Sect Internal Competition, First Update

By this time, the distant battle had already been decided. Only five Zhang Family martial artists remained, fleeing for their lives through the forest.

Ye Xiwen's figure flashed as he followed after them.

"Damn it, how did this happen? Those beasts!" The Zhang Family members had only just escaped the Ironback Silver Ape group's pursuit. The Scarface Middle-Aged Man was covered in blood, all of it left behind from his battle with the Ironback Silver Ape King. If they had not retreated decisively, they would likely have been wiped out to the last man.

"Once we get back, we must have the Patriarch gather experts and wipe out those beasts in one fell swoop. Otherwise, this hatred in my heart will never be quelled!" one Zhang Family martial artist said through gritted teeth.

"And that murderer! He killed our two young masters—he is utterly hateful! There was something strange about this matter too. Why were those Ironback Silver Apes blocking our path at precisely that moment?" another martial artist said unwillingly. They had arrived in a mighty procession of dozens, yet only five or six had survived their escape.

"Kill them! Kill them all! Tear them into ten thousand pieces!" the Scarface Middle-Aged Man said, gnashing his teeth.

"I'm afraid you won't have that chance!" A clear voice rang out.

The Zhang Family members looked up and saw a youth of around seventeen or eighteen staring coldly at them.

It was Ye Xiwen!

"It's you! You're the one who killed our young masters!" Among the five survivors were members of the earlier group who recognized Ye Xiwen. "Our Zhang Family will never let you off!"

"You won't have another chance to go back," Ye Xiwen said with a cold laugh.

"Brat, you're courting death!" The Scarface Middle-Aged Man shouted, drawing his saber and chopping toward Ye Xiwen. Blade light flashed, and blade qi bore down on him.

Though he was severely wounded, a Houtian Seventh Stage martial artist was still a Houtian Seventh Stage martial artist. Even badly injured, an ordinary Houtian Sixth Stage martial artist would find it nearly impossible to survive this strike.

Unfortunately, Ye Xiwen was no ordinary Houtian Sixth Stage expert. Even if the Scarface Middle-Aged Man had been at his peak, Ye Xiwen could still have fought him. Much less now, when he was heavily injured.

Clang!

Ye Xiwen instantly drew his saber. Its chilling gleam was so sharp it seemed capable of blinding the eye. He slashed out with New Moon Slash, his fierce blade qi tearing through the air as it came crashing down.

Boom!

The Scarface Middle-Aged Man's blade qi was forcibly shattered by Ye Xiwen's crescent-shaped blade qi. It surged straight down like lightning, carrying within it the essence of Thunderclap Hand. The Scarface Middle-Aged Man had no time to flee.

The Scarface Middle-Aged Man could only stare at Ye Xiwen in horror and cry out, "How can this be? It's New—"

Blade light flashed, and the Scarface Middle-Aged Man was cleaved in half.

Blood sprayed everywhere!

Clearly, the Scarface Middle-Aged Man had recognized the move, but he had not had time to say it aloud.

"What? How is that possible? The steward was actually killed!"

"Didn't the steward possess Houtian Seventh Stage strength? He was hardly inferior to some Core Disciples—how could he be slain with a single slash?"

"What a terrifying blade technique!"

Seeing the Scarface Middle-Aged Man cut down in one stroke, the few remaining Zhang Family members immediately lost all morale. They had only just suffered a crushing defeat, and now even the strongest among them had been killed by Ye Xiwen in a single slash. They were merely at the Houtian Fourth or Fifth Stage. They could no longer summon the will to resist.

The remaining four shouted and scattered in flight, but Ye Xiwen would never let them escape. The Zhang Family was one of the two great powers on Green Peak Mountain. These people had all seen him. If he let them get away, he would face endless trouble, perhaps even the Zhang Family's thunderous retaliation.

Clang! Ye Xiwen gathered all his strength and slashed out.

Blade qi crisscrossed the air, swift as lightning. In a single instant, he unleashed six slashes, and one fleeing Zhang Family martial artist was already separated from head to body!

Without the slightest pause, Ye Xiwen swept his saber sideways. His speed remained incomparably swift, accompanied by faint peals of thunder as the blade cleaved into another martial artist.

With two martial artists slain by Ye Xiwen, the remaining two were unable to escape either, and were ultimately killed by him.

The power of an intermediate Martial Skill was boundless. Although Thunderclap Hand, once fully deduced, was no weaker than some intermediate Martial Skills, Ye Xiwen had to admit that in terms of killing efficiency, New Moon Slash was stronger.

After killing the last remnants of the Zhang Family, Ye Xiwen finally let out a breath of relief. He no longer needed to face the Zhang Family's pursuit. Even if the Zhang Family wished to keep investigating afterward, they would first have to find someone—and know who they were looking for!

Having temporarily shaken off the Zhang Family's entanglement, Ye Xiwen had no intention of returning. He still intended to continue tempering himself here for another half month, because the annual Sect Internal Competition would begin in half a month.

The Sect Internal Competition was a grand event held once every three years within the sect. However, only Outer Gate Disciples and Inner Disciples could participate, and it was divided into an Outer Gate Disciple division and an Inner Disciple division. The top ten Outer Gate Disciples could advance to become Inner Disciples, while only the top five in the Inner Disciple competition could advance to become Core Disciples.

Yi Yuan Sect had several thousand Outer Gate Disciples, while there were only a little over one thousand Inner Disciples, and barely more than one hundred Core Disciples.

If Inner Disciples were the elites of Yi Yuan Sect, then Core Disciples were its seeds—the seeds through which Yi Yuan Sect would grow and prosper. Most of Yi Yuan Sect's upper ranks came from Core Disciples. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, even if all the Outer Gate Disciples and Inner Disciples died, as long as the Core Disciples remained, it would be fine; the sect could still rise again swiftly.

But if half the Core Disciples were lost, Yi Yuan Sect would suffer grievous damage to its vitality.

This showed just how high the status of Core Disciples was within Yi Yuan Sect. Among the three Ye Family siblings, Ye Feng and Ye Ruxue had already become Core Disciples. Only Ye Xiwen was still struggling among the Inner Disciples.

Not everyone could advance to become a Core Disciple. Although experts constantly rose into the ranks of Core Disciples, the vast majority still had no opportunity, because geniuses continually emerged and seized those few positions for advancement. Sometimes, strength alone was not enough; one also needed luck. Upon reaching twenty-five, if one still could not become a Core Disciple, then one either became a steward within Yi Yuan Sect or descended the mountain to seek one's own path.

Once one advanced to become a Core Disciple, the treatment one received would undergo earth-shaking changes compared to before. Though there were only a little over one hundred Core Disciples, they occupied at least half of Yi Yuan Sect's resources.

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