Chapter 631: The Arrival
Chapter 631: The Arrival
After settling the messenger, Olive anxiously took the letter and hurriedly found Taru. He asked the students who were seeking guidance to leave, and then said solemnly, "Taru, the Dawnlight Pavilion has sent a letter."
Upon hearing the name 'Dawnlight Pavilion', Taru's expression turned serious. She took the letter, opened it, and read it.
The letter was written in the elegant Grand Prosperous Golden Pavilion Script, starting with a customary greeting, followed by a brief recollection of the two sects' historical ties, and then revealing the true purpose.
It mentioned that the two sects had a tradition of mutual sparring since ancient times.
During the previous Taru's tenure, the two sects had also engaged in sparring. Therefore, this time, the Dawnlight Pavilion intended to send a disciple to spar with the current Taru.
Although the tone seemed polite and humble, it was more like a notification, merely informing them of their intentions without considering the other party's thoughts.
Olive expressed his concern, "This doesn't bode well. They're coming at this time, and the Dawnlight Pavilion is targeting the rift. If they bring that item, as soon as Chen Chuan starts his cultivation, they might discover the existence of the rift."
Taru asked, "Olive, is that item really in their possession?"
Olive replied, "Your master mentioned this, and it's highly likely."
Initially, when the Fist Ancestor of the Solitary Stream Pavilion sparred with the Blade Ancestor of the Dawnlight Pavilion, he carried a personal token that was said to be able to sense the presence of the rift from a distance.
However, the rift had already disappeared by then, and everyone in the pavilion believed it was gone. Thus, the item only held only sentimental value, and since the body of that senior was not sent back, it was highly probable that it was taken by the people of the Dawnlight Pavilion.
But the previous Taru had rediscovered the rift, making the item valuable again. The Dawnlight Pavilion might also guess its function, and if they brought it with them, once they set foot on the island, they might be able to locate the true position of the rift through those anomalies during Chen Chuan's evening cultivation.
Even if Chen Chuan stopped cultivating, it wouldn't help. Without the backing of the Skywheel Company, the Solitary Stream Pavilion was destined to be coveted by the Dawnlight Pavilion. During this period, the Dawnlight Pavilion was most likely to achieve their goal, and they would spare no effort to find the rift.
If they couldn't find it, they might not allow others to keep the rift, and it was hard to say what the Dawnlight Pavilion might do. This was precisely what Olive was most worried about.
After some thought, he said, "Taru, with our strength, it's difficult to deal with the Dawnlight Pavilion. We should discuss this matter with Chen Chuan."
Taru nodded and said, "Let's go find Chen Chuan."
At that moment, Chen Chuan was sitting in front of the Lotus Seat. Sensing the approach of the two, he opened his eyes, stood up from his original position, and said, turning around, "Is the Dawnlight Pavilion making a move?"
Olive was surprised and asked, "Chen Chuan, how did you know?"
Chen Chuan smiled, "Your spiritual fields and mental states have already revealed your intentions to me."
He sensed that the two were in a state of extreme alertness and vigilance, as if triggered by the presence of a powerful opponent. Taru, on the other hand, was more lively and spirited, obviously not just fearing the opponent but also anticipating the challenge.
The most likely cause for this situation was the previously mentioned Dawnlight Pavilion.
Chen Chuan's relaxed demeanor put Olive at ease. He composed himself and said, "The Dawnlight Pavilion just sent a letter, but it's no different from a challenge. They might arrive here within the next two days."
Chen Chuan slightly nodded. He had anticipated this, as even the Linaksa Federation's Utiko had noticed Fei Guang Island, so how could the Dawnlight Pavilion, which had long coveted the Solitary Stream Pavilion, let this opportunity pass?
If they missed this window, there might not be another chance.
He said to the two, "Old Mr. Taru, I've said before that we are of the same Pure Essence Sect, and this matter also involves me. I will stand with you."
Hearing this, Olive felt relieved. Chen Chuan's performance the night before, not to mention his ability to witness the secret art's legacy, gave him a lot of confidence.
The previous Taru had reached his forties or fifties before witnessing these things. Olive remembered that at that time, the old Taru's strength was extraordinary, and in this outer sea region, apart from those few Blade Ancestors who never showed their faces, he had hardly encountered any worthy opponents.
Olive believed that even if Chen Chuan didn't reach that level, as long as he came close, he should be able to handle the Dawnlight Pavilion's disciple. However, he still had one concern.
He said, "This time, the Dawnlight Pavilion might send their top disciple, Yajian Hong."
Chen Chuan had heard this name during his conversation with San Yuan Jin Fa and had learned some details indirectly, but that was all. Since San Yuan Jin Fa had never met Yajian Hong, Chen Chuan asked, "How strong is Yajian Hong?"
Olive replied, "It's said that his talent is average. If it were just him, Chen Chuan, you should be able to handle it without difficulty. But...
The previous Taru said before his passing that each generation's top disciple of the Dawnlight Pavilion might not be the most skilled in combat, but they would definitely be the most capable of bearing the Blade Ancestor's spiritual trust.
Chen Chuan's heart stirred, and he wondered if this was a spiritual refuge. It reminded him of Jian Chengsheng.
"Old Taru once said that the martial halls that have survived to this day in the outer sea all possess the skill of passing on their spiritual refuge to their disciples. Some methods are more gentle, while others are more aggressive, and some are even necessary for cultivation. Dawnlight Pavilion falls between the latter two."
"Yajian Hong's ability to become the head disciple lies not in his mastery of secret teachings but in his suitability to receive the headmaster's power, according to the tradition of Dawnlight Pavilion."
Perhaps fearing that Chen Chuan would become timid, he added, "However, the Blade Ancestor's power is too formidable. A disciple can accept his power, but their endurance is ultimately limited. So, his strength should not be beyond the point of being unchallenged."
Chen Chuan nodded. This explanation made sense, and even if there were exceptions, it wouldn't be incomprehensible. He sincerely said,
"Both of you, if Yajian Hong comes to the island and issues a challenge, then please let me handle it. Although I'm not from Solitary Stream Pavilion, you are fellow sectarians of Pure Essence Sect, let alone that I can't avoid this matter either."
Olive was very grateful and said, "Mr. Chen, thank you." Then, he looked solemn and said, "Since it's like this, I and Taru will go to formally reply to Dawnlight Pavilion."
Chen Chuan nodded.
After the two left, he thought that such an opponent would undoubtedly be very helpful in developing his own power. Then, he turned around and sat down in front of the lotus seat again.
Seven days later, a ferry braved the big waves and sailed into Ro Wang Island. After the ship docked, several combatants wearing ancient robes and with their hair in buns disembarked in the pouring rain.
The clothes they wore were the martial attires of Dawnlight Pavilion.
There were many disciples of the three great pavilions in the outer sea, and the martial hall also had many branch halls. But those who could wear these attires were all from the main hall, which made the people at the port pay extra attention to them.
A 16-year-old boy, with a book in one hand and a bar in the other, was surrounded by these people. He looked like a teenager, but his face was that of a young man.
This young man had a dazed expression on his face, as if he wasn't very intelligent. However, those accompanying him treated him with great respect.
At this moment, the frail young man turned his head to look at one side and then suddenly broke away from the group and headed in a certain direction. The person behind him hurriedly came up and pulled him back, saying, "We need to find a place to stay first. When the weather gets better, we'll go to Fei Guang Island. Please come this way."
The frail young man looked at him, and his eyes became even more bewildered. The others also came up and carefully persuaded him, and then they brought him back to the group. They then headed toward a pre-arranged inn.
Two days later, after more than ten days of strong winds, the messenger came to the island again and delivered another letter to Olive.
This was the second letter from Dawnlight Pavilion, stating that they had arrived at Ro Wang Island and were preparing to visit Solitary Stream Pavilion to pay their respects to Taru.
Olive frowned tightly.
From the itinerary, it seemed that the people from Dawnlight Pavilion had set off the day they sent the letter. This indicated that Dawnlight Pavilion had only made some superficial excuses, and nothing more.
He looked at the time on his watch, and it was about half an hour before they would arrive. They were pushing forward step by step, leaving no room for reaction.
He took a breath, selected a few disciples from the martial hall, and brought them to the dock below to wait. Soon, a sailing ship approached from the sea.
As the ship slowly approached and docked at the pier, disciples dressed in Dawnlight Pavilion's attire disembarked. They walked with sharp eyes, each with a long blade at their waist, ready to take action at any moment.
Olive approached them, and they all looked at him sharply, their eyes like knives stabbing at him.
He remained calm and came before them. "I am Teacher Olive, a disciple of Solitary Stream Pavilion. Master Taru has asked me to come and greet you all." As he spoke, he bowed.
The group looked at him for a moment, and one person stepped forward and bowed in return.
"I am Shiyuan Ba, a disciple of Dawnlight Pavilion. This time, I follow my headmaster's instructions and accompany my senior brother to visit the fellow sectarians of Solitary Stream Pavilion. Please forgive our intrusion."
"So, it's Mr. Shiyuan." Olive looked at him and said, "Which one of you is Yajian Hong?"
Shiyuan Ba's expression turned solemn, and he took a step forward. He revealed the young man who looked dazed, frail, and small. "This is our senior brother, Yajian Hong."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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