In the small courtyard, the fragrance of tea curled through the air.
Zhou Yunhe's question sounded casual, but it carried a deeper meaning.
Li Yun looked at him. Rather than answer at once, he lifted his teacup and took another sip.
"That's a rather sudden question, Platform Master Zhou."
He set down his cup and said evenly, "The Grandmaster Duel hasn't even begun. I don't know who my opponents are, so how can I say how confident I am?"
Despite his words, not a trace of doubt showed on Li Yun's face.
Zhou Yunhe smiled.
"You're too modest, Young Master Li. You defeated Yan Shan with a single slash. With strength like that, you'd easily rank among Cangnan's top ten Grandmasters."
"And from what I've seen of you just now, to be honest, I can't gauge your strength either."
"So I want to hear it from you: are you confident you can reach the top hundred in this Grandmaster Duel?"
Li Yun considered for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"The Grandmaster Duel is held once every twenty years, bringing Grandmasters from across Blue Star onto the same stage. Those who make it to the end are bound to be the finest fighters from their countries and alliances."
"To be honest, an event like that interests me."
"Crossing hands with Blue Star's finest Martial Dao Grandmasters would certainly benefit my own Martial Dao training."
"As for whether I'm confident I can reach the top hundred... if you insist on an answer, I'd say eight or nine chances out of ten."
"Eight or nine chances out of ten?"
Zhou Yunhe's eyes lit up. "Such confidence, Young Master Li! Seeing you so sure of yourself puts my mind at ease. You have no idea how much I've longed to see a Grandmaster from