Chapter 164: The Ranking Battle Invitation
The floor cracked, and the palace couldn't even contain him! I'll never have to get beaten black and blue by big brother again!"
Ling Jie's straightforward admission caught Yun Che somewhat off guard. Moreover, judging by his expression, there was no pretense or reluctance; instead, his eyes actually held a hint of curiosity and… admiration!
Clearly, Yun Che's True Xuan Realm profound strength withstanding one of his rare techniques and shattering his sword had indeed left a considerable psychological impact on him.
Yun Che chuckled and said, "Well, that depends on whether you qualify as a little brother. If you do and satisfy this big brother, I might just tell you."
Ling Jie's eyes instantly lit up, and he shouted excitedly, "Really? Wahhh, if you're really willing to tell me, forget being your little brother, I'd even become your disciple!"
Ling Yun walked over, smiled faintly at Yun Che, and said sincerely, "Brother Yun, when I first arrived at the imperial city and heard all sorts of rumors about you, I didn't take them seriously. But now that I've seen it with my own eyes, you completely surpass the stories. I believe Xiao Jie also lost willingly and with admiration."
With that, Ling Yun gave Yun Che a meaningful glance, then turned to Lan Xueruo and said, "Princess, we brothers have come to the imperial city this time to deliver an invitation to your royal family. I ask that you accept it, Princess."
A pale gold invitation was produced by Ling Yun and handed over to Lan Xueruo. Ling Yun continued, "Six months from now, we will welcome the royal family's presence at the villa. It would be best if you could honor us with a personal visit, Princess. Now that you have someone as extraordinarily talented as Brother Yun by your side, I’m sure that three years from now, the royal family will shine brilliantly because of him… With that, our task is complete, and we take our leave."
He bowed to Lan Xueruo and Yun Che. Without waiting for Lan Xueruo's response, Ling Yun grabbed Ling Jie and said, "Xiao Jie, it's time for us to go."
"Huh? Leave? But I haven't yet learned from big brother how to become so powerful at the True Xuan Realm… Aah, aah!"
Before Ling Jie could finish his sentence, Ling Yun had already pulled him far away with a mysterious and unpredictable movement technique. The next second, Ling Jie's voice came from far outside the main hall: "Big brother, when you have time, you must come to Tian Jian Villa… I want to show those guys what a true genius looks like, someone at the True Xuan Realm who can beat them all down… Aah, aah, big brother, don't pull me…"
Ling Yun produced the invitation, spoke, and then directly dragged Ling Jie away. The whole process was completed in an instant, so fast that Lan Xueruo was caught off guard, not even having a chance to say goodbye. She stared at the direction of the hall door and said in surprise, "Ling Yun's temperament is usually very steady and modest. Why would he leave so urgently? Did he think of some emergency?"
The moment she finished speaking, Yun Che beside her suddenly swayed. He then propped himself up with his heavy sword, kneeling on one knee. His face turned pale, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, staining a large area of the floor ahead.
"Ah! Junior Brother Yun!" Lan Xueruo's complexion changed dramatically. She hastily supported Yun Che and asked anxiously, "Junior Brother Yun, what's wrong? Are you injured? Is it serious?"
Yun Che rested most of his body weight on the heavy sword, shook his head, and with a pale face, forced a smile and said, "Senior Sister, no need to worry. I'm fine. This Ling Jie's sword… is quite domineering. Although I forcefully blocked it just now, I still suffered some internal injuries. The reason Ling Yun left so hurriedly… is because he saw that I was trying my best to suppress the injury. He did it to save face for me."
Lan Xueruo quickly took out a medium-grade Return Heaven Pill and watched Yun Che swallow it. Only when his complexion gradually softened did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. "I knew that since Junior Brother Yun dared to make a bet with Ling Jie, you must have had enough confidence. But I was still almost scared to death just now. Although that Ling Jie looks very young, being from Tian Jian Villa, they're all freaks. Their strength simply can't be judged by common sense. Fortunately, you still won, and you actually made him your little brother."
The Great Dao Pagoda Art circulated, allowing Yun Che's injuries to heal at an astonishing speed. Listening to Lan Xueruo's words, he shook his head and said, "That was just something I improvised on the spot because I saw that Ling Jie's nature was still immature. Although he agreed, it's not really binding in any serious way. I just hope that in the future, it might provide some convenience in certain matters. After all, he is the son of Tian Jian Villa's master."
"By the way, the invitation that Ling Yun and the others came to deliver… could it be…?"
Lan Xueruo took out the invitation and said, "As the Imperial Father guessed, it's the invitation for the next Cang Feng Ranking Battle. Every session's invitation is sent out half a year in advance to give the participating factions enough time to prepare."
"So, there's still half a year until the next Cang Feng Ranking Battle?" Yun Che asked in surprise.
"Yes." Lan Xueruo nodded. "Indeed, only half a year remains. But Junior Brother Yun, there's no need for you to worry, because you don't need to participate in the next Ranking Battle. You'll be taking part in the one after that."
"The one after that? Why?" Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. He remembered Ling Yun's parting words: "I'm sure that three years from now, the royal family will shine brilliantly because of him." Three years from now? Did Ling Yun also mean the Cang Feng Ranking Battle after the next?
Lan Xueruo explained, "The Cang Feng Ranking Battle is held once every three years. As the name suggests, it determines the ranking of forces within the Cang Feng Empire. However, the participants are not the strongest from each faction. For any faction, especially the large ones, it would be impossible to reveal their trump cards in public. Thus, a competition of the 'strongest' is simply unrealistic. Instead, the ranking is determined through battles among the younger generation. The heights reached by the younger disciples sufficiently demonstrate the foundation and overall strength of a faction. Using this to determine rankings is considered the most fair method."
"For each Cang Feng Ranking Battle, around five hundred factions are invited. Each faction can send up to three young disciples to compete, and the faction's ranking is determined by the highest rank achieved by its disciples. The age limit for participants is between sixteen and twenty. Those below sixteen or above twenty are not allowed to compete. Bone age testing is conducted before the battle, so cheating is impossible. Therefore, to maximize combat power, most participating disciples are aged twenty, nineteen, or eighteen. Those below eighteen are very rare. Junior Brother Yun has just turned seventeen, which is too young. It's simply unsuitable for you to participate in the next Cang Feng Ranking Battle. By the time of the one after that, you'll be twenty years old, and with three years of accumulation, that will be the optimal time to compete."
"I see." Yun Che slowly nodded. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Senior Sister, what was the profound strength level of the previous Cang Feng Ranking Battle's champion?"
Lan Xueruo replied without needing to think, "The champion of the previous Cang Feng Ranking Battle was Ling Yun, whom you just met."
"Him?" Yun Che murmured softly.
"Junior Brother Yun, what do you think of Ling Yun… as a person?" Lan Xueruo asked.
Yun Che thought for a moment, then said slowly, "Ling Jie has astonishing talent, almost monstrous. But I at least had the courage to face three of his sword strikes. As for Ling Yun, the feeling he gives me is unfathomable. Even his temperament is pure and flawless, making it impossible to feel any dislike. The man himself can be described as… without a single flaw."
"Your assessment is very similar to my Imperial Father's." Lan Xueruo sighed with emotion. "The first time my Imperial Father met Ling Yun, he gave him the same evaluation: 'without a single flaw.' If nothing unexpected happens, he will still participate in the upcoming Cang Feng Ranking Battle."
"Oh?" Yun Che responded, then his brow twitched in surprise. "You say… he'll still participate in this session? That means his current age is still under twenty? Then during the previous session, his age must have been only…"
"Correct. When he won first place in the previous Cang Feng Ranking Battle, he was only seventeen years old," Lan Xueruo said. "At that time, his profound strength cultivation was at the Spirit Xuan Realm, Level Nine."
A seventeen-year-old at Spirit Xuan Realm, Level Nine… Yun Che inhaled a faint breath of cold air.
"While a seventeen-year-old at Spirit Xuan Realm, Level Nine is indeed extremely astonishing, Ling Yun's actual strength far exceeds that level. During the finals, his opponent was the number one disciple of Bing Yun Fairy Palace, Mu Lingxue. At that time, Mu Lingxue was twenty years old, with profound strength at the peak of Spirit Xuan Realm, Level Ten, barely half a step away from the Earth Xuan Realm. She was the highest-level participant among all competing disciples. Yet, against Ling Yun… she only managed to withstand seven of his sword strikes… and that was without Ling Yun going all out."
Yun Che: "…"
"Three years have passed, and Ling Yun's profound strength has undoubtedly reached an astonishing height. Among those under twenty, he is the undisputed number one in the entire Cang Feng Empire. No one would deny that. In the Cang Feng Ranking Battle, the major sects fiercely compete for ranking, especially Bing Yun Fairy Palace, Xiao Sect, and Fen Tian Gate. They fight tooth and nail for second place, but they have never thought of one day taking Tian Jian Villa's top position. The first place of Tian Jian Villa is forever unshakable. Among all the sects, there is simply no young disciple who could be Ling Yun's opponent."