Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

"Yang Yuan coming here today is truly strange!"

"His attitude was so humble, and he even wanted to give me an immortal treasure..."

Even Xu Yang himself couldn’t figure out what the other party was truly up to; was it really to turn hostilities into peace?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Especially those last words Yang Yuan spoke before leaving, which seemed loaded with meaning.

However, he did not regret refusing that immortal saber.

Unable to make sense of it for now, Xu Yang decided not to dwell on it further.

If this is truly the end of the feud, then it would naturally be a good thing—less trouble for both, you take your broad road, I’ll cross my log bridge!

But if it isn’t over, whatever comes next, he would face it head-on.

The cultivation continued.

One day later.

His Identity Token suddenly pulsed with agitation.

Xu Yang woke from his cultivation, suspiciously pulled out the token, and was instantly stunned.

The message was sent by his second senior brother, Yi Que.

Its contents made his face instantly darken.

In just one day, a piece of news had spread throughout the inner sect.

Yang Yuan, accompanied by Yang Xiao, personally visited Xu Yang’s cave residence to apologize and admit his fault, even offering a second-grade immortal saber as compensation, but was refused by him.

He utterly disregarded Yang Yuan!

This news, one could imagine, would cause a huge commotion in the inner sect.

Now that it had reached Yi Que’s ears, it was certain that some of the sect’s powerful figures would know of it too.

Not even giving Yang Yuan face?

No matter the real circumstances, the key was that Yang Yuan had truly come.

That alone was enough.

Even conceding to Yang Yuan was nothing of note to the sect’s powerful figures.

Yet now, such news was circulating.

How would the sect’s elite view this?

"A clever tactic!"

Xu Yang gripped his Identity Token, his expression shifting, then suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Had I accepted that saber, it wouldn’t merely be my reputation being tainted by this kind of rumor."

At this moment, he suddenly understood!

What manner of person is Yang Yuan? What is his status?

Even being favored by Elder Golden Immortal shouldn’t warrant such treatment.

Yet he came in person.

Unless... it was surrender!

"I would like to see what means you, the figure atop the Immortal Pride List, truly possess."

Xu Yang gave a cold, mocking smile, stowed away the token, and resumed his cultivation.

No matter how storms rage in the outside world, it is none of my concern!

Three days later.

The newcomers’ grand tournament began.

On this dawn, as the sky grew faintly bright, the whole inner sect was thrown into a frenzy.

Such an occasion drew attention not only from the inner sect, but also the outer sect.

Outer sect disciples would participate as well.

Those who performed outstandingly and met certain requirements could directly be promoted to inner sect disciples.

Of course, this was extremely rare.

Moreover, quotas for seed disciples, along with other astonishing rewards, were merely things for outer sect disciples to behold with envy.

The crowds surged like river currents, rushing towards a certain place in the sect.

"Look, that’s Xu Yang!"

"Amazing, he doesn’t even give Yang Yuan face."

"Offending Yang Xiao was risky enough, and there was some chance to make amends, but now he’s offended Yang Yuan too. It’ll be far too easy for them to deal with him now."

"I actually feel something is off here. Yang Yuan even came out personally; Xu Yang can’t be so foolish as to offend Yang Yuan again."

"Ha, that’s not something for us to worry about. Did you think you’re going to dig up the truth?"

...

Noticing Xu Yang, the crowd buzzed with discussion.

These days, his name had spread throughout Black Fire Immortal Mountain.

Everyone knew of him; none were ignorant!

Countless gazes fell upon him, all with the look of people hungry for drama.

Xu Yang walked onward with calm indifference, as if not hearing them at all.

A few dozen breaths later.

The massive crowd arrived at the edge of a grand mountain range behind the sect peaks, before them a broad, flat expanse.

The mountains towered high, shrouded in black fire, stirring fear in the heart.

This was the site for the newcomers’ grand tournament.

Many veteran disciples also showed up, intent on enjoying the spectacle.

This year, thanks to the conflict between Xu Yang, Yang Yuan, and Yang Xiao, there was even more to see.

"So lively!"

"Almost every inner sect disciple is here."

"Look, that crowd over there, all seed disciples."

...

At one particularly scrutinized part of the edge, seven or eight figures stood tall, their robes attesting to their rank.

Ye Qingchen was among them.

He was not at the very top.

In fact, even Yang Yuan was not at the very top.

But Yang Yuan had ascended the Immortal Pride List, and rumor had it he had already broken through to the Celestial Immortal Realm, now among the strongest seed disciples, soon to surpass the others altogether.

"Is that guy Xu Yang?"

"I wonder which Elder picked him."

"Mr. Ji, do you think that rumor going around lately is true?" Zhou Tai muttered.

"Does it even matter?" Ji Hong replied with a faint smile. "But I didn’t expect Yang Yuan himself to take the field. Ever since he made the Immortal Pride List, he’s been so arrogant, it’s like he’s from another world than the rest of us."

"Heh."

Zhou Tai curled his lip, then suddenly shifted his gaze and grinned: "He’s coming."

In the distance, Yang Yuan came alone.

He did not approach them.

"That guy will soon overtake even you and me," Zhou Tai murmured.

"Let him," Ji Hong replied indifferently. "Whatever fortune let him ascend the Immortal Pride List, he’s already beyond our reach."

He understood well: Yang Yuan, now on the Immortal Pride List, possessed truly extraordinary power.

"I only wish someone could appear to suppress him."

At these words, the surrounding seed disciples exchanged looks, their expressions odd.

Ye Qingchen almost couldn’t keep a straight face.

Suppress Yang Yuan?

You must be joking.

None of them held such hope; so would it be a newcomer from this batch?

Ye Qingchen shook his head repeatedly.

In the crowd, Xu Yang swept his gaze around, noted Yang Yuan, Ye Qingchen, and the others, glanced at them carelessly, then withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes as if dozing.

As if everything around him was completely irrelevant.

Time flowed quietly amidst the clamor.

About half an hour passed.

A staggering pressure suddenly descended from the heavens, crushing the surrounding space.

Even the mountainous peaks wreathed in black immortal fire shivered in response.

Xu Yang stilled his mind, and suddenly opened his eyes to look.

He saw immortal light rolling like clouds, bearing several figures down from above.

The one at the head was none other than Tongmin Golden Immortal, Sect Leader of Black Fire Immortal Mountain, one of North Province’s most powerful figures.

Behind him stood seven Elder Golden Immortals.

The might of immortality swept forth, majestic and overwhelming, making it impossible to look directly.

A moment of silence; then the crowd shouted in unison, solemn and respectful.

"Greetings, Sect Leader, respected Elders!"

Tongmin waved his sleeve, an invisible force lifting everyone up, his solemn voice thundered across heaven and earth: "Today marks the newcomers’ grand tournament of our immortal sect."

"Four thousand disciples from both outer and inner sects will compete. Among them, any outer sect disciple who defeats any inner sect disciple can claim their identity as an inner sect disciple and be promoted; those defeated will lose their inner sect status and be sent to the outer sect!"

At these words, the expressions of many outer sect disciples twisted.

This is much too difficult.

Perhaps in past years, a rare exception managed it, but for the vast majority, there was no hope at all.

"Secondly, this grand tournament will decide two seed disciple positions; and there are five kinds of immortal fire to be awarded, which can greatly bolster one’s control of immortal flame: Earth Flame Black Fire, Profound Light Purple Mist Fire, Void Star-devouring Fire, Earth Vein Golden Flame Fire, and Thunder Blood Earth Fiend Fire."