325: Chapter 325 Heading to the Capital

Feng Xuan mused, "There are seven True Disciples, each with their own strengths. Senior Brother Yun Wuji, at the Sea Transformation First Layer, possesses unfathomable strength. He is our Sect's greatest hope for winning the title, but his nature is aloof, and his actions are unpredictable."

"Senior Sister Yu Miaoqing, at the True Martial Tenth Level, has transcendent sword skills. She is cold on the outside but warm on the inside; even I rarely get to see her."

"Senior Brother Dongfang Xinghe, at the True Martial Ninth Stage, is obsessed with the Dao of Formations. His Talisman and Formation techniques are treacherous and ever-changing; if you are not careful, you can easily be controlled by him!"

"Junior Brother Pei Tieshan, at the True Martial Ninth Stage, possesses innate Divine Power and follows the path of Body Refining. His Physical Body is likely already comparable to some of the Sea Transformation Realm Elders in the Sect."

"Junior Sister Shui Qingdie, at the True Martial Ninth Stage, excels in illusion techniques and charming people's hearts. Her methods are devious; even I cannot guarantee a win against her. As for Junior Brother Han Li..."

He paused, glanced at Ye Tian, and said, "After his defeat at the Sword Testing Platform last time, I heard that he entered closed-door cultivation upon returning to his Peak. It is unclear whether he will participate this time."

"Even if he does participate, his Purple Heaven Lightning Technique was broken by you, and his Dao Heart has been damaged. It is unlikely he will return to his Peak state in the short term."

He skipped over Han Li and continued, "Besides the True Disciples, there are a few in the Inner Sect that you need to watch out for. For example, Tang Yun from Kaiyang Peak, at the True Martial Eighth Stage; his lightning techniques are not as good as Han Li's, but he is more ruthless and desperate in battle."

"Jiang Chuxue from Tianxuan Peak, at the Peak of the Seventh Stage of True Martial Realm, has already mastered some of Senior Sister Yu's true teachings in her Ice Soul Sword Technique."

"There is also Shi Niangang from Yuheng Peak, at the True Martial Eighth Stage. He is a fanatical follower of Senior Brother Pei. He has achieved success in Body Refining, and his strength is fierce and forceful."

"These people all have the strength to challenge the top five of the Inner Sect or even the end of the True Disciples. When the time comes on the Supreme Ranking, they might become helpful, so you also need to pay attention to their performance."

Ye Tian noted these names down and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

"You're welcome." Feng Xuan smiled, then his tone tightened slightly, and he lowered his voice, "Junior Brother Ye, you shone brightly at the Heart-Questioning Arena this time, and having defeated Han Li, your reputation has spread outside the Sect."

"Going to the Imperial Capital this time, you will be a tall tree attracting the wind. It is inevitable that some people will deliberately target you or want to step on you to make a name for themselves."

"Especially regarding the Wanren Sword Pavilion, Ling Juexiao returned in defeat, and his son, Ling Jianming, is also within the eligible age range. He will definitely participate in the Supreme Ranking. You need to be extra careful."

"Ling Jianming..." A cold light flashed in Ye Tian's eyes.

This person's cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the True Martial Tenth Level, and he possessed the Earth Rank Low Grade spirit sword, the Qixia Sword. His combat power was indeed not bad.

However, to him, it was just a spoiled, arrogant young Revered Master who could not pose any substantial threat.

"Additionally," Feng Xuan's voice dropped even lower, "The waters in the Imperial Capital are deep, and the forces are intricate. Besides the opponents on the surface, you must also guard against hidden arrows. Some forces are accustomed to using underhanded tactics. Junior Brother, you... take care."

He patted Ye Tian's shoulder, gave him a meaningful look, and then drifted away with the ancient book in hand.

Feng Xuan's reminder made Ye Tian alert. It seemed that this Supreme Ranking was not just a competition in the arena, but also a playing field for various forces and tactics.

After staying in the Library Pavilion for another hour, Ye Tian returned to Tinglei Pavilion. Just as he arrived in front of the pavilion, he saw a transmission Talisman light suspended at the entrance; it was a summons from Elder Tianshu.

Ye Tian did not dare to delay and immediately headed to his Revered Master's Immortal Cave.

"Disciple, sit." Elder Tianshu gestured for Ye Tian to sit down. His expression was a bit more solemn than usual. "In ten days, you and the others will set off for the Imperial Capital."

"The journey is long. Even taking the Sect's cloud ship, it will take five days to arrive."

"You will pass through several prefectures along the way, including the border of Yunzhou, where the Wanren Sword Pavilion is located. Although there won't be anyone at the Sea Transformation Realm openly intercepting the Sect's cloud ship, you must guard against small-minded people causing trouble in the dark."

"Disciple understands." Ye Tian nodded.

"Keep this item well." Elder Tianshu took out a sword Talisman and handed it to Ye Tian. "This is a Heart-Protecting Sword Talisman. I obtained it in my early years. It can withstand a full-strength strike from a Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Sea Transformation Realm, or automatically protect its Revered Master three times, defending against fatal attacks at the True Martial Realm level."

"After activation, it can also briefly erupt with a Sword Intent shock equivalent to the Early Stage of the Sea Transformation Realm, which can be used for deterrence or to break through a siege. Keep it on your person and do not use it unless it is a life-or-death situation."

"Revered Master, this is too precious..." Ye Tian felt a warmth in his heart and quickly tried to decline.

"Take it!" Elder Tianshu sighed, with some guilt in his eyes. "Since you became my Disciple, I have always been busy with Sect affairs and have never truly taught you in a meaningful way."

"Going to the Imperial Capital this time, I cannot accompany you. With this item on you, I can feel a bit more at ease. Remember, safety comes first, and training comes second. If something cannot be done, prioritize preserving your life. The Sect will always be your backing."

Ye Tian no longer declined and solemnly took the sword Talisman, keeping it close to his body. "Thank you, Revered Master! This Disciple will definitely act with caution and will not let down Revered Master's high expectations."

"Hmm." Elder Tianshu's expression softened slightly, and he gave many more instructions on details to pay attention to on the road and in the Imperial Capital, teaching him earnestly until late at night.

Ten days passed by in a flash.

During these ten days, Ye Tian did not deliberately engage in closed-door cultivation, but instead adjusted his state to ensure he was at his Peak.

He occasionally gathered with Leng Feng and the others to exchange information and went to the Sect's market to restock on necessary Medicinal Pills and Talismans.

He also went to the Artifact Refining Hall to ask for advice and exchanged some of the unused spoils of war he had seized (such as some weapons and Materials obtained from Yin Li and Du Ya) for Sect contribution points, which he used to exchange for a few practical Grade 4 Evasion Talismans and Breath-Concealing Talismans.

When Hou Xiaojie learned that Ye Tian was going to the distant Imperial Capital to participate in such a powerful competition, he was both envious and worried. He pestered Ye Tian for a long time, and finally patted his small chest, promising to Cultivate well in the Sect and wait for his Senior Brother to return.

The Dragon Ape was calm, seemingly uninterested in the trip to the Imperial Capital, but Ye Tian could feel that it did not object; it just maintained its usual lazy appearance.

On the morning of the tenth day, the sun rose, and the clouds were filled with brilliant light.

On the square in front of the Liuli Xuan Sect's mountain gate, a Sect cloud ship, the "wave-breaker," over fifty zhang long, was already quietly hovering in the air, a few zhang above the ground.

On both sides of the cloud ship were the sword-shaped emblems of the Liuli Xuan Sect, creating an imposing atmosphere.

On the square, the twenty-plus elite Inner Sect Disciples who were about to set off for the Imperial Capital had basically arrived, and under the arrangement of several deacon Elders, they boarded the ship in an orderly manner.

Leng Feng, Lei Zhen, Luo Qiushui, Liu Ruyan, and others were also among them, waving to Ye Tian.

True Disciples had special cabins and boarding passages. When Ye Tian arrived, several True Disciples had already arrived.

Pei Tieshan from Yuheng Peak was still in his heroic manner. Seeing Ye Tian, his bell-like eyes widened, and his voice sounded like a great bell: "Junior Brother Ye Tian!"

"Haha, finally waited for you! This time, going to the Imperial Capital, we must meet the heroes of the world! At that time, we brothers will join forces and turn things upside down!"

Shui Qingdie from Yaoguang Peak leaned against the ship's railing, her colorful gauze skirt swaying with the wind, her eyes flowing, and her smile like a flower: "Junior Brother Ye, Senior Sister is looking forward to your performance on the Supreme Ranking. Don't disappoint Senior Sister~" Her tone was soft and charming, yet inscrutable.

Feng Xuan from Tianquan Peak nodded slightly to Ye Tian, which counted as a greeting, and then continued to talk in a low voice with an Elder from Tianquan Peak who was responsible for the trip.

Dongfang Xinghe from Tianji Peak squatted in a corner of the deck, staring intently at a Formation node, gesturing with his hands, and muttering to himself, completely immersed in his own world.

Yu Miaoqing from Tianxuan Peak wore white clothes, carried an ancient sword on her back, and stood alone at the bow of the ship, as cold and aloof as a lone lotus on a snowy Peak, seemingly unaware of everything around her.

The person who came from Kaiyang Peak was not Han Li, but a True Martial Eighth Stage Disciple with a cold and hard face. It was Tang Yun, whom Feng Xuan had mentioned.

The look he gave Ye Tian carried hostility, clearly holding a great prejudice against Ye Tian because of the incident with Han Li.

Ye Tian just glanced at him indifferently and then ignored him.

The last to arrive was Yun Wuji from Tianshu Peak, who still had a calm and indifferent expression.

His arrival made the somewhat noisy deck quiet down instantly.

He swept his gaze over everyone, paused for a split second on Ye Tian, and then walked straight to the True Disciple cabin area, without saying a word from beginning to end.

With everyone arrived, Elder Xing Tiexin, who was in charge of leading the team, and another Elder from Tianquan Peak, Elder Qinglan, appeared.

Xing Tiexin was still in his usual impartial and selfless manner, sternly announcing the itinerary discipline and precautions, while Elder Qinglan added some daily arrangements in a gentle tone.

"Board the ship, set off!"

Following Xing Tiexin's order, all the Disciples returned to their positions.

The "wave-breaker" shook slightly, and the Formation runes on the ship's hull lit up one by one.

The next moment, the cloud ship slowly rose into the sky, adjusted its direction, aimed the bow to the southeast, accelerated suddenly, transformed into a cyan-gold stream of light, broke through the sea of clouds, and flew rapidly in the direction of the Imperial Capital!

On the deck, many Disciples squeezed to the railing, excitedly looking at the mountains and rivers passing by rapidly under their feet, discussing animatedly, full of longing for the Imperial Capital and the Supreme Ranking.

Ye Tian stood alone in a position slightly further back.