Chapter 55 - 55 52 Xia Yanzeng

55: Chapter 52 Xia Yanzeng 55: Chapter 52 Xia Yanzeng A reprimanding voice came, and a grey-robed elder appeared, walking toward them with a somewhat unpleasant expression on his face. “Third Elder.” Upon seeing the arrival of the grey-robed elder, Xia Yuwen, who had been furiously angry, quieted down and immediately bowed his hands in salute. “Just now in the sparring, you knew you had lost, yet you still refused to concede, behaving as if you can’t stand to lose. Is this befitting of someone from the Royal Family?” The Third Elder said sternly. “Yes.” Xia Yuwen nodded. If it had been someone else, he would have impatiently retorted by now, but standing before him was the Third Elder, essentially his great-uncle, so naturally he dared not talk back. “Let’s go.” Knowing he wouldn’t be able to teach Ye Xuan a lesson today and that he was no match for Ye Xuan anyway, it was fortunate that the Third Elder arrived to give him an excuse to step down. Though it was a blow to his pride, it was an unavoidable situation. “He’s just a cultivation-wasted old man. If it weren’t for his seniority, I wouldn’t bother with him.” After walking some distance, Xia Yuwen scoffed coldly, then strode away with long steps. Although he hadn’t intended for the Third Elder to hear that remark, even Ye Xuan could hear it, so surely the Third Elder was no exception. “Thank you, Senior.” Had it not been for the Third Elder showing up, Xia Yuwen would have certainly persisted in causing trouble, and he would have inevitably ended up beating him up, establishing a deep grudge. After all, this was the Royal Family’s territory, and teaching a prince a lesson within the Imperial Palace was undoubtedly a slap to the Royal Family’s face. “No need. If I hadn’t stepped forward, the one being taught a lesson would just be that boy,” the grey-robed elder waved his hand. However, his eyes couldn’t hide a trace of dark complexity. “Hehe, it’s a pity, Prince, it seems like you do not appreciate this. Senior’s efforts seem to have been wasted,” Ye Xuan shook his head and said with a smile. “With my current level of cultivation, indeed, I can’t control him, nor do I have the right to anymore,” the grey-robed elder sighed deeply, then turned to leave. “I beg to differ. Even if you, Senior, sustained serious injuries sixteen years ago and your strength has greatly diminished, leaving you with only the cultivation of a Fourth Grade Martial Master, teaching Xia Yuwen a lesson would still be quite easy. After all, you were once a renowned Martial Sect Master,” Ye Xuan said, a glint flashing in his eyes as he saw the elder about to leave. Crack! The steps that crushed a dry leaf halted abruptly, and the grey-robed elder slowly turned around, his cloudy eyes swirling with bewilderment, “How do you know all this?” “Though time has passed and not many people know of this past event, it doesn’t mean no one knows. After all, your injury during the conflicts must have involved my father, Ye Xiao, right?” If his information was correct, this royal Third Elder, named Xia Yanzeng, was both a teacher and a friend to his father, Ye Xiao. This was also why, sixteen years ago during the Demon Invasion, Xia Yanzeng was severely injured defending against forces from outside the Demon Clan. Back then, there were hardly any who wished to ensure Ye Xiao lived, and Xia Yanzeng was undoubtedly one of those few. “So you are Ye Xiao’s son.” The shock on the grey-robed elder’s face gradually dissipated, realizing he was the son of an old friend, thus it wasn’t strange for him to be privy to these matters. “In the past, your father possessed great strength, making him nearly invincible within the Great Xia Kingdom,” he said. “However, there are always greater beings outside, and unfortunately, at that time, the powerful forces of the Demon Clan intervened, sealing your father’s fate to certain death. As for me, I indeed fought alongside him, but ultimately, it wasn’t me who made the big mistake—the enemies didn’t regard me as a threat, which is why I was able to survive.” “Nevertheless, all of that is in the past now. The enemies that Ye Xiao attracted were too formidable; it was already a stroke of luck in misfortune that the Ye family could preserve its lineage.” Xia Yanzeng sighed again. “I will ascertain the entire story of this incident in the future. However, for now, my greatest enemy is the Jun family. Destroying the Jun family is the first step in my revenge.” Ye Xuan temporarily set aside considering how powerful the Demon Clan was. Whether it was avenging his father or his clan, his first target was directed squarely at the Jun family. He would think about the Demon Clan only after he had dealt with the Jun family. “The Jun family possesses two Martial Sect Masters. Given the diminished state of the Ye family today, attempting to confront the Jun family would be like throwing an egg against a rock. I advise you to abandon such thoughts; it might not only lead to failure in destroying the Jun family but could also bring great disaster upon yourself. Nevertheless, my strength has now been depleted, and I am unable to assist the Ye family in any way.” After his strength was exhausted over a decade ago, Xia Yanzeng’s fighting spirit had been in decline. Imagine, once a Martial Sect Master, a prominent figure who could dominate the martial world, suddenly reduced to nearly a cripple. Not only had he lost his former glory, but he also had no future in cultivation. For sixteen years, his cultivation had not only stalled but had also fallen two levels—a person in such a situation would undoubtedly be engulfed by despair, adopting a negative outlook on life, which was only expected. “Strength is the foundation for a martial artist’s standing,” Ye Xuan stated understandingly. “Senior Xia, I understand your discouragement. But suppose I said that I have a way to restore your Martial Sect Master Realm strength…” “What did you say?” Initially dismissive, Xia Yanzeng’s expression changed abruptly after hearing the latter part of Ye Xuan’s statement. His breathing quickened, but he quickly regained composure and shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. “Restore Martial Sect Master Realm strength? Easier said than done, countless Spirit Medicine Masters have been unable to help, what could you, a young man, possibly do?” It seemed that over the years, he had been too eager to regain his strength that even a casual remark from Ye Xuan had excited him. “Others may have failed, but that doesn’t mean I will.” S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ye Xuan’s expression was calm. “The foundation of your Martial Sect Master Realm still remains within you. It is only because the demonic power of the Demon Clan’s secret technique sealed your Dantian, causing your True Qi to dissipate and your acupoints to be blocked, which led to the decline of your realm. If we can remove the demonic influence troubling you and unseal your Dantian, restoring your strength wouldn’t be too difficult.” “How… how could you know this in such detail?” Xia Yanzeng was shocked. If Ye Xuan had merely known about his cultivation being harmed, that would have been unremarkable. But now, the other party even knew about the seal inflicted upon him—these were details Xia Yanzeng was certain Ye Xuan hadn’t guessed blindly. Those so-called Spirit Medicine Masters, without exception, had failed to diagnose him correctly. Yet Ye Xuan, having just met him and without even an examination, had made such an accurate judgment. The surprise was beyond words. “I once apprenticed under a master from the Spirit Medicine World and learned some medical skills,” Ye Xuan continued, improvising about his fictitious “master,” whose existence was as elusive as it could be, a handy ruse for deceiving others. “However, your realm has been sealed for many years. It is impossible to fully recover overnight, even if we find the right formula, it will still take some time.” Seeing Ye Xuan maintain a serious demeanor throughout, Xia Yanzeng was moved. Could it be that Ye Xuan indeed had a way to break his seal? “Sixteen years!” During these sixteen years, every day had been agonizing, almost robbing him of his dignity and confidence as a strong warrior. To regain his strength—wasn’t that what he dreamed of every day and night? His desire approached madness. “If you truly can restore my Martial Sect Master strength, I will place myself at your disposal in the future,” Xia Yanzeng took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and was about to kneel before Ye Xuan on one knee. Apart from his parents and ancestors of the Xia family, Xia Yanzeng had never knelt before anyone in his life. But if Ye Xuan could restore him to his former peak, he would be his reborn parents. What harm could there be in kneeling before him? “You are an old friend of my father’s; it’s not about giving orders,” Ye Xuan hurriedly helped the elderly man to his feet. “I only hope that when the time comes where I need your help, Senior Xia, you will lend me your support. That would be enough.” Considering the depth of the relationship between Xia Yanzeng and Ye Xiao, it was clear that his offer to help was not motivated by any ulterior motives. Naturally, having the covert support of a Martial Sect Master would undoubtedly make navigating the treacherous, swirling currents of the Capital much easier.