Training Ground

Yang Ye walked side by side with Elder Qian. Though it was night, the training ground was as bright as day under the illumination of the surrounding moonlight stones.

Suddenly, Elder Qian stopped and looked at Yang Ye. "Yang Ye, when I demoted you to a miscellaneous disciple, did you harbor any resentment toward me?"

Yang Ye shook his head and replied, "Elder Qian, if it weren’t for you, my sister and mother would have probably fallen into the hands of the Liu family. I did harbor some resentment, but it was only toward myself. I was the one who failed, making you and me the laughingstocks. I let you down!"

Yang Ye would never forget the time when the outer sect elders mocked him and Elder Qian. When he had failed to become a (Xuan Practitioner) after a year, the outer sect elders and disciples not only gave him a "memorable" nickname but also ridiculed Elder Qian for being senile and accepting a useless disciple into the Sword Sect.

He had become the laughingstock among outer disciples, and Elder Qian had, as a result, also become the target of mockery among the outer sect elders.

Hearing Yang Ye’s words, Elder Qian laughed and patted Yang Ye’s shoulder. "Alright, that’s all in the past, no need to dwell on it. I didn’t expect you to have five elemental玄气 (Xuan Qi), and a gold-element one at that. Come, let’s go to the Outer Sect Peak. I’m going to restore your status as an outer disciple. Now, let me see who dares to call you trash!"

"Elder Qian, I want to participate in next month’s outer sect disciple assessment. I’ll prove with my strength that I’m not useless, and that your judgment was the best in the Sword Sect!" Yang Ye said seriously as he looked at Elder Qian. If he truly possessed five elemental, he might go along with Elder Qian, but the problem was, did he really have it? He didn’t want others to learn the secret of the mysterious vortex in his dantian!

Upon hearing this, Elder Qian was momentarily stunned, then smiled, saying, "Good, good, you have ambition."

There were two ways to join the Sword Sect as an outer disciple. The first was through the recommendation of an outer sect elder, who could accept up to three disciples. The second way was through the outer sect disciple assessment, which was the official method. Anyone who reached the level of a玄者 (Xuan Practitioner) of the sixth rank before the age of seventeen was eligible to take the assessment.

The disciples who passed the assessment were ranked higher in both strength and status than those chosen by elders because the assessment was extremely rigorous. It tested not only strength but also comprehension and talent.

The first method was akin to a backdoor entry, while the second one required talent and effort, so in the Sword Sect, the latter’s status was far superior to the former’s.

Elder Qian thought for a moment, then took out a small pouch from his robe and handed it to Yang Ye. "Yang Ye, I admire your determination. This contains ten energy stones and a Meridian Protection Pill. The energy stones will help you quickly absorb, while the Meridian Protection Pill will protect your meridians from damage."

Yang Ye hesitated for a moment, then accepted the pouch and said seriously, "Elder Qian, don’t worry. I will not disappoint you this time." He didn’t refuse Elder Qian’s kindness. At this moment, he truly needed the cultivation resources. Without them, it would be impossible for him to reach the sixth rank of玄者 by the age of seventeen.

Elder Qian smiled and nodded. "I believe in you. Those with five elemental玄气 usually have a fast cultivation speed. I didn’t know what went wrong with you before, but now it seems that there’s nothing wrong with your body anymore. Just cultivate hard. Aim for the top ten in the outer sect assessment. Let’s show those old guys who the real waste is!"

By the end of his sentence, Elder Qian’s voice carried a hint of anger. His temper was usually good, but when he thought of those outer sect elders and their smug attitudes, he still got angry.

"Top ten?" Yang Ye muttered.

"Why? No confidence?" Elder Qian smiled.

Yang Ye shook his head. How could he have no confidence? His goal was not just to become an outer sect disciple; his true target was to become an inner sect disciple. He had never dared to hope for that before, but now, with the mysterious vortex in his dantian and his own effort, he believed he could make it. Of course, he first had to become an outer sect disciple to qualify for the inner sect disciple assessment!

Yang Ye paused for a moment, then said, "Elder Qian, there’s something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" Elder Qian asked curiously.

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Yang Ye explained the situation with the Liu family trying to harm his sister, which had originally been something he wanted to resolve by himself. But now, his strength was insufficient, and he needed more time. So, he was asking Elder Qian for help.

After hearing this, Elder Qian fell silent for a moment, then said, "If I’m not mistaken, the Liu Qingyu from the outer sect recently became an outer disciple, and he’s from the Liu family. That’s why the Liu family has ignored my previous warning and started plotting against your family again."

"Liu Qingyu?"

Hearing that name, Elder Qian’s expression became slightly more serious. "He’s from the Liu family. He recently became an outer disciple after ranking third in the outer sect assessment. In just a month of cultivation, he’s already ranked twenty-ninth in the outer sect rankings. It’s said that some inner sect elders have already started paying attention to him."

"Twenty-ninth in the outer sect rankings?" Yang Ye’s expression became serious.

The outer sect rankings were a list of the strongest outer sect disciples. There were thousands of them, and many were very powerful. It was said that the top ten in the rankings were already on par with some outer sect elders. Liu Qingyu’s rapid rise to twenty-ninth place in just a month showed his immense talent and strength!

"Don’t worry, I’ll go to An’nan City," Elder Qian said. "Right now, Liu Qingyu isn’t yet an inner disciple, so the Liu family still respects me a little. But if he passes the inner sect disciple trial in three months and becomes an inner disciple, the Liu family might no longer care about me."

Upon hearing this, Yang Ye bowed deeply to Elder Qian. "Thank you, Elder Qian." Yang Ye knew that once Liu Qingyu became an inner disciple, the outer sect elder status wouldn’t hold much power over the Liu family anymore. With the resources of the inner sect, Liu Qingyu’s strength would only grow, and the Liu family in An’nan City would become even more arrogant.

If Yang Ye wanted to keep the Liu family in check, he needed to surpass Liu Qingyu in both strength and status. In other words, he had three months. If he couldn’t surpass Liu Qingyu by then, his sister and mother would be in danger.

"Kid, if Liu Qingyu is ranked twenty-ninth in the outer sect rankings, it means he’s already a congenital expert. You must work hard, or not only will you not be able to protect your family, but your own life will also be in danger," Elder Qian said seriously.

Congenital Expert!

Yang Ye’s pupils contracted, and his hands clenched tightly. It was well-known that anyone below the congenital level was considered a mortal realm practitioner. There was a massive difference between a mortal realm practitioner and a congenital expert. Once someone reached the congenital level, their玄气 shield could no longer be broken by mortal realm practitioners!

"Congenital, huh? Looks like I need to work even harder!" Yang Ye clenched his fists, his expression firm.

Seeing that Yang Ye wasn’t intimidated by the concept of congenital experts, Elder Qian smiled and nodded. The reason he had given Yang Ye a spot back then wasn’t just because Yang Ye was loyal but because of his determined personality. Martial arts required not only strong talent but also the kind of character and resolve Yang Ye possessed.

After bidding farewell to Elder Qian, Yang Ye didn’t continue cultivating at Qingfeng Valley but returned to his own house. There, he began studying the "Five Elemental Talismans." If he could create talismans, it would greatly enhance his strength, as the effects of these talismans were extremely powerful.

As Yang Ye studied the "Five Elemental Talismans," he became increasingly shocked. Some of the talismans were incredibly powerful.

For instance, one of the talismans, the Spirit Gathering Talisman, could make one rapidly absorb, although only for an hour or two, it was still very strong. Another talisman, the Strengthening Talisman, could increase one's strength by several times within an hour. There were many other talismans as well...

After some time, Yang Ye couldn’t resist and decided to make a talisman. He didn’t choose the most difficult ones, but instead opted for the Strengthening Talisman.

The idea was good, but when he tried making it, Yang Ye realized that creating talismans was much harder than he had thought. However, Yang Ye didn’t get discouraged and kept trying again and again.

Over the next few days, thanks to Elder Qian, the newly appointed steward of the Miscellaneous Disciple Peak was smart enough not to assign any tasks to Yang Ye, so Yang Ye had plenty of time. Every day, he either trained at Qingfeng Valley or studied the talismans.

One day, while Yang Ye was studying the "Five Elemental Talismans" in his room, a miscellaneous disciple came to visit. The disciple looked serious and said, "Yang Ge, there’s something I need to tell you!"

"What is it?" Yang Ye asked, confused. He didn’t recognize the person in front of him. Although the miscellaneous disciples were very respectful toward him due to what had happened with Du Xiu and his group, Yang Ye didn’t have much interaction with them.

Hearing Yang Ye’s question, the disciple hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yang Ge, it seems Du Xiu’s cousin is coming back."

"Du Xiu’s cousin?" Yang Ye frowned. He knew that Du Xiu’s cousin was an outer sect disciple. Was the person coming back to cause trouble for him?

The disciple nodded and said, "Yang Ge, we wanted to inform you. I’ve heard that Du Xiu’s cousin is a (Xuan Practitioner) of the eighth rank. If he finds out that Du Xiu and his group were demoted to the Star Mine Mountain because of you, he will definitely cause trouble for you. You need to be prepared!"

"Xuan Practitioner of the eighth rank?" Yang Ye’s eyes narrowed. After thinking for a while, he took out fifty gold coins and handed them to the disciple. "Thank you for your help. I will be careful. Here are fifty gold coins. Don’t refuse, take it. If there’s any important news, you can come and tell me!"

With thousands of miscellaneous disciples scattered across the peak, each day there was information to be heard. These disciples held a wealth of information, and if they could be his eyes and ears, it would be of great help to him.

The disciple took the fifty gold coins and was excited. "Yang Ge, don’t worry. If there’s any news about you or anything important, we’ll let you know as soon as possible!" After saying this, the disciple left the room.

After the disciple left, Yang Ye squinted his eyes and murmured, "Xuan Practitioner of the eighth rank. I’m only a Xuan Practitioner of the fourth rank right now. Looks like I need to keep working harder!