263: Chapter 261: Pulling the Tiger’s Skin 263: Chapter 261: Pulling the Tiger’s Skin The towering Heavenly Mist Peak penetrated the clouds, shrouded in mist at its summit, exuding a sense of mystery.
Xiao Ye descended the mountain path, drawing awe-filled gazes along the way.
“It’s him, the one who beat Yan Zhen in potential and set the record for the fastest ascent!”
“It seems that another young prodigy is about to rise in the Xingyun Kingdom.
I wonder which power he hails from?”
…
“I didn’t expect the news of my ascent to spread so quickly.”
Listening to the discussions around him, Xiao Ye frowned slightly.
The feeling of being the center of attention suddenly cast a shadow in his heart, as though a crisis was looming.
“Could it be the Yan Family?” Xiao Ye’s gaze flickered.
They shouldn’t have discovered that he was the murderer yet.
“No matter, it’s always good to be careful.”
Xiao Ye shook his head and sped up his pace down the mountain, ignoring the friendly overtures from the Martial Artists on the path.
While the pressure from the Array was still there during the descent, it was much less than on the way up.
Whoosh!
Three hours later, Xiao Ye finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
He surveyed his surroundings with a glance.
“Yan Zhen will probably come down soon; I can’t stay here too long.” Xiao Ye pondered for a moment, then shot up into the sky, ready to leave.
Whether his performance could attract the attention of the Xingyun Kingdom remained unknown.
He couldn’t simply wait here like a fool, especially since his strength was still quite far behind Yan Zhen’s.
“Young brother, you seem to be in quite a hurry!”
At that moment, a majestic and terrifying aura tore through the void, spreading like surging waves, locking the space around him.
An invisible hand made Xiao Ye fall from the sky.
“How powerful!”
Xiao Ye shook to his core, with a soul-deep tremor spreading through his body.
The three Xuandans within him trembled, then were firmly suppressed, unable to circulate even a shred of power.
Xiao Ye was alarmed.
The owner of this aura was the strongest being he had encountered since his debut, capable of suppressing his power with just their presence—a truly terrifying ability.
If a fight ensued, he would be killed without a doubt.
“I am the Great Elder of the Jian Family among the Eighteen Great Families of the Xingyun Kingdom.
I’ve heard that a young talent emerged on Heavenly Mist Peak and came specially to have a look,” said an old man, appearing in front of Xiao Ye like a ghost.
The elder was thin and dry.
With each opening and closing of his eyes, sword-like brilliance flickered within, revealing he was the source of that formidable aura.
“May I ask, young brother, from which faction of the Xingyun Kingdom do you come?
Maybe this old man knows them,” said the self-proclaimed Great Elder of the Jian Family, his stern face revealing a slight smile.
The Martial Artists at the foot of the mountain, upon hearing the elder’s introduction, immediately began to whisper among themselves.
“The Great Elder of the Jian Family is a famous Void Martial Realm expert in the Xingyun Kingdom.
Who would have thought that even he would come personally?”
“Naturally, our Xingyun Kingdom has a genius who could potentially be a Heavenly Son, so of course, he will attract the attention of various powers.”
“Right, the Jian Family is the closest here.
I expect other powers’ experts are also on their way.”
…
“Void Martial Realm experts are that powerful?” Xiao Ye listened to the crowd’s discussions and shuddered.
Only then did he realize he had underestimated the situation.
Even though he cultivated the strongest Xuanwu Realm Cultivation Technique, he was still completely powerless before a Void Martial Realm expert.
“It seems I have a long way to go before I can handle the old ancestor of the Yan Family,” Xiao Ye thought to himself, eyeing the elder before him with apprehension.
Without saying much, once Xiao Ye revealed his identity and origins, the Great Elder of the Jian Family would undoubtedly invite him to join the Jian Family.
Because of Xiao Teng, he had no fondness for these so-called Eighteen Great Families.
Moreover, the Jian Family was just one family power in the Xingyun Kingdom and held little appeal for Xiao Ye, unless it concerned the Xingyun Royal Family.
“If I expose my identity and origins and then reject the invitation, I will surely attract unnecessary trouble.” Xiao Ye was very clear that having extraordinary potential but no background was a terrible thing in the True Spirit Continent.
With this in mind, Xiao Ye adopted an arrogant demeanor and spoke: “I am Xiao Ye, an Outer Disciple of the Wuji Sect.”
Outer Disciple!
At these words, everyone inhaled sharply, staring wide-eyed in astonishment.
Such potential in Xiao Ye, and yet he was only an Outer Disciple?
How powerful then must the Inner Sect Disciples or Direct Disciples be?
Just what kind of power was the Wuji Sect?
The Great Elder of the Jian Family was clearly taken aback, and after a moment, he coughed dryly, “The Wuji Sect?
I consider myself quite worldly in East State, but I have never heard this name before.”
“Hmph, you haven’t heard of it because you are ignorant!
With the strength of our Wuji Sect, only those at the Emperor Martial Realm can come into contact with it.
You, on the other hand, are not qualified,” Xiao Ye coldly snorted.
The unabashedly rude attitude of Xiao Ye enveloped the Great Elder Jian with flames of rage in his eyes, yet his heart hesitated.
For a mere Martial Artist of the Xuanwu Realm to dare to be so arrogantly self-assured in front of him, he must either be foolish or possess considerable confidence.
Moreover, the True Spirit Continent is too vast.
It’s not surprising for there to be a power such as the Wuji Sect, which the Jian Family could ill afford to provoke.
Xiao Ye’s mix of feigned and genuine confidence inclined Great Elder Jian towards the latter.
“Hehe, it seems that your Sect really is a cradle of talent.
If there is a chance, this old man must definitely go and experience it for myself,” the Great Elder Jian retracted his aura and spoke with a friendly face.
“Wait until you have advanced to the Emperor Martial Realm,” said Xiao Ye.
After finishing his words, his figure shot up into the sky and swiftly disappeared above the heavens.
Xiao Ye’s arrogance left the Martial Artists present astonished and speechless.
“Wuji Sect, what kind of force is it actually?
Could it really be comparable to the Four Great Emperor Domains?” Great Elder Jian secretly wondered in his heart.
Half an hour later, a sound of tearing through the air came.
Everyone looked up to see Yan Zhen limping out from the mountain path.
“Where is that black-clothed brat!” Yan Zhen’s resentful gaze swept around, and he gritted his teeth.
All the Martial Artists who caught Yan Zhen’s gaze trembled in their bodies.
“The one in black?
Isn’t that the young man from before?” The Great Elder Jian, who was about to leave, saw Yan Zhen’s reaction and his heart suddenly skipped a beat, a bad premonition washing over him.
“Young man Yan Zhen, do you know the origins of that black-clothed youngster?” Great Elder Jian’s figure flashed in front of Yan Zhen as he asked coldly.
“Uncle Jian!”
Upon seeing Great Elder Jian, Yan Zhen was startled and then gave a respectful bow, explaining the grudge between Xiao Ye and the Yan Family.
Out of the eighteen great families of the Xingyun Kingdom, the Jian Family had a relatively good relationship with the Yan Family, often cooperating with each other.
Listening to Yan Zhen’s account, Great Elder Jian’s face gradually turned livid with anger, nearly vomiting blood.
He, a Void Martial Realm Expert, was actually played by a little guy from the Xuanwu Realm?
“Uncle Jian, does that brat also have a grudge against the Jian Family?” Yan Zhen was taken aback and asked softly.
Great Elder Jian felt bitter inside.
It was not Xiao Ye who had a grudge against the Jian Family, but against him.
But how could he admit such a thing in front of a junior?
“Uncle Jian, rest assured, that youngster hails from the Endless Sea and doesn’t have many Primordial Stones for cultivation.
Thus, he might risk venturing into that Void Martial Realm expert’s cave dwelling.
I will surely kill him when the time comes!” Yan Zhen’s eyes flashed with a cold glint, and a surge of boundless killing intent rose from him.
Xiao Ye had severed half of his foot, and although the Yan Family had Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to help him recover, the humiliation was etched into his bones.
“When the time comes, my family’s Young Master will also go there; we absolutely cannot let this kid get away,” the Great Elder Jian nodded slightly, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes.
…
Xiao Ye was unaware of the schemes these two were plotting.
He flew tirelessly for a day and a night before he dared to stop.
“I flew for so long; there’s no way the Great Elder Jian and Yan Zhen can catch up,” Xiao Ye landed in a city and blended into the crowd.
No doubt about it, the True Spirit Continent is truly vast.
Just the Xingyun Kingdom is the size of seven or eight Yulan Domains.
“The vast True Spirit Continent awaits my exploration!” Xiao Ye’s heart brimmed with expectation.
The city where Xiao Ye was now located, called Wind Wave City, was many times larger than Coastal City.
Recently, the noise and hubbub over the cave dwelling of the Void Martial Realm expert had reached fever pitch; Xiao Ye heard many conversations about it as he walked among the crowd.
At the same time, he heard some news that filled him with ecstatic joy.
The appearance of this Void Martial Realm cave dwelling had once stirred up a great deal of bloodshed in the Xingyun Kingdom.
Even Void Martial Realm Experts desired to explore it.
In the end, more and more Void Martial Realm Experts emerged and clashed with each other.
It was ultimately the Royal Family that stepped in to calm the storm, and it was agreed that only Martial Artists of the Xuanwu Realm would be allowed into the cave.
“As long as no Void Martial Realm Experts enter, I won’t have to worry.”
“First, I need to buy the potion to decrypt the Blank Scroll!” Remembering the Blank Scroll in his Space Ring, Xiao Ye felt a burning desire and entered a shop on the street.
The process of purchasing the Decryption Potion was surprisingly simple and the price quite cheap; it only cost one Mid-grade Primordial Stone, which left him somewhat embarrassed.
Following that, Xiao Ye also bought a map of the Xingyun Kingdom and then casually selected an inn to stay in.
“I have only forty-nine Mid-grade Primordial Stones left.
I hope there are Mid-grade Primordial Stones in that cave dwelling for my cultivation,” Xiao Ye tallied his possessions and couldn’t help a wry smile.
Inside the room, Xiao Ye flipped his hand, and from the Space Ring, he took out the Blank Scroll and spread it out before him.
“What sort of Body Refining Battle Skill will it be?” Xiao Ye poured out a purple potion from a porcelain bottle onto the Blank Scroll.
Boom!
Moments later, a fierce glow rose from the Blank Scroll, illuminating the entire room.