SWNOVELXO chapter 403
Soon, the great eagle ceased its cries, confusion flickering in its eyes as it turned its head back and forth.
“What’s wrong? Did we successfully kill Ye Yong?” The Nascent Soul cultivators descended, ready to search for his corpse or any signs of severe injury.
However, Ye Yong had already flown far away. In the past, he would have retaliated, but now, with few options for reversal and fearing stronger pursuers behind, he chose not to look back.
Hua Ningyan remained oblivious to the unfolding events, only aware that the imminent danger had been effortlessly dispelled by her master.
——
On the way back to the Tianluo Sect, Ye Yong encountered no further dangers. Upon arriving at the sect, however, he was surrounded by a group of Nascent Soul overseers, bombarding him with questions about why he had sneaked out and whether he had encountered any villains along the way.
Ye Yong pondered for a moment. Though it would make his future outings more difficult, he decided to speak the truth. There was no hiding the fact that a battle of transformation had erupted on the outskirts of Lingyou Mountain, and the news of his encounter with the lord of Qirong City had already spread like wildfire.
Such a battle had never occurred near Lingyou Mountain before. With Ye Yong lurking in the vicinity, any reasonable person would surely connect the dots.
“Devil Sect cultivator? Rescued by a passing powerhouse?” The managers of the Nascent Soul fell into silence after hearing Ye Yong’s half-truthful account.
The involvement of even a transformation-level cultivator indicated that the Devil Sect was dead set on eliminating Ye Yong.
The manager Liu Guangxing, who had met Ye Yong previously, brought forth a message from the higher-ups: “The deputy sect master has issued an order. Disciple Ye Yong must report to the sect before going out from now on.”
There were two deputy sect masters. One was at the early stage of the Void Realm, named Shi Zhenxiang, a spy within the Devil Sect. As for how such a traitor could rise to such a high position, it was due to his meticulousness and remarkable patience.
The other deputy sect master was at the mid-stage of the Void Realm, seemingly devoted to Tianluo Sect, yet he played a mere supporting role, having met his end during the demon invasion.
Ye Yong suspected that the order brought by Liu Guangxing was most likely issued by the spy, for this way, every move he made would be under the traitor’s watchful eye. If he wished, the spy could easily assign Ye Yong a secret mission, directing him to a certain location, and then orchestrate a trap to have him captured by the Devil Sect.
Of course, Ye Yong’s wariness stemmed from having read the novel and knowing the spy’s identity. To the other disciples of Tianluo Sect, Shi Zhenxiang was a respected deputy sect master, and his orders were followed unconditionally.
Shi Zhenxiang held a high position and possessed formidable strength; Ye Yong was in no position to oppose him.
“Disciple obeys.” Ye Yong lowered his head, his expression unreadable. Reporting before going out? No problem, but whether the places he reported to were genuine remained uncertain.
They did not keep him behind to check if he had already fallen under the control of the Devil Sect; the managers merely urged him to take care of himself, not to treat his life lightly. Each of them offered a few words of caution before sending him back to Echoing Painting Hall to rest.
Ye Yong usually stayed at Echoing Peak, making it difficult for others to see him. Thus, when news of his return spread, many young female disciples hurried over.
Hua Ningyan, surrounded by powerful human cultivators, felt a surge of anxiety and found herself unable to move.
As his cultivation level rose, Ye Yong’s every gesture exuded an ethereal aura. Hua Ningyan, a spirit fox, was meticulously crafted in both appearance and demeanor. Thus, a scene unfolded: a handsome man in white cradling a white fox, a picturesque moment that added yet another tale to the legends surrounding Ye Yong of Tianluo Sect.
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01 New Home
“Ye Shidi, why did you sneak out without telling us?”
“Indeed, just a few days ago, rumors spread outside that someone had seen our senior brother. We didn’t believe it at first, so we asked Xiaoxue, and she said you were in seclusion. Although we know senior brother doesn’t want to worry us, ordering Xiaoxue to lie like that puts him in danger. What if he’s captured by the demonic sect? We’d be foolishly thinking you were just breaking through in seclusion, missing the best chance to rescue him!”
Upon returning to the gate of the Sound and Painting Hall, a group of senior and junior sisters immediately surrounded Ye Yong, bombarding him with questions.
What could Ye Yong say? Of course, he expressed gratitude for their concern, stating he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way and promised it wouldn’t happen again—an utterly standard response.
The female disciples of the Sound and Painting Hall weren’t there to reprimand Ye Yong; they were simply overly worried. After hearing his rehearsed reply, they shifted their attention to the little white fox cradled in his arms, inquiring about the spirit fox clan.
As for why Hua Ningyan, who hadn’t spoken, knew it was a spirit fox, that was because the news had already spread far and wide.
The lord of Qirong City and the older cultivators might keep secrets, but those young noblemen could not.
At their age, boasting was their favorite pastime. Especially when they got to meet Ye Yong up close, it gave them a sense of superiority among their peers. A few drinks in, they would chatter endlessly about the happenings in Lingyou Mountain, embellishing the truth as much as possible, almost claiming to be sworn brothers with Ye Yong.
During the days Ye Yong set up the formation for the spirit fox’s new home, all sorts of rumors flew about. There was no helping it; before his crossing, “Ye Yong” was already a prodigy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, every move drawing attention. After crossing over, the things Ye Yong did, whether intentional or not, elevated him to the level of a prodigy on the Eastern Continent, becoming a hot topic of conversation over tea and meals.
Riding the wave of popularity wasn’t just a privilege of Earth’s netizens; cultivators did it too, after all, entertainment was scarce in the cultivation world.
In any case, no one was surprised that Ye Yong brought back a spirit fox.
With a story similar to that of the spirit fox clan, Ye Yong claimed it was fate. He didn’t mention that he had helped the spirit fox find a new home; instead, he said he assisted the spirit fox clan in escaping capture, and after leaving Hua Ningyan behind, they vanished deep into Lingyou Mountain.
Ye Yong wanted to avoid revealing that others knew he could set up a fifth-grade formation, and he didn’t want to be pressed about the spirit fox’s whereabouts.
After all, the allure of the spirit fox was still quite significant.
“Senior brother is truly kind, going to such lengths for just a fleeting acquaintance.”
“To meet you, junior brother, is their greatest fortune in this life.”
Indeed, if he hadn’t intervened, not only would the spirit fox clan perish, but countless innocent humans would also fall victim to the future demonic Hua Ningyan. He had done a tremendous good deed, and what was mentioned was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Listening to the flattery from his senior and junior sisters, Ye Yong felt a slight swell of pride.
“Let’s hold a banquet tomorrow to celebrate junior brother Ye saving the spirit fox clan and gaining a new spirit pet!” one senior sister suddenly proposed.
“Yes, yes!” Soon, everyone chimed in agreement.
Another feast? Ye Yong was already accustomed to it. Now, whether it was a big event or a small one, they seized every opportunity to host a banquet. After all, since Ye Yong didn’t go to the teaching hall for “class,” they rarely saw him, and only at banquets could they spend the whole day in his company.
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