Chapter 123: Sudden Incident

So, he meticulously studied it again and again. He practiced it dozens of times, from noon until dusk. Finally, Huang Zhantian succeeded only in breaking the sword in his hand into two pieces, which he then furiously hurled to the ground. "Damn it! How did that kid practice this?" he fumed. "Why can't I master it?"

He regretted acting so superior earlier. Now, he found himself unable to comprehend the technique. It was an Earth-level cultivation method, laid out right before him, yet he couldn't cultivate it. This frustration would surely keep him awake for nights on end.

Meanwhile, as Jiang Fan and Liu Qingxian walked back to the Sovereign Peak, they noticed disciples rushing down the mountain. "What's wrong?" Liu Qingxian asked, stopping a disciple with a frown.

"Sister, the Sovereign is urgently summoning all disciples and elders. It's said that after Sovereign Kong left Qingyun Sect, he went to Hundred Beasts Mountain and killed the Beast King's mate. The Beast King mistakenly believes our Qingyun Sect is responsible and is now rampaging through cities within Qingyun Sect's territory."

It was clear that Kong Yuanba was retaliating against the Qingyun Sect. Liu Qingxian's brows furrowed in anger. "That scoundrel! The Beast King from Hundred Beasts Mountain is as powerful as one of our Qingyun Sect's elders, and it commands thousands of demonic beasts! If it continues its destruction, the consequences will be severe. Jiang Fan, we should hurry too!"

Jiang Fan nodded without hesitation. He had recently broken through to the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment, and his foundation was still somewhat unstable. Hunting demonic beasts would quickly solidify his base.

Upon arriving at the plaza, they found it already teeming with countless disciples. Without waiting for everyone to gather, Liu Wenchen immediately informed them of the emergency. "The demonic beasts from Hundred Beasts Mountain are in chaos and invading ten cities!" he announced. "We are now dispatching one hundred disciples to these ten cities to slay low-level demonic beasts!"

Hearing this, the crowd was alarmed. A Beast Tide hadn't even arrived, yet a Beast King was already causing havoc within Qingyun Sect's territory? If this wasn't quelled quickly, the Qingyun Sect would face attacks from both within and without once a full Beast Tide began. However, the demonic beasts of Hundred Beasts Mountain were not to be trifled with. Each was extraordinary, possessing various strange innate divine abilities, making them extremely difficult to eliminate. The fact that Qingyun Sect had tolerated their presence in its territory for many years spoke volumes. Going to slay them now would involve significant danger, which made many disciples hesitant.

But Liu Wenchen's next words ignited their enthusiasm. "This demonic beast hunt will be rewarded based on merit! Slay a Qi Condensation demonic beast, earn one merit point. Slay a Foundation Establishment demonic beast, earn ten merit points! If you can slay the Core Formation-level Beast King, you'll earn one hundred merit points! With these merit points, you can enter the Qingyun Sect's Sacred Hall for cultivation. The more merit points you have, the longer you can cultivate there!"

"What?" The disciples couldn't remain calm. "The Sacred Hall," someone murmured, "that's where only the Grand Elders are qualified to cultivate. It's said the spiritual energy there is so dense it's like mist. One day of cultivation there is equivalent to a month outside! If you can cultivate there for ten days, it's like a year of arduous cultivation outside; even a pig could break through a realm! But there are only a hundred spots, so only a lucky few can go."

After the announcement, Liu Wenchen ordered a large box to be brought forward. Inside were wooden plaques engraved with the names of all Qingyun Sect disciples. "We'll draw randomly," he stated. "Ten people per group, with the highest cultivator leading!"

Everyone watched in eager anticipation. Liu Wenchen slapped the box, sending a cascade of wooden plaques flying out. With a sweep of his sleeve, he casually caught ten of them.

"Zheng Jiu of Mad Blade Peak, Su Qiuning of Medicine Peak, Zhang Ye of Samsara Peak... immediately proceed to Green Willow City!"

"Tang Tianlong of Samsara Peak, Xu Yining of Sky Sword Peak, Zhou Chengzhi of Carefree Peak... immediately proceed to Lone Boat City!"

Xu Yining was pleasantly surprised to hear her name. She had actually been drawn, and even better, she was teamed with Tang Tianlong, who was at the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment. This mission was definitely achievable!

"Jiang Fan of Sovereign Peak, Ding Wanping of Sky Sword Peak, Chen Siling of Sky Sword Peak... immediately proceed to Cloud Sun City!"

A stir arose among the disciples at this announcement. "This team isn't very good," someone muttered. "Among the senior disciples, only Ding Wanping is strong, at the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment. The other senior disciples are mediocre." "The key is there are two newcomers, Jiang Fan and Chen Siling. Aren't they just going to be a burden?" "It's hard to say if they can eliminate the demonic beasts; it's more likely someone will die."

Xu Yining, meanwhile, gloated. From a distance, she called out to Jiang Fan, "If you're scared of dying, you can take your little wife and withdraw, leaving your spot open." Jiang Fan gave her an annoyed look, not bothering to respond.

Hearing this, Tang Tianlong, however, approached Xu Yining. Looking at the gracefully proportioned and beautiful Xu Yining, with unconcealed passion in his eyes, he chuckled, "Oh? You know Jiang Fan?"

Xu Yining was flattered to have Tang Tianlong initiate a conversation with her. She nodded, her tone complex. "My former fiancé. Now, he's my sister's." After personally witnessing Jiang Fan defeat Kong Wushuang with a single punch and destroy Cao Zhen with a single palm strike, she had felt very uncomfortable and deeply disappointed. She harbored an unspeakable emotion, desperately wishing Shadow Guard No. 1 would appear beside her to give her the courage to face Jiang Fan. Unfortunately, no one was beside her.

Tang Tianlong's appearance made her feel as if she had found a powerful reliance, and his next words further restored her confidence. "A Sixth-Grade spiritual root, outstanding looks... for a heavenly talent like you, to have a fiancé who relies on overdrafting his potential like that..." he began. "I feel it's not worth it for you. With your conditions, finding a true Son of Heaven is entirely within reach. Fortunately, you avoided this misfortune. It's just a pity for your sister, having to bear this useless fiancé on your behalf."

These words undoubtedly struck a chord with Xu Yining. After all this time, someone finally understood her. She looked at Jiang Fan again, and the emotions in her heart slowly dissipated. She couldn't help but mock herself, "I also wonder why I kept wanting to compete with him? He's clearly not worth it."

Chen Siling, who was beside Jiang Fan, had already heard about Xu Yining's current situation from Xu Youran. Seeing her still deluded, she said earnestly, "Miss Xu, things between you and Jiang Fan are long over. Why do you keep holding onto it? Live your own life. Jiang Fan actually rarely pays attention to you anymore."

For the first two sentences, Xu Yining's expression remained calm. But the last sentence was like stepping on her tail, causing her face to turn cold after just having found some release. "What's your status? You're just a concubine! Do you even qualify to lecture me?" she snapped. "You should worry about yourself and whether you'll survive! With Jiang Fan's meager abilities, he'll be hard-pressed just to protect himself."

Chen Siling didn't expect her kindness to be met with such an attitude. Her beautiful willow-leaf brows raised slightly. She linked her arm with Jiang Fan's and confidently said, "Miss Xu doesn't need to worry about us. I trust my husband. He will protect me and take me into the Sacred Hall."

This made Xu Yining clench her teeth in anger. She accepted losing to her elder sister Xu Youran. But why could a woman who had only recently appeared also show off in front of her? Was she really going to be worse than Chen Siling?

"Fine! Then let's have a competition: who gets more, you from Jiang Fan, or me from Senior Brother Tang!"

Chen Siling replied without hesitation, "Alright, no problem."

Tang Tianlong said, somewhere between laughing and crying, "Junior Sister Xu, why are you making me compete with a good-for-nothing? That's quite insulting to me!"

Xu Yining's face flushed with embarrassment, and she was about to apologize. Tang Tianlong, however, sighed, "There's no need to compete. He's not worthy. But I'll make sure Junior Sister Xu knows that even just being in a team with me, the benefits you get will be ten times greater than being that useless man's woman!"

A gleam appeared on Xu Yining's face. Her gaze towards Jiang Fan was filled with complexity.