Fang Yu: Yellow Maple Valley's Number One Qi Refinement Cultivator (Seeking Follow-Up Reads, Tips, Monthly Votes, Recommendation Votes)

On the plaza outside the council hall, the Murong brothers stood on either side of Nie Ying like protectors, their eyes fixed on the motionless council hall. Their chubby little faces were full of worry.

"Senior Sister, Senior Brother Fang will be all right, won't he?"

The eldest Murong brother could not help asking again.

"All right. As long as Master is there, nothing will happen to Senior Brother Fang. But after this matter is over, you must focus on your cultivation. Unless you reach the twelfth or thirteenth level of Qi Refinement, you are not allowed to leave seclusion again, much less stir up trouble."

"This time, Senior Brother Fang stood up for you two and helped untie the knots in your hearts. You must not let his good intentions go to waste."

Nie Ying, whose exquisite jade-like face was likewise filled with concern, sighed softly. She reached out with her jade-white hands to rub their little heads and gave them this warning.

"Got it, Senior Sister Nie Ying."

The Murong brothers answered in unison, but the worry on their little faces did not fade much. Their eyes remained fixed on the council hall.

At this moment, the people in the plaza were also watching the council hall, waiting for the outcome of the punishment for Fang Yu, the foremost genius.

Cultivation was quite a tedious affair to begin with, especially for Qi Refinement cultivators whose temperaments had yet to settle.

Now that there was finally some excitement to watch, anyone whose tasks were not urgent came hurrying over after receiving word.

This spectacle was truly no small matter for Yellow Maple Valley. It involved four disciples with variant spiritual roots in one breath, every one of whom possessed the potential to form a core!

Naturally, it drew countless eyes. Yellow Maple Valley had nearly ten thousand Qi Refinement disciples. Even if only a tenth—or perhaps a fifteenth or so—had come, there were still seven or eight hundred, perhaps over a thousand people. What was more, disciples continued streaming in to watch the excitement.

Thus, the plaza before the council hall was a vast sea of people, buzzing with discussion as they all speculated how Sect Leader Zhong and the many stewards would deal with Fang Yu.

Though there was a reason behind it, "Senior Brother Lu" had nearly lost his life. It was enough to make people's hearts tremble and send chills down their spines. They felt deep awe, even fear, toward Fang Yu, Yellow Maple Valley's number one, and secretly swore never to provoke him in the slightest.

At the same time, they compared Fang Yu to Yellow Maple Valley's long-established disciples at the peak of the thirteenth level of Qi Refinement. In the end, they concluded that when facing Fang Yu's elementary high-grade spell, Heavenly Radiance Divine Thunder,

even a top-grade magic artifact probably would not be able to withstand it. On top of that, Fang Yu surely possessed top-grade magic artifacts, and as a talisman master, he certainly did not lack talismans.

Thus, little by little, everyone began calling Fang Yu—who had only just advanced to the thirteenth level of Qi Refinement—the number one person beneath Yellow Maple Valley's Foundation Establishment Realm disciples.

Meanwhile, Fang Yu was still inside the council hall awaiting the result of his punishment, completely unaware that he had already become the number one among Yellow Maple Valley's Qi Refinement disciples.

"Big Brother, do you think Senior Brother Fang will be punished?"

At the edge of the plaza stood a man and a woman. The man was a middle-aged scholar in his thirties or forties, with refined and easygoing features that inspired goodwill at first glance.

The woman was a lovely young lady from a modest household, gentle and sweet, yet bright and beautiful.

This man and woman were Chen Qiaoqian, the youngest daughter of the Chen Family—one of Yellow Maple Valley's three great families—and the Chen Family's eldest son.

The Chen Family had also wished to bring Chen Qiaoqian and Fang Yu together, but Fang Yu had almost never left seclusion or stepped out of his cave residence, leaving the Chen Family rather helpless.

As for Lei Wanhe, he was even more like a divine dragon whose head could be seen but whose tail remained hidden. In recent years, he had hardly cultivated at Yellow Maple Valley at all.

Chen Qiaoqian had once exchanged blows with Fang Yu at the Ascension Conference. Though it had not been love at first sight, she had formed quite a favorable impression of him. Thus, she had not objected when the Chen Family sought to match them together.

Yet she had not seen Fang Yu even once since then, which left her deeply helpless.

However, she had also used this as an excuse to refuse other proposals from the family elders, allowing her to cultivate in peace.

Therefore, she still held considerable goodwill toward Fang Yu, and naturally worried that he might receive some severe punishment.

Though there was a reason behind the matter, and "Senior Brother Lu" was not much of a person either, he was still a disciple with a wind-attributed variant spiritual root. His status, potential, and identity were far beyond those of ordinary disciples.

But Fang Yu was the same.

"Little Sister, there is no need to worry. The sect leader has always been fair and impartial. He certainly will not punish Senior Brother Fang too harshly. Besides, Patriarch Lei is here as well."

Hearing this, the Chen Family's eldest son comforted her warmly.

"When Senior Brother Fang comes out, go meet him. It has been so long since the Ascension Conference. You probably have not seen Senior Brother Fang since then. This is the perfect opportunity."

"Mm!"

At those words, Chen Qiaoqian's heart trembled. For some reason, she grew nervous, and her rosy cheeks faintly flushed with a touch of shyness. Expectation also rose in her beautiful eyes.

Suddenly, before Nie Ying, Chen Qiaoqian, and the others in the plaza had waited long, a figure strode out of the council hall. It was Fang Yu.

Looking at the crowd gathered in the plaza to watch the excitement, Fang Yu laughed heartily.

"Thank you, junior brothers and sisters, for coming to show your concern. Everything is fine now. This senior brother will not see each of you off one by one."

As soon as he finished speaking, the many Yellow Maple Valley disciples in the plaza cupped their hands in greeting. Then, as though by prior agreement, they took out green-leaf magic artifacts, other magic artifacts, or talismans and departed from the plaza.

In the brief span of a cup of tea, only a scant few people remained in the plaza.

There was no need to mention Nie Ying and the Murong brothers, whose faces bore relieved smiles. Yet the other few people left Fang Yu rather surprised.

"Senior Brother Wu Feng, why are you here as well? Are there no junior brothers or sisters seeking your guidance in spells today?"

Fang Yu walked into the plaza, his gaze falling upon a blue-robed disciple in his thirties as he smiled.

"I heard that something had happened to Senior Brother Fang, so I came to take a look. Since Senior Brother is unharmed, I will take my leave first."

Hearing this, Wu Feng, the blue-robed disciple responsible for teaching and guiding Yellow Maple Valley disciples in cultivation, explained.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I am fine now. When I have time, I may have to trouble Senior Brother and seek your guidance regarding some doubts in spellcasting."

Fang Yu cupped his hands in thanks.

"I would not dare call it guidance. Senior Brother's attainments in spells have already surpassed mine."

Wu Feng shook his head repeatedly. He could only use elementary mid-grade spells at most, whereas Fang Yu could cast elementary high-grade spells. The gap was far too great.

"Still, could Senior Brother tell me how the sect leader dealt with you?"

Wu Feng asked the question that everyone remaining in the plaza wished to know.

"It was nothing. They merely deducted one year's worth of my spirit stones. It does not amount to much, really. After all, Junior Brother Lu even lost his storage pouch to me."

Fang Yu chuckled and patted the storage pouch at his waist, which was stained with specks of blood.

Before Sect Leader Zhong had brought him into the council hall, he had already taken "Senior Brother Lu's" storage pouch and the Azure Flood Dragon Banner, under the noble pretext of keeping them safe on his behalf.

"I see. Then I can rest easy. Farewell."

Seeing this, Wu Feng smiled. Nie Ying and the others also let out sighs of relief.