"Yun Qingqu?" Yun Qing's thoughts stirred slightly, and his gaze fell on the tenth seat. The young master in green had a rather ordinary face and an unremarkable aura. He was looking down, intent on straightening his utterly uncreased cuffs, keeping a very low profile.
According to the intelligence, he came from a branch of middling strength and had always been quiet and mild-mannered, with little presence among the Twelve Young Masters. How had Yun Li formed such a deep enmity with him?
Meanwhile, elsewhere among the elders' seats.
"Jingle..." Yun Yao nervously clutched her wrist, making the Lily-of-the-Valley Bracelet chime crisply. Her gaze closely followed that figure in the arena, pride, anticipation, worry... all those emotions mingling in her eyes.
Beside her, a beautiful woman in a deep-purple court gown, whose dignified elegance carried a sharp edge, followed her gaze. Her red lips parted as she spoke with her customary scrutiny. "So this is the Yun Li you talk about every day? From Dao Condensation to the peak of True Immortal in three months... that was no ordinary stroke of fortune."
The path of immortality was boundless, divided into nine realms.
The first three realms-Immortal Molding, Soul Forging, and Dao Condensation-formed its foundation. Immortal Molding tempered the mortal body into an immortal embryo; Soul Forging refined the Divine Soul, freeing it from its mortal shell; Dao Condensation gathered Dao resonance and established immortal roots. Only upon perfecting all three could one truly shed mortality and become an immortal. There were also cultivators from the lower worlds whose extraordinary talent and mastery of the Great Dao allowed them to leap over the first three realms when they ascended through Tribulation Transcendence, reaching True Immortal directly!
The middle three realms were True Immortal, King Sealing, and Immortal King. These three broke through the barrier between mortal and immortal, granting mastery over pure Dao domain laws and the freedom to roam the nine heavens.
The final three realms-Immortal Lord, Immortal Venerable, and Immortal Emperor-involved the accumulation of spiritual standing, and were fundamentally different again.
The beautiful woman, Yun Shi, the Yun Clan's Third Elder, paused, her expression half a smile. "He swallowed the soul essence of Taowu, one of the Primordial Four Fiends, didn't he? Heh... no wonder the ferocious beasts in the Myriad Beasts Ancient Domain were restless before. If the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List hadn't appeared this time, bringing frequent upheavals throughout heaven and earth, who knows how many tens of thousands of years that fiend's legacy would have remained hidden."
Yun Yao was slightly startled. She had not expected the Third Elder to see through it at a glance, and hurriedly replied respectfully, "Your insight is keen, Elder. Brother Yun Li... did indeed refine part of Taowu's origin essence. The other half was absorbed by Senior Yun Lie, the branch patriarch stationed in Desolate City at the time."
"He certainly has nerve. Wasn't he afraid that beast's savage will would turn on him and make him a monster that knew nothing but slaughter?" the Second Elder suddenly interjected from beside them. Ever since Yun Qing had returned safe and sound, he had become considerably more lively, striking up conversations with people everywhere.
"Taowu embodies ferocious baleful intent and fighting spirit. It does suit him." The Third Elder ignored him, merely nodding slightly in acknowledgment of the gamble's worth. Then she suddenly leaned close to Yun Yao's ear and whispered with a teasing smile, "This Yun Li has tempered himself into quite a fiery young man now. No wonder you think about him every day..."
"Third Elder!" Yun Yao's cheeks reddened, and she hastily protested in a low voice, "Brother Yun Li and I... we're only, only like brother and sister within the clan!"
"Brother and sister?" The Third Elder curled her red lips and cast her a sidelong glance. "His ancestors came from the Black Lion City branch, while your line has lived in the main city of Cloud Dream Marsh for generations. Even tracing back eighteen generations might not establish a direct blood tie. What sort of 'brother and sister' does that make you? You're fooling yourself."
She shook her head. Seeing Yun Yao so embarrassed that she almost wanted to bury her head in a crack in the ground, she knew when to stop. She gracefully straightened and leisurely turned her gaze elsewhere, as though she had said nothing at all.
Beside Yun Yao, Yun Shuo squeezed his way over, excitedly waving his little fists. "Sister Yao! Brother Li is amazing! He really did it!" The Second Elder had brought the little fellow along to broaden his horizons.
Yun Yao nodded distractedly, her heart already in complete turmoil.
At that moment, the Ceremony Elder flew into the air, his voice ringing like a great bell across the entire arena:
"Everyone! In the first round of the Cloud Summit Tournament, each of the thirty-six victors of the trials standing here has one opportunity to name and directly challenge any one of the current Twelve Young Masters!"
"Win, and you take his place! Lose, and you are barred from the rounds that follow!"
The elder's voice rang like metal striking stone, firm and decisive. "This round opens the Heavenly Gate for true dragons! Those without confidence may forgo their challenge, retain their eligibility, and compete in the subsequent rounds!"
The entire arena instantly fell silent.
In the spectators' stands, a boy quietly asked an older man beside him, "Great-uncle, if they lose, they lose everything. With such a rare opportunity... would anyone really choose to do it?"
The old man stroked his beard and chuckled. "This first round has always been a 'trial of courage.' The Twelve Young Masters are all outstanding talents, and the odds of defeating them in a direct challenge are slim. Unless someone has absolute confidence in their strength, or a blood-deep feud that must be settled here... most young talents conserve their strength for the melee that follows. In past tournaments, very few have voluntarily challenged anyone in the first round."
"Then if someone does challenge, they'd pick the weakest one, right?"
The question caught the old man off guard, and he faltered. "In principle, that should be the case..."
The Ceremony Elder surveyed the arena, his voice shaking the clouds. "On the tournament platform, Divine Abilities have no eyes! But in consideration of our shared blood, deliberately maiming or killing is strictly forbidden! Violators will face severe punishment under clan law!"
The rules were simple, direct, and brutal.
The victors rose; the mediocre fell.
This was a shortcut to glory, and an entrance to the abyss.
The twelve seats, symbols of the highest authority and glory among the Yun Clan's younger generation, drew every burning ambition like magnets.
The air froze, and fighting spirit boiled!
"Now," the Ceremony Elder swept his arm sharply,
"Those who wish to challenge-step forward!"
"Boom-!!"
The war drums thundered again, formally raising the curtain on a clash of dragons and tigers!
Atop the cloud summit, wind and clouds suddenly surged. Everyone fixed their eyes on those thirty-six contestants, holding their breath as they waited.
Who would issue the first challenge? And whom would they target?
Almost the very instant the last echoes of the drums faded-
"Disciple Yun Lieyang requests battle!"
A young roar, so excited that his voice nearly cracked, suddenly exploded from the front row of challengers!
Whoosh-!
Every gaze instantly converged!
A youth of eighteen or nineteen stood there in a crimson martial outfit, his expression feverishly excited. Even his hands trembled slightly as he cupped them in salute toward the elders' seats.
He stepped out from the crowd, drew a deep breath, and abruptly turned. Raising his arm with all the fearlessness of a newborn calf facing a tiger, he pointed straight at-
The foremost of the twelve seats!
The most honored! The most dazzling! The seat that also meant the greatest strength, the most unshakable standing-
The first seat of Dark Jade!
"This disciple dares to challenge the Eldest Young Master—Yun Qing!"
An uproar erupted!
The entire arena burst into an uproar! Cries of shock, sharp gasps, and incredulous discussion exploded all at once!
Was he mad?!
No one had expected the first challenger to be so... ignorant of heaven's heights and earth's depths! He had gone straight for the strongest?!
Countless excited gazes darted wildly back and forth between Yun Lieyang and Yun Qing.
Under the eyes of the entire arena, Yun Qing slowly rose from the first seat of Dark Jade.
His Dark Xuan robes fell like a waterfall of ink. He slowly lifted his eyes, his Double Pupils deep and fathomless. Faced with this challenge pointing straight at him, brimming with youthful spirit, he remained calm and unruffled, possessing the steady bearing of a still abyss and a towering mountain.
He said nothing, merely giving a slight nod toward the adjudicating elder.
Signifying-
He accepted.
In an instant, the atmosphere of the entire arena ignited! Cheers and shouts swept in like roaring mountains and surging seas!
Thanks to Xiang Tianfei Who Climbs the Heavenly Mountain for gifting Great Author Certification ×1.
Thanks to ⅹ10 and ⅹ0 for gifting Showstopper ×1.
[Aaaah, author screaming like a marmot.jpg]
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