Chapter 116: A Six-Month Agreement

In an instant, eighteen figures hung suspended in the sky above the Azure Cloud Sect, surrounding Ye Wuya and Jiang Xiaoxiao below.

"Holy cow!"
"Holy, holy cow!"
"Holy, holy, holy cow!"

Ye Wuya was completely stunned, as if a scene from yesterday were replaying before his eyes. It felt just like when he was in the ruins, watching Golden Core stage cultivators clash while he could only hide far away.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ye Wuya thought to himself. "I just wanted to see your sect’s Scripture Pavilion. Was that really necessary? You’re ready to fight without a second word!"

"Master, you are just too cunning!" Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at the eighteen figures, appearing incredibly excited, the golden flames on her body burning ever brighter. Even Ye Wuya could feel the golden power that seemed capable of destroying the world.

"How am I being cunning?" Ye Wuya was utterly bewildered. He simply wanted to see some things in this world.

"The Scripture Pavilion is the most important place for any sect! It’s like their lifeline. You acted so easygoing at first that I actually thought you were done causing trouble and wanted to stay peacefully in the Azure Cloud Sect. It seems you were really considering your disciple’s feelings after all!" Jiang Xiaoxiao continued, still brimming with excitement.

"Considering your head!" Ye Wuya cursed internally. How was he supposed to know the Scripture Pavilion was that important to cultivators in this world? Had he known, he would have just had Jiang Xiaoxiao call someone to prepare things! Now, they were really on the verge of a fight.

He didn't know what to say. Apologize? Impossible! If you’re going to act cool, you have to see it through to the end.

"Xiaoxiao, is that coffin lid of yours impenetrable even to you?" Ye Wuya asked calmly.

"Yes? Does Master want it now?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.

"Yes, give it to me. I have a great use for it," Ye Wuya said, his face impassive, heart not skipping a beat—though inside, he was panicking. If eighteen Golden Core powerhouses attacked simultaneously, he didn't think Jiang Xiaoxiao could protect him. And truth be told, Jiang Xiaoxiao hadn't even considered protecting her cheap master.

"Boom!"

A coffin lid, two or three meters in size, slammed into the ground, causing cracks like spiderwebs to spread from where its edges met the earth.

"Attack! He’s grabbing a weapon!" the Seventh Elder shouted as he saw Jiang Xiaoxiao place the three-meter-long bronze slab in front of Ye Wuya.

"Boom!"

A searing flash of fire erupted from the rearmost peak.

"Stop!"

A fiery red figure appeared—a man shrouded in crimson radiance.

"Greetings, Vice Sect Master!" Everyone below knelt on one knee to salute the sky. Even the eighteen figures bowed their heads in silence.

"You wish to enter my Scripture Pavilion?" The young man in purple robes looked at Ye Wuya with a faint smile.

Ye Wuya wasn't surprised; he had already sensed someone watching them. Judging by the size of the aura, this was likely one of the top figures in the entire Azure Cloud Sect. Perhaps not the strongest, as there were other hidden presences, but certainly among the elite.

Ye Wuya extended his divine sense and discovered that the man’s meridians were shockingly robust, with power thrumming like distant thunder. Just as he prepared to investigate further, he suddenly saw a face looking back at him with a half-smile.

Yes, Ye Wuya saw it. It was divine sense! This was the first time he had encountered another cultivator’s consciousness. It possessed such immense mental pressure that it projected that smiling face directly into Ye Wuya’s mind.

After observing with interest, the man withdrew his focus and answered, "I am simply ignorant of certain things and wish to learn. I believe the Azure Cloud Sect has at least that much magnanimity."

"Perhaps we will even be allies before long," Ye Wuya added blandly.

"Indeed. Very well, I agree. You may visit the Scripture Pavilion, but I have a condition," the young man said with a light smile.

A condition? Ye Wuya arched an eyebrow.

"For ten years, you are not allowed to leave the Scripture Pavilion for even a single step!"
"One year!"
"Seven years!"
"One year!"
"Five years!"
"One year!"

After several rounds of back-and-forth, Ye Wuya stood his ground: one year, not a day more.

"Deal!" the young man said.
"Half a year!" Ye Wuya interjected suddenly.
"Don't push your luck!" the Seventh Elder shouted, unable to watch any longer. He couldn't fathom why the Vice Sect Master would agree to such demands.

The young man waved him off. "Deal!"

Ye Wuya nodded. Since this man was the Vice Sect Master, his ability to make such a decision suggested he held significant power—likely a foundational figure of the sect. Half a year was enough for Ye Wuya’s powerful divine sense to read through the entire library.

"And after half a year? Do we just let him leave like that?" the Seventh Elder asked, frowning tentatively. Even he had to be respectful to the Vice Sect Master.

"After half a year, he will be one of our own. After that, he can do as he pleases. Our sect will have to rely on him by then," the young man said with a smile.

Ye Wuya felt a toothache. Was this guy a fortune teller? He didn't even know his own future, yet this man spoke with such conviction. He had never underestimated Golden Core powerhouses, having seen their terror firsthand. He calmed himself instantly; until he was truly invincible, he had to keep up the act.

"You jest. I am but a mortal with no cultivation. What could you possibly mean?" Ye Wuya said, his face remaining cold.

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked over, her smile deepening. Using the coldest face to say the most cowardly things while acting the most arrogant! She had to admit, he had personality.

"I have never seen a mortal possess divine sense of such immense density—it likely exceeds even my own," the young man said with a smirk.

Ye Wuya decided to stay silent. Any more talk and his facade would surely crumble. Everyone retracted their auras. Jiang Xiaoxiao, though unwilling, had no choice but to follow suit. Since the Vice Sect Master had personally intervened and even agreed to her master’s terms, the fight was off.

"Sigh!" Jiang Xiaoxiao saw her future as a free sparring partner for the next six months. "I have no idea what Master is planning or what he's up to! Sigh!" she lamented internally. The fight was truly over.