Chapter 552: Chapter 334: Fear

"So Li Yunzhou was here to kill you. No wonder you killed him straight away. I was just saying it seemed out of character for you."

Only then did Jiang Fan and the others understand why Xu Yang had killed Li Yunzhou, despite them seeming to have no prior enmity.

"I’m not a homicidal maniac. Why would I kill someone randomly for no reason?" Xu Yang laughed.

"This Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is truly reasonable. You killed the genius they recruited, and not only did they not seek revenge, but they even sent gifts to apologize. If everyone in the world were like the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, there wouldn’t be so many grudges," Sun Tao sighed in amazement.

He genuinely hadn’t expected the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to send gifts and apologize; he had assumed they were here to cause trouble for Xu Yang.

"The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s reputation is decent," Jiang Fan said.

Xu Yang shook his head. Neither of them knew that he had once nearly become an Honored Guest Elder of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, only for the deal to fall through due to his grudge with Li Chuyang. If they knew, they wouldn’t believe the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion truly adhered to the creed of not interfering in personal grievances.

If he were the one killed by Li Yunzhou today, there would be no apology, and Fang Xinghai would never have been kicked out of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Everything was merely because he had displayed extraordinary talent.

He thought, "I’ll slaughter Fang Xinghai when I get the chance!"

Returning to his room, Xu Yang opened the box from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Inside lay an elixir the size of a longan, milky white all over, emitting a faint Spiritual Qi.

Spiritual Essence Pill!

To think it was a Celestial Essence Pill; this was an unexpected, pleasant surprise.

[Li Fire Technique First Layer (9931/10000)]

His cultivation of the Li Fire Technique First Layer was nearing completion. If he took this Spiritual Essence Pill, he should be able to push for the Celestial Essence Second Layer.

However, he did not consume it immediately, carefully putting the elixir away instead.

Breaking through to the Celestial Essence Second Layer wasn’t something that could be finished in a day or two. He would wait until the Dragon Ascension was over. By then, this Spiritual Essence Pill would be perfectly used to push for the Celestial Essence Second Layer.

Closing his eyes, he began to absorb Spiritual Qi to cultivate.

...

Celestial Strategy Academy, Lower Courtyard!

Lu Ren walked out of the Quiet Chamber, his body wreathed in the lingering Power of Heaven and Earth that had yet to completely dissipate.

"The Celestial Strategy Academy truly is a Martial Arts Holy Land," he murmured. "If I were still in the Purple Sun Sect, it would take me at least another year to reach Marrow Cleansing Perfection. Yet now, I have already broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm."

He gently clenched his fists, feeling a tyrannical surge of strength coursing through his entire body.

As early as a month and a half ago, he had already broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm.

Lu Ren felt a surge of confidence in his heart. "With my current strength, I could succeed even if I participated in the Secondary Dragon Ascension."

He thought, "However, with my talent, I don’t need to fight tooth and nail for a sliver of a chance like Xu Yang and the others. I am already a disciple of the Celestial Strategy Academy."

Aside from those Spirit Bone Celestial Prides, he was the only person to enter the Celestial Strategy Academy without participating in the selection. What an honor this was! If he were to actually participate in the Secondary Dragon Ascension Selection, it would only be a step down for him.

"What are you all talking about?"

Walking out of the courtyard, he saw several Celestial Strategy Academy students chatting with great interest. They hadn’t even noticed his arrival, prompting him to ask out of curiosity.

It was worth noting that in the past, these people would have started greeting him from several yards away.

"We’re talking about the Secondary Dragon Ascension," Li Yi smiled. "It started today. Did you not know?"

The Secondary Dragon Ascension Selection had begun?

Lu Ren shook his head. "I’ve been in seclusion lately. I thought it would be a while longer before it started. So, did anything interesting happen?"

"Yes!"

Li Yi said, "If I remember correctly, you once mentioned you know Lin Jingyu, and that both Xu Yang and Sun Tao are disciples of the Purple Sun Sect along with you."

Lu Ren nodded. "That’s right. Could it be that Lin Jingyu beat Xu Yang and Sun Tao to death during the Secondary Dragon Ascension Selection?"

Even within the Celestial Strategy Academy, he had heard about Lin Jingyu and Huo Xiaochen teaming up to snipe Xu Yang and Sun Tao.

In his eyes, Xu Yang and Sun Tao were definitely no match for Lin Jingyu and Huo Xiaochen. The only uncertainty was whether Lin Jingyu and Huo Xiaochen would actually kill them.

Fang Jun, who was standing to the side, shook his head. "You couldn’t be more wrong. Xu Yang and Sun Tao were absurdly ferocious. They teamed up and beat Lin Jingyu to death during the chaotic melee, becoming the biggest dark horses of this Secondary Dragon Ascension.

"Huo Xiaochen was beaten into fleeing for his life. Word has it that if they hadn’t run out of time, even he would have been killed by the two of them."

Lin Jingyu was beaten to death?

This news exploded in Lu Ren’s mind like a clap of thunder, leaving his heart quivering.

He thought, "How is that possible? How could Xu Yang possibly kill Lin Jingyu, who ranked eleventh on the Lingyun List? Wasn’t he only ranked ninety-eighth?"

"You guys must be joking with me, right?" Lu Ren simply couldn’t believe his ears.

That terrifying guy was back at it again.

Just when he had achieved some success and felt like he had surpassed him, Xu Yang immediately caught up.

He thought, "To be able to beat the eleventh-ranked Lin Jingyu to death... why didn’t he show this kind of talent before?"

"Brother Lu, how could we joke about this with you? This is common knowledge now. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask anyone else," Fang Jun said, his face filled with confusion.

Weren’t Xu Yang and Lu Ren from the same sect? Why would he have such a huge reaction upon hearing that Xu Yang beat Lin Jingyu to death?

His expression even carried a hint of... fear.

Yes, it was fear.

Fang Jun was certain he hadn’t seen wrong.

Then, he watched as Lu Ren walked away in a daze, returning to his courtyard without saying a word.

"Damn it, what on earth do I have to do to surpass him?!"

Returning to the Quiet Chamber, Lu Ren felt as though the sky had collapsed. The sense of superiority that had welled up within him earlier was wiped completely clean.

...

The next morning, Xu Yang opened his eyes and looked at his interface:

[Killed Li Yunzhou, Points +30]

[Killed Lin Jingyu, Points +300]

[Passed the first stage of Secondary Dragon Ascension, Points +50]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 1753]

"It actually gave a three-hundred-point reward. It seems my decision to decisively kill Lin Jingyu yesterday was right." Xu Yang’s eyes fixed on Lin Jingyu’s name.

Out of everyone he had ever killed, this was the highest point reward he had received.

In truth, Lin Jingyu really was a problem for him. Although his talent was inferior, he had, after all, become a son-in-law of the Kong Family and enjoyed ample resources.

With Lin Jingyu’s talent coupled with the Kong Family’s resources, his growth would inevitably be rapid. If he wasn’t dealt with early, it wouldn’t have been long before he became a major threat.

"It’s a pity I couldn’t slaughter Huo Xiaochen," he mused. "If I get the chance next, I’ll slaughter him too, even if it means exposing a bit more of my talent."

As Xu Yang pondered, he quickly shifted his attention to his points. "I will spend five hundred points to add to my Root Bone."

As the thought arose, a stream of heat spread throughout his entire body and quickly vanished, but his Spirit Bone still had not appeared.

However, he felt he was getting close. His body’s reactions were growing increasingly intense; his Spirit Bone should be manifesting soon.

To date, he had spent nearly six thousand points. He felt his Spirit Bone would emerge after spending ten thousand points at most, or perhaps eight thousand would be enough.

"Breaking through to the Celestial Essence Second Layer and entering the Celestial Strategy Academy will both reward points. It won’t take too long."

Casually closing the interface, Xu Yang got up and walked out of the room.

Three days passed in a flash!

When Xu Yang and the others arrived at the Celestial Strategy Academy three days later, they saw that the deep pits blasted during the previous fights had already been filled and paved with stone slabs.

Just like before, the area was already packed with a massive sea of people.

Parting ways with Yue Zhong and Bai Shaoling, the group headed toward the waiting area for Dragon Ascending Disciples. Soon, everyone separated to find their own allies.

"Brother Xu, over here!"

Xu Yang and Sun Tao quickly found Liu Rumei, Zhang Jun, and the others. Unlike before, when the two appeared this time, Gu Qingfeng took the initiative to greet them rather than turning a blind eye.

Gu Qingfeng’s several fellow disciples also smiled and cupped their hands in greeting.

"I wonder what today’s trial will be?" Zhang Jun asked.

Sun Tao laughed. "It surely won’t be another grand melee."

"With Chu Nanguai’s personality, it’s hard to say. After all, there are still so many people left," Zhang Jun shook his head.

Lin Jingyu was dead, and thirteen people from the Lingyun List had been eliminated. There was nothing Chu Nanguai wouldn’t do.

"Makes sense!"

Gu Qingfeng picked up the thread of the conversation, smiling as he said, "Brother Xu, Brother Sun, last time Huo Xiaochen took the initiative to seek us out and try to eliminate us. This time, it should be our turn to go looking for them."

The Qin Family and the Xiao Family were enemies, so naturally, he also wanted to eliminate Huo Xiaochen. If it turned out to be a grand melee again, it would be the perfect opportunity to deal with him.

"I like that proposal."

Sun Tao laughed, openly exclaiming that he hadn’t even thought of seeking Huo Xiaochen out first.

Xu Yang also wanted to slaughter Huo Xiaochen, so he immediately agreed with Gu Qingfeng’s words. Since all three of them were in agreement, the others naturally had no objections. Everyone looked eager and ready for a fight.

Soon, the group spotted Huo Xiaochen’s party amidst the crowd and immediately squeezed their way over.

Huo Xiaochen had long lost his former high-spirited vigor; he looked far more dispirited now.

"Brother Huo, I trust you’ve been well since we last met?" Gu Qingfeng said with a beaming smile.

Instantly, the expressions of Huo Xiaochen’s party all changed. They all wore gloomy faces and remained silent, well aware that Xu Yang and his group were here to ruthlessly stamp them out.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t searched for allies over the past few days, but with Lin Jingyu’s fate serving as a cautionary tale, absolutely no one wanted to involve themselves in such unnecessary trouble at a time like this.

"Gentlemen, is there a need to be so ruthless?" Kong Cheng spoke up helplessly.

"We are only targeting Huo Xiaochen and his allies. If the Fourth Young Master Kong wishes to avoid this trouble, you are more than welcome to leave," Gu Qingfeng smiled.

Given the Kong Family’s power, Gu Qingfeng didn’t want to offend them if he could avoid it. Kong Cheng was a legitimate son of the Kong Family, not some recruited hired thug like Lin Jingyu.

If he truly caused Kong Cheng to be eliminated and barred from entering the Celestial Strategy Academy, a massive grudge would be forged between them.

Xu Yang didn’t want to offend the Kong Family to death either, so he had no objections to this. He merely watched Kong Cheng quietly.

Kong Cheng remained silent. He didn’t want to face three experts—Gu Qingfeng, Xu Yang, and Sun Tao—alongside Huo Xiaochen, but if he abandoned Huo Xiaochen now, his reputation would suffer.

Huo Xiaochen clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. As conceited as he was, he had never imagined facing such a situation, being mocked to his face while his ally contemplated defecting.

"Brother Kong, you should leave. This is my, Huo Xiaochen’s, personal grudge. I will bear the brunt of it alone and will not implicate the rest of you," Huo Xiaochen suddenly declared.

Having Kong Cheng and the others stay was useless anyway. It would be better to accommodate Kong Cheng and earn some goodwill, especially since the upcoming trial might not necessarily be another grand melee.

As long as he didn’t have to face Xu Yang, Gu Qingfeng, and Sun Tao directly, he still had a chance.

Kong Cheng shook his head without speaking. Though he desperately wanted to distance himself from Huo Xiaochen, he couldn’t show it immediately. Once a Jianghu person’s reputation was ruined, it was very difficult to salvage.

"Gu Qingfeng, Xu Yang, Sun Tao—come at me, Huo Xiaochen. How about leaving Brother Kong out of it?" Huo Xiaochen knew Kong Cheng couldn’t openly declare his stance, so he simply tossed the dilemma to Xu Yang’s group.

He believed these people likely didn’t want to thoroughly offend the Kong Family either.

The surrounding crowd burst into an uproar. The tables had truly turned.

Previously, it was Huo Xiaochen who forced everyone away, leaving no one daring enough to ally with Xu Yang and Sun Tao. Now, it was Xu Yang and his group forcing Huo Xiaochen to proactively sever ties with his allies.

To see a dignified Root Bone Perfection genius pushed to such a state was truly an eye-opening sight.

"As long as Brother Kong doesn’t attack us, our people won’t lay a hand on him," Gu Qingfeng said.

Before his voice could even fade, Chu Nanguai was seen flying out from the Celestial Strategy Academy.

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