Chapter 64: Breeding

After being tormented for what felt like an eternity, Ye Feng finally allowed Zhu Lan to leave.

The red marks beside Zhu Lan’s eyes and her disheveled clothing made it all too obvious what she had just endured.

She should have tidied her appearance in Ye Feng’s guest room before returning to the banquet.

But Zhu Lan didn’t want to spend another second in that room with that person.

She merely straightened her clothes hastily and walked out.

There was no going back to the banquet.

She needed to find a quieter place, to return to her own room.

However, her mind was in such turmoil that she failed to notice her wretched state had been seen clearly by someone hiding in the distance.

Su Xijin’s fingers were clenched so tightly they nearly drew blood.

Her eyes, unblinking, were fixed on Zhu Lan until she disappeared into her room.

Disheveled hair, skin exposed with countless ambiguous marks…

Anyone with eyes could see it.

Anyone could guess what had just happened in that room.

Su Xijin was mad with jealousy.

How could a figure so radiant, so brilliant, possibly favor such a nobody?

The position of Holy Maiden of the Yaochi Holy Land was rightfully hers.

How dare an outsider snatch it away?

Su Xijin’s originally lovely face was twisted with envy and rage, a sight that would startle anyone who saw it.

After a short while, however, Su Xijin calmed down.

In terms of beauty, she was no worse than that bitch.

In terms of figure, she was far superior to that bean sprout.

That being the case, she still had a chance.

She stared fixedly at the closed door of Zhu Lan’s room, as if trying to bore a hole through it with her gaze.

The flames of jealousy made her want to burn everything that displeased her to ashes!

……

The battle between Daozi and Fozhi was also drawing to a close.

Neither had used their full arsenal, having sparred with about seventy percent of their strength.

Naturally, the final outcome was a draw.

The disciples watching were not surprised.

It was already widely known that the four prodigies of the four great sects were of similar strength.

Although Daozi and Fozhi had held back, making the fluctuations of their battle less intense than the one between Jianshou and Ye Feng, their duel had still left the onlookers dumbfounded.

The four prodigies truly lived up to their reputation.

But wherever there is a combat system, there will always be those who compare and rank fighters.

“I observe that Daozi, Fozhi, Jianshou, and the Holy Maiden should be neck and neck, with little to separate them.”

“I disagree. Wasn’t Jianshou just defeated by Ye Feng? In my opinion, we should add one more to the four prodigies. From now on, it should be the five prodigies.”

“I agree with this brother’s view. Ye Feng should rank among the top three of the five.”

“Junior Brother, your vision is lacking! At the end of the fight between Jianshou and Ye Feng, the view was blocked by the Sect Leader of the Yaochi Holy Land. Judging by the performance earlier in the fight, Jianshou’s overall strength should have been above Ye Feng’s. Moreover, it is currently known that Jianshou once fought Daozi to a draw, leading to the conclusion that Daozi, Fozhi, and Jianshou are in the same tier.”

“But how do you explain that Ye Feng won in the end? Jianshou was vomiting blood and fell!”

“That is also my point of confusion. Based on the earlier performance, Ye Feng was indeed inferior to Jianshou. Could it be that Ye Feng unleashed an even stronger attack at the last moment?”

“But you all saw the move Jianshou used at the critical moment. Such terrifying power. If Ye Feng was truly inferior, how could he have withstood it and even injured Jianshou in return?”

“Everyone, stop arguing. Listen to me. Indeed, we can speak of five prodigies from now on. The four original prodigies are almost equal in strength, but I believe the leader among the five should still be the Holy Maiden.”

“The Holy Maiden? The Holy Maiden has never even fought. How can we judge her strength?”

“Do you think the other four prodigies would have the heart to use their full force against the Holy Maiden?”

The other disciples had a sudden realization and praised him in unison.

“Senior Brother’s thinking is on another level. We were stuck in the vortex.”

Now, everyone became curious about whether the other four prodigies could bring themselves to fight the Holy Maiden with their full strength.

This question became a favorite topic of discussion among the disciples over meals.

“Daozi lives up to his reputation. Your strength is formidable. I concede.”

Fozhi nodded slightly, brought his palms together, and recited a Buddhist chant.

“Fozhi’s strength is indeed worthy of the praise from the outside world. I concede.”

Daozi, not even flushed or out of breath, returned the courtesy with a bow.

After the two descended from the stage, there was almost nothing left for the disciples and elders to see.

With such brilliant jade preceding them—such spectacular battles having already taken place—any disciple who wanted to take the stage to show off had to carefully consider whether they could compare to these geniuses.

Even those who mustered the courage to go up and spar found the audience’s expectations had been raised too high.

They were met with jeers and boos.

In the end, the last two disciples couldn’t take it and left the stage before their match was finished.

They had eaten and drunk their fill, fought their fights, and chatted their chats.

It was time for everyone to return to their quarters.

Of course, “quarters” here did not mean their homes.

The Yaochi Holy Land had specially prepared a vast number of guest rooms for the annual gathering.

Providing each person with an independent room was not a problem.

They were fully equipped with all necessary amenities and built relatively close to each other, facilitating social interaction among the disciples.

However, the living quarters for the female disciples of the Yaochi Holy Land were naturally not in this area.

They were strictly forbidden by the elders from venturing privately to the lodgings of the external sect members.

“Elders, do you have any better ideas for this year? Every year, some disciples break the sect rules at this time.”

The Sect Leader of the Yaochi Holy Land furrowed her brows, somewhat troubled.

No matter how much the elders taught the disciples not to interact with men, they could never fully restrain their hearts.

Every year during the Yaochi Gathering, several disciples would be punished according to the sect rules.

Sometimes, the Sect Leader wondered if the sect rules were a bit too cruel.

“We can only control their bodies, not their hearts. The ancestral laws cannot be changed. If the sect rules are violated, they must be dealt with according to those rules.”

The old woman’s face was stern, showing no mercy.

The Sect Leader sighed but ultimately said nothing more.

The old woman’s expression softened slightly, and her tone became gentler.

“I know it’s difficult for you, Sect Leader. But you must remember the ancestral teachings left by the founding master. The ancestral teachings cannot be overturned.”

“Naturally.”