Section 42: A Clash with Tie Ao!
Zhu Kai, sunlight streamed in from outside.
A tall, imposing man with a broad back and a narrow waist strode into the hall, his back to the sunlight.
The sunlight was blinding, forcing everyone to squint. The man, with his back to the sun, his face shrouded in darkness, exuded an immense psychological pressure.
"Young Master of the Iron Family!" someone exclaimed.
Immediately, a stone was thrown into the lake, and the hall erupted in commotion. Everyone stood up, their faces beaming with obsequious smiles, and greeted Tie Ao.
Tie Ao remained unmoved, his gaze fixed intently on the Red-Robed Fairy on the high seat, his eyes burning with intense affection.
"Ms. Red Robe, it feels like three autumns have passed since we last met. Hearing of your arrival, I specially ordered some gifts to be prepared for everyone."
After he finished speaking, Long Daozhi, who was behind him, immediately waved his hand, and a large group of followers, each holding a colorful treasure, came forward.
"This is the Star Sea Snowgold Pearl, which can moisturize and nourish the skin. My young master purchased it for over a thousand Heaven-Stellar Stone Coin."
"This is a Ge-ware porcelain vase depicting a beauty from the Tang Brocade Kingdom era. I've heard that the Red-Robed Fairy is particularly fond of antiques from the Tang Brocade Kingdom, and the young master has been offering a high price for it. Today, I obtained it by exchanging it for Sea Burst Crocodile Demon Beast of superior quality."
"This is the Seven-Star Fire Ward Lamp. It's made by a top-tier Great Demon soldier at the peak of his cultivation, specifically for the fairy's protection."
"This is the Ten-Thousand-Whisker Ginseng Dragon-Eye Necklace. It can emit the aura of the Ten-Thousand-Whisker Ginseng Dragon, and is most effective in replenishing qi and nourishing the complexion."
Long Daozhi spoke slowly and deliberately. With each treasure he mentioned, everyone gasped slightly.
"These are all priceless treasures, with no market value whatsoever..."
"It's no longer news that the young master of the Iron Family wears a Red Robe. I've heard that he always presents a pile of expensive gifts every time they meet."
"Truly a beauty paired with a hero. It's a pity that the Red-Robed Fairy is determined to pursue the ultimate realm of dance, remaining aloof from the young master of the Iron Family. Otherwise, it would have been a beautiful story..."
The crowd whispered among themselves.
Suddenly, someone raised their voice, speaking in a sarcastic tone, "Brother Tie Ao, the timing of sending the Seven-Star Fire Ward Lamp is perfect. Just now, someone forcefully demanded to be alone with Red Robe."
"Hehehe. As soon as Brother Tie Ao arrived, this guy stopped talking and started hiding like a coward." Someone chuckled disdainfully.
Many people looked at Chu Yun, winking and making sarcastic remarks, clearly gloating.
"Oh? Someone actually disrespected the Red-Robed Fairy? Who is it?" Tie Ao frowned and shouted in a deep voice.
No one spoke, but everyone's eyes were focused on Chu Yun, making it clear to everyone.
"Young Master, I didn't expect Chu Yun to be hiding here..." Long Daozhi said in an extremely low voice.
"Hmm?" Tie Ao reluctantly shifted his gaze from the Red-Robed Fairy to Chu Yun.
Chu Yun remained calm, his bright gaze meeting Chu Yun's.
Their eyes met.
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, and for a moment many people felt like they couldn't breathe.
One is a rising star who has recently gained fame and shines like a dazzling star. The other comes from a wealthy and influential family and is widely recognized as the number one among the younger generation.
This wasn't the first time Tie Ao had met Chu Yun.
Similarly, Chu Yun had only caught glimpses of Chu Yun Tie Ao from afar in his previous life while standing in a crowd. This was the first time he had come into such close contact with him.
"This is a formidable enemy," a voice echoed in Chu Yun's mind, then shifted, "Unfortunately, even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman; he's still a notch below Ning Tianwang."
In his past life's memories, after being struck by a meteor, Ning Tianwang rose like the sun, his fortune continuous and his adventures endless, his momentum unstoppable. He managed to suppress Tie Ao at a disadvantage.
Ning Tianwang used every means at his disposal, often taking advantage of his deep affection for the Red-Robed Fairy to set traps. As a result, he suffered various forms of heavy blows, but he remained steadfast in his feelings.
Ning Tianwang thus rose to power and eventually unified the northern part of the All-Star Archipelago. Together with Tie Ao, who unified the south, they formed a north-south confrontation. Of course, overall, Ning Tianwang had the upper hand.
Others may fear Tie Ao, but Chu Yun does not.
He even beheaded Ning Tianwang, let alone Tie Ao?
However, Chu Yun was not careless. " Ning Tianwang was killed by me in time before he could rise to power. But Tie Ao in front of me is at the height of his power and has grown to a certain peak. At present, he has the power of Spirit Demon, so I need to be cautious until I repair the Drunken Snow Blade."
"Junior Brother Chu Yun, your deeds have been widely discussed lately. You did well, you didn't bring shame to the Heavenly Song Academy." After exchanging glances, Tie Ao spoke first, nodding slightly, behaving like a senior.
Chu Yun is the president of the Student Council this year. Tie Ao was the Student Council three years ago. Both of them are figures who overshadow their peers and whose personal brilliance shines over the academy.
"However, Junior Brother Chu Yun, there are rules to boarding this ship. Only by passing three checkpoints can you enter this hall. Without rules, there is no order. Junior Brother Chu Yun, have you passed them?" Tie Ao then changed the subject. His words were grand and dignified, leaving no room for rebuttal, using his power to force Chu Yun to answer.
In fact, the three checkpoints are just a formality.
Most of the people in the hall were not individually assessed. Tie Ao deliberately made things difficult for Chu Yun Chu Yun, attempting to force him to leave in front of everyone.
"I was just about to ask you for your guidance, Tie Ao." Chu Yun didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to Tie Ao.
"Tch, what kind of attitude is that? You should address him as 'Senior Brother,' understand?"
"He actually wants to challenge Tie Ao? Has he lost his mind?"
"Brother Tie Ao, teach this wretched brat a lesson!"
The crowd roared in unison, their previous subdued silence vanishing, replaced by intense excitement and a bloodthirsty glint in their eyes.
Tie Ao raised his hand, silencing the clamor of the crowd. With a smile on his face, he calmly stated, "I won't bully the younger generation. Of the three tests, I will take the second martial arts test and the third literary test on their behalf."
He was elegant and handsome, with a glint in his eyes, looking every bit the part of the master. He didn't want to be rough in front of his beloved, as it would be unbecoming, so he came up with this idea: to publicly humiliate Chu Yun and force him into the hands of the Yan Family Patriarch.
Chu Yun stood up and said decisively, "Then let's begin."
The crowd was extremely excited and eager to see Chu Yun fail and be humiliated.
"Good. That's straightforward." Tie Ao nodded, hands behind his back. "I won't bully you. I heard you're skilled in Meteor Arrow Art. The second martial arts test will be archery. Let's come up to the deck and see who can shoot down the most seabirds within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"Just as I expected." Chu Yun sneered inwardly. Tie Ao didn't know if his Drunken Snow Blade had survived the Spirit Demon Tribulation. Therefore, he chose the archery technique, which he was most confident in. His archery skills were at the Great Perfection level, surpassing Chu Yun's Lesser Perfection level archery skills.
"Let us be the notaries."
"Everyone talks about how legendary the Meteor Arrow Art is; today we'll see for ourselves."
"Brother Tie Ao, don't give this brat a chance."
As the crowd filed out, they still couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks about Chu Yun.
The two stood still. Tie Ao made the first move, shooting an arrow at a seabird directly above them, the arrow moving with lightning speed.
Chu Yun sneered, raised the Hurricane Bow, and fired Meteor Arrow. The Meteor Arrow was faster, arriving first despite being fired later, and collided with Tie Ao's arrow, causing both to explode.
"Hmm?" Tie Ao narrowed his eyes, giving Chu Yun a cold, icy glare.
The crowd booed, believing that Chu Yun was cheating and trying to get away with it.
Tie Ao fired again, but Chu Yun, once again arriving first, detonated his arrow.
"Excellent archery skills." Tie Ao hadn't expected Chu Yun to target him like this, using such archery techniques. He possessed mastered archery skills, but none of his archery techniques could match the speed of the Meteor Arrow.
Although Chu Yun's Meteor Arrow Art is only of the upper grade, its power can reach the level of a semi-perfect grade.
"Can you stop such archery skills?" Tie Ao suddenly used a group attack archery technique, his arrows splitting into countless shadows, densely packed, shooting into the sky.
Chu Yun raised his eyebrows, remaining as still as a mountain. He fired an arrow, which, though fired later, arrived first, piercing through the shadow of the arrow and striking the seabird first.
"You..." Tie Ao's expression turned somewhat ugly. The group attack archery technique expanded the attack range, but it also diluted the power. This allowed the Meteor Arrow to break through and succeed ahead of time.
Everyone was speechless. They had all expected to see Chu Yun defeated, but the reality was quite different.
"His archery skills have reached the peak of the minor level, and he's only half a step away from advancing to the major level." After half an incense stick's time, Tie Ao's expression grew increasingly solemn. "This kid came prepared. He didn't use the Star-Setting Bow, but instead used another demonic bow, rendering my delaying tactics futile and impossible to execute."
"Hehehe. Junior, your archery skills are excellent. You've passed this martial arts test, so we won't continue." Tie Ao forced a smile, but he was not happy inside. He had mastered archery, yet Chu Yun had defeated him with only a rudimentary skill. Most importantly, he had lost face in front of his beloved, which made him feel a burning anger that he couldn't vent.
"Let's proceed with the written test," Tie Ao said, his tone relaxed and extremely confident. "To ensure fairness, let's compose a poem on the spot and have everyone in Red Robe act as the judges."
"It is my honor, Red Robe Fairy." Red-Robed Fairy smiled gently, like a gentle spring breeze, like a peony in bloom.
"Composing a poem?" Jin Bihan's heart sank, and she couldn't help but look at Chu Yun with worry. Since she had been with Chu Yun, she had never seen Chu Yun compose a poem or lyrics.
Indeed, this was the case; Chu Yun's weakest area was poetry and prose, which was practically nonexistent in his knowledge.
Tie Ao strode confidently towards the sea, and after seven steps, he immediately composed a love poem. The poem was full of charm, brimming with his sincere and heartfelt admiration for the Red-Robed Fairy, and it moved people with its emotion.
The poem was met with widespread acclaim upon its release.
"What a fine poem! What a fine poem! Let's drink a big cup of wine!"
"It should be appropriate to the occasion and the mood, and the key is that the emotions are deep and surging, like the Milky Way, giving people a sense of awe."
"This is a beautiful line; savoring it carefully is like drinking fine wine, leaving a lingering aftertaste."
"Hey, it's your turn, Chu Yun," someone reminded him, feigning kindness, but their expression was one of schadenfreude.
"I believe that even a 'little tyrant' can produce some masterpieces that will broaden our horizons," someone chimed in sarcastically.
"Brother Chu..." Jin Bihan frowned, feeling considerable pressure. Tie Ao's poem was indeed beautiful and moving, even she, who had received a royal education, found it difficult to compose a poem that could rival it.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chu Yun chuckled lightly, "Such poetry, you call it a fine line? It's laughable. Watch me compose a timeless masterpiece, one that will be remembered for generations to come."
"Serve me pen and ink!" he shouted, raising his voice.
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