Rewards-Yes, Yes, That Was Exactly What I Had in Mind

When Ye An and his companion bid farewell to Bai Qiushuang.

Bai Qiushuang didn't try to persuade him to stay, only saying, "Come again next time you have better ingredients."

There's a reason he's called the Frost-Hand Alchemist; besides martial arts, alchemy is his greatest pleasure.

Lin Wanyue did not return to the county city with Ye An; the two simply agreed to discuss the details of forging the Mystic-Pattern Cold Iron when they met again.

When Ye An returned to the Cangwu Mountain gate of the Four Symbols Sect, the sky was just right.

Along the way, Ye An could sense that the way the disciples looked at him was different from usual.

The disciples, who had been sitting in small groups chatting, immediately stood up upon seeing Ye An: "Greetings, Senior Brother Ye!"

The two people next to them also realized what was happening and stood up to call out, their tone filled with respect.

Ye An replied. In the past, his junior brother would also greet him, but today was a little different; there was a hint of respect in his tone.

I'm meeting more and more fellow students.

Someone was practicing Martial Arts by the Martial Practice Ground. Looking up and seeing Ye An walk by, they spoke up, "Is that Senior Brother Ye?"

"I heard that he single-handedly stormed the Hanging Sword Sect, overpowered his peers, and defeated Zhao Yuanling!"

Who is Zhao Yuanling?

"The eldest son of the Zhao Family in Xiyun Prefecture is among the top ten Qi Condensation disciples of the Hanging Sword Sect."

"I heard that a guy named Sun Hong from the Azure Dragon Hall provoked Senior Brother Ye. I wonder how he is doing?"

"I don't know, but Sun Hong definitely wouldn't dare to show his face in front of Senior Brother Ye."

Sun Hong, standing in the crowd, watched the figure walking towards Cangwu Mountain, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Fortunately, the other party was magnanimous and forgave me, and I was also caught in a situation where I had no choice in the matter.

The rumors grew increasingly bizarre. Originally, Ye An had only gone to the Hanging Sword Sect to ask the Frost-Hand Alchemist for help in refining the Nine-Turn Rebirth Pill, but unexpectedly, it turned into him storming the Hanging Sword Sect alone...

From the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect, the passing disciples only heard someone call out "Senior Brother Ye".

Whether they knew Ye An or not, they would all chime in.

Ye An remained expressionless; he didn't care much about how the story was spread.

Before Ye An could return to the Black Tortoise Hall, a disciple quickly caught up with him. "Senior Brother Ye! The Sect Leader requests your presence."

The Main Hall of the Sect.

Zhao Xuanji briefly recounted Ye An's affairs at the Hanging Sword Sect, then looked at the four hall masters. "What do you think? Should this disciple be rewarded?"

Qin Zhengyang, the Azure Dragon Hall, remained silent, as the conflict between the disciples of the Black Tortoise and Azure Dragon Halls was the greatest.

As an elder, he neither helped his own disciple nor belittled the Black Tortoise Hall.

For him, Ye An had won some face for the Four Symbols Sect this time, and although he did not express his opinion, the meaning was already "deserves the award".

Upon hearing this, Han Feng, the White Tiger Hall, praised succinctly, "To be able to defeat a Qi Condensation disciple on the territory of the Hanging Sword Sect demonstrates not only courage but also strength. I believe this award is well-deserved!"

Zhu Qingli sat in her seat, seemingly resting with her eyes closed, but her thoughts were back to the previous Inner Sect Grand Competition.

Between the two, she chose the son of her deceased friend.

At the time, she felt that the two of them were not too far apart in Root Bone, so neither of them would be too bad compared to the other.

But now, Tian Xiaoshan remains quietly in the Vermilion Bird Hall, neither outstanding nor bad.

Ye An had already Qi Condensation and made a name for himself on the territory of the Hanging Sword Sect.

She closed her eyes and slightly furrowed her brow, then gently tilted her head to the side.

At this moment, Zhu Qingli felt a little regretful, after all, Ye An should have been a disciple of her Vermilion Bird Hall.

It's just that I gave up; I didn't choose to.

Zhu Qingli thought of Jiang Tingxue.

Yes, I still have Jiang Tingxue.

The Chief Disciple of the Vermilion Bird Hall has Penetration the Vermilion Bird Heaven-Burning Finger, ranking second only to Shen Jingfeng in the Four Symbols Sect, and may even surpass him in the future.

Ye An is indeed a rough gem, but Jiang Tingxue is already a promising talent.

Thinking of this, the regret vanished.

Zhu Qingli opened her eyes, her expression returning to calm. Her tone was devoid of any emotion as she spoke, "The Black Tortoise Hall has produced a talent; it's a blessing for the Four Symbols Sect. He deserves an award."

Shi Jian remained seated without saying a word.

Of the four hall masters, he was the oldest, and his lifespan was running out.

Black Tortoise Hall has been struggling under his leadership for many years, neither particularly good nor bad, remaining lukewarm at the bottom of the Four Halls.

He had seen too many disciples come and go; some, like Zhou Zhong, took on the responsibility of Chief Disciple, while others, like Qi Yue, were stuck in the Late Meridian Opening Realm and could not make any further progress.

And Ye An? From the Mid-Meridian Opening to the Qi Condensation, and now to defeating Zhao Yuanling —how much time has passed in all of that?

Although Shi Jian's face remained expressionless, he was secretly delighted.

His disciple had made a name for himself. Not only had he won a match against the Hanging Sword Sect, but the Sect Master had also praised him in front of the Four Halls. As a hall master, he couldn't possibly be unhappy.

But while he was happy, he also had some lingering worries.

How much longer do I have to live to see this disciple go?

Shi Jian didn't let his worry show on his face. "My disciple is obsessed with martial arts, often going into seclusion and never leaving his home. He is also a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and has even joined the Demon Suppressing Guard to serve my Great Yu and contribute to the peace of the world. Even if he weren't a member of my Black Tortoise Hall, I still think he deserves a reward."

Zhao Xuanji observed the four men's behavior, smiled, and said, "Let him in."

The gatekeeper disciple turned and went out to deliver the message.

Ye An stepped into the hall and immediately saw five experts at the Gathered Origin Realm. Half of the Four Symbols Sect's top combat power was here.

The four hall masters sat on either side, while the Sect Master, Zhao Xuanji, sat in the main seat with a smile on his face.

Four pairs of eyes fell on him the moment he entered the room.

Ye An was not intimidated. He first clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Xuanji, who was in the main seat, and said, "Disciple Ye An greets Sect Master."

Then, turning to both sides, he said, "Greetings to the four hall masters."

Zhao Xuanji waved his hand, indicating that Ye An did not need to be so polite.

He looked at Ye An, his tone clearly approving. "Well done. You single-handedly made a name for your Four Symbols Sect on the territory of the Hanging Sword Sect. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

A thought did flash through Ye An's mind—could such a good thing really be possible?

I was just asking someone to refine pills... No, no, no, that's what I really thought.

However, Ye An didn't reveal his thoughts on his face, and spoke calmly, "In this competition, I only did what a disciple should do; it's all thanks to the Sect's cultivation. That person from the Hanging Sword Sect is indeed quite strong, and I only managed to win by chance after putting in some effort. As for the reward the Sect Master mentioned..."

Ye An paused slightly, feigning a moment, then said, "This disciple dares not ask for more."

Zhao Xuanji laughed heartily after hearing this, "You're quite an interesting young man."

"I just discussed this matter with the four hall masters, and they all feel it would be inappropriate not to award them."

Zhao Xuanji straightened his Orthodox God, "How about this: 800 Sect Contribution Point, some Cultivation Resources, and one more opportunity to use the Four Symbols Sect's exclusive Cangwu Cultivation Chamber."

Ye An didn't understand many things, so Zhao Xuanji explained, "The Four Symbols Sect Four Symbols Origin-Returning Array,' which uses the heart of the Cangwu Tree deep within Cangwu Mountain as its Formation Eye, drawing the primordial Origin Energy of the entire mountain range to converge within the formation. Primordial Origin Energy is a power that only those at the Gathered Origin Realm can control. By cultivating within the formation, you can experience the circulation of Origin Energy in advance, which will greatly benefit your future attempt to break through to the Gathered Origin Realm."

Qi Condensation Martial Artist are still using True Essence, but when they reach the Gathering Essence, True Qi transforms into Origin Energy, which is a higher level.

"For those below the Gathering Essence, one day of cultivation within the formation is equivalent to five days outside. Normally, only the Four Halls Chief are eligible to apply for the Qi Condensation Realm. This time, we're making an exception and giving you a seven-day opportunity."

"You should seize this opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Ye An quickly expressed his gratitude by clasping his hands in a gesture of respect. "This disciple thanks the Sect Master and the four Hall Masters."

Zhao Xuanji hummed in agreement, nodding as he sized up Ye An. The more he looked at Ye An, the more pleasing he became, perhaps because of his honest appearance.

Then he waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

Ye An left the Main Hall, and an N rustled through the trees of Cangwu Mountain.

Cangwu Prefecture, Four Symbols Sect, Cangwu Mountain, Cangwu Tree.

During his battle with Zhao Yuanling, Ye An discovered the profoundness of the Four Symbols Sect's Martial Arts. Perhaps the Four Symbols Sect had a past that he could learn about.