I Am Overlord c1-962
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Yu Caidie was someone he was determined to make his lover. Ye Linshan might view him as a love rival, but he similarly viewed Ye Linshan as a love rival. Thus, it was imperative that he attended the invitation that night.
Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Yan Shengqiu had mixed emotions when they saw Xiang Shaoyun's raging confidence. Not long after, someone came bearing Tang Zhan's invitation to have a meal at the banquet hall.
As the governor of this Bloodsin City, Tang Zhan naturally had considerable wealth. The liquors served at the banquet were excellent liquors of over 1,000 years, each brewed using numerous valuable herbs and capable of enhancing one's health and strength. As for the food to go along with the liquor, high-tier meat capable of replenishing and cultivating one's vitality were served.
Xiang Shaoyun did not stand on ceremony and started stuffing himself with food and liquor. Wearing the one million catty armor, he was in a constant state of exhaustion. Thus, he had to constantly replenish his energy. Ning Chenba and Yan Benkai naturally no longer dared to put on airs at the banquet. Rather, they were very cordial and friendly.
Xiang Shaoyun had also forgotten his displeasure and responded to their attempts at conversation politely. Subsequently, the two even gave him some gifts and mentioned passingly in a joking manner that if Ning Wenhuang and Yan Shengqiu couldn't get through the entrance test, they hoped that he would be able to give them some help.
Xiang Shaoyun did not accept the gifts. Rather, he politely told them that he had already selected his followers. He would not retake the spots from the Han Clan sisters. After all, he had already promised Han Pojun.
The faces of Ning Chenba and Yan Benkai dimmed when the two saw how firmly Xiang Shaoyun was refusing them. However, they weren't displeased. Rather, they insisted that he accept their gifts and consider the gifts something his seniors were giving him.
Although Xiang Shaoyun could no longer promise their children the spots, they still wished that he could take care of them while on the way to the academy. Perhaps some change would occur and things would take a turn for the better. Since they were putting it that way, Xiang Shaoyun had no way of refusing the gifts. Thus, he accepted them.
After the banquet, Tang Zhan kept Xiang Shaoyun in the hall.
"Shaoyun, now that you have revealed your talent, Di Batian must have noticed you as well. Otherwise, the Rat Assassins wouldn't have attacked you repeatedly. Although you have the help of your nether prison devil puppet, you still need to be careful," Tang Zhan emphasized.
Xiang Shaoyun could sense the concern in those words. His heart warmed as he nodded, "Don't worry, Uncle Tang. I will be careful."
"Um. At the Dragon Phoenix Academy, focus on cultivation. Don't think too much about anything else. You need to push your cultivation level to the Soul Foundation Realm or an even higher realm before thinking of reclaiming your family estate," said Tang Zhan. "Di Batian is not as simple as you think. He has a backer as well."
Xiang Shaoyun frowned. "Di Batian has a backer?"
"Yes. I've never imagined that he would be someone that good at hiding a secret. But that backer is the reason why he had the guts to snatch the sect only half a year after your father's disappearance. Without a backer, he wouldn't have dared to do so even if he was a hundred times braver."
A grave expression covered Xiang Shaoyun's face. He had the confidence to ultimately get rid of Di Batian, as he was talented enough in cultivation. But it would be an entirely different story if Di Batian had a terrifying background.
"Don't worry about it too much. Perhaps your father will return after some time. At that time, Di Batian won't amount to anything," said Tang Zhan. "This trip to the Dragon Phoenix Academy will be your opportunity to grow strong and build your own connections. As you know, anyone capable of entering the Dragon Phoenix Academy is a genius. If you can befriend them, it will be very beneficial to you."
Xiang Shaoyun nodded, gladly accepting the advice. He understood the importance of everything Tang Zhan was telling him. He was not so conceited to believe that he was the only genius in the world. They continued chatting for a bit before Tang Zhan gave Xiang Shaoyun a storage ring. He considered it a meeting gift from an uncle to a nephew.
Xiang Shaoyun did not stand on ceremony and accepted it. He then told Tang Zhan about his plans with the Skeleton Gang, telling him to ignore the gang as someone else would be handling it. He only hoped that Tang Zhan could provide the gang some support when required. Tang Zhan knew that Xiang Shaoyun had many means at his disposal. Thus, he agreed.
Chapter 537: Ye Clan's Ye Youfei
At nightfall, several tall and straight figures noiselessly appeared before the Yu Moon Pavilion. They were Xiang Shaoyun, Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Yan Shengyang. Xiang Shaoyun wanted to come alone, but Tang Longfei had insisted on coming with him.
With the signature boldness of Bloodsin City's number one young master, he said, "I really want to see just what kind of person that Ye Linshan is."
With Tang Longfei's participation, Ning Wenhuang and Yan Shengyang joined in as well since they were bored of staying indoors doing nothing. When they arrived, Ye Ye, the person claiming to be a butler, was waiting at the entrance.
"Welcome, Young Master Xiang," said Ye Ye with a genial smile.
He acted like he did not see the other three people with Xiang Shaoyun. Tang Longfei frowned, displeased with Ye Ye's attitude. No matter what, he was Bloodsin City's number one young master. That old man was actually ignoring him? That was no different than looking down on him. However, he was here to back Xiang Shaoyun up, so he did not wish to create any trouble unless necessary.
"Lead the way," said Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
This was his second time at the Yu Moon Pavilion. It was still brightly lit at night, painting a wondrous scene dotted with rock gardens and fountains. They followed Ye Ye all the way to the second floor before arriving before an ancient-looking building. Music and the sound of people dancing could be heard; the building seemed to be bustling with activity.
Ye Ye bowed and made an inviting gesture. "My young master is inside. This way, Young Master Xiang."
Xiang Shaoyun entered without any hesitation. Tang Longfei, Ning Wenhuang, and Yan Shengqiu wanted to enter as well, but Ye Ye stopped them, saying, "Please wait outside. My young master has not invited you."
"What is the meaning of this!" Tang Longfei was instantly furious.
Ye Ye straightened his back, looked at Tang Longfei, and said "My young master did not invite any of you, so you can't enter."
"Haha, how arrogant! Do you know who I am?" Tang Longfei sneered.
"Hehe, number one young master of this city, Young Master Tang Longfei. Yes, of course I know you. Unfortunately, my young master has not invited you. My sincerest apologies, but you can't enter," said Ye Ye with a smile. One ought to admit that Ye Ye was someone with excellent patience, someone who knew when to advance and retreat, and he suited the position of a butler well.
Just as Tang Longfei was about to start raging, Xiang Shaoyun stepped back and said, "Big Brother Tang, let's go."
Tang Longfei blanked out slightly before wrapping his arm around Xiang Shaoyun's shoulder and said, "Haha, sure. Since they don't want us here, we'll leave."
Tang Longfei was happy with how considerate Xiang Shaoyun was being. As for Ye Ye, his face fell. The butler stepped forth and said, "Young Master Xiang, my young master—"
Xiang Shaoyun interrupted him before he could finish, "I don't know your young master, nor am I interested in knowing him. If it wasn't out of respect for Caidie, I wouldn't have bothered coming at all."
He then left with Tang Longfei and the others. At this time, several people walked out of the building. One of them said, "What an impudent person. You dare not show me, Ye Youfei, any respect?"
He was about 27 years old. He looked handsome and carefree, wearing a black outfit with golden markings, a gorgeous belt, and a pair of silver boots. His eyes were filled wi
th arrogance, and he looked like a typical rich young master. Three beautiful women surrounded him, displaying his nature as a philanderer.
Xiang Shaoyun's group stopped, and Yan Shengyang's voice sounded in Xiang Shaoyun's ears, "Ye Youfei, the older cousin of Ye Linsan. He is a War Emperor. He's actually here as well, but it's understandable why he's the one doing this. Green Youth Ye Linshan is arrogant, and he wouldn't lower himself to do something like this."
After listening to the introduction, Xiang Shaoyun ignored Ye Youfei and continued leaving.
Ye Youfei's face turned cold as he said, "Butler Ye, what are you waiting for? Take him!"
Ye Ye was left with no choice and helplessly flickered before appearing in the path of Xiang Shaoyun's group. Tang Longfei finally lost his temper. "A good dog never blocks the way. Piss off. Do you think this is your Ye Clan's territory?"
If it wasn't out of respect for the Yu Clan, he would have already ordered someone from the city hall to come teach them a lesson. As per the saying, a powerful dragon would find it hard to repress a local snake. Many people understood this concept well.
Ye Ye knew the same; hence he said humbly, "Young Master Tang, please calm down. Since my young master has shown himself, why don't you guys have a nice chat?"
"I don't care who he is. You need to know, this is the Bloodsin City!" Tang Longfei roared. He wasn't the number one young master of this Bloodsin City for no reason. If he did not do anything after being stepped, what would happen to his reputation?
"What big words!" Ye Youfei said as he strode forward.
He then pointed at Tang Longfei before asking Ye Ye, "Is he Xiang Shaoyun?"
"No, young master. This is Young Master Xiang. That is the city hall's young master, Tang Longfei," Ye Ye introduced.
"Ah, so it's a little boy that still stinks of his mother's milk?" Ye Youfei ignored Tang Longfei and started sizing Xiang Shaoyun up with disdain.
"Shaoyun, I don't know about you, but I can't stand him anymore. I'm going to beat him up," said Tang Longfei furiously. He then threw a punch at Ye Youfei.
Celestial Dragon Fist!
His fist roared like a dragon as it shot forth with a powerful golden energy. Some time had passed since the Devil Domain expedition, and Tang Longfei's draconic aura had reached 88 percent completion. It wouldn't be long before he reached 90 percent completion. However, before the punch could hit, Ye Ye appeared before Ye Youfei.
Bang!
Ye Ye did not attack and just stood there as the punch struck him. Instead of injuring his target, Tang Longfei was jolted off by the impact. Ye Ye's strength was evident.
"Butler Ye, he is actually thinking of teaching me a lesson. Are you not going to show them a lesson?" complained Ye Youfei resentfully.
"Young Master Fei, we're here to solve an issue, not to make an enemy," said Ye Ye respectfully. Those did not seem like the words a servant should be telling his master.
"Hmph. Are you questioning my way of handling things?" Ye Youfei questioned unhappily.
"Ye Ye dares not," Ye Ye bowed.
"Of course you don't," said Ye Youfei with disdain. He then looked at Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Xiang Shaoyun, I'm warning you to stay far away from my cousin, Yu Caidie, after entering the Dragon Phoenix Academy. Don't be a toad who dreams after the swan. Nobody would be able to protect you otherwise."
Chapter 538: Consuming Astral Expansion Flower
On his way to the Yu Moon Pavilion, Xiang Shaoyun had already braced himself to face anything that might happen. One of the possibilities he had considered happening was the Ye Clan withdrawing after realizing he wasn't someone to be messed with. However, one possibility he had never imagined was that there would be someone as conceited as Ye Youfei present.
Ye Youfei might be decently strong and the Ye Clan rather powerful, but Xiang Shaoyun did not fear them. He now had nothing, and someone with nothing to lose had nothing to fear. He did not mind fighting the Ye Clan at all. Even if he wasn't a match, he could always flee!
"Big Brother Tang, let's leave. The dog is so loud it's deafening," said Xiang Shaoyun, completely ignoring Ye Youfei.
The only way to fight rudeness was with more rudeness. Ning Wenhuang and Yan Shengqiu had not expected that Xiang Shaoyun would be so haughty. They were impressed, but they were also afraid that the Ye Clan's anger would fall on them as well.
Without a doubt, Xiang Shaoyun's words had thoroughly angered Ye Youfei. Without saying anything else, he attacked. He knew that Xiang Shaoyun was a War Emperor, so he attacked with full power immediately, creating a tornado swirling around his hand. Just as his palm attack was about to strike, Xiang Shaoyun dodged to the side and sent him a kick.
Similarly, Xiang Shaoyun didn't hold back. No matter how fast Ye Youfei's reaction time was, he wasn't as fast as Xiang Shaoyun. After all, Xiang Shaoyun had comprehended the power of wind. Not only had his movement speed increased, his attacking speed had increased as well.
Because of that, Ye Youfei couldn't even do anything as the kick hit his thigh. He staggered and nearly fell to the ground. Xiang Shaoyun was about to press on, but Ye Youfei disregarded his pain and unleashed two palm attacks in a row.
The palm attacks were so fast Xiang Shaoyun could feel the air tear beside his face after he dodged to the side. From the short exchange, it was clear Ye Youfei was no pushover. He possessed combat prowess comparable to Tang Longfei’s. Xiang Shaoyun was prepared to use more of his strength and teach Ye Youfei a lesson when he suddenly sensed a massive power forcefully separating him and Ye Youfei.
"Young Master Fei, this is the Yu Moon Pavilion," an ethereal voice rang out from a corner.
A middle-aged man took one step, flickered, and appeared before Xiang Shaoyun and Ye Youfei. Xiang Shaoyun had seen this man before. He was the same person who had led the group of geniuses into the Yu Moon Pavilion when they were here attending Yu Caidie's test. This person was none other than the Yu Moon Pavilion's shopkeeper.
Ye Youfei's haughtiness dropped somewhat when he saw the middle-aged man. He said to Xiang Shaoyun, "Little bastard, you will suffer at the Dragon Phoenix Academy."
He then turned and reentered the ancient-looking building.
"Big Brother Tang, let's go," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Meanwhile, a praising look appeared in the shopkeeper's eyes as he looked at the departing Xiang Shaoyun.
...
After leaving the Yu Moon Pavilion, both Ning Wenhuang and Yan Shengyang heaved a breath of relief. They were afraid that they would get implicated if a fight did break out. With their strength, they did not necessarily fear Ye Youfei, but it wasn't wise to offend the Ye Clan for the sake of Xiang Shaoyun.
On the other hand, Tang Longfei had no misgivings whatsoever. After all, Bloodsin City was an extremely unique city. Although his father hadn't been its governor for long, he had still been a governor for quite some time. Furthermore, his power and influence was in an upward trend of growth. Thus, no organization could easily do something to him.
"That Ye Youfei is way too conceited. Shaoyun, you want me to get my father to deal with him?" asked Tang Longfei. This no longer concerned Xiang Shaoyun alone, as his prestige as the number one young master needed to be preserved.
"Big Brother Tang, this is a conflict between people of our generation. It's better to not bother the older generation for this. In any case, someone like that is not even worth our attention," said Xiang Shaoyun nonchalantly.
That Ye Youfei was decent in terms of cultivation, but his conceited temperament displayed his shallowness, serving as his weakness. If he was someone capable of feigning friendliness before betraying his target like Huo Xudong, he would be a much scarier opponent.
Tang Longfei was no fool. He immediately understood what Xiang Shaoyun meant and laughed, "Your thoughts are penetrating. In any case, no clan can control the Dragon Phoenix Academy. If he dares to create trouble for me at the academy, I will beat him up so badly even his mom won't recognize him."
> "Exactly," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.
Next, they returned to the city hall on Tang Longfei's invitation of Tang Longfei, as Xiang Shaoyun felt it improper to reject. In a spacious guest room, Xiang Shaoyun took out an astral expansion flower and consumed it.
The astral expansion flower was an emperor medicine that had taken 3,000 years to form, and it was capable of expanding one's stars. A person's stars could have many sizes, with the size being the factor determining the amount of astral energy one could store. That was part of the determining factor of one's talent and the reason why talent was important in cultivation.
Xiang Shaoyun had a nine-star physique. Thus, he had outstanding talent. However, his stars weren't too big. Expanding their size would only give him benefits. Although the astral expansion flower was only an emperor medicine, it was extremely rare. Generally, one could only purchase it using contribution points at the fort above the Devil Domain.
The power of the astral expansion flower spread through his body. The dots of light littering his body were extremely brilliant. Slowly, they became one with the astral cosmos sea, creating an enigmatic and noble river of stars. The power slowly separated and went into the nine stars, nurturing and expanding them.
The stars were expanding, but when Xiang Shaoyun looked at them through inner gaze, they did not seem like they had changed much. The only obvious change was that his energy now circulated more quickly and he needed to accumulate more energy to advance.
It was quite a pity that the astral expansion flower's grade wasn't too high. With Xiang Shaoyun having nine stars, the flower was only able to expand the size of his stars by about one third.
It would be much better if he could increase the size of his stars by about 50 percent or even 100 percent. If this thought was known to outsiders, they would most likely beat him up in anger.
One's stars were fixed at birth and would only gradually expand as one grew in strength. To expand the size by even 10 percent without an accompanying growth of cultivation level was extremely hard. And yet Xiang Shaoyun dared to be unhappy even after an expansion of one third in size. He was like an ant dreaming of swallowing an elephant!