"Xu Yang..."
Hearing that Xu Yang had indeed kicked him off the Ten Heroes List, Xiong Kun ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. He wanted nothing more than to tear Xu Yang limb from limb.
Getting knocked off the Ten Heroes List cost him not only his reputation but also tangible Cultivation Resources.
At that moment, he finally understood Lu Ren’s obsession with Xu Yang. The man was truly detestable.
"Brother Xiong, try not to take it so hard," Lu Ren consoled Xiong Kun.
He felt a great deal of sympathy for this person who had suffered the same fate as him.
"Brother Lu, I now understand why you saved your Killing Moves for him during the Outer Disciple competition. That beast is truly infuriating," Xiong Kun sighed.
The corner of Lu Ren’s mouth twitched, and he fell silent.
...
"Fifth on the Ten Heroes List!"
On Tianquan Peak, Yun Heng’s expression changed.
As time passed and his anger faded, he finally realized how foolish it had been to provoke Xu Yang. Fear began to sprout in his heart.
"Yan Guiyun, yes, Yan Guiyun!"
On that day, he had left early to find the Treasure Vault at Yan Guiyun’s instruction. When he saw Xu Yang hiding something, he had acted in haste and provoked him. He couldn’t be the only one to bear the consequences.
"Junior Brother Yan, Xu Yang is fifth on the Ten Heroes List now."
In a hurry, he quickly found Yan Guiyun.
"What’s there to panic about!"
Yan Guiyun’s expression was composed. "He’s merely fifth on the Ten Heroes List, and it scares you this badly? No wonder you haven’t achieved Marrow Cleansing Great Success after all these years."
’You’re third on the Ten Heroes List, of course you’re not panicking.’
Yun Heng complained inwardly, then said, "Junior Brother Yan, you also had a run-in with Xu Yang that day. I hear he’s petty and vengeful, seeking retribution for the smallest slight. He’ll surely oppose you in the future. You can’t give him the chance to grow stronger."
"Are you trying to sow discord and use me as your weapon? You want me to get rid of Xu Yang for you?"
Yan Guiyun glanced at Yun Heng, his eyes tinged with coldness.
Yun Heng’s heart tightened. He hurriedly said, "I wouldn’t dare! I’m only reminding you, Junior Brother Yan, that while Xu Yang’s talent is no match for yours, if he’s truly allowed to grow, he’ll become a stumbling block for you. It would take considerable effort to deal with him then."
"As if you would dare!"
Yan Guiyun snorted coldly. "I know what you’re worried about, but his reach doesn’t extend to Tianquan Peak. Just don’t leave the Sect for the time being. If he targets you, I will personally step in.
His star is on the rise right now; moving against him would only bring trouble upon yourself."
’For Xu Yang’s sake, Elder Huoyun actually forced Li Songhe and the Sect Leader to change the already-published Ten Heroes List. Moving against Xu Yang at a time like this, unless one could do it without leaving a single trace, would be courting death.’
’Besides, everyone saw me use my status to suppress Xu Yang that day. Even if I could pull it off without a trace, people would still suspect me.’
’Xu Yang has only just reached Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement. There’s plenty of time to deal with him; no need to take a risk while he’s in the spotlight.’
’Junior Brother Yan really thinks of everything,’ Yun Heng thought, secretly delighted.
He knew that someone as arrogant as Yan Guiyun would never let Xu Yang, the one who had made him lose face that day, get away with it.
"Junior Brother Yan, I will take my leave." Yun Heng cupped his fists and departed quickly.
Yan Guiyun watched his retreating back, his eyes narrowed as a faint flicker of killing intent flashed and then vanished.
’I was planning to make a move against Xu Yang myself, but I didn’t expect Yun Heng to guess my intentions. I had no choice but to placate him for now.’
’You’re courting death yourself!’
’Killing a fellow member of the Ten Heroes List was no small matter. I’ll certainly make my move, but Yun Heng, the one who knows, must also be silenced. Only then can it be said that I’ve left no trace.’
...
"KNOCK, KNOCK..."
"Junior Brother Xu, are you there?"
Xu Yang was reading in his courtyard when he heard Gao Lin’s voice from the outer gate. He pushed the door open and saw Gao Lin standing outside, holding a bag.
"Senior Brother Gao, please come in!"
He hurriedly invited Gao Lin inside and served him tea.
"The rewards for the Qiushui Manor mission and the Ten Heroes List have come in."
Gao Lin smiled and placed the bag in his hand on the table. "Eight hundred fifty contribution points, two Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pills, and one Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill. Go ahead and count them to see if the amount is correct.
As for the cultivation time in Tianfeng Valley, you can just go over when it opens again."
A look of joy appeared on Xu Yang’s face. "Senior Brother must have already counted it; there won’t be any mistakes."
He put the bag away directly.
Gao Lin stood up. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t stay long. From now on, I’ll deliver a Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill every three months. As for the Ten Heroes List rewards, you can collect them from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall on the first of every month."
Xu Yang nodded and stood up as well.
After seeing Gao Lin off, he couldn’t wait to take out the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill.
"So it really is a golden pill."
The Elixir was the size of a pigeon’s egg and entirely golden, as if forged from pure gold. It felt heavy in his hand.
’Let’s see how effective it is.’
’If the effects are good, I’ll exchange my points for the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill’s Pill Formula when the time comes.’
He opened his mouth and swallowed the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill. It was like swallowing a golden pill; a dull thud even sounded as it landed in his stomach. A warm medicinal potency began to spread, seeping into his limbs and bones.
His muscles and bones, like a land long parched by drought, greedily absorbed it.
Xu Yang felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, completely comfortable and refreshed.
’The effect is even better than cultivating in Tianfeng Valley!’
Marrow Cleansing was a gradual process, so the medicinal power of the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill wasn’t depleted all at once. Instead, it was released slowly, a process that would last for about half a month.
’The intermingling of dragon and tiger, the blending of yin and yang... They say the Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill also has the miraculous effect of nourishing the Heart Spirit.’
Xu Yang closed his eyes and circulated the Fuyue Bear Scripture to coordinate with the Marrow Cleansing, his Heart Spirit gradually calming.
Two hours later, he felt just as he did after waking from the deep sleep induced by cultivating the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture—full of energy and glowing with vigor.
"It really can nourish the Heart Spirit! Its effects aren’t limited to just Marrow Cleansing." Xu Yang’s spirits soared.