I object

But unlike Yang Kuan, who kept wearing a worried frown, Lin Fan quickly adjusted his mindset. Every problem stemmed from insufficient strength. Once he grew strong enough, everything would unravel like bamboo splitting beneath a blade.

So after eating, he threw himself back into practicing the Body Forging Art.

Body Forging Art (initiation 1400/2000)...1420...1480...1520.

Before he rested that night, his progress in the Body Forging Art reached 1520, drawing ever closer to initiation.

Early the next morning, during breakfast, the inner courtyard's second senior brother came specifically to tell everyone to gather at the training grounds after breakfast.

At the training grounds, the inner courtyard disciples who normally practiced separately had all gathered together. The martial arts hall's instructors, stewards, deputy hall masters, and hall master had all arrived as well.

Lin Fan's gaze fell on the hall master in the seat of honor. This was his first time seeing him.

The hall master stood, and everyone quieted down, waiting for him to speak.

"Everyone, I've gathered you here today for two matters. The first is to welcome back our chief disciple, Chen Yang. The second is to decide who will become the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother," the hall master explained the purpose of the gathering.

Lin Fan curled his lip in secret disdain. Isn't the hall master licking Chen Yang's boots a little too much? Where's his dignity as hall master?

Anyone with eyes could see that the main purpose of this gathering was to welcome Chen Yang. Choosing the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother was merely an afterthought. Who didn't know that Chen Yang only needed to say the word to decide who got the position?

After speaking, the hall master sat down, and everyone waited in silence. Time ticked away, and the newly risen sun slowly climbed above the mountaintop, then crept toward the middle of the sky.

Lin Fan was growing extremely impatient. He had already cursed both the hall master and Chen Yang in his heart for wasting precious cultivation time.

Many disciples, and even quite a few of the hall's higher-ups, wore dark expressions. No matter how awesome Chen Yang was, he was still only a disciple, yet he was making so many people wait so long.

Yue Shan lifted the teacup beside him, only to discover that he had already drunk all the tea. His pent-up anger finally erupted. "He clearly said he'd return first thing in the morning, but the sun is already three poles high, and there's still no sign of him! Wasting so many people's time-this is outrageous!"

The moment Yue Shan spoke, the atmosphere throughout the training grounds abruptly changed. The disciples and instructors fell silent as cicadas in winter, afraid of being caught like fish in a burning moat.

The second and third stewards both turned their gazes toward the ground, as though flowers were growing there.

Deputy Hall Master Qin He focused on savoring his tea as if he had heard nothing.

The hall master withdrew his gaze from the sky, glanced at Deputy Hall Master Ma beside him, then looked back up.

"Ahem..." Deputy Hall Master Ma cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention, then cast Yue Shan a sidelong glance. "Head Steward Yue, perhaps something delayed Chen Yang. You've practiced martial arts for so many years. Don't you even have this much patience?"

"Hmph!" Yue Shan snorted coldly. "What does this have to do with my patience? It's wrong for one person to waste so many people's time."

"Chen Yang is back."

Just as Hall Master Ma was about to say more, the hall master's words caught his attention. He looked toward the horizon and saw a black speck rapidly growing larger.

Everyone looked in the direction the hall master was watching. The black speck quickly grew into a human figure.

Envy and awe shone in many eyes. Seventh-grade martial artists could soar through the heavens and burrow through the earth. How many people had never dreamed of flying?

The figure soon arrived above the training grounds. The first thing that caught the eye was his chin, held toward the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, followed by the faint smile hovering at the corners of his mouth.

With both hands clasped behind his back, he walked down from above one step at a time, every bit the lofty expert.

Show-off, Lin Fan silently sneered. He could clearly have landed in an instant, yet insisted on making it look like he was walking down stairs.

The hall master rose again. "Welcome back, Chief Disciple. Last month, our chief disciple took third place on the Qinghe Heavenly Pride Ranking. Congratulations to him!" With that, he led the applause.

Everyone applauded except Yue Shan and his two disciples, Yang Kuan and Lin Fan. Since their master did not move, neither did they.

Chen Yang's gaze landed on Yue Shan, and his faint smile vanished. But he said nothing, simply landing and taking the seat beside the hall master, openly placing himself on equal footing with him.

The displeasure on his face grew increasingly apparent. He valued rules above all else, and Chen Yang's actions were trampling them.

"All right, let's move on to our second task: choosing the new eldest senior brother of the outer courtyard. Everyone, if you have anyone to recommend, feel free to speak," the hall master said again.

Once the hall master finished, the entire gathering fell silent, every gaze settling on Chen Yang. Who didn't know that Chen Yang alone called the shots in the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall now? Whoever Chen Yang named would get the position.

Chen Yang swept his gaze across the gathering. Seeing that no one spoke, he curled his lips into a flippant smile again.

"Elders, junior brothers, since no one has a recommendation, I happen to have a candidate," he said slowly.

The disciples glanced around, all guessing who it would be.

Chen Yang did not keep them guessing and announced his choice outright. Lin Fan's expression turned utterly cold.

"Hall Master Ma's newly accepted final disciple, Li Feng."

The name Li Feng stirred up towering waves throughout the gathering. Previously, the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother had always reached body tempering major accomplishment, yet Li Feng had only joined Hall Master Ma a few days ago. They did not even know whether he had achieved initiation in the Body Tempering Art. He was utterly unqualified to serve as the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother.

If they had not feared Chen Yang's authority, many disciples would have pointed at him and started cursing.

Chen Yang pressed a hand downward, and the gathering quieted again.

"I know many of you have doubts about Junior Brother Li Feng's cultivation. I can tell you that Junior Brother Li Feng has already reached body tempering initiation. To achieve this in five days makes him a seed of martial heavenly pride, and a seed for the chief disciple's position as well. Serving as the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother will be just the right trial for him." Chen Yang's words showed that he thought very highly of Li Feng.

Everyone was deeply shaken by the news that Li Feng had reached body tempering initiation in five days.

"Fuck! Body tempering initiation in five days? That's ridiculous! Back then, it took me over a month!"

"Li Feng is clearly a seed of martial heavenly pride. The Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall's fortune is flourishing! We're producing one martial heavenly pride after another."

"In that case, he's qualified to be the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother."

"..."

The disciples' attitudes abruptly changed, and they began supporting Li Feng for the position of the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother.

Standing in the crowd like a victorious rooster, Li Feng cast Lin Fan a contemptuous sidelong glance.

Lin Fan nearly stamped the sole of his shoe into his face.

Seeing that things had more or less settled, Chen Yang raised his hand and pressed down again, quieting the gathering.

"Since no one objects, we'll choose-"

"I object!"

A deep shout cut Chen Yang off and drew everyone's attention. Head Steward Yue Shan had stood up and was staring coldly at Chen Yang.

Many people's eyelids twitched wildly, and they felt that something was about to go terribly wrong.

Yang Kuan was frantic, his fists clenched tight and his eyes filled with deep worry.

Lin Fan sighed inwardly. Master really couldn't hold back. This will probably be difficult to resolve.

His fists also clenched instinctively, and once again, he hated his lack of strength. Otherwise, why would he need to stand here watching his enemy act so arrogantly? He could simply slap him across the face.