Chapter 296 - 294: Tit for Tat
"That’s only right. Such a great contribution should be handsomely rewarded. Otherwise, wouldn’t it just dishearten the disciples?"
Yuan Longxi was the first to agree, putting on a magnanimous air.
But this had always been the rule of the Ming Sect: merit must be rewarded. If one of his own subordinates had made such a great contribution, he too would have to grant a sufficient reward.
"Very well. Since the Heaven-Reaching Tower is about to open, I plan to give the opportunity left behind by the former Sect Leader Qin to Chen Yuan."
Lu Beiming said in a slow, measured tone.
Yuan Longxi’s expression changed slightly. "Absolutely not! Elder Lu, I urge you to reconsider!
The opportunity left by the former Sect Leader Qin is no ordinary treasure; it’s one of a kind.
Forget about the junior Martial Artists—even for the likes of us, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Chen Yuan’s contribution is great, but it can be compensated with other treasures like Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts, Weapons, or Elixirs. Is it really necessary to award such a momentous opportunity to a junior?"
In truth, no one knew what the opportunity Qin Wuye had left in the Heaven-Reaching Tower was. It could be exceedingly precious, or it might not be.
But the probability of the former was extremely high. After all, Qin Wuye’s power back then was world-shattering; whatever he left in the Heaven-Reaching Tower would be anything but ordinary.
It was precisely this uncertainty that made Yuan Longxi unwilling to hand over such an opportunity so rashly. If the treasure within was astonishingly powerful and Chen Yuan got it, that would be tantamount to Lu Beiming’s faction getting it.
Lu Beiming said coolly, "Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts? Would the heir to the Celestial Fire Hall be lacking Cultivation Techniques?
As for elixirs, the Pharmacist Hall’s elixirs are already supplied to all disciples of the Ming Sect.
As for weapons... Chen Yuan, show everyone the blades you carry."
Chen Yuan brandished two sabers, one red and one black. The astonishing Blood Fiend aura and Demonic Qi emanating from them instantly filled the hall.
"The red saber is called Blood Sea Listening Tide. It was the Celestial Soldier wielded by the Blood Slaughter Venerable, the former master of the Blood Killing Realm in Qin Province.
The black saber is called the Demon-Drinking Saber. It was once wielded by the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect. Xu Tianhong made his name in the Jianghu with this blade before I killed him and took it. It is a Top Grade Celestial Soldier."
The moment the two sabers appeared, the entire hall fell into a stunned silence.
The Ming Sect was indeed wealthy and powerful; Celestial Soldiers were not unheard of.
The issue, however, was that Chen Yuan was only in the Condensing Truth Realm, yet he possessed two Celestial Soldiers. That was simply outrageous.
With these two Celestial Soldiers revealed, what else within the Ming Sect could possibly be used to reward Chen Yuan? The masterless Celestial Soldiers in their vaults were likely of a lower grade than Blood Sea Listening Tide and the Demon-Drinking Saber.
Lu Beiming’s voice deepened. "For a contribution as great as Chen Yuan’s, it’s one thing to deny him a Hall Master position. But to also deny him the opportunity left by the former Sect Leader... isn’t that going too far?
Furthermore, the space within the Heaven-Reaching Tower is constantly collapsing. In the very beginning, even those at the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound could enter. Now, entry is restricted to those below the Primordial Pill Realm.
In a few more decades, or a century, will the restriction drop to the Sea of Reincarnation Realm? Or will it collapse entirely?
No matter how great the opportunity left by the Sect Leader, it remains useless as long as it just sits there.
We didn’t go for it before, and we aren’t going for it now. Are we supposed to wait until that opportunity rots on the vine? Until the entire lineage of our Ming Sect has been utterly severed?!"
As he spat out the last word, Lu Beiming’s voice turned cold and heavy. An immense pressure radiated from him, leaving even Yuan Longxi stunned.
’This old bastard has lived for over two hundred years and suffered grievous injuries in the past. How is his presence still so terrifying?’
Chen Yuan also glanced at Lu Beiming, slightly surprised.
This Vice Sect Master Lu had always seemed kind and amiable, with no imposing presence to speak of.
’To think his aura, once unleashed, could be so terrifying.’
"Elder Lu, calm yourself. That’s not what I meant. Of course, the opportunity must be seized. If not this time, we may have to wait another thirty years.
I just feel that this opportunity might be too significant. Its value could even exceed that of the Sun-piercing Sword itself.
To simply hand it over to Chen Yuan now... wouldn’t that be unfair to the other disciples?
After all, this isn’t just any Secret Treasure. It’s a unique opportunity."
Just then, a middle-aged man in a golden brocade robe stood up and said gravely, "Vice Sect Leader Yuan has a point. Among the younger generation of our Ming Sect, there are several disciples qualified to brave the Heaven-Reaching Tower, yet there is only one opportunity. If we just give it to Chen Yuan, I fear others will be dissatisfied."
The speaker was Bai Zhaoju, Hall Master of the Profound Gold Hall, the most powerful Divine Platform Realm Martial Artist under Yuan Longxi’s command.
The Profound Gold Hall’s Cultivation Techniques emphasized killing power, and Bai Zhaoju’s strength was a notch above that of both Mr. Bei and Zu Qingzhi from the Houtu Hall.
Mr. Bei sneered. ’Dissatisfied? Who would be dissatisfied? Only Yuan Longxi’s cronies.’
"Let’s settle it with a fight."
Tantai Zhaorong, who had been silent throughout the entire meeting, suddenly spoke up.
"The trials within the Heaven-Reaching Tower are inherently perilous. The major powers don’t send all their disciples inside. Our Ming Sect has few young disciples as it is; we can’t afford to lose them to internal strife.
Since we must decide who gets the opportunity left by the former Sect Leader Qin, let’s just settle it with a fight here and now. The winner enters the Heaven-Reaching Tower to claim it."
The trials of the Heaven-Reaching Tower weren’t a matter of ’the more, the merrier.’ The interior was fraught with danger, and the space within was chaotic. Once inside, finding one’s companions was incredibly difficult.
Therefore, sending in all the young disciples recklessly, thinking there was strength in numbers, was a surefire way to suffer disastrous losses. This was a hard-won lesson from the dozens of previous times the Heaven-Reaching Tower had opened.
Lu Beiming looked toward Chen Yuan, his meaning clear: it was Chen Yuan’s choice to make.
Chen Yuan could refuse to fight. The merit he’d earned by retrieving the Sun-piercing Sword was undeniable. Even if he couldn’t be a Hall Master or receive Qin Wuye’s opportunity, Lu Beiming would certainly fight to secure other sufficient rewards for him.
If Chen Yuan chose to fight and lost, however, he would naturally forfeit Qin Wuye’s opportunity, and Lu Beiming would have no grounds to argue for him to receive other treasures from the sect’s Treasure Vault.
Of course, Lu Beiming’s faction had its own resources and could offer Chen Yuan other benefits, but they certainly wouldn’t be on the same level.
"Very well. I, too, would like to see for myself the strength of my fellow disciples."
Chen Yuan grinned, his aura completely restrained. He looked utterly harmless.
But only those like Mr. Bei who had seen Chen Yuan in action knew just how ferocious his combat prowess truly was.
Yuan Longxi gave Chen Yuan a deep look, then said coolly, "Fine. Then it is settled."
Tantai Zhaorong remained neutral most of the time, but once she spoke, as long as Lu Beiming didn’t object, Yuan Longxi couldn’t easily refuse either.
The main hall was no place for a fight, but this branch headquarters had its own Martial Arts Arena, reinforced with an Array that not even a Primordial Pill Realm Martial Artist could shatter at full power.
So the group moved to the Martial Arts Arena, activated the Array, and prepared for the battle.
The Ming Sect didn’t have many young disciples. Under Lu Beiming, even someone like Su Yifeng was considered part of the younger generation, but he was stationed at a branch hall and hadn’t even come this time.
Tantai Zhaorong had a few young Martial Artists under her command, but none showed any intention of stepping forward.
This was because Liu Bai had told them bluntly that they were no match for Chen Yuan; to challenge him would be to invite humiliation.
No one would doubt Liu Bai’s word, so naturally, no one voiced any dissent.
Thus, only three young Martial Artists from Yuan Longxi’s faction stepped forward.
Mr. Bei secretly sent Chen Yuan a message using his Divine Soul. ’Yuan Longxi has the most disciples in the Ming Sect under his command, and he does have a few outstanding ones among the younger generation.
’Those three are Duan Zhixuan from the Profound Gold Hall, Yin Chuanzhou from the Rakshasa Hall, and Wang Xiongdian from the Yaksha Hall.
’Among them, Yin Chuanzhou and Wang Xiongdian are both at the Peak of Condensing Truth Realm. Duan Zhixuan has even reached the Half-Step Primordial Pill Realm, but the type of Primordial Pill he’s trying to form is particularly difficult, so he has yet to succeed in Solidifying his Pill.
’In truth, Duan Zhixuan is already over thirty. He certainly won’t make it onto the Hidden Dragon Rankings, but the Heaven-Reaching Tower has no age restriction, so it’s irrelevant.
’For someone his age to fight you... even if he wins, it’s hardly a glorious victory.’
Mr. Bei sounded indignant.
According to the standards of the Hidden Dragon Rankings, Duan Zhixuan wasn’t even considered part of the younger generation anymore. For him to fight now was clearly a case of a senior bullying a junior; even a win would be dishonorable.
But the Ming Sect had so few young Martial Artists that they didn’t pay much heed to things like the Hidden Dragon Rankings, so he didn’t voice this complaint out loud.
"Since there are four of you, let’s do two-on-two matches. We’ll draw lots to decide the pairings."
Bai Zhaoju, the Profound Gold Hall Master, proposed.
In reality, Yin Chuanzhou and Wang Xiongdian were just there to run interference; the main challenger for Chen Yuan was always meant to be Duan Zhixuan.
His proposal was merely a tactic to wear down Chen Yuan’s strength.
Then, whoever drew Chen Yuan in the first round would be expected to go all-out, while the other two could just have a token exchange.
The corner of Chen Yuan’s mouth twitched in a disdainful smirk.
’The Ming Sect has honorable figures like Mr. Bei and Liu Bai, but it’s not lacking in petty schemers either.’
Chen Yuan couldn’t be bothered to waste time on their games. He spoke directly, "Let’s not make this so complicated. Since you all feel I’m not worthy, then why don’t the three of you just come at me at once."
"How arrogant!"
Duan Zhixuan snorted coldly. ’This Chen Yuan really doesn’t take me seriously at all.’
A smile played on Yuan Longxi’s lips. He wasn’t angry, merely amused. "The young are certainly full of vigor. Our Ming Sect has been lying low for so long, it’s rare to see a disciple with such sharp, soaring spirit."
However, if they actually agreed to a three-on-one fight, they would lose all face even if they won.
So Bai Zhaoju interjected, "There’s no precedent for a three-on-one fight. However, since Chen Yuan is so confident, you three can take him on one by one."
A group attack was out of the question, but since Chen Yuan himself had been so arrogant, no one could object to a gauntlet-style battle.
"I’ll go first!"
Wang Xiongdian of the Yaksha Hall was the first to step forward.
He was powerfully built with a fierce countenance, and a vicious black tattoo covered half his face.
Wang Xiongdian held a massive War Axe. In an instant, the Demonic Qi around him surged, and a shadowy phantom of a Yaksha demon materialized behind him.
He brought the axe down with world-shattering force, producing a piercing sonic BOOM!
Wang Xiongdian’s Physical Cultivation was incredibly tyrannical, and his foundation of strength was profound. Few among the Ming Sect’s younger generation could claim with certainty that they could defeat him.
Chen Yuan formed a Seal Technique. A dense Dao Essence instantly filled the air around him, its foundation so powerful it seemed even richer than that of a Heaven-Encompassing Daoist Sect Martial Artist of the same realm.
The next moment, the boundless Dao Essence transformed into silvery-white lightning. A Long Sword radiating the power of Thunder Tribulation materialized in Chen Yuan’s hand as he slashed down viciously at Wang Xiongdian!
In an instant, the entire Martial Arts Arena was bathed in a silvery-white light, and the roar of thunder echoed through heaven and earth!
Under the strike of the Shenxiao Evil-slaying Sword, the Demonic Qi was extinguished and the Yaksha phantom shattered. Wang Xiongdian was sent flying, a massive, charred gash on his chest. He spat out a mouthful of blood and instantly passed out.