"So you got killed because of that?" Zheng Xiang asked in a surprised tone.
Ye Tian Yun's foot halted for a moment before he resumed his pace.
"I died? Then who do you think is in front of you? A Ghost?"
Zheng Xiang shrugged, "I was just kidding. Anyways, when will you be heading for the Gracious Sword Rankings?"
Ye Tian Yun shook his head and replied without turning back, "I won't be participating."
Zheng Xiang was confused, "You won't participate? Are you serious? I heard there's going to be a big hidden prize for the disciples who get selected."
Ye Tian Yun couldn't help but laugh at this when he heard Zheng Xiang's words.
"Tell me, Zheng Xiang, did you go there in hopes of getting selected and winning the hidden prize?"
Zheng Xiang scratched the back of his forehead and replied with a foolish grin on his face, "Kinda…"
Ye Tian Yun turned around and looked at him from up to down and gave a long sigh.
"Are you kidding me? Don't you know your own cultivation level?"
Zheng Xiang nodded, "I know very well where I stand in the sect, and it would be a foolish dream to think that I could win this tournament."
Ye Tian Yun nodded in agreement, "Exactly. So then why are you participating in it?"
Zheng Xiang pursed his lips but didn't give him an answer. Instead, he asked a question, "My participation isn't as important of a question as your non-participation. So why don't you tell me the reason that made you not be a part of this tournament?"
Ye Tian Yun shrugged, "I feel like I am not ready, that's it."
Zheng Xiang was surprised, "Dude, you okay? If you are not ready, then no one is. I am pretty sure you're the most powerful disciple of our batch in the whole Gracious Sword Sect, especially after this critical breakthrough you had in the last month."
Ye Tian Yun just replied, "Being the most powerful in the batch doesn't guarantee a sure chance of getting selected in the Gracious Sword Rankings."
Zheng Xiang nodded his head but didn't argue any further.
Just as they were about to go their separate ways, Ye Tian Yun suddenly called out, "Zheng Xiang, here."
Zheng Xiang suddenly stopped and raised his head.
In front of him, Ye Tian Yun brought his hands forward, and in his hands was a small pouch.
Zheng Xiang couldn't help but ask, "What's this?"
Ye Tian Yun didn't answer his question but said, "Just take it. Open it in your cultivation abode; it will be very useful."
Zheng Xiang shrugged and didn't shy from taking the pouch.
He even said something that made Ye Tian Yun raise one of his eyebrows, "Brother Fang, this better have some heavenly cultivation pills. I am dying to breakthrough to the next stage."
In the end, Ye Tian Yun just rolled his eyes while saying, "Do you think I would be giving you heavenly treasures? We just met a month ago."
Zheng Xiang scratched his chin while smiling, "But don't you feel like we could be good brothers? We could have each other's back, you know?"
Ye Tian Yun gave him a disdainful look, "At least come to my level, maybe then I might consider you to be my friend."
Zheng Xiang gave him a blank look, "Why don't you directly say that you don't want me as a brother?"
Ye Tian Yun raised his eyebrows and gave a long nod, "Glad you understood."
And without waiting for any response, Ye Tian Yun entered the hallway and headed for his cultivation abode.
Zheng Xiang just shrugged, and he, too, headed for his abode.
It was true that both of them had met just a month ago, so how could it be easy for them to trust each other?
Just like how Zheng Xiang didn't speak about the reason behind his participation in the Tournament, he wasn't expecting Ye Tian Yun to tell him everything going on in his mind.
As Zheng Xiang cleared his mind with useless thoughts, he soon found himself standing in front of his cultivation abode.
Just as he was about to enter, he heard someone shout his name.
"Zheng Xiang!"
A familiar voice.
Zheng Xiang closed his eyes and calmly turned around.
Letting out a sigh as he opened them, he found a few Inner Court disciples standing in front of him.
"What do you want, Zheng Hai?" He asked.
The disciple in the middle made a disdainful expression as he said, "Zheng Xiang, I heard you got your ass kicked once again?"
Zheng Xiang rolled his eyes and turned back to enter his room.
However, Zheng Hai swiftly put his hand on Zheng Xiang's collar and forced him to turn around.
Suddenly he saw Zheng Xiang vanish!
Before he could comprehend anything, Zheng Hai felt as if a huge boulder had just hit his head, and his whole body suddenly went down as if going into the ground.
Zheng Xiang had just somersaulted and put a hard kick on his head, forcing Zheng Hai to fall on his knees.
Fixing the collar, Zheng Xiang didn't bother anymore and entered his room.
As he closed the door on the shocked disciples around his cultivation abode, Zheng Xiang suddenly felt something in his arms.
It was the pouch that Ye Tian Yun had given him before they parted ways.
"Let's see what is in it."
…
Meanwhile, Ye Tian Yun was also facing quite a similar situation.
Three students were blocking his way to the cultivation abode.
It was Du Xiu's cousin, Du Ming.
Du Xiu was a disciple he had crippled for cultivation abode when he had entered the Cultivation Abode.
Ye Tian Yun didn't bother to remember much about that event; however, it looked like the guys in front of him thought otherwise.
"Fang Chen looks like you have gone in hiding ever since our last meeting.. Never thought you would be such a scaredy-cat."