by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Chapter 221: Lightning Alliance
Xiang Shaoyun was now staying in the Cloud Margin Pavilion. He currently resided within an elder estate owned exclusively by Long Hui, and he became a follower whose membership wasn't officially recorded in the Cloud Margin Pavilion.
In truth, a follower was essentially a servant. In the Cloud Margin Pavilion, such people had almost no status. Fortunately, Xiang Shaoyun was a servant of a high-level elder, which separated him from ordinary servants.
There were only several dozen followers residing in Long Hui's estate; most were Transformation Realm cultivators and a few were Astral Realm cultivators. The reason all of them had willingly become Long Hui's followers was in hope of receiving the slightest bit of guidance in cultivation during Long Hui's free time. Just that would be enough for them to benefit greatly.
After all, all these followers weren't exactly people with incredibly outstanding talent. They were either disqualified disciples of Cloud Margin Pavilion or people Long Hui had subdued outside the pavilion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have willingly stayed as followers.
Apart from the followers, Long Hui had two disciples as well. One was a newly advanced King. He wasn't too young, and his name was Qin Yu. The other disciple, Zhuo Yi, was about 20 years old and was a seventh-stage Transformation Realm cultivator. He was one of the most talented personal disciples in the pavilion.
Qin Yu was the eldest disciple of Long Hui and had been promoted to a common elder after becoming a King. Thus, he could move into his own personal elder estate. However, he seemed to hold Long Hui in high esteem and still remained with him even after his promotion.
After all, the estate of a high-level elder like Long Hui was very large. It could easily house hundreds of people. As for Zhuo Yi, he still wasn't qualified to move out. Therefore, he naturally still resided within the estate.
Xiang Shaoyun's appearance did not attract much attention in the residence. Most people were only astonished at his young age. Long Hui told them that Xiang Shaoyun was a distant relative who would be staying temporarily. Nominally, Xiang Shaoyun was a follower. However, he did not need to perform any tasks, and he was even given an exclusive residence within the estate.
Just like that, Xiang Shaoyun started his peaceful life within the estate.
The Cloud Margin Pavilion was worthy of being the strongest organization in the Cloud Margin City. Their inner pavilion was completely enveloped by a massive formation that gathered spiritual energy from its surroundings, resulting in an extreme abundance of spiritual energy in the air. It was a very good place to cultivate.
In the residence, Xiang Shaoyun silently stabilized his foundations as he contemplated on his next step.
...
Meanwhile, Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua had just arrived at a relatively small estate. Only the freakishly talented disciples of the Cloud Margin Pavilion could own these estates. As for this particular estate, it belonged to none other than a genius of Cloud Margin Pavilion, the person known as the Lightning Kid.
The Lightning Kid was the Young Lightning King's little cousin from the same clan. He similarly cultivated the overbearing power of lightning, and with his Lightning Spear, he almost had no opponent.
If it wasn't for the genius that had appeared from the Chen Clan, he would definitely be the brightest genius of his generation in Cloud Margin City. Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua were here because they were both members of the Lightning Alliance, a faction formed by the Lightning Kid.
In each generation of Cloud Margin Pavilion disciples, geniuses with absolute confidence in themselves would appear. During the rise of these people, they would not forget to suppress other geniuses and subdue them one by one so as to grow their prestige. Subduing others would be greatly beneficial for one's future. Whether it was for one's status or for one's future power struggle in the pavilion, these subdued geniuses would be a great help.
In the current young generation of Cloud Margin Pavilion, there were three main factions. The strongest faction was none other than the Lightning Alliance. More than half of the inner disciples were part of this alliance.
Second to it was the Red House, which was a faction catering mostly to females. Li Yaxuan was in it, and of course, they still had males in their ranks. Chen Zilong, a genius strong enough to not fear the Lightning Alliance was one such male.
As for the third faction, it was a faction of those not willing to join the other two factions. It was known as the Free Society, symbolizing their pursuit of cultivation without restriction. It was the weakest of the three main factions.
Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua waited for a good while, yet their alliance leader was nowhere to be seen. Rather, a young man came out and berated, "Both of you are an utter embarrassment to the Lightning Alliance!"
"Sorry, Guardian Qiu. We have been incompetent," Wen Jinrui said.
Wang Jiaohua's arrogance was also nowhere to be seen. She apologized alongside Wen Jinrui, "It's our bad. But the other party is really too arrogant. He shows no respect whatsoever for our Lightning Alliance."
"Hmph. Do you think I am not aware of the real story? Your cousin was the one who started all that!" the guardian said with a cold snort. He paused slightly and continued, "This is supposed to be your private affair, but since Gong Qinyin of the Red House has interfered, it is now an affair between the two factions. I will help you out with this, but you need to pay me enough contribution points."
"Don't worry, Guardian Qiu. We already have the contribution points ready," said Wen Jinrui. He then lowered his voice and continued, "Guardian Qiu, a new batch of king-grade weapons have been released by my clan. Some of them are of an element that is very suited for your use. In any case, we are not doing anything with those weapons. Do you want me to get one for you?"
The guardian raised his brow before a pleased smile formed on his face. "Um, that's very thoughtful of you. I will get some men to figure out the identity of that person before deciding what to do next."
"Thank you for the trouble, guardian," Wen Jinrui thanked cheerily.
Although losing a king weapon caused his heart to ache, it was worth it since he was able to make Guardian Qiu move against Xiang Shaoyun. One ought to know that this Guardian Qiu was one of the four greatest guardians of the Lightning Alliance and was one of the strongest experts of their faction. He was a personal disciple of an elder, and his full name was Qiu Chonglei with a cultivation level of eighth-stage Transformation Realm.
More importantly, only those capable of punching above their weight were qualified to become guardians of the Lightning Alliance. Thus, each of these guardians were people who common sense didn't apply for.
...
Xiang Shaoyun was unaware of all that. After staying at Long Hui's estate for a night, Zi Changhe arrived, and with him, a middle-aged man. The man was none other than Zi Changhe's master, Liu Xinji.
Liu Xinji looked to be about 40 years old—a King in his robust years. He had a medium build and a short hair that gave him a clean and strict look. He was once a vice palace master of the Martial Hall Palace. But after his breakthrough, he left for the Cloud Margin Pavilion instead of staying to help.
Xiang Shaoyun once heard from Zi Changhe that Liu Xinji originally came from Cloud Margin City. When he was young, he was sent to the Martial Hall Palace for an unknown reason. And after becoming a King, it was only natural that he returned.
The third-stage King Realm cultivator stared straight at Xiang Shaoyun and asked, "So you are the young genius Xiang Shaoyun Changhe has spoken of?"
Chapter 222: Conversation With Zi Changhe
Zi Changhe started making the introductions, "Shaoyun, this is my master, Liu Xinji."
Xiang Shaoyun saluted Liu Xinji. "Greetings, Lord Liu."
Zi Changhe once wanted to accept Xiang Shaoyun as a disciple on behalf of his master. But he subsequently realized that Xiang Shaoyun had no such plans at all. Moreover, he had realized Xiang Shaoyun's extraordinary origin. Since then,
he never mentioned the matter of taking Xiang Shaoyun as his master's disciple.
Liu Xinji had heard Zi Changhe speak of Xiang Shaoyun before, and now that he saw how talented Xiang Shaoyun was with his cultivation level of seventh-stage Transformation Realm, he thought gleefully, This talent of his is already comparable to the geniuses within the pavilion. He will definitely bring me glory if I can make him my disciple.
None of his excitement was shown on his face as he said indifferently, "Xiang Shaoyun? How did you end up here with Elder Long Hui?"
Xiang Shaoyun shrugged and said, "That was something unexpected for me as well. We are distant relatives, which is why he decided to bring me here."
Liu Xinji's heart thumped when he heard that, realizing that his plan might not come to fruition after all.
"I see. So Elder Long must have accepted you as his disciple then?" Liu Xinji asked.
Xiang Shaoyun answered, "He said that I am not qualified for that. The only thing I can be is his follower."
What? A seventh-stage Transformation Realm cultivator is not qualified to be his disciple? What bullshit is that? Even Zhuo Yi is only at the seventh-stage! Liu Xinji cursed inwardly before he looked at Xiang Shaoyun and offered, "How about this. Become my disciple. In any case, you and Changhe have been self-proclaimed apprentice brothers for a while. Our fate is already joined together. I believe Elder Long will not mind."
He had not personally come to see Xiang Shaoyun just for the sake of Zi Changhe. Rather, he had heard that, the day before, Xiang Shaoyun had beaten Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua to the point they did not even dare to fight back. He also heard that the Zither Empress's disciple, Gong Qinyin, was also somewhat related to this Xiang Shaoyun. That was why he had decided to come meet this young man.
Whatever the reason, he was saying the truth when he offered to accept Xiang Shaoyun as his disciple. Xiang Shaoyun could sense his sincerity, but he had no intention of agreeing. He had no need of a master. After all, he was one who had rejected even the Saber Emperor Du Xuanhao. How would he agree to be the disciple of a King?
Nevertheless, Xiang Shaoyun still showed a grateful look as he replied, "Thank you for the offer, Lord Liu. But I think it is better if I let Elder Long decide on this."
"Sure. I'll go talk to Elder Long right away. I doubt he will mind," said Liu Xinji before leaving to find Long Hui.
Xiang Shaoyun was thus left alone with Zi Changhe.
"Nice one, kid. If you were still alive, why didn't you return to the Martial Hall Palace? Everyone was so worried over you!" rebuked Zi Changhe.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled helplessly. "It's not like I have any choices." He paused for a bit and added, "Is Elder Zhen Peng doing well?"
"He's doing well. Right now, he is focusing on cultivation and trying to grow even stronger. But he will frequently think about you. If you have the chance, try to pay him a visit," said Zi Changhe.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "When I have the time, I'll visit him."
"You are already at the Cloud Margin Pavilion, and with your talent, you will have great accomplishments here. But you have attracted huge trouble so soon after you arrived. That trouble is quite thorny to deal with," said Zi Changhe.
"You're talking about what happened yesterday?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Yes. You probably don't know this. Although the Cloud Margin Pavilion is a massive academy of a city, there is an entire world within the pavilion acting as a stage for the battles between the young disciples. They would compete against each other to secure status and resources in the pavilion, and the two you had beaten yesterday were members of the Lightning Alliance, the strongest faction of the pavilion's younger generation," said Zi Changhe solemnly.
He proceeded to explain the power structure of the younger generation in the Cloud Margin Pavilion. It did not take Xiang Shaoyun long to understand that Zi Changhe was worried that the Lightning Alliance would come looking for trouble.
One noteworthy information he gained was that the older generation was prohibited from interfering in the competition between the members of the younger generation. The entire thing was akin to a selection process where the fittest advanced while the weak was eliminated.
"I'll face whatever they throw at me when the time comes. I have nothing to fear," said Xiang Shaoyun calmly.
Zi Changhe warned, "You still don't understand how powerful the Lightning Alliance is. Their leader, the Lightning Kid, is Young Lightning King's cousin. He is already a ninth-stage Transformation Realm cultivator, and it is also rumored that he is already strong enough to battle Kings and is nearly undefeated among his generation. Under him are two vice alliance leaders and four guardians, each of them possessing extraordinary combat prowess as well. Not even the Transformation Realm experts of the older generation are necessarily a match for them. Any one of them will be enough to cause you great trouble!"
"Senior brother, don't talk about those boring topics and ruin the mood of our reunion. Look, why don't you tell me about the good cultivation spots in the pavilion instead?" Xiang Shaoyun shifted the topic.
When Zi Changhe saw how little Xiang Shaoyun cared, he stopped harping on the topic and started telling Xiang Shaoyun more about the Cloud Margin Pavilion instead. He himself hadn't been here for long. Thus, he only knew the more widely available information. But what he knew was enough for the current Xiang Shaoyun.
In the Cloud Margin Pavilion, the best cultivation spot was a place called Cloud Pavilion. The Cloud Pavilion was built on the tallest peak in the area, and it was 49 stories high. It almost reached the sky and was the building nearest to the stars in the Cloud Margin Pavilion.
There, an Emperor had erected a large-scale formation capable of drawing in astral energy from the stars, allowing those cultivating inside to grow quickly. It was a dream cultivation spot for many disciples.
However, there were restrictions in place for entering the pavilion. One required contribution points that were similar in concept to Martial Hall Palace's point system. With contribution points, one would be able to buy time within the pavilion.
A large number of contribution points were required to cultivate there, and many disciples could only afford to cultivate a few days in the pavilion after accumulating points for more than half a year. Even if it was only a few days, one should never look down on it. The short few days benefited the disciples greatly.
One reason for that was because, in addition to faster cultivation speed, the pavilion also contained the comprehension of Kings. It was rumored that those capable of reaching the 49th floor would even be able to take a lesson from an Emperor, which was something many disciples longed for.
Of course, apart from the Cloud Pavilion, on the 15th day of each month, lessons would be conducted by King Realm elders at the pavilion's training grounds. Other avenues of cultivation also included accepting missions from the Mission Pavilion to temper oneself and training in Limit Rooms.
All these were cultivation resources not available anywhere else but in the Cloud Margin Pavilion.
Xiang Shaoyun's interest was piqued when he heard about the Cloud Pavilion and the Limit Rooms. As for the others, he did not care much for them.
Contribution points are needed for the Cloud Pavilion, whereas anyone can enter the Limit Rooms. But I'm afraid I'll attract too much attention challenging the Limit Rooms, Xiang Shaoyun pondered.
"Just stay here and cultivate obediently for a few years. With your talent, becoming a King is no problem at all," encouraged Zi Changhe.
Before Xiang Shaoyun could reply, someone radiating aggression arrived and interrupted their talk.
Chapter 223: Do You Want to Increase Your Cultivation Speed?
Both Xiang Shaoyun and Zi Changhe looked at the newcomer. The newcomer was a young man about 20 years old. He had a square face, short hair, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. Something about him made him look like a competent person. His entire body radiated an overbearing aura, making it clear he was not at all a pushover. He was
Zhuo Yi, the younger disciple of Long Hui and his pride and joy. In fact, Long Hui almost viewed him as a son and treated him much better than Qin Yu.
Zhuo Yi looked at Xiang Shaoyun with a contemptuous gaze and asked, "You're Xiang Shaoyun?"
Xiang Shaoyun saluted Zhuo Yi before answering, "Yes, Senior Brother Zhuo."
He now assumed the identity of Long Hui's follower. Although Long Hui had declared him as a distant relative, he still needed to act in accordance to his station as a follower.
"You are the one who had beaten up Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua?" asked Zhuo Yi with an unfriendly tone.
Xiang Shaoyun frowned and answered, "Yes, Senior Brother Zhuo."
Zhuo Yi then looked Xiang Shaoyun up and down before saying with a commanding tone, "Come with me."
At this time, Zi Changhe signaled Xiang Shaoyun with his eyes, hinting that Xiang Shaoyun shouldn't go with Zhuo Yi.
Xiang Shaoyun met Zhuo Yi's gaze and asked, "Do you need anything, Senior Brother Zhuo?"
Zhuo Yi berated him. "If I tell you to come, you come. Why so many questions?"
When Long Hui brought Xiang Shaoyun back the day before, he wasn't around. However, he had heard from others that Xiang Shaoyun was his master's follower. As far as he was concerned, his master's follower was the same as his own follower. Thus, he viewed Xiang Shaoyun as an insignificant nobody unworthy of his attention.
But when he subsequently heard about Xiang Shaoyun defeating Wen Jinrui and Wang Jiaohua, he felt threatened by the talent showcased by a person so young. He was afraid that his master would eventually accept Xiang Shaoyun as a disciple, affecting his own status. But that wasn't the main reason he was here today. He was here because of his identity as a member of the Lightning Alliance.
Right this moment, a loud and clear voice rang out, "Who are you telling to follow you?"
The newcomer was Long Hui, with Liu Xinji beside him.
"Master, Elder Liu!" Zhuo Yi quickly greeted Long Hui and Liu Xinji before answering, "Your disciple wishes to take Xiang Shaoyun out with me."