Chapter Forty: The Hearts of Master and Disciple

As the saying goes, a mountain may change, but a man's nature is hard to alter...

Not long ago, the Lord of the Residence, Ye Haiyi, began his seclusion—at least a year, perhaps two, before he would emerge again.

Upon hearing this news, Ye Peng, who had been acting obediently for half a year, could no longer contain himself!

The three-year pact? Ye Peng scoffed at it. If he saw an opportunity, he would never afford Ye Yun three years to grow, but would instead snuff him out in the cradle before his rival had a chance to mature.

His late father, Ye Ziying, had once said: any spark of threat must be extinguished before it becomes a raging blaze!

Now that the Lord of the Residence was secluded and indifferent to worldly affairs, as his personally chosen disciple, even if Ye Peng committed a wrongdoing, the elders of the Ye clan could do no more than scold him. None had the authority to punish him.

Clad in regal violet garments, Ye Peng received several young inner disciples in his chamber.

Within the Ye clan of Cloudwater City, the outer disciples were the most numerous; the inner disciples, elite. Among the core disciples, there were only four: Ye Peng, Ye Qian, Ye Yun, and Ye Xian.

Among these four, Ye Peng held the highest status, so the other young disciples treated him with utmost reverence, not daring to slight him in the least.

In the chamber, Ye Peng alone sat sipping tea, while the inner disciples stood, highlighting his position.

"Wang Qing, has Ye Yun made any moves in the past half-year?" Ye Peng took a sip of tea and asked calmly.

Standing before him were his confidants in the clan, led by Wang Qing.

Upon hearing the question, Wang Qing replied promptly, "Young Master, in the past half-year, Ye Yun has been leaving early and returning late, always training in Sunset Mountain. However, his cultivation has not advanced; he remains at the peak of Qi Refinement. Compared to you, Young Master, he lags far behind."

Ye Peng was pleased by their flattery, though he did not show it. Only he knew—Ye Yun, then at peak Qi Refinement, had nearly overpowered him, a cultivator at the beginning of Foundation Building, and even slew the Black-Scaled Demon Serpent, also a Foundation Building beast.

"Keep watching that brat. His days are numbered," Ye Peng said coldly.

Ye Haiyi, though lacking the courage to challenge the Grand Ancestor's authority, wished to prove that his disciple could surpass the Grand Ancestor's. Since the three-year pact, he had granted Ye Peng access to more cultivation resources.

Spirit stones, elixirs, all at Ye Peng's disposal; thus, his cultivation advanced swiftly. In three years’ time, not only the middle stage, but even the late stage of Foundation Building was well within reach.

Though this smacked of nepotism—and only after the Grand Ancestor had departed did such actions unfold—Ye Haiyi reasoned that the Grand Ancestor must have left Ye Yun with plenty of treasures as well.

Three years—a pact that was the sorrow of Ye Peng, and equally of Ye Haiyi.

One wished to surpass the Grand Ancestor's disciple; the other, the Grand Ancestor himself. Yet Ye Yu, the Grand Ancestor, and Ye Yun, his disciple, had never spared them a thought.

Ye Haiyi was well aware that, after his seclusion, Ye Peng would make his move. Still, he chose to retreat.

He believed that on the path of cultivation, personal strength mattered, but could not overcome all; wisdom was indispensable.

If Ye Peng could use cunning to slay Ye Yun, it would still count as victory.

Where there is a forest, all kinds of birds can be found; where there are many people, all kinds of men appear. In a clan as vast as Ye’s, father and son like Ye Ziying and Ye Peng were not unusual, nor was a Residence Lord like Ye Haiyi with such schemes.

Ye Yun never speculated on the thoughts of Ye Haiyi or Ye Peng, but continued to demand strict discipline of himself in cultivation.

One day, Ye Xian came to visit, saying she was preparing to break through to Foundation Building. She had two Foundation Pills—one gifted by Ye Yun, one allocated to core disciples. With her blazing talent, success was assured.

Ye Xian’s path was not dual cultivation of martial arts and magic; she had not trained in martial arts or tempered her physique, and the Scarlet Flame Demon Art could not be revealed to outsiders. Ye Yun did not object, but advised, “Before breaking through, it’s best to continually refine your internal energy. The more condensed and robust it is, the greater the rewards after you advance.”

Ye Xian always heeded her brother’s counsel, so she persevered in refining her internal energy for another month and a half. When her energy reached its limit, she advanced smoothly to early Foundation Building.

Thus, among the four young core disciples, three had entered Foundation Building. Only Ye Yun remained at peak Qi Refinement, unchanged for half a year.

"Uncle Wu Lie, you are a mid-Foundation Building cultivator. If you’re willing to act, killing that brat Ye Yun will be a breeze!"

That day, Ye Peng personally visited a Foundation Building expert of the clan.

Wu Lie was not a Ye clansman, but at age six, his talent was revealed in the Soul Mirror test, so the Ye clan took him in and nurtured him. Now, he was a mid-Foundation Building master.

Wu Lie was the same age as Ye Ziying, Ye Peng’s father. They had entered the clan together and were close friends. Since Ye Peng became the Lord’s disciple, Wu Lie had benefited as well and was counted among Ye Peng’s allies.

“You plan to kill Ye Yun now? Didn’t the Lord agree to three years?” Wu Lie frowned.

“If I really kill him, and the Lord emerges to punish me, I couldn’t bear it!” Wu Lie shook his head.

“I will shoulder all consequences myself, Uncle Wu Lie, you need have no worries,” Ye Peng smiled. “If you agree to this, I’ll present you with a Nourishment Pill. How about it?”

“A Nourishment Pill? Are you serious?” Wu Lie’s eyes immediately lit up.

Such pills were reserved for cultivators at late Foundation Building or above, and could be claimed only once a year. Wu Lie had coveted them for years.

“A mere brat at peak Qi Refinement…” Wu Lie stroked his chin, then broke into a smile. “Ye Peng, my good nephew, wait for my news.”

…

That day, Ye Yun ventured out as usual, searching for traces of the Azure-Feather Firebird in Sunset Mountain. As his strength grew, the bird no longer held as great an advantage. Each time Ye Yun fought until exhaustion, the firebird was also gravely wounded and fled in haste.

Indeed, it was no longer Ye Yun who ran, but the formidable Foundation Building monster!

Since that encounter, each time Ye Yun entered Sunset Mountain, the firebird would avoid him.

“Why does that damned human boy always come to fight me whenever he enters Sunset Mountain?”

In its nest, the Azure-Feather Firebird tended its wounds. It was a wild beast that had become a demon in the forests, with no orthodox cultivation method. Each time it recovered barely halfway, that human boy would return the next day, fierce as a tiger.

This was already its third nest. It fervently hoped the human would not find it again.

“Boom!”

A violent explosion sounded in the distance. The firebird sensed the fluctuation of the world’s energy. It had just stretched its neck from the nest, only to shrink back at once, muttering, “Could it be that human boy again?”

With that thought, it could not remain to heal. Its wings, feathers disheveled, unfurled; it spewed a streak of azure flame, burning the nest to ashes, and flew deeper into Sunset Mountain.

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