Ye Xuan sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation chamber, took out the Nixuan Pill Feng Rouyi had given him the day before, and swallowed it in one gulp.
The Vein Condensation Stage was when a Martial Artist laid their groundwork. This entire process was a special period for them to familiarize themselves with the generation and circulation of Profound Qi. Theoretically, consuming any Pill during this stage was a hasty shortcut that would damage a Martial Artist’s future foundation. But Ye Xuan wasn’t taking the Nixuan Pill to enhance his own strength.
As he channeled his energy, the medicinal effects of the Nixuan Pill rapidly spread, transforming into streams of pure Profound Qi. Ye Xuan didn’t refine this Profound Qi; instead, he gathered all of it at the black martial soul within his Dantian, allowing it to be freely absorbed.
’Heh, this much Profound Qi should be enough for you to absorb for a while. That way, I can focus completely on cultivating the Nine Profound World-Proud Art and not have the Profound Qi I condense get scraped away by you again.’
Smiling to himself, Ye Xuan began circulating the Nine Profound World-Proud Art. In an instant, wisps of faint Profound Qi formed within his three Profound Veins and began to slowly fill them...
Meanwhile, while Ye Xuan was in secluded cultivation.
Outside the training center, Wang Yue and his group were practically seething with rage, fuming.
"I can’t take it anymore! I really can’t! That piece of trash Ye Xuan, how dare he talk to me like that? I’m Wang Yue, a direct descendant of the Wang family! Who the hell does he think he is? I’m so pissed! So pissed!"
In a small grove, Wang Yue was stomping around in a fury, his face beet red.
During the days he had spent recovering from the lesson Ye Xuan taught him, Wang Yue had thought of nothing but getting his revenge. He dreamed of stomping Ye Xuan under his boot in front of everyone to vent his fury.
But he never imagined that the moment he returned to the academy, before he even had a chance to get his revenge, he would be humiliated and extorted in public all over again. He knew that if he didn’t do something, he would never be able to show his face at the academy again.
"Brother Wang, don’t worry. Why don’t we find a few more people and set up an ambush? We can wait for him on his way back to his dorm and teach him a harsh lesson."
"That’s a great idea! The three of us were just careless last time. This time, we’ll get a few more students from the intermediate class. I refuse to believe that Ye Xuan can fight his way out if seven or eight of us swarm him."
The two lackeys chimed in with their terrible ideas.
"That idea won’t work."
Just then, a voice dripping with malice spoke up as Li Yue walked in from the edge of the grove.
"Ah, Sister-in-law."
The two lackeys immediately bowed with fawning smiles, but Li Yue didn’t even spare them a glance. She turned to Wang Yue and said seductively, "Brother Wang, you’re finally back at the academy. These past few days, Yue’Er has missed you terribly."
"Heh heh, my little vixen, you’re finally here. Brother Wang missed you to death, too." Wang Yue laughed, his wandering hands giving her a couple of rough squeezes. The two lackeys behind him watched with shining eyes, practically drooling. ’Tsk, tsk, Sister-in-law has a killer body. I’d give up ten years of my life for a night with her.’
After brazenly groping Li Yue a few more times, Wang Yue’s expression darkened. "Right, why did you say that idea won’t work? Don’t tell me you still can’t get over that kid?"
"Tch! That piece of trash? I never even looked twice at him, so how could I not be over him? You’re the only one in my heart, Brother Wang," Li Yue said with a look of disdain, a vicious glint in her eyes. "You just don’t know. That loser Ye Xuan has had some kind of dumb luck recently. His strength has skyrocketed. During yesterday’s training session, even Zhou Yan and his group were no match for him. He taught them a brutal lesson."
"What?" Wang Yue’s face fell. "Ye Xuan even beat Zhou Yan? How is that possible?"
The three of them were dumbfounded. Who was Zhou Yan? A Six Veins Martial Artist! One of the top five students in the intermediate class! For him to be beaten by a junior class student like Ye Xuan... This was simply more than they could wrap their heads around.
"Why would I lie to you?" Li Yue briefly recounted the events of the previous day. "If you want to teach Ye Xuan a lesson, using intermediate-class disciples obviously won’t work. You need a foolproof plan."
Ye Xuan’s recent display of astonishing talent had filled Li Yue with regret and resentment for the past two days. But she also knew that she had hitched her wagon to Wang Yue now, so she couldn’t afford to be disloyal.
Wang Yue was not like Ye Xuan. If she offended him, the entire Li family would be unable to withstand the wrath of the Wang family. Furthermore, once Wang Yue rose to prominence, she could become an honored mistress of the Wang family. She had now firmly taken Wang Yue’s side, wishing she could see Ye Xuan die by a thousand cuts.
"This makes things difficult." Wang Yue frowned. "Even Zhou Yan couldn’t handle Ye Xuan. The only ones we can turn to now are the advanced-class students. But most of them are focused on breaking through to become Tier One Warriors and have no time for trivial matters like this. The vast majority are in seclusion, and a small number even form teams to go to Black Wind Ridge, seeking breakthroughs on the brink of life and death."
Asking them for help was not a good idea.
"Brother Wang, don’t you have a cousin at the academy? I think his name is Wang Fei? I heard he’s one of the top students in the advanced class. If he makes a move, Ye Xuan is guaranteed to die."
"Yes, that’s a great idea!"
The two lackeys said excitedly.
"Great idea, my ass." Wang Yue’s face darkened. "Both Wang Fei and I are direct descendants of the family, and we’re rivals for the future leadership of the Wang family. If he finds out I can’t even handle a piece of trash, he’ll laugh his head off. If he spreads that news in the family, my future will be ruined."
"In that case, Brother Wang, why don’t we hire a Warrior from outside to come in and teach him a lesson?"
Wang Yue’s expression grew even fouler. He sent the lackey flying with a single kick. "Hire someone from outside? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Xingxuan Academy did not prohibit fights and competitions among its students, but it strictly forbade outside Martial Artists from getting involved.
Once, a student who was being bullied called on his uncle, an officer in the City Guard, to come help. His uncle came to the academy and beat the bully severely. But in the end, the academy’s Dean personally intervened, crippling the City Guard officer’s cultivation on the spot. The student who called him was also immediately expelled.
Xingxuan Academy held a transcendent status in Blue Moon City. This was because its Dean was one of the city’s most powerful experts. It was said he even had connections in the Royal City, so not even the three great families dared to offend him.
The two lackeys were dumbfounded. They couldn’t beat Ye Xuan, and they weren’t allowed to hire help. How were they supposed to get revenge? Just the few of them wouldn’t even be enough to get stuck in his teeth.
"Hire someone from outside? Hmm... I’ve thought of a good idea." Wang Yue suddenly broke into a sinister smile.
The two men and Li Yue asked in unison, "What’s the good idea?"
A cold glint flashed in Wang Yue’s eyes as he leaned in and whispered in their ears. The three of them were stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Brother Wang, you live up to your name! Truly brilliant!"
"Heh heh, with this plan, it’ll be a miracle if that kid doesn’t get expelled from the academy."
"Haha, I’m a true genius," Wang Yue said with a vicious smile, tilting Li Yue’s chin up. "Babe, this part requires you to take the stage."
Li Yue smiled seductively. "Don’t you worry, Brother Wang. When I, Li Yue, get involved, I guarantee that kid will be eating out of the palm of my hand."
"Heh heh, good. Come to my dorm tonight. It’s been too long since we had a marathon session. Were you so hot and bothered you couldn’t sleep while I was gone?" Wang Yue hugged Li Yue lewdly, his hands roaming all over her body.
"Stop it, people are watching," Li Yue said, feigning shyness.
"You little vixen, still pretending to be innocent." Wang Yue grinned lecherously and gave her breast a rough squeeze. The resulting jiggle was quite a sight.
Nearby, Wang Yue’s two lackeys felt their mouths go dry, a fire burning in their loins.
「Meanwhile, at Ye Xuan’s dormitory.」
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Chen Xing, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed cultivating, heard a knock at the door.
’Huh? Could it be the goddess, Feng Rouyi?’ Chen Xing’s eyes lit up. He quickly straightened his clothes, took a moment to comb his hair, then gently opened the door and flashed what he thought was a charming smile. "Beauty—"
THUD!
Before he could finish the word, a fist sent him sprawling to the ground.
His teacher, Yun Aoxue, stood at the door, her eyes like ice. "Chen Xing, what did you just call me?"
"Cough, cough, Teacher Yun! What are you doing here?" Chen Xing scrambled up from the floor, pale and shaken. His knees were knocking together as he stammered, "Call you what? How strange. I haven’t said a word. You must have misheard." He then employed the great art of subject-changing, saying with righteous bravado, "Ah, Teacher Yun, what brings you here? Do you have a mission for me? Just say the word, and I, Chen Xing, will go through fire and water for you!"
Yun Aoxue’s gaze swept around the dormitory. "Is Ye Xuan not here?"
Chen Xing’s righteous expression froze. ’Heavens! Earth! Is there any justice in this world?! She’s here for Young Master Xuan, too! Has he been on some kind of lucky streak with women lately?’ He secretly glanced up at Yun Aoxue, and his legs trembled. ’Never mind. This isn’t the kind of luck anyone wants.’
Yun Aoxue frowned. "Chen Xing, what are you muttering about?"
"Cough, cough, nothing! Teacher Yun, Young Master Xuan isn’t in the dorm. He’s probably at the cultivation center. Do you want me to go get him for you?"
"He’s cultivating? Then don’t bother. When he gets back, tell him to come to my office immediately."
Yun Aoxue had been incredibly curious about what had happened at Black Wind Ridge and wanted to ask Ye Xuan about it. However, she’d been delayed for the past two days handling the aftermath. She had only just found the time to look for him today, but unexpectedly, he wasn’t here.
’Although Ye Xuan’s talent in the Martial Dao is average, the fact that he could so easily neutralize the Green-Tailed Scorpion’s poison for me proves he has considerable talent for Soul Refining and Alchemy. I must ask him properly when he comes. If he really does have talent in those areas, I’ll guide him personally from now on. That way, even if his future strength isn’t great, he’ll still be able to secure a place for himself in Blue Moon City.’
Leaving Ye Xuan’s dormitory, Yun Aoxue walked away, lost in thought.