Chapter 509: Chapter 291: Rewards

’Ding Yuan?’

A surprised look flickered in Xu Yang’s eyes. ’The Ding Family already sent a gift. Why is Ding Yuan here himself?’

He pushed open the door and saw Ding Yuan standing nervously outside, clutching an exquisite gift box. Beside him stood Ding Xu, a Ding Family disciple he had met a few times.

"Young Hero Xu," Ding Yuan said, hastily offering a salute.

Xu Yang smiled. "Elder Ding, what is all this? If I remember correctly, the Ding Family has already sent someone."

"I’ve come today to offer my sincerest apologies. I was in the wrong back then. I never should have treated you that way. This is just a small token. I beg you, Young Hero Xu, please forgive my disrespectful behavior," Ding Yuan said, hastily presenting the gift.

Xu Yang understood in a flash. ’So, this is about how he gave me the cold shoulder for a year.’

He had never really cared about it. In fact, being ignored had saved him a lot of trouble back then. Besides, the Ding Family had already apologized once before.

It was just that last time, only Ding Xu had come to deliver the gift; Ding Yuan, the main offender, hadn’t come to apologize personally.

Now that he was a Celestial Essence Martial Artist, he hadn’t expected Ding Yuan to be so frightened that he would come to apologize in person.

Xu Yang took the gift from Ding Yuan and opened it. Inside was a piece of Spirit Iron. It wasn’t large, but it was exceptionally valuable.

Of all the gifts he’d received for his breakthrough, only the Elder-level figures in the Purple Sun Sect could afford to give him Spirit Iron.

Xu Yang let out a hearty laugh. "Didn’t we already agree to let this go? Brother Ding, you didn’t tell Elder Ding?"

"I did, but Elder Ding was still feeling uneasy," Ding Xu said with a salute.

Xu Yang handed the gift to Xu Qing. "I’ll accept this," he said. "Rest assured, Elder Ding. I told Brother Ding long ago that the matter was completely written off."

Ding Yuan was overjoyed. "Thank you for your magnanimity, Young Hero Xu! I won’t disturb you any longer."

After delivering the piece of Spirit Iron, Ding Yuan left without so much as a sip of tea.

"I never thought Xu Yang would be so genuinely kind and magnanimous. I truly shouldn’t have treated him that way," Ding Yuan said, feeling deeply remorseful.

Before, he had feared Xu Yang’s strength and potential. Now, however, he was won over by Xu Yang’s character. For a Martial Artist to possess such talent and yet remain so forgiving and righteous—to not hold a grudge over being slighted when he was weaker—was exceptionally rare.

Ding Xu nodded. "Xu Yang is kind to everyone. Even after breaking through to the Celestial Essence Realm, he doesn’t act superior toward the ordinary disciples. I haven’t heard of him holding a grudge against anyone, either."

Xu Yang indeed held no grudges, because anyone he might have held a grudge against was already dead.

After seeing off Ding Yuan and Ding Xu, he had only just sat down when there was another knock on the door.

Opening the door, he couldn’t help but laugh. "A rare visitor indeed. Quick, come in."

Lu Ren’s mouth twitched. In a somewhat forced tone, he said, "Congratulations on your great leap in Cultivation, a true transcendence!"

As he spoke, he handed his prepared gift to Xu Yang.

"You’re too kind," Xu Yang said, accepting it without the slightest hesitation.

He truly hadn’t expected Lu Ren to show up. Lu Ren hadn’t come when he reached Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement, nor had he come to congratulate him on reaching Marrow Cleansing Great Success. But now that he’d broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm, Lu Ren finally couldn’t stay away.

"It’s just a small token."

Lu Ren shook his head and sighed with emotion. "To think that out of our entire group, you’d be the first to reach this stage... The Huang Family must have been completely blind."

If the Huang Family had treated Xu Yang with sincerity back then, they would probably be one of the top families in Qingyuan County by now.

Lu Ren left quickly. It had taken a lot for him to swallow his pride and come at all, so he certainly wasn’t going to stay long. He found it difficult to adjust to someone he had always considered his inferior suddenly becoming stronger than him.

’He’s certainly adaptable,’ Xu Yang thought with a sigh, watching Lu Ren’s retreating back.

To think such a proud man had now learned to bow his head.

’After all, he and Lu Ren were not on good terms. He didn’t care now, but if he’d had the chance back when he first joined the Purple Sun Sect, he would have killed Lu Ren long ago.’

「Two days later」

Things at Xu Yang’s home finally quieted down, and Elder Huoyun summoned him.

"Disciple pays his respects to Master!" Xu Yang bowed deeply, showing no lack of respect just because he was now on the same level as Elder Huoyun.

Elder Huoyun was beaming. He pointed to the chair beside him. "Sit, sit. No need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Master!" Xu Yang sat down.

Elder Huoyun said, "I called you here today to give you your reward from the Sect. They’ve awarded you a Spiritual Soldier. I took the liberty of choosing a saber for you. Have a look. If you don’t like it, you can go pick a different one."

With a wave of his wide sleeve, the Treasure Saber that had been resting on the table before him shot toward Xu Yang.

Bai Shaoling had mentioned this before, so Xu Yang was already aware. Any disciple who broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm would be granted a Spiritual Soldier by the Purple Sun Sect. Sun Tao, Zhang Hanzhou, and the others had all received theirs.

He reached out and caught the flying Treasure Saber with a steady hand.

He drew the blade a few inches from its sheath. A scorching Sword Intent instantly saturated the air, sending out rolling waves of heat. Engraved on the black hilt were two characters: "Fenli."

The Burning Separation Saber!

Xu Yang’s eyes lit up. The saber clearly had an elemental property that was a perfect match for his Li Fire Technique.

"Disciple likes it very much."

Xu Yang sheathed the blade. He finally had a Spiritual Soldier to call his own.

Although he possessed other Spiritual Soldiers from the Song Family, like the Jade Water Saber, none of them could be brought into the light or used openly.

Besides, after several major battles, the Jade Water Saber’s Spirituality had already diminished considerably.

Elder Huoyun smiled and nodded. "This saber is called Fenli. The Peak Master himself forged it ten years ago from Flame Iron and Red Gold Essence. When paired with the Li Fire Technique, the power of your saber techniques will be greatly amplified. I hope you will use it to succeed in the Secondary Dragon Ascension and bring glory to our Purple Sun Sect."

Xu Yang saluted. "Disciple will not fail to live up to your expectations, Master."

Elder Huoyun then picked up a booklet from the table. "The saber is the Sect’s reward. This is a reward for you from my Li Fire Peak."

Saying this, he tossed the booklet over.

Xu Yang caught it and looked down. On the cover, four large words that seemed to pulse with a domineering Sword Intent were written: "Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique."

’I’ve finally gotten the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique!’

A look of delight spread across Xu Yang’s face.

Elder Huoyun had originally intended to teach him the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique, but on Zhang Jingyuan’s advice, he had taught him the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength instead.

Although the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength was also a peerless Secret Technique, who would ever complain about having too many good things?

Besides, he didn’t have a true Saber Technique. The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture wasn’t a set of techniques, but a Heart Method for tempering Sword Intent and cultivating one’s Heart Spirit.

He had been eyeing the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique for a long time. It ranked among the top three Saber Techniques on Li Fire Peak, but he’d never had enough contribution points to exchange for it.

"Thank you, Master!" Xu Yang said, gleefully stowing the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique away.

Elder Huoyun continued, "Now you have a Spiritual Soldier and a Saber Technique. The Sect has also granted you one opportunity to choose a technique from the Inheritance Tower. I suggest you pick a Body Technique at the Celestial Essence Realm level.

"For the Secondary Dragon Ascension, prodigies from all across Yun Province will gather to compete. Without a good Body Technique, you’ll be at a huge disadvantage when you fight."

The Saber Technique and the Spiritual Soldier were, in truth, all preparations for the Secondary Dragon Ascension.

After the Dragon Ascension, it might seem like they have nothing to do with the Purple Sun Sect, but that wasn’t true. As long as these geniuses were alive, even if they never returned, anyone wanting to make a move against the Purple Sun Sect would have to consider their reaction.

After all, they hailed from the Purple Sun Sect. A person who showed no reaction while their sect was destroyed would have no way to survive in the Jianghu.

That was why when Xu Yang and the others broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm, the Purple Sun Sect not only gave them Spiritual Soldiers but also an opportunity to choose a Cultivation Technique from the Inheritance Tower.

"That’s what I was thinking as well, Disciple. However, I’m not familiar with the Sect’s techniques. I wonder if Master has a recommendation?" Xu Yang said, saluting as he humbly sought advice.

He really did need a Body Technique; it was just as important as anything else in a fight.

He had realized this long ago, but since his Celestial Essence Cultivation hadn’t been revealed yet, he couldn’t very well go to the Inheritance Tower to redeem a technique.

Elder Huoyun was very satisfied with Xu Yang’s attitude. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique’s momentum is overbearing, emphasizing a single, decisive strike as swift as thunder. To maximize its power, your best choice would be the Wandering Dragon Void Step."

Wandering Dragon Void Step!

Xu Yang committed the name to memory and saluted. "Disciple thanks Master for his guidance!"

Elder Huoyun nodded. "Don’t think that just because you’ve broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm, you’re guaranteed a spot in the Secondary Dragon Ascension. You cannot afford to slack off in the coming days. Before long, all of you will need to set out for Yun Province. Make your arrangements as soon as possible. If there’s anything you need to take care of, do it now.

If you want to visit your hometown, you can go back for a visit."

Xu Yang was taken aback. "But isn’t the Secondary Dragon Ascension still almost a year away? Why do we have to head to Yun Province so soon?"

Elder Huoyun explained, "You have to go there early for registration, bone age verification, and other procedures. The selection for the Secondary Dragon Ascension isn’t on a fixed schedule. Sometimes it’s early, sometimes it’s late. It all depends on when the Celestial Strategy Academy sends out the notice, so you need to be there waiting."

Xu Yang nodded, not showing much of a reaction. He had already killed everyone who needed killing and could leave at any time. The only person he was worried about was Xu Qing.

However, Xu Qing was a Pill Master now. Under normal circumstances, the Purple Sun Sect wouldn’t send a Pill Master like her out on a Garrison mission, so her safety was relatively assured.

He had received many rare Spirit Medicines this time and planned to refine a furnace of Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pills for Xu Qing. That way, she should be able to reach the Minor Success Realm of Marrow Cleansing before he left.

As long as news of his successful Secondary Dragon Ascension made its way back, few people within the Purple Sun Sect’s domain would dare to cause trouble for Xu Qing. He didn’t need to be overly concerned for her safety.

After Elder Huoyun offered a few more words of encouragement, Xu Yang rose, took his leave, and went straight back to his courtyard.

Xu Qing had already left. Once again, he was the only one in the courtyard.

He planned, however, to move to Medicine King Peak in a few days to properly guide Xu Qing before his departure.

He entered his meditation chamber, casually set down the Fenli saber, and took out the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique to begin reading.

He discovered that the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique was an incredibly complete Saber Technique, with corresponding methods for every stage from the Qi Gathering Realm to the Gang Qi Realm, and even up to the Celestial Essence Realm.

With his current Cultivation, he could have started directly with the Celestial Essence Realm techniques. However, he patiently decided to start his comprehension from the Qi Gathering Realm techniques, progressing step by step.

The Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique didn’t emphasize complex variations, nor were its moves intricate. The entire technique, from beginning to end, was about a single word: Kill.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.