Chapter 124: The Northern Forest Sect

Bai Yaoyao hurried over, grabbed Ye Fei’s arm, and whined, “Junior Brother, you can’t just stand by and watch me die! I am your Third Senior Sister, after all.”

*Master, if you had only looked at our talent instead of just our appearances when you chose your disciples, you wouldn’t be dealing with such a mountain of trouble right now.*

The current situation was one where calling to the heavens brought no response, and pleading with the earth offered no salvation.

“Senior Sister, why did you run away from your arranged marriage? Did you have a change of heart, or were you being forced?” Ye Fei’s expression grew stern; he couldn’t let this senior sister continue to cause such chaos.

Seeing the seriousness in Ye Fei’s eyes, Bai Yaoyao decided not to hide the truth. “It’s not a change of heart. My father and the others arranged it. You know I’m from a wealthy family, but our fortunes have declined recently, and my own strength is far from what it used to be. My father wants to consolidate his power through this marriage.”

As expected, this was the common plight of children from large families. Ye Fei wasn’t surprised, but the fact that the Liu family could command the respect of the renowned Beilin Sect was something he hadn’t anticipated.

“Consolidating power through marriage isn’t necessarily wrong. Couldn’t you have just refused? Why go through all this trouble of running away?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yaoyao grew indignant and bit down on Ye Fei’s arm. “You’re actually taking their side against your own senior sister!”

Ye Fei’s body was shielded by spiritual energy, so he felt no pain. “Alright, Senior Sister, let me help you get out of this.”

The Sect Leader, losing his patience, charged forward brandishing his sword. “Stop the damn chatter and come with me, or you’ll suffer some physical pain—do you understand?”

Ye Fei suddenly lunged forward, placing himself directly in front of his senior sister.

“Ah!”

“Ye Fei, are you alright?”

Bai Yaoyao stared at the blade. Fresh blood dripped from the steel, staining the ground crimson.

Ye Fei had caught the sword with his bare hand. He was stunned himself; this sword was no ordinary weapon—it had actually pierced through his spiritual defenses!

“Kid, you’ve got guts. Which sect are you from?”

It took a moment for Ye Fei to recover. He sighed softly. This sword was indeed a treasure; anything capable of piercing spiritual energy could likely pierce through anything.

“This sword... it can actually penetrate spiritual energy?” Ye Fei asked, uncertain. The Sect Leader toyed with his blade triumphantly. “Of course. This sword is invincible. There is nothing in this world it cannot pierce, including spiritual energy.”

Ye Fei sneered. His defensive spiritual energy was indeed no match for this blade. However, he hadn’t even begun to fully circulate his internal energy yet, so it was far too early to draw conclusions. Looking at the wound on his hand as it rapidly healed, Ye Fei laughed. “Sect Leader, when did the Beilin Sect stoop to becoming a lapdog for the powerful? Are you that short on money?”

The Sect Leader’s expression turned hideous. He raised his sword to charge again, but was blocked by a mage standing beside him. “Sect Leader, wait.”

“Whose side are you on, damn it?” the Sect Leader barked impatiently. The mage quickly replied, “Wait! The spiritual energy on this boy is something I’ve never seen before. There is no reason for us to throw our lives away for that money.”

Ye Fei looked at the mage with curiosity. No one had ever been able to discern the spiritual energy surrounding him before—how had this person spotted it at a glance? Unless one possessed profound cultivation, a typical martial artist wouldn’t have the ability to see it. Ye Fei couldn’t help but cast a suspicious glance in his direction.

“Mage, what if you’re mistaken? Where would I get any spiritual energy?”

The mage froze, his eyes filled with doubt. Could he have been mistaken? The spiritual energy on Ye Fei was the most vibrant he had ever seen, resembling a roaring blue flame. Such a prodigy was better left unprovoked.

“Young friend, in my entire life, I have never been wrong about a person. If you say I am wrong, then I must be. We shall take our leave!” The mage bowed slightly and turned to go.

But there are always incompetent teammates, and this year, there seemed to be an abundance of them.

The Sect Leader raised his palm and suddenly struck! The sword shot forward with a whistle, aimed directly at Ye Fei.

*Damn it.* Ye Fei tilted his head slightly, and the sword embedded itself into a display case nearby.

*Huh!*

Ye Fei began to genuinely wonder if this Sect Leader was just a product of nepotism. He lacked the vision for the big picture and the discernment to recognize talent. If a man like this could become a Sect Leader, was it due to anything other than the sword in his hand?

The Sect Leader was startled by Ye Fei’s move. *Is this guy human?* Not only was he fast as lightning, but he had actually dodged a strike from the treasure sword.

“Sect Leader!” the mage called out in a low, frustrated voice, tinged with worry.

Ye Fei pulled the sword from the case and examined it for a moment. “Impressive,” he murmured. “The surface has been treated with abrasive. No wonder it can pierce through spiritual energy.”

Legend told of a "Ghost Radiance Stone" that possessed an innate malevolent aura, capable of easily tearing through spiritual protection. Even when ground into the blade, its power remained undiminished.

“You little thief! How dare you touch my sword! I’ll have your life for this!”

Before he could act, Ye Fei tossed the sword back at him and shook his head lightly. “I thought the sword was decent a moment ago, but now that I look at it, it’s not particularly special.”

The three men from the Beilin Sect were stunned! This was the ancestral treasure sword of the Beilin Sect, and it was being dismissed as worthless by some young punk. This was surely unprecedented.

“You... say that again! Just try saying that again! This is the legendary sword of the Beilin Sect, and you have the audacity to critique it!” The Sect Leader was trembling with rage, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

The two mages looked at each other, not knowing how to retort.

Ye Fei shrugged, looking perfectly innocent. “But I’m not wrong, am I? Why are you so angry? Is it because I hit the nail on the head? The sword itself has no unique properties; compared to an ordinary blade, it’s merely coated in a layer of Ghost Radiance Stone.”

The Beilin Sect had been passed down for centuries, and never had they been so insulted.

The two mages defended in unison, “Young friend, we apologize. While our Beilin Sect may lack someone of your talent, we will not tolerate you slandering our sect.”

Bai Yaoyao, standing nearby, finally found her moment to speak. She shouted, “Oh, give it a rest! Ever since this greasy man took over, your sect hasn’t had a place in the martial arts world for a long time! You have the nerve to call yourself a century-old legacy? Uncle Chen Bo, you tell them—didn’t this guy get to be Sect Leader through backhanded means?”

Chen Bo? The name sounded familiar. Ye Fei couldn’t quite place it, but he was certain he had encountered him in the past.

“Chen Bo? What is your relationship to Xing Yue?”

Chen Bo bowed slightly. “I am Yue’er’s introductory teacher; I only taught her the basics of internal energy.”

Xing Yue... she had mentioned that name many times in the past—Chen Bo?