Chapter 47: The Selection of the Three Sects

Ye Jiuyao looked at Ye Chaofeng, who acted like a street thug, with a sneer of disdain. If not for his desire to enter one of the Three Sects to cultivate, he would have already cut him down. After all, killing a steward and killing an inner disciple were two very different matters. A steward was essentially a servant, dispensable—no matter if he was from the inner circle, as long as he didn’t touch the core, the sect would not dispatch any truly powerful individual to hunt down the killer.

Now, Ye Chaofeng had come out openly to seek revenge, which was perfectly reasonable and wouldn’t mar the reputation of the Falling Leaf Sect. After all, if an adult bullied a child, tongues would wag; but if it was a fight between youngsters, who would bother to criticize too much? Given Ye Jiuyao’s formidable strength, people naturally would not accuse Ye Chaofeng of using his power to bully others; in fact, most would find it quite entertaining.

After all, a battle between two strong adversaries, especially when it was a fight to the death, was bound to be thrilling.

“Brother, why don’t you just stay here? There’s still room enough for one more where I’m sleeping...”

Ye Jiuyao declined the bartender’s kind offer, then leaned in and asked quietly, “Brother, is it really true that no fighting is allowed during the Three Sects’ competition?”

“Yes, the time is almost upon us. If it’s not tomorrow then it will be the day after. If anyone dares break the rule, none of the Three Sects will let him off. Why do you ask...?”

“Yes, yes, just waiting for the right time. So, shall we... make do for now?”

The bartender instantly understood Ye Jiuyao’s intention: he planned to showcase his skills at the upcoming competition, thereby securing even greater protection. The bartender couldn’t help but admire him inwardly—young people truly did think quickly.

After eating and drinking his fill, Ye Jiuyao let out a satisfied burp and drew the eyes of everyone present as he made his way over to the bartender.

“Brother, I’m sleepy...”

“Come on,” the bartender said, immediately setting aside his work. Although the others were displeased, none dared voice their dissatisfaction, cowed by Ye Jiuyao’s fierce reputation.

Before long, a new aura of mystery enveloped Ye Jiuyao’s identity, and many began to speculate about who he really was.

Outside, Ye Chaofeng, having heard that Ye Jiuyao was now staying at the Xuantian Tavern, gnashed his teeth in fury. But when he looked up and saw the four gilded characters “Xuantian Tavern” on the sign, he felt as if his world had gone dark.

“Fine, let’s see how long you can keep hiding!” Ye Chaofeng was a stubborn one; he actually sat down in front of the Xuantian Tavern and started cultivating, just as shamelessly as a street ruffian.

When the people outside saw this, their expressions were strange. But those familiar with Ye Chaofeng’s character were not particularly surprised—just curious about his motivation.

Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed. The selection for the Three Sects arrived as scheduled.

The Xuantian Town selection for the Three Sects was not open to all, but it did encompass the entire town. Despite being called a “town,” Xuantian boasted a population in the millions, and nearly a third were disciples of the Three Sects. Thus, this selection drew a massive crowd.

For a time, Xuantian Town was abuzz with excitement as countless people streamed toward a single location—the site chosen by the Three Sects for their projection-based selection process. The place resembled the great plazas of future eras, only far more expansive. Tens of thousands had already gathered.

At this moment, Ye Jiuyao was still fast asleep. The bartender rushed to wake him, and Ye Jiuyao responded with a languid grunt before quickly getting ready.

“Ye Chaofeng, are you still there?” Ye Jiuyao poked his head out from within the Xuantian Tavern, his eyes scanning the street as he called out in a low, teasing voice.

Though the selection for the Three Sects was in full swing, the Xuantian Tavern was still packed. When the guests heard Ye Jiuyao’s words, they nearly choked on their food.

Ye Chaofeng, upon hearing this, immediately stuck his head out, his face radiating murderous intent. As soon as he spotted Ye Jiuyao, he exploded with lightning speed, charging toward him.

“Come in and hit me! Would you dare break the rules set by the Three Sects, Ye Chaofeng?”

With a nimble dodge, Ye Jiuyao darted back inside the tavern, taunting Ye Chaofeng in the manner of a petty villain. The onlookers were left speechless.

“Fine, fine, fine! I’ll see how you manage to take part! Let’s see which sect would dare to take you!” Ye Chaofeng huffed, flinging his sleeves and storming off. After all, none could violate the rules set by the Three Sects—unless their cultivation was beyond the heavens. Seeing this, Ye Jiuyao flashed his trademark sly grin and, to the silent exasperation of the crowd, slipped out of the tavern.

The moment he stepped outside, Ye Jiuyao broke into a run, for the bartender had told him that the first round of the selection would last only three hours. If you missed that window, you’d best go home and cry—unless your talent was truly peerless.

Ye Jiuyao raced at full speed and soon reached the edge of the selection grounds, where the preliminary round had already begun.

At the center of the arena, a curtain of light descended. Beside it stood a mysterious stone stele. As a young man passed through, the stele displayed a line of text.

“Lu Renjia, Second Class Talent, Not Qualified.”

Ye Jiuyao couldn’t help but find it odd—there really was someone named “Lu Renjia.”

The selection process wasn’t as leisurely as it appeared; the curtain of light moved with astonishing speed. What he saw earlier was just a single person being tested at that moment. Soon the light expanded to envelop thousands at once. Names rapidly appeared on the stone stele, as if none could escape its scrutiny.

Though Ye Jiuyao did not fully understand the criteria for selection, he quickly caught on. Those marked in red were unqualified, while those marked in blue were accepted. It was clear at a glance.

“So, once you qualify, you’re marked—no wonder the selection is done by projection. But what comes next?”

Before long, the light swept over Ye Jiuyao. A burst of radiance flashed around him, and unsurprisingly, he was marked with a blue sign. He immediately looked to the stone stele.

“What? A string of question marks? Talent unknown? I went to all this trouble just for this?” Ye Jiuyao felt as though millions of alpacas were stampeding through his mind. Whereas others had their talent clearly ranked, his simply read “Talent Unknown.”

His peculiar case was soon noticed by the crowd, who all stared at him, taking in his bewildered expression.

“It’s him!!”

Many recognized Ye Jiuyao; after all, he was now something of a local celebrity in Xuantian Town—the one who dared slay an inner disciple of the Falling Leaf Sect and live, the one being hunted by Ye Chaofeng.

“Oh my, don’t look at me like that—I’ll get shy...”

“Ugh...”

At that, many felt queasy. Wasn’t he supposed to be a steel-hearted man? How had he suddenly turned into a delicate flower?

Ye Jiuyao gave them a glance and then ignored them. He was so outstanding, after all, it was only natural that everyone would pay attention to him.