Chapter 671 117: Forcing a Coup, Martial Arts Arena (Part 2)

The moment he lifted his foot to cross the threshold, Soul Slayer glanced back, his voice cool. "Mie, I look forward to your performance."

"Hmph. Naturally, I won't disappoint you." A trace of contempt flashed in Mie's eyes. At this moment, he was brimming with ambition and full of confidence. In his eyes, Soul Slayer was nothing more than a failure.

"Heh. I shall be watching."

Soul Slayer let out a cold laugh and strode out of the great hall.

——————

"Clan Leader, when will you have a moment to drop by the Wind Language Hall?" Inside the Minor Affairs Hall, a Steward looked at Song Changsheng, his tone tinged with gentle complaint.

Song Changsheng was personally in charge of the Wind Language Hall, but he hadn't visited in quite some time. The Stewards had been handling all matters, both large and small, and after a while, it had become rather inconvenient.

"Ah... haha... Things have just been busy, you know? Don't worry, Clan Uncle. I have time today. Let's go, let's go. We'll go have a look."

Song Changsheng gave an awkward laugh. He had indeed been very busy lately and had somewhat neglected the Wind Language Hall.

He followed the Steward to the back mountain. This was originally a barren mountain with no Spiritual Vein. But after the Wind Language Hall expanded and its numbers grew, Song Luzhou had made the decision to move a Tier Two Spirit Vein to the back mountain, turning it into the talent development base for the Wind Language Hall.

Song Changsheng's first stop was the Martial Arts Arena at the summit.

This Martial Arts Arena was incredibly spacious, formed when Song Xianming had sliced off the mountaintop with a single sword strike.

At this moment, nearly a hundred Wind Language Hall disciples were gathered in small groups on the Martial Arts Arena, practicing their Techniques.

The Steward accompanied Song Changsheng, pointing to the surrounding disciples. "These are all disciples who were selected to join the hall last year and this year. They are between eight and thirteen years old, and all their families are from Yang Province."

"The hall has established a series of training plans specifically for them, benchmarked directly against the clan's own underage Cultivators."

"Every morning, they cultivate for one ancient hour and study classical texts for one ancient hour. In the afternoon, they practice Techniques at the Martial Arts Arena. The evening is free time for them to use as they wish. They can either continue cultivating or rest."

"Once they come of age, they will be assigned to different posts based on their overall performance, at which point they will receive specialized training."

"Mm, they're all promising prospects. We must cultivate their talents well. The future of the clan's intelligence network will rest on their shoulders," Song Changsheng said, nodding in satisfaction.

'I really have the Lieyang Sect to thank for leaving behind such a large population base,' he thought. 'The quality is top-notch.'

Song Changsheng strolled through the Martial Arts Arena with his hands clasped behind his back, when a little girl with a high ponytail caught his attention.

"Clan Uncle, what's that girl's name?"

The Steward glanced over and said with a chuckle, "Her name is Jiang Ling. She was in the first group of disciples to enter the Wind Language Hall. She's nine this year and has Water and Wood Dual Spirit Roots. Her Water Spirit Root is eight inches long, making her the most talented of that year's recruits."

"In the year she's been here, all her results have been top-notch, and she especially excels at Body Techniques."

"Eight inches?" Song Changsheng's eyes lit up. 'A rare talent indeed. Her aptitude is more than a notch higher than mine.'

"I heard there was also a pair of twins that year, both with Dual Spirit Roots?" Song Changsheng's interest was piqued even more.

"That's right. Clan Leader, look over there. It's those two brothers. The older one is named Qin Ze, and the younger is Qin Yu. One has Gold and Water Dual Spirit Roots, the other has Gold and Fire Dual Spirit Roots."

"Both brothers are performing very well. Qin Ze has an exceptional memory and strong comprehension, so he learns classical texts and various records very quickly."

"Qin Yu is a bit weaker in that regard, but he's very fast at cultivating Magic and enjoys figuring out combat tactics. Every time the two brothers spar, Qin Yu comes out on top."

"Although he teaches his techniques to Qin Ze after every victory, he always comes up with something new for their next match."

"Interesting. It seems the first batch was full of talent. Didn't the second intake just happen this year? Are there any new talents comparable to them?" Song Changsheng asked in surprise.

"Of course there are. Clan Leader, please look toward the southeast corner at that tall one. His name is Wu Chi. He's only eight years old, but he's the tallest and largest of all the disciples."

"He is a Cultivator with Three Spirit Roots—Gold, Water, and Fire. His performance in Techniques isn't outstanding, but he is exceptionally suited for Body Refining. He undergoes strength and endurance training daily, consuming Spirit Medicines that increase his vitality and Demon Beast Flesh and Blood. After more than a year, it's already starting to show results."

"There's also Song Xue, who is nine this year. She's a Cultivator with Gold and Earth Dual Spirit Roots and is skilled in the Dao of Music. We also invite Elder Changxue from time to time to instruct her in Music."

The Steward knew every single person here like the back of his hand. After one tour, Song Changsheng had a good general understanding of the situation.

Whether it was Jiang Ling or the Qin Ze brothers, these disciples with outstanding talent and performance would most likely enter the Shadow Hall in the future.

After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, they would become true Shadow Guards of the clan.

As Song Changsheng observed them, the disciples on the Martial Arts Arena were also secretly sizing him up.

"Hey, Qin Ze, who do you think that guy is? He's been wandering around for a while, and Steward Song has been with him the whole time," Qin Yu whispered to Qin Ze while stretching his limbs.

Qin Ze shot him a look and said sternly, "I'm your older brother. Show some respect."

Hearing this, Qin Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What 'older brother'? You're only older than me by a quarter of an hour."

"Hey, I'm asking you a question. Who do you think he is? Could he be one of the Elders?"

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as just an Elder. Cultivators all exude a certain kind of aura. This person's aura is different from the Instructor Elder's or Elder Changxue's. It makes you feel... very comfortable," Qin Ze said, looking thoughtfully in Song Changsheng's direction.

"Not an Elder? Could it be the Clan Leader? Hey, I've been here for over a year and I've never even seen the Clan Leader." Qin Yu's eyes instantly lit up, and he looked like he wanted to rush right over.

Fortunately, Qin Ze had the foresight to grab him, his expression serious. "Whether he's the Clan Leader or not, he's not someone you and I can afford to offend."

Seeing Qin Ze's serious expression, Qin Yu instantly wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ling was also secretly observing Song Changsheng.

Unlike the Qin Ze and Qin Yu brothers, she had recognized Song Changsheng's identity right away.

Her feelings toward Song Changsheng were incredibly complex.

Her uncle had once been a disciple of the Lieyang Sect and had fallen at the hands of the Song Clan.

She had been young then and only had vague memories of her uncle, but she could faintly recall how much he had doted on her.

By all rights, she should have hated the Song Clan.

But her parents had always taught her that this was the fate of a Cultivator, that it was normal, and that she should forget her hatred.

Later, she participated in the Immortal Ascension Conference and began cultivating with the Song Clan. The Song Clan's Elders and Stewards treated her exceptionally well, even bringing her family over and providing them with food, clothing, and shelter.

Seeing how deeply grateful her father and mother were, Jiang Ling felt lost. She didn't know what she was supposed to do.

'Should I take revenge?'

'My memories of my uncle are growing blurrier every day. I'm not even sure if I truly hate the Song Clan.'

'Should I be grateful?'

'I think I am. After all, the Song Clan has given me excellent cultivation resources, and my parents have benefited as well.'

'But still... I can't forget what happened to my uncle.'

Just as Jiang Ling was lost in her confusion, Wu Chi walked up to her, his iron-tower-like frame exuding an oppressive presence.

Jiang Ling frowned slightly, her voice laced with displeasure. "Move."

"I hear you're really strong. I love sparring with strong people," Wu Chi said, scratching his head with a simple-minded look.

"You're all thick skin and tough muscle. Who would want to spar with you?" Jiang Ling rolled her eyes. Everyone present knew this lout was so tough you couldn't even hurt him. Only someone with a screw loose would choose to fight him.

"Don't want to spar? Then I'll challenge you. Steward Song said no one can refuse a challenge, hehe."

Looking at Wu Chi's goofy grin, Jiang Ling couldn't help but facepalm. She beckoned him over with an exasperated flick of her finger. "Fine, bring it on. Just don't come crying to me when you lose."

...