"Was she just about to fight with him?" One of the many elders who had their gazes attracted towards Xiao Lin and Zhao Yu, couldn't help but ask with his eyes glowing.

"You think so? Look at her, she's smiling at him. I think she only did that to frighten him." Another elder said with a smile in his face.

"Threaten? Threaten him for what? Does he owe her anything? Or have they known each other before coming down here for the discipleship exams?" Another elder asked.

"Well, I think not. But she would definitely have a reason for doing that" One elder said, contributing to the discussion that was ongoing between the elders present in the Hall of Elders.

And before any of the elder could ask a question or say anything else, the elder who just finished speaking, unexpectedly flew out of the Hall of Elders that all the sect elders were in and shot out a great speed towards the examination ground.

While the elders who weren't expecting that elder to fly out of the hall, and couldn't guess where he was actually flying to, began to look at one another to see if any of the elder seated in the hall has a clue of where he was going to

"Where is Elder Shanxiang flying to?" An elder asked with his brows furrowed..

"I don't know. Neither can I guess." Another said, giving a response to the question that the elder seated in front of him just asked.

Then seeing where he was flying to, they had shocked expressions develop in their faces.

"What? Don't tell me he is actually going to the examination ground. What is he going there to do?" An elder asked with a puzzled expression in his face.

"Oh my. Perhaps he flew down there to go meet that boy that calls himself Devil Fang and ask about the tension that had suddenly brewed and immediately died down between him and that girl that appears to be Elder Yun's favorite of the batch of new examinees here." One elder said and looked at Elder Yun with a smile in his face, while Elder Yun who turned her head to look at him when she heard him mention her name, turned it away to continue focusing on the remaining people taking the comprehension test.

Not long, the elder that flew out of the Hall of Elders and flew at a great speed towards Xiao Lin and Zhao Yu, appeared a moment later above them in the air.

He then asked with a smile in his face, "Lads, what suddenly happened between the two of you? Care to tell me?"

While Xiao Lin and Zhao Yu who wouldn't really dare to hide anything from the elder, firstly bowed to him for a short breath of time before straightening themselves back.

Then Zhao Yu who was looking at Xiao Lin to see if he would talk, but was disappointed to find out that he wasn't ready to speak, decided to speak. And since she wouldn't try to conceal anything from the elder who would be able to immediately detect that she was lying, or that she was hiding some things away from him, could get angry and decide to punish her in a way that will affect her ability to complete the ongoing discipleship exams.

Then with a smile appearing in her face, she said "Esteemed elder, actually we spoke at length to the point where I got puzzled by what he said, which was that he didn't want to develop any sort of relationship with anyone in this place, including friendship with anyone."

"So, completely baffled by what he mentioned, I tried to tell him that it was good to have a company of good friends who would cheer and support him along the way to the apex of power. But he politely declined my suggestion by saying that he didn't need such companies, and that he in fact enjoys his own company than companies of friends. Also, he mentioned that the images and sounds in his head, which could actually be memories of things that happened to him in the far past and are probably haunting and worrying him, will produce the pressure that's needed to force him to climb the zenith of power in our world."

"However, slightly angered by the statement that he made since I totally believe in the power of true and mutual friendship, I had to unleash my fearsome Spiritual Energy to force him to accept me to become his friend when I requested for it and he refused. But everything is okay between us now. He has accepted to become my friend." Zhao Yu said with a smile in her face while Xiao Lin only shook his head with a sigh being uttered deep within his mind.

"Oh. That's good. I like that" The elder who was looking at Zhao Yu as she spoke, said and gave her a thumbs-up.

He then turned his head to look at Xiao Lin who only turned his head to look at the ground. And once the elder did so, he said, "Boy, I don't know what may have happened to you in the past to make you utter those words that you mentioned to this beautiful lad here. However, just like she said, having friends... No, I mean having true, ambitious, zealous, and like-minded friends who would always be there to support you, are very much needed for your growth and development. Only you can't do all sorts of things by yourself. Even the most special being in the world still need friends that will support him in everything that he has mind on. Even the strongest, deity-level cultivator from the Spirit Continent will have friends. So, in summary, you need friends to help you grow and reach your full potential."

"Then if you would like to take a look at what I am saying from another angle, imagine yourself being chased down by powerful people who have the intention to kill you to take the ravishing and powerful treasure that you accidentally discovered in an uncharted region that could be a legacy ground to some powerful ancient cultivator who has died. If you have friends, not greedy ones who would crave, desire and lust after the items such as pills and treasures that you have in possession, they will come up to protect you from the attacks of the people chasing after you to kill you and share your treasures amongst themselves" The elder called Elder Shenxiang said.

He then said further, "I think I have spoken enough. So, it's really up to you to either want friends or not. But note that you need friends that will support you in anything that you will put your mind to do. Even if it is the most terrible and most horrendous thing to do in the world, they will actually support you and won't try to stop you from achieving your objectives. Bye for now, lad. It's time for me to return"

Immediately the elder said that, he shot into the sky like an arrow and flew back to the Hall of Elders to have his seat.

When the elder uttered his last statement and shot into the sky to return to the Hall of Elders, Zhao Yu looked at Xiao Lin who seemed to be in deep thought.

However, Xiao Lin was actually deep in thoughts. He was ruminating over all that the elder mentioned to him.

He then thought back to his master, Lin Shou Wen, who was the Demonic Blade King. And once he did so, he said within himself, "If my master had friends who would support him in the things that he was doing, he would still be alive till now. But if he hadn't died, I wouldn't have come across him and possess those spiritual art books and scrolls that he passed down to me as his legacy inheritor. Hmm. Well, not being in the company of true and supportive friends had cost him his life, a mistake I hope not to repeat."

"But who would want to become my friend once they realize what I am doing? I will appear really dangerous to them, and once that happens, they would begin to dread me. Then the day that they start to fear me, that is the day that they will start to plan and scheme to kill me, since they wouldn't want me to make my move first and kill them to use their blood for cultivation." Xiao Lin said with his eyes narrowing.

Then once he thought all these, he looked at Zhao Yu and asked with a serious expression in his face, "What if the stuffs that I do doesn't conform to the things that cultivators would normally do, would you still be my friend by then?"

"Well, since I have made up my mind to be your friend, then I should be able to accept anything and everything that you will set out to do, even if they are things that will make the world turn their backs on me, or worst, request for my body and soul. Then I who requested to be your friend, will put in my utmost best to help you achieve the very best results in whatever thing that you would set to do." Zhao Yu responded with her lips curling into a bright smile.