Chapter 210: Reunion
Those who were mocking, sneering, cheering, or commenting on the performance... were all dumbfounded in an instant. Even the expressions on Fen Juebi and Fen Juecheng's faces froze for a split second.
When Yun Che first defeated Fu Yanjie, they could still rationalize it as Fu Yanjie being careless and unlucky, having his power leaked after Yun Che coincidentally struck his vital point. But just now, that slash from Fu Yinjie—anyone could see he had used his full strength without holding back at all. The sharp sound of the blade could be heard clearly from dozens of meters away. Against such a full-force strike, an opponent at the same level would generally have no choice but to dodge; even a direct block might not fully withstand it.
Yet Yun Che not only avoided dodging but actually met it with his bare hands, shattering the profound force-infused giant sword with a single palm strike in an instant, followed by another kick... A mere casual kick that instantly caused Fu Yinjie to collapse and fall unconscious on the spot.
Even an idiot could no longer believe this was merely a coincidence.
At the very least, not a single one of those sect disciples who had been constantly mocking, jeering, and showing off their superiority from their lofty positions could have done the same. They all fell silent, unable to utter another contemptuous word. They stared blankly at Yun Che, their once disdainful and arrogant gazes now dull, mixed with a hint of wariness and fear, and their faces burned hot.
"He... he really is at the True Profound Realm?"
"Maybe the Profound Testing Stone was faulty."
"Fu Yanjie was defeated instantly, Fu Yinjie was defeated instantly—one at Spirit Profound Realm Level 2, the other at Spirit Profound Realm Level 3... How could power like that possibly come from someone at the True Profound Realm?"
Yun Che's second battle ended cleanly and decisively. Originally, he had planned to be a bit more restrained during the group stage to avoid drawing too much attention, but he never expected that someone would try to ambush him right at the start of the competition—and an ambush from the Burning Heaven Gate at that. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to hold back anymore. By instantly defeating Fu Yinjie, he gave a harsh slap in the face to everyone who had looked down on him, while simultaneously declaring to Fen Juecheng... If you want to ambush me, Yun Che, at least find someone with enough qualifications and standing!
"Father, did you see that?" Witnessing that extremely brief battle, Ling Yun turned his gaze and said in a low voice.
"Mm," Ling Yuefeng nodded slowly. "Indeed astonishing. Even more than I expected."
After a moment, he added lightly, "Perhaps even more astonishing than what I am now re-evaluating. It's possible he has the strength to break into the top hundred! A True Profound Realm profound practitioner entering the top hundred of the Ranking Competition—that would create an incredibly shocking piece of history."
Ling Yun nodded slowly: "I think so too. I'm very curious. He's just a disciple of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, certainly lacking advantages in resources or profound arts, yet he can wield profound force with power far exceeding his cultivation level... How does he do it? Is it really just talent to such an extreme degree?"
Even before the Ranking Competition officially began, Yun Che had already attracted a high level of attention. After two consecutive instant victories, the attention on him skyrocketed. However, the former attention was tinged with disdain, while the latter was marked by shock and disbelief. A disciple at the True Profound Realm actually defeating two Spirit Profound Realm opponents in succession, and both times in an instant! Not only the young disciples, but even the elders who had accompanied them—veterans who had dominated their respective fields—felt a considerable amount of astonishment.
By the time Yun Che's third match began, there was no more jeering around him, and the number of people watching this match surged once again. This time, his opponent was at the Spirit Profound Realm Level 3, but he no longer carried an air of assured victory. Instead, he was much more cautious, probing several times before brandishing his weapon and sending his profound force surging toward Yun Che.
Yun Che didn't even bother to look at his attack. He simply extended his right arm straight out, piercing through the opponent's dense sword shadows and profound force defenses like a hot knife through butter, striking him squarely in the center of his chest. The opponent was sent tumbling through the air a dozen times, dizzy and disoriented when he landed, with his long sword flying off to who knows where.
"Thank you... for showing mercy. I concede." The opponent wobbled to his feet, cupped his hands toward Yun Che in gratitude, then conceded and left the platform. He understood very well that Yun Che's strike could have easily gravely injured him, but the consecutive flips in the air had allowed the fierce force to be gradually dissipated, leaving him virtually unharmed upon landing.
"Cangfeng Imperial Clan, Yun Che, wins!"
Third battle: another instant victory!
This time, every gaze directed at Yun Che no longer held a trace of contempt or ridicule... only shock and profound disbelief.
Perhaps due to good luck, there were no real experts in Yun Che's group, not even any decent mid-level opponents. Over the course of the day, Yun Che fought five matches, each one an effortless victory. With every win, his name was etched deeper into the minds of everyone present.
Every Ranking Competition sees one or more dark horses emerge, but never had there been such an exaggerated dark horse! With the strength of the True Profound Realm—the lowest among all participating disciples, with a gap of an entire major realm bottleneck to the second-lowest—he nevertheless won five out of five matches in the first round of the group stage!
As time passed toward dusk, the first day's events came to a close. Across thirty sword discussion platforms, over two thousand matches had taken place. Among so many, there were inevitably some breathtaking and thrilling bouts. Yet, after the first day ended, the most discussed topic was none of those, but rather the super dark horse that no one had anticipated—Yun Che.
No... if a disciple from another sect had defeated a disciple of the same level from one of the Four Great Sects, that could be called a dark horse. But Yun Che's profound strength level was plainly visible to all, and he had repeatedly overcome opponents several levels higher. This could no longer be labeled as a dark horse; it was a freak of nature that shocked everyone.
"Haha! Brother-in-law, you have no idea how priceless everyone's expressions were! The way they looked, their eyes were practically popping out onto the ground. Heh heh, I knew that once you made your move, you'd give them a huge scare." Xia Yuanba said excitedly, his face beaming. His enthusiasm was as if he himself had achieved a great victory in the Ranking Competition.
"I've looked through the information on Group Fifteen. There are no real experts there—not even a single disciple from the Four Great Sects. So we can only say our luck is good," Qin Wushang said calmly. "Therefore, Yun Che, don't get complacent just because today's wins came too easily. The opponents you faced today were all at the very bottom of the barrel, and none of them are qualified to enter the top seven hundred."
"I understand." Yun Che nodded.
Just then, figures in white robes, ethereal as ice spirits drifting in the wind, walked slowly toward them from ahead. At first glance, they seemed like celestial maidens stepping through clouds from the Immortal Realm, giving onlookers the fleeting sensation of stepping into a fairyland.
Seeing them, Yun Che paused slightly and instinctively stopped in his tracks.
"Ah... it's Sister!"
"Sister! Sister!"
Having grown up alongside a stunning beauty like Xia Qingyue, and being a few bricks short of a full load to boot, Xia Yuanba possessed a fairly strong immunity to beautiful women. These ice-cold fairy maidens of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, with their extraordinary temperament, could leave even seasoned elders staring in a daze for a long time, let alone hot-blooded youths. But Xia Yuanba had no such trouble at all. He called out in joyful surprise and jogged toward Xia Qingyue, almost completely ignoring the other palace maidens around her.
"Yuanba?" Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes showed surprise as she stopped in her tracks, caught off guard by encountering Xia Yuanba here. Looking at her younger brother, who had grown even taller and sturdier, the icy coldness in her eyes all dissipated, and her voice carried a gentle surprise as she said softly, "Why are you here?"
Xia Yuanba's massive frame halted in front of Xia Qingyue, his face full of excitement. Xia Qingyue had previously remained at home, and this was the first time Xia Yuanba had been separated from her for so long. He naturally missed her and worried, and now they met again. His joy was boundless: "Sister, Brother-in-law and I have already left Liuyun City. We first went to New Moon City, and eight months ago we went together to the Cangfeng Mystic Palace. I came with Brother-in-law this time to participate in the Ranking Competition, and I knew I'd run into you. Sister, you've become so powerful now! I watched every one of your matches today. If Dad knew how strong you've become, he'd be overjoyed... How have you been over there? Has anyone bullied you? When are you coming home..."
In his excitement, Xia Yuanba dumped a heap of questions on Xia Qingyue. His use of "Brother-in-law" caused Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin, who were beside Xia Qingyue, to both turn their heads and reveal peculiar expressions.
"...?" Xia Qingyue's gaze wavered, landing on Yun Che, who was right in front. "Yuanba, could it be that he... is...?"
"Eh?" Xia Yuanba glanced at Yun Che, then back at Xia Qingyue, scratched his head, and widened his eyes. "He's Brother-in-law. It's only been a year and a half since you last saw him, and you can't recognize him, Sister? Strange, Brother-in-law's appearance hasn't really changed much in the past two years."
Xia Qingyue: "..."
Chu Yueli heard Xia Yuanba's words loud and clear. She shifted her gaze, a hint of surprise in her eyes as she looked at Yun Che. "So you are that Xiao Che who married Qingyue in Liuyun City?"
"Ah?" Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin both let out an uncontrollable gasp, their beautiful eyes wide as they stared at Yun Che.
Only Chu Yuechan also stopped, but her gaze was cold and aloof, staring straight ahead as if detached from the mortal world.
Yun Che, this super dark horse, had drawn the attention of the entire venue today, including that of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. But for Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli, although Yun Che looked almost identical to the Xiao Che they knew, they never thought he was actually Xiao Che. The gap between the two was far too great—so vast that they might as well have existed in two completely different, non-intersecting worlds. They firmly believed that this Yun Che was merely someone who bore an extremely strong resemblance to Xiao Che.
Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin never imagined that the person they had been discussing for so long was actually the husband Xia Qingyue had married. But wasn't the man she married supposed to have crippled profound veins, destined to be a useless cripple for life? How could he...?
Yun Che stepped forward and said respectfully, "Yun Che, a disciple of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, honored to meet the fairies of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. In Liuyun City, I indeed went by the name Xiao Che, but now, my surname is Yun, given name Che." He turned his gaze to Xia Qingyue and smiled slightly. "Qingyue, it's been a long time."
Xia Qingyue gave a slight nod in response, her demeanor graceful and ethereal.
Upon receiving verbal confirmation from Yun Che, Chu Yueli's gaze flickered with immense shock.
Back then, when Xiao Che was expelled from the Xiao Sect, she had witnessed the entire process from above. At that time, Xiao Che's profound veins were still crippled—a deep-rooted disability that had persisted from childhood into adulthood, utterly impossible to repair. Yet even if, the very next day, he had encountered some heaven-defying stroke of fortune that allowed his profound veins to recover, only eighteen months had passed. A restored profound vein would have to start from scratch. That meant Yun Che had gone from zero to the True Profound Realm Level 10 in just eighteen months!!
Even she, one of the "Ice Cloud Seven Immortals," found this fact difficult to fully believe or accept.
————————————
It's been a while since I sincerely thanked all the generous readers for their tips. In the dead of night, I've decided to quietly do so...
A huge thank you to Lonely Burning Star for the thirty thousand tip!
A tearful thank you to xw57499 for the ten thousand tip!
A jumping-off-a-building thank you to Lust丶Yancheng Kong for the twenty thousand tip!
A handstand thank you to Minghui Pavilion for the ten thousand tip.
An escorting-my-future-daughter thank you to Degenerate Hero for the forty thousand+ tip.
The generous ones have been identified. If you want to cling to their coattails, hurry up~~~
...