Ye Tian Yun had many thoughts running in his mind. He knew whatever was going on right now had more than what met to his eyes.
In front of him were two options, to get defeated early, so as to not to arouse any suspicion regarding his Sword Intent, and the other option was to reveal his talent a bit and get acquainted with Jun Xie.
This was because he knew that after a few years, he would need Jun Xie's help, and the best thing to do right now felt that he should reveal his prowess, not necessarily his sword intent.
If someone asked him a few months back when he had entered the Lower Heavens to take revenge, would he make friends and connections? He would have straight out denied it.
However, this doesn't change the fact that he 'will' need allies when the time comes; after all, if Wang Yao had been alone, he wouldn't even amount to dog shit in front of Ye Tian Yun.
And Ye Tian Yun also knew that few people in the Lower Heavens were worthy of getting acquainted with.
Jun Xie was one of them.
Not only because of his talent but also because of his background and bloodline. In fact, Jun Xie had a much closer relation to him than anyone else in the Lower Heavens. Of course, not counting the Wangs since he never counted them as a part of his family, to begin with.
Suddenly a thought flashed in Ye Tian Yun's mind, 'This sect is just above average in power; however, some disciples here have quite big backgrounds.'
Taking a deep breath, he removed unnecessary thoughts and prepared himself for the incoming attack.
He put one foot in front, pointing it forward and one foot back, pointing to the side, and the legs spread a little.
He pressed his thumb on the spatial ring on his index finger. Ready to draw his swords.
In front of him, Jun Xie took a step, and in the next instant, he was in the air, just behind Ye Tian Yun.
The attack was a bit different from the one which Hu Xing faced because it wasn't straightforward. Jun Xie was expecting an easy win this time, too; however, his opponent was Ye Tian Yun.
As soon as the sword closed upon Ye Tian Yun, two swords suddenly appeared in between them, directly blocking the incoming attack.
A shockwave went through the platform due to the impact.
Since this was only about battle prowess and techniques, Jun Xie wasn't really serious about the battle. He didn't use full force in either offense or defense.
However, Ye Tian Yun wasn't holding back. In his opinion, one shouldn't hold back even in normal spars because there's no benefit from spars if one can't even go all out. This point is crucial while fighting one's enemies. A single move is enough to decide the battle's outcome, so attacking with full strength from the get-go is the right thing to do.
Jun Xie was surprised that Ye Tian Yun didn't go flying backward due to the impact like Hu Xing did.
So he jumped back, and without giving any time to recover, he attacked once more.
This time he also used full strength, wanting to test Ye Tian Yun's limits.
To his surprise, Ye Tian Yun once again stopped his attack. However this time, the platform around Ye Tian Yun cracked, and the surface sank a few inches, signifying the intensity of the force Jun Xie used in his attack.
While still in the air, Jun Xie moved his right leg back to create enough momentum and gave a hard kick towards Ye Tian Yun's torso.
But it only met air as Ye Tian Yun suddenly disappeared, and before Jun Xie could even understand what had happened, he felt a sudden jolt on his right cheek.
'Ugh!'
It was like a mud-stained hand had slapped him.
But the hand felt very stiff.
'Was that a shoe?'
Jun Xie flew to the platform side, and the only thing he could think of was the muddy blood taste on his tongue.
The taste was weird. Definitely not something he wanted to experience again.
Balancing himself, he got up and raised his head, only to find Ye Tian Yun standing in front of him with a sword just a few inches from his neck.
Ye Tian Yun suddenly smiled, "Your father didn't teach you enough?"
These simple words, however, sent a jolt of electricity through Jun Xie as his eyes opened wide. Nothing in the world could agitate him more than the mere mention of his heritage.
Ye Tian Yun was satisfied with his reaction and thought, 'At least he knows who I am talking about.'
Taking a deep breath, Jun Xie said, "Boy, you should think before you speak too much. Words from our mouth are like arrows on a bow; once you shoot them, there's no going back."
Ye Tian Yun didn't reply; instead, he looked around and then said, "Head-on battles are definitely not your forte, but your illusion technique is like a piece of art. I truly admire it."
Jun Xie frowned, and all the disciples suddenly began to cheer. Yuan Shuchun had a shocked expression, clearly surprised from whatever the hell was going on, on the stage.
Ye Tian Yun, however, shook his head at this scene, "Your mastery in illusion technique is excellent; however, it still hasn't reached the point where you can use it against anyone."
"What are you trying to say?" Jun Xie was confused at his words
"Well, let's not waste any more time. Don't think no one will know that everything currently happening is an illusion. Your challenge, Hu Xing's beating, and even you, everything here is a part of your illusions."
Jun Xie's mind suddenly became blank when he heard these words as the hall suddenly became pin-drop silent.
"How...how do you know this?"
Ye Tian Yun shook his head, and while putting down his sword, he said, "It's still not time for you to know why we are even having this conversation. But I do have something to say; I am pretty sure I know the reason why you're here."
"And the reason is..?" Jun Xie frowned while asking.
Ye Tian Yun pointed to Mu Xing, who had a blank look on his face as the rest of the disciples in the hall.
He then said, "See that guy, he's almost at Sword Intent Manifestation Realm; if you nurture that guy, he will turn out to be a pretty good Seat Candidate for you."
Jun Xie shook his head, "No, I can't. Master has told me to bring someone from the Seventh Peak."
Jun Xie glanced at Zheng Xiang, but he once again shook his head. Then turning towards Ye Tian Yun again, he asked, "Why don't you become the Seat Candidate?"
...
A/n: The update schedule will be unstable (with at least one chapter per day) till 31st March because of the stockpile I need to create since this novel's MGS is about to start.
From 1st April, I will be doing 3 daily chapters and we will have a fixed time of upload. Please have patience for few more days.