Chapter 121 - Storm
It was only natural for Liu Wuxie to give it some thought, especially since Yu Yifan had stepped forward after Liu Wuxie had dealt with the Scorpion Brothers.
“Brother Liu, rest assured. I don’t regard the Xue Clan highly, and I naturally won’t become their lackey,” Yu Yifan said confidently. The two students behind him kept everyone at a distance, preventing Liu Wuxie and Yu Yifan’s conversation from being heard by others.
The fact that Yu Yifan didn’t consider the Xue Clan as a threat suggested that Yu Yifan had a huge background. At the very least, his background far surpassed the Xue Clan's status.
“Is there something you need, Brother Yu?” Liu Wuxie asked, his interest in Yu Yifan’s identity waning since it wasn’t the Xue Clan who had sent him. Could Yu Yifan be interested in the pill and martial technique? That was even more unlikely. Given that he didn’t regard the Xue Clan highly, why would someone like him lack pills and martial techniques? This meant that Yu Yifan was here for the Flame Sun Cave!
“Brother Liu, you’re not curious about my identity?” Yu Yifan didn’t state his purpose directly and asked with a smile. They hadn’t interacted much during the assessment and weren’t well-acquainted.
“No, not interested!”
Liu Wuxie’s response caught Yu Yifan off guard, prompting a wry smile to form on his face. It wasn’t that Liu Wuxie disliked Yu Yifan; he simply had no interest in his identity.
“Brother Liu, you may not be aware, but I’ve heard about your exploits in Zen City,” Yu Yifan said, not lingering on the previous topic. He had done his homework on Liu Wuxie before their meeting. Aside from Zuo Hong, few in the Imperial Academy were privy to Liu Wuxie’s deeds in Zen City.
“Did you come here just to chat?” Liu Wuxie was growing impatient. Yu Yifan was clearly superior to Bai Yu. Bai Yu’s jealousy was evident during the assessment, but Yu Yifan managed to conceal his feelings well. This alone highlighted the stark contrast between them.
“Truth be told, my father told me about your performance back in Zen City, and I was quite surprised. It was rare to see such a heaven-defying genius in alchemy in this world,” Yu Yifan praised. After all, Liu Wuxie even defeated Ji Yang, making him one of the most outstanding young talents in alchemy in the Great Yan Empire.
“Your father was present then?” Liu Wuxie frowned. There were many prominent figures in Zen City at that time, including the Kuang Clan and other major clans. But he didn’t recall anyone with the surname of ‘Yu’ in attendance.
“My father is the city lord of Manifest City and was there for official matters. Thus, he was invited to observe the competition,” Yu Yifan quickly explained.
This surprised Liu Wuxie because he didn’t expect Yu Yifan to be the son of Manifest City’s city lord. It was no wonder that Yu Yifan didn’t regard the Xue Clan highly. A city lord had a noble status, which was why the Xue Clan had to be respectful when facing the Azure Billow City’s city lord, not to mention the Manifest City, which far surpassed the Azure Billow City in terms of status.
Liu Wuxie nodded, finally understanding why Yu Yifan knew so much about him. During the alchemy competition, Yu Yifan must have been in seclusion to reach the Spirit Cleansing Realm for the Imperial Academy’s assessment, wanting to use it as an opportunity to become famous. Therefore, his father must have relayed Liu Wuxie’s alchemical prowess to him.
“Brother Yu, are you attempting to pressure me by leveraging your father’s status?” Liu Wuxie’s gaze darkened. Yu Yifan had been skirting around the issue, seemingly flaunting his status through his father.
“Brother Liu, you worry too much. I came to find you to discuss something. As long as you agree, I won’t treat you unfairly,” Yu Yifan waved his hand with a hint of cunning light in his eyes as he wore a smug smile.
Liu Wuxie wasn’t sure if Yu Yifan harbored any ill intentions, but his objective was clear. If Liu Wuxie disagreed, it would likely result in a confrontation. He knew Yu Yifan must have an ulterior motive for revealing his father’s status. He asked, “Speak, what’s the matter?”
“I’ll be straightforward with you. I’ve been practicing a fire attribute cultivation technique and recently reached the Spirit Cleansing Realm. I urgently need to enter the Flame Sun Cave, and I assure you, I'll give you fair treatment if you’re willing to grant me this opportunity,” Yu Yifan stated his purpose. He had revealed his identity first to exert pressure on Liu Wuxie.
Indeed, Liu Wuxie was merely the son-in-law of the Xu Clan from Azure Billow City, a far cry from the son of a city lord. The disparity in their statuses was akin to the difference between an emperor and a commoner.
Yu Yifan, basking in the superiority of being the city lord’s son, held his head high, a smile gracing his face. Despite the sincerity in his tone, there was an underlying hint of dominance.
“Oh? How will you compensate me if I give it up?” Liu Wuxie nodded. He had already guessed Yu Yifan’s purpose and could tell with a glance that Yu Yifan had cultivated a fire attribute cultivation technique. He was just curious how Yu Yifan planned on compensating him. After all, a cultivating ground like the Flame Sun Cave wasn’t something anyone had the qualification to enter.
This reward from the Imperial Academy had surprised many people as this was unprecedented in the past. Perhaps the Imperial Academy had sensed the crisis in the academy, with the Heaven Govern Academy showing signs of catching up to them. Thus, they felt compelled to offer more rewards to attract more geniuses.
Liu Wuxie’s response pleasantly surprised Yu Yifan, and he knew that bringing out his father’s status would be effective. After all, a city lord had a private army, formidable strength, and connections with many officials in the Great Yan Dynasty. This meant that his status far surpassed that of ordinary clans.
“As long as Brother Liu is willing to give it up, I can write a letter to have my father intervene and mediate the matter between you and the Xue Clan,” Yu Yifan replied confidently and could no longer restrain his smile. He didn’t make any threats, and the effects were surprising.
“Mediate?” Liu Wuxie echoed, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He had assumed that Yu Yifan would help him resolve the feud with the Xue Clan. However, Yu Yifan only offered to mediate the matter, implying that the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. This meant that even if he gave up the opportunity to Yu Yifan, he might still be unable to resolve the threat posed by the Xue Clan. The terms ‘resolving’ and ‘mediating’ a feud, while sounding similar, were fundamentally different.
“Brother Liu, rest assured about it. With my father intervening, the Xue Clan will show him respect,” Yu Yifan continued, reassuring that his father’s influence would compel the Xue Clan to show deference.
Liu Wuxie chuckled, his gaze fixed on Yu Yifan, “You’ve done your homework on me, but did you know that I’ve killed many members of the Xue Clan? The animosity between me and the Xue Clan is irreparable. I appreciate your good intentions, but I must decline.”
Liu Wuxie’s tone carried a hint of mockery. Yu Yifan had investigated him thoroughly, but he didn’t know that Liu Wuxie had killed many people from the Xue Clan, including Xue Changqing.
The Xue Clan had already dispatched someone to investigate, but Xue Changqing’s disappearance remained an unsolved mystery.
“Brother Liu, are you really unwilling to forfeit the opportunity to cultivate in the Flame Sun Cave?” Yu Yifan’s expression turned cold, a drastic change in his demeanor compared to before. It was as though he had changed into an entirely different person.
“I’m afraid that you will have to be disappointed!” Liu Wuxie realized that Yu Yifan was the same as the three scorpion brothers, and he replied calmly despite facing Yu Yifan’s hidden threats. He had already formed a feud with the Xue Clan, and he didn’t want to become the enemies of the son of Manifest City’s city lord.
Liu Wuxie wasn’t acting out of fear, but rather a desire to avoid petty squabbles. He had come to the Imperial Academy to cultivate, not to make enemies. His ultimate goal was to return to the Celestial Realm swiftly to exact revenge.
Even though he had executed the Blood Demon Disintegration Art, he believed many had survived the explosion. They were still at large, and Liu Wuxie wouldn’t be able to dispel the anger in his heart without killing them. He turned around and returned to his courtyard after he was done, without even having the intention to see him off.
“Brother Liu, you will regret this!” Yu Yifan didn’t conceal his threat, as Liu Wuxie’s reply had offended him. After all, he could swiftly make breakthroughs in his cultivation if he could cultivate in the Flame Sun Cave, forging a sturdy foundation to become a Profound Grade student. But this opportunity was slipping away, naturally leaving Yu Yifan with a grim expression.
“Brother Yu, are you threatening me?” Liu Wuxie turned around with a hint of mockery in his eyes. He could easily crush someone like Yu Yifan with one hand.
“I hope that you can consider this carefully. I’m not the only one wanting to enter the Flame Sun Cave, and whether you can even live till tomorrow is a question. I can guarantee your safety if you’re willing to give me the opportunity.” What Yu Yifan said was the truth; he wasn’t the only one wanting to enter the Flame Sun Cave.
The three scorpion brothers were the first wave, and he was the second. This meant that there were other waves as well. Their objectives were clear: they were here for the opportunity to cultivate in the Flame Sun Cave.
How could they let such a huge opportunity slip away? This was the first time an Earth Grade student was allowed to enter the Flame Sun Cave, as the opportunity to cultivate in it was mainly meant for Heaven Grade students. The aspects of the Flame Sun Cave were still unknown to Liu Wuxie. However, judging from their actions, he could discern that the place was extraordinary. They were willing to go to great lengths just for the opportunity to cultivate there for ten days.
“You guarantee my safety?” Liu Wuxie laughed with a hint of mockery and a touch of bitterness. Since when did he fall so far that he needed the protection of someone in the first-level Spirit Cleansing Realm? It would become the greatest joke if this got to the Celestial Realm.
“Please reconsider. After all, there are no grievances between us, and we can maximize our benefits if we cooperate,” Yu Yifan continued to persuade as though he was doing this for Liu Wuxie’s sake that he should lay low and not make more enemies.
“It’s getting late. I won’t see you off!” Liu Wuxie closed the gate to the courtyard, leaving Yu Yifan stunned as he narrowly avoided getting his nose hit by the closing door.
Staring at the gate, Yu Yifan clenched his fists with murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He felt the urge to kick the door open, but his rationale told him that he couldn’t do that. After all, he had witnessed Liu Wuxie cripple the three scorpion brothers, making him a formidable foe that he couldn’t underestimate.
After all, Yun Lan had never returned ever since he had left Zen City. Through various investigations from many parties, there was a possibility that he went to chase after Bi Gongyu and Liu Wuxie. There were also signs of a fight on the main path, but no evidence was left behind.
Returning to his room, Liu Wuxie wasn’t in a hurry to cultivate as Yu Yifan reminded him that he might face more trouble today.
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