Chapter 230 - 213: This Talent, Is It Even Reasonable?

Chapter 230: Chapter 213: This Talent, Is It Even Reasonable?

Zhao Zongzhen sat on the stone bench, looking at the distraught Lin Junshi across from him, his heart a storm of conflicting emotions.

He recalled the first time Chen Yue had appeared on their radar. Back then, Chen Yue had just killed Jiang Linkuo and Cheng Jun on the Life and Death Platform.

They had thought he was just a slightly tougher bone for the Mutual Aid Association to chew—one that they could eventually break with a little more effort.

But now, only a few short months later, that tough bone had become a towering mountain they could only gaze up at in awe.

He had smashed his way through the Liuyun Sword Sect’s entire Sword Heart Ranking, intimidating its number-one disciple, He Linxi, so much that he didn’t even dare to accept the challenge.

Ever since Chen Yue had first appeared on the Cyan Cloud Ranking, Zhao Zongzhen had known they’d provoked a true prodigy. He just never imagined Chen Yue’s rate of growth could be so absurd.

One month he was in the Marrow Refining Realm, and the next, he was single-handedly defeating all the Refining Organ Realm disciples of the Liuyun Sword Sect, leaving them speechless.

That kind of progress couldn’t be described as mere genius; it was downright demonic.

Since Chen Yue could so thoroughly dominate the Sword Heart Ranking, he wouldn’t even need to fight for the sect’s Cyan Cloud Ranking. The top spot was already as good as his.

After all, if you sent Jiang Wenda, the current champion of the Cyan Cloud Ranking, to the Liuyun Sword Sect, even he wouldn’t dare claim he could challenge their entire Sword Heart Ranking as Chen Yue had.

Not to mention intimidating He Linxi into refusing the fight, or taking on three opponents at once and crushing the joint attack of three top-ranking prodigies from the Sword Heart Ranking.

The thought of such strength was simply staggering.

Zhao Zongzhen looked at Lin Junshi and finally let out a sigh. He slowly stood up, said nothing more, and turned to walk toward the courtyard gate.

’There was really nothing left to say. Things had reached this point. The seeds they planted back then had now borne a fruit they could not possibly bear.’

Lin Junshi turned his head to watch Zhao Zongzhen walk away. His mouth opened as if to call out, but in the end, no sound emerged.

「The next morning, as dawn was breaking.」

As he did every day, Chen Yue pushed open his courtyard gate and walked along the mountain path toward the Dan Peak dining hall.

The moment he stepped inside, the once-bustling dining hall fell instantly silent.

Every disciple who saw him, whether they knew him personally or not, rose to their feet, their gazes filled with reverence and admiration.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Chen, your battle yesterday was incredible!"

"Senior Brother Chen, you’re amazing!"

Greetings echoed from all around.

In all these years, Chen Yue was the only one from the Panshi Sect to single-handedly beat down the entire Sword Heart Ranking. Naturally, all the disciples of the Panshi Sect shared in his glory.

Chen Yue gave a slight nod, acknowledging them one by one, his expression as tranquil as ever.

He found a seat by the window and ate his meal in peace, just as he always did. Afterward, he left the dining hall and headed for the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.

When he stepped through the doors of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, the Dan Peak disciples inside reacted just as the others had in the dining hall, rising to their feet and greeting him enthusiastically.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Chen, you were incredible yesterday! We all heard about it!"

The night before, when they heard the news that Chen Yue had overwhelmed the Liuyun Sword Sect’s entire Sword Heart Ranking, only one thought had crossed their minds: ’He truly is a prodigy!’

’His Talent for Alchemy is unparalleled, and his Talent in the Martial Dao is just as astonishing!’

As for the conflict between Chen Yue and the Mutual Aid Association—something that had previously made the Dan Peak disciples quite wary—all apprehension had now vanished without a trace.

With his current strength, Chen Yue could single-handedly defeat every disciple in the Mutual Aid Association, from the top down.

Not to mention, Chen Yue’s master, Meng Yu Jin, was an Innate Realm expert. With that kind of backing, who would dare show Chen Yue even the slightest disrespect?

Chen Yue’s gaze swept across the main hall of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, and he soon spotted Zhao Weiyuan in the distance.

He walked forward, stopped in front of Zhao Weiyuan, and cupped his hands in a salute. "Martial Zhao."

Seeing Chen Yue approach, Zhao Weiyuan involuntarily stood up, forcing a smile. "Ah, you’re here."

No direct conflict had yet occurred between the two, so Chen Yue continued to maintain a veneer of politeness.

Zhao Weiyuan himself was at the peak of the Refining Organ Realm. Having been an influential figure on Dan Peak for many years, he was a somebody in his own right.

But now, their positions had completely reversed.

Everyone knew that with the Talent and rate of progress Chen Yue had displayed, it was only a matter of time before he broke through to the Innate Realm.

Zhao Weiyuan, on the other hand, would most likely remain stuck in the Refining Organ Realm for the rest of his life.

The disparity between the two of them was self-evident.

Chen Yue glanced at the strained smile on Zhao Weiyuan’s face but said nothing more. He simply turned and walked toward the exchange counter of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.

The On-Duty Disciple at the exchange counter was bent over a ledger, organizing it. Hearing footsteps, he instinctively looked up.

When he saw it was Chen Yue, he quickly set down the ledger, stood up, and asked with a hint of reverence in his voice, "Senior Brother Chen, what can I get for you?"

Chen Yue smiled faintly, his tone serene. "Ingredients for three Nourishing Spirit Pills."

A flicker of surprise appeared in the On-Duty Disciple’s eyes.

Chen Yue had exchanged for many kinds of ingredients before, but this was the first time he had requested those for the Nourishing Spirit Pill.

The On-Duty Disciple didn’t ask any questions, however. He just gave a crisp, "Right away!" and turned to the medicine cabinets behind him to begin preparing the herbs.

His movements were deft. He quickly weighed out the required ingredients for three portions of the Nourishing Spirit Pill, deducted the corresponding Contribution Points from Chen Yue’s Waist Token, and then presented the three packets of herbs to Chen Yue with both hands.