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Ye An was flipping through the book of Qi Condensation Miscellany in the room when he heard footsteps and looked up to see Zhou Zhong standing at the door.
Before Ye An could even greet him, Zhou Zhong spoke first.
"Junior Brother Ye, Azure Dragon Hall..."
Zhou Zhong recounted the events at the Martial Practice Ground, from the first disciple's attack to Qi Yue's defeat, even relaying Sun Hong's last words verbatim.
After he finished speaking, he didn't say, "Junior Brother Ye, you should go and have a match with that Sun Hong, otherwise people will think you're easy to bully." He just waited for Ye An to process what he had to say.
After listening, Ye An closed his notebook and placed it on the corner of the table. "Thank you for informing me, Chief Disciple Brother. I understand now."
Ye An could tell that Zhou Zhong didn't intend to force him to go out and compete, but rather wanted to remind him that someone was targeting Black Tortoise Hall and him.
Zhou Zhong looked into Ye An eyes, seeing no sign of panic, and made no attempt to get up to find Sun Hong.
Zhou Zhong didn't say anything more. He understood that Ye An was a sensible person and already knew what he meant.
Ye An reopened the Qi Condensation Miscellany. Right now, the most urgent task was to improve his cultivation level. As for his reputation, he could let it be.
Sun Hong's comment mocked him as a "turtle," trying to force him to compete with him.
Sun Hong had never had any interaction with him before, so he guessed it was Song Qinglin who had instigated it. And Song Qinglin was a true Qi Condensation Realm, which was his real enemy.
The news of Sun Hong bringing people to the Black Tortoise Hall for a "sparring match" spread throughout the Four Symbols Sect for three days.
It wasn't that the event itself was particularly sensational, but rather that Sun Hong's words before leaving spread too quickly; after all, everyone loves to hear this kind of gossip.
"Junior Brother Ye An has grasped the True Intention 'Black Tortoise' ahead of schedule."
The story got more and more outrageous as it spread, until it became. "Ye An from the Black Tortoise Hall, Inner Sect Grand Competition, was blocked at the door and beaten up by the Azure Dragon Hall, and didn't dare to come out."
Rumors, the more they spread, the more outrageous they become, but no one bothers to trace their origins; they only remember the outcome.
As the disciples of the Black Tortoise Hall walked along the road, they could occasionally feel the gazes from the side. Those gazes were not malicious; they were mostly filled with curiosity, wondering if the rumors were true.
Ye An offered no explanation.
During this period, the third level of the Meridian Opening Formula has been pushed from 80 to 130.
He hasn't touched the Blood Essence Crystal yet, and the Heart-Cleansing Pill is still untouched. He plans to push the Meridian Opening Formula to level 200 before considering absorbing the Blood Essence Crystal.
The news of Sun Hong bringing people to the Black Tortoise Hall for a "sparring match" spread throughout the Four Symbols Sect for three days.
Rumors become increasingly outlandish the further they travel, but no one bothers to trace their origins; they only remember the outcome.
On the afternoon of the third day, Lu Xingzhou and Shen Qing arrived.
The two stood at the door of Ye An's residence. Lu Xingzhou was holding a porcelain bottle in his hand. When he saw Ye An open the door, he looked Ye An up and down before he could even speak. He only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Ye An was standing there completely unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
He then put the porcelain bottle back into his pocket, his movements as natural as if he hadn't taken anything out at all. "It's good that you're alright. I exchanged this Foundation Stabilizing Pill with my Contribution Point. Since Brother Ye seems to be fine, I'll keep it for myself."
Lu Xingzhou understood that Ye An wouldn't care about such details.
"Alright, I appreciate your kindness." Ye An understood that Lu Xingzhou was just that kind of guy. Although he had taken the healing pills back, if Ye An were really injured, Lu Xingzhou wouldn't be stingy when it came to using the Foundation Stabilizing Pill.
Shen Qing rolled her eyes at Lu Xingzhou, then turned to Ye An to make sure he was alright. "We've heard the rumors outside, so we came to check if you're okay. If you need our help, just say the word; we're all friends."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingzhou immediately chimed in, "Yes, Brother Ye, wait for me for two years... no, one year. By then, I'll sign up for the Inner Sect Grand Competition and get into the top ten. Then, the two of us can roam the Four Halls together, becoming those carefree twin stars."
Shen Qing slapped it. "Come on, what a waste of three hundred Contribution Point."
Just as Lu Xingzhou was about to retort, Ye An smiled. The fact that the two of them had come to see him already made them rare friends to him.
The three then discussed cultivation. Ye An briefly pointed out a few key techniques for the Meridian Opening Realm, without going into lengthy explanations, simply reminding them of the crucial points to pay attention to.
Lu Xingzhou listened thoughtfully, but Shen Qing didn't say anything more. He just gave Ye An a deep look, his expression the same as before.
When will it happen? Just like when I participated in the Inner Sect Grand Competition, completely calm and composed.
Azure Dragon Hall.
Qin Zhengyang, the Azure Dragon Hall, did not comment on the matter.
Conflicts between disciples are nothing new in the Four Symbols Sect. Sun Hong's visit to the Black Tortoise Hall was ultimately just a friction between disciples who had reached the Meridian Opening Level, and it did not escalate to the level of the hall itself, so he did not need to intervene.
As for the clashes between disciples, the key lies with the Black Tortoise Hall. After all, the Black Tortoise Hall has been around for so many years that almost no one can hold their own anymore. Hopefully, someone can stand up and bear this humiliation this time.
Otherwise, the Black Tortoise Hall would truly exist in name only.
Inside the White Tiger Hall, Han Feng sat in the center, facing Shen Jingfeng, the Chief Disciple the White Tiger Hall.
Han Feng asked, "Have you heard about the Black Tortoise Hall incident that's been making headlines lately?"
Shen Jingfeng nodded.
Han Feng then asked, "What do you think?"
Shen Jingfeng thought for a moment, then said objectively without any ambiguity, "If we're not as skilled, there's nothing to say. That's how competition among martial artists has always been; the weak get beaten. If the Black Tortoise Hall can't hold on, they'll have to accept losing resources to the Azure Dragon Hall. Unless they can produce a true genius to replace Zhou Zhong and rebuild the Black Tortoise Hall's reputation, they'll really be stuck like tortoises."
After listening, Han Feng felt there were no problems, and then reminded him, "You're right, your next target is the Chief Disciple of the Four Symbols Sect. The biggest obstacle is Jiang Tingxue. I heard that her Vermilion Bird Heaven-Burning Finger advanced another step. You need to be more cautious."
Shen Jingfeng glanced at the sharp sword in his hand. He admitted that Jiang Tingxue had some talent, but what was he lacking?
"This disciple understands."
Han Feng didn't continue, waving his hand. "Alright, go cultivate."
Vermilion Bird Hall.
Jiang Tingxue stood in front of Zhu Qingli and recounted several recent events in Cangwu Prefecture: a Commandant the Demon Suppressing Guard killed a Sub-Altar Deputy Leader the Heaven Overturning Cult's branch, severely damaging the Heaven Overturning Cult Sect's influence in Cangwu.
Zhu Qingli nodded. "Good thing."
"Is there anything else going on lately?"
Jiang Tingxue thought for a moment, then added, "There's another matter. A conflict broke out between the disciples of the Azure Dragon Hall and the Black Tortoise Hall Meridian Opening, and it escalated quite a bit. I heard that the Azure Dragon Hall was shouting at a newly enrolled disciple in the Black Tortoise Hall named Ye An, who was the one who came in third in this year's Inner Sect Grand Competition. Although the Azure Dragon Hall was verbally sarcastic, thankfully there were no injuries. And Ye An hasn't made any moves, claiming to be in seclusion."
Zhu Qingli's hand rested on the back of the chair. She was familiar with this name; back then, she had chosen Tian Xiaoshan over Ye An.
It hasn't been long, and I've already heard the name Ye An again.
"Knew."
Zhu Qingli didn't ask any further questions, Jiang Tingxue left, as if the conversation had never happened.