these Yang Hall elders’ assistance to activate the Yang Yuan Pond, he wouldn’t have called them all here; more people only complicate matters. "Of course cultivation isn’t the only criterion, but undeniably, cultivation is the most crucial aspect of strength. This Yang Yuan Pond is vital for nurturing our talented disciples. The Yang Gang energy inside it, once depleted, takes a long time to replenish. Therefore, I believe that high-quality steel must be used on the blade’s edge, and not just activated casually. Any disciple who wishes to enter must accumulate enough Contribution Value—there can be no exceptions." One elder spoke up, clearly indicating his opposition to letting Ye Xuan, a newcomer, enter the Yang Yuan Pond. Hearing this, Ye Xuan also realized that Murong Yun hadn’t consulted these elders beforehand. It seemed that the internal affairs of Yang Hall were not as unified as they might appear. "Then I must ask how many talented disciples have you three elders cultivated over the years? Why has our Yang Hall yet to produce a True Disciple? Today, I didn’t call you here to discuss this matter. You just need to act." Murong Yun’s gaze grew colder; these three old men were indeed annoying. In his view, it was precisely because of these antiquated attitudes that Yang Hall had always been the least among the four halls, and these men had an inescapable responsibility for that. "Master Murong, your words are mistaken; Yang Hall is not just ruled by your word alone. I think this matter requires further deliberation. Let’s leave it be for today," another elder said, undaunted. "You!" Murong Yun’s eyes swiftly darkened, and just as he seemed about to explode, Ye Xuan stood up and turned towards the three Yang Hall elders, a glint in his eyes, "The elders are worried that my entry into the Yang Yuan Pond would waste Yang Hall’s resources. Then, may I ask, what level must one achieve to satisfy the criteria that you elders speak of?" "Shut up, what right do you have to speak here?" Seeing Ye Xuan suddenly stepping forward, one elder also put on an authoritative air, sternly berating him. "Eh, Ye Xuan is also a disciple of our Yang Hall, and a person valued by the Hall Master. If we don’t give him any face, outsiders might say we old folks are too set in our ways and don’t give young people a chance." Among the three Yang Hall elders, the one leading, a man in a black robe, waved his hand. He then looked towards Ye Xuan with a seemingly amicable smile and said, "Here’s the deal, I’ll give you a chance. If you can withstand three moves from me, then the matter of opening the Yang Yuan Pond today will be left to the Hall Master to decide." "What kind of test?" Murong Yun also slightly tensed, sensing that the old man was unlikely to have changed his stance at the last moment. The so-called test was probably anything but simple. "Simple. If Ye Xuan can withstand three moves from me, then today’s matter concerning the Yang Yuan Pond will be up to the Hall Master." The elder in the black robe said with a smile. As these words fell, the mountaintop suddenly quieted down; Murong Yun and Feng Yuan’s faces also turned sour, anger flickering in their eyes. As expected, the old man was clearly making things difficult. With his Second Grade Martial Sect cultivation, how could Ye Xuan possibly withstand him for three rounds? "The Hall Master need not worry, I will not use my cultivation to bully others. When we fight, I’ll suppress my cultivation to the martial master level. If I exceed that, I’ll consider it my loss," The elder in the black robe sensed the anger from Murong Yun and Feng Yuan. Not wanting to escalate the situation further, he stepped back slightly with a smile. Even so, it would still be very difficult for Ye Xuan to withstand three moves from this elder in the black robe. Since he dared to set such a test, he clearly had full confidence. This kind of test was naturally not something Murong Yun would agree to, and he soon became quite impatient inside. These three rigid old men, it seemed they were all talk, and today’s issue was destined to be unresolved. "Hall Master, since the three elders insist on setting a test, why not do as they suggest..." Just as Murong Yun was preparing to act, Ye Xuan, who had been silent up to this point, finally spoke. His calm voice echoed across the mountaintop...