Chapter 2 - The Grand Martial Arena

On the Peak of Menial Tasks in the Miscellanea Peak, there stood a colossal martial arena, my friend. This place was so vast that it would leave you speechless, stretching hundreds of yards in both length and width, seemingly endless. The ground was covered with large, weathered gray stones, exuding an ancient and majestic aura. At the center of the plaza, a gigantic stone sword stood tall, truly a spectacular sight to behold.

Today, Yang Ye was tasked with cleaning this martial arena. After all, such a massive area couldn't be cleaned by a single person alone. It would take three people an entire day to complete the task. In the past, Yang Ye might have complained a bit, as cleaning such a vast area would have required at least four people working diligently, leaving him with no time for his own cultivation. But now, things were different. His heart was filled with hope, and he looked upon everything with a favorable perspective.

"Well, if it isn't our 'Historical First Waste'! No, it's our esteemed Yang, the former outer disciple! Have you already finished cleaning the martial arena this early in the day? Hahaha..."

At that moment, mocking laughter came from the side.

Upon hearing those mocking words, Yang Ye turned to look at the three individuals on his right, his workmates for the day. Observing their taunting expressions, Yang Ye remained expressionless, unable to discern whether they were teasing him or genuinely angry.

One of them was someone he knew, named Du Xiu, also a menial disciple. This guy had a notorious reputation, always shirking his own duties and pushing them onto others. The reason for Du Xiu's arrogance stemmed from having an influential uncle and cousin. His uncle was Xu, the steward of the Menial Courtyard, responsible for managing over two thousand menial disciples, while his cousin was an outer disciple.

With these two powerful connections, Du Xiu felt invincible within the Menial Peak, not giving a second thought to anyone else.

Standing beside Du Xiu were two others, Gao Qiu on the left and Li Ge on the right, also menial disciples but nicknamed "Henchman" and "Lackey," respectively.

Yang Ye redirected his attention and decisively said, "Now that everyone is here, let's allocate the tasks, shall we? Each of us will be responsible for a section, ensuring fairness."

Li Ge, by Du Xiu's side, burst into laughter, pointing at Yang Ye and saying, "Did you hear that, Du Xiong? This kid dares to assign you work. It's simply hilarious! I thought he would show some maturity, but turns out he's just a clueless fool!"

Gao Qiu played along, pretending, "That's not right, you know! After all, he used to be a prestigious outer disciple. Although it's in the past, he did have the identity of an outer disciple. How could we make him do such lowly tasks, right, Du Xiong?"

Li Ge couldn't help but burst into laughter, looking at Gao Qiu and saying, "You're amazing, Gao Qiu! Your words are so smooth without any sting. I feel inferior in comparison. I can see why Du Xiong values you so much!"

Gao Qiu modestly waved his hand and said, "Oh, come on! I'm just good at talking. Li Ge, you're the one who is Du Xiong's capable assistant, strong in action. Whenever we encounter troublemakers, you always handle them by yourself. You're truly Du Xiong's right-hand man!"

...

Yang Ye coldly watched, silently allowing them to flatter each other.

Du Xiu approached Yang Ye, patting him on the shoulder with a sly smile, and said, "Kid, my two buddies and I are feeling a bit unwell today. How about you clean the martial arena for us? What do you say?"

Yang Ye firmly pushed Du Xiu's hand away, walked up to Li Ge and Gao Qiu, and said, "I understand. You're envious of my previous status as an outer disciple, and deep down, you feel discontented. After all, in the presence of outer disciples, you were like lowly little dogs. Now that I've gone from being an outer disciple to a menial disciple, you see me as an opportunity to regain the dignity you lost. I understand you!"

With that, Yang Ye turned around, picked up the broom, and resolutely walked toward the center of the martial arena.

His piercing words struck at their hearts, leaving Li Ge and Gao Qiu alternating between blushing and paling, as if they were under a spell. Du Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, his face darkening. Among the over three thousand menial disciples in the Menial Courtyard, no one had dared to challenge his authority in such a way. Not in the past, not now, and never in the future. He would never allow anyone to be an exception.

As a "hired hand," Li Ge was skilled at observing and understanding people's words and expressions. Seeing Du Xiu's intentions, he quickly rushed in front of Yang Ye, pointing at him and saying, "Yang Ye, do you really think you're still an outer disciple? Don't forget that you're nothing more than a useless waste who couldn't even reach the first level of Mortal Realm, the first waste in history! Du Ge asked for your help in cleaning, which means he's showing you respect. Don't act ungrateful!"

ang Ye came to a halt and fearlessly said, "Waste? Yes, I admit that I'm a waste! But at least I'm stronger than certain people who spend their days being a lapdog, wagging their tails when their masters are pleased and barking at people when they're not!"

"Beat him! Beat him half to death, and I'll settle the score!" Du Xiu ordered with a grim face. No one in the Menial Courtyard had ever dared to provoke his authority, not in the past, not now, and certainly not in the future! He wouldn't allow anyone to be an exception.

Hearing Du Xiu's words, Li Gou, standing in front of Yang Ye, grinned, narrowed his eyes like a cunning dog preparing to pounce. He suddenly extended his fist and aimed a powerful blow at Yang Ye's face. He had been wanting to strike earlier, but since Du Xiu hadn't given the command, he didn't dare to take the risk. But now that Du Xiu had spoken, he no longer held back.

However, Yang Ye was quick on his feet. With a serious expression, he swiftly took two steps back, skillfully evading Li Gou's fist. At the same time, he swung the broom in his hand forcefully toward Li Gou's face.

"Crack!"

Li Gou's fist struck nothing but air, while the broom landed heavily on his face, producing a crisp sound. Instantly, Li Gou let out a miserable cry, feeling a burning pain on his face. He took a few steps back in agony, then squatted on the ground, continuously rubbing his eyes. The broom was covered in dust, and when Yang Ye struck, the dust got into Li Gou's eyes, causing tears to well up.

"You scum!"

Seeing this, Du Xiu's anger soared, and he cursed loudly before rushing forward, delivering a fierce punch to the back of Yang Ye's head. This insolent waste had dared to challenge his authority, something Du Xiu couldn't tolerate. Besides his uncle, he was the boss on the Menial Peak, and everyone had to listen to him!

However, Yang Ye wasn't one to be bullied easily. Sensing the force behind Du Xiu's punch and feeling his own fury rise, he may not have been someone who sought trouble, but that didn't mean he was afraid of it. He turned his body, meeting Du Xiu's fist with his own, resulting in a resounding crack. Du Xiu's eyes widened, his face contorted in pain as his hand bones snapped.

Just as Yang Ye was about to stop, he suddenly retaliated with a swift backhand grab, firmly seizing Du Xiu's limp fist. He pulled with force, then ruthlessly kicked his right foot into Du Xiu's abdomen.

"Boom!"

Du Xiu was sent flying like a cannonball, soaring several meters before crashing heavily to the ground.

Although Yang Ye and these three were all menial disciples, he wasn't like them, spending his time idling, eating, drinking, and having fun. Ever since he arrived at the Sword Sect, apart from his regular duties, he devoted all his time to training his body, rain or shine, never skipping a day!

So, even though he wasn't a profound practitioner yet, his physical strength was in a league of its own compared to the two in front of him.

Having dealt with Li Gou, Yang Ye turned his head and looked at Gao Qiu beside him. Gao Qiu instinctively took two steps back, clenching his fists tightly, trying to maintain his composure. He said, "Du Xiu is the nephew

of Supervisor Xu. His cousin is an outer disciple. If you touch him, Supervisor Xu and his cousin won't let you off!"

Yang Ye glanced at Gao Qiu indifferently, stood up, shouldered the broom, and walked briskly toward Qingfeng Valley. He knew that this matter was far from over. The individuals before him would definitely seek revenge. While Du Xiu might not dare to, he would likely approach his uncle or that outer disciple cousin for retaliation.

Although he had some physical advantage over them, he wasn't a match for an outer disciple. To protect himself, he had to train harder and strive to become a Profound Practitioner as soon as possible.

"Du Ge, what should we do?" Li Gou helped Du Xiu up, his voice low and solemn. Now he understood that he was no match for the person named Yang Ye. If they caused trouble for him, it would only invite disaster.

Gao Qiu remained silent. Yang Ye's ruthlessness and decisiveness filled him with fear.

"When my cousin returns from his visit to the outside world, I'll make sure he suffers a fate worse than death!" Du Xiu's eyes flickered with a resentful gleam. It had been five years. He had been a menial disciple for five years, and no one had ever dared to do this to him.

"Did you hear? That so-called first-class waste, uh, I mean Yang Ye, beat Du Xiu and his two lackeys black and blue!"

"What? Really? That guy Du Xiu actually got beaten?"

"You're not making up stories, are you? Du Xiu's uncle is Supervisor Xu, and his cousin is an outer disciple. Would that menial disciple named Yang Ye dare to touch him?"

"Don't make things up. I saw it with my own eyes. Du Xiu and his two lackeys were as lazy as ever today, making Yang Ye clean the training grounds alone. When Yang Ye refused, they started to attack him, but ended up being beaten soundly instead. And Yang Ye even cleaned their area!"

"Haha, that's awesome! Du Xiu, that guy, always bullies us menial disciples on the peak. Finally, he's tasted some bitter medicine. Let's go tell others and spread the joy..."

Soon, news of Yang Ye fiercely beating Du Xiu spread throughout the entire Menial Peak.

Meanwhile, Yang Ye had already arrived at Qingfeng Valley.