Chapter 694: Vajra Sect

「The next day.」

Northwest of Jintai Prefecture, amidst a range of rolling mountains—not particularly high, but imposing in their grandeur—sprawled lush forests, wreathed in a light mist.

At the very center of the mountains sat a magnificent, sprawling complex of interconnected halls.

With upturned eaves and dark green tiles, the buildings exuded an aura of fierce and domineering martial power. This was the headquarters of the Vajra Sect, one of the five major sects of Jintai Prefecture.

At this moment, the main gates of the Vajra Sect stood open. Disciples clad in dark yellow robes with weapons at their waists moved in and out. Their steps were steady, their auras condensed, and their movements were orderly, showcasing the grand bearing of a major sect.

The sounds of the sect’s disciples training and the shouts of command carried far, echoing through the valleys.

Deep within the Vajra Sect, in an elegant and secluded courtyard, flowers and trees grew in tasteful arrangements.

Three young men, all appearing to be in their twenties or early thirties, were seated in the main hall of the courtyard’s central building, conversing in low voices.

The young man seated in the host’s position at the head of the hall had cold, hard features and a sharp gaze. A powerful aura unique to the Qi Absorption Realm faintly emanated from him. This was none other than Li Yu, the one among the Vajra Sect’s “Three Prodigies” who had recently broken through.

Seated on either side below him were the other two equally famous prodigies, Zhou Qiang and Xu Shizheng.

Before Li Yu had broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm, Zhou Qiang, with his profound Cultivation and formidable techniques, had been widely regarded as the leader of the Vajra Sect’s Three Prodigies, his status firmly a step above Li Yu’s.

But ever since Li Yu had successfully broken through and stepped into the Qi Absorption Realm, his power had skyrocketed. His status and influence within the sect had soared accordingly, firmly surpassing Zhou Qiang’s. He was now the acknowledged leader of the Vajra Sect’s Three Prodigies, his bearing completely different from before.

Zhou Qiang and Xu Shizheng had made this special trip to see Li Yu precisely to discuss their visit to the Xuanzhen Sect in three days’ time.

Xu Shizheng was the first to speak. He took a neatly folded bamboo scroll of intelligence from his robes, held it with both hands, and offered it to Li Yu in the host’s seat. “Senior Brother Li,” he said, “this is the latest intelligence on the Xuanzhen Sect’s most talented disciples of the younger generation. Please, you and Senior Brother Zhou, take a look.”

Li Yu casually took the bamboo scroll, unrolled it, and gave it a quick scan. His expression remained placid. He simply gave a slight nod before passing the intelligence to Zhou Qiang beside him.

Only after Zhou Qiang had finished reading and set the scroll down did Xu Shizheng continue, his tone certain. “Among the current Xuanzhen Sect disciples of our age, below the level of the various peaks’ senior-most brothers and sisters, there is not a single true Qi Absorption Realm Cultivator.”

“The only one who has recently broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm is Qin Chuan of Zhenyue Peak. But he is much older than the three of us. As one of the five major sects, the Xuanzhen Sect would never send him out to face us, not if they have any face to save.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yu snorted coldly. The corner of his mouth curved into an undisguised sneer, and his eyes glinted sharply. “That Qin Chuan? He’s nothing but the product of years of grinding, propped up by all the resources his uncle, the Peak Master of Zhenyue Peak, could pour into him.”

“It’s been some time since he broke through to the Qi Absorption Realm. Who knows if he’s even managed to fully stabilize and consolidate his new level.”

His tone was scornful, filled with absolute confidence and arrogance. “If he really dares to fight me on the day of our visit, I’ll beat him to a pulp and make the Xuanzhen Sect lose all face!”

Li Yu’s words made it clear he held Qin Chuan, this newly advanced Qi Absorption Realm disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect, in extreme contempt, even a touch of disdain.

This was to be expected. Although Li Yu had also endured great hardships, paid a heavy price, and even earned a reputation for eating shit to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm, he had been far younger than Qin Chuan when he did so. Their talent and potential were simply not on the same level.

Seeing his chance, Xu Shizheng immediately began to fawn over him, his face wreathed in a respectful smile. “Senior Brother Li, your talent is immense and your strength is formidable. A mere Qin Chuan is naturally no match for you.”

Zhou Qiang also chimed in with a light chuckle and a nod. “Indeed. Senior Brother Li now has the Cultivation of the Qi Absorption Realm. Looking at the younger generation in all of Jintai Prefecture, few can match you. Qin Chuan is certainly far from your equal.”

Li Yu listened to their continuous praise and flattery, feeling quite pleased with himself. The coldness on his face faded slightly, replaced by a hint of smugness.

He picked up the Cyan Porcelain Tea Cup from the table, took a small sip of the fragrant tea, and then smiled at the two of them. “You two should try my tea. The leaves were brought from afar by a merchant from the Song State. The flavor is mellow, rich, and quite extraordinary.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qiang and Xu Shizheng subconsciously glanced down at the teacups in front of them. Both of their hearts sank in unison, and their expressions shifted slightly.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, neither of them wanted to eat or drink anything here at Li Yu’s place.

Xu Shizheng took a deep breath. In the end, he didn’t dare to pick up his teacup. He quickly changed the subject, looking at Li Yu and speaking seriously, “By the way, Senior Brother Li, the possibility of the Xuanzhen Sect sending Qin Chuan to fight is very small. The ones who will likely face the three of us are Chu Yunhai and Yang Jing.”

Li Yu nodded lightly at his words, his tone casual. “Yang Jing is just a nobody. He can’t even compete with Chu Yunhai within the Xuanzhen Sect and has been relegated to a supporting role. The gap between him and me is as wide as heaven and earth. He’s not worth worrying about.”

At this, his voice paused for a moment, his expression growing slightly more serious as he continued, “Chu Yunhai, on the other hand… Although he has yet to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm, his strength and potential should not be underestimated.”

“He was already quite talented to begin with, and later he awakened a rare War Body. His combat power far exceeds others at his level.”

Li Yu’s gaze darkened slightly as he said slowly, “If I hadn’t broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm, it would have been quite tricky for the three of us to suppress him completely. We might not have been able to secure an easy victory.”