Chapter 103: Farewell
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Chapter 103: Farewell
Chapter 12: Ling Mountain’s Transmission of the Profound Teachings—Soaring Alone on Clouds Across Ten Thousand Miles (Part 13)
As everyone focused their gaze more carefully toward the center of the arena, they saw Ye Hua already holding a long sword, its tip angled toward the collapsed Kong Mian. His left palm waved gently in midair, and a streak of purple light shot forth, enveloping the sacred relic scroll ablaze with radiant clouds of light. The scroll slowly floated down and landed in his hand.
Kong Mian, having suffered a grievous injury to his meridians from Ye Hua’s strike, saw his opponent seize the sacred relic map. His heart burned fiercely with desperation; with a sputtering sound, he spat a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed onto the ground.
Seeing Kong Mian spew blood, clearly unable to continue fighting, Ye Hua smiled and said, “This sacred relic map will be under my care now! If you wish to reclaim it, come find me at the Grand Scripture Pavilion.”
With that, a brilliant golden light flashed in his hand. The scroll, which had struggled to break free and fly away, immediately dimmed in its spiritual radiance before vanishing without a trace. Ye Hua sheathed his sword and slowly walked out of the arena.
At the edge, Ma Fei and the others were initially shocked, but upon seeing how swiftly the tide had turned and their opponent defeated, they were stunned and then elated. They glanced toward the group of young men surnamed Kong, who all looked astonished and utterly disbelieving of what they had witnessed.
Shi Lei chuckled, “Ah, the Kong brothers truly have some skill! That sacred relic map is indeed formidable! Haha, this is quite rare, tsk tsk!”
The freckled youth’s face turned furious upon hearing Shi Lei’s remark. He shouted, “Thief!” and was about to rush forward, but others quickly held him back, calling, “Fourth Brother!”
Shi Lei grinned slyly, “What’s the matter? Shall we have a match?”
The freckled youth snapped back, “Are you afraid of me?”
As they argued, Ye Hua had already passed through the arena’s barrier and came to stand beside them.
Two disciples from the Kong family hurried into the arena to support Kong Mian, while the rest, seeing Ye Hua, showed both fear and anger, shouting, “Hand over the sacred relic map quickly!”
Ye Hua laughed heartily. “In this world, spiritual treasures belong to the virtuous! If you want to reclaim it, I’m afraid today won’t be the day… hehe, better to come to the Grand Scripture Pavilion another time.”
Having said this, Ye Hua ignored the group and turned to Ma Fei and the others, smiling, “Sorry to have worried you all!”
Ma Fei studied Ye Hua up and down, shook his head, and sighed, “Brother Ye really hides his strength well! Heh heh!”
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Zhang Ke nodded. “At the Great Xishan Mansion Temple, Brother Ye already defeated that Lin family cultivator with the Autumn Lake Moonlight Melody. Today, breaking this sacred relic map is no surprise. We were just too anxious and forgot this point! Haha!”
Ye Hua smiled modestly. “You brothers flatter me too much!”
He glanced sideways at Zhang Lan, who blushed faintly, her eyes filled with concern. Ye Hua felt a twinge of tenderness. Turning his gaze back to the arena, he saw Kong Mian being supported by two Kong disciples, surrounded by others expressing concern.
The two seemed unsettled and wanted to come forward to demand the sacred relic map, but Kong Mian called out to stop them. Struggling to turn, he sneered coldly at Ye Hua, “Today I’ve learned your skill. I’ll make sure to repay you double next time!”
With that, he slowly left with the help of his companions.
Gu Yunqi whispered, “Brothers, should we pursue them and give them a good lesson?”
Ma Fei shook his head. “Let it be. Don’t chase a cornered enemy. Do you really fear they’ll cause trouble later?”
Ye Hua nodded. “Brother’s words are wise! I’ll visit the Grand Scripture Pavilion today and am not afraid of them coming after me.”
Huan Ming agreed. “But Brother Ye, be careful! The Kong family has disciples all over the world. Though their branches differ, if they unite, they’re truly troublesome!”
Ye Hua nodded. “Understood, Brother. I will be cautious.”
Zhang Ke laughed. “Haha, today both junior brothers gained something. Though there were twists and turns, it was well worth it!”
Ye Hua chuckled quietly but said nothing. His heart was genuinely pleased. He thought, “This sacred relic map is incredibly powerful. Its transformative effect rivals the Illusionary Moon Mirror I obtained at Ancient Ferry. Had I not been alert thanks to the Clear Water Pearl in my mind, I might have fallen into its trap. If I had hesitated even a moment longer, I would have become a soul under my opponent’s sword!”
After the incident, though their hearts were stirred, both sides had suffered losses. Spirits lifted, they watched the ongoing contest among the young disciples, exchanging comments and quietly observing.
Among them, Ma Fei was the most knowledgeable. He often pointed out, “That one is a disciple from the Three Cause Temple in the Kunlun Mountains of the Western Regions, skilled in wind control techniques! That one is from the South Sea’s Muling Island, inheriting the Yellow Netherworld Fire! That one must be a descendant of the Martial Virtue Emperor, wielding the Martial Release Force! Heh heh, that’s a disciple of the southern frontier’s shamanic tribe…”
Though some recognized a few, most only had vague hearsay or had never before heard of these. Listening to Ma Fei’s confident explanations, they were deeply impressed.
Gu Yunqi and Shi Lei shook their heads, clicking their tongues. “Brother Ma, we knew you were well-read, but didn’t expect you to know so much!”
Ma Fei smiled. “That’s nothing. There are countless martial arts in the world. What I know is just a drop in the ocean. Especially the secret techniques stored at the Grand Scripture Pavilion—I am ignorant of many. Brother Ye, please guide me more in the future!”
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Ye Hua smiled. “Brother Ma, you flatter me! The Dao Ancestor Qing Ling already warned me not to be greedy and to focus on mastering one skill thoroughly. Once perfected, one can travel the world with it! I will always keep this in mind.”
Zhang Ke sighed. “Everyone understands that principle, but honestly, those secret martial arts manuals are like a glutton faced with exquisite food or a gambler with dice. It’s hard to resist! If you don’t open them, you feel restless. Once you peek inside, your curiosity grows, and if you don’t try a few techniques, you feel you’ve wasted the opportunity. Practicing pulls you deeper and deeper, from which it’s hard to escape!”
Ye Hua sighed inwardly, “If I keep practicing blindly, it would indeed be a disservice to myself. The saying ‘bite off more than you can chew’ may sound simple but holds profound truth. Few truly understand it. I myself have been trapped, unable to fully comprehend.”
Huan Ming nodded. “Brother’s words are true! Many know the principle; few truly live by it.”
As they chatted and watched the contests inside the arena, several hours passed. Seeing the time was late, Ye Hua stood and said, “Brothers, I must take my leave now. I will visit the Zhang Mansion again another day. Thank you all for your care and kindness—I will always remember it and not forget.”
Everyone rose. Zhang Ke smiled, “Brother Ye, why still be so formal? The Jinghua Martial Hall isn’t far. Whenever we have free time, we might come to visit you. It’s not a thousand-mile farewell. Just go straight ahead!”
Ma Fei laughed, “Brother Zhang speaks truly! We’ll meet again soon.” Others clasped fists in respect. Ye Hua bowed in return.
He noticed Zhang Lan standing behind them, her face pale and eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He dared not look at her again, bowed once more to everyone, then slowly turned and walked off into the distance.
As Ye Hua gradually disappeared, Ma Fei sighed, “Brother Ye’s future is limitless! Such a young age with such profound internal power—truly rare indeed!”
Shi Lei nodded. “When that Kong family disciple unleashed the sacred relic map, if it were me, I’d have been helpless. I truly don’t know how Brother Ye broke it!”
“Heh heh, do you think Dao Ancestor Qing Ling and Master Shouchang sent Brother Ye to the Grand Scripture Pavilion merely to pass on teachings? That’s wrong. If Brother Ye’s cultivation weren’t exceptional, how could he have gained their approval and been entrusted with important tasks?” Zhang Ke smiled knowingly, his guess nearly correct.
Zhang Lan softly asked, “Brother Zhang, do you know the truth?”
Zhang Ke chuckled, “I wouldn’t dare say for certain. Just guessing. Yesterday, Brother Ye mentioned Master Shouchang. When we brought up the heretical sect, he hesitated. Then he stopped talking about cultivation techniques. Heh heh, Dao Ancestor Qing Ling and my father are close friends…”