Zhanxian

Chu Heng looked utterly flustered and exasperated, but since Law Enforcement Hall’s Du Qian was present right now, even if Chu Heng had enormous guts, he still did not dare to hit Yang Chen in front of Du Qian. Thus, with a loud groan he didn’t pay any more attention to Yang Chen and directly rushed to his disciple to examine his injuries.

After carefully inspecting him, Chu Heng couldn’t help but take a step back and take a deep breath. He hurriedly reached out to his qiankun pouch to find a few medicinal pills, squeezed them into Sun Hai Jing’s mouth and began to clear up the spots where Sun Hai Jing’s bones were broken. Suddenly he looked towards Yang Chen maliciously.

Everyone present including Du Qian didn’t dare to believe this outcome. Yang Chen, an ordinary person had unexpectedly won, when facing the challenge of the third qi layer disciple Sun Hai Jing? What had happened? But in front of so many eyes, even for people with unclear vision, they could not help but trust the events which had taken place before their eyes.

From the start to the end of the battle, Yang Chen fought in a very ordinary way, using only his fists to attack and not using a bit of magic power or cultivation techniques to attack. At the same time from start to finish this Sun Hai Jing, a third qi layer disciple, hadn’t been able to use even one cultivation technique. Barely using a Thousand Jin Talisman to attack, however with such a great disparity between these two, Yang Chen easily avoided it.

“Good skills, good strength!”

Du Qian spoke out his views of Yang Chen while walking towards the Law Enforcement Hall. Though he had a favourable opinion of Yang Chen, it was still just a favourable impression and nothing more, so as to not let Yang Chen and Chu Heng develop any hostility with him. But the earlier battle by Yang Chen made Du Qian say a few praising words about him.

Yang Chen had displayed his superiority in great detail, from releasing killing intent to affect Sun Hai Jing’s mind, to ruthlessly punching him to stop him from using any techniques, then breaking Sun Hai Jing’s arms and in the end beating Sun Hai Jing unconscious. Yang Chen had done all of this in one breath’s time, extremely efficiently. This made even Du Qian gasp with admiration.

This praise from Du Qian had come from his heart, if he were in Yang Chen’s position, even Du Qian was not able of guaranteeing that he could beat Sun Hai Jing so easily. Yang Chen not only accomplished it, but also did it so beautifully which naturally demanded heartfelt praise.

Yang Chen looked as if he was unwilling to spare Sun Hai Jing, but it seemed more like he was slapping Chu Heng’s face. While Chu Heng was treating Sun Hai Jing, Yang Chen kept on asking him:

“Uncle Master Chu, can this disciple start cultivating already, I need not become a servant for ten years anymore, right? Uncle Master Chu, do the earlier words of Uncle Master not hold?”

After one inspection, it was determined that only Sun Hai Jing’s arm and skull bone had suffered fractures with a few injuries and Chu Heng had calmed his mind by then. Hearing Yang Chen’s questioning again and again, he almost killed him on the spot. Finally he remembered that there was still a Law Enforcement Hall’s disciple on the side, so not daring to be excessively rash he forced himself to nod.

“Not bad, you already challenged and defeated Sun Hai Jing, so naturally you can begin to cultivate.”

While speaking, he bit his lips with his teeth tightly, so as not to explode on Yang Chen in anger, calming down only after a long time.

“Seize every opportunity and hope that next time you will still get so much good luck!”

Chu Heng once again coldly humphed, before rapidly leaving the monastery gate, carrying his seriously injured disciple.

“Uncle Master you really praise me too much, this disciple only has some reckless strength that’s all, without luck it was out of question.”

Yang Chen said this with excessive modesty. When Chu Heng heard this, his silhouette paused for a moment before rapidly disappearing.

“How did you avoid Sun Hai Jing’s Thousand Jin Talisman?”

Du Qian was interested in this. A Thousand Jin Talisman by a cultivator of the third qi layer had unexpectedly missed an ordinary person without using martial arts. This made the numerous cultivators who were present unable to endure it, therefore, Du Qian curiously asked Yang Chen about it.

“I didn’t avoid it, Uncle Master Du.”

Yang Chen gave an honest reply to Du Qian.

“You didn’t avoid it?”

Du Qian repeated without thinking and suddenly he became aware of the something, paling with fright he asked again:

“You actually didn’t avoid it? You were aware of the path of the Thousand Jin Talisman?”

“Not aware, Uncle Master.”

Yang Chen laughed and immediately replied:

“Only, since it’s name is Thousand Jin Talisman, shouldn’t it have the weight of a thousand jin? If not, how could it so easily overwhelm Senior Sun during a life and death situation?”

Du Qian did not know what to say now. Sun Hai Jing had suffered a great injustice. Earlier, when Yang Chen’s killing intent had intimidated him, he had thrown the Thousand Jin Talisman with great difficulty, believing that it would be able to suppress Yang Chen, but Yang Chen had recklessly continued on and in the end pushed down his body, throwing himself onto Sun Hai Jing, which was equivalent to supporting the weight of Yang Chen’s body with the Thousand Jin Talisman.

Originally Du Qian was still baffled, Sun Hai Jing was a third qi layer cultivator, when comparing him to Yang Chen, an ordinary mortal, how could there be such a great difference? But he hadn’t been able to think of this. So that’s why Sun Hai Jing’s arm was broken so easily! It turns out this was the reason.

However, Yang Chen had not show any mercy, but this was also rather close to Du Qian’s character. If Yang Chen wanted to beat someone, he should not stay his hand and efficiently settle the enmity, only that was the best policy. Looking at the surroundings Du Qian discovered that the outer disciple responsible for the recruitment had already stopped, all of these qi layer disciples were looking at him, waiting for him to instruct as the most senior person there.

“Continue with your duties!”

Du Qian gestured with his hands and stated, hardly paying any attention. Of course, recruiting outer disciples was not his duty, he had only appeared here after hearing that Chu Heng was making things difficult for someone. Now that the affair had already concluded, there was no need for him to stay here.

Everyone loudly agreed and began to return to their duties without paying any more attention to Yang Chen. Upon seeing this, Du Qian also did not speak much and only hinted to Yang Chen meaningfully:

“You are already my Pure Yang Palace’s outer disciple, do your best later, okay!”

Even without Du Qian’s reminder, Yang Chen had already considered the situation of the surrounding outer disciples. If one were to speak from the beginning, they watched as Chu Heng master and disciple tried to suppress Yang Chen, but still they didn’t speak up for him, so when Yang Chen had ruthlessly beaten Sun Hai Jing, this caused them some unhappiness.

Man is such a strange creature, when they see that their equal is bullying the weak, they sympathize with the weak. But when the weaker person resists and is able to successfully fight back, it directly hurts their ego, as this individual whom they thought was weak, but had turned out to be totally different. The words ‘as the rabbit dies, the fox grieves’ describes their interdependency quite well. If every person was like Yang Chen how could they still experience the joy of being a senior? Who could have imagined that as soon as Yang Chen entered his teacher’s sect, he would have to face these kind of circumstances. Yang Chen could not understand this.

Yang Chen did not pay any more attention to this. In order to pay his respects to his teacher again, even if he had to cross mountains of dagger and seas of flame he wouldn’t care much. Let alone these outer disciples, even if it were the nine tribulations, they would still feel like a walk in the park to him. Master, wait for me, I have already entered the Pure Yang Palace and will soon become your apprentice!

The test for verifying the spirit root ended very quickly. In only a day’s time, two thousand people were already examined. Only twenty people possessed a spirit root. All of these twenty people, including Yang Chen, joined as outer disciples.

The bunch of twenty newly accepted outer disciples met with an inner disciple, who lead them to the next place along the complicated mountain road, finally entering the Meiqing Mountain. After rushing for more than ten miles on the mountain road, before midnight they reached a manor halfway up the mountain.

“This is a place where you will cultivate for a long time.”

The disciple leading the way brought them to a hall and said to everyone:

“You all wait here, someone will come to arrange where you will live. Good luck to you all, work hard to become inner disciples in future!”

After speaking without paying attention to anyone, he departed.

These twenty people were all looking at each other, not knowing what to do, all of them, except Yang Chen, who was standing at his original position. Yang Chen stood at one place calmly, but within his mind, the memories of the events that had taken place in this manor in his past life, were surfacing, bit by bit. In those days, he had just entered Pure Yang Palace and was also brought to this manor and he spent entire three years here.

Yang Chen had almost no impression of these cultivators. But that is quite natural, as every year each sect would find some people who possess spirit roots and receive them as outer disciples. However not every individual who possesses a spirit root would be successful in cultivation, many people are already ruthlessly eliminated at the first stage. In those days, apart from Yang Chen, everyone in his group had been eliminated, thus he didn’t have any memories of them, which was entirely normal.

In all of the commotion around him Yang Chen calmly found a place to sit in the middle of the hall and started waiting. Of the other new disciples, each and everyone was cautious and apprehensive of their new surroundings, let alone sit down, they did not even move from their original place. Compared to Yang Chen, they seemed like a group of children who have not experienced the world.

Soon, a person looking like an old manager appeared in the center of the hall with two healthy servants following behind him. Yang Chen didn’t rise from his seat, as he indeed knew this old manager very well. In his previous life, during these three years, he had lived according to this old manager’s arrangements, so much so, that the old manager did not even need to introduce anything to him.

After the old manager came in, he looked at the group of standing people when he finally saw Yang Chen sitting leisurely. His brows slightly creased, but then immediately smoothed out.

“This old man is called Shangguan Feng and is this Yi Xiu manor’s overall manager, also the one in charge of everyone’s life for the next three years.”

The old manager introduced himself.

“If everyone has any requests in the future, you can directly find this old man.”

“Many thanks, Manager Shangguan for all your troubles!”

Yang Chen who was smiling the entire time while Shangguan Feng was speaking, stood up and cupped his hands, greeting him. Only after he moved did the other people manage to respond, following suit with him, everyone began to express their thanks towards Shangguan Feng. He was the manager in charge of their lives in the future, naturally they could not easily offend him.

Shangguan Feng was extremely overjoyed at this and he immediately took fancy to Yang Chen, who had shown quick wittedness, together with respect towards him. Only, despite being overjoyed in his heart, he could not help but feel somewhat sorry, as the earlier greeting clearly showed him, that Yang Chen could give a hard time to anybody, but with such clever words, why would he insist on completely offending Uncle Master Chu Heng at the time of the disciple selection?

“Henceforth, for three years, everyone will live here in Yi Xiu manor, here, everyone will learn to read and gain enlightenment, observe the geography of the stars, learn to practice pharmacy and distinguish different herbs. After three years, everyone will participate in an official selection to become a genuine outer disciple of my Pure Yang Palace!”

Shangguan Feng spoke directly, precisely informing everyone of their duties in this Yi Xiu manor.

Hearing Shangguan Feng’s words, the bunch of new disciples started discussing between themselves and at last, one courageous disciple carefully asked:

“Manager, could it be that we are still not genuine outer disciples?”

“Ha ha! Just because your body possesses a spirit root, you think you have the qualifications to become a genuine outer disciple? It is still out of question for you to become a disciple.”

Shangguan Feng gently chuckled and explained to everyone:

“These three years are for everyone to build good a foundation and to select a proper cultivation path. At least in three years time everyone has to reach the qi gathering layer and only them will everyone have the required talent to become a genuine disciple.”

Even if their body possessed a spirit root it was still unlikely for everyone to receive a good education, like Yang Chen, who had spent the greater part of his childhood in a peasant household, there he could not demand to learn to read and write. Without the knowledge to read letters, how could he successfully read a rare book for immortal cultivation? As for the geography of the stars, practicing pharmacy and distinguishing different herbs, it would build the foundation for concocting pills of immortality in the future. To concoct pills it was necessary to learn to distinguish between different herbs, as well as to be familiar with different materials!

As everyone managed to understand these many things and were no longer asking any questions, in their heart they felt a sense of urgency and concern. Previously they had believed that since their body possessed a spirit root they could immediately join an immortal sect and would rise, but they didn’t anticipate that the body possessing a spirit root was just a required qualification and nothing more. When they heard that for three years not only they would have to build a foundation but also cultivate to the first qi layer, everyone couldn’t help but feel pressured.

“If we haven’t reached that realm at that time?”

Someone asked, nervously.

“My Pure Yang Palace’s techniques should not be easily spread, so if at that time you cannot reach the first qi layer, then you will have to become a servant for your whole life in this Ye Xiu manor!”

Shangguan Feng coldly said, giving a chill to everyone’s mind. Everyone looked towards the two healthy servants behind Shangguan Feng with concerned eyes, as if realizing something.

“You don’t need to look, these two were not been able to cross the barrier ten years ago.” Seemingly aware of their thoughts, Manager Shangguan warned them. Soon after that he instructed everyone:

“It’s already quite late, so after eating you all find a place to settle down and tomorrow morning someone will come to take you to fulfill your responsibilities.”

With the sound of a clap, suddenly twenty healthy servants appeared in the hall, the same as the number of new disciples.

“All of you can choose a servant, he will be responsible for your daily activities.”

Shangguan Feng pointed a finger to the surroundings, allowing everyone to choose.

While everyone was looking at each other in dismay, Manager Shangguan moved towards Yang Chen’s side and said:

“Yang Chen, Uncle Master Chu Heng has said that, since you have already defeated a third qi layer disciple, you are qualified to cultivate third qi layer techniques. Afterwards in Ye Xiu Manor you will be given proper treatment as an outer disciple.”

Yang Chen was gobsmacked, to allow him to enjoy outer disciples status at this time? One should be aware that outer disciples could contest to become inner disciples and formally becoming an apprentice to a master to learn skills, how could Chu Heng have such good intentions?

“I am already an outer disciple?”

Yang Chen asked while creasing his brows, without showing the slightest amount of ecstasy to others.

“You will only get the treatment of outer disciples, that’s all.”

Shangguan Feng laughingly explained. Soon after that he continued directly saying the most crucial point:

“Since you have already defeated a third qi layer disciple, this Ye Xiu Manor does not dare to give you any cultivation direction, you better do your best, alright!”

—————-

Idiom meaning:

When the rabbit dies the fox grieves- having sympathy with a like minded person in distress.

Mountain of daggers and sea of flames- extreme danger.