127: Chapter 127 Other Women

Bluestone paved the floor, and the walls were smooth.

A small incense burner sat in the corner, with faint sandalwood smoke curling upward, bringing peace to the mind.

Sunlight streaming through the window fell upon him, coating him in a pale golden halo.

Ye Yun took a deep breath and circulated the Tai Xuan Hehuan Scripture, as Mystic Power flowed slowly through his Meridians.

His cultivation at the Great Martial Master Eighth Stage Middle Stage was like a steady mountain, with a solid Foundation that was thick and refined.

He could clearly feel the majestic power within his Dantian, which was more than ten times stronger than when he first joined the Sect.

But this power was still far from enough.

Ye Yun opened his eyes, a flicker of gravity passing through them.

His cultivation had already caught up to Murong Yun's; both were at the Great Martial Master Eighth Stage, and he would not fear a one-on-one fight at all.

But Murong Yun was never alone.

Behind him stood the entire Murong Family, his father who was an influential Inner Sect Elder, and the Grand Elder Supreme Elder Murong Cang.

That was the true threat.

Supreme Elder Murong Cang had lived for hundreds of years and his cultivation was unfathomable; he could crush the current Ye Yun with a single hand.

Although Master Bai Yuxue could protect him for a while, she couldn't protect him for a lifetime.

Moreover, Master Bai Yuxue had her own rivals and troubles; he couldn't rely on her for everything.

[I must increase my cultivation as quickly as possible. Great Martial Master Eighth Stage isn't enough; I need to at least Breakthrough to the Martial Spirit Realm to have the power to protect myself. But the Martial Spirit Realm... is easier said than done.]

Ye Yun's brow furrowed slightly.

Although the cultivation speed of the Tai Xuan Hehuan Scripture was fast, it relied heavily on Dual Cultivation.

While Dual Cultivation with Master Bai Yuxue could certainly cause his cultivation to skyrocket, once every two days was already the limit and could not be more frequent.

Furthermore, he couldn't go looking for his Revered Master every single time.

[I need to find other women.]

As this thought emerged, there wasn't much hesitation in Ye Yun's heart.

The existence of the System destined him not to follow an ordinary path.

The needs of the Hehuan Daoist Body also meant he had to find more Dual Cultivation partners.

This wasn't greed, but a necessity for survival.

Several figures flashed through his mind.

Mu Wanyao was gentle as water, Zhao Xinyue was charmingly naive, Han Qingxue was cold and ethereal, and Murong Qingyue...

Thinking of the young girl he met in the Fengyun Mountains, Ye Yun's heart stirred slightly.

She was Murong Yun's younger sister; this relationship was a bit tricky.

But the temptation of the Ice Soul Mysterious Body was truly too great.

The last Dual Cultivation session had strengthened his Divine Soul significantly; if there could be another time...

Ye Yun shook his head, suppressing these stray thoughts.

The most important thing right now was to complete the Inner Sect Newcomer Task and establish a firm foothold in the Inner Sect.

As for other matters, there would be plenty of time in the future.

He closed his eyes again and continued to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

Mystic Power surged through his Meridians, washing over his entire body again and again.

Although his cultivation at the Great Martial Master Eighth Stage Middle Stage wasn't weak, Ye Yun wanted to be even stronger.

Eighth Stage Late Stage, Eighth Stage Peak, Ninth Stage, or even Martial Spirit.

Outside the window, the sun gradually slanted westward, stretching the shadows of the small courtyard.

Ye Yun's cross-legged figure appeared exceptionally determined in this tranquility.

...

Meanwhile, in the Inner Sect's Dormitory Area No. 1, within Murong Yun's courtyard.

A figure entered hurriedly; it was Murong Yun's trusted subordinate.

An Inner Sect Disciple with a sinister expression named Han Jiang, who had a cultivation of Great Martial Master Seventh Level.

He walked up to Murong Yun, bowed, and whispered.

"Brother Yun, Ye Yun has officially entered the Inner Sect and has been assigned to Dormitory Area No. 4."

Murong Yun was reclining on a soft couch, fiddling with a jade thumb ring in his hand.

Upon hearing this, the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a cold, sinister smile.

He set down the jade ring, sat up straight, his narrow eyes filled with resentment and killing intent.

"Entered the Inner Sect? Good, very good."

His voice was flat, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Dying outside the Sect is much cleaner than dying inside."

Han Jiang lowered his head, not daring to respond.

Murong Yun took an exquisite brocade box from his robe and handed it to Han Jiang.

The box was entirely black, carved with fine patterns, and faintly exuded an eerie aura.

Murong Yun pondered for a moment, then pulled the box back into his sleeve, a glint flashing in his eyes.

That old stubborn Elder Zhao is impervious to persuasion; giving him a gift might actually ruin things.

After a brief thought, he turned to take a piece of stationery from the desk, wrote a few lines, sealed it, and handed it to Han Jiang.

"There's no need to go to Elder Zhao's side. Give this to Deacon Sun of the Task Hall and say it's Murong Yun's intention. The difficulty of Ye Yun's newcomer task should be 'appropriately' increased. I will have benefits for Deacon Sun."

Han Jiang took the letter with both hands, carefully tucked it into his robe, and bowed.

"Don't worry, Brother Yun. I'm familiar with Deacon Sun; it will certainly be done."

Murong Yun nodded and waved his hand.

Han Jiang bowed and withdrew, his figure quickly disappearing outside the courtyard.

Murong Yun stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards Dormitory Area No. 4, his smile becoming increasingly cold.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the window frame, each word like a poisoned blade.

[Ye Yun, do you think everything is fine just because you entered the Inner Sect? The Inner Sect Newcomer Task will be your burial ground. This time, let's see how you escape.]

...

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

The morning sun fell upon the bluestone paths of the Inner Sect.

Ye Yun had changed into the brand-new Inner Sect Disciple attire: a cyan robe with pale silver cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs, making his posture appear even more upright.

He walked out of the small courtyard, took a deep breath of fresh air, and headed toward the Task Hall.

The buildings in the Inner Sect were much more exquisite than those in the Outer Sect, with Spiritual Plants everywhere and spiritual springs gurgling along the way.

Occasionally, a few Spiritual Cranes flew overhead, landing on the pavilions and towers in the distance.

Ye Yun had no heart to admire the scenery, his footsteps light.

...

Before long, he arrived in front of a three-story pavilion.

The pavilion had upturned eaves and bracket sets, and an ebony plaque hung above the lintel with the three gilded characters "Task Hall" written in a vigorous hand.

Two stone beasts stood before the door, majestic and solemn.

Many Inner Sect Disciples were already coming and going, some in a hurry and others talking in small groups.

Ye Yun stepped into the hall.

The hall was spacious and bright, with dense task jade plaques hanging on the four walls, divided into four Ranks—Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow—according to difficulty.

Facing the main door was a long desk, behind which sat several deacon Disciples busy registering tasks.

At the far left of the long desk sat a white-haired Elder with a thin face and sharp eyes.

He exuded an aura of natural authority.

It was the Task Hall's executive Elder, Zhao Mingyuan.

Ye Yun walked to the long desk, handed over his Inner Sect Disciple identity token, and said respectfully.

"Disciple Ye Yun is here to receive the Inner Sect Newcomer Task."

The deacon Disciple took the token and checked it, but just as he was about to take out a task jade plaque, Zhao Mingyuan raised his hand to stop him.

Zhao Mingyuan took the token, glanced at it, and sized Ye Yun up, a flicker of complex emotion passing through his eyes.

There was scrutiny, and also an almost imperceptible weighing of value.

"Are you the Ye Yun who was first in the Outer Sect Grand Competition?"

Ye Yun nodded.

"It is indeed this Disciple."