Top 100 Finals

After saying that, Su Yueli stepped down from the arena.

"Miss Su, you were way too fierce! Even I felt my flesh ache watching that punch!" Lin Ye said excitedly, circling around her and showering her with praise.

Su Yueli smiled faintly.

This guy might have been a chatterbox, but he certainly knew how to provide emotional validation.

Meanwhile, atop the Martial Arena's elevated platform.

Fourth Prince Zhao Yan watched Pang Lei being carried away. The laziness he had shown earlier vanished, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"Fifth Realm Martial Awakening... This girl actually hid her cultivation?"

Beside him, Gu Chen gently waved his folding fan, his gaze growing brighter. "Your Highness, this is not hidden cultivation. Judging by the vigor and density of her blood and qi when she struck, she is undeniably at the Fifth Realm."

"A twenty-year-old Fifth Realm martial artist—such talent would count as peerless even across the entire Great Li Dynasty."

Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes at the figure in blue below the platform, the smile on his lips deepening. "Interesting. This prince is becoming more and more interested in her."

On the other side of the platform, the atmosphere among the Lin, Yun, and Chu Lineages also underwent a subtle change.

The three lineage heads, who had previously remained aloof and watched from the sidelines, now wore noticeably graver expressions.

Within the Yun Lineage, Yun He, the second young master who had defeated his opponent in a single move earlier, looked toward Su Yueli with a more solemn expression.

"Second Young Master, that woman's blood and qi are exceptionally powerful. If you meet her in the arena, she may be a tough bone to chew," the Dao-protecting elder beside him warned in a low voice.

Yun He snorted coldly and clenched his fists. "So what if she is at the Fifth Realm? A mere Rogue Cultivator from the common world—even if her realm has risen, without top-tier movement techniques and martial skills to support her, she is nothing more than a target with brute strength."

Though he spoke so, the wariness in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

It was not only Yun He. The talented disciples of the Chu and Lin Lineages were also deeply shaken by Su Yueli's punch, putting away their earlier contempt.

The following preliminary matches continued.

Lin Ye was not so fortunate. The opponents he drew in the later rounds were all powerful, and every match was bitterly difficult.

Several times, he was nearly forced off the arena, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and endured through sheer ruthlessness, advancing by the skin of his teeth.

As for Su Yueli's subsequent matches, there was no suspense at all.

Whether her opponents were at the Third Realm or Fourth Realm, none could withstand even one move before the mighty blood and qi of her Fifth Realm Martial Awakening. She won with great ease.

By sunset, the preliminary selection had completely ended.

Of the original ten thousand-plus participating martial artists, only the final hundred remained after layer upon layer of selection.

"Today's matches end here! The final battles will begin tomorrow at dawn!" the referee announced, his voice spreading across the entire venue.

The spectators discussed the matches animatedly as they began to disperse, still wanting more.

Su Yueli was about to leave with Lin Ye when a smiling voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"Miss, please wait."

Su Yueli turned around to see two richly dressed young martial artists walking over together.

The man on the left was Yun He, the Yun Lineage's second young master. The man on the right had an aura no weaker than Yun He's, and judging from his attire, he should have been a core disciple of the Chu Lineage.

"I am Yun He of the Yun Lineage. This is Chu Feng of the Chu Lineage."

Yun He stepped forward and cupped his fists in greeting, his attitude exceedingly polite. "I witnessed Miss's splendid display of defeating Pang Lei with one punch earlier. It was truly admirable. May I ask your name?"

Su Yueli said, "Su Yueli."

As they spoke, the crowd nearby suddenly parted. Pang Jinbiao approached with members of the Pang Family, his face dark and gloomy.

As he passed Su Yueli, Pang Jinbiao stopped. His vicious eyes glared at her, and he ground his teeth.

As the Pang Family head and a peak Eighth Realm martial artist, his enemy stood right before him, yet he could not make a move.

The feeling left him utterly stifled.

Yun He and Chu Feng immediately became interested at the sight.

The Yun and Chu Lineages had always been at odds with the Pang Family. Chu Feng was particularly cutting as he said in a strange, mocking tone, "What is wrong, Patriarch Pang? Your Mid Fourth Realm genius could not even take a single move from her. Now that he lost, you cannot accept it, so you plan to throw your weight around as an elder here?"

Yun He added another stab. "If your skills are inferior, go back and train properly. Glowering in public will not scare anyone."

Pang Jinbiao's chest heaved violently, his clenched fists cracking loudly.

It was bad enough that he could not personally slaughter his enemy. Now even two juniors dared to act so insolently toward him.

Yet within the Great Li Imperial Family's Imperial Martial Arena, with other lineages watching, no matter how furious he was, he did not dare act. He could only snort coldly and leave with the Pang Family members.

"Watch your mouths, juniors, lest you bring disaster upon yourselves!"

But neither of them cared about the threat. The conflicts between their lineages had long become irreconcilable. If not for the Imperial Family pressing down on them from above, they would have fought long ago.

The Pang Family's younger generation had never shown respect to the elders of their two lineages either, so naturally, they would not be courteous in return.

Once the Pang Family members had gone far away, Chu Feng turned to Su Yueli, his gaze gaining a measure of scrutiny.

"Miss Su, judging by Pang Jinbiao's murderous expression, it cannot be as simple as you injuring Pang Lei in the arena, can it? Could it be... that mysterious expert who punched the Pang Family's second young master, Pang Hu, to death at an inn in Lingshui City a few days ago was you?"

Su Yueli glanced at them, somewhat helpless, but did not respond.

It was practically an obvious fact. Whether she argued or not would make little difference, yet she could not directly admit it.

Yun He and Chu Feng exchanged glances. Both saw shock in the other's eyes. Her reaction was clearly an admission.

No wonder the Pang Family had tampered with the drawing! This was a blood feud!

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two wisely took their leave.

They had only come to make her acquaintance. Wading into muddy waters for an entirely unrelated person would clearly be unwise.

Seeing this, Su Yueli and Lin Ye also followed the crowd out of the Martial Arena.

They returned to the private courtyard of their inn.

Su Yueli sat at the table and rubbed her faintly aching brow, feeling a headache coming on.

This Great Li Imperial City truly was not suited to her.

The great aristocratic houses and powerful clans were tangled together in a web of influence.

Where there were people, there would be jianghu; where there was jianghu, there would be schemes and choosing sides.

She utterly hated these convoluted, complicated matters.

She only wanted to train quietly and grow stronger.

Then, one day, when her strength was sufficient, she would personally kill her enemies and travel across the world to see its countless rivers and mountains.

But the current situation seemed beyond her control.

If the matter with the Pang Family was not resolved, then even after the Martial Dao Tournament ended, they would relentlessly send assassins after her.

There were still rules restraining them while she remained in the Imperial City. But once she left it, the Pang Family would surely come out in full force, and then trouble would come one wave after another.

If this remained unresolved and she drove the Pang Family to desperation, they might send a cultivator after her. Then she would truly be trapped in a dead end.

As for the city guard captain who had solemnly sworn yesterday to investigate the matter to the very end, there was not even a trace of him now. Clearly, those were merely polite words meant to placate Rogue Cultivators. She could not count on him at all.

If she wanted to survive, she could only rely on herself.

The rewards announced by the referee today surfaced in Su Yueli's mind.

The champion could ask the Great Li Imperial Family for one unconditional favor.

This might be the only method currently capable of breaking the deadlock with the Pang Family.

She had to take first place.

Night gradually deepened.

On a rooftop not far outside the inn, two black-clad men from the Pang Family lay hidden, watching Su Yueli's private courtyard. Their teeth itched with hatred, yet they could do nothing.

Within the Imperial City, the rules were strict.

Orders had already come down: under no circumstances were they to act privately within the city, especially during the tournament, against a participant.

They could only glare helplessly from where they were.

Inside the room.

Su Yueli stopped thinking about it. She sat cross-legged upon the bed, closed her eyes, and began circulating the breathing technique her master had taught her.

Her blood and qi surged through her body like rushing rivers.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning.

The atmosphere in the Great Li Imperial Family's Imperial Martial Arena was even more feverish than the day before. There seemed to be even more spectators, crowding the entire outer perimeter of the plaza until not even water could seep through.

The Top 100 Finals officially began.

Su Yueli and Lin Ye arrived early at the waiting area.

The lot container had been replaced with a new one. Su Yueli stepped forward, reached inside, and drew another lot.

She took it out and looked.

Group Three.