Chapter Four: The Senior Brother of the Outer Sect

When Yuanna saw that Yang Nan was keeping out of it, he shook off Yang Nan’s hand in disappointment and shouted angrily at the three men, “Have you no shame? Three against one?”

Yang Nan couldn’t help but smile wryly to himself: Yuanna was unexpectedly hot-blooded and indignant at injustice. Did he know where this was? This was the very entrance of the Kunlun Sect! Did he really think the Kunlun disciples wouldn’t know if a fight broke out here? Yuanna was just too naive! With that shout, he was likely to draw that ignorant youth who’d gotten into the sect through family ties into trouble as well!

Li Guo turned his head and, seeing Yang Nan, ignored Yuanna’s outburst and instead sneered at Yang Nan, “I wondered who it was. So it’s you, the wild brat. No wonder this black fellow refuses to yield—you’ve brought backup.”

Yang Nan frowned at Li Guo’s rude and arrogant words. “Are your eyes growing out of a dog’s head?” he shot back. Though he was never one to seek trouble, he would never swallow his anger if someone provoked him directly. Since Li Guo didn’t know his place, Yang Nan was more than willing to teach him a lesson.

At the side, Yuanna called out loudly, “Three of you, three of us! If you want to fight, let’s all fight!”

Li Guo, hearing Yang Nan’s retort, grew even more discourteous and whipped his red lash at him with a curse, “You little bastard, calling your elder a dog?”

The red whip shot at him like an arrow, casting a shower of sparks. An ordinary person would have been seriously injured or vomited blood from such a blow. Seeing the viciousness of Li Guo’s attack, Yang Nan wasted no politeness, calling forth the Yin Devouring Dart, sending forth a baleful gleam to meet it head-on. The True Explanation of the Demonshade Ghost Warriors was a first-class method for cultivating magical power, and Yang Nan’s cultivation at this point far surpassed that of ordinary initiates. With all his baleful energy infused, the edge of his king-tier weapon was not something the red whip could withstand. With a flash of cold light, the red whip was sliced clean in two!

The crescent-shaped Yin Devouring Dart, like a sinister black snake, severed the whip then flew automatically to Yang Nan’s hand, its twin baleful auras swirling, exuding a chilling murderous intent.

“Li Guo, don’t push your luck!” Yang Nan gripped his weapon, his gaze icy and commanding.

Yuanna cheered at Yang Nan’s display of power. Li Guo, seeing that Yang Nan actually wielded a magic weapon, recoiled in shock, crying out in pain, “My Crimson Refining Whip! How dare you destroy my treasure!”

His face twisted with anger and disbelief. That whip had been a protective talisman given by an elder in his family, and now it was destroyed by Yang Nan. In his distress, he pulled out two talismans, and with a flash of white light, two spirit generals appeared before him.

“Talismancy from the Talisman School?” Yang Nan thought with a cold smile. Having witnessed Old Ox’s miraculous talismanic arts, these two low-level summoned warriors were nothing in his eyes. He sneered, “Li Guo, you’d best back down while you can. Do you really think those two talismans could withstand a strike from my weapon?” With a slash of the king-tier weapon, the two spirits would be reduced to dust. Yang Nan had no desire to make an enemy of Li Guo, and so offered him a way out.

Li Guo, knowing he was no match for Yang Nan’s magic weapon, found it hard to swallow his pride. Suddenly, he laughed angrily, “Fine! A brat like you actually has a magic weapon. I’ll go report to my senior brothers. You’ll never escape from Kunlun Mountain, you spy!”

Yang Nan was both annoyed and amused at this slander. If it weren’t for Li Guo’s bullying, he’d have had no wish to get involved. Clearly, Li Guo had connections within the Kunlun Sect—otherwise he wouldn’t dare act so recklessly on the mountain.

Seeing Li Guo’s blustering bravado, Yang Nan knew better than to take the fool seriously. What troubled him more was getting entangled in these petty disputes so soon after joining the sect.

Aimu Yun, freed by Yang Nan’s intervention, wasted no time in mocking, “Li Guo, looks like your elders can’t shield you this time. You’re nothing but a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong, and you still dare to make trouble here?”

Aimu Yun was relentless once he gained the upper hand, his words biting. Yang Nan frowned, keeping his distance; this was not a man he wished to befriend. Li Guo, getting nothing for his trouble, left in shame and fury with his two companions, heading straight for the sect gate.

Aimu Yun patted the dust from his clothes and bowed to Yang Nan and Yuanna. “Thank you, brothers, for your assistance.”

Having passed the Path of Seeking Immortals, everyone here was now a registered disciple of Kunlun. Registered disciples and outer disciples were of equal rank; inner disciples were a level above, orthodox successors higher still, then elders and the sect leader at the top. Aimu Yun’s address was appropriate. Still, Yang Nan felt a strong aura of evil about him, making him disinclined to draw near. He replied coolly, “No need for thanks. I only acted in self-defense.”

Aimu Yun, sensing Yang Nan’s coldness, grew haughty himself and said, “If that’s so, let us go our separate ways.”

Yuanna watched Aimu Yun leave and asked Yang Nan in confusion, “Why were you so cold to him? He clearly wanted to befriend you.”

Yang Nan sighed inwardly. Yuanna was truly inexperienced. That man in black had no intention of friendship; he was cold, sinister, and vicious—a man with a wicked and harsh nature, unfit for friendship. Yang Nan didn’t distinguish between good and evil men—after all, in this world, who was purely good or bad? But since witnessing Huang Shan’s Blood Demon Ring, which had devoured countless lives, he had no liking for the demonic or heterodox paths—only a respectful distance.

Such thoughts were beyond the understanding of the guileless Yuanna.

“Come on, Yang Nan, let’s go. We’ve passed the Path of Seeking Immortals. It’s time to report at the sect gate,” Yuanna said, and Yang Nan, dodging his question, pointed to the massive stone steps ahead.

At the top of those hundreds of steps stood the Cloud-Courting Pavilion, shrouded in mist. Every candidate who had received a token and passed the Path of Seeking Immortals had to hand in their token here to become a registered disciple of Kunlun. Yang Nan and Yuanna arrived at the pavilion, where a sturdy middle-aged man in Daoist robes presided, while dozens of young disciples bustled about, registering arrivals. There, Aimu Yun was surrounded by several outer disciples, being questioned sternly.

When Yang Nan handed over his token, the stern-faced middle-aged man suddenly sneered, “You’re Yang Nan, aren’t you? I hear you have a magic weapon—care to show it to us?”

Yang Nan looked up, noting the man’s unfriendly eyes, his brows bristling, a mocking smile at his lips—clearly up to no good. Glancing at the three troublemakers nearby, Yang Nan quickly understood what was going on.

It seemed this middle-aged man was either Li Guo’s uncle or elder cousin...

Seeing Yang Nan silent, the man barked, “Didn’t you hear me speaking?”

A cold gleam flickered in Yang Nan’s eyes. “And who are you to order me to show my weapon?” he replied icily.

Since trouble had already come, there was no reason to be meek—swallowing insults was not Yang Nan’s way. Even if he backed down, this man would only humiliate him further. And as an outer disciple, how much authority could he really wield?

Seeing Yang Nan, a newly admitted registered disciple, dare to talk back, the man’s face twisted with rage. A sword-bearing disciple sneered, “This is our senior brother Li Changqing, the chief among us outer disciples. You’re just a registered disciple—you should address him as uncle-master! All disciples must obey his commands. Are you blind? Kneel and confess your crime!”

“Uncle-master?” Yuanna was shocked, now regretting having provoked Li Guo earlier. But Yang Nan only laughed coldly. “Uncle-master? You are neither my master, nor my elder, nor the sect leader or an elder. What right have you to make me kneel?”

Among cultivators, a bow or salute sufficed in meeting; only those guilty of a grave crime had to kneel before the ancestral masters. Yang Nan sneered inwardly—did they take him for a criminal already?

Li Changqing, seeing Yang Nan’s arrogance surpass even that of the black-robed youth before, flew into a rage. He thrust out his hand, which in an instant grew as large as a door, reaching for Yang Nan. Yang Nan, circulating his power, retreated several yards in a flash, his expression grim. He was shocked and angry: why would an outer chief attack a newly admitted junior so suddenly?

Li Changqing was already a master-level cultivator. Seeing Yang Nan’s considerable power, his murderous intent only grew. He clapped his hands, which swelled to enormous size and crashed down toward Yang Nan like a mountain, shouting, “You sly rat, you must be a spy! I’ll seize you and let the elders deal with you!”

The massive palms descended like yellow clouds, their momentum terrifying. If one’s power was lacking, a blow would crush one to a pulp!

Yang Nan was alarmed. The giant palms came swiftly, accompanied by a fierce wind and a strong suction force—clearly an earthen Daoist art. He dared not take it head-on; with a surge of watery energy at his feet, he shot out a jet of water, propelling himself several yards away. The massive palms struck the ground with a boom, leaving a deep pit.

Yang Nan said sternly, “Li Changqing, do you really intend to use such ruthless force here on Kunlun Mountain?”

“Earth Spirit Giant Palms!” Li Changqing sneered, his power far surpassing Yang Nan’s. Missing his first strike, he conjured a flurry of palms, shadows enveloping Yang Nan from all sides. His earthen arts were well-mastered—though the palms were large, he wielded them with ease and precision.

“Then let’s fight!” Yang Nan’s expression hardened. With a thought, a small flag shot out from his Rivers and Mountains Ring, releasing several bolts of lightning toward the descending giant palm.

Boom!

The giant palm shattered the lightning in an instant, bearing down on Yang Nan!

Yang Nan surged his power, the little flag emitting more lightning to hold back the attack.

But the thunderclouds within the flag were limited in strength—Li Changqing’s earthen art was unstoppable! In a flash, the giant palm seized the flag and crushed it to pieces.