Chapter 76 - Invitation!

The outer disciple did not expect Leng Yan to be so generous. Five hundred primordial spirit elixirs are equivalent to the rewards of several outer missions! Earning such a sum just by leading the way made him elated, and he quickly said, “Thank you, senior brother!”

As the saying goes, fame can be burdensome; yesterday’s performance by Leng Yan had already made him a household name. As soon as Leng Yan stepped into the plaza, thousands of eyes were fixated on him.

The feeling of being in the spotlight can vary greatly-being admired brings pride, while being resented can evoke guilt. But now, the eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and even hatred were all focused on Leng Yan, leaving him quite puzzled!

“That’s Leng Yan, the one who ascended to the 1,031st step of the heavenly ladder yesterday, becoming the second genius among the newcomers of the Five Elements Sect, surpassing Li Nan and Wang Han,” a man explained to a woman who had just returned to the sect.

“That’s impressive! If he receives the sect’s resources, his progress would be even swifter, and soon he might be a candidate for a true disciple,” the woman said, with a hint of admiration in her gaze toward Leng Yan.

“Indeed! Senior Brother Wang Han has already left Luo Yu Peak and moved to Luo Tie Peak. It looks like Luo Yu Peak will belong to Leng Yan,” the man responded.

“Shouldn’t we befriend Leng Yan then? Luo Yu Peak has a giant spirit gathering formation; although it’s not as powerful as the one at Sun Hao’s Luo Jing Peak, the essence power there is several times denser than anywhere else!”

…

The pair’s whispered conversation, though quiet, was perfectly audible to Leng Yan. His soul power had not only transformed into faith but had also merged with the strength of battle faith, allowing him to hear every single word.

“I had to use the immortal land and battle faith to reach 1,031, yet someone surpassed me! Who is this person?” Although Leng Yan was still unsure why his feat on the heavenly ladder had been publicized, he was certainly eager to meet Sun Hao and learn how he managed to achieve such a distance.

As he walked straight into the plaza, two white-robed young men approached him. They were none other than the handsome Li Nan and Wang Han, both smiling warmly.

“Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Wang have gone over there; I wonder if anything will happen?” a sharp-eyed disciple exclaimed in surprise.

These three are prominent figures of the Five Elements Sect. Now that they have come together, they have drawn the attention of everyone present.

“So you are Junior Brother Leng, Leng Yan!” Li Nan said with a smile.

“Yes, what can I do for you, senior brothers?” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“Hehe, it’s nothing serious. Junior Brother Leng, you were quite impressive yesterday. We just wanted to get to know you better, so we can look out for each other in the future!” Wang Han said, his smile tinged with mischief.

“You jest, senior brothers! I am still only in the true essence realm. If we’re talking about looking out for someone, it should be you two looking out for me!” Leng Yan guessed their intentions but kept a smile on his face.

“You’re too modest, Junior Brother. You’re currently ranked above both of us, and it won’t be long before you surpass us! During this upcoming Five Veins Competition, would you be willing to join us? We could certainly use the opportunity to support each other!” Wang Han said, his finger trembling as he maintained his mischievous grin.

Leng Yan frowned slightly, sensing a hint of murderous intent from Wang Han. In a moment, he understood their true purpose!

He had overshadowed them in reputation and access to sect resources, and even Luo Yu Peak, which rightfully belonged to them, might be awarded to him. It was no wonder they bore a grudge.

This competition seemed to be more of a battlefield training, and they wanted to keep him close, likely to find an opportunity to strike!

“I appreciate your kind offer, senior brothers, but I prefer to go alone,” Leng Yan said, maintaining his smile.

Perhaps not expecting Leng Yan to refuse, Li Nan’s expression turned cold in an instant. “You should think this over, Junior Brother. The space battlefield is filled with powerful demonic beasts and members from other sects. It’s extremely dangerous! You might be safer with us, as we could look after you.”

“Although my cultivation level isn’t high, I do have some life-saving skills. There’s no need for you two to worry about me,” Leng Yan said with a smile, though he had already developed a killing intent in his heart. His spiritual awareness wove a tracing seal that fell upon both of them.

While seals weren’t considered secret techniques on the Immortal Firmament Continent, they were uncommon within the immortal’s abodes.

“In that case, we won’t insist. We hope our junior brother can turn danger into safety. Let’s go!” Wang Han said with a flick of his sleeve.

“He refused Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Wang. He really doesn’t know what’s good for him. This venture is very dangerous, and with those two looking out for him, he’d be much safer.”

“This Leng Yan, relying on his talent, might be a bit too arrogant. Although Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Wang are in the Heavenly Realm, they possess the strength of the Unification Realm. Even many in the Unification Realm don’t dare provoke them, yet Leng Yan refused!”

“He’s too conceited. I’m afraid he won’t achieve much. Whether he can return alive from this competition is still uncertain.”

Leng Yan’s rejection of Li Nan and Wang Han caused quite a stir in the plaza. Many sect members, who fancied themselves insightful, began to speculate.

Yet there was another group who merely watched Leng Yan with meaningful glances, remaining silent. These were the ones who truly saw things clearly.

“Junior Brother Leng, you certainly have some backbone. I admire that. If we meet on the battlefield, I think we’ll have a chance to compete. I’d like to see what you’re relying on that makes you dare to act alone!” A commanding voice emerged from the crowd.

Hearing this voice, the sect members expressed shock. The crowd parted as a young man with a distinctive mark on his forehead, a faint smile on his lips, approached.

“Senior Brother Sun is also displeased with Leng Yan. Seems like Leng Yan has found himself in trouble!” a woman remarked, clearly disapproving of Leng Yan.

Leng Yan’s gaze turned cold as he looked at the woman. She felt a chill rise from within and took two involuntary steps back, her eyes filled with surprise as she lowered her head, not daring to meet Leng Yan’s gaze again.

Turning his gaze towards Sun Hao, Leng Yan smiled and said, “I’m looking forward to it too. Hopefully, you can help me surpass myself once more!”

“Impressive, you’ve got guts! No newcomer has ever spoken to me like this; you’re the first!” Sun Hao hadn’t expected that after speaking diplomatically with Li Nan and Wang Han, Leng Yan would now dare to confront him so directly. Intense killing intent radiated from Sun Hao.

“I’m the first and will be the last. Soon, there might not even be someone called Sun Hao!” Leng Yan was deliberately showing strength to establish his reputation in the Five Elements Sect, making it clear he wasn’t one to be trifled with.

Indeed, upon hearing Leng Yan’s words, most people thought he must be insane to publicly challenge the sect’s top genius like that.

“Heh! Fine! I’ll remember what you said. We’ll meet again on the battlefield!” Sun Hao’s mark on his forehead turned a blood-red out of anger. At the same time, the spirit-fixing needle on Leng Yan began to tremble uneasily.

This puzzled Leng Yan as he watched Sun Hao’s receding figure, wondering what it could mean.

Suddenly, as Leng Yan was lost in thought, beams of radiant light appeared in the sky, and a massive formation manifested, slowly rotating.

With the formation’s activation, five figures rapidly descended: Xuan Yi, Yanyan, Jin Buhuan, Mu Qinglong, and Tianzhu – the five Elders.

The dramatic change snapped Leng Yan out of his thoughts, and he turned his attention to the teleportation formation in the sky.

“Leng Yan, from today onward, Luo Yu Peak is your personal domain. Here is your token, along with fifty thousand primordial spirit elixirs as your initial cultivation resources. Once you return from the battlefield, you may select sect members from the outer circle to manage your peak,” Xuan Yi said, sending a storage bag flying towards Leng Yan with a wave of his hand.

Leng Yan smiled slightly and, under Wang Han’s venomous gaze, accepted the storage bag, saying, “Thank you, Elder!”

“Alright, all disciples participating in the competition, prepare yourselves.”

The teleportation formation will only stay open for fifteen minutes; any delay and you’ll be unable to enter.

Here is the map of the space battlefield’s terrain. It’s best not to use any magical techniques above the golden core realm because the spatial barriers are extremely fragile. Such techniques could break through these barriers, and if you fall into a space rift, escape might be impossible!” Xuan Yi warned, scattering thousands of jade slips like rain. The cultivators present promptly used their spiritual awareness to catch them.

Leng Yan probed one of the jade slips with his spiritual awareness and was surprised at how vast the space battlefield was, even larger than Longmu Star, with several dangerous areas clearly marked…