Chapter 120: A Bountiful Harvest

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: A Bountiful Harvest

Afterward, if Chen Yue had been willing to bow his head and admit fault, the outcome could have gone in a completely different direction.

After all, Chen Yue’s ability to defy the hierarchy and defeat someone in the Marrow Refining Realm while only at the Bone Forging Realm already demonstrated his immense value.

When Zhao Zongzhen had stepped forward, it was partly to save face for the Mutual Aid Association, but also to offer Chen Yue a way out of the situation.

If Chen Yue had only given up on killing Cheng Jun, everything would have still been negotiable.

The Mutual Aid Association needed his combat strength and his skills as a Pill Master. If he had been willing to join, all prior unpleasantness could have been written off. Even the deaths of Cheng Jun and Jiang Linkuo could have been framed as a misunderstanding or an accident.

But just now, right in front of Zhao Zongzhen, Chen Yue had killed Cheng Jun with a single punch.

Combined with Chen Yue’s unapologetic attitude, the situation between them had escalated to a point of no return—a fight to the death.

An outer sect disciple who had just joined the Sect, with only a Bone Forging Realm cultivation, was now in direct opposition to the Mutual Aid Association.

Chen Yue was very strong. To fight two-on-one and still easily kill Cheng Jun and Jiang Linkuo—that level of combat power was terrifying for someone in the Bone Forging Realm.

But no matter how strong he was, he was still only at the Bone Forging Realm.

And did the Mutual Aid Association only have members at the Marrow Refining Realm?

Besides, not all Marrow Refining Realm cultivators were equal. Just as Chen Yue was far stronger than others at the Bone Forging Realm, the Panshi Sect also had geniuses who greatly outstripped their peers at the same level.

The Mutual Aid Association hadn’t survived and thrived within the Panshi Sect by relying on just a few Marrow Refining Realm disciples to keep up appearances.

Chen Yue slowly turned around. His gaze traveled across a distance of several dozen feet to land on Zhao Zongzhen.

His gaze was calm and composed, without a hint of retreat, clashing in midair with Zhao Zongzhen’s deep, cold eyes.

"So, you two, what’s your decision?"

Chen Yue’s gaze went past Zhao Zongzhen, locking directly onto Xu Wen Pavilion and Xue Zijin.

"You!"

The veins on Xu Wen Pavilion’s forehead bulged, throbbing like worms. His fists were clenched so tightly he wished he could rush onto the platform that very moment and smash Chen Yue’s face to a pulp.

But Zhao Zongzhen’s outstretched arm blocked him firmly, preventing him from taking even a single step forward.

While holding Xu Wen Pavilion back, Zhao Zongzhen never took his eyes off Chen Yue.

His expression was so dark it looked like it could drip water. His eyes, usually gentle and polite, now roiled with undisguised killing intent.

But he didn’t move, nor did he allow Xu Wen Pavilion or Xue Zijin to move.

Zhao Zongzhen just watched Chen Yue in silence. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice as cold as ice.

"Junior Brother Chen, what impressive methods. What impressive courage. I will remember what happened today."

Xu Wen Pavilion looked at Zhao Zongzhen, his eyes burning with irrepressible fury. His voice trembled with suppressed rage as he spoke.

"Senior Brother Zhao! Let me go up there and kill him! He’s just at the Bone Forging Realm! Does he really think he’s invincible against the Marrow Refining Realm? Let me on the platform! I’ll take his life within three moves, guaranteed!"

Xue Zijin also spoke, his cold voice laced with a sinister, murderous intent.

"Senior Brother Zhao, since he’s so determined to court death, we should grant him his wish. Let him die on the Life and Death Platform. That will be the end of it and save us any future trouble!"

Hearing this, Zhao Zongzhen slowly shook his head. He gave Chen Yue one last look, then turned and strode away without another word.

Seeing Zhao Zongzhen turn to leave, Xu Wen Pavilion let out a furious roar, filled with the frustration and indignation of a caged beast.

He shot Chen Yue a venomous glare, as if he wanted to eat him alive, before abruptly turning to follow Zhao Zongzhen.

Xue Zijin didn’t roar or make any superfluous gestures.

He simply glanced at Chen Yue as if looking at a dead man walking.

Then he too turned, followed Zhao Zongzhen, and disappeared into the crowd at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.

Standing on the Life and Death Platform, Chen Yue watched the three of them depart without trying to stop them.

Within the Sect, disciples were forbidden from fighting privately anywhere except the Martial Arts Arena.

If anyone dared to attack a fellow disciple outside the Martial Arts Arena, anyone could intervene, including Steward Song Zhen, who stood nearby, and Meng Yu Jin, who had been observing in silence.

Chen Yue looked away and put the matter of Zhao Zongzhen out of his mind.

He turned, walked over to Cheng Jun’s corpse, and crouched down to search for his spoils.

According to the rules of the Life and Death Platform, everything the loser possessed now belonged to the victor. This was an ironclad rule of the Panshi Sect, one that no one could dispute.

Cheng Jun didn’t have much of value on him: some Broken Silver, a few gold leaves, a bottle of Elixirs, and an Identity Token.

Chen Yue collected the Broken Silver and gold leaves, then weighed the bottle of Elixirs in his hand before casually tucking it into his robes.

It wasn’t much, but every little bit counts.

He stood up and walked over to Jiang Linkuo’s corpse.

After all, Jiang Linkuo was a disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall with a Marrow Refining Realm cultivation; his personal wealth should be greater than Cheng Jun’s.

However, after searching him, Chen Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. There was no Broken Silver, no gold leaves, not even a single bottle of Elixirs.

That didn’t make sense.

’How could a Marrow Refining Realm disciple be this clean?’

Chen Yue’s gaze shifted and fell upon Jiang Linkuo’s finger. There, he wore a simple, antique-looking ring.

The ring itself was unremarkable. Its surface was even a little worn, making it look like a common trinket.

Chen Yue reached out, removed the ring, and tried to probe it with a wisp of Qi Force.

BZZZT!

Inside the ring, there was a space about five inches square.

It wasn’t large—in fact, one could even call it tiny. It was nothing compared to the Little Pill Furnace Chen Yue had on him, but it was, without a doubt, a Spirit Soldier!

A Storage Spirit Soldier!

A smile crept into Chen Yue’s eyes. The value of a Storage Spirit Soldier, even one of the lowest grade, was far beyond that of ordinary Elixirs or silver taels.

In a Sect like the Panshi Sect, Storage Spirit Soldiers were by no means standard issue; many Inner Sect Disciples didn’t even own one.

Inside the ring’s space, a number of items were neatly arranged: some Silver, a few bottles of high-quality Elixirs, and a thin booklet.

Chen Yue gave it a quick glance. The cover of the booklet had three words written on it: Blood Burning Technique. He wondered if this was the Burst Secret Technique Jiang Linkuo had used during the fight.

He would also have to find out later if he could even use this Secret Manual. Many of the Sect’s Secret Manuals were forbidden for disciples to learn on their own.

’A decent haul,’ Chen Yue thought, though his expression remained impassive.

He slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a perfect fit, as if it had been custom-made for him.

Then he stood up and dusted off his robes.

Down below the Martial Arts Arena, many disciples couldn’t help but sigh to themselves as they watched.

Many of them knew Jiang Linkuo possessed a Storage Spirit Soldier. Though it wasn’t high-grade and its space was small, it was still an incredibly useful treasure for a disciple in the Marrow Refining Realm.

They had been hoping that Chen Yue, a Loose Cultivator from some backwater town, wouldn’t recognize a Storage Spirit Soldier. They thought he might not know the ring’s true nature and would discard or overlook it as a common trinket.

If that had happened, they might have had a chance to snatch it up for themselves.

But now, it was clear this Chen Yue was far more astute than they had imagined.

He not only recognized the Storage Spirit Soldier but also acted with clean, decisive movements. How did that resemble a Loose Cultivator from a small town?

"Where in the world did this Chen Yue come from? How can a Loose Cultivator know so much?"

Someone in the crowd muttered under their breath.

In truth, Panshi Sect disciples naturally felt superior when dealing with Loose Cultivators.

This superiority complex wasn’t just baseless arrogance; it was a confidence built through countless battles and contests.

They cultivated the orthodox Sect’s Cultivation Technique, received guidance from renowned masters, had access to ample resources, and could spar and exchange knowledge with their peers. But Loose Cultivators?

Their Cultivation Techniques were generally low-grade, sometimes even incomplete. With no one to guide them, they could only grope their way forward. Resources were so scarce they would risk their lives for a single hundred-year-old medicinal herb.

Therefore, Sect disciples universally believed that among cultivators of the same realm, Loose Cultivators were far weaker.

This was considered a self-evident truth, one verified by countless real battles.

But today, Chen Yue’s arrival shattered that perception.

A Loose Cultivator, a refugee from a small town at the Bone Forging Realm, had just killed a Marrow Refining Realm disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall—plus a peak Bone Forging Realm Inner Sect Disciple—on the Life and Death Platform with overwhelming force.

This completely subverted their entire understanding of the term "Loose Cultivator."

The setting sun over the Martial Arts Arena slowly sank, stretching Chen Yue’s shadow long across the ground.

Liu Wenying stood at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, looking at Chen Yue on the platform. She suddenly shouted, her voice filled with excitement and eagerness.

"Chen Yue! Junior Brother! Over here!"

Chen Yue was just about to leave the Life and Death Platform when he heard the call. Turning, he saw Liu Wenying’s beaming face, Meng Yu Jin standing silently beside her, and Steward Song Zhen, who had yet to depart.

Chen Yue recognized Liu Wenying. He had seen her before, watching him from a treetop outside the courtyard on Dan Peak.

At the time, he had assumed she was just another outer sect disciple watching the commotion. Now, it seemed she was connected to Meng Yu Jin.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yue walked off the Life and Death Platform and approached Meng Yu Jin. He cupped his fists respectfully and said, "Martial Uncle Meng, Martial Uncle Song, and this Senior Sister."

Song Zhen looked at the young man before him with a complicated expression.

As a Steward, he had witnessed plenty of duels on the Life and Death Platform, but today’s was without a doubt one of the most memorable.

He privately felt that Chen Yue could have spared Cheng Jun, who had already lost all ability to fight and posed no threat.

But since both parties had signed a Life and Death Contract, and the purpose of the platform was to decide matters of life and death, it was simply the rule of the Panshi Sect. No one had the right to object.

Therefore, despite his personal feelings on the matter, Song Zhen offered Chen Yue no words of reprimand.

He simply nodded and gave a brief reply, then turned to bid farewell to Meng Yu Jin before striding away.