Chapter 91: WERE THE DECISIONS WORTH IT?

Mo Lang scoffed at Li Yan’s provocation and immediately increased the strength behind his attacks, sending the water whip toward him with greater speed and force. Li Yan’s expression became more serious as he hurriedly moved aside, every strike that landed against the ground left a deep mark which reminded him that taking another direct hit would be fatal if he was not careful.

He continued moving around the courtyard, relying entirely on his speed to avoid the attacks instead of trying to fight back. His cultivation was still too weak, and he had barely begun learning how to control his fire attribute, so exchanging attacks with Mo Lang would only give the other man more opportunities to hurt him.

"Running around is not going to save you forever."

Mo Lang swung his arm again, and the water whip curved through the air toward Li Yan’s legs. Li Yan jumped over it and landed several steps away, but before he could regain his footing, another attack came toward his shoulder.

He twisted his body just in time, allowing the strike to pass close enough for the cold water to brush against his robes.

His breathing gradually became heavier as the fight continued, and the difference between their cultivation levels became more obvious with every exchange. Li Yan knew he could not keep avoiding the attacks forever, especially when Mo Lang still had enough spiritual energy to continue increasing his attacks.

He needed to become stronger.

Li Yan had grown accustomed to having powerful people around him who could handle situations that he could not deal with himself. His master was strong enough to suppress most people within the sect, Hu Bai possessed strength far beyond his own, and even his older brother was a capable cultivator. Knowing that he had people who could protect him had gradually made him less concerned about his own weakness.

This fight had shown him the danger of thinking that way.

He needed to stop relying on other people to solve every problem that came his way, because eventually there would be a situation where nobody could save him and he could only rely on his ability.

Li Yan shifted his footing and tried to move away from another strike, but his foot landed awkwardly against a piece of broken wood. His balance faltered for only a moment, yet that moment was enough for Mo Lang’s attack to reach him.

The water whip slammed across his waist with tremendous force, and the impact sent Li Yan flying backward through the already damaged entrance.

His body struck the ground outside the residence before the momentum carried him across the dirt, causing him to tumble several times until he finally came to a stop beside a wall.

He sucked in a deep breath as pain spread through his waist and made his vision blur. He remained on the ground for several moments as even the slightest movement could caused another wave of pain to run through his body, but he eventually forced himself upright and leaned against the wall while waiting for the dizziness to subside.

He had gotten his revenge, but the battle had reminded him of how weak he still was. If he continued fighting with his current strength, there would eventually be someone he could not avoid, and the next person might not stop after throwing him across a courtyard.

Li Yan reached into his spatial storage and retrieved his communication stone, holding it tightly while pouring some Qi into it. He did not know whether the distance between them would prevent the communication stone from working, but Hu Bai was the first person who came to mind when he realized that he needed help.

"Hu Bai, can you hear me? I need help."

Li Yan waited for several seconds, but no response came from the stone. He stared at it with a small frown, wondering whether the connection had failed or whether Hu Bai was simply too far away to receive the message.

Mo Lang appeared at the dismantled entrance and looked toward Li Yan with a wide smile on his face. Seeing Li Yan sitting injured beside the wall seemed to have pleased him considerably, especially after all the confidence Li Yan had shown while destroying his residence.

"Not so tough now, huh? You are always so proud, yet you do not even have the ability to protect yourself. You cannot even defeat me, do you think having a madman for a master and several core disciples around you means you are powerful? No, you are still the weakling you once were."

Mo Lang rested his hands at his sides as he looked at Li Yan, and the satisfaction in his expression only became more obvious as he continued speaking.

"In this world, only the strong survive. Either you step on me, or I step on you. That is how things work."

Mo Lang did not launch another attack because the commotion caused by their fight was already loud enough to attract unwanted attention.

Destroying the residence was one thing, but continuing to fight after people had already been alerted would only attract more trouble.

"Take this as a lesson."

After saying that, Mo Lang turned around and walked back into the wreckage of his residence, leaving Li Yan outside with one hand still pressed against his injured waist.

He remained against the wall while he waited for the pain to become more manageable, Xiaoxiao eventually spoke inside his mind with a tone that carried a mixture of concern and disapproval.

"Such bold moves you made. This is the consequence of your decisions. Were they worth it?"

Li Yan could taste something metallic in his mouth, and after spitting onto the ground, he saw a small amount of blood stain the ground. He wiped the corner of his lips with the back of his hand before looking toward the ruined residence.

"Yes. It taught me a lesson. I need to better myself, even if it takes me years."

He slowly straightened his back despite the pain and wiped the sweat from his face, allowing the discomfort to remind him of what had happened. He had spent too much time surrounded by people who were strong enough to protect him, and that had made him careless about developing his own abilities.

There would always be someone stronger than him, and there would always be another cultivator waiting at the next level. If he wanted to stand among the strongest people one day, he could not remain satisfied with depending on everyone else.

Li Yan understood that talking about becoming stronger would accomplish nothing unless he actually put in the effort. He needed to cultivate properly, train his body, improve his attributes, and learn how to fight without depending on someone else to rescue him.

"Xiaoxiao, let’s start training tomorrow. While my master is training me, I will train myself alongside him."

"I agree, Master. I will create a proper regimen for you so that your cultivation and attributes can improve together."

Li Yan nodded and began making his way back toward his courtyard, although every step caused pain to spread through his waist. He ignored it as best he could and continued along the mountain path until his residence came into view.

When he arrived, the sight of the destroyed courtyard left him somewhat disheartened. The damage was still everywhere, and there was no chance of restoring the place tonight, but he could at least clean enough of it to make the residence liveable.

Li Yan rolled up his sleeves and began gathering whatever could still be salvaged. He moved the broken furniture away from the areas he needed to walk through and carefully collected the pieces of pottery and other debris scattered across the floor.

Xiaoxiao helped him with the cleaning, making the work easier as they sorted through the wreckage together. Anything that could still be used was placed carefully to one side, while the completely ruined items were moved out of the way so Li Yan could at least reach his bed without stepping over broken pieces.

He had just finished clearing enough space around the bed when he heard footsteps approaching from outside. Li Yan turned toward the entrance and saw Gu Jun walking into the courtyard using his spiritual sense, looking as though he had come bearing news.

Gu Jun had intended to tell Li Yan about the strange commotion that had occurred throughout the sect after several residences suddenly caught fire. He had heard different rumors from the other disciples and wanted to know if Li Yan had heard anything about it.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard, however, those questions disappeared from his mind.

Gu Jun stared at the wreckage in the courtyard before slowly turning his attention toward Li Yan. Dust covered Li Yan’s robes, his hair was slightly disheveled, and one hand remained pressed against his waist.

Gu Jun’s eyes widened as he looked around at the destruction.

"Yan Yan, what happened? Did you do this?"