Chapter 298 - 296: Opportunity

Chapter 298: Chapter 296: Opportunity

The members of the Ming Sect present hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to defeat Wang Xiongdian in a single move, and now they were even more shocked that even Duan Zhixuan couldn’t withstand a single blow.

Among the entire younger generation of the Ming Sect, Duan Zhixuan’s strength was already quite formidable. If not for the extremely high standards he set for his own Primordial Pill, he could have condensed it and entered the Grandmaster Realm long ago.

Yet, he was still defeated in a single blow. No one could even see how Duan Zhixuan had lost, which was rather frightening.

In that instant, Chen Yuan became utterly unfathomable in their eyes.

Of the three intense duels, Yin Chuanzhou was perhaps the only one who came out looking good.

After all, both Wang Xiongdian and Duan Zhixuan were defeated in a single blow. The fact that he had lasted for two made him stand out.

Duan Zhixuan struggled to his feet, ready to fight again, but Bai Zhaoju forced him back down with a grim expression.

"That’s enough. You’ve lost."

Everyone here was from the Ming Sect. They all knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

They knew the characteristics of the Profound Gold Hall’s cultivation techniques perfectly well.

So they had all seen through it when Duan Zhixuan resorted to such tricks at the start, hoping to gain an advantage.

In the end, after all his tricks, he suffered a miserable defeat. It was a complete humiliation, costing him both face and substance.

The world seemed to darken before Duan Zhixuan’s eyes. His expression twisted in anguish, but he didn’t dare defy Bai Zhaoju.

’I’ve lost so miserably this time.’ He glanced at Yuan Longxi, who still wore a smile, seemingly unconcerned with the outcome of a duel between juniors.

But Duan Zhixuan knew better. ’My chances of becoming his disciple are gone now. Even the resources I get in the Profound Gold Hall will be cut back.’

Lu Beiming looked at Chen Yuan, slightly surprised.

Earlier, when Chen Yuan had fought Yin Chuanzhou, Lu Beiming had sensed an exceptionally strange power.

Just now, Chen Yuan had used the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill for a longer period against Duan Zhixuan, allowing Lu Beiming to perceive that power even more clearly.

This power was unlike other Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts. It seemed to involve the manipulation of cause and effect, an area even he dared not tread lightly.

Chen Yuan cupped his fists toward Duan Zhixuan. Suppressing the searing pain that flared in his mind, he offered a smile. "Thank you for the match."

’Using the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill this time wasn’t as debilitating as when I fought Gongsun Shao, but my body still reacts instantly once my Spiritual Power drops by half.’

’This intense pain from my Divine Soul is so powerful that even with my willpower, I have to struggle to suppress it. It even affects my combat ability.’

’It looks like I’ll have to be extremely cautious about using the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill in a real battle.’

’Otherwise, if I use it and fail to take down my opponent in one blow, I’ll have to deal with the side effects of depleted Spiritual Power and the excruciating pain in my Divine Soul, which will hamper my fighting ability even more.’

"The duels have been fought, the competition is over," Lu Beiming said. "Now, as for the opportunity left by Sect Leader Qin, apart from Chen Yuan, is there anyone else from the Ming Sect’s younger generation who wishes to contend for it?"

He scanned the crowd. No one made a sound.

Yuan Longxi’s expression remained unchanged as he simply nodded. "It is only right."

Tantai Zhaorong said nothing, merely nodding as well, though the look she gave Chen Yuan was tinged with a strange light.

In truth, she had proposed the duels a moment ago because Liu Bai had secretly sent her a voice transmission asking for her help.

The Sun-piercing Sword nominally belonged to the entire Ming Sect, but its true master was Liu Bai. This was a favor that Liu Bai had to repay.

As Liu Bai’s patron, it could be said that Tantai Zhaorong also owed Chen Yuan this favor.

In his message, Liu Bai had told her that Chen Yuan’s strength was astonishing. Once he made his move, no one in the Ming Sect’s younger generation would be his match. Then, with everyone watching, Yuan Longxi and the others would have nothing to say.

But Tantai Zhaorong hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to be so powerful that he could utterly crush the likes of Duan Zhixuan and the rest of the Ming Sect’s younger generation.

As it turned out, the favor of her speaking up on his behalf seemed rather insignificant.

Now that the three Vice Sect Leaders had reached a consensus, they all rose to their feet. Each produced a Token, formed a Seal Technique, and channeled their power into it.

The next moment, a dazzling beam of light shot out from each Token, projecting into the air.

The three beams of light merged, and to Chen Yuan’s astonishment, a spatial portal opened in mid-air.

Mr. Bei explained from the side, "The Ming Sect’s true Treasure Vault isn’t located anywhere in this world. It’s inside a Void Grotto Heaven."

"This Void Grotto Heaven belongs exclusively to our Ming Sect. It can only be opened when all three Vice Sect Master Tokens are activated simultaneously."

"Speaking of which, it’s thanks to Vice Sect Master Lu’s return that we’re even able to open this legacy Treasure Vault."

"In the past, our Ming Sect had three Vice Sect Leaders. Two of them passed down their lineage, and their successors were the martial ancestors of Yuan Longxi and Tantai Zhaorong."

"But the third Vice Sect Leader died taking his enemy with him, and his body was never found."

"It wasn’t until Vice Sect Master Lu returned that we learned that the former Vice Sect Leader had already passed his entire lineage on to him."

"That is why, ever since then, the Treasure Vault can only be opened by combining the three Vice Sect Master Tokens of our Ming Sect."

"Furthermore, any rewards for the sect’s disciples taken from the Treasure Vault require the unanimous consent of all three Vice Sect Masters."

Chen Yuan nodded, his gaze fixed on the portal to the Void Grotto Heaven.

Through the portal, Chen Yuan could vaguely see countless chests of all shapes and sizes piled high.

Some of the chests were open, but a great many more were covered in restrictive seals.

The three Vice Sect Masters used their True Qi Power to retrieve a small golden box from inside. It was covered in intricate patterns, which were merely decorative, not some kind of Array.

With a wave of his hand, Lu Beiming brought the box to him. He opened it to reveal a perfectly ordinary piece of jade, which emitted no power whatsoever.

"This is the opportunity Sect Leader Qin left behind in the Heaven-Reaching Tower. He said it was meant for a future disciple of the Ming Sect."

"I once asked the Sect Leader how long we should wait, and what qualifications would be required to claim this opportunity."

"But Sect Leader Qin only said that when the time was right, someone would naturally take this into the Heaven-Reaching Tower and claim the opportunity he left behind."

As he said this, Chen Yuan could clearly sense Lu Beiming’s exasperation, as if he felt Qin Wuye’s words had been complete nonsense.

With that, Lu Beiming handed the jade to Chen Yuan and said in a solemn voice, "The Heaven-Reaching Tower is filled with countless opportunities, but it is also fraught with danger. Be extremely careful."

Chen Yuan nodded and cupped his fists. "Thank you, Vice Sect Master Lu."

Yuan Longxi’s gaze fell on the jade in Chen Yuan’s hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He had always known about this opportunity, but he had never mentioned it over the years, feeling that none of the young Martial Artists under his command were yet worthy of it.

Therefore, he had been planning to train a Closed-door Disciple who would be qualified to take this item into the Heaven-Reaching Tower and discover what exactly the opportunity left by the former Sect Leader Qin was.

He never expected that before he could even find his disciple, the opportunity would be snatched away by someone else.

With the item in hand, the group returned to the main hall to resume the assembly.

However, after the intense duels, the rest of the meeting felt rather dull, and nothing particularly useful was discussed.

An hour later, the assembly concluded, and everyone went their separate ways.

The Ming Sect was organized by its halls, which were scattered throughout the Jianghu. These Controllers had their own power bases to manage in various regions and could not be away for too long.

After Yuan Longxi and Tantai Zhaorong departed with their followers, only Lu Beiming’s faction remained in the great hall beneath Yanbo Lake.

At that moment, Lu Beiming suddenly turned to Chen Yuan, a smile of appreciation spreading across his face. "You’re impressive. Truly impressive."

"Seeing you reminds me of five hundred years ago, when our Ming Sect was at its most prosperous. Back then, the younger generation was full of countless geniuses of stunning talent. It wasn’t unheard of for someone your age to become a Hall Master."

"And that Duan Zhixuan from the Profound Gold Hall... to think Yuan Longxi actually planned to take him as a personal disciple and carefully train him. He has no idea that five hundred years ago, in our Ming Sect, the likes of him would have been nothing more than an ordinary disciple."

Chen Yuan looked at Lu Beiming in surprise.

Until now, Vice Sect Master Lu had always been mild-mannered. Even when Yuan Longxi was being confrontational, he hadn’t turned hostile or even spoken a single harsh word, choosing instead to maneuver within the bounds of the rules.

But now, his face was a mask of disdainful arrogance, revealing a hint of the flair of the man he was five hundred years ago: the Nine Transformations Divine Monarch, Commander of the Divine Punishment Guard and a peerless talent of the Ming Sect.

"What’s wrong? Do you think this old man is two-faced? That I don’t dare mock them to their faces, only bad-mouth them behind their backs?"

Lu Beiming looked at Chen Yuan with a wry smile.

Chen Yuan quickly shook his head. "Of course not. I just think you are far too good-natured, Vice Sect Master Lu. Given your seniority, you would be well within your rights to display such an attitude in front of them."

Lu Beiming sighed. "The Ming Sect cannot afford any more turmoil. There are only a few of us left. If we still engage in internal strife, what will become of our sect? We must all endure for the greater good."

"You may be enduring for the greater good, but I’m afraid others don’t share that sentiment."

Chen Yuan shook his head. "This is the first time I’ve met the upper echelon of the Ming Sect. Mr. Bei has told me about you, and I am, of course, filled with admiration."

"But as for Vice Sect Master Yuan Longxi... forgive my bluntness, but while he is a Vice Sect Master of our Ming Sect, he is far too selfish. He’s narrow-minded and lacks vision. Frankly, his title is undeserved."

Normally, it would have been highly inappropriate for Chen Yuan to criticize a Vice Sect Master like this during his first meeting with the sect’s leadership. It would have been far too presumptuous.

However, Chen Yuan had been recruited into the Ming Sect by Mr. Bei, which meant he had already been branded as a member of Lu Beiming’s faction.

That being the case, he didn’t need to be so reserved. In fact, speaking this way only served to prove his unwavering loyalty to Lu Beiming’s side.

Sure enough, as soon as he said this, Wan Guiyuan, Yu Hanmei, and the others either nodded in agreement or sneered. It was obvious they had been dissatisfied with Yuan Longxi for a long time.

This Vice Sect Master was too selfish. Everything he did was for the sake of growing his own faction’s power, not for the good of the Ming Sect as a whole.

Lu Beiming, however, just looked at Chen Yuan with that same wry smile, clearly having seen through his intentions.

But he didn’t hold it against him. On the contrary, he felt that this young man, Chen Yuan, was wise beyond his years. He knew what to say and how to carry himself.