Azure Dragon Hall's Provocation
It was already dark when Ye An returned to the Four Symbols Sect.
He didn't go anywhere else, but went straight back to his residence at the Black Tortoise Hall.
He placed the Blood Essence Crystal and the Heart-Cleansing Pill on the corner of the table, exchanged for a few more bottles of Meridian Opening Pill, and then went to the Scripture Repository to look through a volume of miscellaneous notes about breaking through to the Qi Condensation Realm, preparing to use them during his seclusion.
News of his return spread very quickly, as if someone had been specifically watching him.
The next morning, the people from the Azure Dragon Hall arrived.
Five disciples who had reached the Meridian Opening Refining stage arrived. The leader was a man named Sun Hong, who was at the peak of the Late Meridian Opening and had been in the Azure Dragon Hall for three years.
He stopped at the entrance of the Black Tortoise Hall's Martial Practice Ground, his gaze slowly sweeping over the disciples of the Black Tortoise Hall: "It's been a long time since we've had a friendly sparring match. The Four Halls Grand Competition is just around the corner, and I'd like to see how much progress Black Tortoise Hall has made over the years. I would appreciate any guidance from my fellow disciples in the Black Tortoise Hall."
The disciples of the Black Tortoise Hall stood on the other side of the Martial Practice Ground, and no one responded.
They knew they weren't there to compete, but to challenge the competition.
But the people from the Azure Dragon Hall have already made their point so clear: not accepting means being a coward, accepting means losing.
The first to lose his temper was a disciple surnamed Li, who Mid-Meridian Opening and had the most straightforward temper; he stepped forward directly.
He walked to the center of the Martial Practice Ground and stood still.
Sun Hong glanced at him, scoffed dismissively, and said nothing more.
After three moves, the disciple surnamed Li was pushed away, staggering back five or six steps before regaining his footing.
Someone in the Black Tortoise Hall muttered under their breath, "Damn, this is too..." They trailed off, unable to finish their sentence.
Someone from the Azure Dragon Hall chuckled, "Next."
The second disciple stepped forward and withstood four moves.
The third one held out for three moves.
Some people in the Black Tortoise Hall looked away from the Martial Practice Ground, while others clenched their fists, but after carefully considering how many moves they could withstand and whether they could win, they fell even deeper into silence.
The people from the Azure Dragon Hall were relaxed. Some stood with their arms crossed, watching a match whose outcome was already known, their mocking tone undisguised, speaking directly to everyone present.
"So these are the disciples of the Black Tortoise Hall? That's about it."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
Sun Hong stopped what he was doing and adopted a relaxed posture. "By the way, I think the top three in this year's Inner Sect Grand Competition entered your Black Tortoise Hall, right? What's his name again... Ye... Ye An? Where is he? Why haven't I seen him come out? Is he hiding because he's afraid?"
"Indeed, it suits your Black Tortoise Hall's name perfectly. It's good that the Black Tortoise 'True Disciple' has been learned by a disciple who has only been in the hall for a year. Keeping it hidden like this means you won't have to come out, don't you think?"
As soon as Sun Hong finished speaking, several disciples from the Azure Dragon Hall burst out laughing from behind. The sound wasn't loud, but it was particularly jarring in the quiet arena.
Someone from the Black Tortoise Hall wanted to retort, but was pulled back by the person next to them.
Just then, a figure walked over from the direction of the Black Tortoise Hall courtyard gate.
He was dressed in a dark gray robe, and was rather thin. His steps were slow but steady.
Someone recognized him. "Senior Brother Qi!"
Qi Yue inner disciple who entered the Four Halls in the same batch as Sun Hong three years ago. At that time, Sun Hong was ranked fourth and he was ranked seventh.
After entering the Four Halls, he chose the Black Tortoise Hall. For three years, he remained stuck at the Late Meridian Opening and failed to break through to the Qi Condensation, but all the disciples in the hall recognized him.
Qi Yue walked to the center of the Martial Practice Ground and looked at Sun Hong.
Sun Hong also looked at him, his lips twitched slightly, and he shook his head. "Qi Yue? You couldn't beat me back then, what's wrong with you now?"
Qi Yue didn't reply. He took off his coat and threw it on the Martial Practice Ground, revealing a worn gray short jacket underneath. He took a few steps forward and stopped, his hands hanging at his sides, palms down. "Why don't you try and see?"
Sun Hong smiled and said, "Alright, let me see how much you've improved in these three years." Before he finished speaking, he moved first.
The first punch came quickly and directly, carrying an overwhelming momentum. The wind from the punch swept across the ground, raising a thin layer of dust.
Qi Yue did not retreat. He took a half step back with his left foot to stabilize himself, and his right palm came up from the side, cutting towards Sun Hong's wrist with the edge of his palm.
The first punch was deflected, grazing Qi Yue's shoulder and missing its mark. Sun Hong didn't stop; the second punch followed immediately, heavier than the first.
Qi Yue sidestepped and slapped Sun Hong's waist with his backhand. Sun Hong blocked the slap with his elbow, and at the same time used the force to spin around, throwing a third punch with even greater force at Qi Yue's chest.
Qi Yue didn't have time to completely dodge. He crossed his palms in front of his chest, and the impact of his fists against his palms produced a muffled sound. Qi Yue took two steps back before regaining his balance. He didn't step forward again. He looked down at his palms, remained silent for a moment, and then withdrew his hands.
Sun Hong withdrew his fist, stood there looking at him, and said, "That's it?"
Qi Yue did not reply, suppressing his emotions.
Three years ago, I couldn't beat them, and now I'm even further behind.
At this moment, no one from the Black Tortoise Hall dared to go up on stage.
As Qi Yue walked past them, someone opened their mouth as if to call out "Senior Brother Qi," but didn't utter a sound, simply because they saw that his hand hanging at his side was still trembling slightly.
A slender disciple muttered, "Even Senior Brother Qi..."
The Black Tortoise Hall fell completely silent; even the whispered curses ceased. After Qi Yue's defeat, it was as if the last rope had snapped, and no one stepped forward.
"I thought Black Tortoise Hall shared 20% of the resources with us, so we were all about the same. I didn't expect it to be like this..."
The people from the Azure Dragon Hall prepared to leave.
Sun Hong walked at the front, paused when he was almost at the door, turned around, and glanced over the Black Tortoise Hall. His figure was the only sound in the quiet Martial Practice Ground.
"This exchange has truly broadened Mr. Sun's horizons; I hope to see something different next time."
He smiled, the curve of his lips not wide, but that smile was more unpleasant than his earlier loud mockery.
"Of course, you can also learn from Junior Brother Ye An. I, Sun, have yet to comprehend the Azure Dragon Intent, but Junior Brother Ye has taken the lead and comprehended the 'Black Tortoise True Intent' ahead of me. It's truly a pity."
Sun Hong shook his head insincerely, as if he were genuinely regretting his actions, then turned and stepped over the threshold, leaving with the Azure Dragon Hall members.
Laughter drifted in from the doorway, intermittent, each sound landing solidly on the Martial Practice Ground.
Zhou Zhong was inside the hall at the time and did not go to the Martial Practice Ground.
As a Qi Condensation disciple, if he were to participate in this contest between cultivators who have opened their Meridian Opening, it would be tantamount to bullying the weak.
Even if they defeat Sun Hong, people will only say that Black Tortoise Hall is a sore loser.
After hearing the message, he sat for a while, then got up to go find Ye An.
It wasn't about having Ye An appear, but rather about telling him this.
He didn't think Ye An should stand up, nor did he think Ye An was wrong even if he didn't take action, but he felt Ye An should know that someone was using his name as a weapon.