Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Cyan Profound Mountain
She wore a short green skirt, revealing her fair shoulders. Her figure was graceful, her face as bright as the moon. Beneath her gently curved, willow-like brows was a pair of exquisite, enchanting eyes that seemed as if they could speak.
Her slender, fair legs tapped lightly on a few large rocks. Like a graceful swan, the young woman floated down before the group, her movements impossibly light and nimble.
As soon as she appeared, Duan Ren’s face paled, and he wisely shut his mouth.
A shadow passed over Fu Yuling’s face as well. Although she was beautiful and striking, she was instantly eclipsed by the elegant, captivating beauty in the green skirt.
Ye Xuan even saw a hint of gravity in Zuo Liu’s eyes.
"I’m not late, am I?" the young woman asked as she drew near, her faint smile uncommonly refreshing.
"Not at all, not at all," Zhao Wei said with a smile. "Come, let me introduce you all. This is Qing Ling, ranked second on the academy’s List of Prodigies. I’m sure you’ve all heard of her."
Qing Ling cupped her fist. "I am Qing Ling. I’ve come at the invitation of Junior Brother Zhao Wei to meet the academy’s finest talents."
"Heh, you’re too kind, Senior Sister Qing Ling. In your presence, none of us would dare call ourselves geniuses," Duan Ren chimed in hastily, a fawning grin on his face.
This Duan Ren, who seemed so arrogant and domineering, was surprisingly also a skilled bootlicker.
But he didn’t just put himself down; by saying "us," he dragged everyone else present, including Ye Xuan, down with him.
As number four on the List of Prodigies, Zuo Liu already felt a sense of rivalry toward Qing Ling, who was ranked second.
And as a fellow woman, Fu Yuling was naturally unwilling to admit she fell short of Qing Ling.
Duan Ren’s bootlicking directly earned him the displeasure of them both, and they shot him a cold glance.
Zuo Liu was even more direct. "Duan Ren, Senior Sister Qing Ling is certainly strong, but we’re hardly mediocre ourselves. It’s not as if we don’t even qualify as geniuses in her presence, is it?!"
A chill went down Duan Ren’s spine under Zuo Liu’s piercing gaze, and his fawning smile turned sheepish. "Of course, of course," he said hurriedly. "Senior Brother Zuo Liu, your strength is formidable and your talent is immense. I could never hope to compare. I’m truly in awe."
Finding the scene amusing, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but let a small smile grace his lips.
Duan Ren caught sight of the smile and was instantly annoyed. As if he’d found an outlet for his frustration, he snapped coldly, "Kid, what are you laughing at? Do you think I said something wrong? Or do you fancy yourself more of a genius than Senior Sister Qing Ling and Senior Brother Zuo Liu?"
Hearing this, the smile on Ye Xuan’s face immediately turned cold.
Ye Xuan hadn’t minded that Duan Ren was arrogant and had looked down on him from the very beginning.
After all, everyone was entitled to their own opinion, and he couldn’t make everyone see him in a special light.
But now, after his bootlicking had backfired and Zuo Liu had put him in his place, Duan Ren had lost face and was actually trying to vent his anger on him.
’Does he really think I’m such an easy target?’
Ye Xuan shot him a look and sneered, "Whether what you said was right or wrong has nothing to do with me. But just because you’re inferior to Senior Sister Qing Ling and Senior Brother Zuo Liu, don’t drag other people into it. Not everyone likes to bootlick like you."
Duan Ren had always been arrogant, and he was quite talented. He hadn’t reached the fifteenth spot on the List of Prodigies by bootlicking; he had his own pride.
The reason he was so deferential toward Qing Ling and Zuo Liu wasn’t just because of their strength, but also because of the forces backing them.
When it came to ordinary Martial Artists, even those ranked slightly ahead of him on the List of Prodigies, he was actually quite defiant and arrogant. As for any Martial Artist weaker than him, they were completely beneath his notice.
He had lost count of how many times he had spoken to people with that kind of lecturing tone in his dozen-plus years of life.
And never before had anyone he scolded dared to defy him.
A moment ago, he had just been trying to regain some face by scolding Ye Xuan; he hadn’t actually taken it seriously.
He never expected Ye Xuan to be different from the other Martial Artists he usually scolded. The sarcastic retort made his face darken instantly. "Kid, who do you think you’re talking to? Such arrogance. Don’t tell me you think you’re number one in the academy just because you beat Tong Hong?"
Ye Xuan’s expression was indifferent. "The arrogant one here is you, I think. Aside from me, you have the lowest rank among everyone present, don’t you? And yet, you seem to have the most to say."
"What did you say?" Duan Ren’s expression turned exceptionally foul as his anger erupted.
"Enough."
Seeing that a conflict was about to break out, Zhao Wei hurriedly stepped in to mediate. "Everyone, I invited you all to train together. I hope we can all get along. Even if we can’t be comrades through thick and thin, we shouldn’t be undermining each other. Duan Ren, you should talk less. Brother Ye Xuan is my guest; disrespecting him is the same as disrespecting me."
"Brother Ye Xuan, please don’t take it to heart. That’s just Duan Ren’s temper. He’s a bit hot-headed and can be arrogant at times, but he’s not a bad person deep down."
Having been rebuked by Zhao Wei, Duan Ren fell silent.
Ye Xuan could tell that even though Duan Ren was a fellow student, he behaved like a subordinate in front of Zhao Wei.
Ye Xuan nodded, unconcerned. "Since Brother Zhao has spoken, I won’t be unreasonable. We can consider the matter dropped."
"Oh? So you’re Ye Xuan?" Once the small dispute was over, Qing Ling looked at Ye Xuan with surprise. "I heard you defeated Tong Hong in a single move on the challenge platform and that you’re not afraid of the Crown Prince Alliance. A man of unyielding integrity. Seeing you today, you certainly have character. It seems our academy has another genius."
A smile played on her lips, and her tone and gaze held a clear sense of appreciation for Ye Xuan.
"You flatter me, Senior Sister Qing Ling," Ye Xuan said with a smile, not taking the conversation further.
While Qing Ling’s words didn’t mean much to the others, they made Duan Ren’s expression turn even fouler. He had just finished berating Ye Xuan, and in the blink of an eye, the highest-ranked among them had said something like this.
It was a blatant slap in the face.
"Since everyone has arrived, let’s be on our way."
With everyone accounted for, Zhao Wei pulled a large horse-drawn carriage from behind the jumble of boulders. The group boarded, and the carriage sped off.
The royal forbidden grounds were not located just outside the Royal City, but within a mountain range some distance away.
After half a day of jostling, the carriage finally came to a stop before a lush, green forest.
"Who goes there? These are the royal forbidden grounds! Halt!"
As the carriage stopped, a sharp shout rang out. A group of armored soldiers wielding weapons immediately surrounded the carriage, their killing intent palpable.
These soldiers had been specially dispatched by the royal family to guard the forbidden grounds and prevent any outside Martial Artists from entering.
To avoid drawing attention, Zhao Wei had chosen an ordinary carriage instead of one designated for the royal family, so it was only natural that they were stopped.
"It is I." Zhao Wei lifted the curtain and produced a Token.
"Ah, it is Your Highness." The squad leader in charge immediately bowed, then waved his hand to let the carriage pass.
The carriage proceeded for some time, passing through several more checkpoints before finally coming to a halt.
"Everyone, this is my family’s royal forbidden ground, Cyan Profound Mountain. Our objective lies here as well."
Zhao Wei explained as everyone disembarked from the carriage.
Before them stood a tall mountain with overlapping green peaks and strange, jagged rocks. Looking back, they could see sprawling military encampments, a clear sign of the tight security.
"Come on, let’s go inside."
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Led by Zhao Wei, the group flitted into the forest.
Not long after Ye Xuan’s group had entered the forest, another carriage came slowly rolling up.
CREAK... CREAK...
Several people stepped out.
The man in the lead had an imposing and spirited bearing, projecting an air of arrogant disdain for everything and everyone. Yet, as his gaze swept around, it held a sinister glint.
Hmm?
His brow furrowed when he spotted the carriage Ye Xuan’s group had used off to the side.
"Men."
"Here, Your Highness the Sixth Prince. What are your orders?" a patrol squad leader asked, hurrying forward respectfully.
"Whose carriage is this?"
"Reporting to Your Highness the Sixth Prince, it belongs to His Highness the Eighth Prince."
"Eighth Brother?" the Sixth Prince heard this and gave a wicked smile. "That guy is always so secretive. Why isn’t he using his own carriage? Where did he dig this one up? Is he trying to avoid drawing attention?"
The Sixth Prince continued, "How long ago did they leave?"
"Half an hour, Your Highness."
"Alright, I see. You’re dismissed."
After the squad leader withdrew, a wicked smile spread across the Sixth Prince’s face. "Eighth Brother is definitely here to upgrade his Martial Soul. The Profound Beast he has his eye on must be quite powerful. What a coincidence. Let’s follow them. Even if it’s of no use to me, I can’t let him get what he wants so easily."
With a cold smile, the Sixth Prince led his men into the forest.
The dense foliage of Cyan Profound Mountain made travel difficult for Ye Xuan and his group.
However, just as Zhao Wei had said, Profound Beasts were numerous in this forest. In just two hours of travel, they had already encountered two of them—creatures that were almost impossible to find in a normal forest.
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, another blur of light shot past, emanating faint fluctuations of Soul Power. Straining their eyes, they could just make out a cheetah-like Profound Beast. It was incredibly fast, disappearing from view within a few breaths.
"Your Highness the Eighth Prince, this place is amazing! With so many Profound Beasts, it’s a paradise for Martial Artists."
Fu Yuling, who had been sticking close to Zhao Wei the entire way, said with her beautiful eyes shining.
"Qing Ling, Zuo Liu, if I recall correctly, both of your Martial Souls have already reached Two-Stars, right? As for you, Fu Yuling, and you, Ye Xuan and Duan Ren—the three of you have yet to upgrade yours. If you see a suitable Profound Beast, just speak up. I can give the order to hunt it for you."
"Really?" Fu Yuling’s beautiful eyes sparkled.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Duan Ren said, his expression full of excitement.
Ye Xuan, however, remained unfazed. "Brother Zhao, let’s get to the place you mentioned first. After we’ve upgraded your Martial Soul, we can make other plans."
"That’s right, His Highness’s business comes first," Duan Ren quickly chimed in. He shot a glance at Ye Xuan, thinking to himself, ’So this kid knows how to bootlick too, huh?’
