Chapter 35: A Little Famous
The five hours of accumulation in the Transmission Pavilion, like spring rain moistening everything, silently yet profoundly nourished Ye Li's foundation. She optimized the Spirit Gathering Array, successfully refined the Heart Purifying Pill, and discovered the properties of the mysterious ore...all of this proceeded in an orderly manner, allowing her to steadily improve within the courtyard of Yundan Peak.
However, the sect was no isolated paradise. She had stunned everyone by first place in the assessment, then staged a counter-attack at the West Mountain Abandoned Mine, mysteriously rescued someone in the Ice Stream, and fought a pack of wolves alone in the Molten Fire Mountains (though there weren't many witnesses, surely the Yanyang Valley disciples wouldn't have spread the news after returning?). Even if she tried to be more low-key, she couldn't completely conceal her brilliance.
The name "Ye Li" gradually began to spread among the outer sect and even some inner sect disciples. However, this reputation was met with mixed reviews.
Outer gate area, dining hall.
Several outer disciples who had just finished their labor sat around a table, eating and chatting.
"Have you heard? It's that Senior Sister Ye Li who ranked first in this year's assessment but went to Yundan Peak!"
"How could I not have heard about it! It was said that she was on a mission at the West Mountain Abandoned Mine and was ambushed. There were actually evil cultivators there! And not only did she escape unscathed, she even found the person behind it and reported it directly to the Law Enforcement Hall!"
"Oh my god! Is this true? Evil cultivation methods? Who is so bold?"
"Hush! Keep your voice down! It's said that Zhan Kuangfeng's…" someone lowered their voice and pointed upwards, "It was done by the subordinates of his senior disciple. Although the Law Enforcement Hall has no direct evidence, they have also warned them. This Senior Sister Ye Li is really a ruthless person!"
"More than that! I have a fellow countryman working in Yanyang Valley. He came back a few days ago and told me that they were almost wiped out in the Molten Fire Mountains. It was a mysterious female cultivator who looked like Senior Sister Ye Li who took action and instantly killed a large group of mutant Molten Fire Scorpions. She also helped them drive away three Molten Fire Earth Wolves!"
"Hiss... So powerful? Isn't she just in the Spiritual Awakening stage?"
"So, that's why! This strength is definitely hidden! First place in the assessment, well-deserved reputation!"
"Tsk tsk, I heard she's pretty, but she's too cold, and she's also quite capable of causing trouble..."
The words of these outer disciples were filled with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of admiration. For those struggling at the bottom of society, Ye Li's image of overcoming the strong with the weak and daring to defy authority resonated deeply with them.
Inner gate, near Zhan Kuang Peak.
Several disciples of Zhan Kuangfeng came out of the Merit Hall with unhappy expressions.
"Damn it, I've been so careful about accepting missions lately. Those guys from the Law Enforcement Hall are keeping a really close eye on us!"
"It's all because of Ye Li from Yundan Peak! A piece of trash with a yellow-level talent, relying on a bit of luck and trickery to get ahead of others!"
"That's right! Senior Brother Shi Feng just wanted to teach her a lesson, but she actually flipped the table! She doesn't understand any rules at all!"
"Humph, you're just trying to attract attention. Isn't your true strength completely suppressed by Senior Brother Gao Sheng? You only dare to act arrogantly!"
"I heard she spends every day on the first floor of the Transmission Pavilion reading basic texts? That's hilarious, so pretentious!"
"I guess he knows his talent has reached its limit, so he can only study some unorthodox methods! Haha!"
These disciples close to Gao Sheng and Shi Feng spoke with disdain, jealousy, and belittlement. They attributed Ye Li's success to luck and trickery, believing she had broken the "rules" and were extremely hostile to her.
Tianshu Peak, a pavilion.
Several well-informed and analytical inner disciples were drinking tea and discussing the Dao.
"My fellow disciples, what do you think of Junior Sister Ye Li who has become famous recently?" A disciple (not Lin Yu) who was waving a folding fan asked with a smile.
"This woman is no ordinary woman," a stoic disciple mused. "Getting first place in the assessment might have been a matter of luck, but her counterattack at Xishan and her rescue at Molten Fire were definitely no accident. Her determination, ruthlessness, and quick response far surpass her peers."
"Indeed. What's more interesting is that she chose Yundan Peak instead of strong peaks like Tianzhen and Qingyun. Now she often hangs out at the bottom floor of the Chuan Gong Pavilion... This move seems to be a lack of ambition, but it actually has a deep meaning. Either it is to deceive others, or... she has great ambitions and knows the importance of foundation." Another person analyzed.
"I heard that Junior Sister Su Wanyun from Baihua Peak is good friends with her? Junior Sister Su has always had good taste."
"This woman can be befriended, but she shouldn't be easily made an enemy. Her rising power may be difficult to stop. However, I'm afraid Zhan Kuangfeng won't be able to tolerate her..."
These elite disciples saw things more clearly, and their evaluation of Ye Li tended to be more objective, even with a hint of vigilance and respect.
Baihua Peak, Su Wanyun's cave.
Su Wanyun was chatting with a few good sisters and the topic naturally couldn't avoid Ye Li.
"Senior Sister Wanyun, are you really familiar with Junior Sister Yeli? What kind of person is she? Is she really as... fierce as the rumors say?" A round-faced junior sister asked curiously.
Su Wanyun smiled tenderly and said softly, "Sister Yeli may appear a little cold and reserved, but she has a kind heart. If she hadn't helped us in Hanbingjian, my brothers would have been doomed. She's powerful, but she's not one to bully the weak."
"But... she offended Senior Brother Gao Sheng from Zhan Kuangfeng, and she will probably be in trouble in the future." Another senior sister said worriedly.
Su Wanyun sighed softly, but her eyes were firm: "I believe Sister Yeli knows her limits. Besides, within the sect, strength is the ultimate criterion."
There were different reactions within Yundan Peak.
Liu Yiyi admired Ye Li so much that she felt this senior sister was omnipotent and her eyes lit up every time she saw her.
After hearing those rumors, Han Li laughed heartily and patted his chest to Ye Li, saying, "Excellent work, Junior Sister! I've long disliked Zhan Kuangfeng and his gang! If they dare to cause trouble again, call me, Senior Brother. I'm worried about where to test the effects of my new elixir!" (Although Ye Li felt that his elixir might be more dangerous than the enemy)
Chen Mo remained silent, but when they passed each other one day, he took the initiative to say to Ye Li, "The basics of formations are very important." This was considered as an approval of her approach.
Senior Sister Li Yan was jealous and afraid. She took a detour when she saw Ye Li from afar, but the resentment in her eyes became even deeper.
Ye Li wasn't completely unaware of the outside world's chatter, but she mostly chose to ignore it. Fame, to her, was a fleeting illusion; strength was the foundation. Even a few negative comments couldn't shake her resolve. She continued to follow her own rhythm: during the day, she would consult classics at the Transmission Pavilion, or practice alchemy and familiarize herself with the ore at the Hundred Refining Hall. At night, she unwaveringly cultivated the "Youhuan Emperor Scripture" and tempered her body.
On this day, when she was trying to refine a new batch of Qingxin Pills in the Bailian Hall's Earth Fire Room, striving to improve the success rate and quality of the pills, Zhao Xiaoyi's slightly anxious voice came from outside the courtyard.
"Senior Sister Ye! Are you there?"
Ye Li had just finished collecting the pills. The furnace had yielded four pills, all with a cloud pattern and consistent quality. She put away the pills and opened the stone door.
Zhao Xiaoyi was waiting outside the door with an anxious look on his face. "Sister, this is bad! Senior Sister Liu Yiyi...she's been embarrassed in the market!"
Ye Li's eyes suddenly turned cold: "What's going on? Tell me slowly."
Zhao Xiaoyi took a breath and said quickly, "Senior Sister Yiyi was selling her own spiritual herbs at a stall in the Wanxiang Hall. Somehow, she got into a fight with a few disciples from Zhan Kuang Peak. They said her spiritual herbs were inferior and had ruined their elixirs. They wanted her to pay a hundred contribution points in compensation, or they would destroy her stall and take her to the Law Enforcement Hall to seek justice! Senior Sister Yiyi was so anxious that she almost cried!"
Zhan Kuangfeng? It's them again!
A cold glint flashed in Ye Li's eyes. It seemed that Gao Sheng and Shi Feng didn't dare to attack him directly, so they began to vent their anger on Liu Yiyi, who was on good terms with him and had a weak personality!
"Lead the way." Ye Li's voice was cold, without any hesitation.
"Yes! Senior Sister!" Zhao Xiaoyi hurriedly led the way.
In a relatively quiet corner of the Wanxiang Palace market, a crowd gathered around Liu Yiyi's stall. Her eyes were red, tears welling up in them as she helplessly tried to defend herself, "...I didn't! My Zhuyan Fruits are carefully cultivated, how could there be a problem? You guys failed in your alchemy, why are you blaming me..."
The three disciples of Zhan Kuang Peak who stood across from her folded their arms, their faces filled with sarcasm and mockery. The leader sneered, "Hmph, you say it's okay? Our elixirs were ruined after using your spiritual herbs! If it's not your fault, then whose is it? Pay me! Otherwise, this day won't end!"
The people around were pointing and talking. Some people sympathized with Liu Yiyi, but more people did not dare to offend Zhan Kuangfeng's disciples and could only whisper.
"It's okay if you can't afford to pay. Just come with us for a cup of tea and have a good 'chat', and we'll let this matter go." Another disciple said with a lewd smile, reaching out to pull Liu Yiyi.
Liu Yiyi was so scared that her face turned pale and she dodged backwards.
Just when that hand was about to touch Liu Yiyi, a cold hand, like an iron clamp, firmly grasped his wrist!
"Ah!" The disciple screamed in pain, feeling as if his wrist was about to be crushed.
Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound.
A young girl in a light blue dress with cloud patterns appeared in the scene at some point. Her face was cold and her eyes were icy as she stared coldly at the three disciples of Zhan Kuang Peak.
"Senior Sister Ye... Ye Li!" When Liu Yiyi saw the person coming, she felt like she saw a savior, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Ye Li?!" The three Zhan Kuangfeng disciples' expressions also changed. They obviously recognized her. A trace of fear flashed in their eyes, but then they pretended to be calm.
"Ye Li, what do you want to do? Are you meddling in other people's business?" The leading disciple shouted in a timid tone. He tried to break free from the opponent's wrist, but found that the opponent's strength was so great that he couldn't break free at all.
Ye Li shook off his hand, protecting Liu Yiyi behind her. She glanced at the high-quality Zhuyan fruits on the stall and said in a calm voice with unquestionable authority, "You said there's something wrong with her spiritual herbs?"
"Of... course!"
"Evidence." Ye Li only said two words.
"The pills we wasted are the evidence!"
"Oh?" Ye Li's lips curled up in a cold arc. "What kind of elixir are you refining? When did you buy her spiritual herbs? Do you keep records of the refining process? What are the specific signs of a failed elixir? Is it due to insufficient firepower, improper fusion, or simply a conflict of medicinal power? You disciples of Zhan Kuangfeng, would even blame the firewood seller for the explosion of the elixir furnace?"
She spoke slowly, but her series of professional and sharp questions were like a cold knife, directly exposing the other party's clumsy lies!
The three disciples were immediately speechless, their faces flushing crimson. How could they possibly understand the intricacies of alchemy? They were merely following orders to find fault!
"You...you are making excuses!" The leading disciple became angry and embarrassed.
"You're making a specious argument?" Ye Li stepped forward, his imposing presence causing the disciple to subconsciously take a step back. "If you can't produce any evidence, you're framing a fellow disciple and extorting money. What's the penalty according to the sect's rules? Should we go to the Law Enforcement Hall now and ask the deacons to identify these spiritual herbs and check your recent records of elixirs?"
Hearing the words "Law Enforcement Hall" and looking at Ye Li's cold yet confident eyes, the three disciples panicked. They had no doubt that this ruthless man in front of them could really do it!
"You...you wait!" After leaving behind these harsh words that had no deterrent effect, the three disciples of Zhan Kuangfeng pushed through the crowd in disgrace and fled in embarrassment.
There was a burst of low laughter and discussions all around.
"Senior Sister Yeli is so amazing!"
"Just a few words scared them away!"
"The people from Zhan Kuangfeng are too bullying!"
Liu Yiyi looked at Ye Li's back, her eyes filled with gratitude and admiration: "Senior Sister Ye Li, thank you..."
Ye Li turned around, his expression softening slightly as he handed her a handkerchief. "It's okay. If they dare to come again, tell me directly, or go find Senior Brother Han Li or Senior Brother Chen Mo."
"Yeah!" Liu Yiyi nodded vigorously.
After this incident, word quickly spread among the lower-level disciples that Ye Li had stood up for her fellow disciples and angrily rebuked Zhan Kuangfeng's disciples. Her reputation grew even stronger among the outer sect and some inner sect disciples. Those who praised her praised her for her protectiveness, loyalty, and fearlessness of power, while those who criticized her mocked her for her troublemaking and arrogance.
But no matter what, everyone reached a consensus - Ye Li of Yundan Peak was not to be trifled with! And the conflict between her and Zhan Kuangfeng seemed increasingly difficult to reconcile.
Ye Li knew this very well, but she didn't care. She helped Liu Yiyi pack up her stall and sent her back to Yundan Peak.
Standing in her own courtyard, she looked in the direction of Zhan Kuangfeng with a deep gaze.
If the trouble won't stop, let it come even harder.
It just happened to be the whetstone for her to sharpen her edge.
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