Chapter 9 – You dare insult my Ye Emperor Hall, Yao Chen… are you courting death?
At the foot of Ye Emperor Hall mountain.
The moment they stepped through the Sect gate of Ye Emperor Hall, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran sensed something amiss.
The concentration of Dou Qi here was actually several times richer than in the outside world!
And the deeper they went, the denser the Dou Qi became.
'As expected of a reclusive great Sect!'
'Even the site chosen for the Sect is so blessed by heaven and earth!'
Yun Yun's red lips parted slightly as she silently exclaimed: As I thought!
With a sweep of Ye Changge's hand, a flight of steps a hundred li long unfurled down the mountain, wreathed in drifting mist; the ever-shifting, dream-like scene made it resemble a staircase leading to the Immortal Realm.
'Let's go.'
After climbing the steps and entering Ye Emperor Hall,
everything suddenly opened up.
Pavilions and towers were arranged in picturesque disorder; Dou Qi so concentrated it had turned into mist shrouded the place, making it seem a paradise.
'T-Teacher… have we arrived in a fairyland?'
The newly-arrived Xiao Yan and his teachers, Yun Yun included, looked exactly like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.
They were utterly dumbfounded!
Shi Hao watched their reactions and secretly chuckled.
'Haha, this feels great—when I first came I wore that exact same expression.'
Emperor Hall.
'Be seated.'
Ye Changge invited the group to sit, ordering Shi Hao to pour tea.
The tea leaves were nothing special—merely a seventh-grade Spiritual Plant he'd swindled from the System two days earlier: Golden Pu-er.
Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran sat stiffly, raised their cups, and drained them in one gulp.
'This… this is!!!'
Cool tea slid down their throats and transformed into pure energy that coursed through their bodies.
'It's seventh-grade Spiritual Plant—Golden Pu-er!'
Sensing the refined Dou Qi energy inside her, Yun Yun cried out in shock.
A high-grade Spirit Medicine like this she had seen only once, years ago while traveling the continent, at an auction house.
Back then it had driven a Dou Zun, several Dou Zong, and Dou Huang experts into a frenzy of bidding.
'It's not a very good tea; make do with it.'
Ye Changge spoke sincerely, already wondering what excuse he could use to coax better leaves out of the System.
The tea hadn't produced the slightest reaction inside him.
System: Damn it!
Ordinary Sects treat seventh-grade Golden Pu-er as a great treasure; many Dou Zong experts might never taste it, and commoners can only dream of it!
Yet you've guzzled how much in two days—do you even keep count?
After drinking so much, of course you feel nothing!
Seeing Yun Yun's huge reaction, Xiao Yan realized that if even a Dou Huang expert like her was so shocked, the tea had to be extraordinary, so he likewise downed his cup.
Feeling the pure Dou Qi energy circulating, constantly washing through his body,
'Well? Any reaction, Junior Brother?'
Shi Hao looked at Xiao Yan curiously; he himself had drunk plenty of this leaf and knew its marvels.
'Burp!'
'Senior Brother!'
'I finally broke through… uh… still Dou Zhi Qi third stage…'
Xiao Yan hiccupped, speaking bitterly.
Apart from sensing his Dou Zhi Qi energy being purer, his third-stage cultivation hadn't budged.
'Brother Xiao Yan, this tea actually shot me straight to nine-star Dou Practitioner!'
Xiao Xun'er, who had been following behind him, exclaimed.
As the little princess of the Gu clan she naturally knew about Golden Pu-er, yet even she had only occasionally seen it in her father's study.
Rare even for the mighty Gu clan, its value rivaled an Eighth Grade Pill!
After the tea, they chatted for a while.
Yun Yun rose and spoke gravely,
'Hall Master Ye, today you have already offended the entire Jia Ma Empire; you'd best prepare early.'
'A cautious captain sails ten-thousand-year ships; if anything happens, I, Yun Yun, can lend a hand.'
Hearing this,
'Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master Yun, but my Ye Emperor Hall is teeming with experts; having dared to offend them, we naturally do not fear them.'
Ye Changge replied with breezy calm; the Hall had an Emperor-level Old Ancestor in residence—what was the Jia Ma Empire to him? Even the eight ancient clans coming would be no concern.
Seeing his utter nonchalance, Yun Yun said no more.
He saw no need to explain further; when Ye Emperor Hall contended for the Central Regions, the world would learn its might.
He then opened the System interface.
The rewards from recruiting Xiao Yan last time had almost been used up.
The Silver Summoning Card had been spent, summoning Outer Sect Elder Ye Bai at Dou Zun Realm!
Now it was time to solve the problem in Xiao Yan's body.
'Xiao Yan, come with me.'
'I've pretty much figured out why you can't break through.'
'Once I fix your cultivation issue, every shred of humiliation you've ever suffered will be obliterated!'
'Thank you, Teacher!'
Xiao Yan answered hurriedly.
Seated nearby, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran were equally curious.
Why had Ye Changge taken a Trash who couldn't Cultivate as a Disciple?
The secret of his inability to train?
'Open your Divine Sense.'
Xiao Yan obeyed.
'Venerable Yao, after all these years, shouldn't you vacate the VIP suite you've been occupying inside my Disciple's body!'
'Heh, young friend is truly formidable.'
'A Dou Zong expert so young would be a top leader even among the great clans!'
Yao Chen, forcibly roused by Ye Changge's vast Dou Qi, sized up the young Dou Zong before him.
'Submit to me; soon I'll restore your Physical Body—otherwise, die!'
'You know as well as I do that in your current state, your Soul Power poses no threat to me whatsoever.'
Ignoring Yao Chen's curiosity, Ye Changge continued.
'Heh, young friend has quite the tone; I, Yao Chen, have never bowed in my life!'
'You're only a Dou Zong, and no Alchemist—how dare you boast of reviving me?'
'Want me to submit? Pure fantasy…'
Before Yao Chen could finish, Ye Changge's voice cut in again:
'True, I'm no Alchemist—but you are, aren't you?'
'The continent's number-one Alchemist, Starfall Pavilion Master, Venerable Yao!'
'Don't you want to personally kill that Rebellious Disciple Han Feng?'
'As far as I know, Han Feng possesses a Heavenly Flame; I promise to find you one as well, and I'll cover every Material needed to revive you. How do you rate my sincerity, Venerable Yao?'
'You speak truly!'
'Han Feng… where!!'
Sure enough, at the mention of Han Feng, Yao Chen's face changed instantly!
His eyes turned blood-red, as though they could drip blood.
Suddenly a terrifying Soul pressure crashed toward Ye Changge!
'Hmph!'
'To disrespect the Hall Master of Ye Emperor Hall is to court death!'
Hidden nearby, Ye Bai swept his hand and shattered Yao Chen's Soul assault!
'Peak… Dou Zun expert!!'
When that Soul strike was crushed, the already-weak Yao Chen grew even frailer.
'Well?'
'Venerable Yao, do you agree?'
'As long as you help me restore my body and avenge my death, what shame is there in submitting to you!'
By now, Yao Chen had no other choice.
…Inside Emperor Hall.
An hour later, cross-legged Xiao Yan opened his eyes in delight.
'Teacher, I broke through!'
With the leech Yao Chen gone and the boost from that earlier cup of Golden Pu-er, years of pent-up cultivation shattered in an instant!
'Dou Zhi Qi: third stage, sixth stage, Peak!'
'Dou Practitioner: one-star, four-star, seven-star, nine-star!'
'Dou Master… one-star!'
In a single breath Xiao Yan vaulted through two major Realms, reaching Dou Master!
'Heh, with talent like this, you'll be worthy of the title Flame Emperor in the future!'
By now Xiao Yan's transformation was fully visible to Ye Changge!