Chapter 2290: The First Lesson

"Hahaha... Brilliant!" Yi clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

Clearly, he was extremely satisfied with Ye Yuan's performance.

Yi made a gesture of invitation, signaling Ye Yuan to take a seat.

This meant that Ye Yuan was qualified to sit and discuss the Dao with him.

The title of Sub-Sage was also well-deserved.

"It is the Holy Ancestor's strength that truly opens my eyes," Ye Yuan said with a smile as he sat down opposite Yi.

Since entering the Tongtian Realm, Ye Yuan had been nearly invincible in the Dao of Alchemy, never encountering a rival.

But this time, Ye Yuan knew he had truly met his match!

The Medicine Ancestor and the Holy Ancestor High Priest were two towering peaks in the Dao of Alchemy, the pinnacle of the world.

To surpass them was exceedingly difficult!

Even though Ye Yuan had comprehended the origin of the Great Dao and touched the level of the Dao Pill, he still had a considerable gap compared to them.

From the earlier exchanges, Ye Yuan had already deeply felt the power of the Holy Ancestor High Priest.

It was as if an insurmountable mountain stood before him.

Of course, Ye Yuan was still too young.

Both the Medicine Ancestor and the Holy Ancestor High Priest had spent an immensely long time studying the Dao of Alchemy.

Yi filled Ye Yuan's teacup and laughed, "I was right about you; you did not disappoint me! In just two thousand years, your alchemy strength has become terrifying, far beyond my imagination."

Ye Yuan smiled, "Actually, from the moment I first broke Mo Wen's technique, you knew this day would come, didn't you? In the Dao of Alchemy, I am confident I am inferior to no one, not even you or the Medicine Ancestor!"

In the Dao of Alchemy, Ye Yuan possessed extremely strong confidence.

This was earned through countless temperings and millions of victories.

This confidence was deeply ingrained in his bones, and no one could shake it.

But as soon as these words were spoken, all the disciples changed expression.

"How dare you! Even if the master has named you Sub-Sage, before you reach the Heavenly Man Realm, you have no right to be so presumptuous before the master!" the third among the eleven disciples said in a deep voice.

Ye Yuan looked at him and smiled, "This is not presumption; it is hero cherishing hero! I respect the Holy Ancestor's spirit, so defeating him is the greatest respect I can show! What he needs is not flattery, but a powerful opponent! How could a person who is obsequious and reverent before him be worthy of being his opponent?"

The third disciple sneered, "Absurd! Your achievements today are all due to the master's deliberate cultivation! Yet you show no gratitude before the master; you are utterly ungrateful!"

Ye Yuan laughed heartily, "It seems you have a misunderstanding of the meaning of cultivation. It is true that I have borrowed the Holy Ancestor's influence over the years, but when it comes to cultivation, I am afraid I have not received even a fraction of what you have!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples' faces turned extremely ugly.

The implication was that they were too weak!

Which of these disciples had not been personally trained by the Holy Ancestor High Priest?

They had consumed countless resources from the Priest Temple.

Yet to this day, none of them was qualified to sit opposite the master.

That was the gap!

"My achievements today did not come from anyone's cultivation, but from my own efforts! Relying on others' cultivation will never make one a true strong! You are like this, and so are the Medicine Ancestor's disciples! Walking someone else's path is indeed a shortcut, but if you cannot forge your own path, you will forever stand there. Yet I can sit here!"

Except for Ji Mo, the other disciples' expressions changed drastically.

Arrogant!

Too arrogant!

This fellow dared to be so arrogant even before the master!

"Master, this child is too insolent and does not take you seriously at all! If he achieves the supreme realm in the future, he will surely be a great threat to the Priest Temple!" the second disciple said in a deep voice.

The Holy Ancestor High Priest had remained silent all along, quietly sipping tea, allowing Ye Yuan and his disciples to exchange words.

He set down his cup and laughed, "Hahaha... You are wrong! Ye Yuan will not become our enemy; on the contrary, he will become our strongest ally! Or rather, he will forever be the Sub-Sage of the Priest Temple!"

The second disciple said in confusion, "Master, that is impossible! I have seen countless arrogant and conceited people like him. How could such a person become our ally?"

The Holy Ancestor High Priest glanced at him and said, "Ye Yuan's words are pearls of wisdom! It is just that you cannot understand them! Have you noticed that the seventh disciple has changed a lot recently?"

The disciples were startled and looked at Ji Mo.

If the Holy Ancestor High Priest had not mentioned it, they would not have noticed.

But now that he said it, it was true!

In recent years, not only had Ji Mo's strength greatly improved, but his entire demeanor and aura had also changed significantly.

Could it be that all these changes were due to Ye Yuan?

This realization was no small matter.

The Holy Ancestor High Priest laughed, "Ye Yuan is not disrespectful to me; on the contrary, he holds me in great esteem! I chose him not to make him cower before me, but to make him a true strong, to help me break through my shackles!"

"He does not owe me anything. His achievements today come from his strong will and strength!"

"From the moment he sat opposite me, our contest officially began! Every move, every word, is a part of our duel. Since it is a duel, one cannot lose momentum! If he were reverent before me, he would have lost without even competing!"

"Ye Yuan is right; he can sit opposite me with ease. But what about you? Which of you can sit before me calmly, drink tea, and discuss the Dao?"

All the disciples looked ashamed. The master was right; none of them could sit opposite him and drink tea calmly.

None of them could do it!

Even the eldest disciple, High Priest Qingming, who had followed the master the longest, could not!

The Holy Ancestor High Priest laughed, "This is the first lesson the Sub-Sage has taught you. Think about it carefully! His appearance might be a turning point in your lives!"

The disciples' hearts trembled violently. No wonder the master had brought them all along.

At first, they thought it was to witness the Myriad Domain Alchemy Conference, but now they suddenly realized it was for Ye Yuan!

The master's intention was profound!

The Holy Ancestor High Priest poured tea for Ye Yuan and laughed, "Hehe, I naturally know you have this potential and strength, but I will not lose either!"

Ye Yuan smiled, "Winning and losing are important, yet not important! Losing depends on whether the loss is worthwhile!"

The Holy Ancestor High Priest gave Ye Yuan a meaningful look and sighed, "You are stronger than me! It took me a very long time to understand this principle. It seems you are already prepared."

Ye Yuan smiled, "It is not too late to understand now! The strong always grow stronger through setbacks!"