Chapter 529 - 311: Clown
Chapter 529: Chapter 311: Clown
Kong Shuyuan looked at Xu Yang with curiosity, wondering if a genius who had repeatedly rejected other families’ recruitment offers due to marriage arrangements would now abandon his principles under Huo Xiaochen’s pressure.
"As expected of a Thousand-Year-Old Noble Family!" Xu Yang thought with a sense of awe.
Overnight, the Kong family had sent someone all the way to Fufeng County to dig up everything about his past, learning about many of his previous deeds.
"Is a marriage alliance absolutely necessary? I can guarantee that even without it, I will loyally serve the Kong family," Xu Yang said, cupping his hands.
He had actually anticipated this. These large families were all cut from the same cloth; they would only feel reassured enough to nurture someone if a marriage alliance was involved. The main reason for this trip was that Xiong Wanhai had already spoken with the Kong family, making it impossible for him to refuse the invitation.
Furthermore, refusing outright without even discussing the terms would be no different from slapping the Kong family in the face. Currently, he lacked the power to disrespect such a Thousand-Year-Old Noble Family. He had to at least negotiate the terms before declining. Of course, if the Kong family didn’t insist on marriage, he wouldn’t mind serving them and gaining a solid backing.
Kong Shuyuan narrowed his eyes. "Is Fellow Xu rejecting the marriage? Do you perhaps feel that the women of my Kong family are unworthy of you?"
Xu Yang shook his head. "Since Senior is aware of my past, you should know that it isn’t because I think the Kong family’s women are unworthy. I simply do not want to marry a woman I have never met and have no feelings for.
"This is not only taking responsibility for myself but also showing respect for the women of the Kong family."
Not knowing Kong Shuyuan’s temperament, he kept his words as tactful as possible while simultaneously elevating the status of the Kong family’s women. He hadn’t expected that the persona he had established back then would still be so useful even now.
"You would insist on this even if it means failing your Secondary Dragon Ascension?" Kong Shuyuan asked.
"While one’s future is undeniably important, principles are equally so," Xu Yang declared with awe-inspiring righteousness. "If I were to abandon my principles just because I face a formidable enemy, I fear my Martial Dao heart would be compromised even if I managed to enter the Celestial Strategy Academy. My future achievements would be severely limited."
If principles weren’t a strong enough excuse, he would drag the Martial Dao into it. Even if the recruitment failed, the Kong family would likely understand. After all, anything that could affect one’s Martial Dao was a monumental matter that anyone would treat with the utmost caution. Besides, if his Martial Dao heart was compromised and he became a cripple, what use would the Kong family have for him anyway?
"Fellow Xu, you may leave!" Kong Shuyuan waved his hand, his expression unreadable, showing neither joy nor anger.
Xu Yang breathed a sigh of relief internally. "I shall take my leave then," he said, cupping his hands.
The negotiations had broken down, but it didn’t seem like he had offended the Kong family. His biggest fear was that a failed recruitment would cause them to hold a grudge against him. However, judging by Kong Shuyuan’s reaction, the elder didn’t seem to care. After all, his rank on the Lingyun List wasn’t high, and he was the one "begging" the Kong family for help. Since the deal fell through, he was the one suffering a loss, not them.
"Ungrateful fool!"
Once Xu Yang’s back vanished from sight, Kong Jie let out a cold snort of dissatisfaction. Marrying a woman from the Kong family was an immense honor that countless people begged for but could never obtain.
"Tenth Elder, did you really believe his nonsense?" Kong Jie asked. What garbage about his Martial Dao heart being affected? Did that kid think they were clueless trash who knew nothing about the Martial Dao?
"What does it matter whether I believe it or not?" Kong Shuyuan said evenly. "Xiong Wanhai was the one who begged us to lend the boy a hand. It’s not as if our Kong family is desperate to recruit him. If he insists on ruining his own future, must our Kong family force our help upon him?"
He hadn’t thought highly of Xu Yang to begin with and had only given him a chance for Xiong Wanhai’s sake. If the boy didn’t appreciate the favor, he could get lost. The Kong family certainly had no shortage of geniuses ranked ninety-eighth on the Lingyun List.
"Without our Kong family’s intervention, I’d like to see how he manages to survive Huo Xiaochen," Kong Jie sneered.
When Xu Yang returned to the banquet courtyard, he saw Sun Tao chatting passionately with a woman. Consequently, he decided not to go over and disturb them.
"Everyone, since we have a gathering of geniuses today, how about we play a little game?" Kong Cheng’s voice suddenly rang out.
Instantly, everyone stopped their conversations and looked in Kong Cheng’s direction.
"May we ask what kind of game the Fourth Young Master has in mind?" someone asked.
Kong Cheng slowly stood up and smiled. "Our Kong family has a Sword Technique specifically used to test our disciples’ Comprehension. The time limit is half an hour. The more Techniques one comprehends and masters within that half-hour, the better their Comprehension."
A Sword Technique to test Comprehension? The geniuses from the Commandery Cities all revealed looks of astonishment. It was common knowledge that before a Martial Artist began their training, bone-touching could be used to determine the grade of their Root Bone. However, Comprehension was something that no one could quantify; it could only be judged by a person’s performance during their cultivation process. They never expected the Kong family to possess a Sword Technique capable of testing it.
The foundation of a Thousand-Year-Old Noble Family was truly extraordinary. In contrast, the local geniuses of Yunzhou City appeared unfazed, clearly having known about this test’s existence long beforehand.
"This sounds like an interesting game. Please begin, Fourth Young Master." Many people looked eager to try.
Because Comprehension couldn’t be quantified, many were dissatisfied with their rankings on the Lingyun List, believing that judging a person’s potential solely based on their cultivation speed was inaccurate. If they performed well in this game, they might even earn the Kong family’s favor. This was likely also the Kong family’s method of screening geniuses.
"Fourth Young Master, is there a prize?" someone shouted.
Kong Cheng smiled. "There is. To the person who comprehends the most Techniques, our Kong family will present a Spiritual Essence Pill."
At these words, the geniuses from the Commandery Cities immediately marveled at the sheer generosity. Many of them had broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm a long time ago, yet they had never once consumed a Spiritual Essence Pill. To think that the Kong family would offer a Spiritual Essence Pill as a prize for a mere casual game among the younger generation!
Many people’s eyes gleamed brightly, absolutely determined to win the Spiritual Essence Pill.
"Bring it up here," Kong Cheng ordered, clapping his hands.
Several Kong family servants carried a stone stele draped in red cloth into the courtyard. Kong Cheng pulled the red cloth away, revealing the Sword Technique engraved on the stele that could test Comprehension. There were a total of nine diagrams on the stele, meaning this Sword Technique consisted of nine Techniques in total.
"Everyone, you may begin your comprehension!"
Kong Cheng smiled and stepped aside. As he lit an incense stick to keep time, he added, "This Sword Technique has nine Techniques, but those with the absolute highest talent might be able to deduce a tenth Technique based on the first nine within this half-hour."
There was actually a tenth Technique? The crowd surged forward. Even the two top geniuses, Lin Jingyu and Huo Xiaochen, began their comprehension with great enthusiasm.
Li Yunzhou, Li Chuyang, and Ye Qiuling immediately immersed themselves in deep thought. Sun Tao also stopped chatting with the woman and squeezed his way into the crowd. The martial siblings Zhang Jun and Liu Rumei followed suit, sitting cross-legged among the crowd to begin comprehending.
"Mastering all nine Techniques in half an hour is already as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Could someone really comprehend a tenth Technique in that same timeframe?"
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, some people were already hanging their heads in defeat. Although this was merely a Sword Technique meant to test Comprehension and not some unfathomably profound Divine Skill that required years of painstaking cultivation, comprehending and mastering all nine Techniques in just half an hour was still too difficult for most.
"I have comprehended the first three Techniques!" Li Chuyang announced coolly fifteen minutes later.
"What? Three Techniques in just fifteen minutes?" Many were greatly shocked. The time limit was half an hour, and yet, in just a quarter of an hour, he had already comprehended the first three Techniques!
"Brother Li’s Comprehension is truly extraordinary!"
When Kong Cheng looked over and saw that it was Li Lingdu’s son, Li Chuyang, he wasn’t entirely surprised. As the Fourth Young Master of the Kong family, he naturally knew that Li Chuyang possessed incredible Comprehension. The young man had once vowed to comprehend the top-tier Martial Dao Imagery, Silver Moon, while still in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. If he didn’t have real skill, he would never have dared to speak such arrogant words.
In the courtyard, Gang Yuan surged around many individuals whose eyes remained tightly shut. Unlike Li Chuyang, they chose not to announce their progress.
Time flowed on, and the half-hour quickly passed. Kong Cheng stepped forward and draped the red cloth back over the stele.
"Everyone, time is up!" he said with a smile.
The crowd opened their eyes one after another and stood up from the ground.
"This Sword Technique isn’t particularly exquisite," Sun Tao remarked casually. He had thought he would learn a decent Sword Technique, but its power turned out to be quite ordinary.
"Indeed!" Xu Yang agreed with a smile.
[Nameless Sword Technique: Perfection]
In that half-hour, he had not only learned all nine Techniques of the Sword Technique but had also deduced the tenth Technique. He had even managed to form the rudiments of an eleventh Technique.
In the courtyard, the crowd exchanged glances, no one willing to be the first to speak.
"Brother Li, how about you get the ball rolling?" Kong Cheng smiled, looking at Li Yunzhou.
Li Yunzhou ranked fifty-second on the Lingyun List, which was right around the middle. Having him start was the most appropriate choice.
Li Yunzhou cupped his hands. "I am untalented. I barely managed to comprehend the Sixth Technique. I was just about to begin comprehending the seventh when time ran out."
Six Techniques comprehended from a Sword Technique in just half an hour.
"As expected of Li Yunzhou!"
"I only managed the fifth Technique!"
"You’re lucky, I only got to the fourth. The Lingyun List rankings really do hold weight."
"I only made it to the third!"
A commotion broke out among the assembled geniuses, many of them looking at Li Yunzhou in shock. The Sword Technique was indeed not exquisite, but they had only been given half an hour.
"To comprehend six Techniques in half an hour proves that Brother Li’s talent is excellent. If we were to categorize it using the grading system for Root Bones, it should be Below A-class." Kong Cheng laughed, then turned his gaze to Li Chuyang. "And what about you, Brother Li?"
"Like Li Yunzhou, I also only comprehended the Sixth Technique," Li Chuyang replied, his previously arrogant demeanor dialing back a notch. Merely matching Li Yunzhou was an outcome he found highly unsatisfactory.
The crowd was astonished once more. Li Chuyang ranked eighty-fifth on the Lingyun List, yet his Comprehension was equal to Li Yunzhou’s. Didn’t that mean his ranking could advance even further during the Secondary Dragon Ascension?
"What about you, Brother Fang?" Kong Cheng asked, looking at Fang Xu, who ranked seventy-third on the Lingyun List.
Fang Xu cupped his hands. "I am untalented. I only comprehended the fifth Technique."
This level of Comprehension was also dazzling. Despite ranking seventy-third, he was only one Technique behind the fifty-second-ranked Li Yunzhou.
Suddenly, Fang Xu shifted the topic. "Just now, I heard someone say that this Sword Technique isn’t particularly exquisite. I wonder how many Techniques he managed to comprehend." His gaze landed on Xu Yang. "Xu Yang, how many Techniques did you comprehend?"
Although Xu Yang and Sun Tao’s previous conversation wasn’t loud, everyone present—save for the noble ladies and wealthy young masters—possessed Celestial Essence Cultivation. Naturally, they had all overheard their exchange. It was just that most people wouldn’t make an enemy over such a trivial matter, so few had paid any real attention to Xu Yang and Sun Tao’s words. Moreover, the Sword Technique truly wasn’t exquisite. Given a bit more time, comprehending all nine Techniques wouldn’t be difficult.
Perhaps because Xu Yang had previously rejected him, Fang Xu directed his hostility at Xu Yang, intent on making this unappreciative fellow make a fool of himself.