The next day, at the plaza of the Xuan Niao Wei estate, two areas, each several dozen meters wide, were clearly marked out. These were to serve as the competition rings for the martial arts contest.
Outside the rings, the crowd was thick with people, bustling and countless. Nearly a thousand figures had gathered here.
In front of the two rings, the crowd consciously divided into two sections.
There were about three hundred Xuan Niao Wei members ranked below the Human-level.
And there were over a hundred martial artists who were Human-level Xuan Niao Wei.
The remaining people were, naturally, the Xuan Niao Wei members maintaining order, there to prevent any unexpected incidents.
In front of the two rings, a temporarily erected high platform stood tall and imposing, offering a clear view of everything below.
On top of the high platform, three wooden chairs with woolen cushions were arranged neatly. The central chair, in particular, was several times larger than the chairs on its left and right.
On the right-hand chair sat He Yan, upright and steadfast as a pine tree, his expression stern, like an unshakable mountain.
Seated in his chair, He Yan would occasionally glance sideways at the main seat from the corner of his eye.
This chair placed in the very center was still empty.
Because Lu Xuan had not yet arrived, this martial arts competition could not begin.
The next moment, a flicker of illusory light shimmered over the chair.
In the blink of an eye, Lu Xuan was already seated in the main seat, and he began to speak calmly and unhurriedly.
“Deputy He, we may begin.”
The moment Lu Xuan appeared, the eyes of everyone below all focused on him.
Those who had never seen Lu Xuan before all showed expressions of surprise.
Although they already knew that the Xuan Shi (the Chief) was a young man, they hadn’t expected him to be this young.
Seeing him now, the Chief’s age actually seemed younger than their own.
In the crowd, the moment Ye Qingxuan saw Lu Xuan, her beautiful eyes were filled with complex emotions.
She was the only person among those present who knew Lu Xuan’s true identity most clearly.
Who would have thought that in just one month, the young, wealthy young master she had encountered would have reached this point?
Lu Xuan, the young master of the Lu Family Medicine Shop, was only a year older than her.
Yet he had already reached a height she could never achieve in her entire lifetime.
Was the gap between people truly this vast?
After a moment of discouragement, Ye Qingxuan recalled what her father had mentioned in his letter. A fighting spirit reignited in her eyes.
The Inner Energy realm!
I must break through to this realm.
When I do, I will have the ability to return to the capital and personally pay respects at my mother’s grave!
And also follow in the footsteps of Sister Yanran!
As for the gazes directed at him from below, Lu Xuan sat calmly in his chair, as if nothing was amiss.
However, Lu Xuan did manage to pick out Ye Qingxuan’s position in the crowd.
He had promised Ye Qingxuan’s father, and also Li Yanran, that he would look after her a bit.
“Mm, not bad.”
From a distance of over a thousand meters, Lu Xuan could still clearly discern Ye Qingxuan’s martial arts level.
The Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage!
In just one short month, she had broken through from the Flesh Tempering realm, perfection stage, to the Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage!
It seems she, like Liang Cheng and Yun Qing, had used the Great Supplement Pills from the Xuan Niao Wei.
Great Supplement Pills are refined from the essences of numerous potent medicinal herbs.
They have an exceptional effect on martial artists below the Inner Energy realm.
With Ye Qingxuan’s strength at the Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage, in the competition for those below the Human-level Xuan Niao Wei, barring any accidents, victory should be well within her grasp.
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye!
The martial arts competition for the Human-level Xuan Niao Wei had concluded.
The top three finishers were no surprise to Lu Xuan.
As for the ones who came in third and second, Lu Xuan had encountered them before in Yinshi Town.
They were the two disciples of Huang Shi Yao Feng!
They were at the Marrow Tempering realm,大成 (dàchéng) – great accomplishment stage.
Hmm, it seems the flesh and blood of those great demons brought significant improvements to these two.
As for the martial arts competition for those ranked below the Human-level Xuan Niao Wei, it had also entered its final stage.
In the participant area below the ring, only five people remained.
One of them had a bye, meaning that after two matches, the winners would be decided.
“Ye Qingxuan, Yu Yueru, step onto the ring!”
With the command given, the pairing for one of the matches was drawn by the referee.
Ye Qingxuan wore a form-fitting cyan dress that seemed tailor-made for her.
Her jet-black, soft hair was tied back with a delicate ribbon into a long, flowing ponytail that swayed gently in the wind, adding to her heroic and spirited demeanor.
Standing opposite her was Yu Yueru. Her delicate features held a hint of allure, and her fair, smooth face was as pure and flawless as fresh snow.
A jet-black robe tightly wrapped around Yu Yueru’s impressive figure, showcasing her perfect, enticing curves to the fullest.
It made people want to steal a few more glances.
However, He Yan, who had been sitting silently on the high platform, furrowed his brows in slight surprise upon seeing these two.
“How did they end up matched against each other?”
Both Ye Qingxuan and Yu Yueru were practitioners at the Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage, the most promising contenders to win the competition.
Also, Yu Yueru’s identity was that she was the precious niece of that old fellow, Yu Hong.
For Yu Yueru’s martial arts journey, that old fellow Yu Hong had scrimped and saved, spending most of his martial arts resources on her.
Thus, Yu Yueru, at just nineteen years old, had managed to break through to the Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage.
Yu Yueru’s charming eyes glanced lazily, her jade-like delicate hand gently supporting her chin as she spoke in a relaxed tone.
“Little Qingxuan, this isn’t very lucky for you, is it?”
Seeing this woman’s demeanor, Ye Qingxuan’s usually cool expression showed a trace of seriousness.
She seemed accustomed to Yu Yueru’s words, simply ignoring them.
This woman, taking advantage of being a few months older, always acted like an older sister and constantly came over to tease her.
“Little Qingxuan, don’t you blame your sister, okay?”
“This spot is very important to your sister, so don’t expect me to go easy on you!”
It seemed Ye Qingxuan was affected by Yu Yueru’s arrogance. She dashed forward in several swift strides.
As she neared Yu Yueru, Ye Qingxuan unleashed the full aura of her Bone Tempering realm, perfection stage.
Ye Qingxuan tensed her right hand. In that instant, her soft, fair little hand became as impenetrable as fortified walls of bronze and iron.
Her jade-like hand, carrying the force of howling wind, struck towards Yu Yueru.
Yu Yueru’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed. Her pale pink, moist lips parted slightly, showing no trace of fear towards Ye Qingxuan’s formidable palm strike.
“Little Qingxuan, not bad at all!”
“Under Sister Yanran’s training, your skills have improved dramatically.”
As she spoke, Yu Yueru extended her right hand, which had been lightly resting on her chin, and met Ye Qingxuan’s palm strike head-on.
