Day 82 Encounters

The Lake

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Liang Yu could feel the energy above the lake in some areas. Carrying Ye Mu in his arms, he jumped around while he devoured it. Not cultivating it just yet, but letting his Flame Vortex Core spin sucking it all in.

Ye Mu was to comfortable on his back, not saying a single word feeling a stir with his own cultivation. He was very aware that it was just a very feminine male now. But travel made things odd enough with out him having to travel differently.

A few others begged a little attention to be wary of anyway.

A young teen male, a teen female around the same age, and an old man landed not to far away. Ye Xinghe and Old Ye walked out from a path as well. The old man addressed the young female. Paying ample respect to her when doing so. The different stations between them clear.

"The old man is the Ye patriarch. The boy near him is Ye Xinghe. Rumor has it he was expelled from the Heavenly Star Academy for odd reasons. " The old man said. Eyes keeping an eye on Liang Yu and Ye Mu afterward. "The black-haired youth is Liang Yu and the boy on his back is Ye Mu of the Ye clan. Liang Yu.. is something of an engima lately, lady Lin."

"How so?"

"Rumors suggests he is not happy with the Dark Moon family and has ignored summons to return. Citing he is training among other things. His growth has been contributed to him fighting and cultivating almost nonstop." Lin Jue hesitated to say a few other unsavory rumors. But it was better she was aware of some matters. "He cares not for a person station and speaks with a sharp tongue. Having insulted the vice-principal Xu who happens to also be his teacher as well as vice-principal He."

"How did he make old He upset?"

"He broke the arms of his top disciple in the tournament. As well as leaving a burn mark on his arms and back due to some words exchanged beforehand about..." Lin Jue cut a few parts out about what needed to be said.

"I understand." Lady Lin walked forward to start her training. "I'm going to train now, you two can go back!"

"Yes, take care young mistress!" The two saluted as lady Lin jumped into the water. The moment she was gone, they gave each other a look then moved towards Liang Yu's group.

Liang Yu watched as Ye Mu exclaimed excitedly about his breakthrough. Entering into the 3rd heavenly layer was the best thing that happened to him. So excited, he missed the Lin members coming over.

"Patriarch Ye, long time no see." Lin Jue said. He said nothing to Liang Yu who observed the changes in Ye Mu.

"Lin Jue, do you have any business with us?" Old Ye did not like the Lin's to much. One of the reasons he was not interested in the Lin family matters, were due to the arrogance of some of them. 'Up to no good, it seems.'

"Humph!" Lin Jue snorted. He gave Ye Xinghe a look over trying to figure out what was so great about him. "Is this the kid from your Ye clan who got into the Heavenly Star Academy and caused a scandal with two noble familys?"

"You already know the answer to that!" Ye Xinghe met his gaze with one of his own. His thoughts on other matters that just came to light. 'A scandal with two noble family's? Did I make it bad for sister An?' He didn't even consider the north Lord's daughter.

His look at Lin Jue upset the old man. But not as much as the disciple near him. Lin Hao wanted to put Ye Xinghe in his place.

"When our elders are talking," Lin Hao charged circulating his qi. "it's not your place to speak up!" His arm came around like a whip. Ye Xinghe braced himself for a fight, but a blur got in his way.

*Fwish!* A fire fist extended towards Lin Hao. Faster than he could dodge, he had no choice but to attempt a block.

*Bam!* Lin Hao went flying back and smashed into a tree unmoving. He was not dead but he was not doing ok in the slightest.

'Lin Hao is at the 3rd Heavenly Layer Realm, he is no match for a member of the Dark Moon family!' Unable to tell the cultivation level of Liang Yu, he didn't think he was anything more than the 4th Heavenly Layer at the most. 'I was told that he took something to boost his cultivation to the 5th layer before the tournament and would drop back down afterward! Someone has lied to me!'

"Am I air or something?" Liang Yue said coldly. "Since when did a little Lin brat think to educate in my presence a vassal of mine. Even a stupid one?" He looked towards elder Lin threateningly. 'If he provokes a fight and I kill him then the brat, I can learn a lot about the Lin family secrets and what they are up to in the area.'

Elder Lin Jue felt sweat drop down his back. The rumors about Liang Yu were starting to sound more believable. But he had no reason why he stuck in the middle of this. Especially the way the Dark Moon Family had suppressed the growth of the Azure Feather clan over the years.

"I think we all need to settle down." Old Ye said. Subservient personality was strong in that he wanted to take the gentle route over other matters.

"Take your trash and leave." Liang Yue turned away looking back at Ye Mu. 'A small amount of that energy from the lake and my Flame Vortex Core qi does wonders. And it doesn't look painful as before. Interesting.'

"Of course." Lin Jue picked up Lin Hao. The shallow breathing did not look good. "The Dark Moon family are not the strongest in the world, to think you would be so heavy-handed just now."

"Heavy-handed?" Liang Yu smiled over his shoulder. A ball of fire created in his open palm. "I can show you heavy-handed if you do not leave! Don't start none, there won't be none!"

"Wait!" Ye Xinghe jumped in between. "Young master Liang Yu, I think we can settle this without escalating it any further!" Not wanting to make matters worse was the best outcome. Especially with the tournament coming up. "Any grievance can be talked out later!"

"This old man will remember this!" Lin Jue didn't like the fireball was still growing. Ye Xinghe's request was ignored. "We will have an account later!" He took off like a scared rabbit.

"Ehem!" Old Ye cleared his throat. "Ye Xinghe watch over Ye Mu and cultivate diligently in this area. DO not go towards the center islands." Seeing the boy understood he turned to Liang Yu. "I wish you luck in whatever you are looking for. This old man has matters to attend to."

"Uh-huh." Liang Yu nodded before heading towards the lake. He finally rembered there were some things worth getting nearby. As well as the cold water effects that should help with things. And with the cold water affecting the people nearby, that was another thing to keep an eye out for. "Hup!"

*Splash!* The water went high as Liang Yu used his qi to push it out of the way when he dived in. The cold assaulting him quickly.

With a spin of his Flame Vortex Core, the Cold Qi was taken in and circulate into the metal seed. The temperature not affecting him in the least. He didn't even use his Flame Martial Arts to resist.

The deeper he went, the faster the strange energy affected his cultivation. The Flame Vortex Core spinning faster and faster.

'There it is!' Liang Yu spotted a large open oyster and a pretty big pearl. Checking the oyster over, revealed it was frozen. Not actually dead was something to note. 'Good eats and a pearl! Defintely taking it all!' Storing it in his Internal Space, he would wait till later to check the pearl over.

He rembered after thinking it over some. The pearl had different qualities of a natural resource inside them. Superior Purple Jade could warm the body giving some benefits. It also sold for a pretty penny.

Using Astral Sense, Liang Yu found a few more of the oysters. All of them frozen the same as the first. Taking them all, he didn't look into the matter of what could have froze them just yet something else was more important.

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Topside-

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Ye Xinghe cultivates for a few hours along with Ye Mu. The two did a little spar before Ye Mu went back remembering he had some things to take care of. Ye Xinghe wanted to improve his cultivation faster. Remembering everything that happened back at the academy and just recently sparked a sense of urgency to improve beyond his current self.

"I need to be stronger!" Ye Xinghe balled his fist frustrated. Looking around and not seeing Liang Yu or Lin Yin, he reckoned the lake was not that dangerous in the center islands. 'I will check the waters first before heading further in.'

Diving down only hit him with a intense chill. Several holes were the oysters use to be produced an increase in Cold qi in the water. Liang Yu just didn't spend enough time in one spot to notice.

'The Heaven's Halberd is responding well. Perfect for cultivating actually. Just need to be careful!' Ye Xinghe was grateful for the chance available to him. 'It might be better further in, but let's scope it better from up top.'

Swimming back up, Ye Xinghe felt something weird up ahead. He moved to that island to sate his curiosity.

*Splash!* The water surface broke as Ye Xinghe landed not to far away from someone. The strange energy was from Lin Yin cultivating. Her strange art causing him to feel even funnier that he looked longer than he should have.

"I didn't think you would be able to come here.." Lin Yin looked back disdainfully. "..or that you were a pervert!"

"I am no pervert!" Ye Xinghe wanted to get that straight pretty quickly. He realized why that could be considered a pervert action. As Lin Yin was cultivating peacefully away from anyone and he appeared behind her. AS well as him staring at her intently being an issue. "You have it wrong..."

Not to mention how she was pretty far away and the clothing tighter from diligently cultivating.

"I heard that you'll be taking part in the martial contest of the LIn family for some wager?" Lin Yin didn't care to hear his explanation really. A simple nod confirmed that the wager was true. "I'd advise you to give up on that."

Her eyes looked at him in disdain to try and help dissuade him. But she did not take in youthful disobedience of a boy. Let alone one who had so much to prove. But a part of her wished the boy would listen to her advice.

"Why is that?" Ye Xinghe's eyes shined as his star energy and something inside him stirred. The cold from the lake gone already completely. The little bit of star energy made him look arrogant. 'How can she say this? Does she not understand how bad this will be if I don't?'

"How can someone like you qualify to take part in my family's martial arts contest? As well as make a wager on it?" Lin Yin did not like people making a mockery of the tournament. This wager did not put the event itself in people's eyes and only served to have people take a closer look at it. Which would circulate the underlying problem of why it was happening in the first place. 'Fewer people pay attention to it, the better.'

"The Ye clan matters are not yours to manage." Ye Xinghe said indignantly. "And what I do is none of your concern!"

"Even if you won, you think you are a good match for marriage?" Lin Yin asked. "Already in an affair with others and looking for more, what a large appetite you have! Who knew thats what you were really about!"

"Miss Lin Yin, you're to full of yourself!" Ye Xinghe yelled back. "My taking part in this martial contest isn't to take your hand in marriage!" He folded his arms looking at her disdainfully in response. Thinking the matter was in regard to sister An even more so now. "I just have that wager that coincides with the Zhao Clan through your family matters! For someone like you, Even if I won, I also wouldn't marry you!"

"What did you say?" She turned sharply to face him. "Speak your words fully!"

"I'll admit, I did admire you quite a bit when I was younger, but at the same time, I thought you were kind and gentle." Ye Xinghe said without any pretense or respect. "Today, I discover that you're nothing but a crude and vulgar woman! I can only say that I was blind previously! Rest assured after I defeat Zhao Yan, I'll forfeit the contest! Because I have absolutely no interest in you!"

"You little.." Lin Yin was about to teach him a lesson but thought better of it. "I need not waste my time talking nonsense with you. With your strength and your temperament, you will offend somebody that will deal with you. What happened in the past will happen again."

"You will see I can handle matters after I defeat Zhao Yan!" Ye Xinghe did not even care about Zhao Yan really, Liang Yu was who he needed to worry about.

While the two talked matters over, Liang Yu was knocked towards Lin Yin's front area. Hitting the ground, his fingers gripped the dirt to stop the force. The opposite side, a large demonic beast came down into view. Popeye landing right on him before vanishing into Liang Yu's internal space. Seeing its prey with others, it did not press its luck further.

"Kaaaawwww!" With a screech, it turned away. Popeye was the main target for the bird. With the little fire bird passing in its territory and eating its food, made it a definite target.

"This isn't over you feather brain!" Liang Yu shook his fist angrily. He spat out a few feathers nursing a wound on his chest. "I'm getting those talons next time I see you to!" Feeling a pair of eyes on him, made him took notice of the situation. "Well.. hey um sorry to interrupt."

Ye Xinghe and Lin Yin looked a little heated. With Lin Yin's clothes slightly disheveled with her hair, he didn't pry and made an excuse to leave them alone. Making the situation even worse.

Ye Xinghe left upset very quickly by jumping into the water.

Lin Yin was to agitated to do anything else. Liany Yu started to talk things over with her while treating himself. Supringsly enough, she opened up to him. With his status as a Noble and the fact she just saw him survive and encounter with looked to be a 6th Heavanly Realm beast, she was interested.