Chapter 26 Trial Tournament

"I'm warning you one last time, don't participate in the Trial Assembly."

Murong Wan finished speaking, turned around, and walked out of the grotto-heaven without giving Ye Fan a chance to speak.

However, he had long anticipated all of this and didn't take it to heart at all. He followed her while humming a little tune.

Since neither of them had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm yet, they couldn't fly using their swords and had to walk to Tongtian Peak, where the trial grounds were located.

Along the way, quite a few Disciples cast their gazes toward the pair. The most common comment naturally was that Ye Fan was a good-for-nothing who relied on women.

Yet, he seemed not to hear any of it, greeting everyone with a smile, appearing completely unconcerned.

Finally, Murong Wan couldn't help herself and subconsciously asked Ye Fan, "Aren't you angry at all?"

"What's the use of being angry? Isn't it better to slap them in the face with strength?"

Ye Fan's words completely caught Murong Wan by surprise. She was momentarily stunned, taking a long moment to snap back to reality.

"Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous for you, at the Qi Refining Realm, First Level, to say something like that?"

"Ridiculous? It doesn't matter. Senior Sister will definitely protect me if there's danger."

Ye Fan's 'a dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water' attitude made Murong Wan's pretty face flush. She truly had no way to deal with him.

"Once you enter the Trial Assembly, all Disciples will be randomly scattered."

"If your luck is bad, you might not even run into anyone until the trial ends."

"If you're counting on me to save you, you might as well give up early."

Murong Wan had intended to persuade Ye Fan to back out, but his response could only be described as shameless.

"It's fine. My Senior Sister and I share a spiritual connection; we will definitely reunite during the trial."

Murong Wan's face completely turned red, and she stopped paying attention to Ye Fan.

The two arrived at the foot of Tongtian Peak one after the other and soon heard familiar voices.

"Ye Fan! Senior Sister Murong!"

Lin Lei and Xu Xin walked over hand-in-hand, looking as affectionate as a young couple on their honeymoon.

"Ye Fan, are you really going to participate in the Trial Assembly?"

When Lin Lei last heard Ye Fan say he was going to join the Trial Assembly, he thought Ye Fan was just bragging.

After all, the danger involved was widely known. For Ye Fan, at the Qi Refining Realm, First Level, to rashly participate, it was almost impossible to last until the end with his body intact.

"When has your father ever bragged? Just wait and see me take the top spot."

Lin Lei was a bit dumbfounded, but after glancing at Murong Wan beside him, he suddenly understood something and couldn't help but give a thumbs-up in praise.

"You've even taken your reliance on women to the Trial Assembly. Truly worthy of you."

Murong Wan's face flushed slightly. Just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by an irritating voice.

"Wan'er, we meet again."

Yan Jingyun still had that air of self-importance, as if he were the protagonist of this trial, completely disregarding everyone else.

"Isn't this Senior Brother Yan? What a coincidence, you're also here for the Trial Assembly."

Ye Fan spoke first, a single sentence nearly choking Yan Jingyun to death.

Yan Jingyun, being the Prodigy of Dragon Head Peak and a Personal Disciple, possessed a cultivation base of Qi Refining Realm, Seventh Level at such a young age.

It was a sure thing that he would achieve Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm in the future, so how could he not attend the Trial Assembly?

In contrast, Ye Fan was merely trash at the Qi Refining Realm, First Level. It was strange for him to question Yan Jingyun.

"My participation in the Trial Assembly is what everyone expects. Unlike some people who are just making up the numbers, barely breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, First Level by relying on a Dao Companion."

Yan Jingyun's voice wasn't too loud, but amplified by spiritual energy, it spread in all directions, drawing the attention of countless people.

"Isn't that the good-for-nothing from the Dao Companion Assembly?"

"This kind of trash actually dares to join the Trial Assembly; they truly don't fear death."

"Heh heh, who asked him to have such a good Dao Companion?"

"People like this are simply disgracing us Cultivators. They should be expelled from the Sect immediately."

"Senior Sister Murong is truly pitiful. I don't know how she chose someone like this good-for-nothing."

...

The crowd's comments were like sharp blades. This was exactly the effect Yan Jingyun wanted.

He wanted to completely crush Ye Fan's self-esteem, then deliver the fatal blow, wiping away the humiliation the other had caused him.

But Ye Fan's skin was much thicker than ordinary people imagined. He directly reached out and wrapped his arm around Murong Wan's slender waist.

The sudden move made her instantly blush, and she instinctively wanted to draw her sword, but Ye Fan stopped her with a single sentence.

"Senior Sister, please help me save face in front of outsiders."

"You..."

Under the gaze of everyone and countless pairs of eyes watching, Murong Wan weighed the options and surprisingly did not lash out.

"Excuse us, Senior Brother Yan. We have some friends we need to see, so we won't stay any longer."

"Also, to all my fellow Disciples, we'll meet again if fate allows in the trial. Senior Sister will help take good care of you all."

Ye Fan finished speaking and swaggered away with Murong Wan in his arms, but everyone present turned green.

A threat!

A naked threat!

Everyone knew Murong Wan was the top contender to win this time. Compared to her, even Yan Jingyun was far behind.

Ye Fan was clearly threatening everyone that he would retaliate, causing many people to feel uneasy and even start regretting joining in the mockery.

Watching his coveted woman being held by Ye Fan as he walked away, Yan Jingyun's face turned even greener. He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and kill him immediately, but it took a great effort for him to suppress the thought.

"A small impatience ruins a great plan. I'd like to see if you can still be this arrogant later."

It wasn't until they left the foot of the mountain and moved away from the crowd that Murong Wan could no longer bear it and said, "Let go."

Ye Fan smiled sheepishly and quickly thanked Murong Wan for her help.

Murong Wan had absolutely no way to deal with Ye Fan's thick skin and could only let out a cold snort and leave.

Ye Fan acted as if nothing had happened and followed along, humming a little tune.

By the time the group arrived at the venue, most of the Disciples who came for the trial had already arrived.

Looking out, there were tens of thousands of people, a number far exceeding Ye Fan's imagination.

"Does our Joyous Union Sect really have this many Qi Refining Realm Disciples?"

Although the Dao Companion Assembly had a full hundred thousand attendees, most of them were onlookers. Outer Sect Disciples and even Utility Disciples made up the majority.

But the Disciples participating in the Trial Assembly before them all possessed cultivation in the Qi Refining Realm. The quality was incomparable.

It turned out that the Joyous Union Sect covered an extremely vast area, and the Disciples usually Cultivated on their respective peaks, rarely gathering on such a large scale as they were today.

So, many people, like Ye Fan, were seeing this many Qi Refining Realm Disciples appear at once for the first time.

Ye Fan observed roughly and felt that most people's cultivation probably didn't exceed the Fifth Level of Qi Refining Realm.

For every level higher, the corresponding number of Disciples decreased exponentially.

There were none who could compare to Murong Wan, who was at the Qi Refining Realm, Ninth Level. She was almost single-handedly leading her peers and was the favorite to win this Trial Assembly. Compared to her, Yan Jingyun seemed insignificant.

Amidst the excited discussions of the crowd, the Joyous Union Sect Sect Head, leading a group of Peak Masters and Elders, seemed to appear out of thin air. The previously noisy venue instantly fell silent.