Chapter 40

As Ye Zhong's indifferent gaze fell upon her, Ju Xuan's calm eyes also revealed a faint trace of panic. After a moment of contemplation, she reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and then softly said, "Do you know that within the先天圣殿, there are the Nine Heavens Stairs and the先天 Gate?"

"Nine Heavens Stairs and the先天 Gate?" Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong frowned slightly, vaguely guessing some of it.

"Actually, the place we are in now cannot be considered the true先天圣殿; it is merely the outer area. Only those who step onto the Nine Heavens Stairs have the资格 to enter the先天 Gate and receive the传承 of the先天圣殿!" It was clear that Ju Xuan did not intend to wait for Ye Zhong and the others to respond, as she continued to explain, "The so-called Nine Heavens Stairs also mean that among the many people who enter the先天圣殿, only nine have the资格 to step onto the legendary Nine Heavens Stairs and gain the资格 to enter the先天 Gate!"

"If you want to step onto the Nine Heavens Stairs, you need something, and that thing is right here!" Ju Xuan's gaze fell upon the corner of a pavilion visible amidst the bamboo grove, and she spoke softly.

"In short, it's one of the nine possible slots for receiving the传承 of the先天圣殿, right?" Ye Zhong had a rough understanding, "And there's something inside that can prove you've obtained that slot, correct?"

"Yes." Ju Xuan's eyes shimmered with a faint, mysterious light, "That thing is called the先天令. Ye Zhong, if you can help me obtain this item, then the other things inside, the three of us won't take any of them..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong's eyes twitched, and he sighed, "Don't tell me that the talk about the high-grade spirit weapon was just to get me to come and be a bodyguard."

"No! It's true! There should be a high-grade spirit weapon inside, and besides that, there should be other things. However, the most important things should be the先天令 and the high-grade spirit weapon." Ju Xuan said earnestly, "Ye Zhong, let's go in together. Although our abilities are average, we can still help to distract others and buy you some time."

Seeing Ju Xuan's serious expression, Ye Zhong glanced at Xiang Qiyu and You Siling, and finally shook his head helplessly. To be honest, not only was Ju Xuan somewhat enigmatic, but even the two daggers that Xiang Qiyu had just obtained were enough to make her combat strength far exceed that of others at her level.

"Let's go in together, but if the situation turns bad, don't linger in battle; instead, retreat proactively, as I might not always be able to keep an eye on you." Ye Zhong was not indecisive. Although bringing the three girls in might be a bit dangerous, continuing to dither here would likely cause more trouble later, so he decided to agree.

Seeing Ye Zhong's compromise, the three girls exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

"Since that's the case, let's not waste time."

Since Ye Zhong had made his decision, he said no more and waved his hand. The four of them moved towards the bamboo grove.

The bamboo grove was filled with a serene atmosphere, with a faint mist spreading through the trees, adding a bone-chilling cold to the elegance.

Ye Zhong frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping around, and his expression grew increasingly serious.

In the bamboo grove, he occasionally noticed some recently left traces, but these traces were extremely subtle and could not be found without careful searching. This indicated that the people who had entered the bamboo grove before them were extremely cautious. Such people would be difficult to deal with.

The three girls following Ye Zhong also had tense expressions, clearly sensing the heavy atmosphere in the air.

"Be careful." Ye Zhong gave a casual instruction and then turned, carefully following the barely visible traces on the ground towards the depths of the bamboo grove.

The traces were skewed, indicating that the people who had entered before did not walk in a straight line. However, their destination was the same as Ye Zhong's group—Tingtao Pavilion!

After walking for a while, Ye Zhong suddenly stopped. He squinted his eyes, looking ahead. They were less than a hundred meters from Tingtao Pavilion. At this point, he vaguely sensed that many gazes had suddenly fallen upon them.

Clearly, the group that had entered before them was not naive. They had left some people to keep watch, and now, Ye Zhong's group had likely been discovered.

After scanning the surroundings, Ye Zhong reached out and placed the three girls behind him. He squinted his eyes and his indifferent voice echoed in the grove, "Since you've discovered us, why don't you come out and say hello?"

"Heh, as expected of a disciple of the Star Constellation Sect, your eyesight is indeed impressive."

Shortly after Ye Zhong's words, several figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the bamboo grove. The leader was a youth in a dark red martial robe, about sixteen or seventeen years old. His gaze fell on Ye Zhong, and a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.

The strong figures behind him were mostly a few years older than him, with the youngest being about Ye Zhong's age. However, after their gazes lingered on Ye Zhong for a moment, they shifted to the three girls behind him, their eyes filled with admiration.

"Chiyun Martial Academy?"

As her gaze fell on the martial robes of the group, Xiang Qiyu let out a light exclamation.

"Hehe, the lady from the Star Constellation Sect has keen eyes. We are indeed from the Chiyun Martial Academy. I am Jiang Le," the youth said with a light laugh. "Although I don't know how the esteemed disciples of the Star Constellation Sect discovered this place or why you are here... this place is currently occupied by the Chiyun Martial Academy. If you are seeking opportunities, please go elsewhere. This place does not welcome you."

As he spoke, Jiang Le lightly clapped his hands, and several figures emerged from different directions in the bamboo grove, their gazes heavy as they fell upon Ye Zhong's group.

Seeing this, Ye Zhong frowned slightly. He hadn't expected to encounter such trouble at Tingtao Pavilion. The Chiyun Martial Academy had already sent nearly twenty people, and with some still hidden, their presence here was quite formidable.

However, Ye Zhong merely frowned. Although the other side had a large number of people, he had seen such situations many times and was not overly worried. Even with the three girls in tow, it wouldn't be easy for the other side to take him down.

"Hehe, the Chiyun Martial Academy doesn't want to have a conflict with the Star Constellation Sect. Consider this a token of our goodwill. Please leave, and we won't see you off!" Jiang Le smiled and flicked his finger, sending a spatial ring flying towards Ye Zhong.

Ye Zhong caught it casually and scanned its contents, finding nearly ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. The Chiyun Martial Academy was indeed generous.

As Jiang Le made his move, the Chiyun Martial Academy strong figures who had blocked Ye Zhong's group's retreat path slowly stepped aside, adopting a posture of sending them off.

"Senior Brother Ye Zhong." Ju Xuan spoke softly, her eyes filled with a faint anxiety.

Xiang Qiyu and You Siling also looked tense. They had worked hard to get this far, and giving up now was somewhat reluctant. However, it seemed that only Ye Zhong had the authority to speak.

Flicking the spatial ring in his hand, Ye Zhong tossed it back after a moment. As Jiang Le's expression darkened, he shook his head and sighed, "If possible, I don't want to be the unreasonable one... but the things in Tingtao Pavilion are also what we are determined to obtain."

"Why do some people always prefer to eat the penalty wine instead of the offered wine?" Jiang Le frowned and sighed, his voice becoming cold, "Since these esteemed disciples of the Star Constellation Sect won't give us face, let's deal with them!"

"Bang—"

As he spoke, the nearly twenty strong figures from the Chiyun Martial Academy stepped forward, their blood and qi surging, and their auras spreading. These Chiyun Martial Academy strong figures seemed to all have the strength of the third level of Body Tempering. With nearly twenty of them together, their power was terrifying and highly oppressive.

As they advanced, they exuded a momentum like a thousand horses galloping, heading straight for Ye Zhong.

"They seem a bit stronger than the Ye Family's talkative group." Ye Zhong sighed, muttering to himself.

Originally, he had come to this place to avoid too much conflict, but he hadn't expected that even here, to obtain something, he would still need to take action. The law of the jungle, where the strong rule, was the only principle in this world, no matter where you were.

It had nothing to do with right or wrong, only with strength!

After deeply understanding this once again, Ye Zhong took a deep breath. The Six Paths Burial Sword Technique slowly circulated in his body, making his blood and qi boil, and a sharp, sword-like aura began to emanate from his body...