Chapter 42: Why Need to Tolerate?

“Haha!”

Watching the square-faced man’s smug grin, Ye Rong felt a nameless, evil fire rise inside.

When had he become so timid? Where had his boldness gone—the same boldness that once made him draw his sword among the Shushan Sword Heroes, chasing opponents who insulted him across a thousand miles until they died? Where was the decisiveness that allowed him to slaughter the leaders of large Factions, blocking all directions with his sword?

Had the twists and turns of life and the pressures of reality truly worn down all his edges?

Ye Rong let out a long laugh. He had really overthought things. What was there to fear from such weaklings? They were nothing more than chickens and dogs.

He was not the only one who became a Formal Disciple in the Qingcheng Sect. There were others too, like those from Short Elder Zhu Mei’s line, who surely also recruited disciples. Yet none dared make a fuss. It was just because that person was a top expert from the Closed Beta; it was normal for him to have such success. But as a newbie, rising above them made them jealous and unable to accept it.

As long as his strength was sufficient, leaving these people far behind, proving he deserved the position of Formal Disciple, their greedy thoughts would naturally be suppressed.

The Taixuan Ice Soul Sword swept out, its chilling Sword Light forcing back the four who were pressing close. The square-faced man seemed to see a sharp sword shooting out from the ground.

“Everyone, roll away roundly.”

Ye Rong raised his sword-like brows and spoke lightly. Where his sword pointed, those men looked panicked and scrambled back. When he actually showed such a firm attitude, the watching Registered Disciples quieted down, no longer clamoring.

“Yijian Kurong, do you think you can just leave like that? Shouldn’t you give us an explanation?”

“An explanation? Fine, come find me at the sparring grounds on Hanxiu Peak. I’ll give you a satisfying explanation.”

The sparring grounds were a place for disciples of the Sect to compete. The losing side would not suffer any Death Penalty, making it a good place to resolve disputes and determine who was stronger.

However, only Formal Disciples could use the sparring grounds. By saying this, Ye Rong showed no regard for the square-faced man’s pride, making it clear that even if the latter became a Formal Disciple, he would still kill him without hesitation.

“Yijian Kurong, I, Houdao Xiaosheng, challenge you right here and now, on this platform. Even if you’re a Formal Disciple, I’m not afraid. I want to vent the anger for all our brothers.”

“What the heck, listening to that, I sound like some unforgivable villain!”

Killing a Registered Disciple only meant losing double Karma Points, a consequence Ye Rong could handle. Sparing this guy wouldn’t benefit his reputation at all; instead, it would earn him the label of weak and incompetent, someone who didn’t dare accept a challenge from a Registered Disciple.

But having an extremely fierce reputation was still a kind of fame, right?

“Alright, since you’re in such a hurry to be reincarnated and die, let me grant you that wish.”

There were definitely Players in Far Shore who could defeat him—Ye Rong wasn’t that arrogant—but experts of that level definitely wouldn’t be found among these Qingcheng Registered Disciples, sighing helplessly over an Initiation Task.

The Players around them voluntarily cleared a large space for the sparring grounds. It seemed curiosity was a universal trait, something no one could resist.

Houdao Xiaosheng’s Flying Sword was strangely shaped: double-edged with barbs, looking vicious and ruthless. At the same time, a gray-black Demonic Qi swirled between his hands—he had actually cultivated an evil Dao Scroll.

“This guy has some nerve, daring to join Qingcheng while practicing an evil cultivation method. Though Qingcheng isn’t as fiercely opposed to evil as Emei, we’re still a Righteous Faction. It seems today I must cleanse our ranks and eliminate this evil demon.”

Ye Rong muttered to himself, observing Houdao Xiaosheng’s posture and stance. The guy did have some skill; he wasn’t a beginner.

The oddly shaped Flying Sword protected him tightly all around, capable of attack and defense, leaving no openings. It could react swiftly to attacks from any angle.

…

“Dongliu, what do you think? Who will win?”

Bapi Choujin asked anxiously. In front of him, Dongliu Cangshui had returned at some point and was also watching the match.

“Houdao Xiaosheng was one of the Seven Great Disciples during the Closed Beta. He’s also made a name for himself in several previous games, so his skills shouldn’t be underestimated. As for your friend, even though he’s a Formal Disciple, it hasn’t been long. I doubt he’s cultivated the Qingcheng Qi Refining Method to any deep level, so the power he can display is likely limited.”

Dongliu Cangshui looked mature, like a man in his thirties, with short stubble adding a touch of rugged charm.

“Yijian Kurong? That name doesn’t ring a bell. Probably a newcomer. Houdao Xiaosheng’s Flying Sword and Magic Treasures are not bad, so your friend likely has no advantage there. That means their technical skill will be key. Looking at it this way, your friend is unlikely to come out on top.”

Dongliu Cangshui gently shook his head. By saying this, he expressed little confidence in Ye Rong’s performance.

“I don’t know where Houdao Xiaosheng got his hands on the Profound Yin Heart Manual, but it’s a cultivation method whose power is no less than the Qingcheng Qi Refining Method. It’s particularly good at inflicting negative effects like health damage, mental confusion, True Qi reduction, and more. Besides, among the Seven Great Disciples, Houdao Xiaosheng is the most cautious. If he didn’t have confidence in victory, he probably wouldn’t have challenged at all.”

“Brother, why is there such a crowd? Who’s about to spar?”

A girl in palace attire approached lightly. The dress revealed her shapely shoulders and slender body, her voice as crisp and melodious as a young oriole.

Her petite face and delicate features gave her a slightly mixed-race appearance, with skin as smooth and pale as condensed milk. In striking contrast to her doll-like cute face was a pair of unusually long, slender, and straight jade legs. The form-fitting pale blue palace dress outlined the round shape of her perky breasts—not exactly huge, but enough to fill a hand.

She truly fit the description of youthful face, ample bosom, bright eyes, and white teeth, drawing the gazes of several men who couldn’t help but glance her way.

“Xiao Lü, you’re here. What did your master say? Will she help you pass the Initiation Task?”

Dongliu Cangshui’s real-life younger sister had the incredible luck to be directly accepted by Lv Linggu. But that only let her skip the Trial Mission; she still had to complete the Initiation Task. Ye Rong’s master was one of the Sect Leaders of Qingcheng, so he could bypass the Initiation Task entirely. But Lv Linggu was only a Third-Generation Disciple, not an Eldest Senior Brother like Chen Taizhen or Ji Deng, so she didn’t have that authority.

“No, Master said the most she could do was switch my Initiation Task to the simplest one. The rest is up to me.”

Manzhu Lver pouted her pink cherry lips, complaining in a sweet voice.