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Chapter 12 : The Rising Flame
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The news spread like wildfire through the outer sect courtyard: Ye Tian had accepted a challenge from a Foundation Building disciple. Excitement and skepticism brewed among the gathered disciples, who traded glances and muttered to each other.
“Did you hear? Ye Tian actually accepted!”
“Ha, I wonder what he’s thinking. Those challengers are in the fifth stage of Foundation Building—there’s no way he’ll win!”
“He’ll probably get crushed like usual.”
Ye Tian ignored the whispers as he surveyed the crowd forming around him. They think they know my limits, he thought, steeling himself. His opponents were indeed stronger on paper, but he wasn’t the same Ye Tian from before. With the Origin Palace’s techniques, he had gained more confidence. He felt his body and mind sharper, and he was ready to show everyone the results of his training.
“So,” Ye Tian called out, his voice carrying over the noise. “Who’s first?”
A tall, arrogant boy, Xu Wei, stepped forward with a condescending smirk. “I’ll take you on,” he declared, his voice thick with derision. His friends chuckled behind him, nudging each other as if this were a game. “This’ll be quick,” Xu Wei added, drawing his sword with a casual flick of his wrist.
Ye Tian sized him up, his gaze unwavering. They really think they’ll walk away with free points, he mused. But since you’ve all delivered yourselves to me, I’ll gladly accept.
The crowd shifted in anticipation as Ye Tian and Xu Wei squared off. Some jeered, others whispered doubts, but no one expected anything remarkable.
Xu Wei sneered. “Are you ready, or should I wait for you to run?”
Ye Tian simply smirked. “I hope you’re prepared to lose,” he replied calmly.
Xu Wei’s smile faded, and his expression turned into one of irritation. With a roar, he charged forward, his blade flashing toward Ye Tian in a swift arc. Ye Tian sidestepped, his movements smooth, barely evading the strike.
“Too slow!” Xu Wei taunted, swinging again with greater force.
Ye Tian parried the blow, but the impact reverberated through his arm, reminding him of the difference in their cultivation levels. Still, he held his ground, his eyes never leaving his opponent.
Xu Wei’s smirk returned as he increased his speed, forcing Ye Tian to retreat several paces. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?”
Ye Tian gritted his teeth, maintaining his defense while his mind raced. He knew he couldn’t keep fending off attacks indefinitely, and he needed to find a way to counter. Then, he remembered the movement technique he’d taken from the Origin Palace. If I could just integrate it…
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He took a deep breath, channeling his fire-element qi to his legs, but the flow was uneven, and his movements remained slow. Not working. But I can’t let him keep pushing me back, he thought, scanning for an opening.
Xu Wei pressed forward with a powerful slash, shouting, “Stop running and fight me properly!”
Ye Tian shifted his weight, using the momentum of Xu Wei’s attack to spring backward, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. His heart pounded, but an idea began forming. What if I let him push me back just enough? If I time this right…
He braced himself as Xu Wei lunged forward, putting his full force into a downward slash. At the last second, Ye Tian raised his own sword to block, absorbing the impact, which sent him flying backward. As he staggered, he finally felt the fire-element qi settle in his legs.
Then something clicked. The qi surged through his feet smoothly, like a sudden burst of energy waiting to be unleashed.
Xu Wei grinned, thinking he had Ye Tian cornered. “That’s all you’ve got?” he taunted, drawing back for another strike. But his grin vanished when Ye Tian, in a blur of motion, vanished from sight, reappearing behind him in an instant.
“What…?” Xu Wei stammered, caught off guard.
Ye Tian seized the moment, pivoting with his sword aimed at Xu Wei’s back. His opponent barely had time to turn before he was met with a sharp kick, sending him sprawling to the ground. Before Xu Wei could react, Ye Tian pointed his sword at his chest, his gaze steely.
The silence around them was deafening.
“Did… did Ye Tian just win?” someone murmured, breaking the stunned stillness.
“He actually defeated Xu Wei!” another gasped, disbelief evident on their face.
The crowd burst into cheers, the once-mocking voices now praising him. “Ye Tian! Ye Tian!” they chanted, watching him in awe.
Up in a nearby tree, a veiled figure watched the fight closely, her lips curving into a faint smile. “So, he’s finally progressing,” she murmured to herself, her eyes glinting with intrigue. “After so many years of being looked down upon… he’s started to move forward. I wonder what changed?”
Ye Tian glanced at the cheering crowd, feeling their attention settle heavily on him. Better not linger too long, he thought, sheathing his sword. Bowing to the onlookers in a show of humility, he made his way toward the path leading to the sect market.
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As he walked, he replayed the last moment of the fight, considering the brief surge of power. “That technique… it’s stronger than I thought,” he muttered to himself, a hint of excitement in his voice. “I could actually feel my control over the fire element improve. But… I’m not sure if I can pull off that speed again without more practice.”
The path soon opened up into the bustling sect market, where disciples crowded around various stalls, bartering for goods and materials. Here, vendors sold everything from rare herbs and spirit cores to enchanted artifacts and cultivation manuals. Ye Tian glanced around, his eyes searching for something specific.
He approached a stall selling elemental treasures, the vendor—a wiry, older disciple—eyeing him curiously.
“Looking for something specific, friend?” the vendor asked with a polite smile.
“Yes,” Ye Tian replied, “I need fire-elemental treasures.”
The vendor raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning Ye Tian’s attire and expression. “Fire-elemental treasures, hmm? They’re not normally available, you know.”
“I’ve enough spirit stones! ” he replied with a slight grin, causing the vendor to chuckle.
Where should I get fire-elemental treasures.
"Let's keep searching"
Ye Tian examined the shops, trying to sense warm spiritual power from treasures through his fingers. “ where?”
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Elsewhere, in a dim room within the sect, a group of disciples sat in tense discussion.
“Did you hear about Ye Tian’s victory this morning?” one of them muttered, his tone laced with disdain.
“Yeah, I don’t like it. Now everyone’s talking about him,” another replied, frowning. “We can’t let him get too comfortable.”
A third disciple leaned forward, his expression dark and calculating. “So, what are we going to do about it?”
A voice from the corner, laced with arrogance, spoke up loudly. “We’re going to put him back in his place,” he declared with a smirk. “Any ideas?”
One of them grinned slyly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “How about this…” he said, outlining a plan as the others leaned in to listen.
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