Chapter 70 'Cousin' And Also 'Enemy'
Chapter 70 'Cousin' And Also 'Enemy'
"It seems that our chief is quite interested in Edgar's spiritual meridian with dual powers!" some disciples said in a hushed voice.
"Exactly! The spiritual meridian with dual attributes is supposed to be scarcer than the spiritual meridian that can help practice the manuals. As long as Edgar's spiritual meridian is not too weak, he stands a good chance of becoming an innate spirit in the future!"
Apparently, they also had figured out part of the reasons why their sect chief Zenith invited Edgar to be his disciple.
"It's just a great pity that Ricky didn't get the same chance. His spiritual meridian is not only dual- attributed, but also has capabilities for practicing the manuals. Yet, its biggest flaw is that it's incomplete. Due to this irreparable defect, his future achievements will always be limited. Without such a defect, he would definitely have been offered the rare chance!"
Most of them envied Edgar's great luck while also sympathizing with Ricky's misfortune.
Meanwhile, disciples from the Refinement and Casting Faction shot Ricky disdainful looks, as if to say, "You were the CHAMPION of the Outer Competition, and so what? Our chief will never show interest in a guy who doesn't have a complete spiritual meridian."
Ricky didn't care about the looks on their faces, and they were not relevant to him at all. Besides, he couldn't be more aware of his own situation. He of all people knew what he really wanted at present.
An innate spirit as their master, others might desire, but Ricky had little interest in having such a master.
His regained spiritual meridian was now so powerful that it was equivalent to the help of any master.
Right now, the only thing Ricky longed for was to obtain first prize as the champion of the Outer Competition quickly and use it for practice and weapon casting.
...
"Ricky…" Just when the disciples had relaxed, thinking the day's surprises were over, Zenith's stately voice suddenly broke through the hushed chatter.
"Is… Is our chief going to take Ricky as his disciple as well?" The disciples immediately speculated, paying rapt attention now. Among them, those from the Refinement Faction and Casting Faction, in particular, looked especially concerned.
The two factions were far from weak, and even had demi-immortal elders. Nevertheless, in front of the formidable Zenith and his Snow Sect, they felt small, like weak ants in front of a mountain.
If Ricky became Zenith's disciple, it meant that the two factions could be terribly doomed in the end.
"Yes, Chief!" Ricky responded respectfully and wondered, 'Is the chief going to take me under his wing as well?'
However, it turned out that this was not the case.
"Ricky, I am quite impressed by your performance during the Competition, so I will give you a separate reward to encourage you to strive for more!" Zenith said briskly.
Upon hearing that, the disciples of the two factions felt greatly relieved. They heaved an audible sigh, smiling triumphantly.
But the other disciples were more curious about what Zenith had in store for Ricky.
"Chief, thank you very much!" Ricky said, bowing deeply. He was incredibly excited now. In Ricky's opinion, Zenith, a genius master, the top warrior in the area of Snow Sect, would definitely offer him a substantial reward!
"After you obtain the championship reward, you may come pay me a visit. You'll find out what your reward is then!" Zenith added. Now that the reward's nature was kept in suspense, many of the disciples felt greatly disappointed. They had been looking forward to the grand reveal!
Even the four Elders couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. They, too, were keen to find out what reward Ricky would get from Zenith.
With this, the Outer Competition ended, and after Zenith and the four Elders left, the disciples began to stream out of the competition venue.
Everyone knew that the results of this particular Outer Competition would have a great influence on the Snow Sect for a long time, especially because of Ricky and Edgar, who would for sure be the talk of the town for quite some time.
...
Now, Ricky, Grace, and Heather made their way back to the courtyard. On the way, Heather complained quite a bit about Zenith not taking Ricky in as his disciple.
Ricky grinned and told her that it was fortunately he was not accepted; otherwise, he would be miss the chance to see her every day, and it would be a shame for she was such a lovely girl.
His teasing reply made Heather blush like a rose.
...
After the three of them had just arrived at the courtyard, a Snow Vulture quickly landed on the courtyard, with two people hurriedly swinging off its back.
"Sean, what are you doing here?" Grace asked, alarmed at once.
She knew one of the men, Sean, who was the second top disciple among the core disciples.
"Ha-ha, Grace, I really don't want to be here! It's just my friend who took me with him!" Sean explained and smiled, gesturing to the young man next to him.
Grace turned to look at him.
He was a handsome and energetic young man, dressed in white robes, with a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. Anyone who saw him would think that he would likely be a nice man. Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
"He… Why is he here?" Grace asked doubtfully. He was a stranger.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
It was the sound of knuckles cracking, which came from Ricky's body.
Ricky had clenched his two fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. Blood oozed from his hands, his knuckles straining under the force.
Now, his eyes began to gleam with a sharp murderous intent.
Grace, Heather, and Sean, felt fear chilling their hearts as they saw Ricky's darkening demeanor.
"Cousin Ricky! Look at your face!" the young man exclaimed with a teasing smile. He seemed not to be affected by Ricky's sudden change, as if he had expected them.
"Nate!" Ricky roared, his voice echoing in the air.
This young man was Nate, who had been Ricky's dearest cousin. But he had betrayed Ricky, causing misfortune to happen to Ricky and his close family.
Hearing Ricky's furious roar, Grace and Heather immediately knew who the young man was.
"Sean, get out our sights with your companion at once. You're not welcome here! I will drive you two out of my place by force if you don't respect the boundaries of my home. If that happens, don't blame me for being rude to you two!" Grace warned coldly, her usually cold eyes gleaming with a similar fierceness as Ricky's.
"Ha-ha, Grace, are you really trying to challenge me and test the progress of my martial arts skills I've gained these past few days?" Sean said with a light smile, looking at Grace defiantly. He showed no intention of leaving.
"Hmm! I won't mind!" Grace said slowly and coldly. She stepped forward, about to drive away Sean and Nate by force.
However, Ricky stopped her.
When he laid eyes on Nate, pure rage had come over him. For a moment, he had lost his mind, wanting to kill Nate then and there.
But after being through all kinds of hardships, Ricky had become more mature and resilient. He was able to calm himself down, and now had a much more composed expression on his face.
He knew he and Nate were definitely not equal opponents now. Besides, even if he was stronger than Nate, he was not allowed to kill him within the domain of the Snow Sect. If he killed Nate
unceremoniously, the cost would be one he couldn't afford—he would be hunted down and killed as well. He knew he had to let Nate leave with his life.
Seeing that Ricky had calmed down, Grace gradually withdrew her strong fighting momentum.
"Ha-ha, Grace, you are doing the right thing. If we fight against each other, it will ruin our harmonious relationship!" Sean chuckled.
"Ricky, aren't you supposed to greet your dear cousin with a smile?" Nate asked, smiling as if he had forgotten what he had done to Ricky and was still Ricky's dear cousin. But Ricky knew his cousin was just taunting him.
"Nate, if you have anything to say, just spit it out and then leave immediately!" Ricky said evenly.
"Ricky, your words really hurt me! As soon as I finished my cultivation, I heard that you won the championship of the Outer Competition. I came here at once to congratulate you!" Nate said, gesturing with his hands. It was clear he was playing a game.
"Nate, do you really think you need to pretend that you care about me? Save it!" Ricky sneered.
"Oh? Well, now... It seems you're right! I'll cut it straight to the chase and tell you why I'm here!" Nate's tone changed, growing hostile.