Chapter 81: You Must Work Hard

The identity of the newcomer was obvious at a glance; he was from the Divine Artifact Pavilion. As Ye Jiuyao swept his gaze across the crowd, he happened to spot a familiar figure. This man was not far from the members of the Divine Artifact Pavilion, cleverly hiding among the people. If it weren't for Ye Jiuyao's acute sensitivity to the aura of those around him, he might not have sensed this person's presence at all. Of course, it was Ye Chaotian.

Having survived by the skin of his teeth, Ye Chaotian had not cherished the chance to live, so Ye Jiuyao felt no need to show him any mercy. He waved at Tong Zhantian.

"Hand me the Barrett for a moment. I’ll show you some advanced tech. Don’t ask too many questions—you wouldn’t understand even if I explained..."

Tong Zhantian and the others were left speechless. Why did he have to speak so abrasively? Would it kill him to put it more tactfully?

With the Barrett in hand, Ye Jiuyao’s eyes shone with a fierce brilliance, as dazzling as the midday sun.

"A man who should have died, yet managed to survive? Very well, I’ll send you to meet your ancestors now!"

The moment he spoke, someone in the crowd instantly burst into motion, fleeing at their utmost speed without the slightest reservation. That person was, of course, Ye Chaotian. Sensing the deadly threat enveloping him—a perception honed by years of cultivation—he felt the presence of death itself. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and ran.

He had witnessed the terrifying might of the Barrett before. There was no time to think—the only instinct was to escape, to get as far away as possible. Only then might he survive.

But he had underestimated the Barrett’s power.

A thunderous bang erupted as an immense force burst forth from the weapon. A dazzling beam of light shot out like a bolt of lightning, a bullet formed of condensed elemental energy tearing through the void, shattering the fabric of space, and speeding directly toward Ye Chaotian.

With a sickening squelch, the bullet tore through flesh and bone, plunging into Ye Chaotian’s body. The immense, crushing force instantly snuffed out his life. Before anyone could grasp what had happened, he was already a corpse. Only Ye Jiuyao’s expression remained as cold as ever.

For in the sky above, a figure was already descending, his lips curling into a faint smile as an array sprang to life beneath his feet.

"I hear the Divine Artifact Pavilion possesses unparalleled weapons. Why not see if you can break my formation?" Ye Jiuyao spoke calmly, eyes brimming with confidence.

"Arrogant!" came the reply. "I, Wang Tingqing, have spent five years in the Divine Artifact Pavilion, forging countless elemental devices. Breaking your little formation is but a flick of the wrist!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Ye Jiuyao retorted, his tone still scornful. It wasn’t that he underestimated Wang Tingqing—it was simply that he held him in utter contempt. The gulf between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

There was no way his formation could be broken by some lowly disciple of the Divine Artifact Pavilion wielding an elemental weapon. His confidence was born from within, rooted in his absolute trust in his own craft.

"Piercing Cloud Spear!"

"This Piercing Cloud Spear is a little piece of junk I made specially to deal with arrogant formation masters like you!" Wang Tingqing declared, gripping the weapon as elemental energy surged violently around him, unleashing a fearsome power.

Some onlookers looked apprehensive, but the members of Tongxuan Sect merely chuckled. This attack was far too feeble—there was no real strength behind it.

With a resounding blast, the spear clashed with the formation, sending a terrifying shockwave surging outward. The crowd hurriedly retreated. When they finally stopped, however, they all stared at Wang Tingqing with strange expressions.

"Are you sure that thing isn't just trash?"

"Who knows? Maybe it really is garbage—or maybe, well, you know, appearances matter..."

"Yeah, makes sense. Disciples from these powerful sects do love to show off, but this time..."

Laughter broke out.

"Is this some kind of joke? Is it really just a piece of junk?"

"Here, aim over here. I’ll even tell you the weak point in my formation, so you don’t embarrass yourself..."

Ye Jiuyao looked at the enraged Wang Tingqing and mocked him all the more. The more he taunted, the darker Wang Tingqing’s face became.

"Enough!" Wang Tingqing roared, gripping the spear and launching another furious attack. Light exploded from him, his aura surging like a raging river.

"I have a bad temper, so you’ll just have to die." Ye Jiuyao watched calmly as Wang Tingqing unleashed his power once more, then, with a thought, activated the formation.

Brilliant rays of light erupted from the array, instantly enveloping Wang Tingqing. His expression changed dramatically as he tried to break free, but it was already too late.

Three thunderous blasts resounded in quick succession as bolts of lightning engulfed Wang Tingqing. When the echoes faded, he was nothing but a charred corpse, falling outside the gates of Tongxuan Sect.

The stark contrast left the onlookers shaken to the core.

"Dead... he’s dead?!"

"Can the Tongxuan Sect’s formations even be used offensively?!"

"What a terrifying array. If we had rushed in just now..."

The crowd fell into heated discussion. Many realized that if they had acted rashly and Ye Jiuyao had activated the formation, they would have ended up just like Wang Tingqing.

"The Mo family brothers, Xing Juexing, Zhong Shaoshan... and you, my friend—go hone yourselves, seize those people, and if they die, I’ll take responsibility!" Ye Jiuyao pointed at those individuals, and the Mo brothers and others quickly noted their attire and appearance.

These were the ones who had been the most brazen in their provocations moments earlier. Now that Ye Jiuyao had ordered them to be dealt with, the outcome was self-evident.

"Yes!"

"Ye Jiuyao, are you insane?!"

"Who gave you the nerve to attack disciples of an eighth-grade sect?!"

"Is an eighth-grade sect so formidable?" Ye Jiuyao seemed oblivious to their fearsome reputation, his face full of disdain. This was precisely the situation he wanted.

He wished for a predicament where enemies lurked on all sides. Only in such a crisis could he truly lead the disciples of the Tongxuan Sect down an invincible path.

The fastest way to grow in the world of cultivation was constant battle—only through combat could one truly recognize one’s shortcomings.

And so, Ye Jiuyao was determined to create such an environment. Only when a person faces mortal peril can their true potential erupt, and only then could Ye Jiuyao tailor techniques to fit each disciple.

He would craft powerful techniques for them, but first he needed to understand their potential and how best to develop it—insights that could only be gained through the crucible of battle.

"Senior brothers and sisters, look after each other. From today on, the Tongxuan Sect will be surrounded by enemies. Your strength is what matters most..."

"You must all do your best..." Ye Jiuyao said earnestly to Xuan San, Nangong Mingyue, and the others. Their expressions grew grave.

It was the first time they had seen Ye Jiuyao speak with such gravity, so they snapped to attention.

"I’m off to get some sleep..."

Nangong Mingyue and the others had expected Ye Jiuyao to continue with more important instructions, but they were wrong. He had no intention of shouldering all the responsibility himself—his words just now were meant to spur them on.