Chapter 617: Chapter 399: Falling Out

"Brother Xu, congratulations on the rank increase," Zuo Mu said with a smile. In a fiercely competitive place like the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List, let alone rising in rank, simply maintaining one’s position was a rare feat.

"It’s not worth mentioning. I only went up one spot," Xu Yang chuckled. After the grand battle, the fighting intent in his heart had been fully vented. Now, he felt completely refreshed in both body and mind, his strength flowing smoothly.

"Being able to rise even one rank is already far from simple," Wenshan said, his face full of envy. Previously, they had all thought Xu Yang was delayed by the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture. They never expected that although his ambitions were as high as the heavens, he hadn’t focused entirely on that Cultivation Technique.

"If it weren’t for the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture holding you back, Brother Xu, your ranking would be even higher. Sometimes, you just have to know when to let go," Zuo Mu advised earnestly. He wasn’t mocking him, but rather speaking out of genuine concern. Even the likes of Li Yunfei and Wu Xiuyuan had failed to master it, so the chances of Xu Yang succeeding were far too low.

Xu Yang was speechless.

"Thank you for the invaluable advice, Brother Zuo." Xu Yang nodded. He had no intention of revealing that he had successfully mastered the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture eighteen years ago.

"Don’t think you’re better than me just because you’re one rank higher. I’ll surpass you very soon," Li Chuyang said as he strode over.

Xu Yang’s ranking had exceeded his expectations, but he quickly realized something: over the past two months, Xu Yang had only moved from eighty-fifth to eighty-fourth. In contrast, he had gone from not being on the list at all to claiming the eighty-fifth spot. At his current rate of progress, he would surpass Xu Yang in no time.

Xu Yang gave Li Chuyang a fleeting glance but said nothing. He had already reached the Celestial Essence Third Layer and simply had no interest in comparing himself with someone like him. His sights had long since moved past geniuses of Li Chuyang’s level.

At that moment, the teacher in charge of maintaining order at the Battle Tower called out Zuo Mu and Wenshan’s names. The two hurriedly entered the tower.

He thought, "They should be able to make it onto the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List." Their rankings on the Lingyun List weren’t low—twenty-fourth and twenty-third, respectively. Now that they had accumulated another two months of experience, they had a great chance of breaking into the list.

As Xu Yang absorbed Spiritual Qi to recover, he waited for their results. His exhaustion wasn’t entirely faked. With his newly broken-through Realm and his Cultivation not yet fully stabilized, fighting from the first layer all the way to the Ninth Layer would cause even someone with a physical body as formidable as a dragon and elephant to feel drained.

His stamina gradually returned. Thirty minutes later, Zuo Mu was the first to emerge from the Battle Tower.

The Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List rippled and distorted before his name finally settled at the ninety-ninth position. He had actually made it onto the list.

"Brother Zuo, congratulations!" Having recovered somewhat, Xu Yang walked over and supported the injured, exhausted Zuo Mu.

Zuo Mu’s injuries were quite severe, leaving him covered in cuts and bruises in multiple places. However, he didn’t care in the slightest, instead staring excitedly at the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List.

Barely a moment after Zuo Mu sat down, Wenshan also appeared at the entrance of the Battle Tower. The list rippled once more. Wenshan took Zuo Mu’s place as the new ninety-ninth, while Zuo Mu dropped down to the one-hundredth spot, becoming the gatekeeper of the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List.

Their rankings were precarious and they could easily be squeezed off, but since it was their first time on the list, the two were still thrilled. After regaining some stamina, they left with Xu Yang, returning to their quarters to continue healing.

It didn’t take long for the news of what had transpired to spread among the Basic-level Students. Although Xu Yang had gone up a rank, in the eyes of many, he was still falling behind. Given his previous ranking, it would have been normal for him to reach the seventies and completely clear the Ninth Layer after a two-month gap.

"The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture... It seems his cultivation of it still ended in failure."

Beneath an Ancient Pine, Jin Yu and Chu Nanguai sat facing each other.

They were naturally well aware that Xu Yang had chosen the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture. After all, one of them was the dean of the Celestial Strategy Academy’s Lower Courtyard, while the other was Xu Yang’s teacher. However, according to the rules of the Celestial Strategy Academy, a teacher had no right to interfere with whatever Cultivation Technique a student chose to practice.

Chu Nanguai had given Xu Yang another chance, originally intending for him to choose the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique or the True Martial Demon-Vanquishing Technique. He never expected him to pick the even more difficult Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture.

"It’s only been a month. Don’t rush to conclusions. A Cultivation Technique like the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture isn’t that easy to reach the Entry Level," Chu Nanguai said, taking a light sip of tea.

Jin Yu paused, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "You still have high hopes for him?"

"What does it matter whether I have high hopes or not? I just think this kid is very resilient," Chu Nanguai chuckled. He had an excellent impression of Xu Yang—even better than his impression of students like Lu Wei.

When everyone else had written him off, Xu Yang had turned the tables against all odds and beaten Lin Jingyu to death with his bare hands. Upon entering the Celestial Strategy Academy, while geniuses like Lu Wei and Yang Ao were still hesitating on the sidelines, he had chosen the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture without a second thought. Only after he made his move did those geniuses dare to try their hand at the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture.

After everyone failed and grew cautious, too afraid to waste their final opportunity, Xu Yang once again unhesitatingly chose the Azure Dragon Dominating Body. After he failed the Azure Dragon Dominating Body, Chu Nanguai had given him one more chance, assuming he would choose the relatively conservative Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique or True Martial Demon-Vanquishing Technique. Instead, Xu Yang had gone for the even harder Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture.

"Our Celestial Strategy Academy has no shortage of ordinary geniuses, but we do lack students with his level of drive," Chu Nanguai smiled. Xu Yang’s talent might not match up to Huo Xiaochen or Lu Wei, but he had far more pride and backbone than they did.

So what if he failed? As long as the dean waved his hand, the Cultivation Techniques in the Hidden Skills Hall would still be at Xu Yang’s disposal. What they wanted were true celestial prides, not a flock of geniuses content with the status quo.

[Cultivation has broken through to the Celestial Essence Third Layer. Points +400]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 3216]

He had finally gathered half the Points needed for the Spiritual Essence Pill. Casually allocating a Point to his lifespan, Xu Yang closed the interface.

In the following days, he consolidated his Cultivation while methodically comprehending his other Martial Techniques. With his Cultivation reaching the Celestial Essence Third Layer, his speed in comprehending Martial Techniques had grown a bit faster. The progress of the Azure Dragon Dominating Body accelerated accordingly, and the effects of the Yunling Technique improved as well. However, when it came to cultivating Spirit Medicine, he intentionally slowed down his pace, only casting the Yunling Technique on the medicinal herbs once every three to five days.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. His Cultivation had been fully consolidated, and he had gained total control over his power. His physical body had also adapted to the surge in strength, meaning he no longer had the constant urge to find someone to fight.

One day, Xu Yang and Sun Tao went to the dining hall together.

Just as the two got their food and sat down, Zuo Mu and Wenshan joined them. Zuo Mu lowered his voice and asked, "I remember Ye Qiuling is a disciple from your Purple Sun Sect, right?"

Both of them nodded.

"She’s considered our senior sister, though we’re not from the same peak. What happened to her?" Sun Tao asked curiously. If something hadn’t happened to Ye Qiuling, Zuo Mu definitely wouldn’t have brought her up specifically.

In truth, Ye Qiuling was quite famous within the Celestial Strategy Academy. With her ethereal and refined beauty, she was the object of many students’ affections. Some busybodies had even created a Beauty List, on which Ye Qiuling ranked second, just below the Spirit Bone Celestial Pride, Leng Qiuyue.

"She had a falling out with Wu Xiuyuan. He’s publicly declared that anyone who helps her is making an enemy out of him." Zuo Mu warned in a low voice, "Don’t do anything foolish and offend Wu Xiuyuan by sticking up for her."

Xu Yang and Sun Tao were both taken aback. They hadn’t expected the two to fall out, let alone for Wu Xiuyuan to announce he was isolating her. They knew very well that Ye Qiuling’s admission into the Celestial Strategy Academy was practically orchestrated single-handedly by Wu Xiuyuan.

After entering the Academy, the two had been inseparable, frequently appearing as a couple at various public events. Rumor even had it that Wu Xiuyuan regularly subsidized Ye Qiuling’s Cultivation Resources.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zuo. But rest assured, even though we all hail from the Purple Sun Sect, we have no real relationship with her. We don’t even get along," Xu Yang said, clasping his hands in thanks.

"As long as you don’t have ties with her, I’m relieved. I was just worried you might unknowingly offend Wu Xiuyuan over this," Zuo Mu laughed.

"How did she end up falling out with him?" Sun Tao asked curiously.

Zuo Mu curled his lips. "It seems Wu Xiuyuan wanted to make things official, but she said they were just friends."

Wenshan and Sun Tao were utterly dumbfounded. Ye Qiuling and Wu Xiuyuan had been so close that many assumed they were already sleeping together. They never expected that a genius like Wu Xiuyuan would be used by Ye Qiuling as a gullible stepping stone. No wonder he had flown into a rage out of humiliation and declared he would isolate her.

Even Xu Yang was somewhat surprised by this outcome. He had thought that a genius like Wu Xiuyuan would be enough to win the heart of such an ambitious woman, but surprisingly, even he fell short.

"This woman’s ambition isn’t small. She looks down on even Wu Xiuyuan. Could she be aiming for a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride?"

"I’m afraid so."

"She’s been flitting between various geniuses for a while now. A Spirit Bone Celestial Pride might not even want her."

"She could manage being a concubine, but becoming a main wife is unlikely."

None of them were fools; they naturally understood Ye Qiuling’s schemes. The "just friends" excuse simply meant that in Ye Qiuling’s eyes, Wu Xiuyuan didn’t carry enough weight. If Wu Xiuyuan were a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride, she would have willingly climbed into his bed long ago.

Xu Yang hadn’t expected to run into her so soon.

After the group finished eating, they parted ways and returned to their respective courtyards. From a distance, he saw a woman standing in front of his courtyard, her black hair fluttering in the wind. As he drew closer, he saw that it was none other than Ye Qiuling.

"Junior Brother Xu!" Ye Qiuling spoke first, offering a bright smile.

"Were you waiting here specifically for me, Senior Sister Ye?"

Believing that one doesn’t slap a smiling face, Xu Yang didn’t give her the cold shoulder over their past history. He unlocked his door and invited her into the courtyard.

"I’ve come because I have a favor to ask of you, Junior Brother Xu. I hope you might agree to it," Ye Qiuling said, her cheeks reddening slightly as if the words were hard to say.

"Please speak plainly, Senior Sister Ye. If it is within my power, I will naturally help. If not, I hope you will understand."

Xu Yang knew full well that her scheming and ambition were far beyond the ordinary. She wasn’t actually shy at all; it was just an act for his benefit. He didn’t outright refuse her, nor did he promise anything. He simply wanted to see exactly what trick she was playing.

"My Cultivation has now reached the Celestial Essence First Layer Perfection, but comprehending a Realm on my own is far too difficult. I would like to borrow fifty credits from you, Junior Brother Xu, so that I may enter Closed-door Cultivation in the Martial Tower. Please rest assured, I will repay the credits quickly once I break through."

As she spoke, she lowered her head, seemingly too embarrassed to meet his gaze. Even the tips of her ears were flushed red. Looking at her now, there was no trace of the aloof and haughty demeanor she had carried before.

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