Affection

"That's the one!"

As one of the top ten Inner Disciples this time, Li Ye could choose one Combat Technique or Movement Technique from the Martial Arts Pavilion and take it away.

"Although I can copy every Combat Technique and Movement Technique here, walking out empty-handed would definitely arouse suspicion."

With that thought, he directly took the Sword Control Technique into his hands. He glanced toward the entrance to the third floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion and vaguely sensed a powerful aura barring the way.

"Black Tier Combat Technique!"

This was an open secret. The third floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion should contain higher-grade Black Tier Combat Techniques or Movement Techniques. Unfortunately, no one in the entire Lineage—not even the elders—could enter the third floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion! Only the patriarch and the Grand Elder could come and go freely!

Now that Li Kainian had left the Li Family and vanished, only the Grand Elder remained who could enter the Third Layer.

As Li Ye left the Martial Arts Pavilion, he saw that old man again.

"Senior!"

His instincts told him that the old man before him was anything but ordinary, so Li Ye was extremely respectful. No matter what, an old man who could freely enter and leave the Martial Arts Pavilion surely possessed an extraordinary status.

"Which one did you choose?"

The old man nodded. Then, his clouded gaze gave Li Ye the illusion that his thoughts had been seen through.

"This one!"

Li Ye did not conceal anything. He took out the Sword Control Technique and handed it to the old man.

"Sword Control Technique?!" At that moment, the old man erupted with a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble. Though it vanished in an instant, Li Ye had clearly felt it!

"As expected, he's an expert hidden within the Lineage!"

"Are you certain you wish to choose this Sword Control Technique?"

"This junior is certain!"

What a joke. Though this Sword Control Technique had no grade, once mastered, it could kill from a thousand miles away and even allow one to ride a sword through the air! It was simply more monstrous than a Black Tier cultivation method!

Moreover, the Blood Clan was born with extraordinary spiritual power, making them perfectly suited to cultivate this Sword Control Technique.

"Kid, the movement art you used when going upstairs earlier should have been the Lost Track Step. Though it is still somewhat crude and immature, reaching this point with your cultivation is truly no easy feat. This Sword Control Technique has been in the Lineage for several hundred years. You are not the first young man to choose it in the hope of taking a gamble, but history has shown everyone else that those people regretted it for the rest of their lives! With your comprehension and talent in combat techniques, you would be better off choosing a Yellow Tier High-Grade combat technique. The Lost Track Step is enough to keep you occupied for a long time. Instead, you should carefully consider your choice of combat technique!"

The old man's words filled Li Ye with solemn respect!

Ever since entering this Lineage, aside from the father and son pair Li Hou Nian and Li Yuan Jia, everyone had regarded him with hostility! Yet this old man earnestly tried to persuade him and even offered advice based on his circumstances. No matter who the old man was, Li Ye could hear the sincerity in his words.

Unfortunately, Li Ye still shook his head. "Senior, this junior greatly yearns for this Sword Control Technique. As for Combat Techniques, this junior has already cultivated the Frost Fist and Gale Legs."

The old man looked at Li Ye with some surprise, but still gave one final warning. "Even so, this Sword Control Technique is far too elusive. It is not something an ordinary person can cultivate. Have you truly thought it through?"

"Yes!"

The old man no longer tried to stop him. He merely shook his head slightly, then turned away and ignored Li Ye.

After taking one deep look at the old man, Li Ye walked out of the Martial Arts Pavilion. The moment he emerged, he saw the two elders who had blocked him earlier. Their faces were ashen, and there was even bruising at the corners of their mouths, as though they had suffered serious injuries.

When they saw Li Ye come out, repeated flashes of cold light erupted in their eyes. Yet they did not attack again. After giving him a frosty glance, they no longer paid him any attention.

"What happened?"

Just then, Li Ye saw Li Yuan Jia about to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion and asked in a low voice.

"These two old bastards were taught a lesson by Father after you went in."

"So that's what happened!"

Li Ye smiled faintly and nodded. After interacting with Li Hou Nian several times, Li Ye had realized that the man was cold on the outside but warm within, especially when it came to protecting his own! This was plain to see from how fiercely he defended Li Ye, his own nephew.

Still, Li Ye also felt intense curiosity toward this uncle of his. Rumor had it that Li Hou Nian had left home to travel for many years. That was also why no one had cared when Li Ye was driven from the family back then; otherwise, things would never have turned out that way.

Everyone was largely unfamiliar with this Fourth Elder of the Lineage. No one knew what realm he had reached.

Now, seeing that two Martial Dao Masters who were at least at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm had been so thoroughly dealt with by Li Hou Nian, yet dared to be angry without daring to speak, Li Ye suddenly understood.

"Looks like my Fourth Uncle isn't weak at all! At the very least, he's an expert at the level of a Martial Dao Grandmaster!"

Thinking of this, he could not help but breathe a slight sigh of relief. In the short time since he had entered the Lineage, danger had lurked on every side! He knew very well that Li Huangran's relentless targeting of him was not Li Huangran's decision alone. Others were directing matters from behind the scenes! If he were truly alone, he would have to tread on thin ice with every step. One careless mistake, and he would be left without even bones to bury!

"Now that Fourth Uncle has appeared, at least these people will have to show some restraint."

Martial Dao Grandmasters were rare even within the Lineage! Across all of Wuzhou City, they were tyrannical powerhouses who could run rampant!

After bidding Li Yuan Jia farewell, Li Ye returned to his residence. Now that he had fought his way into the top ten Inner Disciples, he had been assigned a small courtyard of his own within the Lineage.

"As expected, Inner Disciples truly have different status."

Though it was only an independent little courtyard, it was enough to reveal the difference in treatment! Outer Disciples had to squeeze four or five people into a single room! Among Inner Disciples, the bottom twenty each had their own rooms, while the top ten received individual courtyards! The higher one ranked, the larger the courtyard!

"If you rank among the top three Inner Disciples, you even get servants and maids to wait on you."

Li Ye did not resent this system of ranked treatment. On the contrary, he deeply approved of it. If a Lineage—or even a sect—wanted to endure and prosper over the long term, generation after generation of experts had to emerge. Such a system clearly stimulated the competitive spirit of the disciples below.

Though this courtyard was not large, it was far better than the dilapidated courtyard Li Ye had previously lived in within Wuzhou City. Before long, Li Ye returned to that old courtyard and found Aunt Yun, intending to have her move with him.

Unfortunately, Aunt Yun shook her head. "You child, I've lived here for so many years that I'm used to it. I won't be going over there. As long as you come back from time to time to visit Aunt Yun, Aunt Yun will be satisfied."

After failing to persuade her several times, Li Ye stopped forcing the issue. In truth, he was conflicted as well. On one side was Aunt Yun, who had cared for him for many years; on the other, the Li Family was fraught with danger at every turn, and he was unsure whether danger would come for him. Seeing Aunt Yun insist, he nodded. "All right, Aunt Yun. I'll come back to see you whenever I can."

After leaving behind some gold coins, Li Ye returned to the Li Family.

However, by then, a guest was already waiting for him in his small courtyard.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw a graceful figure from behind, standing there absentmindedly, apparently lost in thought.

Perhaps the sound of the door startled her awake. She immediately turned around, and a peerlessly beautiful face came into view. Upon seeing who it was, Li Ye froze slightly before breaking into a smile, though a rather peculiar feeling stirred in his heart.

"Brother Li Ye, don't you recognize Yating anymore?"

It was a familiar voice, along with a trace of a familiar scent. Yet compared with the former immaturity, it now carried the sweet fragrance unique to a young girl.

Li Yating, the genius the Lineage had placed great hopes upon! Three years ago, she had been noticed by the Heavenly Profound Sect and entered it! Yet few knew that this favored daughter of heaven, secretly admired by countless outstanding young men of the Lineage, was actually so close in private to a useless cripple.

"You came here to see me. Aren't you afraid those people will hold a grudge against you?"

Though it was merely the result of memories blending after his soul fusion, when Li Ye saw this girl, he felt as if he had truly known her for many years—as though she were a childhood sweetheart and younger sister.

Hearing this, Li Yating smiled gently. It was like a hundred flowers blooming at once, and even Li Ye was slightly dazed.

Seeing his expression, Li Yating gave a sly smile, cast him a lightly reproachful glance, and giggled. "What's there to fear? Those old geezers have been throwing their weight around in the Lineage all these years while your father has been missing. Plenty of people have long been unhappy with them; it's just that few dared to resist. They can't meddle in this young lady's affairs now!"

Powerful confidence radiated from Li Yating.

"Looks like entering the Heavenly Profound Sect has made you much bolder, little girl."

Though he said that aloud, Li Ye had to admit that Li Yating's status was now utterly different from before. Even the few people holding power within the Lineage would not dare do anything to her. They even had to carefully placate her!

After all, before the Heavenly Profound Sect, the Li Family was no more than an insignificant little Lineage.

"Brother Li Ye, I saw the competition earlier." Li Yating lightly bit her red lip. After hesitating slightly, she said softly, "When I returned this time, I originally intended to give this to you. I didn't expect that it would no longer be needed now."

As she spoke, a medicinal pill emitting a rich, refreshing fragrance appeared in her small, fair palm.

"What is this?"

"A Soul-Gathering Pill. Whoever takes it has around a seventy percent chance of condensing a Blood Soul within their body."

Those few simple words made Li Ye's entire body tremble slightly, his breathing grow heavy. Li Yating had put it simply, but how could he fail to understand the affection contained within them!

Soul-Gathering Pill! Just three words, yet they contained so much!

Medicinal pills! On Cloud Soaring Continent, such things were utterly rare! Aside from the very few alchemists, ordinary people could not come into contact with them at all!

At the very least, there was not a single alchemist in all of Wuzhou City! Such figures held even higher status than Innate Realm King Tier experts! Even if the Heavenly Profound Sect could perhaps obtain a medicinal pill with ease, for an ordinary disciple, doing so was undoubtedly harder than ascending to the heavens!

Yet Li Yating said none of this. She simply wanted to give it to him! To a useless cripple whom everyone believed incapable of condensing a Blood Soul!

"Thank you!" Li Ye would never forget this affection for the rest of his life! Even though he had no use for it now!