Self-sufficient?
The instant that thought surfaced, Situ Shuang'er's entire face burned, turning so red it could almost drip blood.
She instinctively took a step back.
Crack.
Her shoe crushed a dry leaf.
The sound was quiet, but it frightened her into immediately holding her breath, her heart leaping into her throat.
Fortunately, the sounds inside the room did not stop.
How could Situ Shuang'er dare keep listening?
Cupping her burning cheeks, she rose onto tiptoe and fled the courtyard.
After returning to her room, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her chest still heaving.
Her mind was filled with those fragmented sounds from moments ago.
Her mother had remained alone all these years.
She had never heard of her having dealings with any man.
Cold and aloof, guarding her purity like jade.
Everyone in the Azure Mystic Sect knew that.
So...
There seemed to be only that one possibility.
Situ Shuang'er buried herself in her quilt, both hands pressed tightly over her face, the tips of her ears frighteningly hot.
It was all her fault.
If she hadn't needed to take care of her, Mother might have remarried long ago. Why else would she have endured so many years alone?
At that thought, guilt weighed on her heart.
Situ Shuang'er buried her face deeper, desperately trying not to think about it anymore.
But the harder she tried, the clearer those sounds became.
That night, she tossed and turned, barely closing her eyes.
Dawn had yet to break.
Inside the bedchamber on Flowing Cloud Peak, Lin Wanyin lay on her side.
Her long black hair spilled across the pillow, her fair shoulders exposed above the brocade quilt, her skin still holding a lingering flush.
Chu Yunfei sat up soundlessly, his gaze lingering on her back for a moment.
That night, she had been very cooperative.
Extremely cooperative, even.
The Dragon and Phoenix Dao Yellow Scripture had also circulated with exceptional smoothness.
Lin Wanyin possessed profound cultivation and bore heaven's mandate; every circulation of the technique provided nourishment far surpassing his usual arduous cultivation.
Eighth Level of Body Tempering!
Feeling the power surging through his meridians, Chu Yunfei wore a satisfied expression.
He had advanced from the Sixth Level of Body Refining to the Eighth Level of Body Tempering in just one night.
Only one final step remained before the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Layer.
He moved his arms.
Faint vibrations sounded through his flesh and bones together, the power stored within them several times greater than yesterday.
Now this was more like it.
Chu Yunfei did not disturb Lin Wanyin.
He draped on his outer robe and leaped out the window, light as a falling leaf.
He landed without a sound.
Before the darkness had fully receded, he swiftly departed along the path behind Flowing Cloud Peak.
Only after his figure vanished did Lin Wanyin slowly open her eyes inside the bedchamber.
She had been awake all along.
Gazing toward the window where his retreating figure had disappeared, her eyes brimmed with complicated emotions.
Shame, resentment, unwillingness.
And a trace of greed for the increase in her cultivation.
That last part, she would never admit.
But the changes within her could not lie.
The bottleneck that had trapped her for so long had developed a clear breach, and the spiritual power in her meridians had grown considerably more substantial than yesterday.
If they did it a few more times...
The moment that thought surfaced, Lin Wanyin abruptly clenched the brocade quilt.
"Beast."
She spat the curse through gritted teeth.
Whether she was cursing Chu Yunfei or her own momentary wavering was unclear.
Two days passed in a flash.
During those two days, Chu Yunfei did not return to Flowing Cloud Peak, remaining in the back mountains to consolidate his Eighth Level of Body Tempering cultivation while continuing to adjust to the Abyss-Devouring Sword's weight.
On the morning of the third day.
The outer sect square of the Azure Mystic Sect.
The training grounds occupied a vast area, with dozens of stone pillars inscribed with formation patterns standing around its perimeter.
At the center of the square stood three stone arenas in a row.
Blade marks crisscrossed their surfaces, and several dark red stains had seeped into the cracks, still not completely washed away.
The outer sect assessment took place once a year.
Those who passed could remain in the Azure Mystic Sect to cultivate.
Those who failed would be stripped of their disciple status and expelled from the sect.
There were no second chances.
As the morning sun just crested the mountains, throngs of outer sect disciples streamed in from every direction.
The spectator stands were also filled with inner sect disciples who had come to watch.
Above them, several sect elders had already taken their seats and were surveying the crowd below with indifferent expressions.
The square buzzed with voices.
Just then, a tall, slender figure approached through the entrance.
He wore an outer sect disciple's uniform washed nearly white, his back straight and his steps unhurried.
The moment Chu Yunfei appeared, the chatter around him immediately grew louder.
"Look, that trash Chu Yunfei actually dared to come."
An outer sect disciple with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks jerked his chin toward the entrance.
Someone beside him snorted.
"Why wouldn't he? He'll just go through the motions up there, then pack his bags and leave."
"The former number-one heavenly genius, reduced to getting kicked out of the sect. Pretty miserable."
"I heard Senior Sister Situ already broke off her engagement with him."
"Really?"
"Of course. Senior Sister Situ is the Holy Maiden now. How could she possibly still think anything of a piece of trash?"
As they spoke, they kept glancing toward Situ Shuang'er in the crowd.
Dressed in a pale blue fitted martial outfit, Situ Shuang'er's tall figure stood out among the crowd.
At the sight of Chu Yunfei approaching, her brows immediately drew down.
Him again.
Every time she saw Chu Yunfei, she remembered that absurd engagement, along with those subtle looks from others.
As long as this man remained in the Azure Mystic Sect, he would keep reminding everyone.
She, Situ Shuang'er, had once been engaged to a piece of trash.
Chu Yunfei passed through the crowd, letting all the surrounding mockery blow past his ears like wind.
Anger?
Unnecessary.
A bunch of people who did not even dare stand before him were not worth wasting his emotions on.
As he passed Situ Shuang'er, Chu Yunfei glanced at her.
Situ Shuang'er immediately averted her gaze, as though even one more look would sully her eyes.
Chu Yunfei did not stop either.
He had not come today for this woman.
Looking past the crowd, he turned toward Yan Guining on the raised platform and smiled faintly.
Yan Guining happened to be watching him too.
Their eyes met, and she immediately recalled their wager, her brows drawing down even further.
This fellow actually dared to come.
Clang~
A deep bell toll rippled over the square.
The noisy crowd swiftly fell silent.
On the raised platform, an elder with white hair and beard stood, his voice carrying clearly throughout the square.
"The annual outer sect assessment now begins."
"First round: survival battle."
"All participating disciples will be divided into ten groups of twenty. Disciples in the same group may attack one another. Anyone who falls from the arena or loses the ability to fight will be eliminated immediately."
"Only the last person remaining in each group will advance."
As his words fell, the square erupted.
One person out of twenty.
A full ninety-five percent of the disciples would be eliminated in the first round!
This was more than twice as brutal as the assessments of previous years.
Many outer sect disciples paled on the spot, and some even began searching for acquaintances, trying to form alliances in advance.
In the front row of the stands.
Ling Feng sat quietly in a dark blue inner sect disciple's uniform.
His gaze had remained fixed on Chu Yunfei from beginning to end.
A trusted follower beside him bent down and lowered his voice.
"Senior Brother Ling, Chu Yunfei is in the second group."
"Senior Brother Zhao has also arranged his opponent for the second round. There won't be any problems."
Ling Feng nodded lightly.
After Wang Hu's death, he no longer treated Chu Yunfei as ordinary trash, but even if Chu Yunfei had hidden his cultivation, he was still only an outer sect disciple.
So what if he passed the first round?
Waiting for him in the second round was one of the best at the Eighth Level of Body Tempering.
Ling Feng wanted to see just how many trump cards Chu Yunfei could keep hidden this time.
The first group's match ended quickly.
Disciples lay sprawled all over the arena, with only one saber-wielding disciple barely remaining on his feet.
"Second group, enter the arena!"
As the referee's voice fell, twenty disciples walked onto the stone arena one after another.
Chu Yunfei was the last to step up.
Nineteen pairs of eyes immediately settled on him.
Most of this group were at the Body Tempering Fifth Layer or Sixth Level of Body Refining, and several weaker disciples had already exchanged covert glances.
Clearly, they intended to send the easiest target off first.
And in everyone's eyes, Chu Yunfei was that softest persimmon.
"Begin the assessment!"
The referee had barely stepped aside when a bald disciple charged out first.
He was powerfully built, with Sixth Level of Body Refining cultivation, making him far from weak within this group.
His fist tore through the air, hurtling straight toward Chu Yunfei's face.
"Trash, get the hell off first!"
A savage grin covered the bald disciple's face.
He did not even hold back any strength in this punch.
In his view, one punch was more than enough to deal with a piece of trash whose cultivation had regressed to the Body Tempering Third Layer.
Chu Yunfei did not dodge.
Nor did he block.
He merely raised his right hand and delivered a punch of his own.
No martial technique.
No flashy movements.
Only the most direct strength.
Bang!
The two fists collided.
The smile on the bald disciple's face froze instantly.
He felt as though his punch had struck not flesh and blood, but a mountain of iron.
Crack!
The sharp sound of breaking bone rang across the arena.
Terrifying force surged up his arm and into his body. Before the bald disciple could even scream, his entire body left the ground.
He flew backward, crashing straight into two disciples who were preparing to surround Chu Yunfei.
All three tumbled together, flew straight out of the arena, and slammed heavily into the ground.
Dust billowed.
The entire crowd fell silent for a moment.
An outer disciple below the arena stared wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open for a long while.
"One punch?"
"He was at the sixth level of Body Refining!"
"He sent him flying with one punch and took out two more along the way?"
Someone beside him swallowed, the sneer already gone from his face.
"How was he a soft persimmon?"
"He's clearly an iron plate!"
In the stands.
Situ Shuang'er leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Chu Yunfei.
There had been no trickery whatsoever in that punch.
It had been an overwhelming victory of sheer strength.
Yet just a few days ago, Chu Yunfei had clearly only been at the third layer of Body Tempering.
How could he have recovered so quickly?
In the arena, the remaining sixteen disciples no longer dared to move.
Some tightened their grips on their weapons.
Some quietly backed away.
Others began exchanging glances with those beside them, clearly intending to join forces.
Chu Yunfei withdrew his fist and calmly looked around at them.
"Weren't you all eager to send me down just now?"
"Why aren't you moving now?"
No one answered.
The sixteen disciples looked grim, but not one dared to charge first.
Chu Yunfei waited for a breath.
"Not coming?"
He stepped forward.
"Then I'll come to you."
As his words fell, Chu Yunfei had already vanished from his spot.
Boom!
The power of the eighth level of Body Tempering erupted in full.
Driven by the Boundless Creation Scripture, his speed far surpassed that of martial artists at the same level.
The closest disciple saw only an afterimage before an elbow struck his chest.
Bang!
The man flew straight out of the arena.
Chu Yunfei did not stop.
He turned.
Punched.
Raised his leg.
Every strike was crisp and clean, without a single unnecessary movement.
A saber-wielding disciple had only just raised his weapon when Chu Yunfei seized his wrist.
A light twist.
The long saber slipped from his hand.
Immediately afterward, Chu Yunfei planted a kick in his lower abdomen, sending him flying several zhang.
Three others lunged at him from behind at the same time.
Without even turning his head, Chu Yunfei shifted sideways, dodging two attacks as his right elbow slammed into one man's shoulder.
Crack!
The man dropped to his knees with a scream.
Before the other two could react, they flew off to either side.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dull impacts sounded one after another.
Disciple after disciple was blasted out of the arena.
Some spat blood.
Some screamed.
Others lost consciousness while still in midair.
From the moment Chu Yunfei moved until the last man fell from the arena.
Fewer than ten breaths had passed.
Only he remained atop the stone arena.
Chu Yunfei stood with his hands behind his back, his breathing steady.
There was not even an extra crease in his outer disciple's robe.
The entire square was deathly silent.
Everyone stared blankly at that figure, then looked at the disciples strewn haphazardly across the ground below the arena.
Nineteen people.
Within ten breaths, every one of them had been eliminated.
Not a single one had even forced Chu Yunfei to use a weapon.
"Chu Yunfei..."
Someone in the crowd struggled to speak.
"Could he have already recovered his cultivation?"
This time, no one laughed.
The answer was already written in the arena.
In the front row of the stands, Ling Feng's face darkened completely.
His grip left a thin crack in the armrest.
"The eighth level of Body Tempering."
Ling Feng stared at Chu Yunfei and slowly uttered the words.
The trusted subordinate beside him looked equally grim.
"Senior Brother Ling, he's even stronger than we expected."
"Wang Hu most likely really did die at his hands."
Ling Feng said nothing.
Chu Yunfei was recovering far too quickly.
A few days ago, he had still been trash anyone could bully. Now, he could sweep through nineteen outer disciples in ten breaths.
How far would he grow if given another few months?
This man could not be allowed to live.
Ling Feng beckoned.
His trusted subordinate immediately leaned closer.
"Go tell Senior Brother Zhao."
Ling Feng's voice was low and utterly devoid of emotion.
"The original arrangements remain unchanged."
"Also, give that pill to the person in the arena."
The subordinate's heart jolted.
Once taken, that pill could briefly increase one's strength, but it would severely damage one's foundation.
Ling Feng was determined to have Chu Yunfei die in the arena.
"Understood."
The subordinate nodded and left.
Below the arena.
Situ Shuang'er was still watching Chu Yunfei's back.
It felt as though a stone weighed on her heart.
Why had Chu Yunfei become so strong?
Just a few days ago, he had clearly been nothing but trash who could barely hold on to the third layer of Body Tempering.
Yet the speed and strength Chu Yunfei had displayed in that fight had at least reached the eighth level of Body Tempering.
He was not even an ordinary eighth-level Body Tempering martial artist.
In just a few days, he had crossed several levels.
How was that possible?
Situ Shuang'er's expression grew increasingly complicated.
Surprise.
Confusion.
And a trace of wavering that even she refused to acknowledge.
But the instant that wavering arose, she forcibly suppressed it.
So what if he had recovered his cultivation?
The eighth level of Body Tempering was indeed powerful in the outer sect, but in the Azure Mystic Sect as a whole, it still amounted to nothing.
And she had already become the Holy Maiden.
She was destined to step into higher realms in the future.
The gap between them would only grow wider.
She had not misjudged him, much less could she regret it.
"Group two, Chu Yunfei wins!"
The referee finally came to his senses and loudly announced the result.
Chu Yunfei leaped down from the arena.
As he passed through the crowd, the disciples around him hurried to make way.
Those who had mocked him earlier all lowered their heads, afraid he would remember them.
Chu Yunfei paid them no attention.
His gaze passed over the crowd and met Situ Shuang'er's.
Situ Shuang'er's expression turned cold, and she immediately looked away.
Chu Yunfei, however, smiled.
It was a meaningful smile.
He recalled the scene on Flowing Cloud Peak last night.
He also recalled Situ Shuang'er standing outside the door, calling him trash over and over as she told Lin Wanyin to stay away from him.
If she knew who the person in that room last night really was...
The look on that haughty face would certainly be quite a sight.