Chapter 512: Chapter 294: The Weak

"Why would the Young Sect Leader send you such a formal invitation?" Xu Qing asked curiously.

The invitation was only a few words, but the phrasing was quite significant—Bai Shaoling had used the term "respectfully invite."

Xu Yang pondered for a moment before saying, "It’s probably about the Secondary Dragon Ascension."

He didn’t have much of a connection with Bai Shaoling, having only exchanged a few words when he broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm. This probably wasn’t an invitation just for him.

Considering there wasn’t much time left before he had to go to Yun Province to register, as Elder Huoyun had mentioned, he figured it had to be related to the Secondary Dragon Ascension.

Xu Qing’s curious expression immediately fell. "You... you’re leaving?"

Xu Yang sighed. "It should be soon."

She lowered her head, her spirits sinking in an instant. She had trained desperately, fighting her way to the Purple Sun Sect.

And now, after only two or three years, they were going to be separated again.

This time, she knew there was likely no way she could catch up to Xu Yang. With her talent, she’d have trouble even achieving Marrow Cleansing without his help, let alone qualifying for the Secondary Dragon Ascension. Even breaking through to the Celestial Essence Realm would be a long shot.

She had always known Xu Yang would leave; she just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

"Don’t be sad. Just focus on your cultivation here in the Purple Sun Sect. Once I’ve established myself over there, I’ll send for you."

Xu Yang couldn’t help but gently pat her head. He couldn’t bear to see the little lass upset.

"You’d better keep your word." A smile finally returned to Xu Qing’s face. That was the promise she had been waiting for.

"Mhm!"

Xu Yang nodded firmly. "After I leave, try not to venture outside the Purple Sun Sect. If anyone bullies you, endure it for now. I’ll deal with them for you when I get back."

Now that the topic was raised, he gave Xu Qing some instructions. He would make further arrangements later to ensure her safety.

Knowing that he had taken back the Su Family’s Starlight, he decided he would get Xu Qing a Half-Spirit Weapon she could use openly before he left.

At half past five in the evening, he descended Medicine King Peak and headed for Tianquan Peak.

Tianquan Peak, Wind Listening Pavilion.

The Wind Listening Pavilion was typically reserved for entertaining distinguished guests or for major Sect celebrations. For a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect to be able to set foot inside meant they had already achieved a certain status.

In the elegant pavilion, Bai Shaoling stood up, invited Sun Tao to take a seat, and poured him a cup of tea before sitting down himself.

"Thank you, Young Sect Leader!"

Sun Tao clasped his fist in salute, nodded to Zhang Hanzhou beside him, and then sat down.

"Junior Brother Sun, please have some tea. We’ll start the feast once everyone has arrived," Bai Shaoling said with a smile.

Sun Tao nodded and lifted his teacup for a light sip.

TAP, TAP...

The sound of footsteps drew their attention. The few men present looked up to see Ye Qiuling.

The three men’s eyes lit up as they took in the sight of this impossibly beautiful woman.

Bai Shaoling quickly rose to welcome her, ushering Ye Qiuling to her seat.

Just as he had gotten Ye Qiuling seated, someone else walked in from outside—it was Li Chuyang.

"I wonder, for what purpose has the Young Sect Leader invited us here?" Li Chuyang asked bluntly as soon as he sat down.

"For the Secondary Dragon Ascension. As for the details, let’s wait until everyone is here," Bai Shaoling replied with a smile.

Li Chuyang glanced around and saw that only Xu Yang and Jiang Fan had yet to arrive. A flicker of displeasure crossed his face, but since it wasn’t the appointed time yet, he couldn’t very well say anything.

Besides, today’s host was the Young Sect Leader. Even as Li Lingdu’s son, he had to show Bai Shaoling some courtesy.

"Apologies, we’re late!" Jiang Fan’s voice rang out from outside.

Everyone turned to see him arriving together with Xu Yang.

"Not at all. You’re not even past the time I set."

Bai Shaoling stood up with a smile, inviting Xu Yang and Jiang Fan to their seats with a very humble attitude.

"This is a gathering for the Secondary Dragon Ascension. It seems Qi Xuancheng is out of the running," Zhang Hanzhou sighed.

Qi Xuancheng had been kept in seclusion by Medicine King Peak’s Master Qi Tai for many years, only emerging when he reached the age for the Secondary Dragon Ascension. Everyone thought he would leave all others in the dust, but instead, he was eliminated before he even got a ticket to participate.

His words brought a wave of sighs from the crowd.

"Who says I’m out of the running?!"

A sudden, explosive shout rang out. Everyone looked up in surprise to see Qi Xuancheng, his entire body pulsing with energy and exuding a faint Spirituality, flying through the air toward them.

Everyone wore a look of shock. From his appearance, it was obvious Qi Xuancheng had broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm.

No one had expected that after failing twice, he would go temper himself in the Yunling Mountain Range and actually succeed in breaking through to Celestial Essence. He hadn’t vanished without a trace like Yan Guiyun.

"Haha... Excellent! I didn’t expect Junior Brother Qi to also break through to Celestial Essence! The Purple Sun Sect has one more genius participating in the Secondary Dragon Ascension!" Bai Shaoling stood up and laughed heartily.

With Qi Xuancheng’s breakthrough, the happiest person was undoubtedly him, the Young Sect Leader.

"Senior Brother Qi, you truly did not disappoint Master’s hopes," Li Chuyang also said with a smile, rising to his feet.

Qi Xuancheng was a disciple of his master, Qi Tai, so he was naturally also happy for Qi Xuancheng’s breakthrough.

Xu Yang, Sun Tao, and the others also stood up to offer their congratulations. After a round of pleasantries, Bai Shaoling ordered someone to add another stool, and the banquet began.

Plate after plate of exquisite dishes was served—Exotic Beast Tiger Whip, Exotic Bear Paw, all of them highly nourishing. However, for Celestial Essence Martial Artists, any food not containing Spiritual Qi was essentially just for satisfying worldly cravings.

"This is some Spirit Wine bestowed by the Sect Leader. There isn’t much, so let’s make do."

Finally, Bai Shaoling took out a jar crafted from Mutton Fat Jade and poured a small cup for each person.

In an instant, a rich, fragrant aroma of wine wafted out, accompanied by a faint trace of Spiritual Qi.

Xu Yang noticed that even Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan, two individuals with extraordinary backgrounds, had a gleam in their eyes. Clearly, this stuff was quite precious.

"Everyone, drink up before the Spiritual Qi dissipates," Bai Shaoling said with a smile, raising his cup.

Xu Yang raised his cup as well and took a small sip. He felt a potent alcoholic kick rise from his stomach straight to his head.

His eyes lit up. This Spirit Wine actually had the wondrous effect of stabilizing and strengthening one’s Heart Spirit, and its effect was far stronger than the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill.

The medicinal power within the wine also had some effect on increasing one’s cultivation, but the small boost to cultivation was practically negligible compared to the enhancement of one’s Heart Spirit.

"What fine wine!" Sun Tao couldn’t help but exclaim.

Among everyone present, he and Xu Yang had the humblest backgrounds.

Xu Yang was doing alright; he had secretly killed quite a few people, consumed who knows how much Spirit Medicine, and seen his fair share of treasures.

As for him, aside from the single stalk of Spirit Medicine he had obtained by chance, he had never really seen any true treasures.

Now, seeing that a small cup of wine could have the wondrous effect of strengthening his Heart Spirit, he couldn’t help but cry out.

"Everyone, please eat," Bai Shaoling said with a smile.

’This is more than just fine wine,’ he thought. ’Even as the Young Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, I’ve only tasted this Spirit Wine once or twice. If not for the fact that everyone present today is a future pillar of the Sect, Zhang Jingyuan would never have brought out something so valuable.’

As he ate and drank, Xu Yang observed the others.

Li Chuyang was arrogant, basically ignoring everyone besides Bai Shaoling and Qi Xuancheng. He didn’t even pay much mind to a beauty like Ye Qiuling.

Ye Qiuling had a very pleasant personality. She would answer anyone who spoke to her with a smile.

Sun Tao was more tactful. He could chat with anyone, except for the haughty Li Chuyang.

Zhang Hanzhou, on the other hand, was unabashedly trying to curry favor with Li Chuyang, but unfortunately, Li Chuyang paid him no mind.

Bai Shaoling, the Young Sect Leader, did his best to foster a harmonious atmosphere and keep the mood lively.

Jiang Fan was also quite active, speaking freely with everyone except Li Chuyang. Only Xu Yang and Qi Xuancheng remained quiet, simply eating and drinking in silence.

The meal soon ended. Bai Shaoling had the dishes cleared and tea served to everyone before he finally spoke. "Everyone has likely guessed why I invited you here today, so I’ll be direct.

"Registration for the Secondary Dragon Ascension is imminent. All of you have already obtained a ticket to participate and have a chance to leap the dragon gate and enter the Celestial Strategy Academy."

He took a light sip of tea and continued, "The Secondary Dragon Ascension is a clash among geniuses. Talent is important, of course, but it isn’t everything.

"If you know anything about the past selection processes, you’ll know that the Celestial Strategy Academy’s methods are ever-changing and unpredictable. Sometimes, the trials they set up make it very difficult for an individual to succeed on their own. Unless you are a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride or a genius with Root Bone Perfection, you risk failure."

Zhang Hanzhou, Ye Qiuling, and a few others nodded lightly. This was also why Zhang Hanzhou had previously approached Ye Qiuling to team up.

Even in the Martial Arts Examination, people formed cliques to sabotage their rivals. How could the even more important Secondary Dragon Ascension be any different?

While they might not be specifically targeted, the selection methods were not fixed. Sometimes it was just a free-for-all. If they encountered that kind of trial, even a genius with Root Bone Perfection could be eliminated, to say nothing of anyone less than a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride.

This was where the importance of having a few allies became apparent.

Xu Yang listened for a while and understood. This kind of alliance was a preemptive measure. Since the selection method hadn’t been announced, no one knew what the Celestial Strategy Academy would do. You couldn’t just wait until it started to look for allies.

"It’s a long-standing tradition in our Purple Sun Sect for fellow disciples to team up to handle the Celestial Strategy Academy’s unpredictable selection methods," Bai Shaoling said with a smile.

"This alliance," Li Chuyang began, "is its goal to pool our strength to ensure one person succeeds in the Dragon Ascension, or is the goal for everyone to succeed?"

"The goal is, of course, for everyone to succeed. However, when difficult choices must be made, I hope everyone will prioritize their fellow Sect members," Bai Shaoling said.

"I have no interest in babysitting the weak."

Li Chuyang’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces. "My family will arrange for experts to team up with me. If I have to look after them, it will only drag down my performance.

"Of course, if I have strength to spare during the trials, I’ll look out for them."

The expressions on Zhang Hanzhou’s and Ye Qiuling’s faces changed slightly. Although they had expected Li Chuyang wouldn’t team up with them, it was still uncomfortable to be so bluntly called weak.

Xu Yang, Sun Tao, and Jiang Fan, however, showed little reaction. They hadn’t been fond of Li Chuyang to begin with and had no desire to team up with the arrogant fellow.

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