Chapter 16: "First Fight In The Sect."

The morning sun, a fiery orb against the cerulean sky, cast long shadows across the bustling platform where Ye Xiaotian and Mu An stood. The air hummed with the energy of anticipation, a palpable tension that crackled between the disciples gathered around the Disciple Ranking Tablet.

Ye Xiaotian, his senses sharp, scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering on the faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. He had become the center of attention, a magnet for whispers and speculations.

"Brother Ye," Mu An whispered, his voice trembling with excitement, "You're the one everyone's talking about? The one the Sect Master brought back from the Great Azure Forest?"

"Yes," Ye Xiaotian replied, his tone flat. "But keep it quiet. I'd prefer to avoid unnecessary attention."

Mu An nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and apprehension. "I won't tell anyone," he promised, though his excitement was evident.

"Are you really living in the Sect Master's Courtyard, Fourth Pavilion?"Ye Xiaotian nooded.

"But you should know, Brother Ye, the core disciples… they're not happy about this. Especially Mu Qinglan, the first-ranked disciple." When Mu An saw his nood, he said.

Ye Xiaotian tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Mu Qinglan? Why would my presence matter to her?"

"She's had her eye on the fourth pavilion for years," Mu An explained, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Everyone thought she'd claim it eventually. And now, someone new takes it without earning their place in the rankings? You can imagine the resentment."

Ye Xiaotian smirked faintly. "If anyone has a problem, they can come to me directly."

Mu An hesitated before asking, "Are you not afraid of her, Brother Ye?"

Ye Xiaotian patted Mu An's shoulder, his gaze steady. "In this sect, I afraid no one because no one can defeat me, aside from the old monsters."

Mu An's eyes widened. "You… you mean…" he stammered, his voice barely audible. "You mean it's true? That you… you killed one of the Yuan brothers?"

Ye Xiaotian looked at him, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. He didn't need to say anything. The chilling smile alone sent a shiver down Mu An's spine.

Mu An's demeanor shifted instantly. He grabbed Ye Xiaotian's hands with fervent energy. "Brother Ye, Brother Ye! From now on, I am your little brother! If you want anything, just tell me, anything! Any work, just tell me!"

Caught off guard by Mu An's dramatic declaration, Ye Xiaotian remained silent, his expression unreadable. He stared at Mu An, unsure of how to respond.

When Mu An noticed his silence, his face fell. Undeterred, he donned a puppy-eyed expression and pleaded, "Please, Brother Ye! If not a little brother, at least let me be your sidekick."

Ye Xiaotian sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. "Fine. Now let go of my hands," he said, shaking them free.

Mu An, deflated but still excited, rubbed his hands together. "It's good, it's good, Brother Ye. You are so strong. But you have to promise me, if Mu Qinglan comes to fight you, you'll put her in her place! Make that pretentious girl forget her arrogance!" he declared, his voice laced with resentment.

Ye Xiaotian raised an eyebrow. "Why do you resent her so much? Has she done anything to you?"

Mu An's face turned comically sour. "That pretentious chick! She beats me up whenever she feels stressed! She treats me like a punching bag! Even our father doesn't do anything to stop her. He just tells me to get stronger and beat her someday." Mu An started to sniffle, tears welling up in his eyes.

Ye Xiaotian caught an important detail. "Our father?"

Mu An nodded solemnly. "Yes, she's my sister. But now that I'm your little brother, you have to avenge me!" His expression was both pitiful and exaggerated, tears welling up in his eyes.

Ye Xiaotian couldn't help but sigh. "What have I gotten myself into?" he thought. With a reluctant nod, he replied, "Fine. I'll avenge you."

Mu An's tears instantly vanished, replaced by a wide grin. "Thank you, Brother Ye! You're the best!"

Just as Mu An was about to launch into another round of enthusiastic praise, a commotion erupted near the edge of the platform. The crowd of inner disciples parted, their murmurs growing louder as two figures strode forward.One of the disciples pointed at Ye Xiaotian and whispered something to his companion. The other disciple, a tall, broad-shouldered young man with a determined expression, stepped forward.

"It's Zhou Liang, the former 50th-ranked disciple!" someone whispered.

Zhou Liang, clad in a crimson robe adorned with silver stripes, exuded an aura of confidence. His gaze, sharp and unwavering, locked onto Ye Xiaotian. "So, you're the new core disciple," he said, his voice booming across the platform. "The one who took my spot in the rankings."

Ye Xiaotian, standing with an unshakable calm, met Zhou Liang's glare head-on. His expression remained composed, almost indifferent, as he replied with a simple, "And?"

The crowd, previously buzzing with murmurs, fell into silence before erupting into animated chatter.

"Wait… that's him?" a disciple exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Ye Xiaotian, the new core disciple who's living in the Sect Master Courtyard?"

"That's why Zhou Liang's here," another added, glancing nervously at Zhou Liang's imposing form. "He wants to challenge the newcomer for his rank."

A young disciple near the edge of the crowd leaned toward his friend, whispering urgently. "This Ye Xiaotian's only in the Foundation Realm, but Zhou Liang's at the peak of Divine Vessel Realm. That's practically Core Formation. This new guy has bad luck running into him so soon."

Another disciple, older and more skeptical, scoffed. "Bad luck? Don't be naive. Didn't you hear what the Sect Master said? Ye Xiaotian supposedly killed a Soul Awakening Realm expert from the Black Serpent Sect. There's no way Zhou Liang can compare to that."

A third disciple snorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Killed a Soul Awakening Realm expert? Humph. You really believe a Foundation Realm cultivator can beat someone that powerful? Absurd."

Zhou Liang's smirk widened as he heard the murmurs around him. His eyes burned with jealousy and disdain. He also don't believe that a foundaiton realm can kill a soul awakening realm expert.

"And I'm here to challenge you," Zhou Liang declared, his voice rising in volume and intensity. "Let's see if you're worthy of the position you've been handed… and the privilege of living in the Sect Master Courtyard."

The crowd erupted into a buzz of excitement.

"He's really challenging the new core disciple!"

"Zhou Liang's not someone to take lightly. He's the strongest inner disciple for a reason!"

"But… if he loses, it'll only prove the Sect Master's decision was right."

Ye Xiaotian remained composed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You want to fight me?"

Zhou Liang crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips."You took something that wasn't yours. I'll make this simple: accept my challenge and prove you're not a fraud."

On the sidelines, Mu An clenched his fists, stepping up beside Ye Xiaotian. His face was red with anger, and his voice was loud and defiant "Hmph! Brother Ye, beat the shit out of that pretentious dick! He's asking for trouble!"

Ye Xiaotian turned slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he nodded toward Mu An. Then he directed his focus back to Zhou Liang.

Zhou Liang's gaze flicked to Mu An briefly before returning to Ye Xiaotian. "Your sidekick has a loud mouth," he sneered. "Let's see if you can back up his words."

"Very well," Ye Xiaotian said, his tone calm but tinged with confidence. "If you're so eager to test me… I'll oblige."

Zhou Liang raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Good. Let's settle this here and now."

The crowd began to back away, forming a wide circle around the two challengers. The platform seemed to hum with anticipation, the air thick with the energy of the impending clash.

"Finally, we'll see if this new core disciple is as strong as the Sect Master claims," one disciple whispered.

"Or if he's just lucky," countered another.

Zhou Liang raised his hand, a faint glow of spiritual energy enveloping his palm. His aura surged, revealing the depth of his cultivation.

"Divine Vessel, peak stage," Mu An muttered, his brow furrowing. "Zhou Liang's no joke. His spiritual energy is dense, and his combat techniques are refined."

Ye Xiaotian ignored the murmurs, his focus entirely on Zhou Liang. His calm demeanor betrayed no sign of hesitation.

"You ready?" Zhou Liang asked, his voice laced with confidence.

Ye Xiaotian raised a hand, beckoning him forward. "Come."

Zhou Liang wasted no time. With a burst of spiritual energy, he lunged forward, his fist glowing with a fierce light. The air crackled as his attack barreled toward Ye Xiaotian like a meteor.The crowd held their breath, eyes wide as they watched the clash unfold.

But Ye Xiaotian didn't flinch. At the last moment, he sidestepped with a grace that belied his youth, his movements fluid and effortless. Zhou Liang's attack struck empty air, the force of his blow causing a faint shockwave that rustled the disciples' robes.

"What?" Zhou Liang growled, spinning around to face Ye Xiaotian again.

Ye Xiaotian's expression remained neutral, but his eyes gleamed with a predatory glint."Too slow."

Enraged, Zhou Liang unleashed a flurry of attacks, each one more ferocious than the last. His fists and legs became blurs of motion, glowing with spiritual energy as he sought to overpower his opponent.

But Ye Xiaotian weaved through the onslaught like a ghost, his movements impossibly smooth and precise. Not a single strike landed.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Zhou Liang's attacks grew increasingly desperate. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his energy draining rapidly.

Ye Xiaotian's calm voice cut through the tension. "Enough."

With a single, precise motion, Ye Xiaotian stepped forward and struck. His palm, glowing faintly with restrained energy, connected with Zhou Liang's chest.

The impact sent Zhou Liang sprawling to the ground, his body skidding across the platform. He lay motionless, gasping for air, his face pale with shock.

The platform became pin drop silent after digesting the scene the crowd erupted into murmurs of disbelief.

"He defeated Zhou Liang with one strike!"

"What kind of monster is this new core disciple, even though Zhao Liang is on Divine Vessal Realm but he can easily defeat an average core formation realm genius, but now he got defeated by a foundation realm with just a punch?"

"No wonder the Sect Master gave him the fourth pavilion…"

Ye Xiaotian turned to Zhou Liang, his voice calm and even. "If you want to challenge me again, come back when you're stronger."

He turned and walked away, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.

High above the platform, hidden among the branches of a towering tree, a pair of amber eyes observed the scene intently.

Zi Ran, the tenth-ranked core disciple, leaned against the trunk, her expression unreadable.

"So," she murmured, her voice tinged with intrigue. "He's not just talk. Interesting."

With a final glance at Ye Xiaotian's retreating figure, she disappeared into the shadows.

"I need to inform Senior Sister Mu Qinglan about this."

End of Chapter 16