Yang Lingtian immediately performed the techniques of the Hundred Shadow Cold Sword, though of course he did not use his full strength.
Otherwise, with his Hundred Shadow Cold Sword at the perfected stage, his strength could surge severalfold.
It would be bad if he accidentally injured Yiyue.
Chen Yiyue had never cultivated a martial technique, so she fell into a disadvantage right away.
"How did this brat become so powerful? From childhood until now, I was always the only one who could bully him."
"Now he's actually suppressing me. His progress is far too fast." Chen Yiyue was inwardly stunned.
After sparring for a while, the winner was obvious, and Yang Lingtian sheathed his sword and stopped.
With a wicked grin, he said, "How was that? Your future husband is pretty strong, right?"
"With me around, no one will dare bully you in the future!"
Chen Yiyue looked thoroughly displeased and snorted. "What martial technique did you use just now? Its power was incredible."
Chen Yiyue was still extremely shocked that Yang Lingtian knew a martial technique.
She looked at Yang Lingtian in astonishment, unable to understand it.
"Where did this brat learn a martial technique? It doesn't resemble the one my father cultivates."
"Besides, he's only at the Qi Refining Stage, yet he can cultivate a martial technique. This is unheard of."
It was no wonder she was surprised. Even among Foundation Establishment experts, very few possessed martial techniques.
Martial techniques were generally secret manuals that great lineages and major sects never passed on to outsiders, and they were also incredibly difficult to cultivate.
Thus, almost no one could master a martial technique while still at the Qi Refining Stage.
Only geniuses from major sects and great lineages had any chance of obtaining and initially mastering one.
Even the Chen Family had only Chen Zhengqing, who knew a Yellow Rank Martial Technique.
Yang Lingtian said playfully, "My sword art is called the Hundred Shadow Cold Sword. Want to learn it?"
"I can teach you, but for every day I teach you, you have to kiss me once."
"Get lost. You're really pushing your luck. Once I break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, just wait and see how I'll trample you."
Chen Yiyue said angrily, though she looked a little adorable as well.
Yang Lingtian said with a broad grin, "Yiyue, we're about to marry and become husband and wife. It isn't too much for me to let you kiss me, is it?"
"I agreed to marry you because my father asked me to, but I'm warning you: after we're married, you're not allowed to touch me. Otherwise, I'll beat you to death." Chen Yiyue's voice was sharp.
Yang Lingtian muttered disdainfully to himself, "Hmph. Who wants to touch you?"
"If it weren't for completing the system mission, I wouldn't even bother with you!"
He wanted to say more, but merely replied, "Fine, fine, fine. Have it your way."
With that, he left. If he stayed any longer, they might truly start fighting.
Before long, the day of their grand wedding arrived, and the Chen Family sent invitations to all the notable figures.
Such an important occasion naturally drew representatives bearing congratulatory gifts from the Four Great Families of Tianchen City.
Although the Four Great Families were not particularly close, they still gave the Chen Family some face.
Soon, news that Yang Lingtian was marrying into the Chen Family spread throughout Tianchen City.
Previously, the rumor that Yang Lingtian would marry into the Chen Family had circulated only within a small circle, attracting little attention.
Now that it had become reality, it became the subject of discussion for many people.
The news quickly reached the Lei Family, one of the three great families of the nearby Shenwu City.
After Lei Daben, the Lei Family master's son, received the news, he panicked.
He had once visited Tianchen City and met Chen Yiyue just once.
At the time, he had been deeply captivated by Chen Yiyue's beauty and had never forgotten her afterward.
Back then, he had only been at Qi Refining Level 8, and Chen Yiyue had paid him little attention.
He had boasted that once he achieved Foundation Establishment, he would come to ask for her hand.
Chen Yiyue, however, had treated it as a joke and paid it no mind.
After returning to Lei Manor, he cultivated day and night, and finally broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm recently.
He had achieved Foundation Establishment at the age of twenty, becoming the number-one genius of Shenwu City.
Just as he was preparing to go ask for her hand, news suddenly came that Chen Yiyue was getting married that very day.
"What? Yiyue is the woman I chose, yet someone beat me to her?" Lei Daben said furiously.
His subordinate Wu Liu egged him on. "Young Master, why don't you go snatch the bride?"
"Although the Chen Family is one of the Four Great Families of Tianchen City, it only rose to prominence recently. Its foundations aren't as deep as those of an old lineage like ours."
Lei Daben did not give it much thought and said arrogantly, "Fine. We'll leave right now."
"I'm going to take her back. There isn't a woman in this world that my Lei Daben can't obtain."
Half a day later, the wedding had already reached its latter half.
The Chen Manor's main hall was filled with honored guests. Yang Lingtian and Chen Yiyue were carrying out the final steps—paying respects to their parents and to Heaven and Earth.
At that moment, a servant suddenly came to report that Lei Daben of the Lei Family from Shenwu City had arrived to offer his congratulations.
Everyone present was puzzled. Did the Chen Family really have that much face?
It had actually alarmed the Lei Family, which was far away in Shenwu City.
Since they had come, there was no reason to turn them away, so they were invited inside.
Lei Daben entered with more than a dozen subordinates, his eyes fixed hungrily on Chen Yiyue, who was covered by a red bridal veil.
Chen Zhengqing remained courteous toward the uninvited members of the Lei Family. "Thank you for coming all this way to offer your congratulations. Young Master Lei, please take a seat."
Lei Daben spoke bluntly. "Family Master Chen, I didn't come here to offer congratulations. I came to ask for her hand."
His words left everyone present bewildered.
Ask for her hand?
The Chen Manor had only one daughter, Chen Yiyue. Who was Lei Daben asking to marry?
Chen Zhengqing was puzzled as well. "Young Master Lei, what do you mean? Whom are you asking to marry?"
Lei Daben looked toward Chen Yiyue and said confidently, "Naturally, I'm asking for Miss Chen Yiyue's hand."
"What? Young Master Lei, don't joke around."
"Today is my daughter's wedding day. Don't cause trouble." Chen Zhengqing sounded displeased.
"I'm not joking, Family Master Chen. Rather than letting Eldest Miss Chen marry a good-for-nothing, why not let her marry me?"
"If the Lei Family and Chen Family form a marriage alliance, then with our Lei Family's support, your Chen Family will have a firmer foothold in Tianchen City."
Relying on his identity as the Lei Family's son, Lei Daben spoke without the slightest restraint.
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present.
Lei Daben had actually come to snatch the bride.
Yang Lingtian could not bear it any longer.
On his own wedding day, someone had come to steal his bride and even called him a good-for-nothing.
"Young Master Lei, aren't you going too far? It's my wedding day, yet you dare come here to snatch the bride!"
Yang Lingtian kept his voice low, but his tone was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
"I'm speaking to Family Master Chen. Do you have the right to interrupt?" Lei Daben said contemptuously.
"A good-for-nothing like you is completely unworthy of Chen Yiyue. You'd better obediently call off the wedding and let Chen Yiyue marry me."
Chen Zhengqing was enraged and shouted, "Enough, Young Master Lei. Stop fooling around."
"You're a guest since you came here, but if you insist on causing trouble, I'll have to throw you out."
With Lei Daben making such a scene, there would be even more gossip about the Chen Family in the future.
Chen Zhengqing was furious, but because of the Lei Family's influence, he did not dare do anything to Lei Daben.
Yang Lingtian, however, had no intention of indulging him. Snatching the bride was intolerable, and insulting him as a good-for-nothing was even more intolerable.
"Lei Daben, what makes you think you're so impressive? Do you really think you're worthy of my Yiyue?"
The instant Yang Lingtian finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.
Lei Daben's expression darkened, and then the aura of a Foundation Establishment expert erupted from him.
He then said arrogantly, "I'm the son of the Lei Family of Shenwu City."
"And I'm publicly acknowledged as the number-one genius of Shenwu City. Am I still not qualified?"
Everyone present was slightly astonished. Achieving Foundation Establishment at the age of twenty truly made him a heaven-blessed prodigy.
Many people remained trapped at Qi Refining Level 9 for decades without breaking through, yet Lei Daben had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm with apparent ease.
Calling him the number-one genius of Shenwu City was indeed no exaggeration.
But in Yang Lingtian's eyes, a Foundation Establishment expert was nothing worth mentioning.
"Lei Daben, you're far too full of yourself. The number-one genius of Shenwu City? In my opinion, you're just a good-for-nothing."
"If you have the guts, come spar with me. If you defeat me, I'll call off the wedding."
"But if you lose, you'll have to kneel and apologize to me."
Those words left everyone present dumbfounded.
An existence at Qi Refining Level 8 was challenging a Foundation Establishment expert? Was he looking to die?
"No, Ling Tian, don't act on impulse." Chen Zhengqing hurriedly tried to stop him. He did not believe Ling Tian could defeat Lei Daben either.
"Hahahaha! Yang Lingtian, have you lost your mind? You actually dare challenge me!" Lei Daben said disdainfully.
Yang Lingtian replied calmly, "Godfather, I know what I'm doing."
"Lei Daben, are you afraid to accept the challenge? Afraid that you'll have to kneel and embarrass yourself later?"
"Hmph. Fine, fine, fine. Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish. You're calling off this wedding, then. Everyone present can bear witness." Lei Daben accepted the challenge.
No one knew what Yang Lingtian was plotting. He had actually gone so far as to challenge a Foundation Establishment expert.
Moreover, Lei Daben was no ordinary Foundation Establishment expert. A genius like him was far more powerful than an ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage expert.
Only Chen Yiyue showed no concern whatsoever.
She had sparred with Yang Lingtian before and knew that his strength was extraordinary.
However, she also did not know whether Yang Lingtian could defeat Lei Daben.
All she could do was wait and see.
Both sides insisted on sparring, so Chen Zhengqing found it difficult to stop them. He could only worry inwardly.
Soon, they arrived at an open area outside.
Lei Daben looked down on him. "Insolent fool. Come on. I don't need a weapon to knock you flat."
Yang Lingtian was not polite and directly took out a Low-Grade Spirit Sword.
Lei Daben remained arrogant and still did not draw a weapon.
In his view, even with the support of a Spirit Sword, Yang Lingtian could not defeat him.
The spectators below began discussing among themselves, and not a single comment favored Yang Lingtian.
"I think Young Master Yang can last a few minutes after drawing that Spirit Sword, but he's bound to lose."
"That's right. The Foundation Establishment Realm and Qi Refining Stage are separated by an entire major realm."
"Lei Daben is also a heaven-blessed prodigy. There's no way a mere Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator can defeat him."
"Hmph, a few minutes? I say he won't last even a few seconds. So what if he draws a Spirit Sword?"
"This Yang Lingtian has really gotten carried away. Didn't he merely break through to Qi Refining Level 8 within a month or two?"
"He actually thinks he's invincible now and dares challenge a Foundation Establishment expert."
"That's right. Although our Young Master only recently broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm—"
"He once fought an old Foundation Establishment Early Stage expert and remained undefeated." Lei Daben's subordinate said proudly.
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