Free Your Cultivations
Yang Chen sneered at the suppression coming from the True Qi of Xiantian Full Cycle. Should he have received this at full force in the past, he would have been slightly intimidated. But now that he had achieved the Soul Forming stage, survived one round of heavenly tribulation, and stepped into this unknown realm, nothing like this fazed him anymore.
One broad swing of his arms and the entire True Qi compulsion coercing within the hall dissociated, as if none of it even happened.
"Look, I"m not here to pick a fight. I"m also not interested in your dumb rules and regulations. I"ve been patiently communicating with you like a civilized person. But you chose to act hostile in response. Do you really think you could pick on me? Or are you just testing the waters?"
Yang Chen"s casual retaliation might not have exposed much of his actual cultivation level, but it left a bitter taste in Tang Dianshan and the rest of the elders.
Everyone in attendance was at least of the Xiantian level but none of them was able to detect the flow of Qi within Yang Chen. This led them to conclude that Yang Chen was perhaps practicing some form of demonic cultivation that had allowed him to progress to this point in such a short time.
Tang Luyi"s expressions instantly took a turn for the worst. "I heard you have achieved Xiantian Full Cycle. It seems like we have severely underestimated the level of your cultivation."
Obviously, after his subtle showing of reciprocation, the elders in attendance were harbouring second thoughts.
"Nonetheless, if you think that gives you a pa.s.s to wreak havoc in the Tang Sect, I"m afraid to say that you are very wrong." Tang Luyi went back to her chilling, hostile self. "Both my brother and I are in the Xiantian Full Cycle realm. Should we team up against you, you stand no chance."
Seeing as though the situation was going to take a turn for the worst, Cai Ning courageously stood up against Tang Luyi as she demanded, "Master, why can"t we just have a civilized conversation?"
Tang Luyi"s pupils were enlarged from fury. "You ungrateful brat. Are you blaming me for this? Who was the one single-handedly raising you all these years, teaching you martial arts and training you to become a cultivator? Now that you have this vile rascal by your side, you dare to talk back at me?"
Cai Ning was red as a tomato. Tears started to spill from her eyes. "Forgive me, Master, for I had no intention of framing you. I apologize but I don"t see the need to defy your promise. Your disciple has brought Yang Chen into the sect for a discussion on entering the Tower of Scrolls. Shouldn"t there at least be some form of discussion before this?"
Yang Chen pushed her aside as he held onto Cai Ning"s wrist. "Hey hey, what are you doing? Why are you defending me? I can handle it myself, if you ever do that again I"m going to strip your pants and give you a good spank."
"Disgusting sc.u.m! How dare you speak such vile comments in this sacred hall!" Tang Luyi taunted.
Tang Dianshan stood up and approached them.
"Ning"er, let Uncle leave you with an advice." Tang Dianshan scratched on his split mustache as he grinned warmly. "The truth is, before I chose to let you bring Yang Chen here, I have already made up my mind to deny his entry into the Tower of Scrolls. It is not a place where anyone could just enter. There are strict rules and regulations to that.
"If any important doc.u.ments were spread to the commoners of China, this would result in a ma.s.sive instability within the country! He has only returned to the country for two short years, and his reputation is worse than his ident.i.ty. How is it that we could allow this dishonorable man to enter the tower?"
Cai Ning was pale as a sheet as she realized that the situation was not as simple as she made it out to be!
Yang Chen was dumbfounded. "So I gather that there is another reason you have summoned me here, and it"s not for the discussion to enter the tower?"
"Quite so." Tang Dianshan"s loathsome gaze was fixated upon Yang Chen. "We need you to hand over a prized possession that is rightfully the property of China."
"What? What could I possibly have that you need?"
"Hmph, still as c.o.c.ky huh?" Tang Luyi had a gaze sharp like a falcon as she sneered. "Yun Miao had already notified me that the technique you"d been practising was the same one that vanished alongside Song Tianxing from Shushan decades ago. The distinct pulse technique of Shushan, the Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture has not been reclaimed here in the tower.
"It was known to have vanished from the face of this earth, but now in its reappearance, I believe it is only appropriate to return to its rightful owner of Shushan, which is to keep it secure here."
Yang Chen was stupefied before bursting out into laughter. "I was actually confused for a moment there. All you want is my technique."
He had finally wrapped his head around it.
"Oh you guys must have really planned this through. Not only are you unwilling to share a single stretch of any techniques, you want to strip away the only technique that I distinctly have. Abbess Yun Miao, the only successor of Shushan, has not once intended to reclaim that from me. But I see you do not share her sentiment."
"That nun Yun Miao had been engulfed in ch.o.r.es of her own and has no longer any interest in securing the succession of Shushan. That responsibility now lies with us. Defending and safeguarding the Sichuan-Shushan cultivation techniques are our sole responsibility. Reclaiming the Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture from you is legitimate and the rightful thing to be done.
"No one could have foreseen Song Tianxing taking you in as his disciple. Your ident.i.ty is that of Pluto from the foreign lands, not one of us. Moreover, you have not once proven your loyalty to the country.
"If you want to keep your cultivation intact, hand over the technique now, or else…" Tang Dianshan was gradually more stern in his demands.
Cai Ning at this point could not take anymore. She did not think that it would come to a point where her elders would force Yang Chen to an ultimatum.
Yang Chen reached out and gave her a pat on the back, rea.s.suring her that everything was going to be fine. "Or what? Are you going to force me to comply?"
"We were just offering some advice. How you choose to take it will alter the course of our actions." Tang Dianshan was running out of patience.
"Then it"s no longer my fault to speak in such a steadfast manner. Your position as the successor of one of the four dominant clans means nothing here. There are many clans out there that are eyeing for that position as we speak. I a.s.sure you there are a number of them, my clan would gladly play the role of disrupting the fragile peace in Beijing for the last few decades."
The tension in the building was escalating in an unprecedented manner.
Yang Chen thought for a while, before he took to question. "I"m rather curious though, as to what your motivation is for all this, for you to be willing to bear the risk by deploying around ten of your Xiantian masters to strip me off my Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture.
"Regardless of the technique and the prowess that ensues, it is hard to believe that there isn"t another technique of equal footing in the world. I"m sure you"re aware that the Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture was pa.s.sed down through word of mouth. And pressuring me and blackmailing me against the ideals of n.o.bility that you guys maintain.
"For a technique that you might not be able to practise or even comprehend, I suppose there must be a different reason you are so willing to use such unorthodox methods to extract it out of me."
"Enough of needless talk. Tell me, are you going to hand it over or not…"
Tang Luyi had a tinge of insecurity flashed through her eyes, but she instantly clamped down on the interrogation.
Yang Chen waved his hands in denial. "I"m not much of a n.o.ble person, but a man"s pride should be respected and I intend to keep it that way. Just because you want to s.n.a.t.c.h it away from me doesn"t mean I"m going to let it go lightly. How can I face my women in the future if I let this one go?"
Cai Ning had mixed emotions as she glanced towards Yang Chen before she forced herself right in front of Yang Chen and cleared her throat.
"Master, if you must back us in this corner, then think of me as a rebellious disciple for I shall stand by Yang Chen"s side through it all. I will defend my decision."
Even though Cai Ning was rather confident towards Yang Chen"s capabilities, deep down she knew exactly how fearsome Tang Luyi and Tang Dianshan were.
"You ungrateful disciple…"
Tang Luyi started to rage. "I see that you"re blinded by this vile monster. I believe I should take it to myself to free you from your cultivations!"
As her words dropped Tang Luyi instantly shaped her long, skinny fingers into a claw and reached out for Cai Ning"s neck at lightning speed.
It was an elementary attack but was a lethal combination of hundreds of dark and feminine techniques. Even though it wasn"t at its peak performance, it was enough to overpower Cai Ning who was short of the Xiantian realm.
Cai Ning was horrified as she panickingly retaliated with dozens of plum needles barely visible to the eye, in an attempt to hold her ground.
As she had yet to achieve the Xiantian realm, counter reactions of any sort were nothing but futile efforts.
The hidden weapon was the direct creation of her sect elders. In addition to the fact that she was Cai Ning"s only master, Tang Luyi effortless flapped her hair and stopped the needles in their tracks.
Cai Ning could not believe that her own master would attempt to take her life.
Within the split second, a masculine palm swooped right before Cai Ning"s gaze as it effortless grabbed onto the oncoming palm.
Tang Luyi"s twisted palm was gridlocked with ease.
Lynic"s notes:
Chapter 6/7
Goal is. .h.i.t! Daily chapters for September!