It was night, with a clear moon and sparse clouds.
Four handsome young men, dressed in Inner Gate Attire, sat around a stone table. Each of them had a tall and upright posture, exuding an imposing aura of Profound Qi. Among them, one stood out with his jade crown and long hair, possessing an extraordinary demeanor.
This jade-crowned youth was leisurely handling a tea set in his hands. Surprisingly, he wasn't using an ordinary wood-fired stove to brew tea, but rather a stream of Flame Profound Qi emanating from within him. In no time, the clear spring water in the pot was boiling, releasing a fragrant aroma as he brewed the tea.
"Yuntai, we haven't seen each other for a long time, and your Flame Profound Qi has become even purer!" praised one of them on the left after taking a sip of tea.
"Haha, of course. Yuntai is the first among us to reach the Five Meridians realm, and in a few years, he might even compete with Li Huayu and Goddess Yun!" another chimed in.
"Unfortunately, Goddess Yun has been in seclusion lately. Otherwise, seeing our leader Yuntai would surely make her reconsider, instead of still thinking about that Ye Feng."
The atmosphere tensed.
The name Ye Feng was like a taboo, causing the jade-crowned youth to pause slightly in his tea-pouring motion.
The three realized they had misspoken, and an awkward silence ensued. It was the jade-crowned youth who broke it with a smile: "Heh, it's been eight years. To us, Ye Feng is nothing but insignificant dust. Why even mention him..."
"But Yuntai, I heard that Ye Feng has broken through to the Profound Realm and will participate in the Inner Gate Assessment tomorrow."
"So what?" The jade-crowned youth's smile widened. "Do you really think a newly advanced Profound Realm nobody can stand shoulder to shoulder with us?"
"Hahaha, that's impossible!" The group laughed heartily, not taking it to heart.
"However..."
The jade-crowned youth seemed to have thought of something amusing, downed his tea in one gulp, and placed the cup heavily on the table with a 'thud,' saying lightly, "Since he's participating in the Inner Gate Assessment, as classmates, shouldn't we do something to repay him for his 'care' back then?"
"Leader Yuntai, I heard that Ye Feng is still as arrogant as ever. Just this afternoon, he beat up Ji Fanchen's underling!"
"Oh? This is getting interesting."
The jade-crowned youth's eyes flashed with a cunning light, smiling like a sly fox: "Let's find a way to have Ji Fanchen take good care of 'Brother Ye' for us!"
***
The night was quietly being erased by the rising sun.
Ye Feng fetched a bucket of water and, with the first rays of dawn, meticulously washed himself from head to toe. He changed into a clean and tidy outfit and stood before a copper mirror in the dormitory area.
Hmm, very handsome.
Ye Feng hadn't groomed himself for a long time. Now, having broken through to the Profound Realm, he exuded a natural aura. Though not the typical pretty boy at first glance, his lean face and deep-set eyes, coupled with the maturity from eight years of hardship, gave him a unique charm, capable of captivating both innocent girls and boys.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Feng smiled at his reflection, seemingly talking to himself:
"Father, Mother, Feng'er has finally broken through to the Profound Realm. Wait for me. When I become strong enough, I will find you. You must wait for me!!"
No one knew that Ye Feng had harbored such a secret in his heart for the past eight years.
Only the bond with his closest kin could have driven him to persist through such adversity for eight years, all for the day when his abilities would reach their peak, allowing him to leave Great Qin and uncover the truth behind that mysterious incident and the whereabouts of his parents.
Now, for Ye Feng, the most important thing was to pass the Inner Gate Assessment smoothly and obtain the truly powerful martial inheritance of the Tianyun Sect.
In the mirror, Ye Feng's gaze sharpened like a sword, filled with boundless ambition. He turned and walked out with large strides.
Inner Gate Assessment, here comes Ye Feng!!
***
The Tianyun Sect was divided into seven main peaks, connected by heavy iron chain bridges.
The annual Inner Gate Assessment was not considered a grand event for the vast Tianyun Sect, and the venue was set on one of the seven peaks, Sky-Touching Peak, overseen by three elders and a hundred Inner Disciples.
When Ye Feng arrived at the plaza on Sky-Touching Peak, it was already bustling with people. Although only about a thousand disciples participated in the Inner Gate Assessment each year, all the Outer Disciples who hadn't been dismissed would come to Sky-Touching Peak to watch, numbering around ten thousand, turning the entire plaza into a sea of lively commotion.
People displayed various behaviors, some gathering with familiar Outer Elites, chatting and laughing; others finding a quiet corner alone to meditate and prepare; while the majority of Outer Disciples gathered in front of a ten-meter-high blue stone tablet, the starting point of today's Inner Gate Assessment—the Tianyun Qi-Testing Tablet.
Legend has it that when the Ancestor of Tianyun Sect sought enlightenment on Tianyun Mountain, he comprehended the Nine Heavens Spirit Cloud Scripture on this ancient blue stone, dominating the universe without meeting an equal. People say this stone tablet contains the supreme Dao inheritance of the Tianyun Ancestor, but now, after a thousand years, the Tianyun Sect has risen and fallen several times, and no one has been able to cultivate the Nine Heavens Spirit Cloud Scripture to the glorious level of the Tianyun Ancestor. Eventually, a hundred years ago, it was ruthlessly suppressed by the Shenwu Emperor of Great Qin, who 'cut the seven peaks with one sword and subdued Tianyun with a single palm,' turning it into a domain under Great Qin's rule, a thought-provoking tale.
Now, the Tianyun Qi-Testing Tablet hasn't produced any phenomena for hundreds of years, serving only one final purpose: to test the 'Profound Qi Attribute' of disciples, the most basic test of the Inner Gate Assessment.
At this moment, the area around the stone tablet was crowded with people, with Outer Disciples already undergoing the assessment and newcomers eager to see if any outstanding Inner Disciples would emerge this year.
In the crowd, there was a ten-meter-diameter empty circle, where several people stood silently, exuding a menacing aura. Among them, one had his entire face wrapped in bandages, leaving only a pair of resentful eyes exposed, while another had his right arm encased in plaster, gritting his teeth and looking around, like two bloodthirsty jackals searching for today's target.
In front of them stood Ji Fanchen, eyes closed, hands behind his back, standing coldly.
He exuded a faint chill, like a half-drawn cold blade, making people feel the killing intent of this domineering prodigy from afar, sending shivers down their spines.
This was all aimed at Ye Feng.
People already had little confidence in Ye Feng, and seeing Ji Fanchen's fierce entourage today, they shook their heads, as if foreseeing an impending tragedy.
At that moment, someone shouted.
"Ye Feng is here!"
Swish.
Ji Fanchen opened his eyes, like a wolf catching the scent of meat, his eyes revealing a terrifying ferocity.
The crowd parted, and sure enough, a youth in a Profound Robe walked in with his head held high—it was Ye Feng.
"So this guy is Ye Feng..."
"He's quite handsome! Wow, look at those eyes, they're so captivating~~" Some young girls couldn't focus on the main point even at this moment.
"Come on, being handsome is useless, it can't be eaten. Just watch, this guy will definitely be crushed by Young Master Ji later!"
The murmurs of discussion seemed like the prelude to Ye Feng's entrance, not at all grand, but Ye Feng paid no attention to the surrounding voices and gazes, walking straight towards Ji Fanchen and his group.
"Ye Feng!! You finally showed up, you bastard!" Zhang Yun and Zhao Feihong's eyes turned red instantly.
Ji Fanchen grinned, revealing his white teeth, and his aura of menace surged forth.
"Ye Feng, I underestimated you! Daring to hit my men, do you know what the consequences will be..."
Ji Fanchen sneered coldly, but Ye Feng continued walking, ignoring him completely.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
Cold wind blew.
The atmosphere was awkward.
Ji Fanchen's face darkened instantly.
"Ye Feng, I'm talking to you, and you dare ignore me!!"
Ye Feng walked straight to the registration desk in front, smiling slightly at the disciples behind it:
"Senior Brother, hello, I'm here to register for the Inner Gate Assessment. My name is Ye Feng, and this is my Disciple ID Plate."
He continued to ignore them.
The cold wind continued to blow.
It was still awkward.
"Oh, oh, alright!"
Even the Inner Disciple responsible for registration was a bit surprised.
He had seen people who didn't give face, but even he had heard of Ji Fanchen, the young master of Fengxiang County. Ye Feng was practically trampling on his face.
"Ye Feng! Young Master Ji is talking to you, are you deaf?!"
Behind him, Zhao Feihong was so angry that his eyebrows twitched, rushing over like an enraged bull.
Ye Feng couldn't be bothered to deal with Ji Fanchen, let alone a lackey like him.
He took the registered ID Plate and walked directly towards the Tianyun Qi-Testing Tablet.
"Stand still, damn it!!"
Beside him, Zhang Yun, with his arm still in a sling, couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over with Zhao Feihong, blocking Ye Feng's path from both sides.
Ji Fanchen stood directly in front of Ye Feng, looking at him with disdain:
"Ye Feng, do you think ignoring me will solve anything? Today, I'll make sure you understand the consequences of offending me!"
"Senior Brother... are these people disrupting the order of the Inner Gate Assessment really okay?"
Ye Feng turned his head, looking at the Inner Disciples who had been watching the commotion, blinking: "If you can't handle it, I'll go find the elders."
This...
Everyone was dumbfounded.
This Ye Feng seemed a bit cowardly!
Faced with Ji Fanchen's provocation, he actually sought help, which was like a child complaining to a teacher after being bullied.
This wasn't the script everyone was expecting.
"Uh... of course not!" The Inner Disciples snapped back to reality, casting a disdainful glance at Ye Feng, then stepped forward: "You two, stop causing trouble here. Either participate in the test or get out of the way!"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan