A Woman Named Yan Ruyu

Zhao Zhenming returned to his residence in a daze. Seeing that something was off about him, Zhao Jinglian stayed by his side.

"Little sister, am I very useless?" he asked Zhao Jinglian.

Zhao Jinglian was slightly startled, then said as if it were only natural, "Brother, you are the finest and strongest person in the world, without equal!"

Zhao Zhenming gave a self-mocking laugh and shook his head. "Today, I finally realized that I must be utterly useless. I enjoyed so many resources and possess two supreme bloodlines, yet I am still inferior to Zhao Ping'an."

"Brother, he ambushed you with underhanded tricks, fighting dirty and low! If you truly fought him head-on, he would surely lose to you!" Zhao Jinglian said without the slightest hesitation.

She truly believed it. Even after watching Jiang Ping'an defeat Princess Bailing, she still thought so. In her heart, her brother would always be the finest and strongest.

Zhao Zhenming found a measure of comfort in his sister's unwavering gaze and expression.

The next moment, he suddenly recalled something and could not help crying out, "Ah!"

"What is it?" Zhao Jinglian hurriedly asked with concern.

An anxious look appeared on Zhao Zhenming's handsome face. "Zhao Ping'an cannot die! He must stay alive—I have to defeat him personally!"

With that, he hurried into the study, picked up a brush, and began writing a letter on paper, his brush racing across the page.

Zhao Jinglian watched carefully from the side. The letter actually instructed Mother to immediately recall the people sent to "send Jiang Ping'an on his way," and not let Zhao Ping'an die.

Very soon, Zhao Zhenming finished the letter, placed it into an envelope, and handed it to Zhao Jinglian. "Little sister, I have no servants by my side for the moment. Immediately send your maid Tan Yun to deliver this letter to Mother. It is urgent—have her ride an Iron Feathered Flying Eagle. There must be no delay."

Old Hai, who had been helping him deliver letters, had not yet returned. As for Zhao Qingshi, after committing a grave mistake, he had been sent back to White Emperor City. His new attendant had yet to arrive.

"No problem!" Zhao Jinglian accepted the letter with a giggle.

Zhao Zhenming urged, "Go quickly."

Zhao Jinglian did not refuse. Taking the letter, she left Zhao Zhenming's residence.

After returning to her own residence, Zhao Jinglian first burned Zhao Zhenming's letter, then wrote another one herself.

Her letter first described how Jiang Ping'an had shone brilliantly at Taiwu Academy, defeated Princess Bailing, and might even seize the position of Chief Student. Then she fiercely denounced Jiang Ping'an for hiding his strength and harboring sinister intentions, his heart deserving punishment, and begged Mother to make sure someone was sent to "send Jiang Ping'an on his way."

Having just watched Jiang Ping'an defeat Princess Bailing openly and honorably, she felt an intense sense of danger in her heart. She worried even more that Jiang Ping'an would one day steal the Zhennan Marquis title that rightfully belonged to Zhao Zhenming.

Therefore, she believed he had to be strangled in the cradle before he could rise completely.

Once the letter was finished, she summoned Tan Yun, handed the letter to her, and sternly instructed, "Set out immediately and deliver this letter to my mother. You must personally place it in my mother's hands. Be quick—ride an Iron Feathered Flying Eagle."

"Yes, young lady." Tan Yun accepted the order and immediately turned to leave with the letter.

Academy Lord Hall, Assistant Director's side hall.

A graceful, slender young girl slowly walked in.

She wore a moon-white Confucian dress, elegant and unworldly. Her long, smooth black hair fell to her waist, gathered only into a simple bun. There were almost no ornaments in her hair, only a silver hairpin and a green ribbon.

A white veil covered her face, revealing only her smooth, full forehead, brows like distant hills, and almond-shaped eyes like two pools of autumn water.

Her gaze was warm as jade, serene as drifting clouds.

Though her full appearance could not be seen, the refined scholarly air about her made one feel that she must be extraordinarily beautiful.

"Ruyu pays respects to Great-Uncle Master." The veiled girl approached a desk and bowed to Li Wenzheng behind it.

Li Wenzheng put down his brush and raised his eyes, letting his gaze fall upon the veiled girl. "Worthy grandniece, there is no need for such formality."

The veiled girl straightened and asked, "May I know why Great-Uncle Master summoned me?"

Rather than answer, Li Wenzheng asked, "Did you watch Jiang Ping'an's match against Princess Bailing this morning?"

"I did," the veiled girl replied.

Li Wenzheng asked again, "In your match against Jiang Ping'an this afternoon, how confident are you of victory?"

"Less than thirty percent," the veiled girl answered. "However, if I break through during the battle and advance to the Divine Treasury Realm, I will have at least a seventy-percent chance."

She had been able to enter the Divine Treasury Realm half a year ago, but for the Holy Confucian Sect's grand plan, she had been ordered not to advance for the time being.

She was none other than Yan Ruyu, the sole granddaughter of the Holy Confucian Sect Master, whose name resounded throughout Yujing!

Li Wenzheng pondered briefly before saying, "Ruyu, I fear you will have to suffer another grievance. During your match with Jiang Ping'an this afternoon, you are not permitted to enter the Divine Treasury Realm on the spot."

After a pause, he explained, "Taiwu Academy does not lack a Chief Student who is the granddaughter of the Holy Confucian Sect Master. What it greatly needs is a Chief Student who is Concubine-born, forced to change his surname, and previously unknown."

"Yes, Ruyu obeys." Yan Ruyu bowed in acknowledgment.

Li Wenzheng nodded. His gaze softened as he quietly comforted Yan Ruyu, "Good child."

Ever since Emperor Qian revealed his intention to establish Taiwu Academy, the Holy Confucian Sect had immediately pledged the full support of the entire sect. Today, many Holy Confucian Sect disciples served as instructors within Taiwu Academy. Of the academy's only two Great Powers in the Law Manifestation Realm, one was a Supreme Elder of the Holy Confucian Sect.

The Holy Confucian Sect's strength and influence were far inferior to Jingdao Palace and Pudu Mountain, and it had always rooted itself in the Great Qian Dynasty for its development. Taiwu Academy was a once-in-ten-thousand-years opportunity for the Holy Confucian Sect to grow and flourish. They would never allow anything to go wrong.

That afternoon, the contest for the Third Seat Student and the contest for Chief Student were held as scheduled.

It went without saying that Taiwu Academy was emptied of people; even Li Wenzheng, the academy's fourth most important figure, personally attended to watch.

Li Wenzheng was a half-step Great Power at the perfected seventh level of the Dragon Transformation Realm!

The contest for Third Seat Student began first.

Princess Bailing suffered a few hardships, but ultimately won and claimed the position of Third Seat Student.

"The Chief Student contest is about to begin! Students Jiang Ping'an and Yan Ruyu, please take the stage!" the referee loudly announced.

As the announcement fell, everyone became excited and expectant.

Jiang Ping'an did not wish to waste even a trace of True Essence, so he still walked onto the stage.

Yan Ruyu, whose face remained covered by a white veil, was equally low-key and likewise walked onto the stage.

The spectators were speechless. This was the most glorious and strongest battle, and both clearly knew the Flight Technique, yet they stubbornly walked onto the stage like ordinary students. They had no bearing of the strongest whatsoever.

"This little woman is Yan Ruyu. It is a pleasure to meet Young Master Jiang." Yan Ruyu offered Jiang Ping'an a distant formal salute, her voice gentle and cultured, sounding nothing like someone who had come to compete.

Jiang Ping'an was slightly surprised. He returned the salute with clasped hands. "I am Jiang Ping'an. Greetings, Miss Yan."

Why am I always fighting my neighbors?

He had lived in Residence Jia Chen Dorm of the Upper Kun Courtyard for more than ten days. No matter how poorly informed he was, he already knew who his neighbor on the right was.

At that moment, the referee loudly announced, "The match begins!"

As the referee's voice fell, Yan Ruyu immediately unleashed her Primordial Sea Phenomenon.

A massive golden ancient book phantom appeared in the sky behind her. The golden ancient book exuded an infinitely archaic, weathered aura. It opened, and the profound ancient words inscribed upon its pages flew in every direction. Each character glittered with light like stars in the heavens, brimming with the enlightenment of wisdom.

As the possessor of an Ancient Sacred Body, Jiang Ping'an was unaffected by the phenomenon, but his gaze could not help being drawn to the ancient book and the flying written symbols.

It was the Human Race's instinctive yearning for writing and civilization.

"Young Master Jiang, do not lose focus," Yan Ruyu reminded him as she slowly rose into the air.

Jiang Ping'an came back to his senses and laughed heartily. Immediately, he fully unleashed the Willow Branching Movement and charged toward Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu recited in an elegant voice, "The Master stood by a river and said: 'What passes away is like this, never ceasing day or night.'"

Her voice contained a certain special rhythm, drawing a swift response from the Heavenly Essence. Her True Essence merged with the Heavenly Essence, forming a surging river across the stage that swept toward Jiang Ping'an.

Jiang Ping'an instantly felt as though he had been cast into a raging, tumultuous river. Not only could he not advance a single step, he was continuously washed backward, even in danger of being overturned and drowned.

He immediately gave up resisting the profound river, spread his Xun Wind Wings, and flew into the air, continuing to pounce toward Yan Ruyu.

At this time, Yan Ruyu calmly recited, "Only when the year grows cold does one know that the pine and cypress are the last to wither."

A row of dark green pines and cypresses standing proudly amid wind and snow appeared in the void, blocking Jiang Ping'an's path.

Without thinking, Jiang Ping'an swung his sword in a horizontal slash. A clang rang out, as if he had struck metal and stone; he actually could not cut down those pines and cypresses in one blow.

"The Master said: 'The benevolent delight in mountains.'" Yan Ruyu's elegant voice came again.

A towering green mountain phantom descended from the sky, pressing down toward Jiang Ping'an's head with a terrifying momentum, like Mount Tai bearing down upon him.

Looking up at the towering mountain rapidly crushing down, and recalling how his attacks had repeatedly been thwarted, Jiang Ping'an roared in irritation, "This Young Master will say instead: Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs!"

As he shouted, he circulated his True Essence with all his strength. His Taiyang Meridian opened, and True Essence as vast as an ocean surged forth with the punch he hurled toward the sky.

Boom—

His fist collided with the towering mountain, and the mountain was instantly blasted apart.

Yan Ruyu immediately suffered backlash. She gave a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of her lips.

Shock could not help appearing in her eyes. With cultivation at the same realm, someone had actually shattered a towering mountain with a single punch.

What kind of spirit and what immense True Essence did it take to blast apart an entire mountain with one punch?

Because if one could not shatter the towering mountain, it meant being crushed to death beneath it. Nearly everyone's first thought would be to flee and evade it; some would even be so frightened that their legs went weak, leaving them unable to run.