Zhang Yu currently only has the cultivation Cultivation of the Late Feathered Realm. Within the range of the Soul Refining Sect Grand Formation, he is fearless against Heavenly Immortal thanks to his Soul Snatching Chain and the Exterminating Immortal Sword Fragment.
But once he left the Soul Refining Sect, he was like a rootless duckweed, his strength greatly diminished.
Moreover, he is now most likely wanted by the Confucianism school, and with the Sword Sect as his mortal enemy, who knows what kind of methods those Old Monsters who have cultivated to the Heavenly Immortal realm possess?
There is also a Rebellious Dao Seed Vessel, whose true strength is unknown, that is secretly lurking and "stealing the power of the Heavenly Dao"...
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had to improve his strength as soon as possible, and more importantly, he had to firmly grasp the Soul Refining Sect as his "foundation" and never leave it easily.
So, after receiving the warrant, he summoned Qing Mu and, under Aoki's guidance, went to the area where the Servant Disciple gathered, intending to take care of Wu Siyuan's matter first.
Tiantian, she followed him closely, clutching his clothes tightly, her Lapis Lazuli Eyes curiously surveying their surroundings.
Watching the two inseparable figures, Zhang Lingyun gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and turned to fly towards Skull Peak.
--
The Outer Sect gathering place.
After yesterday's chaos, the sect has arranged for manpower to restore order, and order is gradually being restored.
"Wu Siyuan, what are you waiting for, still lingering here?"
Elder Wang, who was in charge of managing the Servant Disciple, looked at Wu Siyuan, who was still pacing back and forth, and said impatiently:
"You don't really think that the Young Master of Crimson Flame Peak will help you get into the Outer Sect, do you?"
The story of Wu Siyuan "bribing" Zhang Yu had already spread among the Servant Disciple and become a laughing stock.
"What a pipe dream! You think you can enter the Outer Sect with just forty Spirit Stone?"
"I think Zhang Yu has long forgotten about him. Giving away forty Spirit Stone for nothing is incredibly stupid!"
"He brought this on himself; not only will he be barred from entering the Outer Sect, but he's also lost his entire fortune!"
The mocking remarks and gossip pierced Wu Siyuan's heart like needles.
His face was ashen, and the last glimmer of hope in his eyes gradually faded.
He knew the "market price" of the Outer Sect spot and understood that his few Spirit Stone were simply not enough.
But he was unwilling to give up, so he was willing to gamble his entire fortune for that last glimmer of hope.
But clearly—he lost his gamble.
"Never mind..."
Wu Siyuan sighed deeply, and amidst the mocking gazes of the crowd, silently packed his meager belongings, preparing to leave this place he had struggled for decades to reach, yet ultimately had no chance to be.
He suddenly stopped halfway there.
Ahead, a slender figure stood quietly; it was none other than his childhood sweetheart and Fiancée, Chu Sisi.
To be precise, she was his ex -Fiancée.
She is now in the Mid Feathered Realm and has become Outer Disciple of Hu Lanfeng.
The two entered the sect together back then, Wu Siyuan's talent was no less than hers.
However, because of Chu Sisi, he offended one of Hu Lanfeng's Outer Disciple and was severely injured.
As a result, his meridians were damaged, his Cultivation stagnated, and he was unable to break through to the Feather Transformation stage and join the Outer Sect for a long time.
However, Chu Sisi quickly distanced herself from him after the incident and turned to the embrace of that Outer Disciple.
"Elder Brother Wu."
Chu Sisi gazed at Wu Siyuan's aged and dejected figure, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
But she quickly regained her composure, her tone gentle, yet every word was like a knife:
"We've known each other for a while now, so I've come... to see you off."
"I don't need your pretense!"
Wu Siyuan suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Actually, being an ordinary person is pretty good too."
Chu Sisi smiled slightly, her tone "sincere":
I know you hate me, but people always want to climb higher.
Our fate has run its course, why cling to it?
Beside her, a man dressed in the robes of inner disciple slowly stepped forward; it was none other than Chen Junlin, who had severely injured Wu Siyuan years ago.
He glanced indifferently at Wu Siyuan and sneered:
"Wu Siyuan, it seems the lesson I taught you back then wasn't lenient enough."
Sisi kindly gave it to you, but you don't appreciate it at all.
He raised his hand, and a pressure from the Heaven Ascension Realm suddenly pressed down on Wu Siyuan!
"Then I'll make you crawl out!"
"Thump--!"
Wu Siyuan was only at the Great Grandmaster Peak; how could he withstand this oppressive force?
His knees buckled on the spot, and he collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, his face ashen white.
The surrounding disciples quickly stepped back, none daring to approach, their eyes filled with either pity or schadenfreude.
Chen Junlin looked down at him, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Waste should act like waste."
Get out of here, and stop defiling the Soul Refining Sect's grounds—"
"You--!!"
Wu Siyuan's eyes were bloodshot, and his anger was about to explode.
However, the vast difference in strength meant that he couldn't even stand up when facing Chen Junlin, who had already reached the Heaven Ascension Realm, let alone put up a fight.
"Hahaha--!"
Chen Junlin laughed loudly, his eyes filled with mockery and glee.
"I love seeing your stubborn, yet helpless, pathetic self!"
He crouched down, leaned close to Wu Siyuan's ear, and spoke in a low voice, each word like a poisonous needle:
Do you still remember thirty years ago, when you were lying on the ground, yelling at me about 'Don't underestimate a young man's potential' and 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river'?
Thirty years have passed since then.
He slowly rose, brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes, and spoke with the utter contempt of someone looking at an ant:
"Aren't you still a piece of trash?"
"Senior Brother is right."
Chu Sisi nestled obediently beside Chen Junlin, her gaze towards Wu Siyuan devoid of any former affection, filled only with cold indifference and a hint of faint relief.
"Luckily, I was wise enough to cut ties with him early on, otherwise... I'm afraid I'd be making a fool of myself with him now."
"Haha, it's funny to remember how indignant you were when you said 'Don't underestimate a young man's potential'!"
Chen Junlin continued his ridicule, without any restraint:
"Now that thirty years have passed, why don't you say 'Don't Bully the Elderly Poor' again?"
"Maybe in another thirty years, you'll be able to break through to the Ascension Realm and become an Outer Disciple?"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Many disciples around also burst into laughter, and some even chimed in, flattering this inner disciple Hu Lanfeng:
"Senior Brother Chen is right, a piece of trash is a piece of trash, even if you give him three hundred years, he'll never turn things around!"
"Wu Siyuan, just accept your fate and get out of the Soul Refining Sect. Stop making a fool of yourself here!"
"Senior Sister Chu was so wise to dump you back then!"
Laughter and mockery overwhelmed Wu Siyuan like a tidal wave.
"Actually, killing you is as easy for me as killing an ant."
Do you know why I haven't killed you all these years?
Chen Junlin crouched down to meet Wu Siyuan's gaze, a cruel smile playing on his lips like a cat toying with a mouse.
"I just want you to live—to see how useless you are, to see how ridiculous and naive your so-called 'don't underestimate a young person' is!"
"I want you to live every day in regret and helplessness, so you will know clearly—"
He slowly rose, looking down at them, his voice as cold as a knife:
"From the moment you offended me, your life, Wu Siyuan, was destined to be a joke!"
Wu Siyuan stared intently at the enemy who had destroyed his meridians and severed his Dao Path, his eyes bloodshot.
His fingernails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood, but the surging hatred and humiliation in his chest could only turn into a hoarse growl; he couldn't even utter a complete rebuttal.
Strength.
Faced with absolute power, all anger and resentment are nothing but a joke.
He closed his eyes, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.
Just then, several figures slowly descended into the servants' quarters.