On the shattered Martial Arts Square, many students were filled with hesitation. Although they were all talents from various places, aside from the elite students of the Heavenly Level Academy, the students from the Earth, Xuan and Yellow Three Colleges were rely cultivators below the Innate level. Their strength was not very formidable. Going to the Demon Suppression City, where Demon Beasts wrought havoc, they did not have much ability to protect their own lives. They were more likely to beco food for the Demon Beasts.
After considering this, many chose to retreat, but no one blad them, for knowing that they lacked the strength yet rushing to the battlefield for montary valor was not courageous, it was foolish.
Facing the retreat of these students, the Crown Prince did not get angry, but it wasn’t just the students from the Three Colleges. Even so of the better elite students from the Heavenly Level Academy chose to withdraw. This disappointed him. With a cold huff, he said, "All useless trash, not even daring to take to the battlefield to kill demons. How will you dare to beco true powerhouses in the future?"
The retreating, hesitating elite students of the Heavenly Level Academy turned shades of green and white, looking pretty bad, but faced with the Crown Prince’s questioning, they simply had nothing to say.
Ye Chen couldn’t help but shake his head. Were these so-called elite students of the Heavenly Level Academy? They were just a bunch of cowards. Of course, this was only a part of them and could not be generalized.
The Thirteenth Prince, Li Hu, Hua Shaoyang, and others chose to participate. The lady in red as well as Vivian, both won did the sa. Even a considerable number of students from the Earth, Xuan and Yellow Three Colleges resolutely chose to rush to the Demon Suppression City to fight and protect their country.
"Ye Chen, see you tonight!"
The Crown Prince was very cold. His eyes only had Ye Chen as an opponent. He nodded at him, leaving behind these words before turning and leaving, swift as the wind. In a few strides, he was gone, completely disappearing from everyone’s sight.
"Ye Chen, I will be going first. See you tonight!" the Thirteenth Prince said too. The lady in red followed him as they both left. Ye Chen seed thoughtful as if he understood sothing.
As for Xia Mang, Li Hu, and even Yang Yi, they all left in a dispirited manner without saying a word.
In the end, Ye Chen also left but did not head to Danxin Palace to find Li Yun. He knew that with the Demon Beast disruption, the much-anticipated auction was unlikely to be held as scheduled.
What a pity, he had already prepared enough capital to participate in the auction but didn’t expect the Demon Beast turmoil to occur just then.
Honestly, he was quite curious what this so-called Divine Secret Treasure really was.
After leaving, Ye Chen wandered alone within the Xiafeng Academy. It could be said that it had been a long ti since he had experienced such free monts. The last ti he was idle was when he was with Ye Zii.
In the end, he didn’t go to the Gravity Tower for cultivation. Instead, he ca to a beautiful small lake in the Academy and lay down on the lush grassy shore, biting on a stalk of dog-tail grass, lazily basking in the sun, enjoying the rare leisure ti.
Elder Yan appeared, looking at the leisurely Ye Chen, and said, "You’re really enjoying the leisure, aren’t you? The Demon Beast upheaval has begun, and you’re the primary culprit. Now, the whole Xiafeng Country is in panic, and you, the biggest shadowy figure behind it, are here enjoying a sunbath."
Ye Chen spoke lightly, "Whether I’m a shadowy figure or not is not important now. Whether we act or not, that bone fragnt would have been stolen sooner or later, and the Demon Beast upheaval would still occur. It’s just that it ended up in my hands instead of soone else’s."
Elder Yan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you talking about the Martial God Temple?"
"The Martial God Temple is a very mysterious organization, probably comparable to a super force like the Three Great Empires’ university. If not, it’s not much different. This Treasure Map bone fragnt contains a great secret, and the Martial God Temple will not let it go easily. They will surely act to seize it eventually. I even suspect that the Demon Beast upheaval happening half a month early this ti may also be due to the Martial God Temple or a similar force working behind the scenes."
Ye Chen analyzed that the reason why the Demon Beast Mountain Range launched this historically terrible upheaval half a month early was that the people from the Martial God Temple acted in secret, suspecting that Xiafeng Country had obtained the bone fragnt. Since it wasn’t handed over, they used provocative ans to force Xiafeng Country to surrender it.
As for why they didn’t directly use the prestige of the Martial God Temple to coerce openly, there was probably so consideration that prevented them from doing so.
Elder Yan was silent. Ye Chen’s analysis made sense. In fact, it was very likely the case.
Then Elder Yan said, "Little Chenzi, are you participating in this upheaval because..."
Ye Chen smiled slowly and nodded in agreent, making Elder Yan shake his head. This guy had a lot of nerve, harboring such thoughts was practically suicidal.
Lying there, Ye Chen’s spirit beca fuzzy, and he slowly drifted off to sleep, falling asleep without any alertness.
Not knowing how much ti had passed, as the sun set in the west, Ye Chen finally woke up, slling a faint and pleasant fragrance. He imdiately realized that a girl had co by his side, and she was soone he knew.
He opened his eyes slightly and saw a graceful and serene girl sitting with her knees hugged, dressed in a mint green tunic and a plain long skirt. A breeze blew by, lifting her locks across her face.
As if sensing sothing, the girl looked at Ye Chen, her bright eyes smiling, a burst of flowers blooming, her hair brushing lightly as she softly said, "My lord, you are awake."
"Vivian, what brings you here?" Ye Chen looked at the girl with so confusion.
Vivian smiled and said, "I just ca for a walk, to see this familiar Academy. I didn’t expect to see the lord here, sunbathing and napping. Aren’t you worried about the Demon Beast upheaval?"
Ye Chen laid back, enjoying the warm sun, and spoke indifferently, "What’s there to worry about? What will be, will be. After all, whether I worry or not, it won’t change anything."
Vivian was first startled, then she laughed, truly worthy of being a Young Master, extraordinary indeed.
Just like that, a man and a woman sat beside the lake among the grass, silent in each other’s company. Yet at that mont, silence was more eloquent than speech.
After an indefinite period, Vivian suddenly stood up and said, "Young Master, would you be willing to take a walk with Vivian?"
Ye Chen gazed at the girl in her ever-familiar mint green dress, standing gracefully like a fresh, beautiful lotus flower that rises unblemished from the muddy water, cleansed but not seductive; it was as if he saw a shadow deeply familiar to his soul, and he couldn’t help but utter, "Chen’er..."
However, when he gathered his senses, she was no longer the girl who once haunted his heart, and he felt sowhat despondent.
"Chen’er?" Vivian asked in confusion. Regaining his composure, Ye Chen replied with a faint smile, "Because my na is Ye Chen, my parents were used to calling Chen’er, so I just spoke to myself for a mont."
Was it really just talking to himself? Vivian’s heart sank, for she clearly saw the tenderness in the depths of the boy’s eyes when he called out that na, a warmth she had never seen before.
It must be the person Young Master Ye Chen is fond of.
Vivian’s expression beca slightly desolate. Ye Chen was always slow to catch on in these matters and did not understand why, so he patted the girl’s forehead lightly and asked, "Vivian, what’s wrong?"
The girl imdiately broke into a smile, shook her head, and said, "It’s nothing, Young Master, you’re overthinking it."
The two of them walked together along the shore of a small lake within the Academy. The lake’s azure waves shimred, the shores were lined with weeping willows, and with the breeze blowing and the sun shining brightly, it seed the perfect rendezvous spot for lovers. Vivian felt a blush creep over her face, and glancing at the occasionally smiling, sunny boy beside her, she lowered her head in shyness.
At that mont, she wished this path would never end.
They walked on, but Ye Chen was slightly awkward, unable to find a topic of conversation. Eventually, Vivian, seeing the boy’s silly, dazed expression, couldn’t help but purse her lips into a smile, as if a gentle spring breeze was brushing her face, bright and charming. With a light smile and eyes that could bewitch the soul, she even caused the boy to be transfixed.
"Young Master, you—" Vivian began.
But Ye Chen cut her off before she could finish, saying, "Vivian, from now on just call Ye Chen. I’m not used to this ’Young Master’ title."
Vivian’s cheeks reddened as she nodded, then, trying to find sothing to say, she said, "Ye—Ye Chen, I really didn’t expect that you would be Ye Chen."
"It’s not surprising, after all, I was once thought to have a ruined Dantian and lost all my Cultivation overnight. From a genius to a waste, how many people thought I could rise again?" Ye Chen didn’t avoid speaking of his past. Perhaps it was just the unawakened self, but after awakening, he could face it all calmly.
Vivian nodded and then fell silent. After a while, she suddenly said, "Ye Chen, thank you. If it wasn’t for you stepping in, my grandfather wouldn’t have been saved, and I would have..."
Ye Chen stopped her, "We’re friends, it’s only right to help."
"Friends... just friends?" Vivian murmured, sowhat dazed.
Ye Chen gave a slight, bitter smile and shook his head. He knew very well Vivian’s feelings, that she perhaps truly liked him. This could be known from the kiss she gave him in front of everyone at Danxin Palace.
In this world, won are reserved and shy, never easily revealing their emotions, let alone kissing, which undoubtedly expresses inner feelings.
But he couldn’t easily accept these feelings, for his heart was already filled with the shadows of a few won, leaving no room for others. Moreover, he didn’t want to hurt Vivian; he would eventually leave Xiafeng Country, even leave the Tiandu Continent.
The two of them were just passersby in life; so things needed to be resolved sooner rather than later.
Finally, Ye Chen turned resolutely and walked away. Vivian just gazed at the receding figure of the boy, her eyes misty with unshed tears as they fell, dampening the front of her garnt.
At this mont, she understood Ye Chen’s intentions, but she just couldn’t accept it...
As night fell, Elder Duanmu appeared beneath the Power Stele at the Martial Arts Square. He was the one from Xiafeng Academy, about to head to Demon Suppression City in the Martial God Realm.
The once crowded square now seed sparse in comparison, with only dozens of figures remaining, more than half of whom were elite students from the Heavenly Level Academy.
Seeing this scene, Elder Duanmu couldn’t help but sigh softly.
The Crown Prince walked up to Ye Chen and, despite his usual seriousness, a smile appeared on his face, "You truly didn’t disappoint ."
Ye Chen gave a light smile but deliberately avoided looking back at the girl who was watching him with a deep lancholic gaze.
"Let’s set out," said Elder Duanmu, and with a shudder of his body, a brilliance covered the sky as he took the group of disciples and soared into the heavens, heading towards Demon Suppression City.
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