Chapter 213: Conflict At The Grand Ceremony
At the Hundred Tiger Peak training ground, a large number of Hundred Tiger Peak inner disciples had already gathered.
The entire training ground was divided into an inner and outer layer. The outer layer had no seats and was merely a temporarily cordoned-off area. Hundreds of disciples had found their own spots, either standing or sitting.
Slightly further in were the seats arranged by Hundred Tiger Peak, with cushions neatly laid out. Further inside was a raised platform with over ten positions, arranged on both sides.
When Su Yan controlled the Six-Winged Blood Centipede to fly over, he saw the gathered crowd from afar.
Two Black Horned Giant Eagles blocked his path in mid-air. The two disciples on them cupped their fists and said, “Junior Brother Su, it’s inconvenient to land at the Lecture Hall today. Please follow us, and we will arrange for your contracted beast.”
The Lecture Hall was crowded both inside and out, and it wasn’t a suitable place for contracted beasts to stay, unlike disciples like Su Yan.
“No need, I’ll put it away.”
He moved his body, as if treading on air, and dismounted from the Six-Winged Blood Centipede. The Six-Winged Blood Centipede turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the Insect Realm Space.
His figure descended, landing steadily from a height of a hundred meters.
“Good skill, agile movement technique. His physical body is probably not simple…”
In the front row seats, Yuan Yi’s expression was calm, but his gaze slightly sharpened, as if trying to discern something from Su Yan.
“Senior Brother Yuan is very interested in that Su Yan?”
Yuan Yi’s action was noticed by a man in green beside him, who looked on with a hint of inquiry.
“Junior Brother Suo, aren’t you aware of this junior brother’s reputation?”
Yuan Yi looked at Suo Yunyi and smiled slightly.
Suo Yunyi glanced towards the entrance, then withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, “I know. He’s the most talented disciple in the Beast King Sect’s history of a hundred years. I wonder if this reputation can hold up.”
“Hmph, only fifty-seventh. He’s not even in the Spirit Merging Stage, what’s there to pay attention to?”
A young man with deep-set eyes and a cold expression spoke up from behind. He held a long sword in his hand, as if nothing in the surroundings was more formidable than the sword in his hand.
“Qi Yufei, you’re only thirteenth. You should have been an inner disciple for three or four years.”
A delicate laugh came from a woman in the corner with light red hair. She wore a light purple martial arts uniform, a jade belt at her waist, and had a tall figure. Her slender hands toyed with a jade knife, and she glanced at Qi Yufei.
“Xia Wan’er, what do you mean?”
Qi Yufei’s eyes, like swords, glared back.
Xia Wan’er’s lips curved slightly as she swept her gaze over the dozen disciples in the front row.
“He’s only been an inner disciple for about a year, is no more than twenty years old, and is already ranked fifty-seventh. We don’t even know what his rank will be this time. Looking down on this junior brother, with such foresight, I, Xia Wan’er, might look down on you first.”
Xia Wan’er, a disciple of Overturning Sea Peak, had a straightforward personality. Her words stirred the gazes of several people in the front row slightly.
It was true that although Su Yan’s ranking temporarily couldn’t compare to theirs, at their age of nineteen or twenty, they might not have been able to break into the top hundred of the Tiger Ranking within a year.
“Tsk tsk tsk, so it’s best to provoke junior brothers early. This might be the only chance.”
Zhao Mingcheng grinned. He was from Guizang Valley, and although not from the lineage of True Person Wu Du, he had a good impression of disciples from Guizang Valley. Thus, he lightheartedly changed the subject.
“Someone’s here.”
Lan Yunyue, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, opened them and looked towards the entrance.
Bai Yun had personally gone to the entrance of the training ground to welcome Su Yan.
She was Xiang Ge’s only personal disciple, and with her Master’s breakthrough, the task of receiving guests naturally fell to her.
Of course, this was limited to disciples within the top hundred of the Tiger Ranking and Dan Qiao True Persons.
The last time Bai Yun saw Su Yan, it was from afar. Now, seeing him up close, Bai Yun’s eyes brightened considerably.
He had become thinner, but his aura was stronger.
“Senior Sister, long time no see.”
Su Yan smiled. As he had expected, he wasn’t the only one who had improved; Bai Yun also possessed the strength of the Ruyi Stage.
“It’s been over five months. You haven’t been in the sect often.”
Bai Yun glanced at him. Su Yan looked a bit embarrassed. After returning from Cold Shadow Peak and reaching the fifty-seventh rank, he hadn’t stayed in the Beast King Sect for many days.
He handed over a brocade box and said, “Master is guarding Cold Shadow Peak and cannot come. I’ll convey my Master’s regards to Martial Uncle Xiang Ge. After the ceremony, I have something for you.”
Bai Yun was slightly taken aback, then nodded, “You should take your seat first. Those within the top hundred of the Tiger Ranking are allowed seats.”
She led Su Yan towards the seating area. As they approached, the seating arrangement became a bit delicate.
Su Yan smiled. He merely glanced around. Although he didn’t recognize everyone, he could tell that the disciples in the first two rows were among the top ten or twenty of the Tiger Ranking. Those slightly further back, like his Senior Brother Gu Songde, were seated in the middle rows.
Before Bai Yun could speak, Su Yan asked, “Are there assigned seats according to rank?”
This question drew the attention of many people.
What did this kid want to do?
Bai Yun looked at Su Yan. With just a glance, she knew he was up to something.
This guy was still so overbearing at heart.
“There are no assigned seats.”
Su Yan smiled slightly, “Senior Sister, you go ahead and be busy. I’ll find a spot myself.”
“Okay, be careful.”
Bai Yun didn’t question him and left after saying that.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Su Yan walked towards the first row.
‘Interesting.’
Seeing Su Yan’s direction, the Tiger Ranking disciples who had arrived earlier showed subtle expressions.
When they arrived, although they didn’t sit strictly according to rank, the distinction between the first two rows and the later rows was clear.
Although Su Yan was ranked fifty-seventh, sitting in the front row was still a bit of a stretch.
“Senior Brother, please make way.”
Hiss.
The disciples who were spectating immediately noticed Su Yan’s actions. Su Yan had walked directly in front of Qi Yufei and calmly uttered such a bold statement.
“Do you know what you’re saying?!”
Qi Yufei’s face instantly turned ashen, his aura turning icy, like a drawn long sword.
“I said I want this seat.”
Su Yan’s tone remained calm. The oppressive aura couldn’t get close to him at all.
It wasn’t that he had overheard their earlier murmurs, but rather that during his approach, among everyone’s probing gazes, Qi Yufei’s was the one that made him most uncomfortable.
Whoever made him uncomfortable, Su Yan would make them uncomfortable.
Whoosh.
The sword-like aura converged and rushed directly towards Su Yan’s body, resembling a mental attack technique.
The Insect Consciousness Seed activated. His vast spiritual power, like a large hand, completely intercepted all of Qi Yufei’s spreading aura, preventing it from reaching beyond the seating area.
Feeling the confrontation of auras disappear, Yuan Yi, Lan Yunyue, Suo Yunyi, Xia Wan’er, and the others suddenly turned their heads.
They looked in shock at the confrontation between Su Yan and Qi Yufei. Qi Yufei’s face was ashen, veins bulging on his forehead.
Su Yan’s expression remained calm as he transformed his spiritual power into a Six-Winged Blood Centipede and pressed down.
Instantly, Qi Yufei’s body trembled slightly, his breath became chaotic, and he tightened his grip on his sword.
He lost.
In the confrontation of auras, his condensed spirit was no match for Su Yan’s.
“Hmph, wait for me in the grand competition.”
Qi Yufei, having lost, unwillingly got up, his face cold, and directly took a seat in the back row.
If it were anywhere else, he might have resorted to force, but at Xiang Ge’s Dan Qiao Grand Ceremony, he could accept this loss.
He was the one who initiated the aura confrontation, so he had to admit defeat and couldn’t bring himself to linger.
Su Yan sat down. To his left was Lan Yunyue in a water-blue long dress, and to his right was Zhao Mingcheng.
“Junior Brother, you have good skills. It seems the position of Chief of Guizang Valley will soon be yours.”
Zhao Mingcheng said with a smile, “My name is Zhao Mingcheng. Junior Brother should recognize me.”
“Greetings, Senior Brother.”
Su Yan also smiled and greeted Zhao Mingcheng.
Zhao Mingcheng acted as an intermediary, introducing Yuan Yi, Lan Yunyue, and the others one by one. Their attitudes were much better than Qi Yufei’s, although Lan Yunyue was naturally cool and slightly distant.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, let me switch seats with you.”
As soon as she sat down, Xia Wan’er’s large eyes spun, and she approached Zhao Mingcheng, asking to switch seats.
“Junior Sister Xia, you…”
“I want to be close to Junior Brother Su. It’s inconvenient with you here.”
Before Zhao Mingcheng could finish speaking, Xia Wan’er cut him off with a sentence.
He smiled wryly and stood up, “Alright, alright, I’ll give it to you both.”
With things said to this extent, what else could Zhao Mingcheng do?
He stood up to switch seats with Xia Wan’er. However, just as he sat down in the corner, he suddenly felt a chill down his back.
‘Huh? What’s this feeling? I’ve already changed seats. I shouldn’t have offended Junior Sister Xia, right?’
He was a good-natured person who never offended anyone, but this time he hadn’t noticed Bai Yun, who was receiving the Dan Qiao True Persons, glancing his way.
“Junior Brother Su, well done.”
As soon as Xia Wan’er came over, she praised him with a smile.
Su Yan raised his eyes slightly, “Do you have a grudge against that guy?”
“He’s ranked thirteenth, and I’m fourteenth. I’ve wanted to beat that arrogant guy for a long time, but his contracted beast restrains me.”
Understood, it was a competition of ranks.
Although the difference between thirteenth and fourteenth place was only one rank, the closer they were, the more fiercely they fought.
“The way he looked at me, I didn’t like it.”
Su Yan replied indifferently. Xia Wan’er’s eyes flickered slightly, showing some curiosity.
‘Such keen perception.’
Xia Wan’er was very interested in Su Yan. She had heard about Su Yan’s past dealings with the Qing Family.
From the beginner assessment to the ranking assessment, if there was a conflict, he would confront it directly.
This straightforward personality suited her very well.
The two chatted casually. About half an hour later, Xiang Ge and the other Dan Qiao True Persons finally arrived.
Three days had passed. Xiang Ge’s aura had completely converged, deep as an abyss, and extremely powerful, like a dormant tiger.
He sat in the center seat. Beside him were eleven other Dan Qiao True Persons, more than half of whom were Dan Qiao True Persons from Hundred Tiger Peak.
The Beast King Sect had quite a few Dan Qiao True Persons, but with Xiang Ge’s breakthrough, not all of them were in the sect. Even those who were might be in seclusion. Most sent their disciples to offer gifts and attend the ceremony.
This was different from below the mountain.
In families below the mountain, if someone broke through, surrounding powers would inevitably be required to come.
However, at the Beast King Sect for a Dan Qiao breakthrough, the ceremony was more about imparting knowledge.
“I, Xiang, have fortunately achieved a breakthrough. Thank you all fellow Daoists and disciples for coming. Today, I will share some of my insights, hoping you will all gain something.”
Xiang Ge was also a straightforward person. After a brief chat with the accompanying Dan Qiao True Persons, he began to impart his knowledge.
Everyone listened attentively, not daring to miss a single word.
After about fifteen minutes, Su Yan became even more focused. Xiang Ge was not holding back anything.
Although Xiang Ge did not explain how to condense two Golden Cores at once or the technique to break through to the Second Heaven of the Dan Qiao Realm, he spoke about honing one’s foundation and nurturing True Intent.
‘This is all practical knowledge. True Intent insights, like a hidden blade, sometimes it’s not good to comprehend it immediately. It can also be hidden, accumulating power, and then used as an aid for breakthrough… No, it should be a step further. For example, hiding True Intent outside the lower Dantian, in the middle and upper Dantians, True Intent converges with True Essence, forming a vortex, slowly gathering to form a Golden Core…’
Su Yan gradually understood. Xiang Ge intentionally avoided discussing this point for fear of misleading ordinary disciples.
After all, even if ordinary disciples hid their intent and built up momentum, they wouldn’t be able to achieve a breakthrough to the Second Heaven of the Dan Qiao Realm in one go.
What they needed was to learn how to use nurturing True Intent to aid their breakthrough to the Dan Qiao Realm.
However, exceptional disciples like Su Yan, with their already high comprehension, could vaguely grasp the underlying implications.
Su Yan continued to comprehend, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
After Xiang Ge finished sharing his insights, the attending Dan Qiao True Persons also offered a few words.
Then, he looked at everyone and said, “Today’s ceremony concludes here. Everyone should return and digest what you’ve learned. If you have any doubts, consult your Master or an Elder of the Lecture Hall.”
“Thank you, True Person Xiang.”
Everyone thanked him in unison and slowly dispersed.
Xia Wan’er stood up and stretched slightly, her tall and slender figure clearly displayed. She smiled and said, “Junior Brother Su, would you like to come to Overturning Sea Peak to play?”
Su Yan shook his head slightly, “Next time, I have something to do.”
As he spoke, Bai Yun had already walked over.
Xia Wan’er’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, “Alright, but you can’t refuse next time.”
She strode away from the seating area. Once she reached a less crowded spot, the purple Beast Taming Bag at her waist vibrated slightly, releasing a Cloud Cang Winged Eagle. She mounted it and immediately disappeared into the sky.
Bai Yun approached Su Yan, her gaze sweeping over him before lowering her eyes. “Master wants to see you. He’s waiting for you in the Main Hall.”
Was she unhappy?
Although her tone hadn’t changed much, it seemed unusually flat compared to usual.
Su Yan retrieved two bottles of pills from the Insect Realm Space and handed them to Bai Yun. “Senior Sister, Dragon Tiger Golden Pill and Return Intent Yuan Pill, these are for you.”
Bai Yun was about to refuse when Su Yan spoke first, “Take them. I can refine pills anyway, and when your cultivation improves in the future, you’ll inevitably need to do some things for me.”
“Okay.”
Bai Yun did not hesitate. If Su Yan asked her to help, she never had any intention of refusing.
What she worried about was not being able to keep up with Su Yan’s pace.
“By the way, Senior Sister, is the Beast Taming Seal you’ve condensed enough now?”
Bai Yun looked at Su Yan, somewhat confused, not knowing what he meant by this question.
She replied, “According to Master and Grandmaster’s requirements, I have currently contracted a Sha Yu Tiger, which is sufficient. It’s slightly more than enough and also used to strengthen our connection.”
Upon hearing this, Su Yan smiled and then asked, “Then I’ll give you a Second-order Rhinoceros Tiger. Can you handle it?”
Bai Yun’s cherry lips parted slightly, and she looked at Su Yan in astonishment. The Rhinoceros Tiger was a Third-order bloodline. Even if it was still at Second-order strength, it was much more powerful than an ordinary Second-order Tiger Beast.
