“What? Am I not welcome?” Peng Yaolong grinned.
“I would not dare.” Tang Jie hastily opened the door and let him in.
The moment Peng Yaolong came inside, he looked around and repeatedly nodded. “You keep this place very clean. I didn’t expect Fierce Tiger to have such a meticulous side. It’s no wonder you were able to play around with the rest of us.”
“Great Brother did not come to settle the score, yes?” Tang Jie said with a bitter smile.
Peng Yaolong shook his head. “Not at all, not at all. If I wanted to make trouble for you, I wouldn’t have waited until now. The True Inheritor struggle tested each of our skills, and you were able to make Wei Tianchong True Inheritor because you had the skill. Right, how is Wei Tianchong doing?”
“Very well. He’s currently killing fiends on Westwind Ridge. It will probably be a few days until he comes back.”
Ever since Wei Tianchong had become Yan Changfeng’s disciple, while he could only go up the mountain once a year, even when he wasn’t on the mountain, Yan Changfeng still had him running around. In Yan Changfeng’s view, if his disciple was to mature, he needed practical combat experience. Since Wei Tianchong was now his disciple, he needed to be well-honed. Thus, every few days, he would send Wei Tianchong off on a mission.
Worst of all was that Yan Changfeng had specifically instructed that Wei Tianchong was allowed to bring anyone except Tang Jie.
This left Wei Tianchong in a tough spot, but he could only go running around with Shi Meng every day, and the last time he had gone up the mountain, he had received the cruelest of training from his master and senior brothers. He had more than once expressed his remorse over becoming True Inheritor.
But whether he regretted it or not, after becoming a True Person’s disciple, there was no going back, no shrinking away. Under these two years of sharpening, Wei Tianchong had gradually matured, that indolent and arrogant air of his had faded away, and he had become much more self-aware. And spending so much time outside honing himself had not slowed down his cultivation. Every True Inheritor disciple was allotted a large amount of spirit medicine, which had allowed Wei Tianchong to dog Tang Jie’s footsteps, and he had almost reached Spirit Sea.
But in Yan Changfeng’s eyes, this was as slow as a turtle.
As for Tang Jie, he had used this chance to take quite a few contribution missions and have Wei Tianchong do them for him. Thus, without taking one step out of his door, he had paid back many of the contribution points owed, and he now only owed sixty points.
“I see.” Peng Yaolong chuckled as he sat down in the garden pavilion. “Junior Brother Tang should know of the Immortal Fortune Conference, yes?”
So it was about that?
Tang Jie nodded. “Yes, I know of it, and I plan to participate.”
“As expected!” Peng Yaolong slapped his thigh and laughed. “I knew that someone with Junior Brother’s performance would be recommended!”
Tang Jie casually replied, “It seems that Senior Brother Peng was chosen as well.”
Palace Master Shen Qingdan was 18, and according to the Wandering Palace’s requirements, participating students could not be older than 23. The students had entered school at different ages, and so the amount of time they had spent in school also varied. Some of those who had entered school early and were already in their eighth or ninth year still fit the conditions.
Peng Yaolong had entered the academy when he was fifteen and was now in his eighth year, just managing to meet the conditions.
It was no surprise that someone of his strength had gotten a spot.
“Naturally,” Peng Yaolong proudly replied. “This is a tournament between the students of the six major sects. How could I miss out on such a grand occasion?”
Tang Jie replied, “And here I thought Great Brother’s goal was to come back with a wife.”
Peng Yaolong glared. “Naturally, but a hundred heroes will vie for the beauty, and only the brave will emerge victorious and reign over the Wandering Palace, enjoying both fame and fortune while also getting the girl. What could be better? What? Is Junior Brother not interested?”
Tang Jie shook his head. “The Immortal Fortune Conference is a rare chance, and I’m mostly going to widen my horizons. I have little interest in getting first place. Moreover, who can say if Shen Qingdan is a beauty? No one’s seen her before, so she might even be some ugly hag.”
Peng Yaolong laughed. “The Wandering Palace excels at maintaining youthful appearances, and you can select any of the numerous women of the palace and find a beauty, as everyone knows. That Shen Qingdan is the revered palace master, so how can she be ugly?”
“Even if that’s the case, it’s not like I can beat the crowd. The six major sects are sending their elites, even numerous Mortal Shedding Realm experts. I’m just a little Spirit Platform Realm student, so there’s no need to even mention me,” Tang Jie calmly replied.
With the age restriction set by the Wandering Palace, there were still quite a few Mortal Shedding students. In contrast, few were at the Spirit Sea Tier like Tang Jie. If the selection weren’t being done by teacher recommendation, he would have never been picked.
Thus, even Tang Jie did not dare to boast that he could get into the top ten. After all, this was a clash of sect elites, who didn’t just have high cultivation levels, but probably also formidable combat abilities.
“Then what if you could compete for the top ten?” Peng Yaolong asked.
“I still wouldn’t fight for it,” Tang Jie replied. “Great Brother, be at ease. I’m really only going this time to get some experience, nothing more. And that palace master is the fairy being vied for by all, so I will not pursue her. I’m not even looking for the top ten. I’m just going to see what the fuss is all about.”
Peng Yaolong looked at him weirdly, and when he saw that Tang Jie wasn’t pretending, he finally smiled. “Since Junior Brother has no interest in the palace master, that’s great!”
It seemed that he had taken Tang Jie for a major foe, but since Tang Jie expressed no interest, he could finally relax.
After speaking with Tang Jie for a little longer, Peng Yaolong left.
But right after Peng Yaolong left, Qi Shaoming arrived.
Just like Peng Yaolong, he had come to ask if Tang Jie was participating in the Immortal Fortune Conference and if he had any interest in the palace master, wanting to confirm what Tang Jie’s ambitions were.
Tang Jie could only explain, again, that he had no interest in the top ten and no interest in the palace master.
He had barely sent off Qi Shaoming and gotten a little break when Ye Tianshang arrived.
Tang Jie helplessly smiled, but he could only chat with Ye Tianshang and give him the same explanation before sending him off.
Given the age limit, the students participating from the academy were eighth-year or under. In other words, it was mostly the same old faces taking part in the Immortal Fortune Conference.
After sending off Ye Tianshang, Tang Jie decided to just keep his gate open and wait.
It wasn’t long before Cai Junyang appeared in the distance.
Tang Jie helplessly called out, “I am participating in the Immortal Fortune Conference, but I have no interest in the top ten and won’t be your rival.”
Cai Junyang was shocked. “What are you saying?”
“Hm?” Tang Jie was surprised. “Are you not participating in the Immortal Fortune Conference?”
“I am,” Cai Junyang replied. “I know that you’re participating, but what does that have to do with me? Our rivals this time should be the other five sects.”
“Then why did you come to find me?”
Cai Junyang spread apart his hands. “I came to chat with you and then have a little spar.”
“…” Tang Jie rolled his eyes, speechless.
He had finally found someone that hadn’t come with ulterior motives, so he invited Cai Junyang inside. The two of them avidly chatted and then exchanged a few pointers with a friendly spar.
It was only when night fell that Cai Junyang stood up to say goodbye.
Before going, Cai Junyang thought of something and said, “Right, when I was coming, you said that you had no interest in the top ten?”
“Mm, I have no plans of marrying a woman I don’t even like solely for the sake of my future prospects.”
“But that has nothing to do with the top ten.”
“What about it? If you’re in the top ten, you might end up being picked by that young palace master. My luck hasn’t been great as of late, so what if I am chosen?” Tang Jie replied. He thought to himself, I’ve already spent three days explaining to Xu Miaoran why I’m attending the Immortal Fortune Conference. If he hadn’t said that he was only going to see the sights and not for the beauty, Xu Miaoran probably would have broken up with him already.
Cai Junyang was very confused. “You’re sure that being selected by the young palace master is bad luck?”
Tang Jie spread apart his hands. “It is for someone that doesn’t want it.”
“Then that’s truly a pity. I thought that you would at least do your best to get into the top ten. After all, the top ten get a treasure from the Wandering Palace.”
“Not interested,” Tang Jie calmly replied, sipping his tea.
“Not even in the Stop Gate Banner?”
Pfft!
Cai Junyang’s face was covered in tea.
Hiss~
A giant fiend snake more than twenty meters long swiftly slithered through a vast wilderness, its bronze eyes glinting with a red light, its tongue constantly going in and out of its mouth. As it moved, it alarmed countless beasts and birds.
A spotted goat ran in the wrong direction in panic, and as it saw the giant snake slither closer, its eyes filled with fear, and it helplessly bleated. But to its surprise, the snake ignored it and slithered into the distance.
Only now could it be seen that this giant snake’s scales were covered in wounds.
“Fiend snake, don’t even think about running away!” someone energetically yelled.
With this shout, Wei Tianchong appeared nearby. Looking at the frantically fleeing fiend snake, he snorted, formed a spell with his hands, and thrust it out. “Heavenfire Curse!”
A fiery comet descended from the sky and smashed into the fiend snake’s body, causing it to hiss in pain and turn toward a little stream on the other side.
Wei Tianchong chuckled. “Shi Meng, stop it!”
A person appeared next to the stream. He twirled a flute in his hand, placed it on his lips, and blew. As a melody flowed, the giant snake seemed hypnotized and began to slow down.
“Young Master, what do you think of my Neverwinter Hypnotic Song?” Shi Meng put down his flute and smiled.
“Not bad. You’re getting closer and closer to mastery.” Wei Tianchong smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
At this moment, the slowing giant snake suddenly launched itself at Shi Meng.
Wei Tianchong paled. “Shi Meng, watch out!”
At this perilous moment, Shi Meng held the flute in front of him, and boom! The giant snake knocked Shi Meng away. But just as it was about to enter the water, Wei Tianchong raised a hand and shouted, “Go!”
A figure shot out of the ground. It was his puppet, which grabbed the giant snake and swung it into the ground. Boom! The snake was flipped onto the earth.
Hiss! The giant snake angrily hissed as it flicked out its tongue at the puppet.
An insect of a hundred feet could die yet not be vanquished, and this fiend snake’s dying counterattack was truly not something to be underestimated.
But as it spat out its tongue, an arc of light flew through the air and sliced the tongue in two. A snow-white fox emerged in the air.
The fiend snake was severely wounded, and it rolled around the ground and hissed, creating a windstorm.
Wei Tianchong separated his hands and yelled, “Blackwater Soul Possession, cleave!”
The puppet erupted with light, and then it charged forward, its right arm turning into a sharp blade.
Whoosh!
The blade swept down!
The fiend snake was beheaded at the neck.
The snake’s eyes glinted with savagery and unwillingness. As the giant snake head flew into the air, it moved toward the little fox, intending to devour it. But at this moment, the fox suddenly increased its weight and smacked the snake head, sending it toward Wei Tianchong.
Wei Tianchong jumped up like a tiger, his war axe exploding with light. “Changfeng Thirteenth Style, Wind-Reversing Slash!”
The snake head exploded, its blood drenching Wei Tianchong’s body.
The fiend snake was dead!
“Hahahaha!” Landing on the ground, Wei Tianchong proudly laughed.