Chapter 103: Conflict! Hanjian Sect!

“It’s the Qi Condensation Method...”

Liu Yiyi, usually cold and composed, nearly lost her composure at this moment, her heart surging with turbulent waves.

She knew better than anyone how precious the Qi Condensation Method was.

Her father, Liu Qingshi, had once been severely wounded and nearly died when he sought to obtain a Qi Condensation Method in his youth.

As a result, he had been trapped all his life at the peak of Qi Transformation, unable to make even the slightest progress.

But with this Qi Condensation Method, everything would be different.

Her father would finally have a chance to break free from this confinement.

“But how could a Qi Condensation Method possibly be here...”

Amidst her shock, Liu Yiyi stared blankly at the fallen leaves beneath her feet, her beautiful eyes filled with countless questions.

At that moment.

“Sister Yiyi, I’m done.”

A clear, cheerful voice came from behind, carrying the light joy of having completed a major task.

Liu Yiyi snapped out of her daze, forgetting her shock and confusion, and quickly shoved the “Canglan True Water Qi Condensation Method” into her bosom, pressing it tightly against her body.

The book pressed against her chest, slightly warm, like a small flame of heat.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain her usual cold composure.

“Then let’s go back.”

She turned around and glanced at Wang Siyi, who was skipping happily toward her.

Under the moonlight, the little girl bounced with joy, utterly unaware of what had just happened. Suddenly, Liu Yiyi recalled the girl’s earlier words—

“Sister Yiyi, do you think we might find some great fortune in this former dynasty ruin, and one day punch the stewards and kick the Elders...”

The former dynasty ruin hasn’t even been found yet, and fortune has already arrived!

In the shadows afar, the gaunt figure stood silently, taking in everything.

Jiang Ye watched as Liu Yiyi carefully hid the scripture, a faint smile appearing on his aged face.

The cultivation difficulty of this “Canglan True Water Qi Condensation Method” isn’t very high—he had already memorized its entire content.

Moreover, the origin of this Qi Condensation Method is, in a certain sense, “legitimate.”

There should be no risk in this region of Yunling Prefecture.

It’s perfect for Liu Qingshi to cultivate.

The next day, morning light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the mountains.

Chen Lili continued directing the disciples in their search through the mountains; after several days of training, she had grown increasingly competent, managing over a hundred disciples with firm control.

Jiang Ye, meanwhile, enjoyed the peace, chatting idly with Zheng Feng.

“Elder Jiang, if we keep searching like this, even months more won’t yield any results.”

Zheng Feng gazed at the distant, endless mountain ranges and sighed helplessly.

Days of fruitless searching had left this true disciple deeply discouraged.

A Golden Core cultivator, leading over a hundred people, had wandered these mountains for seven or eight days without even catching a glimpse of a ruin—it was humiliating to even think of.

“Good food never comes too late.”

Jiang Ye smiled faintly, his tone showing not a trace of impatience.

Hearing this, Zheng Feng looked at him with admiration, his eyes filled with sincerity: “You’re truly broad-minded, Elder Jiang! I must learn more from you!”

He realized his Elder Jiang always remained calm and detached, never rushed or flustered, his poise deeply reassuring.

Jiang Ye smiled and shook his head slightly, about to speak—

“Shhh—!”

High above, a brilliant firework exploded suddenly, leaving a vivid red trail across the blue sky and white clouds, lingering long after.

“Huh?!” Jiang Ye and Zheng Feng both tensed, their faces lighting up with delight.

That was Tianqing Sect’s emergency signal—only used for major matters.

“Could they have found the former dynasty ruin?”

The two exchanged glances, each seeing the same suspicion in the other’s eyes.

“Go! Head there at once!”

They split up, returning to their respective groups and summoning disciples to rush toward the signal’s origin.

“Someone sent a signal!!!”

A sharp-eyed disciple shouted out first.

“Has the former dynasty ruin finally been found!!!”

Someone’s voice trembled with excitement.

“We’ve been wandering in these mountains for so long, I’m about to go mad...”

Others clenched their fists, eager to fly there with wings.

“Our chance to defy fate has arrived!!!”

More joined in, their excitement overflowing.

The outer disciples naturally saw the striking signal—they were even more excited than Jiang Ye.

Days of wandering in the wild, eating outdoors and sleeping under the open sky, had left them all pent-up.

“Sister Yiyi, our chance to rise is here!!!”

Wang Siyi, unable to contain her excitement, followed closely behind Liu Yiyi, her face flushed red, her voice trembling.

She lowered her voice but couldn’t suppress her bubbling joy: “It might be the former dynasty ruin! Maybe there are ten-thousand-year lingzhi mushrooms, ancient divine weapons inside! If so, we’ll be rich beyond dreams!”

A flicker of emotion passed over Liu Yiyi’s usually cold face.

If before, she had dismissed Wang Siyi’s boasts of “punching stewards and kicking Elders” as idle chatter, since last night’s discovery of the Qi Condensation Method, her mindset had quietly shifted.

Her time training at Tianqing Sect had made her realize—superior roots alone were not enough.

In a small county, superior roots could earn one the title of genius, admired by all, entrusted with high hopes.

But in a prefectural city, before a giant like Tianqing Sect, geniuses were countless.

There were those younger than her, those with deeper foundations, those with far greater resources.

To advance further, to rise above all others, one needed either vast resources—or a rare fortune beyond ordinary reach.

And that fortune was right before her.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand to press against the book in her bosom, a hidden longing glimmering in her cold eyes.

When the crowd arrived at the signal’s origin, flushed with excitement, the sight before them left them utterly disappointed.

The signal had been sent by two Elders from Jinchen Peak.

They had not found the former dynasty ruin—they had gotten into a fight.

The two Elders, accompanied by over three hundred outer disciples, were locked in fierce combat with a group of strangers.

Blade flashes, sword streaks, fist winds, palm forces, shouts, screams, and clashing weapons filled the air—chaotic and intense.

Their opponents wore light blue martial attire, each chest embroidered with a small sword.

Their techniques were sharp, their coordination seamless—they were clearly no ordinary bandits or wandering warriors.

“Elder Jiang, those are the Hanjian Sect from Huangxin Prefecture.”

Zheng Feng approached Jiang Ye, his expression grave as he explained.

His eyes fixed on the battlefield, his brow furrowed: “The Hanjian Sect’s status in Huangxin Prefecture is exactly like ours in Yunling Prefecture—the undisputed masters of their region!”

“Taishan Mountain lies on the border between the two prefectures—it’s unclear which side truly controls it.”

He paused, lowering his voice:

“Two years ago, hunters discovered a mineral vein here, and we clashed with the Hanjian Sect—many died.”

“It seems the Hanjian Sect has heard rumors and wants to get involved this time too.”

Jiang Ye listened, nodding thoughtfully.

On the battlefield, both sides were evenly matched.

The Hanjian Sect had sent only two Golden Core cultivators, who were locked in a stalemate with Jinchen Peak’s two Elders, neither gaining the upper hand.

The numbers of disciples were roughly equal, but the battlefield dynamic showed a clear disparity.

Jiang Ye’s gaze settled on a particularly fierce figure in the Hanjian Sect’s ranks.

He was a tall, muscular disciple, bare-armed, his muscles knotted like solid rock.

He charged through the crowd, each punch landing with brutal force—Tianqing disciples struck by him crumpled like paper, one after another, knocked sprawling.

A faint bronze sheen glimmered around his body; ordinary blows against him felt like scratches, leaving him unshaken.

“He’s cultivated a hardening art,” Jiang Ye murmured, his aged eyes flickering with interest.

Though only at the peak of Qi Transformation, he had carved out an aura of near-invincibility in the midst of battle.

Tianqing’s disciples were scattered and disarrayed under his onslaught.