Chapter 119: Resources
A profound silence fell over the gathering as Li Yao’s announcement echoed across the courtyard. The position of Grand Elder carried deeper significance than even the Sect Master role itself.
While a Sect Master’s authority stemmed primarily from raw strength, the Grand Elder represented wisdom and guidance. Since they couldn’t let just any strong person lead the sect, there needed to be a Grand Elder to guide the sect leader. As the ancient saying went, an elder in a family was worth a thousand gold.
Even the elders themselves appeared visibly shaken by Li Yao’s declaration, though none dared voice their objections after witnessing her devastating display of power. They rationalized the decision by reminding themselves that Xiang Yu was her senior brother, making him a plausible candidate for the position... in perhaps a few centuries. Perhaps the young Sect Master was simply planning extraordinarily far ahead.
Tension rippled through the crowd as Li Yao casually formed a crackling ball of lightning between her slender fingers. The disciples shifted nervously, wondering if she was angered by their reluctance to acknowledge her senior brother’s appointment.
In an unexpected turn, she suddenly directed the lightning bolt straight toward Xiang Yu.
Gasps erupted from the onlookers. Even Xiang Yu himself appeared momentarily startled, but his reaction was nothing short of remarkable. In one fluid motion, he drew his sword and executed a precise slash that cleanly dissipated the energy, the lightning fragmenting into harmless sparks that scattered around him.
Murmurs of astonishment spread through the assembly. Wasn’t this supposed to be the useless senior disciple of Mountain Heart Pavilion? How could he move with such speed and precision? Many could barely follow his movements with their eyes. Had he been concealing his true abilities all this time?
"As you have seen," Li Yao’s clear voice cut through the whispers, "the senior disciple of the Mountain Heart Pavilion is not trash at all."
She had orchestrated this demonstration specifically to prove that Xiang Yu could indeed cultivate. She felt that this was necessary as convincing the sect would be nearly impossible otherwise, after all, in a world dominated by cultivation, it was harder to be taken seriously if you couldn’t cultivate.
She knew her senior brother might not willingly agree to display his cultivation prowess in public, which had forced her to use this method. Though she apologized inwardly for the surprise attack, his response had exceeded her expectations. Despite using power equivalent to the peak of Foundation Establishment, she had anticipated he would merely dodge the strike—not effortlessly neutralize it. A small, proud smile curved her lips; her senior brother had been hiding his abilities more thoroughly than she’d imagined.
"Did you know?" Li Yao inquired silently.
[Of course I did,] the Empress replied confidently, though internally, she too was taken aback. She had suspected Xiang Yu was hiding his strength, but she hadn’t expected him to be hiding this deeply. Something about him struck her as peculiar—he didn’t carry the aura of someone naturally blessed with great fortune.
Initially, she had considered the possibility of soul possession, but after scanning his soul multiple times, she had detected no signs of such interference. What, then, explained his extraordinary abilities?
"Awakening memories from a previous life, perhaps?" she pondered. "That seems plausible."
Yet recalling her earlier encounter, another possibility emerged: "Or is someone targeting Li Yao?" As a person of tremendous potential and fortune, Li Yao would naturally attract the attention of powerful beings, some of whom might place agents in her proximity. The Empress sighed inwardly. "Maybe I’m overthinking it."
Regardless of Xiang Yu’s true nature, the Empress silently vowed to use all her power to protect Li Yao. For now, she would simply observe and wait.
...
The crowd stood transfixed, eyes wide and mouths agape at the display of skill they had just witnessed. Before the murmurs could grow too loud, Li Yao continued her address, gesturing toward Xiang Yu with unmistakable pride in her voice.
"The truth is, Xiang Yu is an extraordinary genius in secondary professions," she proclaimed, eliciting gasps of surprise from the assembled disciples. "He had deliberately kept his talents hidden until now since he didn’t like the attention." Her tone softened as she explained his reasoning. "But with the sect in danger, he has chosen to reveal his true abilities, creating treasures that will restore our strength and protect our future."
With a wave of her hand, Li Yao summoned the contents of her spatial ring, manifesting before the crowd’s astonished eyes. Mountains of resources materialized on the stage—pills of various grades arranged in neat stacks, formations discs with intricate patterns etched into their surfaces, weapons gleaming with spiritual light, and talismans vibrating with barely contained power.
The collective intake of breath was audible. These resources were really useful for a sect that had been grappling with severe resource shortages since the attack. Whatever lingering doubts remained about Xiang Yu’s appointment instantly evaporated at the sight of such abundance.
"With these resources, he is indeed worthy of being Grand Elder," someone whispered reverently.
"For such treasures, I wouldn’t mind calling him ancestor!" Elder Wu Tiangang of the Spirit Forging Pavilion declared boldly.
Several nearby elders shot him incredulous looks. "Now you’re doing too much," they muttered disapprovingly.
Elder Wu merely snorted, dismissing their criticism without a second thought. What did these fools know? Having a close relationship with someone proficient in secondary professions was like possessing a priceless treasure itself. And Xiang Yu appeared skilled in multiple crafts—befriending such a person would be equivalent to ascending to the heavens in a single step.
"These are the treasures he has given to the sect to help us recover our strength," Li Yao continued, her voice clear and commanding. "He has also promised to provide more should these ones run out."
Cheers erupted from the crowd, their earlier skepticism completely forgotten as they calculated how these resources would enhance their own cultivation.
Li Yao turned to address the elders directly, her posture straightening with authority. "Elders, come and help distribute the resources. Ensure everyone receives their fair share."
Almost instantly, the elders materialized on stage safe for Elder Guo Shantian and Elder Huang. They bowed deeply "We greet the Sect Master. We greet the Grand Elder," they intoned in perfect unison, their deference to Xiang Yu unmistakable.
Elder Wu Tiangang, slightly slower to respond, blinked in surprise as he approached. Weren’t these the same people who had criticized him moments ago for showing excessive respect? When did they become so fluent! Nevertheless, he joined them in the formal greeting. "Greetings, Sect Master. Greetings, Grand Elder."
Li Yao observed the scene with a slight frown. These elders seemed to be showing more respect to her senior brother than to herself, their newly appointed Sect Master.
[It’s understandable,] the Empress’s voice echoed within her spiritual sea. [He’s providing what people need most at this moment.]
Li Yao scoffed quietly, exchanging a meaningful glance with Xiang Yu before they both departed the stage. Xiang Yu, clearly uncomfortable with the prolonged attention, headed straight back to the Mountain Heart Pavilion without further ceremony.
Li Yao, however, had other matters to attend to. She materialized before Yan Xuelian and Zhao Tiangang, her power pressing down upon them like an invisible mountain. "We need to talk," she stated, her voice resonating with unyielding authority.
"We’re really cooked this time," Yan Xuelian thought grimly as she and Zhao Tiangang exchanged worried glances before nodding their agreement.
...
Author’s Corner:
"An elder in a family was worth a thousand gold" - It’s like 2am and I don’t feel like looking up the actual saying.
Surprise Chapter (got sudden enlightenment and decided to write this. Second Chapter will be updated later today)