Four Geniuses of Wuzhou City

"If Shadow Assault is used well, it can produce tremendous results under certain circumstances!"

After testing its effects, Li Ye was extremely satisfied. Unfortunately, Demon Bat Transformation consumed a great deal of energy. Unless it was a critical moment, Li Ye would not use it.

"Right now, I can maintain Shadow Assault for roughly a quarter of an hour, but Demon Bat Transformation can nearly drain all my strength."

After trying it several times, Li Ye became much more proficient with Shadow Assault. Unlike the Combat Techniques of the Cloud Soaring Continent, it did not require slow contemplation and cultivation. Demon Bat Transformation, on the other hand, had only been used once. The instant Li Ye transformed into a pitch-black bat, he felt nearly forty percent of the power in his body drain away! Returning to human form consumed almost the same amount again, making him afraid to attempt it lightly.

"If it were nighttime, I'd have at least a seventy percent chance of defeating a Martial Dao Master-level expert!"

That was assuming Li Ye did not use Sword Control Technique or Blood Eyes. Otherwise, under the cover of night, even a Martial Dao Master might be killed by him in an instant!

"Under the night sky, with Shadow Assault, Blood Eyes, and Sword Control Technique working together, perhaps even a Martial Dao Grandmaster could fall by my hand!"

Even a Martial Dao Grandmaster could not remain completely vigilant of everything around them at all times. Li Ye's Shadow Assault was practically the ideal assassination technique. If he suddenly appeared before his opponent and struck their soul with Blood Eyes, then unleashed Sword Control Technique without warning, even an expert at the level of a Martial Dao Grandmaster would die with bitter hatred.

"What a pity the Genius Summit is only held during the day. Otherwise, even Wuzhou City's Four Great Geniuses would be worth facing!"

Of course, that was merely a thought he could entertain in his heart. Even if it truly took place at night, Li Ye would never reveal those abilities before so many people.

Especially Sword Control Technique and Shadow Assault—their perfect coordination could definitely yield miraculous results! They were another enormous trump card in his hand.

Early the next morning, Li Ye sat up from his bed, and a series of crackling sounds erupted from his body.

"Late Spirit Martial Tier Six. I'm still a little short of peak Spirit Martial Tier Six."

One night of cultivation was almost equivalent to ten times the effect of cultivating during the day! Even Li Ye himself was startled. Combined with the nameless cultivation method within the Moon Dream Heart Sutra, the effect was simply heaven-defying.

"For an ordinary person to advance from early Spirit Martial Tier Six to the late stage would take at least several months, perhaps even years. Yet I completed it in a single night."

Although he had not broken through to the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, Li Ye was confident that at this Wuzhou City Genius Summit, he would easily make it into the top ten! As for contending with the Four Great Geniuses, he did not yet have much confidence.

"Against a Martial Dao Master at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm, without using Blood Eyes or Sword Control Technique, my odds should be even. If I use Sword Control Technique, I should have a seventy or eighty percent chance of at least seriously injuring them!"

This was confidence! Though Li Ye's realm was not particularly high, his combat strength far exceeded his cultivation.

The Genius Summit was Wuzhou City's greatest annual celebration. Everyone in the entire city wanted to witness the clashes between the various geniuses.

At the same time, the Genius Summit was jointly organized by the Three Great Families.

"The minimum requirement for every Genius Summit is Spirit Martial Tier Five! And participants must be under twenty-five years old!"

Perhaps worried that Li Ye did not understand the details, Li Yuan Jia slowly explained along the way, "It can be said that this is a grand gathering that includes the vast majority of young geniuses from all of Wuzhou City and the surrounding several hundred li. It is also a game of hidden rivalry between the various family powers."

"As one of the organizers, our Li Family has fifty slots that can skip the preliminaries and directly enter the finals."

Soon, Li Ye and the others followed the Li Family members to the venue of the Genius Summit. They saw arenas of all sizes surrounding them, as well as groups from the Wu Family and the Yu Family. As overlords of Wuzhou City just like the Li Family, they too had arrived in a mighty procession.

"Look! Isn't that Wu Hao of the Wu Family? He made it into the top ten last year—his strength is terrifying!"

People immediately cried out around them. Li Ye looked over and saw Wu Hao, who had previously come to provoke the Li Family. However, Wu Hao's expression was gloomy.

Among the Yu Family group, several young men around twenty also drew Li Ye's attention. The auras around them were hardly weaker than Li Yuan Jia's. They had clearly entered the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm and become Martial Dao Masters!

"As expected of families that have occupied Wuzhou City for centuries, perhaps even a thousand years. Even their junior members possess cultivation of this level."

One had to know that in Wuzhou City, Spirit Martial Tier Four was already quite impressive, while a Martial Master at the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm could establish a small family! Yet among the younger generation of the Three Great Families, there were quite a few experts at the Martial Dao Master level!

The one leading the group this time was the Grand Elder of the Li Family. Perhaps because their results last year had been too poor, his expression was not very pleasant. In contrast, two middle-aged men who appeared to be the heads of the Wu Family and Yu Family were chatting and laughing together, seeming remarkably close.

At the sight, many people felt something strange stir within them.

Even Li Ye frowned slightly. On the surface, the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City appeared harmonious, but behind the scenes they fought to the death, each wanting to dominate the entire city. Their grudges stretched back hundreds of years.

He nudged Li Yuan Jia beside him, gestured in that direction, and said quietly, "The Wu Family and the Yu Family seem rather close."

Li Yuan Jia had noticed as well. A trace of worry appeared on his face as he nodded. "It is somewhat strange. Though the Yu Family and Wu Family have always gotten along slightly better with each other than with our Li Family, it has never reached this point! Let's watch and see."

In truth, Li Ye knew that the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City had originally been roughly equal in strength. None could suppress the others, and the balance had endured. But more than twenty years ago, Li Kainian's emergence had shattered that balance. Afterwards, the Wu Family and Yu Family had even shown signs of secretly joining forces. Yet after Li Kainian disappeared only a few years later, the matter was dropped.

"If the two families join forces, the Li Family will be in grave danger!"

As this thought rose in his heart, Li Ye could imagine it clearly. After Li Kainian left, the Li Family was no stronger than either of the other two families. Once those two joined forces, the Li Family would be wiped out in an instant!

"I hope I'm overthinking it."

Shaking his head, he decided that no matter what happened, it was not something he needed to consider.

At this moment, several focal points of attention stood within the venue. They were three men and one woman. Li Ye was naturally most familiar with Li Mo, but the other two young men and the beautiful young woman beside him were unfamiliar.

"Who are those people?"

Having never attended the Genius Summit and having always lived at the bottom, Li Ye found many of the people present utterly unfamiliar.

"The other three of the Four Great Geniuses. That big fellow is Wu Batian of the Wu Family, said to possess inborn divine strength. I heard that when he was at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm, he directly defeated a Martial Dao Grandmaster at Spirit Martial Tier Nine and even killed him. Even Li Mo could only endure a hundred moves against him last year before ultimately being defeated."

Li Ye looked over and saw the young man, at least one meter ninety tall, with muscles bulging across his entire body. He looked as though he were packed with explosive power. As if noticing Li Ye's gaze, Wu Batian turned his head and looked over. But upon seeing that Li Ye was merely a brat at Spirit Martial Tier Six, he immediately lost interest.

"Do you see that man?" Li Yuan Jia pointed to another refined-looking young man. Beneath that elegant exterior, Li Ye sensed an aggressive sharpness. With just one glance, he felt a terrifying aura so piercing it stabbed at his heart, causing turmoil within him.

"That man is the Yu Family's once-in-a-thousand-years peerless genius. Who knows what damned luck the Yu Family has stumbled into? Yuwen Wushuang seems to have been born for cultivation. Every bottleneck before him is child's play. Since the age of ten, his cultivation journey has been smooth and unobstructed. Before turning eighteen, he entered Spirit Martial Tier Nine and became a Martial Dao Grandmaster. Some even say he may be the only person in Wuzhou City capable of entering the Innate Realm before the age of twenty-five."

Entering the Innate Realm before twenty-five—upon hearing it, even Li Ye felt deeply shaken.

One had to know that although the Spirit Martial Rank was merely the foundation of cultivation on the Cloud Soaring Continent, after the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, every further breakthrough was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Had he not seen countless people remain stuck in a single realm for their entire lives, unable to advance even a single step?

Many Martial Dao Grandmasters were in their fifties or sixties, perhaps even older. Yet every one of Wuzhou City's Four Great Geniuses was under twenty-five! Still, they possessed such cultivation!

"When Yuwen Wushuang broke through to Spirit Martial Tier Nine at eighteen, it caused a sensation! Some even said he might be a peerless genius surpassing Li Kainian."

Many people around them were also whispering among themselves. It was clear that Yuwen Wushuang enjoyed immense popularity in Wuzhou City.

As for the final person, Li Ye looked toward the only woman among the Four Great Geniuses. Her white dress made her seem like a fairy stepped out of a painting. Her elegant and noble bearing resembled that of a princess in an imperial palace, while her lovely features intoxicated countless men. Combined with her identity as the Yu Family's eldest daughter, who knew how many men in Wuzhou City dreamed of falling at her feet?

Without needing an introduction, Li Ye knew that this woman had to be Yuwen Lihua, the Yu Family genius second only to Yuwen Wushuang.

"Yuwen Lihua and Yuwen Wushuang are siblings. Though she is not as monstrous as her brother, there are not many people in all of Wuzhou City who can defeat her! Even Li Mo had to battle fiercely against her for a long time last year before barely winning by half a move! A year has passed now; who knows what level her cultivation has reached!"

These were the four strongest people of their generation in Wuzhou City!

Li Ye stared deeply at them. Though his current strength was clearly still insufficient, rather than making him fearful, it ignited an intense fighting spirit within him.

Just then, several sounds tore through the air. Everyone's expressions tightened, and even the higher-ups of the Three Great Families changed color.

At the same time, Li Ye saw several people striding through the air from afar. The moment he saw them, his pupils contracted slightly!