Ch-17: Technique Hall

Bang!

Before Elder Mu could strike Bai Chenyu, who was ignoring him, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. Bai Chenyu flew out like a ragdoll. Everyone's eyes widened as Elder Mu went flying. They expected Bai Chenyu to retaliate, but to their surprise, someone else stepped in. When they saw who it was, they immediately stiffened.

The person who struck Elder Mu was none other than Feng Bing Huang, her pretty face furious, causing the audience to exclaim.

"Whoa, she's really mad," said one disciple, nervously swallowing.

"Yeah, I once tried hitting on Junior Feng Bing Huang, and she beat me up," another disciple admitted, recalling his experience.

"Even Elders aren't safe from her fury," another disciple said nervously.

"Elder Mu, if you had an issue with Disciple Bai Chenyu, why resort to violence? It's unbecoming of an Elder," remarked an onlooker Elder.

"She shouldn't have struck an elder, even if he's from the trial disciple court," another Elder added, looking uncomfortable.

"Hmph, so what if she did? She was just protecting her junior brother. Besides, she's the princess of the Sky Kingdom and the future ruler. Who gave Elder Mu the courage to strike the personal disciple of the Sect Master?" snorted another Elder.

"I heard he just came back after a year to the sect, so maybe he wasn't aware of this," commented another Elder.

"Who the hell just hit me?" Elder Mu emerged from the rubble of a nearby building, coughing up a mouthful of blood. He shouted angrily, scanning for the culprit.

"I did it, so what of it?" Feng Bing Huang replied in a cold voice, catching Elder Mu's attention.

"You! How dare you strike an Elder!" Elder Mu snapped angrily, his gaze fixed on Feng Bing Huang, who wore a cold expression. He began charging his spiritual energy, preparing to retaliate, but before he could, another Elder blocked his path.

"Elder Mu, have you gone senile? Do you know who you're attacking? Do you want to bring about your own death?" the Elder cautioned with narrowed eyes, leaving Elder Mu confused and angry.

"Hmph, she's just a disciple. If not for my distraction, she wouldn't have landed that hit," Elder Mu retorted, glaring at Feng Bing Huang.

"Sigh, Elder Mu, you've been gone for a year, so you don't know about her," the Elder explained, and an ominous premonition crept into Elder Mu's heart.

"She's the Sect Master's personal disciple, with a powerful physique. And the one who was mocking and about to strike earlier, Bai Chenyu, is also the Sect Master's disciple, picked just a few days ago. He's got a strong physique and Heavenly Qi," the Elder informed, and Elder Mu's face turned pale in fright. The words he heard were unbelievable to him. He still refused to believe someone like Bai Chenyu could be this formidable. However, when he looked at the crowd's reactions, full of mockery and disdain, he realized he messed up big time in his jealousy. He was also regretful for not bringing Bai Chenyu as an offering to the blood sect.

"Junior brother, should I kill him?" Feng Bing Huang asked as she approached Bai Chenyu. Everyone could still hear her, and their hearts turned cold. Elder Mu's face went as pale as a sheet of paper. He knew that striking the personal disciple of the Peak Master, let alone the Sect Master, without a reasonable reason meant death. If it were an ordinary disciple, he might escape such severe punishment.

"No need to bother, just leave him be," Bai Chenyu replied. He didn't say this out of compassion but because killing Elder Mu would disrupt a plot he had read about in the novel, scheduled to unfold in the near future.

"Fine," Feng Bing Huang said softly, albeit reluctantly. After they left, Elder Mu sighed a breath of relief, but his eyes were still filled with hatred. He vowed to get revenge on both of them.

"Where do you think you're going?" the Elder asked when he saw Elder Mu trying to leave.

"I just got a message from the Sect Master. He asked to imprison you in the sect dungeon for 3 months as punishment," the Elder said, causing Elder Mu to wear an ugly expression. However, he relented; he knew that denying the Sect Master's orders would lead to even more severe consequences.

"This old man's disciple has an excellent attitude but still needs to be more ruthless," Mo Xiao, who was watching from afar, smiled and disappeared from the spot.

After Bai Chenyu dealt with the little drama involving Elder Mu, he stood in front of a grand building labeled Technique Hall. Huang Lin noticed him and greeted, "Oh, Disciple Chenyu, are you here to pick a technique for yourself?"

"Yes," Bai Chenyu replied with a polite nod.

"In that case, do you know about the unique nature of Technique Hall?" Huang Lin inquired, to which Bai Chenyu nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I do. My master, Mo Xiao, already informed me," Bai Chenyu said, though he also recalled reading about it in the novel.

"Good, but let me tell you anyway. Technique Hall has 3 floors, and as you climb higher, you'll feel increased spiritual pressure. You must cloak yourself with your Qi to withstand it. The higher the rank of your Qi, the further you'll ascend. The upper floors house higher-ranked techniques, but apart from Qi, high cultivation is crucial too," Huang Lin explained. Bai Chenyu nodded, recalling how Su Chen climbed to higher floors and acquired a powerful technique. He wondered if he could achieve the same by reaching higher floors.

"I'm pretty sure with your Supreme Heavenly Qi, you might even reach floors most Sect Elders and even Sect Masters haven't reached before," Huang Lin said with a slight chuckle.

"I will try, Elder," Bai Chenyu replied with a smile.

"Alright, you can go. Show this token to the guard, and he will let you enter. There are already many disciples inside," Mo Xiao instructed, pointing in a specific direction. Bai Chenyu nodded and headed towards the designated area.

"Hehe, let's see how he does," Huang Lin said as he brought out a crystal orb to watch Bai Chenyu.