Chapter 167 - Take Off
Special thanks to Malik. J for sponsoring the chapter. We’ll do 2/day this coming week as compensation for the delays. Have fun reading!
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“I have already made my decision and I’m not going to change it.”
Ye Chen said as he slowly shook his head. The Head Elder had thought about making him stay in the Sky Cloud Martial School for a little bit longer, at least until the end of the next season Hidden Dragon Rank, however, he still couldn’t find an excuse for him to stay. Currently, without any question, he was the most talented young martial artist among the entire Windy Nation; without a target to chase, he felt that it would be a complete waste of time if he stayed here, and that would reduce the possibility for him to become a true top-level martial artist. The path of a martial artist had always been a path against nature, to achieve the top-grade as a martial artist meant that person had to grasp every single second that he had. Countless powerful martial artists had failed to make the last step to the top-level even in the last moment before they died; it was all because when they were young, they thought they still had plenty of time, yet, when they finally reached a certain level, they realised that time was never enough.
The Head Elder gave a bitter laugh and said to Luo Xinglie, “Leader, just let him go! All truly powerful martial artists are meant to be alone.”
“Head Elder!” Yelled the Fourth Elder. He had always believed that Ye Chen would become a firm shield of the Sky Cloud Martial School, and could definitely help the school to rise again. Now that Ye Chen was leaving, and could possibly be killed out there, the Fourth Elder was driven crazy.
The Head Elder said, “I may try harder to persuade him to stay if he doesn't have such a large goal, but do you think that becoming an Astral Reaching Realm martial artist is all he had been pursuing? No, his target is the entire True Spirit Continent, even the whole world; staying in this small Windy Nation would only stop him from achieving his goal. A journey of a truly powerful martial artist is exactly a journey of life and death; anyone who is afraid of death couldn’t possibly become a real martial artist.”
Hearing the Head Elder’s words, everyone else remained silent. He was right, anyone who was afraid of death couldn’t possibly become a real martial artist, and every single truly powerful martial artist had reached their grade by treading on blood and corpses. Some of those elders couldn’t understand Ye Chen and refused to agree with him, but none of them could persuade him to stay.
After a long while, Luo Xinglie said, “Good, since you have your goal, our Sky Cloud Martial School shouldn’t become your limitation. Just do your best to temper yourself out there, and after you achieved your goal, don’t forget to visit us back here, just let us know that you’re still alive. Except for this, you shall worry nothing else.”
Ye Chen took a long exhale, bowed deeply and cupped his hand, saying, “Thank you, dear Leader! And thank you, dear elders!”
The Head Elder grinned and said, “Ye Chen, the self-tempering trip is your very own business, we surely won’t stop you from doing that. Besides, with your talent, you have to go out there and build your own true achievements. Who can tell for sure that you won’t become a real powerful martial artist one day? If you do, our Sky Cloud Martial School will be counting on you till then.”
“Indeed! Since you have already made up your mind, I’ll support you as well!”
“Do be careful out there, remember that you only have one life!”
“Always stay cautious, don’t act rashly and recklessly, to make sure that you won’t make any unnecessary mistake.”
Seeing Ye Chen showing no signs of changing his decision, the other elders realised there was nothing more to say. They could only wish that Ye Chen could stay safe out there. As for his cultivation, they didn’t need to worry about that at all; as long as Ye Chen stayed alive, he could definitely step into the Astral Reaching Realm.
Leaving the palace, Ye Chen saw Luo Hanshan standing in front of the gate.
“I am so jealous of you! You’re going out for a self-tempering trip already! Freely and excitedly!” Said Luo Hanshan. As the son of the current leader, none of the news that happened in the school could hide from him. He rushed over once he heard that Ye Chen was leaving, standing outside of the palace, expecting Ye Chen to come out.
Ye Chen grinned and said, “Actually, you can take a trip as well.”
Lou Hanshan smiled bitterly and responded, “I surely will, but I can only do a small-scale self-tempering trip, travel around the few surrounding nations; if the range goes wider, I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Unlike you, none of the younger generation martial artists in our nation could surpass you at present, I still have many equal opponents here.”
Ye Chen remained silent. Exactly, he had never thought about leaving the Windy Nation before he became the most powerful one among all younger generation martial artists in this nation, but after he came out of the Heaven Dream Ancient Region, this plan suddenly popped into his head, and quickly occupied his entire mind; as if a voice had been continuously urging him, ‘It’s time to go, it’s time to go…’
Walking side by side, both of them left the palace.
“Now your name is at the very top of the ranking jade wall, before you come back from your trip, no one can ever replace you.” Said Luo Hanshan while pointing his finger at the jade wall in the plaza.
Ye Chen responded, “Xu Jing is also great.”
“Do you have any idea about that?” continued Luo Hanshan, “Although it’s only been a month since you came back from the ancient region, you have already become a legend of our Windy Nation. Almost every single one is talking about your deeds back in the ancient region and the desert. To be honest, you’re the first one who has managed to cause such a shocking effect in our nation, after a hundred years. All younger generation martial artists have already been seeing you as a legend.”
“Seeing me as a legend?”
“Before you, the best news ever was that Zhuang Fei managed to break into the Hidden Dragon Rank and was ranked 86th, however, you have defeated many Hidden Dragon Ranked martial artists from all nine nations, and injured the Multiple Mountain’s outer Head Elder with a single move, what would you call such an amazing achievement other than ‘legend’?”
While they were talking, Zhu Mei and Xu Jing walked over.
Zhu Mei looked at Ye Chen with a gentle smile, asked, “Are you leaving?”
“I’ll head back to the Ye Family first, then leave in the next morning.”
“Good, the next season Hidden Dragon Rank is going to start in a year and a half, only Clasping Yuan Realm martial artists are allowed to take part in that rank. I’ll meet you in the year after next.”
Ye Chen nodded, then turned his eyes to Xu Jing.
Xu Jing said, “Don’t get yourself killed out there.”
Ye Chen let out a bitter laugh. ‘Can’t she at least say something nice?’ Thought Ye Chen. However, what she had just said exactly fitted Xu Jing’s personalty.
Saying goodbye to the other three disciples, Ye Chen went back to his room and roughly packed his bag, then went down the mountain immediately, heading to the Ye Family in Luo City, ten thousand miles away from the Sky Cloud Martial School.
At the highest speed of a Clasping Yuan Realm martial artist, he or she could run over two thousand miles far in two hours, and ten-thousand miles in ten hours.
Without exerting all his energy, Ye Chen arrived at the Ye Family in about fourteen hours.
……
Same as those inner elders of the Sky Cloud Martial School, at first, neither did Shen Yuqing nor Ye Tianhao agree with Ye Chen on his decision of leaving the Windy Nation. In their eyes, the world out there was way too huge and dangerous. Even though Ye Chen could fight evenly against enemies who were in slightly higher grades than him, an average Clasping Yuan Realm martial artist could only barely defend themselves.
Eventually, both of them were defeated by Ye Chen’s determination.
Nevertheless, Ye Chen’s trip back home was just on time. His mother, Shen Yuqing, had gotten pregnant once again, and possibly have twins of opposite sex. Without a doubt, this was such a great news.
Before, Ye Tianhao had indeed thought about having another child, but for unknown reasons, that didn’t happen. This time, the big surprise came so suddenly.
Regarding this, Ye Chen fell into deep thought. His mother got pregnant again right when he decided to leave, was this only a coincidence? Did this mean that he would leave for a very long time? Five years, ten years, or even longer? Ye Chen then shook his head. He was deeply aware of that, many things were destined and could not be changed; too many unpredictable situations could happen in his journey, and he could not tell for sure how long that journey would be.
In the next morning, outside the northern gate of the Luo City.
“Chen, send us letters when you have time.”
From a great distance, Shen Yuqing waved her hands at Ye Chen with a pair of misty eyes.
Ye Tianhao silently looked at Ye Chen’s back, his sight was also hazy; he couldn’t help but murmur to himself, “A young eagle has already spread its wings and flew up into the sky. My son is the highest achievement of my entire life.”
At this moment, streaks of sunlight beamed down, elongating Ye Chen’s shadow.
Slightly pressing his straw hat down, Ye Chen didn’t look back. Soon later, Ye Chen’s silhouette disappeared in Ye Tianhao and Shen Yuqing’s sights.
Not everyone knew about Ye Chen’s departure except for his parents, the patriarch and the elders of the Sky Cloud Martial School, Luo Hanshan, Zhu Mei and Xu Jing, none of the others knew.
Those people thought that Ye Chen was still working hard on cultivating himself at the Sky Cloud Martial School. They might notice something only after a long period of time.