Xia Youyu

The Wind Clan main hall.

The Wind Clan main hall was not grand; on the contrary, it was quite ordinary, built from massive piled rocks that gave it a heavy, cumbersome appearance.

Just as Su Ye arrived before the hall, a group of people emerged from within. Leading them was an old man with a kind and benevolent expression, who was explaining something to a stunningly beautiful young woman beside him.

This old man was none other than the patriarch of the Wind Clan.

Seeing Su Ye approach, the old man's smile deepened. He beckoned to Su Ye and said to the young woman, "Although this lad is not a member of our Wind Clan, his talent is the greatest among us."

"Little Ye, these are honored guests from the Heaven Mending Pavilion."

The patriarch looked at Su Ye as he spoke. Although their Wind Clan possessed some decent prodigies, he knew that those talents were only considered such within this local region; they would be nothing compared to those in the outside world.

But Su Ye was different.

Su Ye's natural talent was immense, enough to rival the cubs of powerful ferocious beasts. Joining the Heaven Mending Pavilion would certainly be no issue. Since these individuals held high status within the Pavilion, he wanted Su Ye to grow close to them so that he would have support once he entered the Heaven Mending Pavilion in the future.

Su Ye looked at the young woman beside the patriarch. She was beautiful and ethereal, with a tall, slender figure and striking curves. Dressed in white robes, she exuded an otherworldly aura, as if she were a fallen immortal.

So beautiful.

Su Ye's eyes widened, stunned by her peerless grace. She was arguably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, like an immortal descended to the mortal realm. However, he quickly steadied his mind and began to assess her.

Very strong.

Although she appeared to possess no powerful aura, he could sense a terrifying strength contained within her body, one not much weaker than the patriarch, who possessed the strength of a prince.

If he guessed correctly, this beautiful young woman must be Xia Youyu, the most outstanding disciple of this generation from the Heaven Mending Pavilion.

Every year, the Heaven Mending Pavilion dispatched disciples to various parts of the Desolate Region to seek out exceptional prodigies and escort them back. For certain specially protected talents, they would bestow a Talisman Token.

Those holding a Talisman Token could enter the Heaven Mending Pavilion directly, become disciples of the Genius Camp, receive focused training, and cultivate powerful precious techniques.

The team that had come to the Western Frontier this time was led by Xia Youyu, and since the Wind Clan was located in the Western Frontier, it was not hard to guess who she was.

While Su Ye was observing Xia Youyu, she was also observing him. She did not mind his gaze; rather, she was somewhat surprised that he had regained his composure so quickly. This indicated that his mental state was very strong, though she wondered about his actual strength.

"Little brother, let big sister test you properly."

Xia Youyu smiled lightly. Her voice was melodious, her eyes shimmering, and her eyelashes fluttered against her fair, crystalline face, which glowed with an alluring luster. Suddenly, her figure moved like a gust of wind, appearing directly before Su Ye. She waved her jade hand, her white arm radiating a faint, glowing light.

It was a seemingly ordinary strike, but it actually contained immense power; if it landed on mountain rock, it would be enough to pulverize it into dust.

However, Xia Youyu did not intend to kill Su Ye, so her speed was not at its peak, allowing her to pull back at any moment.

The old patriarch wanted to say something, but ultimately just opened his mouth. He had not expected this Heaven Mending Pavilion disciple to strike so directly without any warning.

The old matron beside them noticed the patriarch's worry and said with a smile, "Patriarch, please rest assured. Youyu knows her limits and will not hurt this little one."

"That is not what I meant."

The old patriarch's expression was conflicted. He was not afraid of Su Ye getting hurt, but rather that this Heaven Mending Pavilion prodigy might get injured. If that happened, Su Ye would offend a genius of the Heaven Mending Pavilion before even entering, and he would likely be targeted later on. He just hoped this lad wouldn't be reckless.

The old matron did not know what the patriarch was thinking, or she would have been deeply shocked. It was hard to believe, given that Xia Youyu was the most outstanding genius of their Heaven Mending Pavilion, whose cultivation now rivaled many elders. How could she possibly come out on the losing end of a test against a mere youth?

Su Ye was quite surprised by Xia Youyu's sudden attack, but despite his surprise, his reaction was not slow. He retreated at the first moment, dodging her strike.

Seeing that Su Ye had dodged her attack so easily, a smile appeared on Xia Youyu's fair face. Truly, he is not simple.

She condensed a rune in her hand. The rune swirled, blooming with brilliant light, from which green branches emerged. Fast as lightning, they quickly coiled around Su Ye.

Su Ye did not panic. He grabbed the branches and pulled with force, snapping them instantly, then gave a sharp tug.

Xia Youyu had not expected Su Ye's strength to be so terrifying. He had easily snapped the vines formed by her precious technique, and the immense pulling force caused her to stumble forward.

Su Ye reached out toward Xia Youyu. Having reached the perfection of the Blood-Moving Realm, his physical strength was one hundred thousand jin, comparable to a True Dragon cub. Ordinary precious techniques were useless against him.

If she wanted to test his strength, such simple probing would not suffice.

Runes emerged in his palm, suffused with a hazy glow, transforming into a giant hand that resembled the hand of a god.

Xia Youyu sensed danger. Her steps were light, her graceful figure dancing as she dodged. At the same time, more and more runes appeared in her hands, and further vines emerged, coiling around the giant hand and snaking toward Su Ye.

Facing the overwhelming sea of vines, Su Ye remained calm. Runes permeated his body, and wind blades erupted from him, slicing the vines into segments.

Simultaneously, he spread his arms, and endless runes spread across them. Soon, his arms transformed into Wind Wings, and his body began to spin, rushing toward Xia Youyu. Wherever he passed, the vines were ground into dust.

"What a powerful wind-element precious technique."

The old matron from the Heaven Mending Pavilion watched the power Su Ye displayed and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. She had not expected Su Ye to not only block Youyu's attack but to actually break her precious technique.

Of course, this did not mean Su Ye was stronger; it was simply that Xia Youyu had not displayed her full power, having suppressed her cultivation to the Blood-Moving Realm.

"It is not the precious technique that is powerful, but the person," the old patriarch said, then sighed. "Our lineage has declined; most of the clan's precious techniques have long been lost. Now, only some incomplete ones remain. This technique is called Wind Wings, evolved from the precious technique of the Wind-Chasing Sparrow. Its primary ability is flight, with a speed comparable to a Roc, rather than being an offensive technique."

As he spoke, his expression turned lonely. Once, their Wind Clan had been very powerful, the head of the four ancient human clans of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, shaking the Great Wilderness. Yet now, the strongest in the clan was only at the prince level.

Although the precious technique Su Ye used was not an offensive one, under his control, the rapid fluttering of the Wind Wings generated a force so sharp it could cut through metal and stone.

A look of seriousness appeared on Xia Youyu's fair face. The youth before her was strong. Golden runes appeared in her hands, and the green vines turned gold in the blink of an eye, as if cast from solid gold.

The sharp Wind Wings collided with the golden vines, emitting a "clang, clang" sound. The gale generated by the wings passed through the gaps in the golden vines, whipping Xia Youyu's robes and making them snap loudly.

Xia Youyu looked at Su Ye with great satisfaction. To possess such powerful combat strength at this age was rare, even among the top major powers.

With proper cultivation, his future would be limitless, and he would surely become a powerful prince capable of shaking a region.