Chapter 223 - Wu Shuanger
“You got nine howls, which means you will catch up with him! I believe in you!” Xue Er clenched her little fist, trying to sincerely encourage him.
“I will work very hard regardless!” Ye Wei touched his nose awkwardly and said.
“You will be moving to the Black Dragon Valley now that you are on the list. If you didn’t know who Chi Wuxiu is, you probably have no idea how you can find your way to your new villa.” Xue Er spoke in a trustworthy tone. “I will lead the way!”
“You don't mind taking me to the valley?” Ye Wei nodded in relief, feeling relaxed now that the scheming and bullying was pushed aside.
From fighting Feng Shan, Luo Han, Zhou Kuang and Jin Kui, Ye Wei had gained a great deal of experience and knowledge regarding the third Supernova Evolution and the Eternal Star stance. He learned from the returned prime Warriors and felt that he could use some of the Qi manipulating tricks to further improve on his cultivation.
‘I can use some time alone to immerse myself in what I really learned from today’s exchanges. And I can prepare my body for a breakthrough!’ The young Runemaster thought to himself.
“Let’s go!” Xue Er pulled the corners of her lips backwards and leaped into the sky, ready to travel at greater speed.
“Hold on a second!” Ye Wei shouted as he ran towards Jian Chen. “Hey, would you like to come with me to the valley? We can share the space. It will still be better than the villas we were assigned to. It is hard to focus in conditions like that.”
“Maybe we can train together, too!” The young Runemaster was eager to push for an answer.
“Thank you for your kind gesture! But I need to earn my spot in the valley, so it’s nothing personal.” Jian Chen shook his head while smiling. His gaze was sharp as a sword’s blade, and he shifted his focus onto the black dragon statue that had returned to the pillar in the center of the palace.
“I respect your decision! Just remember you can still come see me whenever you feel like it.” Quickly realizing he had no way to make Jian Chen compromise on his principles, Ye Wei gave up trying to persuade the stubborn swordsman.
“I will tag along.” Just when both Ye Wei and Xue Er were ready to go, they were interrupted by a captivating voice.
Qing Yao’s voice seemed to have slowed down everyone’s actions.
All Ye Wei could see was a flash before a curvy figure appeared in front of him.
The clarity of her voice matched her clear, deep set of eyes. Her feather-shaped brows were gracefully volumed, complementing and contrasting her white dress and pale skin.
With her face shaded by a thin veil and body covered by garment, her eyes were the only part of her that was unobscure. To the beholders, the world seemed monochromatic compared to her mystical, glinting pupils.
Unlike the others, Ye Wei only peered across once before taking his eyes off her. Although mostly covered, her highly symmetrical, beautiful features were easily recognizable. With Lin Ziyan in his mind, the casual gaze reflected his apathy towards attractive girls.
“The more, the merrier!” Xue Er intimately grabbed hold of Qing Yao’s slender arm, like a child reunited with her favourite toy.
“Let’s go!” Qing Yao cast her gaze onto Ye Wei and then immediately looked away. As she took steps in the air, a sequence of lotus-shaped runes condensed on the tips of her toes. With the force of the lotus, she gracefully glided in the sky, and the extra person’s weight did not slow her down the slightest.
Qing Yao was quiet, giving off a mystical air with the semblance of a fairy, while Xue Er had a playful, naughty sister’s charm. All the boys were starting to get jealous, annoyed by how Ye Wei was getting closer to the popular girls.
‘I think it’s best that I get out of here as soon as possible!’ The young Runemaster could feel the heat of the envious glares; he rubbed his nose and acted normal. ‘If looks could kill, I would be a limbless torso now! Are these two that popular?’
‘She doesn’t even bother talking to me, but now she’s taking initiative to bond with this newbie!?’ Feeling neglected and jealous, Qing Mu the Spiritualist’s rage oozed out from his eyes as he watched Ye Wei leaving with his crush.
“I don’t care how much potential the statue said you have! In a month’s time, I will put you through so much pain during the ranking matches that you’d wish you never crossed me today.” The Spiritualist muttered. “That is if Chi Wuxiu doesn’t get to you first. Ha…”
Inside the valley, the thick white mist was stained by the floating buildings like an ocean marked by small isles.
Although seemingly small compared to the whiteness that surrounded them, the villas were more than double the size of anywhere else in the palace, and each of these residences included their own garden and ponds.
“You will be living here from now on!” Xue Er pulled Qing Yao’s arm, signalling her to stop as she spotted the engravement of the number nine-hundred and thirty-five on a golden plate outside a gated villa.
“The moment your entry was approved by the elders, Jin Kui’s belongings were immediately removed by a runic depository. And your things should also have been transported by a rune, in the main hall of the villa.”
“Thank you very much for showing me the way, Xue Er. I will see you around!” After a casual wave, Ye Wei headed straight into the villa without taking the chance to befriend the third strongest cultivator of the palace.
“Welcome to Black Dragon Valley, I think we will see each other again soon. My name is Qing Yao.” Seeing that Ye Wei was cold, she took the initiative to introduce herself.
“Thank you for escorting me. I am sure you already know my name, but in case you don’t, I am Ye Wei.” He registered her beauty but replied calmly and modestly, walking through the gates after nodding a goodbye.
Ye Wei did not wish to make excessive contact with Qing Yao as he was told by the veterans’ looks that they were allergic to people being close to their idol. The young Runemaster did not care much about his own popularity, but he was not going to jeopardize his relationship with people that could potentially point him in the right directions.
Although it came across to Qing Yao as slight insolence, Ye Wei meant less than harm; he was simply occupied by the realization and inspiration from the four fights he fought. He was eager to learn from what he could still feel in his muscles, the pain, the energy surges he had faced, therefore he simply did not prioritize behaving in a friendly manner.
Qing Yao was surprisingly enjoying Ye Wei’s cold, fresh approach as she was tired of the attention that she always received regardless of her mood.
“Hehe, your charm doesn’t work everyday it seems!” Xue Er chuckled, widened her eyes, and said as Ye Wei disappeared into his villa.
Qing Yao shook her head and smiled, unbothered by Ye Wei’s attitude but rather saw it as a sign of willpower. ‘He will change how the palace is being run...’
“This is nice…” Ye Wei muttered to himself as he inspected the interior, entering the quietest room after seeing every corner of the villa.
“Just need to focus on two things, defending against an inner demon and discovering the consonance between my cultivation and my meridians. I will have to strengthen the bond somehow…” He spoke to himself as he crossed his legs and sat down.
‘With my Sentient strength and the Mystic Mount’s power, I should have no problem holding my ground against an inner demon. But I really don’t know how I should revamp by current Qi flow…” He frowned in frustration as he struggled to find the starting point to preparing his body for the major breakthrough. “I either feel it or I don’t…”
“I heard most returned prime Warriors were inspired in life-threatening moments. I didn’t have that but maybe when I understand how my returned prime Warriors opponents channel their Qi, I will know what I should work on!” The young Runemaster closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the memories of combat fill his senses.
While Ye Wei was absorbed in tranquility, the outside world was beginning to hear about the storm he had set off in the Million Star Palace. Being the cradle of talents, countless contacts were placed in the palace by different powers.
The news of Ye Wei breaking the palace’s thousand years old tradition and earning nine howls was quickly spreading within the royal city from mouths to ears. The occurrence had alarmed all the influential forces that were based in the city and, inevitably, the royal Helian.
Most of these martial families were desperately researching Ye Wei’s background, trying to establish a friendly union with the talented youngster while he was still within their reach.
No more than an hour after Ye Wei had started meditating in the quiet room, the first visitor had arrived outside his villa.
“Nine-hundred and thirty-five, this should be it, Jin Kui’s old villa…” A mysteriously charming young woman pointed her fingers at the number plate, smiling as if she just discovered a barrel of unclaimed gold.
“Ye Wei?” her delicate voice rang within the villa’s walls at a surprisingly high volume.
“Eh?” Ye Wei opened his eyes, surprised as he did not recognize the voice that called out his name. ‘Apart from Jian Chen and Baili Hengtian, I basically know nobody here in the palace...’
With an air of cautiousness, he walked out of the gates and looked up into the sky. His visitor was wearing a laced red dress that complimented her curves, and her pale, spotless skin made her image more striking and captivating than it already was.
“You are?” Ye Wei knitted his brows in confusion and asked.
“Hey! Ye Wei! I am Wu Shuanger!” The girl in red said in an alluring tone, sounding as if she was moaning after each syllable. She took a deep breath and wiggled her body; her glinting eyes widened as she saw the young Runemaster figure walking outside the villa.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Ye Wei casually glanced at Wu Shuanger’s perky body, asking with a frown.
Although not familiar with the name or face, Ye Wei respected everyone the Helian family invited into the palace. He would much rather be polite than offend others recognized by the Helian’s scouts.