C20 Dong Shou!

After a night's rest, Ye Han felt his energy and spirit fully replenished, his body brimming with strength.

Having eaten breakfast, Ye Han donned a blue cotton robe and headed to Peng Wei's courtyard. Finding no one there, he made his way straight to the back mountain.

The Cloud Facing Pavilion's grand halls were nestled among the mountains, which stretched for hundreds of miles, teeming with countless Fierce Beasts. Some of the higher-ranked Fierce Beasts had even developed intelligence, becoming the dominant forces within these peaks.

The back mountain was a training ground cordoned off by the Cloud Facing Pavilion, covering an expansive territory. For an ordinary person, traversing it on foot would take an entire day.

This area was designed for the disciples' training, featuring towering mountains, waterfalls, cliffs, deep valleys, and dense forests. The Barbarian Beasts that roamed here were almost exclusively Rank One, with only a handful of Rank Two beasts.

If the outer court disciples were allowed to hunt freely, the Fierce Beasts of the back mountain would eventually be depleted. Therefore, the Cloud Facing Pavilion sealed the area for six months each year to prevent the complete eradication of these creatures.

Today marked the first lifting of the back mountain's seal, an event the outer court disciples referred to as the Winter Hunt.

Upon Ye Han's arrival at the base of the back mountain, he found over a hundred disciples already gathered, eagerly awaiting the lifting of the seal.

Many were visibly excited, itching to put their half-year of rigorous training to the test against the Fierce Beasts.

"If my memory serves me right, today is the day Peng Wei will fall to the Flower Shadow Leopard. I wonder where he could be now?" Ye Han mused, his expression grave as he scanned the crowd. It didn't take long for him to spot Peng Wei.

Peng Wei, clad in a blue robe, was animatedly chatting up a girl, boasting with great enthusiasm.

Approaching them quietly, Ye Han greeted them with a smile, "Are you two also heading into the mountains for the hunt?"

Upon seeing Ye Han, Peng Wei replied with a grin, "Ye, I didn't expect to see you here. This is the outer court's goddess, graced with both talent and beauty, Senior Sister Lingling. And this is my brother, Ye Han."

Wu Lingling, clad in a long green dress and wielding a long sword, stood with an air of confidence. Her beauty was accentuated by her proud stance.

At Level Six of the Pulse Opening Stage, she was known for her exceptional talent among the many outer court disciples, earning her a significant reputation.

Currently, Wu Lingling cradled her cheek in her hand, appraising Ye Han without a furrow in her brow. She spoke with contempt, "Ye Han, you may be handsome, but that's where your worth ends. In three years, you haven't even managed to open your meridians."

The term "handsome" was often reserved for women, and using it to describe a man carried an undertone of scorn and belittlement. It was a clear jibe at Ye Han's lack of substance behind his appearance.

Ye Han shivered at her words. Normally, his fiery temper would have led to a fierce confrontation, but with his mind preoccupied, he found it rare to engage with her.

Peng Wei chuckled awkwardly, "That's outdated news. My brother has now successfully opened his meridians; he's not that hopeless!"

Wu Lingling responded with a dismissive "Tsk! With the sect examination just two months away, what can he achieve having only just opened his meridians? He's still doomed to be expelled."

Ye Han chose to ignore her. Silence was the best response to someone as haughty as Wu Lingling.

Peng Wei elbowed Ye Han gently and whispered, "Ye, what brings you here? I finally managed to get a moment with her, and I was about to make my move. Why are you stirring up trouble?"

"You're in mortal danger, and yet you're still fixated on a woman. Are you really flirting with death?"

Ye Han didn't have the patience for him. He closed his eyes to meditate, prepared to play the villain if it meant saving Peng Wei's life.

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down his spine. He felt an icy stare and turned to find himself locked in Zhou Chong's chilling gaze.

Zhou Chong's mouth twisted into a sinister smile as he said, "Hehe, you've bypassed the road to heaven and chosen to break into hell instead. Ye Han, today marks your end."

Ye Han couldn't hear the man from such a distance, but the icy expression on his face was enough for Ye Han to surmise that he was there for vengeance. He silently warned himself, "Today, Peng Wei's life is at stake. If you dare to interfere, I won't hesitate to add another corpse to the back mountain."

Wu Lingling caught a glimpse of the subtle murderous aura emanating from Ye Han and paused, perplexed. He seemed so unremarkable, yet why did she feel an inexplicable pressure in his presence? Could she be imagining it?

Before long, the guards opened the gates, and the group of young men surged ahead, racing towards the back mountain.

As they ventured deeper into the mountain, the crowd around them thinned out until Zhou Chong couldn't spot a single person.

Wu Lingling scanned the area, finding no trace of a Fierce Beast. With a slight frown, she proposed, "The outskirts of the back mountain are just low-level Fierce Beasts, all cleared out by now. It's quite dull. Shall we press on?"

Peng Wei chuckled heartily, "Hehe, if Lingling, a girl, isn't scared, then we two men certainly won't have any issues."

Ye Han offered a resigned smile and a shrug, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He figured that voicing his opposition would be pointless. One was blinded by ignorance, the other eager to flaunt his power—arguing would be futile.

Throughout the journey, Peng Wei flattered the young lady and subtly urged Ye Han to find an excuse to leave, so as not to get in his way.

Feeling helpless but noting that there was no immediate danger, Ye Han reluctantly made up an excuse to step away, careful not to stray too far, maintaining a hundred-meter distance.

After some time, they reached a Rank One zone frequented by Middle Level Fierce Beasts and set their sights on a Barbarian Ox.

The Barbarian Ox, a Rank One Middle Level Fierce Beast, towered over two meters with exceptionally thick skin. Although not highly aggressive, its barbarian strength was on par with a Level Five warrior of the Pulse Opening Stage.

Eager to impress Wu Lingling, Peng Wei sprang into action, launching an attack on the ox.

With the aid of a spirit medicine, Peng Wei had reached Level Four of the Pulse Opening Stage.

The Barbarian Bull's massive size made it less agile.

Peng Wei managed to hold his own, albeit clumsily, much to Zhang Lingling's amusement as she couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

While Ye Han's attention was on Peng Wei, he was suddenly ambushed. Two whooshing sounds approached from behind, and lethal blades of cold light sliced through the air, aiming for Ye Han's vitals in a clear attempt to end his life with a single blow.

For any other youth lacking real combat experience, such an attack would be deadly.

But not for Ye Han.

In his past life, he had survived countless battles to the death and was well-versed in the art of countering sneak attacks. The emergence of Zhou Chong had put him on high alert.

With a powerful "Bam!", Ye Han pushed off with his feet and leapt from the tree branch.

"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"

As Ye Han was in midair, unable to brace himself, three more cold lights streaked towards him.

From a nearby thicket, Zhou Chong sneered with satisfaction, "You've made a fool of me too many times. I can't quell the hatred in my heart without killing you."

"Bam!"

In the face of danger, Ye Han's composure deepened. He kicked off the tree trunk to reposition himself, narrowly evading the deadly assault.

Once he landed, Ye Han quickly took cover behind the trunk, holding his breath and focusing intently to pinpoint Zhou Chong's location.

However, the forest was filled with only the sounds of Peng Wei's impassioned roars, Zhang Lingling's calls, and the Barbarian Bull's angry bellows—no other noises could be heard.

"Crack!"

Zhou Chong, not a professional assassin, made a slight misstep during his movement. Despite his efforts to be silent, he accidentally snapped a dry branch.

Even though the sound was muffled by the bull's roars, Ye Han detected it. The two failed ambushes had stoked the flames of his fury. He charged towards the bushes with determination.

Zhou Chong, realizing things were going awry, turned and fled, apparently unwilling to engage in a direct confrontation.

The two dashed for several hundred meters, with Ye Han eventually closing in on Zhou Chong.

Without a moment's hesitation, he launched a punch.

Zhou Chong, taken aback by the sudden attack and remembering the previous beating, was wary of Ye Han's fist. He couldn't bring himself to take the blow head-on, and instead, he rolled away in a clumsy escape.

Zhou Chong glared at Ye Han, his eyes filled with malice but devoid of fear. "Ye, I didn't see your vigilance coming. Let's have an open and fair fight then."

Ye Han, containing the rage sparked by the unexpected attack, responded icily, "Zhou Chong, you've been a thorn in my side over and over. What's the matter? Can't stomach the fact that I'm better than you?"

Zhou Chong bellowed, "You... just shut up! You're nothing but trash from the Cloud Facing Pavilion!"

"Why do you get to trample over me? On what grounds?"

"I will never accept it. I refuse to accept it."

With a sneer, Ye Han retorted, "Whether you accept it or not, I am stronger than you. That's the reality."

Zhou Chong's face twisted with rage as he shouted, "Ye Han, I'll admit it, I'm envious of your talent. Even in the direst of straits, you've managed to rise above."

"But what about me? From the moment I joined the Cloud Facing Pavilion, I've been the most ordinary. No matter how hard I try, I'm always just someone to be stepped on."

"Lin Haoran, Murong Xueer, who do you think you are?"

"Do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed?"

"You effortlessly outstrip me with your god-given talents. I can't stand it. I just can't!"

Ye Han felt no sympathy for such a person. Should jealousy allow one to disregard the lives of others? Yet, considering they were still fellow disciples, he said coldly, "Zhou Chong, as fellow disciples, I'm willing to let this go. You're free to leave."

But Zhou Chong was far from grateful. With a scornful laugh, he retorted, "Leave? Why should I? I've come to claim your life. Today, only one of us will survive."

Ye Han glared at the frenzied Zhou Chong with disdain. "Do you really think I'm scared of you? Since you refuse to see reason, then let's battle it out!"