C16 Three Schools and Six Sects

"I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional."

Ning Xue froze for a good ten seconds before she frantically wriggled free from Ye Tian's embrace, standing steady with cheeks ablaze. Head bowed, she wished the ground would swallow her up.

After uttering those words, to then dive into Ye Tian's arms was truly...

"I know it wasn't on purpose. Go take care of Elder Ning. I'll head out first."

Ye Tian gave Ning Xue a reassuring shake of the head and a smile before quickly departing the hospital.

Ning Xue watched his retreating figure, her eyes a mix of bashful ripples and bewildered clouds.

Her heart, meanwhile, felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.

"This is just too absurd."

Meanwhile, Ye Tian, stepping out of the hospital, felt his chest with a puzzled look.

"Why is my heart racing? And why am I breathing so quickly? With my level of cultivation and experience, such things shouldn't affect me."

"Is it this body's doing? Though my mind is mature and I'm in love with Yao, this body has only two hundred years of memories. Its nervous system reacts as it always did, getting overly excited from contact with a beautiful girl. It seems transforming my physical form is a long and challenging journey ahead."

After mulling it over and settling on a reason, Ye Tian stopped dwelling on it and headed towards his rented dwelling.

Ning Xue had paid him the 300,000 yuan for the second Peach Wood Amulet, so he was free from financial worries for the moment and didn't need to set up his stall.

The night was deep, the alley tranquil, with occasional wafts of floral scent – a serene respite.

A few steps into his leisurely walk, Ye Tian's brow creased, then relaxed into a smirk.

"Come out, no need to skulk in the shadows!"

Upon entering his home, Ye Tian cast a cold glance around the courtyard.

"You've got some skill to sense my presence in the house! Now, where have you hidden it?"

A burly man emerged from the shadows along the eaves, eyeing Ye Tian with hostility.

This was the same man who had visited earlier in the day.

He was searching for something.

Ye Tian's frown deepened slightly as he asked calmly, "What are you looking for?"

"Don't play dumb. You wouldn't be living here if you weren't after the item Qin Xuanming hid in this yard," the strong man sneered. "Hand it over if you know what's good for you, or else I'll have to kill you!"

If only he were one of those responsible for his parents' demise!

At the man's words, a flicker of disappointment crossed Ye Tian's heart, but it was quickly replaced by a chilling gaze. The lethal intent of a cultivator at the Uncut Jade Stage burst forth, targeting the strong man. "You think I'm the one who's going to die? Are you sure it's not the other way around?"

"Big talk! Take this!"

The strong man's sinister smile broke as he lunged at Ye Tian with a powerful strike.

His speed and strength were leagues beyond that of Niu Xu and Lin Faang's bodyguards.

And the imprint on the green brick was undoubtedly his handiwork.

"Mountaineer!"

Ye Tian braced against the fierce onslaught, his eyes narrowing with resolve.

"So, you've recognized I'm a Mountaineer. Then why aren't you kneeling already?"

Upon hearing the words, the brawny man let out a chilling laugh, his talon-like claws descending toward Ye Tian's chest.

"What does it matter if you're a Mountaineer? To me, you're nothing but an ant!"

With an indifferent smile, Ye Tian effortlessly extended a hand, precisely grasping the wrist of the brawny man's incoming strike.

The move was executed with pinpoint accuracy.

Before the brawny man could even register what happened, Ye Tian shifted, unleashing a formidable force the man couldn't hope to contend with. The brawny man was hurled into the air and then brutally slammed onto the steps below.

Had the brawny man not been a Mountaineer, such a vicious blow would have shattered his bones and inverted his organs, leaving him to die in excruciating agony on the spot.

The next moment, Ye Tian's foot pressed down on the brawny man's chest, his gaze filled with contempt as he towered over him like a deity. "The strength you boast of as a Mountaineer is laughable at best," he said icily.

Wracked with pain, the brawny man wished for death, but the terror gripping his heart was far greater. He stared at Ye Tian with the same fear one might reserve for a specter.

He had considered himself no ordinary foe, yet against Ye Tian, he was utterly outmatched.

"What are you here to find?" Ye Tian demanded, his foot pressing down harder.

"Don't you already know?" The brawny man replied, bewildered, his expression clouded with confusion.

He sensed that Ye Tian's question was genuine. But if it wasn't what he suspected, why would Ye Tian dare to take up residence in a haunted house?

"Just answer my question. Spare me your pointless chatter. Are you seeking death?" Ye Tian's foot shifted, now resting on the brawny man's Dantian, the pressure mounting as he spoke with a frosty tone.

"I was sent by my sect to retrieve a treasure that Qin Xuanming pilfered," the brawny man confessed, panic evident in his eyes as he felt the acute pain in his Dantian.

For a Mountaineer, the ruin of the Dantian and the loss of one's cultivation was a fate worse than death.

"Which sect? What treasure?" Ye Tian pressed on.

"Qin Xuanming and I are disciples of the Eagle Claw Sect. The treasure was acquired by our Sect Leader during his travels. Qin Xuanming stole it while on duty in the storeroom. I was tasked by the Sect Leader to recover the treasure. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's clearly of great importance to him," the brawny man explained, trembling with fear.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Ye Tian's smile was devoid of warmth as he intensified the pressure underfoot.

"Senior, I truly don't know what it is. The Sect Leader only instructed me to pursue Qin Xuanming, never revealing the nature of the treasure. Besides, I killed Qin Xuanming, and he never disclosed where he hid the stolen item. I suspected he had an accomplice, which is why I've been watching this place. When I saw you move in, I thought you might be his partner. I swear I'm not lying," the brawny man pleaded, his voice laced with agony.

He wasn't lying.

Ye Tian observed the brawny man's demeanor, his eyes narrowing as he ascertained the truth in his words.

Nevertheless, the brawny man's claim that he was aiding the Sect Leader in capturing Qin Xuanming was surely a lie. He likely intended to claim the stolen treasure from the Eagle Claw Sect for himself.

"What is the strength of the Eagle Claw Sect?"

After a short pause, Ye Tian resumed his questioning of the burly man, eager to learn about the various cultivation realms on Earth.

"You're not familiar with the strength of the Eagle Claw Sect?"

The burly man's expression turned to one of shock and disbelief.

Given Ye Tian's abilities, he was clearly a Mountaineer. But if he was indeed a Mountaineer, how could he be unaware of the Eagle Claw Sect?

The Eagle Claw Sect might not be the most formidable among the numerous sects on the mountain, but it was far from obscure.

Without uttering a word, Ye Tian applied more pressure with his foot.

"The Eagle Claw Sect currently has one Mountaineer at the early Celestial Level, fifteen at Earth Level, fifty at Profound Level, and roughly two hundred at Yellow Level, like myself."

Wincing in pain, the burly man quickly divulged the Eagle Claw Sect's inner workings to Ye Tian.

Yellow Level, Profound Level, Earth Level, Celestial Level—these tiers of cultivation closely resembled those of the Pure Warriors in the Square Inch Spirit Domain.

However, in the Square Inch Spirit Domain, these four levels were merely the minor realms within the Mud Stage for Pure Warriors.

The question was, did these Earthly Mountaineers possess strength comparable to those with similar titles in the Mud Stage?

"Apart from the Eagle Claw Sect, what other sects exist on the mountain? And what is the highest level of cultivation achieved by anyone currently?"

Ye Tian didn't bother to delve into the reasons behind these questions; his gaze shifted as he pressed for more information.

Why would Ye Tian need to ask such things?

The burly man was riddled with confusion, but sensing Ye Tian's impending force, he quickly responded, "The mountain's most powerful sects are known as the Three Schools and Six Sects. They include the Tianxin Sect, Water Moon Sect, Qingming Sect, Celestial Dipper Sect, and Earth Fiend Sect.

And then there's the Blood Shadow Sect, Duanquan Sect, Hanging Sect, and Taiyi Sect. The most revered among them is Lau Bufan of the Qingming Sect, whose cultivation has soared to the Peak of Celestial Level."

Hearing the Qingming Sect's name, Ye Tian's expression subtly shifted.

He couldn't ascertain whether there was any connection between the Qingming Sect and the Qingming Lucky Land of the Square Inch Spirit Domain.

He had once mentioned to Ning Zhongshan that he was a disciple of Qingming, chuckling to himself at the time, curious if such a sect actually existed on the mountain. And now, it turned out to be a reality!

Yet, the fact that the mightiest among the Mountaineers had only reached the Peak of Celestial Level was an unexpected revelation to Ye Tian.

If the Mountaineers' realms were indeed segmented into the four stages of the Mud Stage, then the Pure Warriors of Earth seemed alarmingly feeble by comparison.