HPMC Chapter 13

　　Although Yu Tianze wasn’t a talkative person and preferred to express himself through actions, he was generally quite responsive to Mu Zirun’s questions. They chatted for a while, and Mu Zirun learned quite a bit during their short journey. For example, the “airplane” he brought back was actually quite an amusing incident. Yu Tianze had always been independent and self-willed, so naturally, he had no interest in keeping pets for transportation. However, when he needed to go out, having a means of transport was essential—it was such a waste of his true essence!

　　Therefore, during his Qi Refining stage, he would go directly to the sect’s Spirit Beast Hall to obtain a spirit bird for transportation to save time. But he soon grew tired of it, and once he reached Foundation Establishment, he couldn’t wait to run into the forest to find a suitable demonic beast. In this forest, there was a large flock of Thunder Eagles, perched among the outer and inner layers of Thunderwood trees, ranging from juvenile level three to adult level four and king level five—truly demonic beasts of a regional lord level.

　　Yu Tianze was fearless and had been eyeing young birds since his Foundation Establishment stage—even in their early stages, they were enough for him to ride. He would catch them from the periphery, run away, and release them afterward, attracting little attention.

　　However, one young Thunder Eagle was particularly unlucky. It was one of those birds that was slow to mature—not because its bloodline was bad, but because its bloodline was good; it matured late. And its plumage was beautiful, so of the ten times Yu Tianze went out to catch Thunder Eagles, at least seven times it was this one.

　　This Thunder Eagle felt particularly humiliated, and every time it was released, it would strive harder, but Yu Tianze would also strive harder, still surpassing it and catching it again. Unconsciously, the two of them, like rivals, continuously improved their cultivation levels. Each time, the Thunder Eagle was just enough to become Yu Tianze’s mount, day after day, year after year, until the Thunder Eagle became the Thunder Eagle King, still unable to escape Yu Tianze’s clutches.

　　Only then was the unruly Thunder Eagle King finally tamed. Mu Zirun found it somewhat amusing and immediately understood. To put it bluntly, although his peak master still thought he had captured it casually, he had actually long been accustomed to using the Thunder Eagle King, and the Thunder Eagle King, although not bound, was essentially the same as Yu Tianze’s master and pet. This was truly interesting.

　　The Thunder Eagle King was incredibly fast; according to Mu Zirun’s perception, it was much faster than the airplane he had flown on. So, in the time it took to say a few sentences, they had already traversed a considerable distance and arrived directly at the gathering place of the Nine Yang Sect. It was an open space between the inner and outer sects.

　　Here, a peculiar spirit beast, ten zhang long with two pairs of fleshy wings, lay prone on the ground. It was called a spirit beast rather than a spirit bird because this creature had a tiger’s head and no feathers, making it quite unlike a bird. However, several dozen people were already scattered on the back of the spirit beast, mostly disciples from various levels who were going to participate in the ranking competition.

　　Several other spirit birds and beasts, roughly the same size as the Thunder Eagle King, also served as mounts for their respective elders. The Nine Yang Sect’s arrangement was that one elder participating in the competition would lead the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage disciples on the back of the guardian spirit beast, while powerful Nascent Soul elders participating in the competition would provide escort on either side.

　　Yu Tianze was naturally among those providing escort. The Thunder Eagle King arrived, spread its wings, and slowly descended. The wind beneath its wings roared, carrying sparks of lightning, making it impossible to approach. Yu Tianze didn’t disembark with Mu Zirun, but remained seated, nodding to the more senior elder on the guardian spirit beast—who was also the leader this time—and then remained silent.

　　As for the others, he didn’t even glance at them. The disciples on the guardian spirit beasts had all heard of this Elder Yu’s formidable reputation, and they both respected and feared him. They respected his terrifying talent and comprehension in forming a Nascent Soul in just a few decades, and they feared his rumored volatile temper. Therefore, they dared not approach him at all and would quickly lower their heads after a single glance, afraid of offending him again.

　　Several other elders also knew that Yu Tianze was not easy to get along with, so after giving their greetings, they simply avoided contact with him. If everyone did this, Yu Tianze would be happy to have some peace and quiet, but there are always people in this world who don’t want him to have that peace and quiet.

　　So Mu Zirun saw that not far away, on the back of a spirit bird with brightly colored feathers, a young cultivator in flowing robes gracefully jumped down. He was handsome and seemed to have an extraordinary bearing. At this moment, he was riding on a wisp of light cloud, drifting towards them. Who is this?

　　Mu Zirun thought to himself, not forgetting to observe Yu Tianze’s expression. Unexpectedly, he noticed a fleeting look of disgust in Yu Tianze’s eyes as the young cultivator floated towards them, as if he’d seen flies that were impossible to eradicate completely in the sweltering summer heat. However, he quickly suppressed this expression, striving to remain calm. Then, Mu Zirun glanced at the young cultivator again and realized that the other man’s eyes held clear admiration for Yu Tianze, and his smile was almost obsequious.

　　Just then, the young cultivator reached them, greeting them warmly and politely, “Tianze, long time no see. How have you been?”

　　Yu Tianze replied woodenly, “I’m fine.”

　　Mu Zirun’s feelings were somewhat complicated. Should he praise this elder for his good taste…? Although he himself thought Yu Tianze was a rare, straightforward, and endearing person, there was no doubt that, based on the information he’d gathered these past few days, Yu Tianze wasn’t exactly popular. So, how much of this man’s admiration was genuine?

　　It’s no wonder he’s so calculating. Having spent so much time in the business world in his past life, he inevitably tended to overthink things. He can’t help but be suspicious of anything, and doesn’t easily assume the best. Besides, one can’t be too careful. His peak master seems incredibly powerful, but his personality is unpredictable, which makes him a little uneasy. Having received favors from this peak master and sensing his sincerity, he naturally doesn’t want him to be deceived or used. Therefore, he has to keep an eye on him.

　　The young cultivator turned to Mu Zirun and interrupted his thoughts, “This must be Zirun, a capable talent under Tianze? My name is Chen Yiheng. Zirun, you can call me Elder Chen.”

　　He even offered a storage bag as a gift. This gesture was truly ingratiating, a rather “lowly” gesture considering the other party’s status. Mu Zirun immediately looked at Yu Tianze. At this moment, he couldn’t just reach out; he had to give his peak lord face.

　　Yu Tianze nodded, “Take it.”

　　Mu Zirun felt slightly strange.

　　He had a feeling that his peak lord seemed to have a “if there’s advantage to take and you don’t, you’re a turtle’s egg” mentality… Was it just his imagination? Perhaps feeling they’d gone too far, Chen Yiheng continued to chatter on and on, trying to engage Yu Tianze in conversation. Yu Tianze responded expressionlessly, showing no enthusiasm whatsoever. Mu Zirun knew Yu Tianze quite well; how could he not see the underlying irritation beneath his seemingly normal reaction? But irritation was one thing; beneath that irritation lay a hint of murderous intent. This discovery made him even calmer.

　　But he didn’t understand. This young cultivator, also a Nascent Soul elder, was pursuing Yu Tianze so diligently. Yu Tianze wasn’t the type to harbor murderous intent over something like this. So what could it be? A sudden flash of inspiration crossed his mind, but it quickly dissipated. However, Mu Zirun wasn’t one to dwell on things. If he couldn’t figure it out now, he could think about it later when the opportunity arose. So he let it go and continued listening to Yu Tianze and Chen Yiheng’s conversation.

　　Just then, Mu Zirun noticed another figure gradually approaching from afar, arriving in front of him in no time. Ah, it was someone he knew. The jade lotus-like magic treasure swayed as it approached, and at the heart of the flower sat a delicate young man in light blue robes, with refined features and a serene demeanor, appearing as if untouched by worldly dust. Who else could it be but Master Ming Yuan?

　　As the person approached, Ming Yuan’s voice rang out, “Tianze, you’re going out today. Why didn’t you tell your master?” There was a hint of reproach in his tone. As he drew closer, he seemed to notice the other person, and his voice turned joyful as he added, “Senior Brother Yiheng, you’re here too.”

　　The atmosphere froze. Mu Zirun was also taken aback, and when he saw the other two’s reactions, his feelings became even more complex. Yu Tianze frowned almost imperceptibly. Unfortunately, Ming Yuan’s attention was entirely on Chen Yiheng, whose expression stiffened for a moment, then seemed to show a mixture of anger towards Ming Yuan and self-reproach.

　　This was truly…a bit complicated. Moreover, Ming Yuan’s behavior was subtly strange.

　　For example, his very first sentence—wasn’t that implying that Yu Tianze was disrespectful to his elders? But logically, Yu Tianze had already completed his apprenticeship, and cultivators often went into seclusion. Even if he wanted to go out, did he have to report to his master every time? “Just let the demon spirit inform Master so he has a general idea,” Mu Zirun recalled. He remembered consulting Yu Tianze beforehand and having already sent the demon spirit.

　　At that time, Ming Yuan didn’t say anything, nor did he mention that his disciple should go in person. Instead, he specially came over when his disciple was leaving… To put it nicely, he came to see his disciple off; to put it bluntly, he came to reprimand him. Okay, maybe the contrast was too strong, which made him a little impulsive, but it was even stranger that Ming Yuan came to see Yu Tianze off while focusing all his attention on another person. And think about his address, calling Chen Yiheng “Senior Brother Yiheng”… In other words, he deliberately emphasized that Yu Tianze and Chen Yiheng were not of the same generation at all.

　　The cultivation world doesn’t really care about the etiquette and rules of the mortal world, but not caring and being deliberately pointed out are two different things. Ming Yuan’s eagerness to point it out clearly shows that he disagrees with Chen Yiheng pursuing his disciple. If he wanted what was best for his disciple, he wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic towards Chen Yiheng. After glancing around furtively, Mu Zirun suddenly realized, and a line of words flashed through his mind,

　　Love triangle.

　　Yes, isn’t this a love triangle?

　　What a melodramatic mess.

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