"I am stronger than you!"
Hong Long stared down at Hong Yu with cold indifference.
Hong Yu felt a stifling pressure in his chest. It was that feeling of powerlessness again, and he hated his own ager strength.
His eyes blazed like torches, shining with a fiery light. He wasn't discouraged, but he secretly resolved to break through to the Earth Soul Realm as soon as possible. 'As long as I can break through to the Earth Soul Realm, I'll be able to openly reveal my full potential and strength. Then, I'll stand a fighting chance against Hong Long!'
Enduring this for now wasn't cowardice; it was rely paving the way to one day avenge this humiliation.
"HAHAHA! Hong Yu, I look forward to you getting a little stronger. It'll be much more satisfying to crush you then!" Seeing a crowd gathering, Hong Long let out a loud laugh and strode away.
Hong Yu stared at the hulking figure receding into the distance, his gaze as dark as still water. His fists were clenched so tight his palms were slick with sweat. He muttered, "Hong Long, Hong Renjie… Just you wait. I, Hong Yu, will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold."
His face expressionless, he picked up the unconscious Liu Liyun and started toward the Outer Sect's Cyan Cliff Peak.
Along the way, the gazes everyone directed at Hong Yu were complicated.
So gloated over his misfortune, so watched with cold indifference, and others offered scornful remarks…
Li Que and Zhao Lin, who had once tried to follow Hong Yu, were particularly animated, seemingly desperate to let everyone know they had cut ties with him. "I said it long ago, that guy has the face of a jinx. Anyone who gets close to him is dood to suffer."
Zhao Lin nodded in agreent. "That idiot Liu Liyun refused to jump ship with us, and now he's suffered this pointless disaster for nothing. He even offended an Inner Sect Disciple. How pathetic!"
Li Que laughed heartily. "He wants to be an idiot. What can we do about it?"
Hong Yu happened to be passing by them just then. His gaze turned icy as he swept a cold look over the two.
That sharp, cold stare felt like a blade stabbing into Li Que and Zhao Lin, as if a Netherworld Death God was watching them intently. Their legs trembled, their courage failed them, and the insults on the tips of their tongues were swallowed back down.
It wasn't until Hong Yu was far in the distance that they ca to their senses. Noticing the mocking and derisive looks from the onlookers, the two flew into a rage out of sha.
"Damn it, what's he so smug about?"
"Fuck, he's acting so arrogant after offending an Inner Sect Disciple. Let's see how you survive in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect from now on."
The two of them roared hysterically.
...
Hong Yu brought Liu Liyun to Cyan Cliff Peak.
The entirety of Cyan Cliff Peak was imnse, dotted with cave residences carved out for the more than 300,000 Outer Disciples.
Hong Yu and Liu Liyun's residences were located halfway up the eastern slope, their two cave residences right next to each other.
"My apologies, Brother Liu. You got dragged into this because of ," Hong Yu said with a wry smile, taking out a Rejuvenation Pill and giving it to Liu Liyun to swallow.
Liu Liyun's face was pale and his aura was incredibly weak, but he shook his head. "It's all because that Hong Long is too tyrannical. It has nothing to do with you."
"These are a Rejuvenation Pill and a Nourishing Essence Pill. For now, just focus on healing. I live right next door, so just call out if you need anything," Hong Yu said, setting down two jade bottles.
Liu Liyun nodded. "I will!"
After leaving Liu Liyun's cave residence, Hong Yu returned to his own.
He closed the stone door. Set into the cave walls were eight luminous pearls that glowed in the darkness, illuminating the entire residence.
The soft white light shone on Hong Yu's face, revealing his sharp features. Beneath his knitted brows, his pair of jet-black eyes glittered with a light as profound as a starry night sky. He took a deep breath and then exhaled, the turbid air lingering in the room for a mont before slowly dissipating.
As Hong Yu's eyes opened and closed, the aura around him suddenly turned sharp.
The image of Hong Long's previous attack surfaced in his mind...
That bizarre and powerful cyan ripple had been ford from the Power of Primordial Spirit condensed by Hong Long's Storm Primordial Vein. It was imposing and incredibly fast, and its might was not to be underestimated. 'Furthermore, the Cultivation Technique he practices is clearly quite High Level. I'm afraid even Hong Tiande at his peak wouldn't have been his match.'
And such a powerhouse was ranked last among the Four Kings.
One could only imagine how terrifying the three young kings ranked above him were...
Especially Hong Renjie. He was a True Disciple of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect and, according to rumor, a top-tier expert with one foot already in the Celestial Soul Realm.
'Right now, I'm not even a match for Hong Long, let alone the other three, even more powerful prodigies. Especially Hong Renjie. I heard that as soon as he breaks through to the Celestial Soul Realm, he'll be qualified to challenge for the position of Chief Disciple. Once he becos the Chief Disciple, I'm afraid I'll never have a chance to rise in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.'
Hong Yu's gaze was profound as he analyzed his situation. 'My most urgent need right now is to find a backer. I don't need one who can completely solve the threat of the Four Kings, but at least soone who can buy so ti.'
After deep thought, Hong Yu determined the most urgent tasks he needed to accomplish in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.
First, break through to the Earth Soul Realm as quickly as possible to fully fuse with the Star River Spirit Bone, eliminating the risk of it being exposed.
Second, once he broke through, he had to find a sufficiently powerful backer at top speed, one who would make the Four Kings afraid to act so wantonly against him, thereby buying him enough ti to cultivate.
Third, get promoted to True Disciple and find Master Zhu to treat Yun ngyao!
The three goals seed simple, but in reality, they were incredibly difficult.
"No matter what, I have to take the gamble!"
Hong Yu tightened his fists.
He began to look through the Sect Manual in his hands. Since he knew the Four Kings were targeting him, familiarizing himself with the sect rules was a must. Only by knowing the rules by heart could he avoid falling into traps they might set for him using loopholes in the regulations.
With his ability to read ten lines at a glance and his perfect mory Retention, Hong Yu finished reading the Sect Manual, which contained tens of thousands of words, in just over ten seconds.
Closing the Sect Manual, a sigh escaped Hong Yu's lips. 'As expected of the strongest Sect in the Fengyue Kingdom, the rules are so strict. If I only had a partial understanding of them, I could have easily and unwittingly fallen into a trap set by the Four Kings and been dood beyond redemption!'
The Cyan Nether Sword Sect's rules were especially strict for Outer Disciples.
For example, one rule stated that Outer Disciples must complete three or more Sect tasks every quarter, or they would be punished for desecrating the sect regulations.
But more than that, the rules made Hong Yu understand why everyone fought tooth and nail to get into the Inner Sect.
Of course, part of the reason was that Inner Sect Disciples could interact with higher-level Martial Artists, but the bigger reason was cultivation resources.
The more than 300,000 Outer Disciples were almost all at the Essence Realm of cultivation, though of course, there were so Earth Soul Realm disciples as well. As for why these Earth Soul Realm disciples weren't in the Inner Sect, that was where the cleverness of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect lay. The rules stipulated that while the number of Outer Disciples was unlimited, the Inner Sect had strict gatekeeping.
For instance, there were only 12,000 spots for Core Disciples, ten for True Disciples, and one for the Chief Disciple.
Whether it was the Chief Disciple or the Core Disciples, the number of spots was fixed.
The spots for True Disciples and the Chief Disciple rarely changed. After all, an early lead quickly becos an insurmountable one. Unless a peerless Demon Fiend like Ling Tian appeared who could challenge those above his level, it was almost impossible to seize a True Disciple spot from the older generation of disciples. Only the spots for Core Disciples were in constant flux.
For example, if an Outer Disciple had a breakthrough and felt they were strong enough, they could challenge an Inner Sect Disciple.
If they won, they would take the other's spot. The loser, on the other hand, would be demoted to an Outer Disciple.
This was a brutal law of survival of the fittest, and at the sa ti, it was the elimination system that maintained the Cyan Nether Sword Sect's elite disciples.
Outer Disciples could receive one Nourishing Essence Pill or Earth Spirit Pill from the Sect each month, depending on their strength. Moreover, all Outer Disciples had to complete Sect tasks to earn points. These points could be exchanged for cultivation resources, such as Spirit Pills, Spirit dicine, Cultivation Techniques, Martial Skills, and even ti to practice in a Cultivation Treasure Land.
As for the benefits for Inner Sect Disciples, they were even more superior.
Core Disciples could receive three Earth Spirit Pills per month and had the chance to enter a Cultivation Treasure Land to practice for one day every three months. As for True Disciples, they received ten Earth Spirit Pills per month and could enter a Cultivation Treasure Land to practice for three days every three months. The benefits for the sole Chief Disciple were even more astounding.
Each month, they could receive twenty Earth Spirit Pills or other Spirit Pills of a corresponding level, and their ti practicing in the Cultivation Treasure Land was unlimited!
The huge difference in benefits made the hundreds of thousands of disciples in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect cultivate desperately to raise their strength.
It was precisely because of this system that the Cyan Nether Sword Sect had flourished for so long, always holding the throne as the number one Sect in the Fengyue Dynasty.
'The Cyan Nether Sword Tower, the very foundation of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, a Cultivation Treasure Land created by the Mountain Opening Ancestor, the Sword Demon. Cultivating inside this tower allows one to enjoy a multiplied cultivation speed. The Cyan Nether Sword Tower is the Cultivation Holy Land in the hearts of all Cyan Nether Sword Sect disciples...'
Hong Yu discovered this special place in the Sect Manual.
For Outer Disciples to enter the Cyan Nether Sword Tower to cultivate, the only way was to exchange points. One hundred points could be exchanged for one day of cultivation ti.
Given that Outer Disciples earned ten points for completing one Sect task, it ant that to cultivate in the Cyan Nether Sword Tower for a single day, one had to complete ten Sect tasks. Yet Inner Sect Disciples had an opportunity to enter the Sword Tower to cultivate every month. One could only imagine how vast the gap between the two was!
"Increased cultivation speed... this is sowhat similar to the Cultivation Quiet Chambers of the Underground Alliance. However, the boosting effect of the Cyan Nether Sword Tower is clearly much stronger than that of the Underground Alliance's Cultivation Quiet Chambers," Hong Yu murmured to himself.
The Underground Alliance's Cultivation Quiet Chambers could boost cultivation speed by thirty percent, while the Cyan Nether Sword Tower had six layers in total. The First Layer offered a one-fold speed boost, the second a two-fold boost, and so on. If one could enter the Sixth Layer, one would receive a full six-fold boost to cultivation speed, aning a single day of practice inside was equivalent to six days outside.
However, the entry conditions for each layer were extrely strict for Outer Disciples. For an Outer Disciple, entering the First Layer to practice for one day cost one hundred points, the second layer cost two hundred, with the price increasing layer by layer.
If one wanted to cultivate in the Sixth Layer, just accumulating the six hundred points would likely take several years.
'It seems that if I want to increase my strength quickly, the Cyan Nether Sword Tower is a must-go place!'
A contemplative look appeared on Hong Yu's face.
Given his situation, if he wanted to break through to the Earth Soul Realm, he had to advance his *Nine Refinents of the Primordial Spirit* to the Nine Vortex Level as quickly as possible. Otherwise, breaking through was impossible. The Cyan Nether Sword Tower, with its ability to boost cultivation speed, was naturally the best choice. The only problem was that to enter the Sword Tower to cultivate, points were essential.
Hong Yu rubbed his brow, frustrated. 'Points, points... It looks like I'll have to go to the Task Hall first to see what kind of tasks are available!'
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