The Half-Year Pact

The Half-Year Pact

In the hall, everyone's gaze converged on Chen Qiye. He had refined features and deep, black eyes!

Though he carried a faint air of world-weariness, he was definitely not yet twenty!

Such a young Dou Master!

Dressed in white, he stood with his hands behind his back, carrying an otherworldly, detached bearing.

After nodding to Xiao Yan, Chen Qiye turned to the livid Nalan Yanran and said,

"Miss Nalan, do you believe that Yan'er can never surpass you again? Being cast aside by a good-for-nothing would leave you disgraced, wouldn't it?"

Nalan Yanran was first taken aback. Her gaze settled on Chen Qiye, and a trace of wariness appeared in her beautiful eyes.

"What happened just now was sudden. Yanran did not expect Senior Brother to attack so abruptly. I hope Master Chen will forgive him."

Nalan Yanran gave Chen Qiye a slight bow. Hearing her words, Chen Qiye glanced at her. There was a reason Yun Yun had valued Nalan Yanran and raised her as the future Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.

From her razor-sharp words toward Xiao Zhan to her current composure, she possessed none of the temperament one would expect from a fifteen-year-old girl.

Nalan Yanran paused, her beautiful eyes narrowing as she said coldly,

"However, Master Chen's question is meaningless."

"Is that so?" Chen Qiye raised his voice. "I disagree. Yan'er was already a Dou Practitioner at twelve. What were you at twelve? What level was your Dou Qi—seven stages? Or eight?"

Nalan Yanran gave a disdainful laugh. "What a joke. That was only in the past! Even before I joined the Misty Cloud Sect, my talent was not much inferior to Xiao Yan's. Now, I have the resources of the Misty Cloud Sect, my master's careful instruction, and Master Gu He's medicinal pills... Xiao Yan has lost all his talent and become useless. What makes him worthy of surpassing me!"

"Nalan Yanran! Do you really think you're so remarkable?"

Xiao Yan could not help but shout,

"You're right. I truly am useless now. But what if my talent returns?"

"So what if the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect teaches you personally? I have a teacher too! The Misty Cloud Sect may be powerful, but so what? In my eyes, the Misty Cloud Sect is not even worth a single hair on my teacher's head! For Old Master Nalan's sake, I, Xiao Yan, offer you one piece of advice: don't look down on people!"

Xiao Yan's face was cold and stern. His impassioned words stunned everyone in the hall. Who could have expected the usually quiet youth to erupt so suddenly?

Ding! Obtained 5 Master Teacher Points!

"Well said! My, Xiao Zhan's, son should be like this!"

At the head seat, Xiao Zhan's eyes lit up. He slammed both palms heavily onto the table, splashing tea everywhere.

"The Misty Cloud Sect truly is nothing special."

Chen Qiye spoke calmly beside him. "If my disciple, Chen Qiye's disciple, cannot compare to you, then I'll write the name Chen Qiye backward!"

"What did you say?!"

Hearing Chen Qiye's words, Ge Ye and the Misty Cloud Sect youth revealed murderous expressions, their eyes fixed on Chen Qiye like venomous snakes.

Nalan Yanran's face had turned livid from Xiao Yan's "don't look down on people." Then, hearing Chen Qiye belittle the Misty Cloud Sect, rage surged in her heart as she snapped sharply,

"So what if your talent returns? Trash will always be trash! Fine! I, Nalan Yanran, will wait for the day you surpass me again. I will not mention dissolving the engagement today, but three years from now, I will wait for you at the Misty Cloud Sect. If you have the ability, let me see just how far you can rise! If you can defeat me then, I, Nalan Yanran, will serve as your slave or maid for the rest of my life. You can decide everything!"

"Of course, if you are still this useless after three years, then obediently hand over that agreement to dissolve the engagement!"

"No!"

Chen Qiye's expression hardened as he declared loudly.

Everyone was stunned, their gazes shooting toward Chen Qiye!

A thought arose in every Xiao Clan member's heart: Could it be that he was afraid?

Ge Ye and the Misty Cloud Sect youth wore mocking smiles!

The three elders sneered. They had not expected Chen Qiye to lose his nerve at such a crucial moment, and they turned their mocking gazes toward Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan stood frozen, his face full of confusion!

Xiao Xun'er frowned, a trace of puzzlement flashing through her eyes!

"Teacher..."

Xiao Yan stared at Chen Qiye in shock.

As the corners of Nalan Yanran's lips slowly rose and a smile began to appear in her beautiful eyes, Chen Qiye's lazy voice rang out.

"Three years is too long!"

"Half a year at most. Not a day longer!"

As soon as Chen Qiye finished speaking, the entire hall erupted into an uproar. The Xiao Clan members looked at Chen Qiye with mocking amusement.

"Nalan Yanran is already a three-star Dou Practitioner, while Xiao Yan is only at the third stage of Dou Qi!"

"Even if his talent returns, whether he can break through to Dou Practitioner within half a year is uncertain!"

"Haha, after all that talk, it turns out Chen Qiye is helping Nalan Yanran!"

"Half a year? Isn't that sending Xiao Yan to his death at the Misty Cloud Sect?"

Mocking laughter and jeers filled the hall. The Second Elder even slapped his forehead and laughed at Xiao Zhan.

"Xiao Yan found himself quite the teacher!"

The ridicule in his words was undisguised. The moment he finished, uproarious laughter broke out around him.

Xiao Xun'er sat where she was, and seeing Xiao Yan ridiculed by the clan because of Chen Qiye, her delicate brows furrowed.

Xiao Zhan's old face reddened. He felt somewhat distressed, but in the end, he said nothing.

In everyone else's eyes, even three years would make it nearly impossible for Xiao Yan to rise forcefully and surpass Nalan Yanran.

Yet Chen Qiye had shortened that time to half a year. Wasn't he sending Xiao Yan to his death?

"Do you trust your teacher?"

Chen Qiye could not be bothered with the others' opinions and asked Xiao Yan calmly.

Xiao Yan nodded heavily and declared firmly, "Nalan Yanran, half a year from now, we will battle at the Misty Cloud Sect. I will defeat you, then cast you aside!"

What?!

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the entire hall erupted!

Everyone looked at Xiao Yan as though he were insane. He had actually agreed? Where did he get such confidence?

Nalan Yanran's heart surged with excitement as her gaze swept over Chen Qiye. So what if he was mysterious?

In half a year, even the most gifted youth could not possibly advance from the third stage of Dou Qi to a three-star Dou Practitioner. Besides, Nalan Yanran would not remain stagnant. In half a year, she was confident she could challenge the five-star Dou Practitioner realm, perhaps even the six-star Dou Practitioner realm!

"Fine. I will wait for you at the Misty Cloud Sect."

A curve formed at Nalan Yanran's lips as she replied calmly. Turning toward Ge Ye, she said, "Elder Ge Ye, let's go!"

Ge Ye nodded. His gaze swept over Chen Qiye before turning to Xiao Zhan. "Clan Head Xiao, three elders, farewell!"

As soon as he spoke, Ge Ye did not linger. He waved his hand and was about to leave when—

"Wait! Take your Qi Gathering Powder with you too. You dare offer such trash pills to my disciple?"

Chen Qiye spoke again. With a wave of his hand, Dou Qi lashed out and swept the jade box left on the table toward Ge Ye.

The three elders and the Xiao Clan members immediately darkened!

Ge Ye reached back with one hand and steadily caught the jade box. Frowning slightly, he said,

"Chen Qiye, you have humiliated my Misty Cloud Sect again and again. Do you truly think we are afraid of you?"