’They’re trying to frame me for Yang Jun’s death, using it as an excuse to get revenge for Zhu Yang.’

Xu Yang glanced at Jiang Yi, then looked toward Kong Yu.

Kong Yu snapped, "Senior Brother Jiang, be rational! Senior Brother Yang Jun had his Essence Qi drained by a Demon Technique. It couldn’t have been Brother Xu."

He also wanted revenge for Zhu Yang, but he disdained using such underhanded methods.

Besides, with Weiyuan Hall backing Xu Yang, he wasn’t someone who could be framed by a mere accusation.

"He’s the one who had a grudge against Yang Jun. Who else would kill him?" Jiang Yi insisted.

Xu Yang snorted. "Moron. If you’re going to frame me, at least use a cleverer method. I could just as easily claim you killed Yang Jun to frame me."

Jiang Yi started to speak again, but Kong Yu’s expression darkened, forcing him to sullenly shut his mouth.

Kong Yu clasped his fist. "My apologies. Senior Brother Jiang is overwhelmed by Senior Brother Yang Jun’s death and is spouting nonsense. We came here to ask if you, Brother Xu, have seen any suspicious individuals in the area recently."

Xu Yang shook his head. "I have not."

Disappointed, Kong Yu led his men away.

’A Demon Technique... Could it be Xue Hong?’ Xu Yang wondered.

He had no intention of mentioning Xue Hong and inviting trouble.

’Xue Hong can’t have only approached me. If no one else is talking, I certainly won’t be the first. As long as it doesn’t affect me, I don’t care who dies.’

However, he had a nagging feeling this had nothing to do with Xue Hong. Xue Hong was plotting to have the successful Dragon Ascension candidates like him infiltrate the Purple Sun Sect. To commit murder now would be to announce the Blood Lotus Sect’s presence in Qingyuan.

"It was the work of the Heaven-Burning Sect."

A few days later, Xu Yang learned from Lin Cheng that it truly hadn’t been Xue Hong’s doing. Instead, a Demon Sect called the Heaven-Burning Sect had killed Yang Jun.

In the intervening days, more experts who had been injured in the Martial Arts Examination had been murdered. As the situation escalated, an investigation revealed that the manner of their deaths was linked to the Demon Sect known as the Heaven-Burning Sect.

The major families and the Court mobilized, beginning a hunt for members of the Heaven-Burning Sect.

Xu Yang was completely unaffected.

According to what Lin Cheng said, all the victims had been deceived by the Heaven-Burning Sect and had a Blood Seed planted within them.

Now that the Blood Seeds had matured, the Heaven-Burning Sect was coming to harvest them.

’So that’s how Yang Jun reached Qi Gathering Great Success so quickly... He must have had a Blood Seed planted in him...’

He finally understood how Yang Jun had managed to reach Qi Gathering Great Success in a single year.

Time trickled by. The injured disciples of Weiyuan Hall gradually recovered and began returning to the hall.

Sun Tao had returned, but he was busy studying the Fuyue Bear Scripture, so Xu Yang continued to instruct the Outer Courtyard Disciples.

Zhang Hong had also returned, though he was in low spirits. Having failed the Dragon Ascension, he had been ostracized from Jiang Ping’s circle. Only Zhang Yong, who had succeeded, was thriving among them, fitting in like a fish in water.

Soon, most of the disciples had returned. Only Lu Ren and Gu Fang remained absent.

While listening to some Inner Courtyard Disciples talking, Xu Yang overheard that now that the Martial Arts Examination was over, Gu Fang would not be returning to Weiyuan Hall.

Xu Yang thought for a moment and understood why.

The Gu Family no longer needed a genius to pave the way for Gu Haoming, so naturally, they wouldn’t waste any more money trying to recruit people. Furthermore, Gu Fang had failed the Dragon Ascension and likely felt too ashamed to return to Weiyuan Hall.

"There’s more!"

Zhang Hong said, "That palm strike from Qin Ze was vicious. Senior Sister Gu’s heart meridian was injured; it’ll take her at least a year or two to recover."

At this, he glanced at Xu Yang before continuing, "Plus, you defeated Lu Ren, but she failed to win you over. Gu Haoming has blamed her for his own failure to break into the top three, and now the Gu Family is deeply disappointed in her."

"I hear the Gu Family is already arranging a marriage for her, using her to forge an alliance and solidify the family’s status."

Xu Yang sighed with a hint of sorrow. Gu Fang had given up her own chance at Dragon Ascension for Gu Haoming’s sake, only to be blamed by him and forced into a political marriage.

Of course, it was just a fleeting sentiment. He had no real connection to Gu Fang; all the words they had ever exchanged probably amounted to less than ten sentences.

"And Lu Ren?" Xu Yang asked, curious.

Lu Ren’s injuries had been severe, but with so many days having passed, his cultivation should have ensured he was mostly recovered by now.

Zhang Hong’s expression turned odd. "After losing to you, his standing with the Gu Family plummeted. He’s been completely dejected." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Zhang Yong and I went to visit him once, but it seems he’s too ashamed to face anyone. He wouldn’t even see us."

Lu Ren had always been arrogant, looking down on Xu Yang and constantly belittling and targeting him. Every time his cultivation broke through, he would make a point to gloat in Xu Yang’s face.

Now, having lost to Xu Yang, he was exposed as nothing but a clown. The blow to his pride was as devastating as being publicly humiliated in the most debasing way imaginable.

Life returned to a state of calm.

The affair with the Heaven-Burning Sect caused a stir for a few days, but with no arrests made and no new victims appearing, it gradually faded from public memory.

Xu Yang’s days fell into a routine, splitting his time between Bai Shi Workshop and Weiyuan Hall. He would practice his techniques in the morning and head to the Outer Courtyard in the afternoon to instruct new disciples, occasionally offering pointers to Qiu Wenjie and Tian Li on their Fist Technique.

The Qiu Family’s tea business was booming. Thanks to his reputation as a Dragon Ascending Genius, many teahouses and restaurants began partnering with the Qiu Family to source their tea.

One day, a cool clarity washed over Xu Yang’s mind, as if a thick fog had been parted. The contents of the Fuyue Bear Scripture flashed through his thoughts, and questions he had puzzled over for ages were answered in an instant.

[Comprehension: 80]

After many days of accumulation, his Comprehension had finally risen to eighty.

’A pity there’s no room to put this Comprehension to use.’

Advancing one’s Cultivation still relied mainly on resources and Root Bone. He had a Comprehension of 80, but no new Cultivation Technique to practice.

The only technique he hadn’t yet brought to Great Success was the Vajra Skill, which required slow and steady grinding. Its progress had little to do with Root Bone or Comprehension.

After practicing the Vajra Skill for a while, he got up and headed for Weiyuan Hall.

In the afternoon, he walked out of the Inner Courtyard and went to the Outer Courtyard to guide the disciples in their training.

Before long, he saw Sun Tao and An Ye walk out of the Inner Courtyard and begin waiting outside the entrance of Weiyuan Hall.

"Who could be coming to Weiyuan Hall that Master would send both Senior Brother Sun and An Ye to greet them?" many of the Outer Courtyard Disciples wondered aloud.

This was a great honor. Lin Cheng would never have two of his Direct Disciples wait outside in advance to welcome someone of ordinary status.

Xu Yang soon found out who Sun Tao and An Ye were waiting for.

It was the Hall Master of the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall, along with four of their disciples who had succeeded in the Dragon Ascension.

Sun Tao and An Ye led the way, guiding the five people into Weiyuan Hall. Lin Cheng also emerged from the Inner Courtyard to personally welcome them in the Outer Courtyard before leading the five guests into the Inner Courtyard, disappearing from Xu Yang’s view.

’The Hall Master of the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall is here with four Dragon Ascending Disciples. What for?’

After a moment’s curiosity, Xu Yang returned to instructing the Outer Courtyard Disciples.

"Brother Xu, Master wants to see you."

Unexpectedly, a short while later, An Ye came to inform him that Lin Cheng had summoned him.

"Alright."

Xu Yang wiped the sweat from his brow, straightened his clothes, and made his way to Lin Cheng’s courtyard.

"Junior Brother Xu, over here!"

Sun Tao waved to Xu Yang from within the reception hall.

He glanced over and saw that in addition to Sun Tao, Zhao Zhifei, Jiang Ping, and Zhang Yong were also present.

All of Weiyuan Hall’s disciples who had succeeded in the Dragon Ascension, save for the still-absent Lu Ren, had been gathered. Lin Wei was also present, standing quietly behind Lin Cheng with her usual heroic air.

She gave Xu Yang a slight nod as he entered.

She had been quite lucky during the Martial Arts Examination and had successfully completed the Dragon Ascension.

Figuring that the visitors from the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall were here about the Dragon Ascension, Xu Yang clasped his fist. "Disciple greets Master, and Elder Tian!"

Elder Tian was the Hall Master of the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall, his full name being Tian Wei.

After paying his respects, he sat down beside Zhang Yong.

"I’ve summoned you all because Hall Master Tian has come today with a proposal. He hopes our Dragon Ascending Disciples from Weiyuan Hall can form an offensive and defensive alliance with the Dragon Ascending Disciples from the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall, so that you may support one another and progress together after entering the Purple Sun Sect..."

As Lin Cheng spoke, his eyes swept over the faces of Xu Yang, Zhang Yong, and the others, taking in each of their reactions.

"The Purple Sun Sect is no monolith. It’s rife with factions, and its disciples come from many different backgrounds and origins. It is difficult to gain a foothold there by fighting alone. You must have allies."

Lin Cheng paused here to take a sip of tea before continuing. "Of course, while you are my disciples in name, what happens after you enter the Purple Sun Sect is your own affair. My reach does not extend into the Sect. I will not force you to ally with these geniuses from the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall."

"Consider it and decide for yourselves."

As soon as he said this, the furrowed brows of several people in the room relaxed.

Across from them, however, the expressions of Tian Wei and his disciples instantly soured.

Their original intention was to have Lin Cheng, in his capacity as Master, order the Weiyuan Hall’s Dragon Ascending Disciples to form an alliance with them. They never expected him to leave the decision to the disciples themselves.

An alliance formed voluntarily was a completely different matter from one formed under a master’s orders.

If you form an alliance yourself, you can dissolve it the moment you feel your allies are no longer suitable.

But if your master orders the alliance, you’re bound to it, even if your allies ask you to do things you find disagreeable. You have no choice but to hold your nose and accept it. The commitment is far stronger.