Chapter 204: The Ranking War: Begin
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Not long after Yun Che's voice had fallen, a very soft footstep landed outside the door, followed by a moderately loud knock.
Cang Yue's breath immediately caught. Her face was flushed, her long hair disheveled, and her upper garments had been pushed open by Yun Che, revealing large swaths of snowy skin on her upper body. There was no way she could face anyone like this. Holding her breath, she responded in as steady a tone as possible: "Who is it?"
From outside came Fen Juechen's refined and gentle voice: "It is I, Fen Juechen."
"Mm?" Yun Che glanced out of the corner of his eye, then looked at Cang Yue's eyes with a faint, enigmatic smile.
Yun Che's gaze made Cang Yue's heart flutter with a trace of panic, afraid that he might misunderstand something between her and Fen Juechen. She immediately replied in a cold, hard tone: "Young Master Fen, what urgent matter brings you here so late?"
Fen Juechen smiled faintly. "I was strolling through the villa just now and happened to pass by here, noticing that the lamp in Her Highness's room was still lit. I thought Her Highness might not have retired so early. Tonight happens to be a full moon night, and the round moon at Tian Jian Villa has a uniquely wonderful flavor. It would be a pity to miss it. If Her Highness has the time, may I be so bold as to invite you to enjoy the moon together?"
The corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched, and he felt a gnashing hatred in his teeth... He was right in the middle of getting intimate with Her Highness the Princess, about to take things further, and this bastard came to invite her to enjoy the moon... Enjoy the moon on your ass!
As he thought this, Yun Che's hands suddenly tightened, grasping the two full, snowy mounds firmly in his palms, his fingers sinking deep into them.
"Ah..." A delicate cry escaped Cang Yue's lips. It was rapid and alluring, enough to send a man's adrenaline surging wildly. The faint sound reached Fen Juechen's ears, and he quickly asked, "Her Highness, what's wrong?"
Cang Yue grabbed Yun Che's wrist, shooting him a shy and anxious glance, then tried to steady her voice as she said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Fen, but I have no interest in moon-gazing. If there is nothing else, please take your leave."
As she spoke, Yun Che's hands began to move mischievously, grasping, kneading, and pinching, causing Cang Yue to pant heavily. She could only clench her teeth tightly, forcing herself to make no sound.
Fen Juechen was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Your Highness, there are some words I have long wished to speak to you face to face. I hope Your Highness can grant me this opportunity. Once I have said them, I will leave immediately and not disturb Your Highness further."
At that moment, Yun Che's hand stealthily slid downward, lifting the hem of Cang Yue's long skirt. His hand slipped directly inside, stroking her long, smooth, and beautiful legs without any barrier, trailing upward along the perfect curve of her leg...
Cang Yue's entire body trembled as if struck by lightning. Flustered and embarrassed, she used both hands to push against Yun Che's wicked hand that was advancing toward her inner thigh, while with great willpower, she responded to Fen Juechen in a calm voice: "I have already retired for the night. If there is anything, we can discuss it tomorrow. Young Master Fen, please leave..."
Under Yun Che's increasingly audacious advances, her voice was already tinged with quivers. Though Fen Juechen could faintly detect something unusual, he did not take it to heart. How could he possibly imagine that the princess he was pleading with so softly was at that very moment pinned beneath a man, being thoroughly caressed?
He maintained his patience and gentlemanly demeanor, not pressing the matter. Instead, he said calmly, "I am deeply sorry for disturbing Your Highness's rest. I know that due to certain matters, Your Highness may harbor some prejudice against me, but my feelings for Your Highness are as clear as the sun and moon, witnessed by heaven and earth. If Your Highness would be willing to give me a chance, I would spare no effort to fulfill all of Your Highness's wishes. I sincerely hope Your Highness will not continue to keep me at arm's length."
Cang Yue was silent.
Having said this, Fen Juechen stepped back twice, then turned and walked away slowly. After leaving the courtyard, he looked up at the night sky, closed his eyes, and murmured to himself, "In this world, no one but me, Fen Juechen, is worthy of possessing you. After all, you are the only imperial princess, and the only woman who has made me, Fen Juechen, so willing to be patient."
As soon as Fen Juechen was far away, Yun Che pounced on Cang Yue again. Amid the tumbling of the bed linens and her continuous soft cries, the clothes on her body were quickly stripped off by Yun Che, leaving her perfect, snow-white body completely exposed before his eyes.
Cang Yue curled up in the corner of the bed, pulling the blanket over herself to barely cover the spring scenery of her chest. Her eyes glistened with tears as she said pitifully, "There really isn't anything between me and Fen Juechen. You... you're not angry, are you?"
"Hmph, you say that as if nothing's going on." Yun Che pretended to put on a stern face. "Coming to your room this late at night—you must have told him where you were staying."
"Wuwu... no, really, I didn't. He must have found out from the Tian Jian disciples."
"Is that so... If you want to prove it, then pull back the blanket and let me eat you like a good girl." Yun Che grabbed the other corner of the blanket with a lecherous grin.
"Ah!" Cang Yue let out a small shriek and instinctively tightened her grip on the blanket, her face burning red as she pleaded, "No! Wait... wait until after the competition, okay? After the competition, you can do whatever you want to me..."
Yun Che laughed. He pulled the blanket aside, slipped under it, and gently embraced Cang Yue's warm, soft body without making any further move. "This is what you said, Senior Sister. When the time comes, don't go back on your word."
"Eep..." Cang Yue covered her chest with her hands, burying her head in Yun Che's chest, too shy to look up at him.
The lamp in Cang Yue's room went out. In a corner of the courtyard, Qin Wushang, who had been sitting there in meditation, unnoticed by either Yun Che or Fen Juechen, shook his head and muttered softly, "Ah, enviable youth..."
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The next morning at 9:00 a.m., the Sword Discussion Platform of Tian Jian Villa.
The main sword platform and the thirty smaller sword platforms were all perfectly round. The main platform measured one hundred zhang in length, while the smaller ones were about twenty zhang. The Sword Discussion Platform was the venue for sword debates among Tian Jian Villa's disciples and also the traditional battleground for the Cang Feng Ranking War. At this time, the seats surrounding the platforms were completely filled with spectators. In front of each seating section stood a sign bearing the name of the forces or sects represented.
Behind each sign generally sat seven people. Only behind the sign of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace were there merely four people seated.
"It's 9:00 a.m. It's about to begin," Qin Wushang said in a low voice.
Just then, a piercing sword cry suddenly rang out from above. People instinctively looked up and saw that, seemingly out of nowhere, hundreds of flying swords had appeared a hundred zhang in the air. These swords danced wildly through the air as if possessing intelligence, their cries cleaving through the sky with extreme sharpness. After circling the entire Sword Discussion Platform several times, they came to a halt neatly above the main seats. From beneath the swords, an old man with a white beard walked out slowly, clasped his hands forward, and announced in a resonant voice: "I am Ling Wugou, an elder of the Sword Washing Pavilion of Tian Jian Villa. It is my honor to meet all the heroes and young talents of the world. On behalf of the entire Tian Jian Villa, I thank you all for gracing us with your presence at this Cang Feng Ranking War..."
"This Ling Wugou is nicknamed 'No-Trace Sword.' He looks like an ordinary old man, but he's said to be at the eighth level of the Heavenly Xuan Realm. I'm far from being his match. He has presided over many Ranking Wars and is known for being just and stern, rarely smiling. Even within Tian Jian Villa, he holds extremely high prestige, and even Ling Yuefeng treats him with great respect," Qin Wushang explained in a low voice to Yun Che and Xia Yuanba.
"Wow! Even stronger than Lord Qin?" Xia Yuanba's mouth gaped open, his face full of shock. Ever since he entered the Cangfeng Mystic Palace and learned that Qin Wushang was at the legendary Heavenly Xuan Realm, he had regarded him as a figure akin to an immortal.
"Heh heh, in this Cang Feng Empire, there are far too many people stronger than me." Qin Wushang smiled. "I'm only at the third level of the Heavenly Xuan Realm now. I'm too far behind this Ling Wugou. Ten of me wouldn't be a match for him. Once you reach the Heavenly Xuan Realm, every level's improvement is like ascending to heaven—extremely difficult. The time and effort required far surpass crossing all ten levels of the Spirit Xuan Realm. Moreover, levels below the fifth Heavenly Xuan and above the fifth are two completely different realms. Below the fifth level, you can find cultivators in all the flourishing sects, but above the fifth, even the Four Great Sects have very few. Those are the true powerhouses... The famous 'Ice Cloud Seven Immortals' all have profound strength above the fifth level of the Heavenly Xuan Realm. However, not counting the Ice Cloud Palace Master and the reclusive experts, the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace only has these seven people at the fifth level and above."
As he spoke, Ling Wugou had already finished his pre-competition routine speech. At that moment, his voice suddenly rose, each word thunderous: "The witness for this Cang Feng Ranking War is Elder Ling Kun from one of the Four Sacred Grounds of the Tian Xuan Continent—the Tian Wei Sword Domain! Given Elder Ling Kun's strength and background, I believe no one will question his qualifications and authority."
The moment the words "Tian Wei Sword Domain" were uttered, shock rippled through the entire audience. Those attending the Ranking War for the first time, who had only heard the name "Tian Wei Sword Domain" in legends, felt their hearts tremble and their breath catch... The Tian Wei Sword Domain—one of the Four Sacred Grounds, like a mythical existence! Even the hegemon of the sects felt an immense pressure under those four words.
A witness from the Sacred Grounds—what kind of realm would that be? Who would dare to cause any trouble during this Ranking War?
It had long been rumored that Tian Jian Villa had ties to the Tian Wei Sword Domain, and this Elder Ling Kun from the Tian Wei Sword Domain also bearing the surname Ling subtly confirmed that connection to everyone present.
"The Tian Wei Sword Domain? What kind of place is that?" The reactions of those around him left Xia Yuanba deeply puzzled.
"...A place that is a thousand times more formidable than Tian Jian Villa. Don't ask any more questions," Yun Che said quietly.
"Ah!?" Xia Yuanba's eyes grew as wide as an ox's.
As Ling Wugou spoke, a middle-aged man in green robes stood up beside him and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. The moment he rose, everyone's gaze seemed forcibly drawn to him, as if by something irresistible, focusing entirely on him... He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with an ordinary build, ordinary features, and an expressionless face. People could see him, yet their spiritual senses could not detect his presence at all, as if he were nothing but a phantom bubble.
When he sat down, everyone's gaze seemed pushed away by something, landing elsewhere. In that instant, deep awe and reverence arose in every heart... As expected of someone from the Sacred Grounds—the realm that this Ling Kun occupied was likely beyond their comprehension.