"Ye Chen, I'm waiting for you at the Wind and Cloud Platform." The dawn of the next day, a voice came from the platform.
"Why Ye Chen again? No tranquility's existed since he came."
"The challenger should be Tang Chao from the Renyang Peak!"
Ye Chen put down the chopsticks on the table.
"Big brother, don't go." Hu Wa lowered his head, "They aim at you."
"Boy, tolerate this time and don't find trouble yourself." Zhang Fengnian cast a worrying look at Ye Chen.
"Sir, I want to lead a serene life. But the others don't allow me to." Ye Chen wiped the oil stain on his mouth corner and stood up slowly, "The world goes this way. I've chosen the path though full of obstacles. They'll find other methods to force me to accept their challenges, if I refuse them today."
"It's my fault." Hu Wa buried his head and clenched his fists firmly.
"None of your business, don't blame yourself." Ye Chen patted Hu Wa's head, twisted around with the Tianque Sword and paced outside.
The platform was more bustling than ever.
A young man with inky long hair, thick eyebrows and powerful energy in a white robe stood on the platform and fixed his blazing eyes on the onlookers below, a ghost-head sabre floating in front of him.
"He's Tang Chao?"
"Immortal Qingyang asked him to finish his close training in advance. He reaches the fifth level of the human core stage!"
"I suppose Ye Chen may lose this time."
Taking a deep breath, Tang Chao raised his chin high, seeming to enjoy other disciples' flattery. Albeit sharing the same master with Qi Hao, he was supercilious.
"Ye Chen comes." As a voice sounded, everyone flicked their look at one direction.
There, Ye Chen shouldering his sword looked calm and walked slowly and steadily towards them, as if no disturbance could repress him to humpback.
Xiong'er rushed out from the other side.
"Follow me." He grabbed Ye Chen to leave here.
"You have no confidence in me?"
"Shit!" Xiong'er edged towards Ye Chen and winked at him, signaling him to see the two directions below the platform.
Ye Chen cast a look there and found a dozen of jade tables at its east and west sides and a disciple drinking wine leisurely before each table. When Ye Chen looked at them, they flicked a bantering look in return.
Ye Chen frowned, "So many disciples at the human core stage."
"You see?" Xiong'er murmured, "On the east side is a lineal disciple from the Diyang Peak, the west side, a lineal disciple from the Renyang Peak. Qi Hao is none of their match. "
"They're new to me, but their cultivation bases stronger." Ye Chen's look darkened and brightened sometimes. Some of the disciples concealed their energy, approaching the true Yang stage.
"They were in close training before."Xiong'er answered, "Outstanding disciples from the Diayng and Renyang Peaks. Their close trainings are used to make them outperform the disciples in the competition among outer schools."
"Do they need to appoint so many superior cultivators to deal with me?"
"You're so awesome. Can common disciples defeat you?" Xiong'er snapped back.
He dragged Ye Chen to the outside, "Let's go! Admitting defeat is nothing. You can't win them."
But before Ye Chen moved, Tang Chao satirized on the platform, "Give in so soon? Ye Chen, you may escape this time. But you can't dodge forever. If you don't come to accept the challenge, we have millions of ways to deal with you."
Buzz!
Ye Chen's head buzzed.
What Tang Chao meant included Hu Wa and Zhang Fengnian.
If he declined the challenge, they would persecute Zhang Fengnian and Hu Wa.
Tang Chao's words enraged him.
"Fight." With a loud response, Ye Chen got rid of Xiong'er's prevention and bounced on the platform.
"Alright!" Tang Chao snickered.
Buzz!
Ye Chen did not reply, but unsheathed the Tianque Sword.
He paced upon one green stone stair, which cracked, careered towards Tang Chao with the Fast Virtual Shadow, and leapt in the air, ripping.
Snorting, Tang Chao held the sabre to fend off.
Bang!
The sword and sabre clattered clearly and harshly.
Tang Chao's staggering by Ye Chen's sword astonished everyone.
"A disciple at the Qi condensation stage is so violent?"
"He prevails over Tang Chao."
Not only the onlookers, but also the disciples from both the Renyang and Diyang Peaks were astounded.