Chapter 40  : Chapter 040 Incredible

Not choosing any of them?

Every single individual present at the scene looked at Yang Zhen in utter astonishment, unsure whether they had misheard his statement.

Any practitioner who came to participate in the Nether State meeting, whether they were disciples of minor sects or rogue practitioners, all hoped to perform impressively and be accepted as a disciple of one of the five great sects.

Everybody was striving to showcase their potential and talents in hopes of being favored by any one of the five great sects.

Yang Zhen was noticed by all five great sects at once. Even though he had some friction with the Donglin Sect, it was a trivial matter. There wasn’t a sect without conflicts amongst its disciples.

Even Zhang Zongjin, for the important task of recruiting talents for his sect, had to swallow his grudges with Yang Zhen. If other elders in the sect found out that Zhang Zongjin’s conflicts led to the loss of a highly talented disciple like Yang Zhen, Zhang Zongjin probably wouldn’t have had a good ending either.

That was also why Ma Dexing, although angry, didn’t give Yang Zhen too hard a time after he understood that the poison on Zhang Zongjin was caused by

Duan Langcai.

All the disciples of minor sects and rogue practitioners in the audience had just shown a hint of envy when they heard Yang Zhen say that he wasn’t interested in any of the sects, and almost bit their tongues in surprise.

With squinted eyes, Luo Yan chuckled while looking at Yang Zhen, and asked,

“Can you tell me why?”

Duan Qing took a deep breath and turned towards Yang Zhen, “Yang Zhen, you must know that the higher the realm of cultivation, the greater the need for resources and high-level cultivation methods. Without a good sect, future cultivation will surely be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

The crowd nodded in agreement, their gaze towards Yang Zhen filled with confusion.

Ma Dexing also had a strange look on his face. He gave a light snort and looked at Luo Yan and Duan Qing, seeming to derive some schadenfreude from their predicament.

These two old fellows had gone to great lengths to win over Yang Zhen. In the end, he chose none of them. Fortunately, these two had broad minds and managed to keep their cool without changing their expressions on the spot. If it had been someone else, they would have taught Yang Zhen a lesson for his ingratitude.

Yang Zhen merely smiled at the two of them and said, “Well… I’m used to being independent. I don’t like to be bound. Great sects are good, but they don’t suit me.”

Upon hearing Yang Zhen’s words, the crowd nearly spit out blood.

You, a disciple of a minor sect, talking about freedom with everyone else, isn’t that nonsense?

Yes, great sects have many rules, but the disciples within them are often more free than those from minor sects. How could there be any binding?

In reality, Yang Zhen was quite helpless. His situation was unique. His talent soared to the heavens, and whether it was any cultivation method or martial skill, he could elevate it to its maximum capacity promotor.

If it wasn’t for the Dayan Wind and Thunder Sword and the Three-Element Ghost Shadow Sword being limited to the heaven-level by their martial skill, Yang Zhen speculated that he could have pushed these two martial skills straight to the holy level.

As such, if Yang Zhen were to join one of the five great sects, he wouldn’t be able to practice the sect’s cultivation methods and martial skills. Otherwise, his secret would be revealed immediately.

If Yang Zhen’s abilities were discovered, even the long-dead ancestors wouldn’t be able to rest in their graves and would crawl out just to catch him.

Too dangerous, Yang Zhen would never join any sect no matter what.

Luo Yan and Duan Qing exchanged glances, their faces somewhat unable to keep their composure. However, thinking of Yang Zhen’s talent, they could only sigh, suppress the dissatisfaction in their hearts, and asked seriously, “Yang Zhen, do you have any requirements to share with us?”

Hiss!

The surrounding crowd was instantly in an uproar.

Others were more than willing to kneel and beg to be accepted as a disciple by one of the five great sects, while Yang Zhen was actually in a position to make demands. No wonder Yang Zhen talked about being accustomed to freedom. It wasn’t about freedom; it was about raising his own price.

Comparing oneself with others could be mortifying. It seemed like being talented and handsome indeed gave one the power to do as they wished.

The entire crowd felt doubts encroaching on their lives—like the feeling Yang Zhen was enduring.

“To be frank, it’s not that I look down on the five big sects, but rather I already have a master.” Yang Zhen sighed, and regretfully said, “It was a stormy night, the darkness of the sky enveloped the land, and torrential rain washed over everything…”

The crowd gawked at Yang Zhen, who conjured up a tale where a mysterious elder, a divine dragon in nature, stumbles across him by accident, insisting through tears and pleas on taking him as his disciple. From Yang Zhen’s mouth poured out a narrative that was so vivid it moved the listeners to tears.

The crowd listened, shocked by the story of Yang Zhen’s enormous fortune. Some people were in awe, while most of them were envious.

“S0…S0 it seems, that is quite a pity.” Luo Yan sighed regretfully, disappointed that Yang Zhen was unavailable.

Duan Qing pledged in silence for a moment before asking, “I wonder when this elusive senior of yours will show up again—I would appreciate a meeting with this elder.”

Yang Zhen laughed loudly, saying, “My revered master travels freely in this universe. He enjoys traveling and comprehending life and his whereabouts are always unpredictable. When he surfaces again, I will inform both of you. Until then, distinguished elders… until we meet again.”

Having said that, Yang Zhen sprinted away from the crowd before anyone could object. His speed increased gradually, and in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared.

In the valley, everyone watched the departing figure of Yang Zhen in astonishment. Luo Yan sighed, “What a straightforward young man. He is very decisive, and gets things done without any muddling. I can’t imagine what kind of splendor he will bring to the Nether State.”

“We still have some time left in our lives, we can wait and see!” Duan Qing nodded, his voice filled with admiration.

Ma Dexing looked grim as he ordered people to bring Zhang Zongjin to the top of the mountain.

Soon after, a hysterical roar was heard from the top of the mount, “Yang! Zhen!”

The crowd was startled, quickly rushing towards the peak.

What was going on? Ma Dexing’s enraged scream sounded as though Yang Zhen had stolen some precious treasure from him

Everyone rushed towards the source of the sound in confusion, too impatient to discuss among themselves

Hearing Ma Dexing’s scream, Yang Zhen shivered, speeding up his steps, thinking, “Thank goodness I fled fast. Seems like Zhang Zongjin has awakened by now.”

After some time, he heard the sound of conversation from not far off. A hint of interest piqued in him as he advanced towards the source of the sound. Soon, he saw a group of ten people, four of which were women while the rest were men.

The one speaking was a lady dressed in yellow. Despite the gentle tone of her voice, the jealousy seeping through her words was still discernable. She was discussing something about a nine-story demon tower.

There’s a nine-story demon tower here as well?

Yang Zhen was taken aback. He decided to join their conversation, asking, ‘■Excuse me, pretty lady. Could you explain what you mean by ‘nine-story demon tower’?.”

Pretty… lady?

The lady in yellow was taken aback. When she finally came to, her cheeks turned a faint shade of red, avoiding eye contact with Yang Zhen out of shyness. A moment later, she burst into giggles, shooting a glance at Yang Zhen, retorting shyly yet irately, “What do you mean by a ‘nine-story demon tower’? Your words are nonsensical.”

Though the lady in yellow wasn’t extremely beautiful, the charm in her smile made hearts flutter.

The six men around them stared at Yang Zhen in dumbfounded silence, their faces full of wonder.

With a single sentence, he had left the lady blushing and giggling. This man_no, this seducer—where did he come from?

Now, that’s impressive!