This time, no one continued to indulge or excuse Yin Xuanlin.
For secretly using illusion techniques and severely injuring a fellow disciple, he was punished with three hundred strokes of the rod, along with a full six months of secluded confinement.
During Yin Xuanlin’s period of confinement, Xie Chen recovered from his injuries.
His cultivation also broke through to a new level once again. Surpassing all of his fellow disciples in one decisive leap, he became the very first disciple within the Tangdi Immortal Sect to qualify for entry into the higher level “Apricot Grade Secret Realm” for trial training.
In several external sect challenges, wherever his blade pointed, there was not a single defeat.
The disciples of various sects who fell at his hands returned home speaking with awe of the terrifying strength possessed by that “once in a thousand years fire spiritual root.”
For a time, the name of Xie Chen resounded throughout the entire cultivation world. His reputation even surpassed that of Yin Xuanlin, who had once enjoyed immense fame.
Half a year later, Yin Xuanlin’s confinement came to an end.
The moment he emerged, he encountered the sect’s grand tournament, an event held only once every ten years. Countless people waited eagerly, hoping to witness another confrontation between the two senior brothers.
“Junior Brother Xie’s astonishing progress over the past half year is obvious to all. This time he will surely crush Senior Brother Yin with ease.”
Rumors like these spread everywhere.
Yet when the tournament concluded, the final victor was still Yin Xuanlin.
Just as he stood there in high spirits, satisfied and triumphant, preparing to reach out and gather the generous rewards for himself, Junior Brother Bai Shuangcheng suddenly stepped forward from the crowd without warning and gracefully bowed toward the elders seated upon the high platform.
“Master, respected uncles and elders, this disciple believes that Junior Brother Xie’s defeat today occurred only because his right hand was injured at the beginning of the month when Jiang Qianjin, the young master of the Golden Toad Sect, came to challenge our sect. Junior Brother Xie injured himself while defending the honor of our sect and the wound has not yet healed. That is why he lost by such a narrow margin in this tournament.”
“As everyone knows, Junior Brother Xie now already possesses the qualification to enter the Apricot Grade Secret Realm, while Senior Brother Yin is still limited to the Green Crystal Secret Realm.”
“The result of this match is truly somewhat unfair. If Junior Brother Xie had not been injured, who the final champion would be remains uncertain!”
Before his words had even finished, a scorching streak of flame suddenly shot past his robe, grazing the edge of his clothing and causing his face to pale in fright.
“You believe?”
Yin Xuanlin withdrew his hand and stood with his arms behind his back, letting out a cold laugh. His voice was filled with ridicule and disbelief.
“And who exactly do you think you are? A useless piece of trash who doesn’t even qualify to step onto the arena yet you dare stand here and lecture everyone?”
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire arena erupted into an uproar.
Today’s grand sect tournament had gathered everyone, from the sect leader to the various elders and martial uncles.
Bai Shuangcheng’s own father, Elder Bai, was seated right there on the high platform.
Yet Yin Xuanlin had openly called him “trash” to his face, leaving absolutely no room for dignity.
Unexpectedly, when Bai Shuangcheng heard those words, tears instantly welled in his eyes. Still, he straightened his back and stood firm, presenting an upright and resolute appearance.
“If Senior Brother Yin insists on humiliating me, then Shuangcheng, being insignificant and of little status, has nothing to say in return. I did not step forward today for my own sake.”
His tone shifted as he looked earnestly toward the pile of rewards.
“Shuangcheng only wishes to ask Senior Brother… would it be possible for you to give the ‘Condensing Fire Immortal Herb’ among the prizes to Junior Brother Xie?”
“After all, Junior Brother was injured while protecting the entire sect. If Senior Brother would simply part with that one medicinal herb, which has extraordinary healing properties, surely it would greatly aid his recovery…”
“Could it be that Senior Brother is unwilling even to give up such a small thing?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than several elders seated on the platform, those who maintained close relations with Elder Bai of the Medicine Sect, began speaking up in agreement.
Each of them praised Bai Shuangcheng’s kind and compassionate heart, advising Yin Xuanlin that as a senior brother he ought to value the bonds between fellow disciples and not be so unwilling to share.
But they had miscalculated one crucial point.
With Yin Xuanlin’s temperament, how could he possibly be so easily manipulated?
He let out a cold laugh on the spot and cast a mocking glance toward the assembled elders.
“So Junior Brother Xie lacks this single immortal herb to heal his injuries and therefore you intend to force me to give away the prize that I rightfully won?”
“What a splendid example of ‘presenting Buddha with borrowed flowers.’ Tell me, respected elders, especially Elder Bai, you yourself belong to the Medicine Sect. Surely your own treasury contains countless rare treasures. Why are you unwilling to bring them out yet so eager to scheme over the prize a junior disciple has earned?”
“If the intention truly were to heal his injuries, then when Junior Brother Xie was hurt last month, you should have generously stepped forward. Why wait until now to put on this hypocritical performance?”
“You… you rebellious disciple!”
Yin Xuanlin could not be bothered to listen to any more nonsense. He suddenly grabbed the radiant Condensing Fire Immortal Herb from among the prizes and, without even glancing at it, tossed it straight into Xie Chen’s arms.
“Everyone shut up already, you old fossils! Look carefully, this herb, I… have… given… it.”
He deliberately raised his voice, the corner of his mouth curling into a malicious arc.
“I’m being generous, aren’t I? What about the rest of you?”
“What, don’t tell me the precious medicine needed to heal your beloved disciple must all come from me, a completely unrelated person? Where’s the sincerity from all of you respected masters and elders? Let’s see what you’re willing to bring out!”
After that remark, several elders present trembled with anger at his blatant arrogance and disrespect, while another portion simply fell silent, saying nothing.
That very night, the private treasure vaults of the few elders who had spoken up in support of Bai Shuangcheng during the gathering were robbed.
Who could possibly have done it?
One hardly needed to think to know the answer.
Yet Yin Xuanlin’s methods were so meticulous that he left behind no trace whatsoever, leaving those elders to swallow their enormous loss in bitter silence.
There was no physical evidence either.
It was obvious that he had swallowed every single top grade pill he had stolen. Within only a few days, his cultivation advanced once again. Entering the Apricot Crystal Secret Realm afterward was as effortless for him as walking on flat ground.
Those elders who had suffered the theft could only feel their hearts bleeding.
Yet on the surface, they still had to force strained smiles in the grand hall, offering stiff congratulations on his advancement in cultivation.
How could anyone possibly endure such humiliation?
Before long, even Yin Xuanlin’s own master, True Person Luoye, who had always been known for his calm and detached temperament, was finally alarmed. He summoned Yin Xuanlin and gently admonished him, advising him not to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Toward True Person Luoye, Yin Xuanlin still retained a measure of respect.
According to a young servant who had been eavesdropping nearby, Yin Xuanlin had not acted arrogantly before his master. Instead, he complained with a tone full of grievance.
“But Master, you’ve seen it yourself. These days, from top to bottom in the entire sect, every single person favors Junior Brother Xie to an absurd degree!”
“Anything good should belong to him and even when he does something wrong, there’s always someone ready to excuse him.”
“And what about me? Everything I do is treated as a mistake! Even the things I win fair and square in open competition, they still try to force me to hand them over to him!”
True Person Luoye sighed upon hearing this.
“But Xuanlin, have you forgotten? Back when your talent was unmatched, didn’t the entire sect also indulge you in exactly the same way?”
One would have thought that after hearing such words, Yin Xuanlin would fall silent.
Instead, he immediately replied.
“How is that the same? Back then I truly possessed a once in a century fire spiritual root and I trained harder than anyone else. In the entire sect, when it comes to diligence in cultivation, I would claim second place and no one would dare claim first.”
“So of course all the best resources should have belonged to me.”
“But this Junior Brother Xie…”
“This so called once in a thousand years talent… it’s far too strange. Who knows what kind of tricks or forbidden methods he used to obtain it?”
Everyone listening nearby was stunned.
This Yin Xuanlin! Unable to surpass someone else, he resorted to accusing them of using forbidden techniques?
If not for the fact that he had once again won first place in the recent sect tournament, many people would have rushed out to confront him and demand an explanation on the spot.
Only Junior Brother Xie himself remained upright and honorable.
Perhaps unwilling to accept the favor of that immortal herb for nothing, once the injury in his hand had nearly healed, he carefully placed the Zhenfu Immortal Herb, something Yin Xuanlin had always coveted, into a jade box and personally brought it to Yin Xuanlin’s courtyard.
More than a year had passed now and throughout the entire cultivation world everyone knew that Xie Chen was aloof and indifferent, possessing a proud and unyielding character.
For him to take the initiative to attempt reconciliation like this was already difficult enough.
Yet his goodwill was treated like donkey liver and lungs.
Yin Xuanlin did not even allow him to step through the gate.
Instead, dressed in a brilliantly dazzling robe of green and red brocade, he lounged lazily against the carved railing on the second floor balcony. From that elevated position, he rested his chin on one hand and looked down with a cold smile.
“Yo~ It seems our pure and immaculate Junior Brother Xie, so aloof, so untouched by the mundane world, has finally begun to understand a little about the tedious customs of human courtesy.”
Xie Chen’s dark eyes deepened as he lifted his gaze toward him.
Several red maple trees grew in Yin Xuanlin’s courtyard, their autumn colors now at their richest.
Golden pavilions, emerald pines and crimson leaves burned like fire in the fall light. Below the pavilion stood the junior brother, his figure cold and ethereal as an immortal. Above, upon the upper floor, the senior brother shone brilliantly like drifting clouds at sunset.
Had Yin Xuanlin not been wearing such a twisted and malicious expression, it would have been an incomparably beautiful scene.
Unfortunately, that thoroughly unpleasant look of his shattered every bit of its poetic atmosphere.
The contrast between the two could not have been more obvious.
Ordinarily, given Xie Chen’s usual distant and indifferent temperament, he should have turned and left long ago.
But that day, he did not.
Instead, he stopped beneath the pavilion and stood there.
His dark eyes were steady and quiet as he watched Yin Xuanlin for a moment. Then, in a rare and unprecedented move, he spoke first. His voice was cool and restrained.
“Three months.”
“When the injury to my hand has fully healed, three months from now, I would like to compete with Senior Brother again, fairly and openly.”
The moment those words fell, it was like a single stone thrown into a still lake, stirring up a thousand ripples.
The news spread through the entire sect in an instant.
“Have you heard? Look at that, Junior Brother Xie isn’t afraid of that Yin fellow anymore!”
“On the contrary, ever since Junior Brother Xie issued the challenge, Senior Brother Yin has practically gone mad. He’s locked himself away and trains day and night.”
“He must be wary of the junior brother’s strength. That first place he got in the grand competition was never truly deserved in the first place!”
“Just wait. Three months from now, he’ll learn what a once in a thousand years genius really looks like!”
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, Yin Xuanlin practically forgot about sleep and food as he secluded himself for relentless cultivation.
Xie Chen, on the other hand, appeared entirely unconcerned. He continued his daily routine, cultivating, attending lessons, eating his meals, as though he had completely forgotten about the matter.
When the agreed day finally arrived, the martial arena was packed with people from wall to wall.
Just like before, the match ended extremely quickly.
There was none of the fierce, earth shaking battle everyone had imagined.
This time, Xie Chen did not even use any elaborate techniques. With the very first move, he effortlessly deflected Yin Xuanlin’s full force attack. Within three exchanges, he precisely struck the fire fan from Yin Xuanlin’s hand, sending it flying.
Immediately afterward, rings of flame snapped into place like shackles, binding Yin Xuanlin’s feet.
Xie Chen raised two fingers like a sword. A streak of condensed crimson gold radiance shot forward and stopped abruptly, half an inch before Yin Xuanlin’s Lingtai acupoint.
The moment the killing intent vanished, the outcome was already clear.
A complete, overwhelming and absolute victory.
Anyone with eyes could see that if Xie Chen had harbored even the slightest trace of murderous intent just now, Yin Xuanlin would already have died more than ten times over.
There was no possibility that he would merely be left with superficial injuries, lying on the ground in a daze, muttering to himself as he struggled to accept reality.
“Impossible…”
A loss was a loss.
Yet no one expected that Yin Xuanlin, even after losing, would still find a way to preserve his pride.
He climbed to his feet.
Then, without warning, he rushed straight toward Xie Chen and grabbed him, beginning to pat and search all over his body.
The crowd erupted in shock.
“S… Senior Brother Yin, what is he doing?!”
But Yin Xuanlin seemed not to hear them at all. He continued muttering to himself.
“No… something’s wrong… There must be something wrong!”
“This is impossible. You must be hiding some unknown magical treasure on you! Where is it? In your sleeve? Or in front of your chest? Or perhaps embedded in your belt?”
“Or… Xie Chen… have you really been cultivating some kind of demonic technique?”
The surrounding disciples could only feel that this was utterly unreasonable.
Xie Chen was a genius personally verified by the Spirit Measuring Stele. His strength crushing others so completely was perfectly normal.
Yet Yin Xuanlin, unable to comprehend the realm of a true genius, now wanted to slander him as a demonic cultivator?
Soon enough, the harsh words Yin Xuanlin had spoken in private also began circulating, further confirming his unwillingness to accept defeat,
“You all just wait and see! If I can’t prove that Xie Chen is a demonic cultivator, then I’ll stand on my head and run naked around the entire sect three times in front of everyone!”
“……”
“?????????”
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Fleurveil
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Once a chosen one of heavenChapter 2 · Why didn’t you crawl in the shadows?!Chapter 3 · They would rather fight each otherChapter 4 · I’ll do a handstand and run naked three times!Chapter 5 · So what if I’m showing off!Chapter 6 · If you look again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!Chapter 7 · The young couple is fighting again.Chapter 8 · I’m back at the Jinchan SectChapter 9 · Sour, sourChapter 10 · To seize credit for someone’s workChapter 11 · The Golden Toad Sect has come to our aid to annihilate the Demon LordChapter 12 · Sect Leader’s HusbandChapter 13 · The stone, fox, tree, and scarecrow are named XuanlinChapter 14 · My junior and I have had sweet moments in private!Chapter 15 · The truth behind their first falling out back thenChapter 16 · Hate lasts longer than loveChapter 17 · Xie Chen was actually the Demon LordChapter 18 · Slaying the Demon LordChapter 19 · From resistance to enjoymentChapter 20 · Xiao Xie’s perspective begins!Chapter 21 · Only because it was Yin XuanlinChapter 22 · Xie Chen was not a foolChapter 23 · The End