As the Universe Turns - Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Waiting Examination
“Is that where you grew up?”

Nichang looked at the rows of houses and fields in the distance. Yi Chen walked up and nodded, “Well, the village is so quiet today. In the past, everyone should be planting seedlings outside.”

“Let’s go up and take a look.”

When the two of them arrived near the village, they saw that the doors and windows of every household were tightly shut. Yi Chen gradually felt that something was wrong. Even if he didn’t have to go out for farming, the third uncle and fourth aunt of the village should still be chatting in the courtyard. Why was there no one there?

After walking for a while, he arrived outside the courtyard. When Yi Chen heard the sound of weaving intermittently coming from the room, he felt a little relieved and shouted, “Ah Niang, I’m back!”

“Squeak!” The door opened. Wu Niang quickly walked out of the room. Seeing the handsome young man, she almost couldn’t recognize him. She also saw a young girl with extraordinary immortal energy standing beside her. She was stunned at the door for a moment.

“Ah Niang!”

Yi Chen smiled and walked up. Only then did Wu Niang regain his senses and happily said, “Chen’er, you’re back!” She looked at the girl and asked, “This girl is …”

“I’m his senior sister. My name is Nichang. Hello, Nichang.” Niang smiled. Yi Chen smiled bitterly and shook his head, “No, she’s my junior sister.”

“Good, good.” Wu Niang couldn’t help but hurry up and say, “Come in, Miss Nichang. Come in and sit.”

Inside the room, Wu Niang was busy serving tea. Yi Chen sat on the bench and looked at Nichang, saying, “It was you who wanted to follow me. My family is small, so don’t think too much of it.”

“No way.” Nichang snorted and went to serve tea for Wu Niang. Wu Niang smiled and said, “No, no, Miss Nichang, just sit and rest.”

Yi Chen chuckled and asked, “Oh right, Niang, why is the village so quiet today? Is everyone okay? Did they all go to town?”

Hearing this, Nichang’s expression became a little more serious. For some reason, when she first entered, she felt that this village seemed to be a little strange?

Wu Niang smiled and said, “I’ll talk to you slowly.” After a while, he sat down and said quietly, “Not long ago, the governor of Qingzhou issued a letter saying that we were uneasy lately. There were more demonic outsiders. Last month, the county magistrate also told us to stay away from the city …”

“That’s why.”

After listening to this, Yi Chen gradually fell into deep thought. He was no longer the ignorant youth of the past. He knew that the world was facing off against the Righteous Demons. Three hundred years ago, the sects of Diabolism had retreated from the desolate and bitter land. Now that the Heavenly Gate Martial Meeting was imminent, the sects of Diabolism were also eager to move. But for what reason did they actually come to this mortal world?

Nichang suddenly asked, “Does Niang know who those Devil Religion mutants are?”

Yi Chen looked at her and saw that her expression had become much more serious than usual. She did not look like an eighteen-year-old girl. He couldn’t help but feel a little strange in his heart. She seemed to be very concerned about the Righteous and Demonic Dao. Who exactly was she?

Wu Niang smiled, “This … How would I know?”

‘”Is that so” Nichang thought for a moment and then asked, “Did Niang ever hear that the Azure Province Governor mentioned the word’ Lian Hua Palace ‘?”

“Where did you hear these three words?”

Yi Chen looked at her with a puzzled look in his eyes. Nichang turned around and looked at him. “My master told me,” he said.

“Did your master tell you?”

“Is there a problem? Then where did you hear those three words?”

The two of them stared at each other. The atmosphere in the room seemed to have suddenly become somewhat subtle. Wu Niang smiled and said, “What are you doing? Eat fruit, eat fruit.”

Only then did the atmosphere ease a little. Nichang smiled gently and said, “Niang, you don’t have to worry. This is under the Mysterious Cyan Mountain. No matter how bold those Demon Cult monsters are, they will never dare to approach them.”

“That’s true, that’s true.” Wu Niang smiled and looked at Yi Chen, “Chen’er, you were born on the mountain to cultivate. Don’t worry about running down the mountain.”

Yi Chen smiled and said, “No, I’m going to the Heavenly Gate Tournament next month. That’s why I came back to take a look. Oh, right, why haven’t I seen Sister Shen Jing? Is she alright?”

“Little Jing …” Wu Niang frowned slightly and finally smiled. “Chen’er, you don’t know, do you? Little Jing’s talent in medicine is extraordinary. She’s even more skilled than when you last came back. Everyone says that she’s a reincarnation of a medical immortal. Last year, she left the village and went on a trip.”

“She’s gone …”

Yi Chen couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. The image of the little sister next door appeared in his mind. She left without waiting for him to return. He didn’t know where she had gone. She was one year older than him. She was almost twenty years older than him. Now that the world was in chaos, wasn’t she afraid that she was just a little girl?

Wu Niang saw his slightly knitted eyebrows and knew what he was thinking. She smiled and said, “Chen’er, don’t worry. Xiao Jing has already learned some protective skills and will be fine.”

“Yes.”

Yi Chen nodded slightly. It wasn’t until twilight fell that he returned to Mysterious Green Mountain with Nichang. In the next half month, the disciples of the other peaks would start an intense competition to decide who would participate in the Heavenly Sect Martial Meeting. Yi Chen was relaxed. In any case, he was the only disciple of Violet Night Peak. Therefore, he had been consolidating his cultivation at Violet Night Peak for the past half month, and Nichang had not come to look for him.

By the middle of the month, After Yi Chen had prepared everything, He went to the Heavenly Lake. His mood rose and fell along the way. He wanted to participate in the Heavenly Gate Martial Meeting not for Xuanqing Sect, but for Master. Especially when he thought of the time when Cangfeng Valley Liu Chengfeng came to “salute” three years ago, that person didn’t even care about Master. If he couldn’t win some glory for Master this time, then the next meeting would be sixty years from now.

When they arrived at the Heavenly Lake Peak, they saw figures shaking in the plaza. Yi Chen walked towards the Heavenly Lake Palace at the east end of the plaza. When they arrived at the palace, they saw Mei Yue and Xuan Yang sitting above them, the elders of the Heavenly Lake Peak on the left and right, and six people standing below.

The six of them were Leng Qianxue and Ni Shang, the disciples of Empyrean Exalt Li Yuan, Xia Guyun, Lou Qingshan, the disciple of Empyrean Xuanyang, Ye Huaiyou, the disciple of Hengfeng Hidden Mirror, and Shen Yu, the true disciple of Yuji Peak.

Those who were able to participate in the Heavenly Sect Martial Meeting were all elites of the sect, so they had always been highly valued. At this moment, Yi Chen walked into the hall and bowed to the two supreme beings at the head of the hall. However, he thought to himself, the elders of Heavenly Lake Peak had asked him to come three minutes in the morning. Now that it was three minutes in the morning, why did the rest of them come so long before him?

Because of the sword incident three years ago, Venerable Xuanyang had never treated him well. Seeing him walk in, he said coldly, “Alright, the candidates for the Heavenly Gate Martial Meeting have been decided. One from each of the seven peaks. Since the sect leader’s senior brother’s bloodline has yet to appear, there is one more person from the Heavenly Jade Peak. As for Xiao Yi Chen, as for the Purple Night Peak, you are the disciple waiting for the Heavenly Gate Martial Meeting.”

“Waiting for the test …”

Yi Chen frowned. He remembered that in participating in the Heavenly Sect Martial Arts Gathering, the disciples of each sect were even, usually six, but there would be one more disciple waiting for the exam. If there was an accident or all of the participants were defeated, then the disciples waiting for the exam would be able to step onto the stage and make their final effort.

However, under such a rule, the disciples waiting for the examination were practically identical to nothing. Up until now, many sects no longer had disciples waiting for the examination. However, Xuanqing Sect still had one disciple waiting for the examination every time. Of course, he was not cautious, but he appeared to be so humble.

“Why am I a disciple waiting for the examination?”

Yi Chen’s face was filled with dissatisfaction. For the sake of this Heavenly Gate Martial Meeting, especially for the next three years, he had cultivated hard day and night. He had never wasted a day. Now, it was good that he had hurriedly dismissed himself with a waiting list. He didn’t even need to say anything in advance to settle it. Wasn’t he clearly looking down on Master? Could it be because Master used to be their junior?

The more Yi Chen thought about it, the angrier he became. This time, the matter of the Heavenly Sect Martial Meeting was handled by the Mysterious Sun Sovereign. This person had always been at odds with his master because of the medicinal pills. Also, the matter of being a swordsman back then, this person must have harbored hatred for the past!

Seeing his dissatisfied expression, Daoist Xuanyang’s expression gradually turned cold as he said coldly, “Then, which one of the other six people do you think has a higher cultivation?”

When Daoist Xuanyang saw that Yi Chen was speechless, he was even more aggressive. “You don’t know how to learn and you still want to participate in the Heavenly Sect Martial Meeting. Do you think it’s time to lose all of my face? Think about it yourself. You’ve been in the Qi Refining Stage for six years, but you’re still in the Qi Refining Stage. Are you worthy to participate in the Heavenly Sect Martial Meeting?”

The last sentence was especially loud. The atmosphere outside the hall froze. Many disciples lowered their heads silently. Not everyone was a genius. How could they all reach the realm of Qi Refining God within six years? However, Xiao Yichen was ExcellencyYaoguang’s only disciple. If he could not reach the realm of Qi Refining God, then it would be ridiculous.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall froze. Yi Chen suppressed the anger in his heart and smiled, “I haven’t seen Venerable Xuanyang in Purple Night Peak for the past three years. Do you know that I’m ignorant?”

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere became even more solidified. Many disciples outside the hall felt an inexplicable chill. How could they contradict the Sovereign like this? As expected, Daoist Xuanyang stood up and pointed at him with both fingers, “Good! Very good! It’s indeed a disciple taught by Ling Yin, just like her!”

Yi Chen sneered, “What does it have to do with my master again?”

Seeing that he was still resisting Venerable Xuanyang, even the elders in the hall trembled. This Ling Yin’s disciple was too bold. He was probably used to it by Ling Yin.

“Hehe! Good, very good!” Master Xuanyang was so angry that his face turned red. He looked at the elders on both sides and said, “Do you see that? Indeed, there is no class or education. Anyone can enter our Xuanqing Sect!”

“Alright, Xiao Yichen, don’t be rude. You can go back first.”

At this time, Venerable Mei Yue, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke. She had always had a good relationship with Ling Yin, but she really did not like Xiao Yichen’s neither big nor small appearance.

Yi Chen no longer spoke. He turned around and silently walked out of the hall. He walked to the entrance of the hall and turned around. “The disciples of the past did offend Excellency Xuanyang, but Excellency, remember, I, Xiao Yichen, and Ling Yin’s disciples are not only worthy of being a disciple waiting for the exam! Goodbye!” As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Xian took a step and instantly disappeared from the hall.

The disciples outside were all shocked. They only felt a gust of wind blowing across their faces. Without even blinking an eye, this person disappeared. Was he really only at the cultivation level of refining qi?