Chapter 113: Unexpected Guests (Part II)

"So it is Honorable Master Rong and the Tenth Prince. I apologize for not knowing that distinguished guests had arrived and for my delayed welcome; please forgive me. Your presence at our Moon-Gazing Sect's tournament brings great honor to us. Please, come inside." Although Elder Xiao felt uneasy and alarmed, he could not leave his guests standing at the gate. He gestured for everyone to enter.

The elderly man named Rong smiled slightly. Choosing not to make things difficult for Elder Xiao, he stepped through the sect's mountain gate. His three disciples followed closely behind him. Only the haughty Tenth Prince snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping dismissively over Ji Mo and the others. While he was respectful and fearful toward the elderly man, that did not mean he held the Moon-Gazing Sect in any regard.

However, when his eyes landed on Su Ye’s face, the scorn on his expression froze instantly. His pupils constricted into pinpricks, and his stare became filled with shock and suspicion. Ji Mo felt a tightening in his chest; did this man know his Fourth Senior Brother?

"Are you Su Ye?" After staring at him for a long moment, the Tenth Prince suddenly walked up to him and demanded.

"Indeed. Tenth Prince, it has been a long time. I did not expect to see you again at my sect." Su Ye raised his brows, a faint, mocking smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You... you are actually a disciple of the Moon-Gazing Sect?" Seeing Su Ye here clearly shocked the Tenth Prince deeply; his gaze was filled with disbelief.

"Is it so strange that I am a disciple of the Moon-Gazing Sect?" Su Ye shrugged slightly, replying with indifference.

"Tenth Prince, do you know this Master Su?" Having already entered the gate, the elderly man named Rong and his three companions turned around. The elder’s gaze rested on Su Ye as he asked calmly.

"Replying to your honor, I do know him. I simply never imagined that the mysterious Su Ye who took the top prize at the Bloody Prison Arena fifteen years ago would be a disciple of the Moon-Gazing Sect. It is truly surprising." Seeing the elder speak, the Tenth Prince finally regained his composure. He restrained his expression and answered respectfully.

"What? He is that Su Ye?" The elder clearly knew the name, though not the face. Hearing the Prince's words, he stepped back out from the gate, his gaze fixed intently on Su Ye. The cool, black-clad youth at the Ningdan stage who followed him also stepped out, a burning light rising in his eyes as he looked at Su Ye.

It was not just the two of them; everyone from the Moon-Gazing Sect and Prince Yun’s party looked toward Su Ye as well. Others might not understand the significance of the "Bloody Prison Arena," but Elder Xiao and Prince Yun certainly did.

Su Ye had taken the top prize in the Bloody Prison Arena? No one knew exactly what the place was, but cultivators at the Yuanying stage knew of this mysterious, bloody trial ground within the Qingxuan cultivation world. It belonged to no faction, appeared randomly every three thousand years for a duration of ten years, and then vanished just as suddenly.

Whenever it appeared, disciples across the entire world would rush to it. Records showed that only one person in history had ever claimed the top prize—a figure who was once the undisputed greatest in the realm. In the countless years since, no other cultivator had even managed to place in the top three.

And now, Su Ye had claimed the top prize? Those who knew of the arena were struck with shock. Even the Tenth Prince, despite the elder’s intervention, could not process the news. The storm caused by Su Ye’s victory had swept across the entire realm, and his name had become the focus of the four great empires. Yet, after leaving the arena, he had vanished as if into thin air.

No one expected such a man to come from a mere fifth-grade sect. The impact was so great that the Tenth Prince could only stare blankly at Su Ye. Elder Xiao was equally stunned; of the five disciples Lei Wei had taken in, Su Ye had always been the least prominent. The other four had been celebrated by their peers since entering the sect, but it seemed Su Ye was the one who truly surpassed all expectations. No—besides Su Ye, there was also Ji Mo, who had survived falling into the Blue Moon Lake. The fortune of the Thunder Peak lineage was truly heaven-defying!

"That is correct. He is Su Ye. Fifteen years ago, while only at the foundation of the Ningdan stage, he fought in the Bloody Prison Arena for five full years. He successfully defended the ring for a thousand matches, becoming the second person in the history of the Qingxuan cultivation world to do so, and the champion of that trial." The Tenth Prince took a deep breath, his eyes flickering with fear as he looked at Su Ye; he, too, had been a participant in that arena.

"Haha, Elder Xiao, congratulations! Your sect is truly full of talent!" The elder was clearly quite shocked. He stared fixedly at Su Ye for half a cup of tea’s time before withdrawing his gaze and laughing to offer his congratulations.

"Haha, just empty fame, empty fame." Faced with the elder’s courtesy, Elder Xiao should have been pleased, but for some reason, he felt a heart-pounding sense of dread.

Su Ye felt as though he were completely exposed under the elder’s gaze, as if he had nowhere to hide. It was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation, but he dared not act rashly. The gap in strength was too vast; the elder felt unfathomably powerful. Su Ye had only ever seen such figures in the Bloody Prison Arena. Who were these people? He felt deeply unsettled.

"Haha, how could it be empty fame? A disciple like Master Su makes even me feel quite envious. Master Su, if you are willing, the doors of my Sea King Sect are always open to you." The elder laughed, his eyes returning to Su Ye with a smile.

Elder Xiao opened his mouth, unsure how to respond, but Su Ye took the lead: "I am grateful for your honor's kindness. However, my master has shown me great grace, and I have no plans to change sects at this time."

"Haha, one should not speak too definitively. Nothing in this world is absolute. However, after hearing your words, I am quite curious about your master. Anyone capable of teaching a student like you must be no ordinary person. Would you be willing to introduce us?" The elder laughed good-naturedly.

Although Elder Xiao was responsible for receiving guests, the elder seemed to have forgotten his existence, focusing solely on Su Ye and waiting for his reply, clearly intending to drive a wedge between them.

"Honorable Master Rong, Elder Xiao is responsible for receiving our distinguished guests. My master is a member of the Moon-Gazing Sect. If you wish to see him, you may propose it to Elder Xiao, and he will surely make satisfactory arrangements for you," Su Ye replied calmly.

"Ah, as one grows older, the mind isn't what it used to be. I forgot that for a moment. Elder Xiao, please forgive me. I wish to meet Master Su’s master; could you arrange that for us?" The elder tapped his own head, looking rather annoyed as he spoke.

"Of course. Su Ye’s master is the Peak Master of our Thunder Peak. If you wish to meet him, I shall send someone to invite him immediately. Please, Honorable Master, rest at the Guest-Welcoming Peak for a moment; Peak Master Lei will be here before long," Elder Xiao replied.