Chapter Thirty-Six: The Eve of the Gathering

His face was as flawless as white jade, his eyes bright as stars, and his figure tall and elegant. Now, Ye Xiao had grown up to be quite handsome, appearing every bit the part. His aura was tightly restrained, and his cultivation had reached the early stage of the Three Talents Realm.

Beside Ye Xiao stood an even more strikingly handsome youth, exuding effortless charm and noble demeanor—a rare beauty among young men.

Ye Zihan’s body trembled slightly. After four years, he was once again confronted by Ye Xiao, who was nominally his cousin. An inexplicable emotion stirred within him.

From childhood, Ye Xiao had been domineering and aggressive, looking down on Ye Zihan, who was labeled a worthless failure. Every encounter ended either with ridicule or a beating.

Though Ye Zihan possessed no strength to speak of, he was a hard stone indeed. Whenever Ye Xiao tried to bully him, he always managed to bite back, leaving Ye Xiao with a sore tooth.

In those days, Ye Zihan felt nothing but dislike for Ye Xiao—indeed, his only sentiment was hatred.

Now, four years had passed, and the feeling of resentment had not faded. The impression etched into his heart during childhood surged up once more at the sight of Ye Xiao. The marks left upon his soul were not so easily washed away.

“The eldest son of the Ye family—Ye Xiao—and Yuming from Misty Rain Pavilion. Did you have some quarrel with them?”

Yan Chen, who had been standing beside Ye Zihan, sensed clearly the change in Ye Zihan’s aura.

“It’s nothing,” Ye Zihan replied, shifting his gaze and forcibly suppressing the turmoil within. “What’s Yuming’s story?”

Yan Chen glanced at Ye Zihan suspiciously before turning his eyes to Yuming. He took a deep breath, his expression somewhat strange. “Yuming is the young master of Misty Rain Pavilion, one of the Four Great Sects. He’s the foremost among the younger generation of his sect, with talent that surpasses even those we’ve seen before. Three years ago, when he was fifteen, he had a fateful encounter in a mountain stream and received the legacy of a high-level beast. His cultivation advanced directly from the early stage to the late stage of the Three Talents Realm. His source energy is exceptionally abundant, far stronger than others of his age!”

“A beast’s legacy?” Ye Zihan was momentarily stunned. It was exceedingly rare for a human to inherit the legacy of a beast.

“Yes, three years since that inheritance, he has already stepped into the Four Symbols Realm.”

“Four Symbols…” Ye Zihan whispered to himself. So many powerful figures walk this land.

“All nine great powers have gathered!”

With Ye Xiao and Yuming arriving, the crowd suddenly realized that the rising stars of the nine great powers of the Mortal World were all assembled here!

These youths walking together were, without exaggeration, the gathering of the next generation’s strongest.

“Brother Yeyue, it’s been a while.” Yuming approached Yeyue Tian, offering a cupped-fist salute with a graceful smile.

“It has indeed, Brother Yu,” Yeyue Tian replied with a smile, returning the gesture. “It’s only been two years since we last met, and already you’ve entered the Four Symbols Realm. I’m truly humbled.”

“You’re too kind, Brother Yeyue. My superficial Four Symbols strength might not match your hidden peak at the late stage of the Three Talents Realm. Who would win is anyone’s guess.”

“Haha, you’re modest, Brother Yu.”

Though their words were polite, an overwhelming aura emanated from both, as if locked in a silent contest—a pressure that left others feeling breathless.

“No wonder they are heirs of the great powers.” Those who had only come to the Five Elements Gathering for fun now abandoned such thoughts. Facing these prodigies would only bring humiliation.

“Master Ye.” The Twin Phoenixes from Phoenix Academy approached and greeted Ye Xiao.

---

“Oh, it’s the Twin Phoenixes. It’s been a long time,” Ye Xiao smiled and saluted.

“Yes, three years since we last met. How is my younger sister, Zixue?” Yun Han asked with a gentle smile.

Hearing “Zixue,” Ye Zihan’s heart was jolted. How had his sister become acquainted with the Twin Phoenixes? He didn’t know that three years ago, Yun Han had accompanied elders to visit the Ye family and, upon seeing the talented yet lonely Ye Zixue, felt deep sympathy. The two girls were of similar age, and after a heartfelt conversation, became close friends.

“Zixue is well. Thank you for your concern, Miss Yun Han. She’s just not yet fifteen, so she didn’t come to the Five Elements Gathering.”

“That’s a pity. The event only takes place once every fifty years—missing this means she won’t have another chance to participate.” Yun Han’s tone carried regret, but after a moment, she added, “With Zixue’s ability, even though she’s not yet fifteen, she would have qualified for the Gathering.”

Ye Xiao chuckled, saying nothing more.

“The most qualified to attend from the Ye family is missing. They just sent someone random—it’s obvious they’ve given up on the Gathering.” A mocking voice came from Qi Qianduan of the Qi family.

“What do you mean by that?” Ye Xiao’s gaze turned icy. Though the Ye family had fallen to the bottom, they still retained a shred of pride. Being looked down upon like this, Ye Xiao’s expression grew cold and grim.

“Haha, don’t be angry, Brother Ye. Brother Qi only meant that it’s a pity your sister can’t attend, not that he intended any offense.” Yeyue Tian quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Hmph!” Ye Xiao glared at Qi Qianduan and turned away.

Qi Qianduan sneered. To him, except for the genius Ye Zixue, the Ye family posed no threat at all.

“You two arrived late. Did you find a place to stay? If you don’t mind, you can join Brother Feng from Silent Sound Valley and stay at my Yeyue residence for a few days?” Once tension was eased, Yeyue Tian, as host, extended his hospitality.

“Brother Yeyue, you are too kind. With the Gathering about to begin, I’m sure you’re busy enough already. We wouldn’t dare add to your burden. We’ll just find an inn and settle ourselves. Thank you for your generous offer.” Yuming smiled softly, politely declining.

Ye Xiao nodded in agreement, clearly letting Yuming speak for them both.

“You two are carefree by nature. In that case, I won’t insist,” Yeyue Tian replied, maintaining his smile. He cupped his hands to the crowd. “I have some mundane matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. In two days, I look forward to seeing everyone’s astonishing performance on the Hero’s Platform!”

Once the crowd returned the salute, Yeyue Tian wasted no time, called for Feng Ba, and the two departed.

With Yeyue Tian and Feng Ba gone, the rest took a look around the Hero’s Platform, exchanged a few words with acquaintances, and then dispersed.

“Let’s head back too,” Yan Chen called to Ye Zihan.

“Alright.” Ye Zihan glanced at Ye Xiao for a moment before turning away.

Back at the tea lodge, it was midday. After lunch and a brief rest, the two wandered the city once more. In this City of Ten Directions, famed as Heaven’s City, all manner of strange and marvelous things piqued their interest.

They strolled until evening, returning to the tea lodge with long shadows trailing behind them. After a day exploring the city and marveling at things they’d never seen before, their spirits remained high.

“The Five Elements Gathering is the day after tomorrow. What are your plans for the next two days?” Yan Chen asked as they walked toward the Bamboo Pavilion.

“We’ve seen most of the sights. The next two days, I’ll focus on refining my cultivation in my room,” Ye Zihan replied, then asked, “And you?”

---

“That’s my intention as well,” Yan Chen said. “We’ve seen the basic strength of the major powers’ youths—they’re formidable. I can’t say with certainty I could defeat them. These next two days, I’ll train in my room, at least so my state will be at its peak for the Gathering.”

Ye Zihan nodded in agreement. The group from earlier were true prodigies, especially Yeyue Tian and Yuming, who left him feeling uneasy.

“Is this your first time in the City of Ten Directions?” As Ye Zihan and Yan Chen returned to the Bamboo Pavilion, just as they were about to ascend the stairs, a man’s voice sounded from above.

“Yes,” another man replied.

“I’ve heard the city’s night scene is lively and beautiful. Shall we go enjoy it tonight?”

“Of course.”

The voices drew nearer, accompanied by footsteps—it was Ye Xiao and Yuming coming down the stairs. Yan Chen and Ye Zihan looked up in surprise.

The staircase was narrow; with Ye Xiao and Yuming descending side by side, there was no room left. Yan Chen and Ye Zihan stepped aside to let them pass.

Ye Xiao ignored them. From his perspective, the aura of the two below was weak, not worthy of his attention.

But Yuming, a whole realm above Ye Xiao in strength, sensed their cultivation at the middle stage of the Three Talents Realm and was surprised—there were indeed many hidden experts among the common folk.

The four met at the bottom of the stairs, but exchanged no words. Once Yuming and Ye Xiao left, Yan Chen and Ye Zihan ascended unhurriedly.

“Who’d have thought they were staying here too,” Yan Chen remarked, curling his lip.

“It doesn’t matter where they stay,” Ye Zihan replied, feigning indifference, though his heart rippled with unease. Ye Xiao—should I repay you for all the humiliation I suffered as a child?

“We’re here. For the next two days, let’s shut ourselves away and train hard. Any improvement means more chance of victory. I’ll go in first—call if you need me.” At the door, Yan Chen spoke to Ye Zihan. Seeing him nod, Yan Chen entered.

Ye Zihan opened the door, entered, and sat down. Yet his mind wandered, memories of childhood and encounters with Ye Xiao flooding back.

“Phew!”

After a long while, Ye Zihan shook his head vigorously, forcing himself not to dwell on the past.

“With the Gathering approaching, I should forget about Ye Xiao for now and see if I can advance my cultivation in these two days.”

With his thoughts settled, Ye Zihan acted at once. He climbed onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the Phantom God Technique.

Outside, the golden light gradually faded away, finally vanishing into the night.