Chapter 2053: Chapter 2053 Gathering Agenda
Murong Tian had slightly elongated cheeks, a hawk-like nose, and triangular eyes, making him appear as a rather sinister character.
His cultivation level was currently at late-sixth-tier. Although he hadn’t reached the peak, his genuine energy was exceptionally solid, which showcased his true strength as one of the most outstanding figures amongst them.
Behind Murong Tian, there were indeed two early-eighth-tier personal guards protecting him.
However, the quality of their genuine energy was mediocre, making them appear as mere deterrents.
Murong Tian glanced around at everyone present and nodded satisfactorily, before he initiated the banquet.
"Thank you, fellow disciples, for honoring us with your presence. Please, take a seat!"
When everyone was seated, Murong Tian continued, "As the sacred disciple of our Northsky Sect, it is my duty to strive for improving the strength of my fellow brothers. We all are usually busy with cultivation, so let’s use this relaxing occasion to exchange techniques with our fellow disciples.
Those who wish to demonstrate can head to the middle of the hill to showcase. The rest of us can enjoy the meal while watching and learn essence from it."
"It’s starting! The agenda of every gathering stays the same every time. Murong Tian settles his grudges and pays back those he owes. Those uninvolved folks enjoy food and drinks on the side while enjoying the spectacle!" Li Jian whispered to Ye Liuyun.
It was quite common for martial disciples to gather and exchange experiences. However, after hearing what Li Jian had to say, Ye Liuyun understood that this was Murong Tian’s public demonstration of authority. Anyone who had offended him would surely get dealt with today.
Li Jian whispered again, "I might go set the stage first. Otherwise, Murong Tian might blame us for not cooperating with him if the atmosphere gets cold! Besides, the earlier I go on stage to perform, the safer I would be later."
As soon as Li Jian had finished speaking, he stood up, saluted Murong Tian and said, "I have recently improved my sword skills. May I request you to guide me?"
"Excellent! We welcome our sacred disciple Li Jian to showcase his skill for us!"
Murong Tian led the applause and gestured a head nod to him approvingly for his comprehension.
For insignificant subordinates like Li Jian, he had to read Murong Tian’s mood from his expressions and act accordingly to survive.
Li Jian flew into action, performing a colourful yet impractical form of swordsmanship. To Ye Liuyun, it was riddled with flaws, not as practical as direct slashing attacks.
However, Li Jian’s sword will had indeed improved, indicating that he hadn’t been slacking off in his training recently.
When he finished his performance, Ye Liuyun joined the others in applauding.
At this point, Murong Tian’s gaze turned towards Ye Liuyun. He said, "Is this Chen Feng, our new member? Would you care to critique Li Jian’s swordsmanship?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun instantly knew he was being tested.
He immediately stood up, gesture in salutation and said, "I’m very honoured to get this opportunity to join this gathering and to broaden my horizons."
Out of courtesy, he first expressed gratitude for Murong Tian’s invitation, then began to praise others while humbling himself.
"All those present here are my seniors, both in terms of strength and experience, which is far richer than mine. How could I dare to show off my skills?
Moreover, I am just an Alchemist. I can talk about the path of pill refining, but for the rest, I’m quite clueless. Dear seniors, if you ever need help with pill refining in the future, I will do my best!"
In the end, Ye Liuyun made clear his stance, so Murong Tian was quite satisfied with this response.
Murong Tiang also said to him with a smile, "Great, we’ll seek your help in pill refining in the future, and you can ask us if you have any other issues. We are all from the same sect, all part of the family, there’s no need for formalities!"
"Thank you!", Ye Liuyun responded with a salute, then finally sat down.
Murong Tian also offered a brief comment on Li Jian’s swordsmanship.
"The sword will has improved, focus more on practical application!"
He knew that Li Jian was just going through the motions, and therefore didn’t elaborate further.
"Sharp as a needle! It seems that this Murong Tian really does possess some skill!" Ye Liuyun secretly thought to himself.
After Li Jian returned, he also seemed to be more relaxed.
"He was testing you just now, and I was sweating bullets for you. Luckily you handled it well. There’s nothing much for us to do now, let’s just eat, drink and enjoy the show!" Li Jian telepathically communicated to Ye Liuyun.
Following that, few more individuals went up to perform and initiated a duel. Ye Liuyun found it less boring as he could gauge the strength of these disciples by observing their performances.
Shortly after, Murong Tian began calling out names, and assigned them their opponents.
Thus, those who were chosen ended up bearing the brunt of his blows and yet, dared not express discontentment.
Murong Tian justified his actions by saying they were for improving their battle experiences and skills through real combat. Therefore, they were left with no choice but to endure.
Each time an individual could not get up after taking a beating, it was Feng Chen who would rush over to help them up and console with soothing words.
Ye Liuyun paid attention to Feng Chen’s actions, noticing that he was communicating with everyone through divine soul. He inferred that Feng Chen was probably persuading these people to join his own faction, but Murong Tian seemed to be turning a blind eye to it all.
There were two disciples: one seemed to grit his teeth and agree with Feng Chen, the other was undecided.
Ye Liuyun observed very clearly that whenever someone agreed with Feng Chen, he would hold his hands together and walk back. And upon seeing him in that pose, a hint of ruthlessness flashed through Murong Tian’s eyes.
But it seemed like only one person had agreed with him. Ye Liuyun couldn’t be certain if this was a secret code between Feng Chen and Murong Tian.
"Qi Huan, it’s been a while since I last saw you in action. Why don’t you come out, warm-up, and let me see your current level of strength?"
Murong Tian called out to a man who was busy eating.
Ye Liuyun looked in his direction and noticed that a disciple who seemed to have agreed with Feng Chen earlier was sitting behind Qi Huan, tending to his wounds.
Qi Huan, without even lifting his head, continued to eat. "If you want to fight, you should be the one to step forward first. Don’t always push others to the forefront. Haven’t you stopped fighting for a long time too? Have your skills retreated that you are afraid to make a move now?"
Murong Tian sneered, "I might end up hurting you if I were to make a move. That wouldn’t be good, would it?"
"Since you’re so full of yourself, let’s let the second sacred disciple step up! Liu Zimo and Xing Baiyu, both of them are no match for me." Unperturbed, Qi Huan declared.
Liu Zimo and Xing Baiyu, seated not far from Murong Tian, heard Qi Huan’s statement, displayed nothing but contempt, with no sign of anger.
His provocation did not cause much of a commotion in the crowd.
The situation piqued Ye Liuyun’s interest and he turned to ask Li Jian, "What’s the story behind this Qi Huan?"
"He’s a disciple of Qiao Yun. And Qiao Yun is famously over-protective. Anyone who dares to mess with his disciple, he would take things into his own hands and beat up even their masters! Thus, although Qi Huan does not get along with Murong Tian, there is nothing much Murong Tian can do about it.”
"Fancy this guy!" However, a thought occurred to Ye Liuyun, "But why would he want to provoke Feng Chen? Could it be he also knew that he’s a pawn placed by Murong Tian?"
