Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 40: Chapter 39: Fighting Spirit

The next morning, within the Xiao Family camp, all the clan members stopped their work, their faces filled with worry and sighs.

Their gazes were all fixed on the more than eighty young disciples. These disciples had only arrived more than ten days ago, and their cultivation effects had yet to be seen, but now they had to leave.

The delay in training time was secondary, what mattered most was the sharpness belonging to the young people, which would inevitably diminish considerably.

This time, the disciples of the Xiao Family had been suppressed so miserably by the disciples of the Murong Family, and now they were leaving in disgrace; this was definitely a shame for the younger generation.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that, in a few years, the overall level of the Xiao Family disciples would surely be far inferior to that of the Murong Family.

No wonder the clan members looked so worried.

Of course, those young disciples were also having a hard time, all ashamedly lowering their usually arrogant heads, no longer possessing their past confidence and youthful zeal.

But there was no other way. They were all injured, with many also wrapped in bandages; they needed better rest and recovery, only possible by returning to their family.

After more than half an hour, when all the disciples had assembled, Xiao Hu glanced at the Fourth Elder.

The Fourth Elder shook his head.

Xiao Hu sighed and said to the family disciples, ”Let’s go.”

The more than eighty young disciples hung their heads in despair and reluctantly prepared to leave.

Just at this moment, a youth appeared in front of them and blocked their path.

”Xiao Yi,” the young disciples exclaimed in surprise.

”Xiao Yi,” said Xiao Hu with a delighted expression.

The person who came was Xiao Yi.

”Xiao Yi, have you succeeded? Have you truly refined enough Elixir Elixir?” The Fourth Elder quickly approached, his face full of hope as he asked.

Healing Pills for a hundred people and Body Tempering Pills in one night, this was something a First-grade Alchemist could definitely not do; even for Second-grade Alchemists it was extremely difficult; only Third-grade Alchemists could have full confidence and speed.

Xiao Yi rolled his eyes and said, ”What do you think? If I hadn’t succeeded, why would I appear here?”

”Good lad, indeed you did not let us down,” the Fourth Elder patted Xiao Yi heavily on the shoulder, full of praise.

”This freak actually succeeded, truly worthy of being our Xiao Family’s number one talent,” the Sixth Elder proudly smiled.

”But, I’m not planning to give them the Elixir Elixir,” Xiao Yi shook his head, his expression cold.

”Huh?” Xiao Hu was stunned; his previously beaming face suddenly froze.

Xiao Yi sneered, ”Since the Healing Medicine in the vein is already running low, it’s better to reserve it for Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Zimu, and the other more than twenty disciples who are staying behind.”

”I don’t want to waste the Elixir Elixir I’ve painstakingly refined on some useless people,” Xiao Yi said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

This indifferent tone of his was the greatest contempt and insult to those disciples who were already severely injured. ’Wasting on useless people’ was clearly referring to them.

”Xiao Yi, are you deliberately making fun of us?” a young disciple angrily shouted.

Xiao Yi recognized the disciple, one of the most outstanding from the Xiao Family who had previously entered the Purple Cloud Cave for cultivation.

”Xiao Yi, stop fooling around,” the Fourth Elder said sternly, ”now that the Elixir Elixir has been refined, quickly bring it out for everyone to use.”

”No,” Xiao Yi said firmly, ”I won’t give them a single pill of the Elixir Elixir I’ve refined.”

”You little brat, are you asking for a beating?” The Sixth Elder immediately got angry and said, ”I know many disciples here have bullied you, and now you want revenge, but we are all members of the Xiao Family; why be so petty?”

Everyone had already seen through Xiao Yi’s thoughts; it was clear that he was making things difficult for these seriously injured disciples.

”Hmph, if you don’t give, then you don’t give; we can simply return to our family,” those arrogant disciples said furiously, turning around to leave, ”Xiao Yi, remember this day’s humiliation; one day, we will repay it a hundredfold.”

Xiao Yi had clearly aroused public anger.

”You little brat,” the Sixth Elder immediately said, ”I order you as an elder, to bring out the Elixir Elixir right now.”

Xiao Yi shrugged and said, ”Sorry, I am the Young Master; my status is equal to yours, so you can’t order me around.”

”You...you...” The Sixth Elder was livid, pointing at Xiao Yi, shivering with rage.

Xiao Yi scoffed and said, ”Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Zimu, they fought side by side with me, confronting the disciples of the Murong Family together. If they are injured, it’s only right for me to refine medicine for them, but for that useless group who is about to leave, why should I waste Elixir Elixir?”

”As for you,” Xiao Yi looked towards the disciples cursing him and said coldly, ”you think you can repay me a hundred times one day? Heh, do you really think you have the ability?”

”You were beaten to a pulp by the Murong Family’s disciples, defeated at every turn. Yet yesterday, with my own strength alone, I captured them all—a hundred plus of the Murong Family’s disciples didn’t dare to take a breath in my presence. What right do you have to curse me?”

Xiao Yi said proudly.

Upon hearing this, the eighty-plus young disciples ceased their insults and revealed shamefaced expressions, some even unable to meet Xiao Yi’s gaze.

”Xiao Yi, enough. You’ve shown off sufficiently—don’t overdo it,” Xiao Hu frowned.

The Fourth Elder beside him suddenly tugged at Xiao Hu’s sleeve, signaling him not to speak out.

Xiao Yi went on, ”Look at yourselves, moping around with your heads down. Do you still have the face to talk about settling scores with me later?”

”If you have the pride to think about retaliating against me in the future, don’t you have the courage to go seek revenge against the Murong Family’s disciples today?”

”Do you have the guts to curse me, but no desire to trample the Murong Family’s disciples underfoot and vent your anger?”

A disciple suddenly raised his head and shouted, ”Who says we don’t have the courage, who says we don’t want to vent our spleen? Xiao Yi, today I won’t leave even if you don’t give me elixirs, even if my injuries kill me, I refuse to swallow this humiliation.”

”I’m not leaving either, not until I beat those bastards from the Murong Family to death. I won’t be satisfied otherwise.”

”I’m staying too. Xiao Yi, I’m with you. Whenever you say to deal with those jerks from the Murong Family, I’ll be the first to strike, no second words.”

”I’m not leaving either...”

”....”

One by one, the disciples began to lift their heads, their faces full of fighting spirit, exuding the vigor and arrogance that comes with youth.

”Good, that’s the spirit!” Xiao Yi roared.

”Those who are willing to stay and continue to struggle against those scoundrels from the Murong Family deserve my effort in refining elixirs for you,” Xiao Yi laughed.

”Xiao Hu, the deacon, I’ll leave the distribution of the elixirs to you.” Xiao Yi took out the Qiankun Bag and handed it to Xiao Hu.

”Uh... Oh, right.” Xiao Hu was a bit startled but then regained his composure.

The Fourth Elder chuckled beside them, ”This kid, Xiao Yi.”

”So that’s it,” the Sixth Elder too had an epiphany, saying, ”I knew it! Xiao Yi worked hard all night to refine those elixirs, and now he’s saying he won’t give them away—what a redundant act. Turns out he wanted to reignite their fighting spirit.”

The Fourth Elder nodded, adding, ”You know? You know nothing. You were badmouthing Xiao Yi just moments ago.”

”If Xiao Yi simply handed the elixirs to them, even if they recovered from their injuries, without any fighting spirit, it would be better for them not to stay here and train. Otherwise, they would still be beaten to a pulp by the Murong Family’s disciples in the future.”

”The problem,” the Sixth Elder said, ”is that even if these disciples went back home to heal, it wouldn’t be a big deal to miss out on some training time.”

”The trouble is that their morale takes a hit, and that thorn in their hearts would greatly affect their growth and cultivation in the future. Now, Xiao Yi has solved this problem for us.”

The Fourth Elder smiled, ”Xiao Yi handled this very well; I am starting to understand why the Great Elder, the Second, and the Third Elders all support his position as the Young Master.”

”With him leading the Xiao Family in the future, I believe we of the older generation need not worry anymore.”

Elsewhere, Xiao Hu distributed elixirs while listening to the disciples’ heartfelt praise.

”He truly is worthy of being the Young Master; even the older folks in the family might feel inferior to his skill in refining elixirs.”

”Exactly, our Xiao Family’s number one genius, he isn’t praised for nothing.”

”I say, the Young Master’s capture of the Murong Family mobsters yesterday, that’s what you call domineering.”

”....”

Xiao Hu smiled, taking a glance at Xiao Yi. He knew that this young man would have a sway in the family no less significant than any elder—at least, all the younger generation would trust him completely.

Xiao Yi also heard these words, but he didn’t take them to heart. Turning around, he was ready to leave. Refining so many elixirs in one night was highly draining; he planned to go back to his room to rest.

How the Xiao Family’s disciples regarded him—whether with hatred or admiration—was of no consequence to him. The sole reason he was willing to toil over alchemy and put on this day’s show was for the Third Elder.

He didn’t want to see the Third Elder troubled by these younger disciples.

But to tell the truth, he found that hearing others’ genuine admiration was quite a pleasant experience.

Perhaps, he who was accustomed to doing things alone, had begun to open up to the idea of accepting this family, of acknowledging himself as a part of it.

Of course, he owed it to the Third Elder and Yiyi.

Just as Xiao Yi was about to leave, a clan member suddenly rushed to the Fourth Elder, saying, ”Fourth Elder, I have urgent matters to report.”