Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing had respectively challenged Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua at the same time. This news shocked the people in the Martial Hall Palace. Lu Xiaoqing challenging Mei Lianhua was still understandable since they were both among the top 10 outer peak disciples, and they were probably evenly matched.
But Xia Liuhui, a completely unknown person, actually dared to challenge Mo Buhui. Nobody could understand why. But when they recalled that Xia Liuhui's boss was Xiang Shaoyun, their shock lessened.
While Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing were challenging their respective targets, Xiang Shaoyun was at the Hall of Limits. He did not show up, not because he did not care about Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing but because he was sure they would win.
Of course, there was also the fact that in his heart, both Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua were two insignificant individuals not worth more of his time. Because of that, he did not bother watching the duels. His priority was still his own growth.
This time, he broke through three limit rooms in a row, and by the time he was done, he was already in an incomparably sorry state, as he had sustained terrible injuries. The seventh and eighth rooms were supposed to be challenged by only those at the late stage of the Astral Realm.
Since Xiang Shaoyun had combat prowess comparable to a late-stage Astral Realm cultivator, both those rooms weren't that hard for him. But he countered troubles in the ninth room. That was a room that generally only those at the eighth or ninth stage of the Astral Realm could survive. He suffered greatly in that room, but he eventually survived and broke through its limit.
After he was done challenging the three rooms, he received word that Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing had both emerged victorious in their duels. Xia Liuhui's fame thus spread, and he was even accepted as a personal disciple by an elder.
As for Lu Xiaoqing, she was now known as the most outstanding female disciple after Gong Qinyin. Xiang Shaoyun was happy for them, but then again, this was a result he had expected.
The only reason he had them challenge Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua was to break the two's cultivation spirits, causing them to be forever stuck at the same cultivation level, to forever wallow in degeneracy from then on. Doing that was much better than giving them an easy death. More importantly, he couldn't be bothered to personally lift his finger against them.
Of course, he also feared that if he did personally move on them, he wouldn't be able to hold his anger and would end up killing them instead. If he did kill the two, it would only adversely affect his status in the Martial Hall Palace.
Perhaps I need to start making some plans, Xiang Shaoyun thought to himself.
Xiang Shaoyun spent three days recovering from his injuries. During the period, Xia Liuhui and Lu Xiaoqing did come to visit, and even some elders had come to visit him as well. Although the elders were visiting Xiang Shaoyun, their actual target was Elder Zhen Peng, as all of them wished to receive some sort of guidance in cultivation.
After the three days, Palace Master Yang Gaochuan summoned Xiang Shaoyun to the meeting palace. The meeting palace was in fact a place only the elders and the higher ups of Martial Hall Palace could enter. Regular disciples were never allowed in.
Xiang Shaoyun had no idea why he was summoned, but the summon wasn't something he could refuse. Thus, he went as summoned. When he arrived, he found that apart from Yang Gaochuan, many elders and overseers were there, so were a few youngsters he didn't know.
When Xiang Shaoyun arrived, many gazes landed on him, especially the youngsters, who were all sizing him up. He greeted the people before standing aside. A graceful figure then walked into the room. When Xiang Shaoyun saw the newcomer, his expression shifted as he thought helplessly to himself, Looks like I can't run from her forever.
He was expecting the newcomer to start picking on him, but the newcomer merely greeted the others before standing aside as well. She did not even spare him a glance.
Huh? Has this girl forgotten about me? But that doesn't make any sense, Xiang Shaoyun mused inwardly.
It was at this moment that he sensed the newcomer staring daggers at him. In his astonishment, he continued his inner monologue, Shit, looks like she was only pretending to not recognize me.
When the others noticed that Xiang Shaoyun was staring at the newcomer without even blinking his eyes, their hearts were filled with contempt of his shamelessness. It was fine for a man to want to check out girls, but doing it so blatantly was simply shameless.
"Cough, cough, Xiang Shaoyun, take a seat there," Yang Gaochuan said, pulling everyone's mind back from their thoughts.
"Oh, sure," Xiang Shaoyun answered, recovering from his thoughts. He then headed over to the empty seat.
As soon as he sat down, one of the youngsters said unhappily, "Palace master, I can't accept this. Why is he given a seat while we are left standing?"
Xiang Shaoyun blanked out when he heard that.
"Xiang Shaoyun has made a unique contribution to the Martial Hall Palace. That is why he can have a seat here," Yang Gaochuan replied. He had already found out from Elder Zhen Peng that Xiang Shaoyun was the reason he had been able to enter the King Realm. That feat was considered a unique contribution.
"What is the unique contribution? Palace master, please clear our doubts. Perhaps we can do the same as well," the youngster pushed on. This youngster was Ye Tianlong, the personal disciple of the first elder, a seventh-stage Astral Realm expert.
On the day this Ye Tianlong returned to the Martial Hall Palace, he had personally witnessed Xiang Shaoyun defeating Li Tianba and the others in the arena. He had been filled with resentment over Xiang Shaoyun ever since then, as he felt threatened by Xiang Shaoyun. To be frank, he was merely envious of Xiang Shaoyun.
"That is not something you need to know," Yang Gaochuan rebuked unhappily. A disciple dared to challenge a palace master like him? That disciple was thinking too highly of himself.
But Ye Tianlong was not willing to let it go. "Palace master, we are all loyal disciples of the Martial Hall Palace. I am confident we can all do what he did as well. Please tell us, palace master."
He then bowed deeply at Yang Gaochuan, and from how he was behaving, it was as if he would stay bowed until he was told the answer.
"Impudent!" the first elder berated.
The first elder, Jie Shi, was as influential in the Martial Hall Palace as the palace master. He looked like a middle-aged man, but in truth, he was over 80 years old. He was at the peak of the Transformation Realm and was one of the few people in the Martial Hall Palace with a chance to step into the King Realm.
Yang Gaochuan waved his hand and said, "First elder, since he wants to know, I'll just tell him." He then looked straight at Ye Tianlong and said, "As a first-stage Astral Realm cultivator, Xiang Shaoyun had broken through four limit rooms consecutively from the third to the sixth room. Were you capable of that when you were at the same cultivation level?"
At those words, shock appeared on the faces of everyone there.
Ye Tianlong also stood straight with a look of utter shock as he shouted, "No, that's not possible!"
"What, are you accusing me of lying to you?" Yang Gaochuan frowned.
"No, this disciple dares not," Ye Tianlong quickly corrected himself.
"That’s not all. When Xiang Shaoyun was still in the Basic Realm, he had broken through the first and second limit rooms. Just three days ago, he had broken through the seventh, eighth, and ninth limit rooms. He is still only a fourth-stage Astral Realm cultivator. So which of you here can do the same?" Yang Gaochuan questioned.