Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Tia

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

Now that the matter had been finalized, Yang Kai didn't want to drag things out any longer so he urged, "This matter is urgent. Senior Brother, please choose the suitable candidates for this task as soon as possible."

Qiu Ran raised his hand and said, "There's no hurry."

Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother, don't tell me you are going back on your word?"

Qiu Ran snorted, "How can I go back on my word after making a promise with you? But, I've already mentioned this before; there is no precedent to this matter. Let me ask you this. How many Elder Contribution Points should be used each month in exchange for each Dao Source Realm disciple that you want to borrow?"

Yang Kai suddenly became alert, "Senior Brother, don't you dare try to ask for more than is reasonable!"

Qiu Ran replied, "I can't decide on this matter alone. I will need to gather the Elders to discuss this matter and come up with a suitable plan. I also need to inform the Temple Master about this."

[Fair enough.] Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai nodded in agreement, "That makes sense."

Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting immediately took out their respective communication artifacts and notified the other Elders of Azure Sun Temple. Not long after that, several figures flew in from the outside, all of whom were familiar faces. They were the Elders of Azure Sun Temple, including the newly promoted Elders, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao.

The disciples of Azure Sun Temple were eligible to become an Elder as long as they reached the Emperor Realm. Although it could be said that it was just a title that came with no real authority, an Elder was still an Elder. Their status was completely different from that of a disciple and the treatment they received was different too.

Yang Kai greeted each of them with a bow. Xiao Bai Yi was as cold and aloof as usual, a man of few words. On the other hand, Murong Xiao Xiao smiled brightly and approached Yang Kai to chat.

Yang Kai asked about Xia Sheng and learned that he was still guarding Spirit Lake Palace and rarely returned to Azure Sun Temple.

"Senior Brother Xia mentioned that he is greatly indebted to you for what happened last time. If he has the chance, he wants to invite you to Spirit Lake Palace for a drink."

"What happened last time…" Yang Kai was lost for a moment but quickly realized that Murong Xiao Xaio was referring to the incident at the Southern Swamp where the Demon Cave was encountered. The Palace Master of Hundred Flowers Palace, Hua Yu Lu, was a friend of Xia Sheng. At the time, Xia Sheng had entrusted Hua Yu Lu to Yang Kai. Fortunately, Yang Kai lived up to Xia Sheng's expectations, and nothing happened to Hua Yu Lu.

Yang Kai just smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing. He doesn't need to feel indebted to me."

At that moment, Qiu Ran stood up. The entire hall fell silent as everybody turned to look at him. He spoke with a helpless expression, "The Temple Master said he couldn't come, so he left it to us to discuss and resolve this matter."

Logically speaking, a matter involving hundreds of disciples in the Dao Source Realm was no trivial matter and Wen Zi Shan should have been present for it. Unfortunately, he was an extremely lazy person and generally paid no attention to the affairs of the Sect, leaving everything to Qiu Ran. Therefore, it was no surprise that he was absent today too.

Everybody seemed to have expected this outcome. You Kun even declared forcefully, "Who cares if the Temple Master doesn't want to come? It won't make a difference whether he is here or not. We might as well discuss it on our own."

No Elder of any other Sect would speak of their own Temple Master in such a manner. Azure Sun Temple was the only exception. It was the perfect example of what it meant by the saying 'the apple didn't fall far from the tree'.

Everybody else nodded in agreement while Qiu Ran looked heartbroken, secretly cursing in his heart, [This isn't right!]

Nothing else was said as everybody took their respective seats. On the other hand, Yang Kai looked around and cupped his fists, "Then, I will take my leave."

Qiu Ran quickly stated, "This matter is about you. There's no need to leave. Sit down and listen."

[Ha… I can't leave,] Yang Kai turned around and sat back down. He was similar to Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao. They were Elders in name and not authority; however, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were actual Elders of Azure Sun Temple while he was just a High-Rank Guest Elder. For that reason, his seat was placed at the back, right next to Murong Xiao Xiao, even though he made significant contributions to the Temple.

Under normal circumstances, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao would not have been qualified to participate in discussions like these yet, mainly because they were still inexperienced. Nevertheless, the reason they were called here today was to listen and prepare themselves for the future; after all, it was only a matter of time before they held great authority within the Temple and decided on matters pertaining to the disciples' future.

Qiu Ran cleared his throat. First, he talked about how Yang Kai had brought a large number of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills and received a correspondingly large amount of Elder Contribution Points in exchange. It made all the Elders in the hall study Yang Kai in surprise. They also had envious expressions on their faces.

[More than 150,000 Elder Contribution Points…]

That was a number that had never been seen before. Even if they entered the Divine Ascension Mirror World once a year, they would only need to spend 2,000 points a year. His Elder Contribution Points of more than 150,000 were enough to last him for sixty to seventy years.

However, there was no point in feeling envious. Emperor Grade Spirit Pills were not something just anybody could refine. It simply strengthened their belief that Emperor Grade Alchemists were capable of making a fortune. [He obtained 150,000 Elder Contribution Points out of nowhere, just like that. How long will it take for him to spend them all?]

Meanwhile, Yang Kai sat there in an easy-going manner, his expression calm and indifferent. Unbeknownst to them, the truth was that he was having a secret conversation with Murong Xiao Xiao via Divine Sense transmission.

After the amazement wore off, somebody immediately thought of the concerns that Qiu Ran had previously been worried about and questioned how Yang Kai planned to spend his Elder Contribution Points.

In response, Qiu Ran explained Yang Kai's wish to borrow one hundred Dao Source Realm and four hundred Origin King disciples from the Temple. The results had already been negotiated and decided upon. Seeing that he had finalized the decision, the others had nothing much to say about it either. What they wanted to discuss at present was how many Elder Contribution Points those five hundred people should earn as a salary each month. Luckily, Yang Kai was not an outsider. Everybody maintained a fair and impartial stance when discussing this matter, and they soon came to an agreement in less than an hour.

Yang Kai was required to pay 10 Elder Contribution Points per Dao Source Realm per month and 3 per Origin King per month. A quick calculation showed that he had to pay a total of 2,200 Elder Contribution Points per month or 26,400 Elder Contribution Points per year. With more than 150,000 Elder Contribution Points, he had enough to last for almost six years. This result was within his ability to bear, so he had no objections to it when Qiu Ran asked. In that way, the decision was finalized immediately.

Six years should be more or less enough time for those disciples from the Star Field to become familiar with the Star Boundary. It should also be enough time for some of those in the Origin King Realm to advance into the Dao Source Realm. By having the experienced ones guide the inexperienced ones and imparting their cultivation knowledge to those below them, it would eventually form a virtuous cycle.

What's more, he could just ask Ji Ying to produce more Emperor Grade Spirit Pills for him to exchange for more Elder Contribution Points if he ran low; therefore, it was nothing to him.

"It's rare for us to get together like this, so let's discuss the matter regarding the Southern Territory Martial Gathering that will be held next month." Qiu Ran took a few sips of tea from his teacup, placed it down, and continued, "The Southern Territory Martial Gathering was originally held every five years. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, certain events occurred several years back. Demon Caves appeared and numerous Demon Spirits were revived, which left everyone living in fear. All this time, our fellow cultivators in the Southern Territory have been hunting down and killing those Demon Spirits who escaped. As a result, the Martial Gathering has been delayed for several years. Now that the dust has finally settled, we cannot be careless about the Martial Gathering that is finally being held again after more than a decade."

"Martial Gathering? What Martial Gathering?" Yang Kai turned to look at Murong Xiao Xiao and asked via Divine Sense.

Murong Xiao Xiao replied, "It's a tradition in the Southern Territory that is held every five years. It is jointly organized by Azure Sun Temple, Orthodoxy Temple, and Heavenly Martial Holy Land. These three Sects jointly fund the event and arrange for various valuable prizes. Star Soul Palace will also present some gifts. All the cultivators in the Southern Territory below the Emperor Realm are eligible to participate in the event. It is categorized into three levels, namely the Dao Source Realm, the Origin King Realm, and the Origin Returning Realm, where the younger generation competes for rankings. There are both individual rankings and Sect rankings. The prizes will be handed out according to the rankings. It is also a means for the Sects and Families to test the results of their disciples' cultivation. In any case, every Sect attaches great importance to this event, especially the top three Sects in the Southern Territory. Nobody is willing to rank poorly; therefore, every Martial Gathering is very lively as many Masters gather around."

"Wow! There's something like that?" Yang Kai was surprised.

She pursed her lips and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, you have not been in the Southern Territory for long, so it's only natural that you have never heard of it. The last Martial Gathering was hosted by Azure Sun Temple. I, Senior Brother Xia, and Senior Brother Xiao all participated in that competition."

"How were the results?" He asked with interest.

Murong Xiao Xiao answered shyly, "Azure Sun Temple ranked slightly higher than the other two top Sects in the Sect ranking. In the individual rankings, Senior Brother Xia lost to Wu Chang by a slight margin, coming in second. On the other hand, I only made the top ten."

Yang Kai comforted her, "Victory and defeat are part of life. Don't mind it, Junior Sister."

"The three Sects take turns hosting the Martial Gathering. Last time, it was us. This time, it seems like it's Orthodoxy Temple's turn."

"By the way, Senior Brother Qiu mentioned that the Southern Territory has been hunting down Demon Spirits in recent years. What's the current situation?" Yang Kai was very familiar with the Demon Spirits. He, Hua Yu Lu, and others could be said to be the culprits of the entire incident. During their trip to the Southern Swamp, a Demon Cave had appeared. Gong Yue, the former Patriarch of the Gong Family from the Heavenly River Valley was taken over by a Demon Spirit, succumbed to demonification, snuck into Azure Sun Temple, and opened another Demon Cave, releasing thousands of Demon Spirits.

It was just that Yang Kai had been anxious to find Zhu Qing and went to Frozen Earth in search of her right at the beginning of that incident. He had then gone through an arduous journey just to return not long ago. More than ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and Yang Kai had lost track of how this situation had played out afterwards. Besides, Star Soul Palace was leading the efforts to eradicate the Demons, so there was nothing for him to worry about with them in charge.

When Murong Xiao Xiao heard his question about the Demon Spirits, she couldn't help turning pale in response as if recalling something extremely horrifying as she whispered, "Many people died."

Demon Spirits were difficult to guard against. They were invisible and nearly impossible to track. It was something Yang Kai had experienced personally back then. Gong Yue's cultivation was not weak, but even so, a Demon Spirit managed to invade his body without any warning whatsoever and corrupt his mind. The most frightening thing was that Gong Yue had succumbed to it without realizing anything was wrong. The Demon Spirit had distorted his heart and mind so that he would release thousands of Demon Spirits and bring chaos into the world even if he had to die at the hands of Azure Sun Temple.

Murong Xiao Xiao claimed that a lot of people died, which probably meant that the death count was truly horrendous. It was hard to imagine the situation in the Southern Territory for the past ten years.

At that moment, Qiu Ran announced loudly, "If that's the case, this matter is settled. I will stay and guard the Temple while this trip will be led by the Temple Master himself. The accompanying Elders are as follows… Luo Chen!"

A fair and baby-faced man stood up in response, cupping his fist and shouting, "Yes!"

Yang Kai murmured in surprise, "The Temple Master himself will be going? Isn't that honouring Orthodoxy Temple a little too much?"

Although the Southern Territory Martial Gathering was not small in scale, it only involved those below the Emperor Realm. Yang Kai initially thought that only a few Elders would lead the delegation, so who could have known that even Wen Zi Shan himself would attend?

Murong Xiao Xiao smiled and replied, "Star Soul Palace will send someone over every time the Martial Gathering is held, so the Temple Master is simply going for the sake of formality."

"I see." Yang Kai nodded lightly. [It's not out of respect for Orthodoxy Temple, but for Star Soul Palace. That explains everything; after all, even the people from Star Soul Palace are attending. It will be outrageous if Wen Zi Shan doesn't attend. It's just a formality anyway. It's no big deal.]

Qiu Ran called out again, "Gao Xue Ting!"

"Yes!" Gao Xue Ting stood up and bowed with her hand on her chest.

"Xiao Bai Yi!"

"Yes!"