Chapter 149: All Eyes On
The central square of the Outer Court of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace covered a large area. Normally, many Outer Court disciples would spar here, attracting even more onlookers, and various profound force competitions of the Outer Court were also held in this square.
But today, the entire square was dozens of times more lively than usual. The area around the central platform was packed densely with people. Of the more than fifty thousand Outer Court disciples, over eighty percent had gathered here, surrounding the central area in an impenetrable crowd. They craned their necks to look at the platform, waiting for the protagonists of the day to arrive.
Today was the appointed day of battle between Yun Che and Murong Yi.
However, the protagonist in the hearts of these Outer Court disciples was definitely not Yun Che, but Murong Yi. Most of these Outer Court disciples had come for a glimpse of the Inner Court disciple's style. As for Yun Che, for the past three months, he had existed as a laughingstock in the rumors spread among the Outer Court disciples.
Originally, a newly admitted disciple overestimating themselves by challenging an Inner Court disciple wouldn't warrant such massive attention. The key was that this battle had even alarmed Vice Palace Master Qin Wushang, and Qin Wushang had personally become the witness for this battle. With that, it was impossible for the entire Mystic Palace not to take notice.
The appointed time drew nearer, with less than a quarter of an hour left, but neither Yun Che nor Murong Yi had shown up. Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from the eastern side of the square, accompanied by shouts.
"Look! It's Palace Master Qin! Palace Master Qin is here!"
The crowd parted, and a group of people walked slowly forward. The leading middle-aged man, dressed in a purple robe, had a kind countenance and exuded an awe-inspiring aura in every move. He was none other than Qin Wushang, the Vice Palace Master of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace. By his side was the smiling Qin Wuyou, and behind them followed several elders and Outer Court mentors.
Qin Wushang and his party sat down in a pavilion not far from the platform, calmly watching the empty platform. The surrounding disciples instinctively stepped back, their gazes toward the pavilion filled with reverence.
"Palace Master Qin really came!"
"No kidding. Someone of Palace Master Qin's stature naturally keeps their word."
"But why would Palace Master Qin agree to personally witness a battle like this? Yun Che and Senior Brother Murong have a gap of an entire grand realm. Even after three months, it's impossible for that gap to have narrowed much—it might even be wider. Anyone could imagine the outcome..."
"The thoughts of Palace Master Qin are naturally not something we can fathom. Maybe he just did it on a whim..."
After Qin Wushang's arrival, some time passed, and still neither Murong Yi nor Yun Che appeared. With only a few minutes left until the appointed battle time, the noise of discussion in the square grew louder. Then, a huge wave of exclamations came from the northern part of the square.
"Murong Yi! Murong Yi is here!"
Under the excited gazes of countless disciples, Murong Yi finally appeared. By his side walked a man dressed entirely in white. The man had a handsome but feminine face, his eyes half-closed, his gaze lazy and cold.
"Look at the person beside Murong Yi! That's Feng Baiyi, ranked thirty-sixth on the Heavenly Xuan List!"
"Wow! Thirty-sixth?" The cries of surprise from the Outer Court disciples grew even louder.
The arrival of Murong Yi and Feng Baiyi caused the Outer Court disciples crowding the square to erupt into complete commotion. The vast majority of Outer Court disciples had squeezed into the crowd just to get a glimpse of the legendary Inner Court disciples. They stood on tiptoe, their gazes burning with excitement.
"Cousin, this time you must teach Yun Che a good lesson! Beat him until he's crippled! I've been holding in that anger for a full three months now!"
Murong Ye, who was in the crowd, squeezed his way to Murong Yi's side after a long struggle and said through gritted teeth.
"Don't worry. Just a little rat who doesn't know his place. I'll make him round if I want him round, flat if I want him flat. If you want to vent your anger yourself, hmph," Murong Yi let out a disdainful cold laugh. "After I stomp him down, I'll hand him over to you to deal with... Besides, he said before that if he loses, he'll let me do whatever I want with him."
"Hehe," Murong Ye rubbed his hands together, his face showing an impatient expression. "Cousin, then I'll wait for you to beat him into a dead dog. For the next three days, wherever you want to go, just say the word."
"Stomping on a grasshopper that's asking for death—do you need to make such a big deal out of it?" Feng Baiyi yawned, looking lazy and bored.
Murong Yi glanced at the platform and snorted coldly. "Has that Yun Che not arrived yet?"
"Not yet," Murong Ye quickly replied, then sneered. "Probably too scared to come at all."
Just as he finished speaking, a commotion suddenly stirred among the distant crowd. Feng Baiyi narrowed his eyes and gave a very sarcastic laugh. "Oh? He actually came."
Yun Che, wearing a set of white training clothes, arrived almost at the same time as Murong Yi. However, the crowd was noisy, and he entered very quietly. Plus, not many people had seen him before, so he wasn't recognized for a while as he pushed through the crowd. Only when he finally squeezed into the central area and unhurriedly stepped onto the platform did people's gazes shift to him.
Yun Che stood on the platform, sweeping his gaze across the area below. He immediately spotted Qin Wushang and Qin Wuyou in the pavilion not far away. After a brief pause, his eyes landed on an inconspicuous corner at the back of the crowd. Lan Xueruo was standing there quietly, watching him with a concerned and nervous expression. When their eyes met, Lan Xueruo first smiled slightly, then involuntarily recalled the scene earlier. Her cheeks flushed, and she quietly lowered her head... Even now, her mind was still in a daze. She didn't even understand why, after being treated and violated by him like that, there wasn't the slightest hint of the rejection she should have felt in her heart...
"Hm? True Xuan Realm, Level Two?" Murong Yi glanced at Yun Che on the platform and immediately saw his current profound strength level.
"What... what? True Xuan Realm, Level Two? Impossible! Three months ago, he was only at the Xuan Entry Realm!" Murong Ye widened his eyes in disbelief.
Feng Baiyi chuckled, "Tch. A slightly fatter grasshopper is still a grasshopper. For Brother Murong to stomp him flat, a single finger is more than enough. But if I were Brother Murong, tsk tsk, before I completely stomped him flat, I'd have some good fun playing with him. You know, grasshoppers stupid enough to beg for abuse aren't all that common in this world."
"I'll make sure he remembers today forever." Murong Yi snorted coldly, then lightly tapped his foot. His body shot up like a large bird, soaring across a distance of nearly thirty zhang and landing steadily on the platform, standing right in front of Yun Che.
"Wow!!"
Murong Yi's leap immediately drew gasps from the entire crowd. Most of the Outer Court disciples opened their mouths wide, staring at Murong Yi with admiration and envy, fantasizing about the day they too could reach such a level.
"As expected of an Inner Court disciple—leaping across nearly thirty zhang! Sigh, I doubt I'll manage that before I'm twenty."
"Is that white-clothed guy Yun Che? Tsk tsk, he looks so delicate and fair-skinned. Not a trace of a profound practitioner about him—a total pretty boy. And someone like that dares to challenge Murong Yi? I could take him down with one punch."
On the platform, Yun Che and Murong Yi stood facing each other. Murong Yi was tall and burly, with dark skin, his exposed muscles bulging—clearly brimming with explosive power. Yun Che, in contrast, was slender, with delicate, smooth skin. He had zero offensive presence. Calling him a pretty boy was being polite; he was practically half a woman.
"How many moves do you think Murong Yi needs to take down Yun Che? I'm guessing three moves, tops."
"What? Three moves? That's an insult to an Inner Court disciple! If Murong Yi puts in even a bit of effort, one move... one move is more than enough!"
In the pavilion not far from the platform, Qin Wushang wore a faint smile, seemingly looking forward to the upcoming fight. He turned to Qin Wuyou beside him and said, "Improving two levels in three months—not bad, not bad. But Murong Yi is at True Xuan Realm Level Nine, and after three months, his profound strength has also advanced significantly; he's not far from breaking through to Level Ten. Wuyou, do you think Yun Che has any chance of defeating Murong Yi?"
"This..." Qin Wuyou hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head with a sigh. "Frankly speaking, I think it's absolutely impossible. After all, it's a gap of a full seven levels. Although he once severely injured an opponent at Xuan Entry Realm Level Ten while he himself was at Xuan Entry Realm Level One, the gap between each level in the True Xuan Realm is nothing like that of the Xuan Entry Realm."
"Hmph, this kid is simply arrogant and overestimating himself." The Mentor Qi behind them sneered.
But Qin Wushang smiled faintly and said, "I, however, believe that Yun Che might win."
Qin Wuyou turned his head in surprise and asked, "Brother, you never say things without confidence. Why are you so optimistic about Yun Che? Although his talent is astonishing and he can fight above his level, a seven-level gap in the True Xuan Realm is impossible to overcome. I've never heard of anyone overcoming it."
Qin Wushang fixed his gaze on Yun Che and spoke slowly, "Murong Yi's profound strength has greatly improved over these three months, and I can clearly perceive all his progress. But Yun Che has improved not only in profound strength. Apart from his appearance being the same as three months ago, everything else about him is completely different—it's as if he's been swapped from head to toe. Moreover, there's a faint aura about him... an aura I simply cannot see through. This elusive feeling makes me unable to predict the outcome either."
Qin Wuyou: "..."
"Wuyou, the time has come. Go and preside over this battle... But regardless of the result, under the watchful eyes of everyone, I hope you will be completely fair. Other matters can be dealt with afterward." Qin Wushang said with profound meaning.
Qin Wuyou nodded, leaped up, and landed at the edge of the platform. The moment he appeared, the entire square fell silent. All the watching disciples held their breath, waiting for what was to come.
"The time is about right. You two may begin." Qin Wuyou said with an even and authoritative tone. "But remember, this is only a sparring match, not a life-or-death battle. Under no circumstances may you kill each other, or you will be severely punished. Alright, begin!"
As Qin Wuyou's voice fell, Murong Yi still wore a nonchalant expression. Facing an opponent at only True Xuan Realm Level Two, there was really no need for him to get serious. He glared at Yun Che and said with extreme disdain, "Yun Che, have you thought about how you want to die?"
"I should be asking you that." Yun Che responded with an equally disdainful sneer. "Draw your weapon."
"Weapon?" Murong Yi laughed heartily. "Deal with you? I don't even need a weapon!"
"Is that so?" The corners of Yun Che's mouth curled up as he leisurely flexed his wrists. "In that case, I don't need to use mine either. Hopefully, you'll still be smiling in a little while."
The exchange between Murong Yi and Yun Che drew a wave of boos from below.
"Damn! I can't listen to this anymore! Does Yun Che even know who he is? Does he know who's standing in front of him?"
"I'd heard before that this Yun Che had some screws loose, but I didn't quite believe it. Now I'm fully convinced. Does a True Xuan Level Nine need a weapon to deal with a True Xuan Level Two? And this guy's still acting all cocky. Our great Cangfeng Mystic Palace actually has a clown like this."
"This Yun Che, why doesn't he take a piss and look at his own reflection? Acting arrogant in front of Senior Brother Murong with True Xuan Level Two? Bah! Senior Brother Murong, hurry up and kick him off the stage!"