Chapter 208: Chapter 207: The News Spreads

"Things I shouldn’t say?" Feng Yulong sneered. "What can’t I say? I’ll say what I please. What are you going to do about it? If you’ve got the guts, duel me."

"No, I just want to say that since you made a promise, you should keep it," Yi Tianyun said calmly. "To me, once certain things are said, they aren’t said lightly."

"Oh, so you’re trying to be tough, are you? If you have the guts, let’s duel right now!" Feng Yulong’s anger flared. ’He never expected this new disciple to actually dare to defy him!’

"No problem. We can start right now. You first." Yi Tianyun made an inviting gesture.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Feng Yulong sneered. He then swung his palm, unleashing his full power in a vicious strike aimed directly at Yi Tianyun’s head. He wasn’t holding back at all.

If that blow landed, even if it didn’t kill him, it would leave him an imbecile.

SLAP!

But Yi Tianyun’s hand was faster. He sent a heavy slap across Feng Yulong’s face, sending him flying. Feng Yulong tumbled for dozens of feet before finally coming to a stop. By then, his mouth was swollen shut, and several of his teeth had been knocked loose.

Everyone stared, completely stunned. Feng Yulong’s cultivation wasn’t exceptional, but he was at least at the seventh layer of the Spirit Refining Stage. And he was sent flying by a single slap? Didn’t this mean the young man before them was even stronger than Feng Yulong?

Feng Yulong was so dazed by the slap that he couldn’t tell which way was up. His head lolled to the side, and he passed out cold. The slap hadn’t been light, but it wasn’t overly heavy either; at least it hadn’t killed him.

If Yi Tianyun hadn’t held back, that one slap would have been enough to make Feng Yulong’s head explode.

"You... you dare to hit Feng!" Liao Wen rushed over from the side to help Feng Yulong up, then pointed at Yi Tianyun and roared, "You’re going to die a miserable death!"

"Oh? I’ll be waiting," Yi Tianyun said nonchalantly.

After Feng Yulong was carried away, Yang Xixue said in shock, "You... you hit him... The Feng Family will come after you for this! And he has many friends here in the Celestial Pattern Pavilion."

"It’s nothing. I’ll take on however many come," Yi Tianyun said with a shrug.

"This... this is all my fault. This only happened because of me. I’ll go and sort this out!" Yang Xixue’s expression was grim. She knew she couldn’t escape responsibility for this. If it weren’t for her, Feng Yulong never would have targeted Yi Tianyun with his taunts.

If anything happened to Yi Tianyun because of her, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"It’s fine. I’m not bothered by it." Yi Tianyun shook his head. He paid Feng Yulong no mind; he’d met plenty of arrogant bullies like him before.

’It might have looked like a simple misunderstanding, but with an attitude that arrogant, a person like that would pick a fight with anyone.’

’No wonder no new disciples have joined. With a pack of animals like this, how could any newcomers not be scared away? Even if they stayed, they’d probably get their legs broken.’

’Even if Yang Xixue hadn’t been here, he believed Feng Yulong would have come looking for trouble sooner or later. Given his personality, he’d see anyone who posed even a minor threat as an enemy to be eliminated. As long as there was competition, these things were bound to happen.’

Yang Xixue then led him into the Celestial Pattern Pavilion, arranged his accommodations, and gave him an Identity Token. It was engraved with his name and affiliation. Everyone in the entire Celestial Extreme Mansion had an Identity Token, and since they were all crafted by the Celestial Pattern Pavilion, they were impossible to forge.

Losing it would be a huge problem; a formal disciple would be demoted to an Outer Disciple. The token was a symbol of one’s standing in the sect, and its loss was met with severe punishment.

Once everything was settled, Yang Xixue went to attend to her own affairs. She didn’t know Yi Tianyun well, so there was no reason for her to stay any longer.

’Yi Tianyun had been wearing a mask before, so Yang Xixue doesn’t recognize me. That’s why we didn’t talk much. If I were to put that mask on now, she’d definitely get the shock of her life.’

Yi Tianyun didn’t linger in his room for long before heading back out. He wasn’t really here to become a disciple, but to get a feel for the place. His first impression wasn’t good. ’One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, as they say. If this sect has many more arrogant disciples like Feng Yulong, it’s truly in a sorry state.’

’Competition is a good thing, but this is vicious. One ruthless move during a duel, and you’re left half-crippled for life.’

As he stepped outside, Yi Tianyun noticed the surrounding disciples were giving him strange looks, most of them filled with disbelief.

"Hey, man! I heard you broke a record on your first try coming in and even gave Feng Yulong a vicious beatdown! That’s incredible! I’ve couldn’t stand that guy for ages. Seeing you thrash him was so satisfying!" Just then, a young man popped out from the side, rubbing his palms together with a friendly grin.

Yi Tianyun wasn’t surprised. ’Feng Yulong and his lackeys would never spread the story themselves, but the guards weren’t about to keep their mouths shut. They’d surely gossip about it.’ And so, in a flash, the entire Celestial Pattern Pavilion knew. Everyone was stunned, though some were skeptical about the story’s authenticity.

They might believe it was Yi Tianyun’s first time here, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have practiced outside! After all, the Maze Forest wasn’t a particularly difficult Array; it could be easily simulated and practiced elsewhere.

Some believed the story, others didn’t. But regardless, very few had any intention of striking up a conversation with him—he had provoked Feng Yulong! To be more precise, he had given Feng Yulong a brutal beating, and that was not an offense that could be easily smoothed over.

Feng Yulong held a high status here, and his skills were considerable, so naturally, no one dared to approach or try to befriend the person who had just humiliated him. This young man, however, seemed unafraid, walking right up and chatting as if they were old friends.

"I imagine someone must have a faster record, right?" Yi Tianyun didn’t think his time was so fast that it was unbeatable.

"There are a few who’ve been faster... but for your age, you’re definitely in the top three. You look so young! Tell me, how old are you?" the young man asked.

Yi Tianyun wasn’t surprised by this answer. ’The world is full of geniuses; it’s not strange that someone is faster. It’s also not strange that some are even younger. Those types are born as prodigies, with terrifying talent for Spiritual Power.’

"Seventeen, almost eighteen," Yi Tianyun replied after a moment’s thought. That was about right.

"Whoa, a bone age of only seventeen!" The young man rubbed his palms together excitedly. "I almost forgot to introduce myself! I’m Yang Yu, ranked eighty-third in the Celestial Pattern Pavilion. We all know your name, Yi Tianyun. It’s a great name."

Yi Tianyun wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. This Yang Yu certainly was a friendly one. Still, the mention of rankings piqued his interest.

"Any idea what my rank is now?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"We can find out over at the plaza. Come with me," Yang Yu said, leading Yi Tianyun to a large square. There, several stone steles stood, covered with hanging wooden plaques inscribed with names.

Yi Tianyun’s gaze swept across the plaques, and he quickly found his own name hanging in the eighty-first position, several spots higher than Yang Yu. The Celestial Pattern Pavilion didn’t have many members, only one hundred thirty-three in total. ’After causing such a stir, I’m only ranked eighty-first!’

This ranking was extremely important, as it was directly linked to the resources one received. The trial in the Maze Array was the assessment for this ranking. The higher the rank, the more resources one obtained, so everyone fought tooth and nail for a better position.

Of course, this ranking was meaningless to him. ’Even if I were ranked first, it would only be natural.’ As a Fifth-Grade Divine Rune Master, who here could possibly match his level? He was just here to browse, after all.

’Scouting promising disciples to recruit into the Merak Sect later—that is my true purpose here.’