Grandfather's Life-Claiming Call: If You Don't Compete, Where Am I Supposed to Put My Face?!

The Northern Border, sealed in ice for thousands of miles.

Lin Zhan's burly figure stood tall amid the wind and snow.

He had just torn apart a King-level ferocious beast attempting to breach the defensive line with his bare hands, and a faint bloody fierce aura still clung to him.

Just as he prepared to sit cross-legged and regulate his breathing, his communicator rang again.

Looking up, he saw it was still a call from home.

The Old War God's brows drew together as he tapped to answer.

Uncle Zhong's deeply anxious old face appeared on the screen.

"Old Master, something's happened!"

After hearing Uncle Zhong's report and learning that his Beloved Grandson could not even be bothered to participate in the school tournament, allowing the entire school to regard him as a turtle hiding in its shell, Lin Zhan's face instantly darkened.

"Outrageous!"

With that furious roar, even the wind and snow for a hundred miles around seemed to freeze!

"Put me through to that brat!"

The next second, the specially made communicator on Lin Yuan's wrist began vibrating frantically.

Lin Yuan was enjoying the Ice-cold Spirit Fruit handed to him by a maid when he saw the caller ID on his communicator.

Raising a brow, he answered lazily.

A holographic projection appeared before him. It was his grandfather, brimming with fierce aura.

"Yo, Old Man. You're free today? Not killing ferocious beasts, and you've come to inspect me instead?" Lin Yuan still looked as frivolous as ever.

"You little brat!"

"I heard you aren't even entering the school tournament? What are you trying to do? Do you want to disgrace our Lin Family completely?!"

Seeing his shameless demeanor, Lin Zhan was so furious that his beard bristled and his eyes bulged.

"Disgrace us? How could that be?" Lin Yuan said dismissively. "I'm protecting the Lin Family's reputation."

"Bullshit!"

Lin Zhan roared.

"Think about it..."

"I, the grandson of the great Lin Zhan, the future heir of the Lin Family, a Peerless Genius, going to compete in some childish game of a tournament—wouldn't that be lowering my own standing? Fighting a bunch of kindergarten kids, even if I won, would that sound good when word got out? It'd be way too beneath me!"

Lin Yuan analyzed the matter with a perfectly serious expression.

"You..."

Lin Zhan was so angered by that crooked logic that he laughed.

This brat really had one excuse after another.

"Stop feeding me this useless nonsense! I don't care whether you think it's beneath you or not. You must participate in today's competition!"

Lin Zhan's face turned stern, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Why?"

Lin Yuan mumbled unhappily.

"There are three reasons!"

Lin Zhan held up three fingers.

"You are my, Lin Zhan's, grandson, a descendant of the Lin Family! Members of the Lin Family can be wild and proud, but we must never be seen as cowards! Whoever dares wag their tongue, beat them until they shut up!"

"I've guarded the Northern Border for a hundred years, killing ferocious beasts until they dared not head south, my prestige renowned far and wide! Yet my own grandson is playing turtle at school? Where am I supposed to put my old face?!"

"And there's more..."

Lin Zhan went on and on.

Damn it...

I just wanted to lie flat in peace, and even that wasn't allowed???

There was no helping it!

No matter what, he could not possibly defy the Old Man.

"Fine, fine, I'll go..."

"But Old Man, you have to promise me this: if I really take first place, you all have to give me plenty of freedom. I'm not a child anymore..."

Lin Yuan was utterly speechless.

"Fine! As long as you take first place, you can do whatever you want. Whoever dares disturb you, I'll break his legs!"

Lin Zhan agreed without hesitation.

At those words, Lin Yuan's eyes immediately lit up.

No one would bother him?

This deal was worth it!

Even Elder Sister would not be able to do anything about him now!

Wasn't it just beating up a few little kids?

It was a bit troublesome, but for a month of blissful living in the future, it was worth it!

And it would make the Old Man shut up too—killing two birds with one stone.

"Deal!"

Lin Yuan immediately sat up from the lounge chair, full of vigor. "Old Man, don't worry. Taking first place in a mere school tournament will be as easy as taking something from my pocket!"

"Hmph! That's more like it!"

Lin Zhan nodded in satisfaction and cut off the call.

Lin Yuan stretched and instructed Uncle Zhong beside him, "Uncle Zhong, go register me as a late entry. Tell them that I, Lin Yuan, am competing."

At the competition grounds.

Ten enormous arenas were hosting fierce battles at the same time.

Spirit power flashed in all directions. The clashes of weapons and cries of encouragement rose one after another, merging into a heatwave that shot into the sky.

Yet amid this clamor, one person seemed utterly out of place.

Lin Yuan sat sprawled in the best spot of the competitors' viewing area, with a soft sofa specially delivered for him beneath him.

Ice-cold Spirit Fruit and dim sum sat at hand, while two beautiful maids even stood behind him fanning him.

He was not watching the bouts on the arenas at all. Instead, he stared boredly at the sky, as though studying the shapes of the clouds.

This was hardly someone here to compete. He was clearly here on vacation.

Meanwhile, on Arena Number One, Ye Xuan was cutting down all opposition.

He was like a fierce tiger bursting from its cage.

Over several consecutive matches, nearly every opponent he encountered was defeated in a single move—cleanly and decisively, without the slightest drag.

"Holy crap! This Ye Xuan is way too fierce!"

"His progress is unbelievably fast! I remember that a few months ago, he was only at the Marrow Cleansing Realm First Level, right? But judging by this aura, he feels unfathomable now!"

"What realm is he actually at? Does anyone know?"

Exclamations of amazement rose continuously from the stands.

With his overwhelming strength, Ye Xuan swiftly drew the attention of the entire venue.

Soon, he faced another new opponent.

The newcomer was named Wang Hao, a well-known young dandy in the academy with a fairly wealthy family.

He usually loved following behind Lin Yuan, and because of that, had always looked down on Ye Xuan for his commoner background.

Wang Hao's cultivation was a genuine Marrow Cleansing Realm Fourth Level.

The moment he stepped onto the arena, he tilted his chin at Ye Xuan and said with a face full of arrogance, "Ye Xuan, I advise you to roll down on your own now. Otherwise, you'll get beaten too badly later and go crying home to your mother!"

Ye Xuan remained expressionless, his gaze icy.

"Looks like Lin Yuan didn't come, but you lapdogs have jumped out first."

"How dare you!"

"What the hell are you that you dare call Brother Yuan by name? Today, I'll let you know that between commoners and nobles like us lies an insurmountable chasm!"

Wang Hao flew into a rage.

As soon as he finished speaking, he abruptly unleashed his aura.

Marrow Cleansing Realm Fourth Level!

That powerful pressure made many students below the arena change expression.

At the same time, Ye Xuan also revealed his cultivation.

Marrow Cleansing Realm Second Level!

"Ha ha ha!"

When Wang Hao saw Ye Xuan's realm, it was as if he had heard a Huge Joke. He laughed until he nearly doubled over. "A mere Marrow Cleansing Realm Second Level? I thought you'd made some great progress! With this little strength, you dare act arrogant before me? Get down!"

Laughing wildly, he flashed forward and hurled a powerful Fierce Tiger Descending Mountain Fist straight at Ye Xuan's face.

The force of his fist surged, filled with absolute confidence, as though he could already see Ye Xuan being sent flying by a single punch.

Yet faced with that menacing blow, Ye Xuan did not even blink.

The instant the fist wind was about to strike him, he moved.

There were no flashy movements. He simply threw an equally straightforward punch to meet it.

But that punch carried an overbearing will to charge ahead without fear and crush everything in its path!

"You don't know your own limits!"

Seeing that Ye Xuan actually dared meet him head-on, Wang Hao's disdain deepened.

Bang—!

The two fists collided with a dull, thunderous boom.

The scene of Ye Xuan being blasted away did not occur.

Instead, the smile on Wang Hao's face froze in an instant.

Then...

It turned into boundless terror!

An irresistible and terrifying force surged from his opponent's fist.

Like dry leaves before a storm, it shattered his Protective Spirit Power and broke the bones in his arm!

Crack!

The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed across the arena!

"Aah—!"

Wang Hao let out a miserable scream.

His whole body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily beneath the arena.

Blood poured from his mouth, and he fainted on the spot.

One strike, instant defeat!

The entire venue instantly fell into dead silence.

Everyone stared with their eyes wide and mouths open wide enough to fit a fist, their faces filled with disbelief.

"I... I'm not seeing things, am I? Marrow Cleansing Realm Second Level... defeated Marrow Cleansing Realm Fourth Level with one punch?"

"How is that possible! This isn't merely fighting above one's level anymore—this is crushing someone across levels!"

"A monster! This Ye Xuan is a true monster!"

After that brief dead silence.

An uproar like mountains roaring and seas crashing erupted!

"Looking at it this way, doesn't he have a chance to take first place?"

"Hard to say. Lin Yuan hasn't appeared yet! He's at the Marrow Cleansing Realm Sixth Level!"

"So what? Ye Xuan can crush the Fourth Level while only at the Second Level. Against the Sixth Level, he may not be without a chance! This tournament is going to be interesting!"

"Exactly! And we don't even know whether Young Master Lin is still competing!"

"Maybe he sensed in advance that Ye Xuan was too strong, so he didn't dare enter the competition!"

The spectators discussed excitedly.

Their gazes toward Ye Xuan were filled with endless anticipation.

Afterward.

The matches on the other arenas were equally thrilling.

Gu Ningxue moved with graceful elegance, wielding her Falling Snow Swordplay with consummate mastery. She easily defeated her opponent, drawing waves of applause.

Li Xuan'er also stepped onto the arena.

Her opponent was an older student at the Marrow Cleansing Realm Third Level.

Facing an enemy of the same level, she won with some difficulty, but ultimately secured victory through her more exquisite cultivation technique.

Yet the usual pride had vanished from her face, replaced by a trace of complexity and loneliness.

Ye Xuan's strength made her happy.

But it also brought her an inexplicable sense of loss and panic.

On the arena.

Ye Xuan stood tall and proud.

Like a bolt of lightning, his gaze fixed steadily upon that leisurely figure in the spectator stands.

Lin Yuan...

Were you really not going to enter the competition?

Endless fury surged within his heart.

If he truly could not defeat Lin Yuan on this arena, Ye Xuan's heart would never find peace.

That was his Heart Demon!

A Heart Demon, through and through!

However, just then.

Over the broadcast.

A voice suddenly rang out.

"An announcement: Classmate Lin Yuan has registered late and will be participating in the All-School Competition!"

In an instant.

Everyone who heard the news stopped what they were doing.

In unison, they turned to look at Lin Yuan.

Their faces were filled with shock.

That man had returned!