Worries

As soon as Yun Ji and his family squeezed into the crowd, they were recognized immediately.

"Isn't that Yun Ji? And the one beside him must be Yun Long!"

"Yun Long! Among the younger generation in Nanshan Town, aside from Master Li's disciple, he's the most eye-catching!"

"Hey, what's the relationship between the Yun family and Lingyue Martial Arts School? That old Li Pinghu must have called Yun Long in as reinforcement!"

Voices of discussion rose and fell, and many gazes turned squarely toward Yun Long.

Yun Long had a bit of a reputation in Nanshan Town. His father Yun Ji was a veteran Xiantian realm, and his own martial arts talent was outstanding—he'd long been a topic of gossip over tea.

Li Lingyue stood beside her father Li Pinghu, her heart in turmoil as she anxiously searched for someone.

When she spotted Yun Long's tall figure pushing through the crowd, her originally dim eyes lit up instantly, and a blush quickly spread across her cheeks.

Forgetting all decorum, she lifted her skirt and trotted over, grabbing Yun Long's arm and pulling him to a slightly secluded corner.

"Brother Yun Long, you're here!" Li Lingyue's voice carried a hint of urgency as she lowered her voice. "That Ning Wuhui is incredibly strong! Father says he might... might already be at the Xiantian realm! If things feel off later, don't force it—just concede immediately, got it?"

She tilted her face up, her clear eyes full of worry, clutching his sleeve tightly, afraid he'd act rashly.

Feeling the soft touch on his arm and the girl's concern, warmth spread through Yun Long's heart. He grinned, flashing a row of white teeth. "Relax, I've got it under control."

Over there, Li Pinghu saw Yun Ji arrive and, forgetting his quarrel with Zhang Qiaoshan, hurried over in a few steps.

"Old Yun, you're finally here!" Li Pinghu wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his voice. "That old bastard Zhang Qiaoshan somehow dug up a freak who's challenging our school's disciples under twenty. And damn it, it's a gauntlet match—one against all of us!"

Li Pinghu pointed at Ning Wuhui on the arena, then at his own nervous disciples behind him.

"I reckon that Ning Wuhui has probably touched the threshold of the Xiantian realm, maybe even broken through already. The kid Yun Long is strong, but he's just..." Li Pinghu paused, glancing at Yun Long, not finishing his sentence.

He was calculating in his mind, not daring to let Yun Long go first.

"I'll have my two useless disciples test the waters first, wear that kid down a bit. Old Yun, what do you think..." Li Pinghu hesitated. If he'd known Zhang Qiaoshan would pull this, he'd have given that True Essence Pill to Yun Long earlier.

Maybe Yun Long would have already broken through to Xiantian, and today wouldn't be so dire.

But it was too late to say anything now.

"No need." Yun Ji waved his hand, his tone calm but unyielding. "Let Ah Long go first."

"What?" Li Pinghu's eyes nearly popped out, his voice rising an octave. "Old Yun, have you lost your mind? Sending Ah Long first? That Ning Wuhui..."

Yun Ji just gave him a faint glance, and beneath that calm gaze was absolute confidence in Yun Long.

The rest of Li Pinghu's words were choked back.

He opened his mouth, but finally sighed in defeat. "Fine, you call the shots. Ah Long, you..."

He wanted to say something, but didn't know what.

Yun Long patted Li Lingyue's hand and grinned at Li Pinghu. "Uncle Li, don't worry!"

With that, he pushed through the crowd and strode toward the arena.

Li Lingyue stamped her foot in anxiety, wanting to pull him back, but was stopped by a look from Yun Ji.

She could only watch Yun Long's figure, her heart torn between worry and hope.

Not far from the arena, in a private room on the second floor of Wangjiang Tower, a young man in brocade robes sat by the window, idly fiddling with a jade wine cup.

He was about seventeen or eighteen, with a face like polished jade and handsome features, but his peach-blossom eyes carried a lazy, careless air and a hint of subtle scrutiny.

This man was none other than the ninth prince of the Changqing Kingdom, Fang Yuanhua.

Beside him stood an old man with a hunched back and gaunt face, dressed in plain gray robes, his aura restrained—Elder Mu.

"Elder Mu, this backwater place has a bit of flavor, doesn't it?" Fang Yuanhua took a light sip of tea, his gaze casually sweeping over the noisy crowd below, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Elder Mu's cloudy eyes shifted slightly, landing on the arena, his voice flat. "Your Highness, this is merely a brawl among rustic martial artists, hardly worthy of your attention."

Fang Yuanhua hummed in acknowledgment and was about to look away when Elder Mu suddenly let out a surprised "Oh."

"What is it?" Fang Yuanhua raised an eyebrow, following Elder Mu's gaze.

He saw a burly young man stepping boldly onto the arena—Yun Long.

"Your Highness, look at that young man who just went up." Elder Mu's voice lost its calm, tinged with disbelief.

Fang Yuanhua glanced lazily. "Which one? That Ning Wuhui from Zhang Martial Arts School—I've seen him. His bone structure is passable, barely a beginner Xiantian. He can count as a filler."

Elder Mu shook his head, his eyes fixed on Yun Long. "No, Your Highness. It's the one from Lingyue Martial Arts School, the young man carrying a bow who just stepped up."

"Oh?" Fang Yuanhua gave Yun Long a second look, still with that indifferent air. "What's so special about him?"

Elder Mu took a deep breath, his aged face turning solemn. "This child... this child is also a Xiantian realm martial artist! Moreover, this old servant observes that his qi and blood are vigorous, and his foundation is so solid that he seems to surpass Ning Wuhui!"

"What?"

The jade cup in Fang Yuanhua's hand paused slightly, his lazy demeanor instantly sharpening as a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He looked at Yun Long on the arena again, this time with more scrutiny and curiosity.

"Interesting, truly interesting." Fang Yuanhua's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "A tiny, unknown place like Nanshan Town suddenly produces two Xiantian realm martial artists under twenty."

He tapped the table lightly, pondering for a moment.

"Perfect." A hint of calculation flickered in Fang Yuanhua's eyes. "Two more Xiantian realm fighters—when we head into the mountains later, bring them all along."

Now, Fang Yuanhua had also taken an interest in the spar between the two martial arts schools.

Yun Long's broad-shouldered figure striding toward the arena looked, in Li Lingyue's eyes, like nothing more than a bull charging headfirst into a wall.

Her eyes reddened with anxiety, the earlier shyness long since scattered to the winds. She grabbed Yun He's arm, her voice trembling with tears.

"Sister Yun He, please talk some sense into Brother Yun Long!"

"That Ning Wuhui—Father said he might already be at the Xiantian realm! Brother Yun Long, he..."

How could he possibly be a match?

Li Lingyue left the rest unsaid, but her tearful expression laid her fears bare.

Before Yun He could speak, Yun Hu couldn't hold back. He puffed out his chest with a smug grin, his voice low but brimming with unshakable confidence.

"Aiya, Sister Lingyue, just put your heart back in your belly!"

"Do you think I don't know my own big brother's strength? That Ning Wuhui? Hah, just wait and see!"

He shot a sidelong glance at Ning Wuhui on the arena, curling his lip in disdain.

Yun He gently patted Li Lingyue's hand, her voice calm as still water, carrying a soothing power.

"Sister Lingyue, don't worry."

"Big brother knows what he's doing."

If others didn't know, how could they, his siblings?

Big brother had long since reached the Xiantian realm!

And the legacy bestowed by the Ancestor—how could it be ordinary?

Even if Ning Wuhui really was at Xiantian, he was no match for big brother!

Li Lingyue looked at the utterly confident expressions on Yun He and Yun Hu's faces, her panic easing slightly, but doubt and worry still weighed heavily.

She knew Yun Long was formidable, but Ning Wuhui's fearsome reputation had spread like wildfire these past two days—she couldn't help but be afraid.

Below the arena, the crowd erupted into chaos.

"Am I seeing things? The first one up is Yun Long, Yun Ji's eldest son?"

A sharp-faced man rubbed his eyes vigorously, utterly incredulous.

"Tsk—this Yun kid's got some nerve!"

"That Ning Wuhui said anyone under twenty could come at him, and he'd take them all on! Is Yun Long just delivering himself as a meal?"

"Is Li Pinghu out of people? Or is this Yun kid going up as cannon fodder for Lingyue Martial Arts School?"

Voices clashed and clattered, gazes fixed on Yun Long filled with shock, confusion, and even a hint of schadenfreude.

"Heh, what the hell do you know?" An old hunter who knew Yun Ji couldn't help but speak up. "The Yun family and Head Li are brothers through thick and thin! Yun Long stepping up—that's loyalty!"

"Loyalty? I call it overreaching!" someone shot back immediately. "Ning Wuhui's beaten every young fighter in Nanshan Town. No matter how good Yun Long is, can he be stronger than those elite disciples from the martial arts schools?"

"Exactly. Now this is a show—wonder how many moves this Yun kid can last against Ning Wuhui!"

In the crowd, Li Pinghu's face flushed crimson. He hadn't expected Yun Ji to arrange things this way.

Watching Yun Long leap calmly onto the arena, his heart churned with mixed emotions.

This kid really had a bit of his old man's flair back in the day!

But the stakes...

Li Pinghu glanced at Zhang Qiaoshan's smug, triumphant face across the way and nearly ground his teeth to dust.

Damn it all—if he lost today, where would he even put his old face?

Losing that True Essence Pill to Old Man Zhang was the least of it.

The real worry was that his future son-in-law might get beaten to a pulp.

He knew Li Lingyue's heart all too well—she wouldn't marry anyone but Yun Long.