Chapter 267: Preventing the Boarding

Early the next morning, Ye Liuyun packed away the Grand Hall, and Bai Hu and Shi Yuan were stored in his Storage Ring, ready for battle at any moment. Lei Ming crouched on Ye Liuyun's shoulder.

Ye Liuyun and Hao Chengfeng followed the Grand Elder, hurrying to the gathering point.

The academy placed great importance on these participating disciples, assigning five Elders to accompany them. Besides the Grand Elder, there were four other Elders.

The Grand Elder went to catch up with the other Elders, and Jiang Yuan and Liu Shengnan also came over to greet Ye Liuyun.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Jiang, on breaking through to the Holy Realm!" Ye Liuyun likewise discovered Jiang Yuan had also broken through.

"Junior Brother Ye, I still need to thank you for the life‑saving favor in the Secret Realm!" Jiang Yuan hurriedly expressed his gratitude as soon as he arrived.

Ye Liuyun laughed, "Senior Brother Jiang, don't mention it! It was merely a trivial effort. I just couldn't reveal myself at the time, which made you worry!"

"Haha, to be honest, I really thought I was doomed then! Your kid scared me to death!" Jiang Yuan laughed upon hearing that.

The few of them chatted and laughed, and the other participating disciples also came over to greet Hao Chengfeng and Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun noticed that among these people, besides Jiang Yuan and Liu Shengnan, another individual had also broken through to the Nascent Core Realm. Even those who hadn't broken through exuded considerably stronger aura. It seemed everyone had gained something in the Secret Realm.

At that moment, a pressure from the Holy Realm approached from afar. A man clad in a golden robe and wearing a golden crown flew through the air. Behind him followed two Elders of Holy Realm First Tier.

"That man is the Jin Holy Son!" Hao Chengfeng informed Ye Liuyun with his Divine Sense.

"I thought he was much stronger, but he's only a Nascent Core First Tier Peak! How can he be so brazen in the academy?" Ye Liuyun replied with his Divine Sense.

"It's all thanks to the Jin Family's background! Otherwise, who would give him face?" Hao Chengfeng said disdainfully.

When the Jin Holy Son saw Ye Liuyun, he shouted, "Ye Liuyun! How dare you kill my subordinate, what crime have you committed?" Without hesitation, he thrust a palm straight at Ye Liuyun, paying no heed to the Grand Elder or the other Elders present.

Ye Liuyun was about to retaliate when, suddenly, a cold snort rang out, instantly dispersing the Jin Holy Son's palm strike.

"Jin Wuyai, before this Elder, you have no right to act rashly!" the Grand Elder roared, striking Jin Wuyai down from the sky.

Jin Wuyai's expression turned sour, yet he dared not confront the Grand Elder. He hadn't expected the Grand Elder to disregard the Jin Family's prestige and strike him directly.

"Before the Seven Sects Grand Competition, academy disciples are forbidden to attack each other! Otherwise, I wouldn't mind disabling him first!" the Grand Elder warned coldly.

Jin Wuyai clenched his teeth, then said bitterly to Ye Liuyun, "I wonder how long your master can protect you!"

Ye Liuyun smiled, "You should thank my master for just now saving your life. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have a chance to join the Seven Sects Grand Competition!"

"Arrogant and ignorant!" Jin Wuyai sneered, "You should worry about yourself! You can't even reach the arena of the Seven Sects Grand Competition!"

At this moment, another Holy Son arrived. He was at the Nascent Core Second Tier, apparently having just broken through.

"This Holy Son's surname is Tang; I don't know his exact name. He's said to have a mysterious background and rarely gets involved in disputes among academy disciples," Hao Chengfeng introduced to Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun examined him closely, noticing the disciple was somewhat scruffy, unkempt, holding a wine flask and looking slightly drunk.

After arriving, he didn't greet anyone, but sat aside and began drinking.

An Elder immediately released a Flying Boat, inviting everyone to board.

"Hold on, this Ye Liuyun cannot board!" Jin Wuyai shouted again, "He's offended many people; there will surely be numerous interceptors along the way, and I don't want to get involved!"

Upon hearing this, some of the other disciples hesitated.

The Grand Elder calmly said, "The Flying Boat prepared by the academy is not for you to decide who boards. If you refuse to board, you may go back on your own; no one will force you!"

"Hmph!" Jin Wuyai didn't dare contradict the Grand Elder, but he produced a Flying Boat and told the disciples, "If you don't want to get entangled, come with me! I tell you, there are many who want to kill him along the way; don't regret being implicated later."

Four other disciples hesitated briefly but still boarded Jin Wuyai's Flying Boat. Even two Elders, citing the protection of disciples, followed as well.

Seeing that Jiang Yuan and Liu Shengnan hadn't moved, Jin Wuyai called out, "Shengnan, take my Flying Boat—it's absolutely safe! Jiang Yuan, why aren't you coming too?"

Liu Shengnan said lightly, "I am now a disciple of Lingyun Pavilion, so I must stay with the pavilion master."

Jiang Yuan also declined, "Junior Brother Ye saved my life; I appreciate the Jin Holy Son's goodwill!"

Ye Liuyun hadn't expected that Jiang Yuan would also stand with him.

"What? You actually joined Lingyun Pavilion?" Jin Wuyai ignored Jiang Yuan and shouted at Liu Shengnan, "When I return, I'll destroy Lingyun Pavilion for you to see!"

"Then I'll kill you with my own hands!" Liu Shengnan didn't even bother to look at him, and boarded the Flying Boat directly.

Ye Liuyun and the others boarded the Flying Boat one after another, and the Tang Holy Son, just like Ye Liuyun, also boarded the academy's Flying Boat.

The Jin Holy Son cast a poisonous glance at the Tang Holy Son, said nothing, and lifted his Flying Boat away.

Then three Elders also boarded the Flying Boat, which activated and drifted away slowly.

"Where is the venue of the Seven Sects Competition?" Ye Liuyun only now remembered to ask about the competition location.

"The Seven Sects Competition is held alternately at each sect's headquarters. This year it's at the Divine Sword Palace, so the journey is a bit far—about seven days." Hao Chengfeng explained.

"That long? Then we should hurry and cultivate!"

Ye Liuyun said, taking out Hell Mingshe's Nascent Core and began cultivating. In his other hand, he held a Wukong Stone, channeling the power of the Insight Space.

After the Flying Boat left the academy, it was eyed by various forces. Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense detected at least a dozen Saints watching their boat from afar.

Based on their attire, Ye Liuyun identified their affiliations: an Elder of the Blood Demon Sect wearing a blood‑stained robe, an Imperial Guard Leader, an Elder of the Ancient Demon Sect, an Elder of Lingyang Academy, and even an Elder of the Shuiyue Sect.

Ye Liuyun couldn't understand why a Shuiyue Sect Elder was involved—perhaps because of the two slain Elders and those male disciples? If so, the Shuiyue Sect is being utterly unreasonable!

Moreover, a sect sending only a handful of people to kill him? That's underestimating him! That few wouldn't even suffice for him to kill himself; he wouldn't even need a ferocious beast.

"It seems they're merely tracking and monitoring; there must be a large number of interceptors ahead!"

Thinking this, Ye Liuyun, fearing to endanger his companions, voluntarily told the Grand Elder, "Master, I will go to the Divine Sword Palace alone."

"Are you afraid of endangering others?" the Grand Elder asked.

Ye Liuyun nodded, remaining silent.

"No problem, consider it training for you! In martial cultivation, are you still afraid of battle? If anyone is scared, they can leave now!" the Grand Elder said calmly.

The people on the Flying Boat clearly noticed the Saints trailing behind. They made no effort to conceal their aura, apparently intending to let unrelated people depart.

But after following for a long time, they saw no one disembark from the Flying Boat. So the Saints each produced a Transmission Talisman, notifying their sect of the target.