Chapter 123: Rarely Meeting a Match

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Rarely Meeting a Match

On Celestial Stone Peak, within a courtyard deep in the Inner Sect’s territory, the lamps were brightly lit, but the atmosphere was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.

Hearing Lin Junshi’s barbed question, Zhao Zongzhen fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Senior Brother Lin, I was the one who stopped Junior Brother Xu and the others from going on stage. That Chen Yue’s strength is no simple matter. The way he killed Jiang Linkuo was just too clean, too decisive.

If they had rushed onto the platform, it would’ve been one thing if they won. But if they couldn’t win, we would have only suffered greater humiliation, and the Mutual Aid Association’s reputation would have been utterly ruined."

Lin Junshi scoffed, his laughter dripping with unconcealed mockery and disappointment.

He didn’t respond to Zhao Zongzhen’s explanation immediately. Instead, he picked up the teapot and slowly, deliberately poured himself another cup of tea.

The tea was warm, and steam curled up from it, obscuring his gaze.

Lin Junshi lifted the cup, blew on it gently, and took a sip.

"Two Marrow Refining Realm cultivators, worried you can’t beat a Bone Forging Realm Loose Cultivator? You’ve really regressed with age. The Mutual Aid Association’s reputation has been completely squandered by your timid, hesitant attitude."

Xu Wen Pavilion and Xue Zijin glanced at each other, then at Zhao Zongzhen, but neither said a word.

Although back at the Martial Arts Arena, Chen Yue’s arrogant attitude had enraged them to the point where they wanted nothing more than to rush onto the stage and tear him to pieces,

now that they had calmed down and carefully recalled the situation, they had to admit that Chen Yue was indeed powerful.

He had fought Jiang Linkuo, a cultivator one realm higher than himself, and emerged completely unscathed. It could even be described as a crushing victory.

If it had been them against Jiang Linkuo one-on-one, they were confident they could win, but they definitely couldn’t have achieved such a result—not to mention Cheng Jun had also been on the field, distracting him.

At this thought, the defiant flames in their hearts had no choice but to subside a little.

Zhao Zongzhen took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration and resentment, and looked up at Lin Junshi.

"Senior Brother Lin, there’s no point in talking about this now. What’s done is done. What should we do next?"

Lin Junshi set down his teacup, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.

His stare was so heavy it felt tangible, lingering on each person’s face for a moment before he finally spoke slowly.

"What is there to even ask? There are two paths. If you can swallow this insult, then pretend nothing ever happened. Give Jiang Linkuo’s and Cheng Jun’s families some extra compensation, suppress the matter, and treat it as a lesson bought with money.

If you can’t swallow it, then keep fighting. Fight until you’ve vented your anger completely. The Mutual Aid Association has been around for so many years. Are you really going to let some newly-entered Outer Sect disciple scare you into hiding in your shells?"

The disciples present looked at each other, flames dancing in their eyes.

If asked whether they could endure this insult, the answer was, of course, yes. There was no insult in the world that couldn’t be endured. At worst, they would just have to keep their heads down for a while.

But they didn’t want to endure it!

They were Inner Sect Disciples, all at the Marrow Refining Realm at a minimum. Yet they had been stepped on by a mere Bone Forging Realm Outer Sect Disciple and hadn’t even dared to make a peep. What was the point of all their hard work cultivating Martial Arts?

Was it so they could smile and turn the other cheek when someone stepped on their faces?

What was the point of their cultivation, then?

Xue Zijin hesitated for a moment before voicing his concerns.

"Senior Brother Lin, we don’t plan on swallowing this insult. If we do, how will the others in the Sect look at us? What will become of the Mutual Aid Association’s prestige? But right now, we really don’t know where to start.

That Chen Yue is only at the Bone Forging Realm, yet his combat power is bizarrely high. Now he’s been taken as a disciple by Meng Yu Jin, so he’s no longer without backing. If we use force, dealing with Meng Yu Jin will be difficult."

Upon hearing this, the other disciples nodded in agreement. This was the crux of the problem.

If Chen Yue were still that background-less Outer Sect Loose Cultivator, they would have ways to handle this matter.

But now that Chen Yue had Meng Yu Jin as his master, many of their underhanded methods could no longer be used.

Meng Yu Jin may not be a Sect Elder, but her power as a peak Refining Organ Realm expert was undeniable. Who could guarantee she wouldn’t take drastic measures for her new disciple?

The wrath of a peak Refining Organ Realm expert was not something they, a group of Marrow Refining Realm disciples, could bear.

Lin Junshi drained the rest of the tea in his cup and slammed it down on the table with a sharp CLINK.

He wiped his mouth, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"If you don’t want to swallow it, then find a Marrow Refining Realm disciple to challenge him to a Life and Death Decision. When the time comes, not even Meng Yu Jin can interfere!

Is Chen Yue the only disciple who can defeat those in a higher realm? Are there no prodigies among our Inner Sect Disciples? If he, Chen Yue, can do it, are you telling me no one in our Mutual Aid Association can?"

Zhao Zongzhen frowned and said thoughtfully,

"In our Mutual Aid Association, we have Junior Brother Cheng Fengjun. His strength is exceptional, and he has few rivals in the Marrow Refining Realm. If he were to act, taking down Chen Yue shouldn’t be a problem.

But he’s currently adjusting his state, preparing to break through to the Refining Organ Realm. He’s at a critical juncture and probably won’t want any distractions.

Besides, Junior Brother Cheng might not be interested in fighting a Bone Forging Realm Outer Sect Disciple. He has always been proud and arrogant; he’d likely see it as a waste of time and beneath his status."

Lin Junshi grinned, a mocking sneer on his face.

"Not interested? That’s simple. Just give him a sum of Contribution Points, and that’ll solve it. Or, increase his share of the association’s future earnings.

Everyone has their price. As long as the offer is good enough, how could he not be tempted? Cheng Fengjun may be a genius, but even geniuses need to cultivate, and that requires resources. As long as the price is right, he’ll naturally make a move."

Xu Wen Pavilion thought for a moment, then looked at Lin Junshi and said,

"But even if Senior Brother Cheng is willing to fight, Chen Yue might not accept the challenge. If he hides under Meng Yu Jin’s wing and refuses to come out, we can’t exactly force him onto the Life and Death Platform, can we?"

At these words, Lin Junshi whipped his head around to face Xu Wen Pavilion and then slammed his hand on the table. The loud BANG made the teacups jump, splashing tea all over the surface.

His gaze was like a knife, sweeping over everyone present, his voice laced with undisguised hostility.

"Have you all gone stupid from staying in the Sect for too long? I seem to recall hearing that Chen Yue has some friends and family in the Prefecture City, doesn’t he?

Do you know how to threaten someone? He wasn’t born from a stone; he has attachments, has weak spots. As long as you grab hold of his weakness, do you really think he won’t obediently submit?"

...

Late that night, the small courtyard on Dan Peak seemed especially desolate under the moonlight.

The courtyard gate remained as it was after Jiang Linkuo had smashed it earlier that day. The broken wooden planks creaked softly in the night breeze.

Chen Yue didn’t stop to repair the gate, nor did he ask a Servant Disciple to help replace it.

He walked straight through the broken opening, stepping over the scattered wood chips and fragments, and entered his room.

Chen Yue bolted the door. The room was unlit; only the hazy moonlight filtering through the window lattice cast a silver-white patch on the floor.

Chen Yue didn’t light a lamp. He walked straight to the side of his bed, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes, but he did not immediately begin to cultivate.

Instead, he began attempting to merge the Fourth Layer’s Heart Method of the Panshi Skill into his already perfected Vast Rock Skill within his Sea of Consciousness.

The Panshi Sect’s Panshi Skill was truly extraordinary. The First Three Layers were just the foundation-building stage, focusing on tempering one’s Physique, strengthening Qi Blood, and solidifying the base. While it was already far superior to many Loose Cultivator techniques, it hadn’t yet shown anything truly beyond the ordinary.

However, upon reaching the Fourth Layer, some of its true mysteries began to gradually reveal themselves.

The most obvious change was that the Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill had begun to incorporate the cultivation of the Power of Heart and Spirit.

This meant that the sages of the Panshi Sect who had perfected this Cultivation Technique over the generations had planned out the future path for their disciples from the very beginning.

Starting from the Fourth Layer, a Cultivator could subtly nourish and strengthen their Power of Heart and Spirit while increasing their Qi Blood cultivation, laying a solid foundation for the future Refining Organ Realm, and even the more distant Innate Acupoint Refining Realm.

This wasn’t a Cultivation Technique focused solely on the present, but rather a legacy with long-term, methodical planning.

’Is Master about to break through to the Innate Acupoint Refining Realm?’

Chen Yue suddenly recalled the vibrating Power of Heart and Spirit he felt when Meng Yu Jin demonstrated the Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill earlier that day.

Chen Yue had seen many Refining Organ Realm masters within the Panshi Sect, but none of them had an aura like Meng Yu Jin’s.

The thought circled in his mind for a moment before he suppressed it. ’It’s useless to think about this now. I should focus on merging the techniques first.’

As Chen Yue repeatedly simulated the circulation paths of the Fourth Layer’s Heart Method and the Vast Rock Skill in his Sea of Consciousness, another thought suddenly popped into his head.

’The Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill will inevitably further strengthen the cultivation of the Heart Spirit. If that’s the case, should I just merge the Heart Nourishing Technique into it directly?’

Once this idea appeared, he couldn’t shake it.

Chen Yue had never done this before because he worried that making his main Cultivation Technique too convoluted would negatively affect his cultivation efficiency and the stability of his foundation.

After all, the Cultivation Techniques he had obtained before were either purely for cultivating Qi Blood or purely for cultivating the Heart Spirit.

Even the Vast Firm Essence Technique, which reached the level of the Refining Organ Realm, had no component for tempering the Heart Spirit.

But since the core design philosophy of the Panshi Skill was to integrate the cultivation of the Heart Spirit with the cultivation of Qi Blood, making them complementary, then he would only be following this line of thought. It wouldn’t be a deviation, but rather an adaptation and an elevation.

No sooner said than done. Chen Yue immediately focused his mind and began to simultaneously simulate the Vast Rock Skill, the Fourth Layer’s Heart Method of the Panshi Skill, and the Heart Nourishing Technique in his Sea of Consciousness, searching for common ground and points of compatibility between the three.

He pondered how to merge them all together.

It was an extremely mentally taxing process. The three Cultivation Techniques each had their own focus and their own mysteries. To merge them required a profound understanding of each one, as well as sufficient insight and creativity.

For a time, an endless stream of ideas began to emerge in Chen Yue’s mind.

Some had merit, some were obvious dead ends, and others seemed absurd but, from a certain angle, secretly aligned with some underlying principle.

Chen Yue didn’t rush to judge whether these ideas were useful or not. Instead, he let them collide and generate new ones in his mind.

The key wasn’t to find the right answer immediately, but to constantly think and constantly experiment. Only by thinking enough and trying enough would the correct path gradually emerge.