?71: Chapter 71: The Grand Martial Competition 71: Chapter 71: The Grand Martial Competition The sun rose from the East, bathing the sky in sunlight, as Ye Xuan faced the morning rays, inhaling and exhaling majestic life force.

    His clothes fluttered without wind, and ripples of energy erupted into the void around him.

    “Ring ring!”

    A phone ringing disrupted the tranquility, prompting Ye Xuan to slowly open his eyes, rousing from his meditation.

    He casually picked up the phone, and Azure Dragon’s laughter came through from the other end.

    “Mr.

    Ye, I hope I’m not disturbing your rest?”

    As the saying goes, no one visits a temple without a cause, and Ye Xuan understood that Azure Dragon wouldn’t be calling him this early in the morning just to exchange pleasantries.

    “What is it?” asked Ye Xuan, his voice firm.

    Ye Xuan’s direct approach made Azure Dragon chuckle nervously on the phone as he got straight to the point.

    After ten minutes had passed, Ye Xuan slowly nodded, “Alright, I understand.”

    “Mr.

    Ye, I’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow.” Excited by Ye Xuan’s response, Azure Dragon’s voice was invigorated before he finally hung up the phone.

    The matter was simple; the Wu’an Office was holding its annual meeting, and Azure Dragon was calling to invite Ye Xuan.

    As a Guest Elder of the Earth Group, Ye Xuan naturally wouldn’t refuse Azure Dragon’s request, especially since Azure Dragon had frequently facilitated his endeavors.

    The so-called annual meeting was actually a grand martial arts competition.

    The rankings of the eight groups were determined by their performance in this event, and the higher the rank, the more resources received.

    What Ye Xuan didn’t know was that over the past ten years, the Earth Group had been close to the bottom, and just last year, they had ranked second to last.

    Azure Dragon, as the leader of the Earth Group, took it hard to heart.

    However, this year’s competition excited Azure Dragon to the utmost.

    Just by having Ye Xuan attend the annual meeting, it would surely make members of the other seven groups take notice.

    As a Guest Elder of the Earth Group, Ye Xuan wouldn’t compete with members of the groups, but the eight Guest Elders would spar in a friendly exchange.

    Although it seemed like a meeting of martial fellowship, it also served to display the strength of each group’s Guest Elders.

    After all, the eight Guest Elders had significant discretionary power, making it a sort of informal selection process.

    Of course, Ye Xuan was unaware of all this, and Azure Dragon hadn’t been explicit about it.

    Azure Dragon also wouldn’t tell Ye Xuan that the Earth Group had consistently been at the bottom each year, and if Ye Xuan didn’t make an appearance this year, the Earth Group’s reputation would be in tatters.

    Azure Dragon, ashamed to voice such ignominious details, could only subtly invite Ye Xuan to the Wu’an Office headquarters and hint at the situation when the time came.

    At that moment.

    After hanging up, an idea took root in Ye Xuan’s mind.

    Azure Dragon and others knew he was in Jiangnan City, and just yesterday, Zhuo Junting had come to see him personally.

    Living with his family, it was only a matter of time before they learned certain things, which made Ye Xuan consider moving out on his own to avoid unnecessary trouble.

    As for his family’s safety, Ye Xuan wasn’t worried in the slightest.

    He had crafted two Jade Sword Pendants and a protective Great Formation; even an Innate Martial Artist couldn’t harm them.

    Decisive, Ye Xuan picked up the phone again and called Zhuo Junting directly, instructing her to find him a house.

    Zhuo Junting was highly efficient; within an hour, someone arrived at the Ye Family residence, handing a set of house keys to Ye Xuan.

    Seeing this, Ye Xuan’s mother and the others, although reluctant to see Ye Xuan move out to live on his own, understood that their son was enigmatic and likely didn’t want them in the know about some things, so Ye Xuan’s mother didn’t inquire about the reason for his solitary living arrangements.

    Ye Xuan could see the reluctance in his mother’s eyes and frankly said he needed to go to the Capital City for a while and promised to spend quality time with her when he returned to Jiangnan.

    The following day!

    As a helicopter swept by high above and came to a stop directly over the Ye Family’s lawn, Ye Xuan boarded the aircraft under the watchful eyes of his mother and others, heading straight for the Capital City.

    Watching the helicopter gradually disappear into the distance, a complicated expression crossed Ye Ping’s face.

    Still, he took out his mobile phone and secretly sent a message, and the news of Ye Xuan’s return to the Capital City also reached some interested parties.

    ...

    The vast azure sky was clear and boundless.

    Tie Li piloted the helicopter, pushing on towards the Capital City.

    The little girl Linglong’s pale face was tinged with nervousness; she kept glancing at Ye Xuan out of the corner of her eye.

    “What are you looking at?”

    Suddenly, Ye Xuan opened his eyes and looked at Linglong.

    “Ah!”

    Linglong exclaimed, her face turning even redder, and she quickly lowered her head, appearing even more nervous.

    Looking at the little girl beside him with a flushed face, Ye Xuan smiled wryly and said, “Are you very afraid of me?”

    “Not...

    not...

    Why would I be afraid of you...”

    Linglong’s voice trembled slightly, but her tone betrayed her inner feelings.

    Clearly, the memory of Ye Xuan almost killing her was still fresh in her mind.

    “A very cute little girl, it’s a pity she’ll never grow up,” Ye Xuan sighed, his palm lightly brushing through Linglong’s hair bun, completely disregarding whether she was willing or not.

    Buzz!

    As soon as Ye Xuan finished speaking, Tie Li’s hands trembled on the controls, and the smooth journey suddenly became turbulent.

    Clearly, his heart was greatly stirred.

    “Fly steady!” Ye Xuan frowned slightly and said.

    “Okay...

    okay...” Tie Li’s face turned red as he replied.

    At that moment.

    Linglong wore a dazed expression; she could feel the warmth from Ye Xuan’s palm and knew that his action was too intimate.

    Normally, she would have pushed Ye Xuan’s hand away immediately, then given him the cold shoulder.

    However, Linglong didn’t do so, not because she was afraid of Ye Xuan, but because of what Ye Xuan had said.

    “Will I really never grow up?” Linglong murmured to herself, bitterness written all over her face.

    “Your Primordial Spirit is innately strong, causing a discord between your body and spirit, and thus hindering the growth of your body,” Ye Xuan spoke frankly, immediately pinpointing the crux of Linglong’s problem.

    “Primordial Spirit?”

    “What is the Primordial Spirit?” Apparently forgetting her fear of Ye Xuan and concerned with matters about herself, she quickly asked.

    “Right, how would you understand what a Primordial Spirit is!”

    Ye Xuan said with a self-deprecating smile, then continued, “Perhaps ‘Primordial Spirit’ is something you don’t understand; it’s actually what’s known as spiritual power, also referred to as the soul.”

    “The body is like a raft sailing on water, the soul is what controls the raft—both are indispensable.

    They are the foundation of all living beings!”

    As Ye Xuan spoke, his gaze on Linglong shifted with a trace of peculiarity, he continued, “Because your soul is innately powerful, your body cannot bear the weight of your soul, and that’s why you cannot grow.”

    “Ye...

    Mr.

    Ye...

    Since you can see what’s wrong with Linglong...

    Do you have a solution?” Tie Li asked tremulously, his voice revealing extreme agitation.