Under the sunlight, Zhi Shengyuan on the arena was wrapped in eerie red silk, stepping on Wind and Fire Wheels, looking exceedingly proud and spirited.
Soon, the referee’s voice echoed throughout the Martial Arts Arena: “Match over! Zhi Shengyuan defeats Li Jun! Accumulated wins: one match!”
The spectators in the stands let out expected exclamations. “It’s this Zhi Shengyuan again? Wasn’t he the one who beat Zhao Gongming a few days ago?”
“With his strength, he’s unmatched among his peers! Who dares to challenge him!”
“Right, that red silk and Wind and Fire Wheels are really uncanny.”
The murmurs on the sidelines hadn’t dissipated yet when Liu Biqin walked straight onto the arena. Looking at Chu Yuan suspended in midair, she bowed slightly and said respectfully, “Sir Zhi, my young master wishes to host a banquet tonight. I wonder if you…”
Before she finished speaking, Chu Yuan waved a hand. “Fairy Liu, this is the Combat Competition. Wait until you beat me before we talk.”
Facing Zhi Shengyuan’s brush-off, Liu Biqin’s face darkened. “In that case, I’ll have to offend you!”
Before her words faded, her figure vanished from the spot. Drawing a slender soft sword from her sleeve, Liu Biqin flashed and appeared in front of Chu Yuan. The soft sword in her hand was like a snake spitting its tongue, combined with erratic footwork, aiming at the most unexpected angles.
Chu Yuan didn’t move. The red silk danced around him automatically, like a living red dragon, each swing precisely blocking Liu Biqin’s sword.
Liu Biqin gritted her teeth, pushing her spiritual power to the extreme. “【Azure Sky Thousand Silks】!!!”
The soft sword burst with green light, the sword aura transforming into dozens of hair-thin green silk threads, wrapping around Chu Yuan from all directions. This was her ultimate trump card; if entangled, spiritual power would be sealed layer by layer, leaving no room for counterattack.
Chu Yuan finally moved. His right hand swung, and the red silk snapped taut like a red spear, stabbing straight at her face.
‘Not good!’
Liu Biqin hastily sidestepped, her footwork faltering for a beat. Seizing that instant of opening, Chu Yuan’s Wind and Fire Wheels simultaneously spewed flames, shooting toward her side like meteors.
Liu Biqin didn’t even see how he approached; Chu Yuan’s sword was already three inches from her throat. “You lost.”
Liu Biqin’s eyes widened slightly, her hand holding the soft sword trembling even more. Even using all her skills, she couldn’t force even a hint of his true strength. After just a few exchanges, she felt he was a murky swamp; she couldn’t even stir the surface. If it were a real fight, let alone probing his strength, she might not even survive two moves.
The referee announced, “Match over! Zhi Shengyuan defeats Liu Biqin! Accumulated wins: two matches!”
With the referee’s announcement, she sheathed her sword and turned to walk off the arena. Without lingering, Liu Biqin went straight back to report to her young master.
When the door of the private room was pushed open, Chu Yunlan was standing by the window, back to the door, not turning around. “How was it? How is his strength?”
Liu Biqin knelt on one knee, her voice slightly hoarse. “Please forgive me, Young Master. Your subordinate is incompetent and failed to win.”
Chu Yunlan turned around, saw the bloodstain on her right shoulder, and frowned. He had raised Liu Biqin from childhood; he knew her strength better than anyone. With her peak Clarity Realm strength, she could even challenge early Essence Accumulation Realm opponents. He hadn’t expected the other party to be strong enough to defeat his subordinate so quickly. Although he knew beforehand that Zhi Shengyuan’s strength was unfathomable, many of Chu Yunlan’s so-called geniuses from the Chu Clan’s main branch had been her defeated opponents.
Of course, looking on the bright side, Liu Biqin at least exchanged a few moves with Zhi Shengyuan. Chu Yunlan still asked, “Biqin, by your estimation, how strong is that kid?”
Liu Biqin recalled the fight just now, replaying scenes in her mind. That man’s red silk protected its master automatically, the Wind and Fire Wheels were as fast as lightning, and his sword swung precisely as a ruler. She couldn’t help speculating, “This person’s strength may be beyond Clarity Realm, at least Essence Accumulation Realm… No! I think he might even have Domain Transformation Realm strength.”
Chu Yunlan fell silent. “Domain Transformation Realm???”
A powerhouse of that level was absolutely no ordinary nobody. He vaguely felt that the other party must be backed by a major force. With such an unknown faction holding leverage over him, Chu Yunlan could already foresee that his path would become increasingly difficult!
Facing the young master’s silence, Liu Biqin still knelt on the ground, not daring to rise. The room was quiet for a long time until Chu Yunlan spoke again. “Get up!”
Liu Biqin stood up and asked with head bowed, “Young Master, what should we do next?”
Chu Yunlan sighed. “With his strength, a Hongmen feast is probably impossible! Let’s first see what conditions that kid wants to propose.”
Liu Biqin had never seen her young master show such a helpless expression, and subconsciously suggested, “Young Master, don’t we still have the Fox Venerable as a card?”
Chu Yunlan gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Ha! Fox Venerable? She’s not on our side. For all I know, this fake young master of mine could have been planted in the Sacred Domain by her.”
After saying this, he looked out the window.
On the arena, Chu Yuan, after a streak of overwhelmingly one-sided battles, had no one daring to challenge him.
The goatee referee had no choice but to announce, “Match over! The fourth day’s competition, the winner is Zhao Yunxiao! Congratulations, Fairy Zhao, for obtaining the qualification to enter the Mist Hidden Swamp!”
With this result, the spots for the first four days were swept by the Zhao siblings. Looking at the history of the Combat Competition, this was extremely rare. The spectators buzzed with discussion, but their strength was undeniable. Not to mention Zhao Gongming’s forty-nine consecutive wins on the first day, which was enough to prove his strength. Among the three Xiao sisters, aside from Bixiao who was slightly inferior, the other two were also impressive.
However, their smooth acquisition of the spots naturally owed to Chu Yuan’s assistance.
The four siblings were about to step forward to thank Chu Yuan, but Chu Yuan shook his head in their direction. The fact that all of them had obtained spots was already suspicious; if they got too close to him, it might invite more gossip.
Tomorrow was the last day, and the last spot. The competition would surely be even fiercer. Chu Yuan planned to be the first to step up tomorrow to gain more combat experience.
“Brother Zhi!”
Just as he stepped off the arena, he heard a familiar voice from beside him.
Chu Yuan paused and looked toward the sound. Chu Yunlan was walking quickly toward him, followed by Liu Biqin. This young master of the Taixu Sacred Domain looked energetic, but the faint dark circles under his eyes betrayed him. Clearly, this fake young master hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days.
Chu Yuan saw this and laughed inwardly. He clasped his fists and said, “Isn’t this Young Master Yunlan? Haven’t seen you in a few days. Why do you look so out of sorts?”
Chu Yunlan stopped in front of Chu Yuan and forced a warm smile. “Brother Zhi jests. Yunlan has been busy with official matters these past few days, just a little tired.”
As he spoke, he didn’t bother with more pleasantries and got straight to the point. “Brother Zhi, it’s getting late today. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a private banquet and chat?”
Chu Yuan smiled, of course knowing what this fake young master was planning. A Hongmen feast! But he wasn’t in a hurry. He declined, “No rush, Brother Yunlan. Isn’t there still tomorrow for the competition? Let’s talk after tomorrow’s competition ends!”
He wanted to make Chu Yunlan wait a little longer, to keep that anxious heart hanging.
“What? Still wait???”
Chu Yunlan’s smile froze instantly, anger flickering in his eyes. This man knew the Holy Son’s secret but refused to state it outright; clearly, he wanted to hold it over him. This feeling of being toyed with made Chu Yunlan burn with rage, and his hands clenched.
Chu Yuan squinted at the fake young master’s gradually darkening expression, his tone indifferent. “What? Do you have a problem?”
Facing Zhi Shengyuan’s playful retort, Chu Yunlan’s mouth twitched. He had never been so constrained before. Although the Second Princess had also caught him with the same leverage a few days ago, at least with Ji Yumeng, he could gather enough intelligence to understand her and possibly counterattack if necessary. But this man before him was a complete mystery.
Fear came from the unknown. If he tore off the mask directly now, Zhi Shengyuan might be fine, but what about him? Ruined reputation, expelled from Taixu Sacred Domain, becoming a laughingstock despised by thousands. Such an outcome was absolutely unbearable for Chu Yunlan.
Thinking of this, he ultimately restrained himself. Anger couldn’t solve the problem. Barely maintaining the last shred of rationality, Chu Yunlan grinned an apologetic smile. “Of course not…”
However, before he could finish, Zhi Shengyuan’s figure had dissipated like mist on the spot, not bothering to waste time listening to any bullshit.
Staring at the empty ground, Chu Yunlan stood there, his teeth grinding audibly. Here it was again! Just like before! This man was like a slippery loach; every time he thought he had caught him, the other slipped through his fingers.
“Damn it!!!”
After a few heavy heaves of his chest, Chu Yunlan finally couldn’t hold back and stomped hard on the ground, instantly cracking it into a web of fissures.
Seeing the young master so furious, Liu Biqin could only lower her head and stand aside, pretending to have seen nothing.
Fortunately, after a short while, Chu Yunlan recovered and turned to send a sound transmission to Liu Biqin.
【Tomorrow, as soon as he appears, report immediately. On this last day, I don’t believe he’ll keep stalling!!】
With that, Chu Yunlan flicked his sleeve and left. Under his quick steps, the hem of his robe fluttered like butterflies in the sunlight.
He didn’t notice that in the distance, two gazes had been watching everything.
In the northwest corner of the Martial Arts Arena, an inconspicuous high-rise private room. The window was half-covered, the curtain lowered, looking no different from outside. But the gaze behind the window had never left the direction of the arena.
A stunningly beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor was leaning by the window, her fingertips rubbing the rim of a cup. Ji Yumeng was dressed in casual clothes today, her hair simply tied up, adorned only with a blue porcelain hairpin. Even though she was the twin sister of Ji Xuanyuan, her gentle temperament made her look like the older sister next door. However, there was an unfathomable depth clearly hidden in her eyes.
“Wenzhong!” Ji Yumeng turned her head to look at the old man standing behind her. “Can you see what background that Zhi Shengyuan has? So handsome, and yet able to make our Young Master Yunlan so angry.”
There was a hint of undisguised admiration in Ji Yumeng’s tone.
These days, Ji Yumeng had been at the Martial Arts Arena every day. Watching the excitement was one aspect, but another was to recruit talents for herself. Once her elder sister’s position as Crown Prince was stripped away, Empress Wuyue, whose lifespan was short, would surely choose her as the Crown Prince. By then, she would inevitably face opposition from her sister’s civil officials and generals. Under such circumstances, Ji Yumeng needed talents.
The rogue cultivators who shone brilliantly on the arena, the low-born disciples who had endured in silence and then surprised everyone, were all targets for her to win over. She had already sent people to investigate Zhao Gongming and his siblings; the four siblings were upright in character and solid in cultivation, worthy talents.
But the one who captured her attention the most was still this Zhi Shengyuan. Before this, Ji Yumeng had seen many young masters from noble families, core disciples of sects, and generals of the Immortal Dynasty, but no one had ever made her feel at first glance that this person was no ordinary fish in a pond. A cultivator with such divine bearing and clear features was rare in the world!
Facing the Second Princess’s question, Wenzhong hesitated and shook his head. “This child… this old servant cannot see through his background either.”
Obstructed by that [Phantom Ethereal Dharma Robe], he couldn’t ascertain the other’s cultivation level. However, Wenzhong did recognize the two treasures Zhi Shengyuan used — [Chaos Ribbon] and [Wind and Fire Wheels].
These two treasures, he had seen records of in the secret archives of the Chan Sect of the [Honghuang Realm]. The Chaos Ribbon was woven by the ancient Red Emperor using celestial silk mixed with his own blood essence; it could be both hard and soft, binding all things. The Wind and Fire Wheels were even more remarkable, said to have been forged by some ancient great power using the nine heavens’ gale and earth’s core flame; riding them, one could travel through the void and cover a thousand miles in an instant. The secret archives of the Chan Sect clearly recorded that these two treasures had been taken by a certain great power and had since disappeared.
Now appearing in the hands of an unknown rogue cultivator, it made him wonder: which great power’s pawn was this kid in the [True Martial World]? Wenzhong was shocked inwardly, but his face remained still. He didn’t intend to tell Ji Yumeng these things. Some matters were better known to fewer people.
Ji Yumeng didn’t notice Wenzhong’s unusual reaction. Her gaze still fell out the window. The sun had entered dusk, casting the empty arena in an autumn-like desolation.
The setting sun is infinitely beautiful, but it is near dusk.
Tomorrow would be the last day. Five days of competition, four spots already decided. Ji Yumeng knew that the struggle for the last spot tomorrow would be even fiercer than any previous day. Based on the spying just now, this Zhi Shengyuan would surely come tomorrow. At that time, she would be able to investigate his strength more directly.
Finishing the remaining tea in her cup, Ji Yumeng licked her cherry lips with her pink tongue. “This is truly something to look forward to!”
—
The night passed without incident. The next day, the last day of the Ten Thousand Immortals Combat Competition.
Before the sky was fully bright, Xuanji City was already bustling. The street stalls were three times more than usual, selling sugar-coated hawthorns, spirit fruits… cries of vendors rose and fell. Cultivators formed small groups, streaming out of inns and teahouses, heading toward the Martial Arts Arena.
On the road, rogue cultivators discussed:
“I heard the Crown Prince is coming today?”
“Really? The opening ceremony was so important a few days ago, and she didn’t come, so why today?”
“Ah! I heard the Crown Prince has been at the Chu residence these days, indulging in wine and women, partying every night. How would she have time to watch this?”
“Shh~! Keep your voice down. This is the Immortal Dynasty; don’t get caught. Besides, the Crown Prince has a great reputation; how could she be so debauched?”
“True. The Crown Prince of the Immortal Dynasty, I think, is busy with a thousand affairs. How would she have time to bother with us rogue cultivators.”
The discussions circulated among the crowd, becoming more absurd. Some said the Crown Prince was recuperating at the Chu residence, some said she had an affair with the young master of the Chu family, and others said she wasn’t even in Xuanji City and had long returned to the capital.
Hearing these rumors, Chu Yuan, who was in the crowd, felt only a bit frustrated.
‘Am I not already under the Fox Venerable? Why is that woman still in my Chu residence?? When will she ever leave???’
Thinking this, Chu Yuan stepped into the Martial Arts Arena. The last day, it was time to begin the most crucial step of the plan!
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