C58 Second Round of Trial.

Yu Kun was well aware that Yaen Hongling's inexpressible emotions weren't love. Rather, they were an unexpected reaction to noticing changes in him. She felt indebted to him and mistakenly believed her feelings were love.

Yet, in a way, these two emotions weren't all that different.

"Even though I have no feelings for Yaen Hongling, it's unheard of for a woman to chase a man. Should I consider accepting her affection?" Yu Kun pondered, then shook his head.

"No, that's not right. She's blind to the true nature of her feelings, but I see them clearly. Accepting her when I don't truly care for her would make me no better than a jerk. I'd just be toying with her emotions."

Yu Kun shook his head once more.

"Still, this isn't right! This is the Strange Realm, not the world I came from. What does it matter if I act the scoundrel just once? Besides, I'm not the type to play with and discard a woman's feelings. The previous owner of this body loved Yaen Hongling, and now I'm merely fulfilling his unrequited love."

Unable to come to a conclusion, Yu Kun simply shook his head, returned to his room, and pushed the dilemma from his mind.

He then buried himself under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Yu Kun awoke feeling clear-headed and invigorated. As a martial artist, he was spared the agony of a hangover yet could still savor the joy of having indulged the night before.

After a leisurely stretch, Yu Kun practiced his martial arts in the courtyard, exchanged pleasantries with some elite disciples who were up, and then joined them for breakfast. Later, he strolled over to the Test Square.

The square had transformed, now featuring dozens of new arenas while the mechanical marionettes had been cleared away. Clearly, these stages were set to be the focal point of the day's events.

As the Test Square buzzed with activity, disciples eager to compete or observe the trials filled the stands. Gu Yuan, however, was absent.

Yu Kun knew Gu Yuan wouldn't return. The previous day's fainting episode in the Test Square was a crushing blow to his pride. And with the Little Prince's personal decree of expulsion, it was clear Gu Yuan had no place here anymore.

"Today, Yan Changge won't be able to pull off any tricks, even if he has them up his sleeve. Hu Zhengye and I share some camaraderie. Bai Qingfeng is sharp-eyed; he knows he's no match for me and certainly won't side with Yan Changge to do any harm. Wu Baishun isn't foolish enough to cross me on Yan Changge's behalf either. And as for Lu Renjia, who popped up out of nowhere, I reckon he's not daft enough to pick a fight with me after my impressive display yesterday."

Yu Kun racked his brain but couldn't come up with any plots or ploys that Yan Changge and his Master might have left. No schemes meant peace was assured.

A short time later, the Inner Sect Elder and the disciples who had come to witness the battle had all made their entrance.

Yu Kun noticed Yan Changge's absence today. Clearly, Yan Changge feared getting riled up at the sight of him.

Yaen Hongling, however, did attend the event, though she was in the company of another man.

Yu Kun didn't recognize the man. He gave him a cursory glance and then dismissed him from his thoughts. The Yaen family was prominent, after all; this man could well be another of Yaen Hongling's cousins.

Instead, Yu Kun found himself observing the Little Prince more intently. Not for his looks, but because the Little Prince had brought an entire table of food to the square, a move that certainly set him apart. The Little Prince was currently enjoying a meal with a few acquaintances from the Inner Sect.

A glance at the Little Prince left Yu Kun at a loss for words.

"The power of King Pingjiang's Mansion is evident, so much so that the Flying Cloud Sect turns a blind eye to the Little Prince! He's got a flair for the dramatic, bringing a feast right to the Test Square! But judging by his behavior, he's unlikely to be an adversary of mine."

Yu Kun's mind eased as he pondered the situation. The Little Prince might act unpredictably, but he didn't appear to be an enemy targeting Yu Kun.

By now, the disciples ready for the test had all assembled at the Test Square. The Inner Sect Elder stepped forward and announced, "I went over the second round's rules yesterday, and I'll repeat them today. Today we have the arena competition. Those who succeeded in yesterday's trials can now face off in the arena. Should anyone excel today, they can compensate for any shortfall in yesterday's scores."

"Furthermore, anyone who inflicts injury during today's arena battles will be disqualified from the competition! The battles operate on a points system, with contestants earning higher scores the more victories they achieve. Ultimately, we'll select the top one hundred competitors from both rounds to take part in the final trial and ascend the Flying Cloud Tower!"

Yu Kun was somewhat taken aback.

"A points system? Contestants can either take a brief respite after the first round or dive straight into the second. It's entirely up to their personal strategy. The Flying Cloud Sect has designed it this way to ensure that disciples who may lack innate talent but possess ample combat experience have a chance to succeed in the trials."

Yu Kun had to concede that the Flying Cloud Sect's testing method was indeed equitable. Those blessed with natural talent could pass, and those less gifted but willing to diligently train stood an equal chance.

If they lacked talent and failed to dedicate themselves to their training, they would be relegated to the status of Outer Sect disciples for life.

Put another way, they were destined to remain Outer Sect disciples.

Subsequently, another Inner Sect Elder rose to speak, "Servants will now distribute number plates to the disciples participating in this round. Your number plate is your identifier! During the first round of the arena battles, the judge will call out a number. The contestant holding that number must step into the arena to compete. Whether you choose to rest or continue fighting afterward is entirely your decision."

After delivering his instructions, the Inner Sect Elder took his seat, and the servants began handing out number plates to the contestants.

Yu Kun looked at his number plate, which bore the digits "4396."

He was momentarily at a loss for words.

"This number gives me a bad feeling. I'm worried I won't be able to execute a strong attack today. It's as if the Inner Sect Elders are sending me a message!" Yu Kun grumbled, albeit he accepted the number with reluctance.

Then another thought struck Yu Kun.

"With fewer than a thousand contestants in the second round, how did I end up with number 4396? Could the numbers be randomly assigned? It appears that the numbers must be randomly selected, not sequentially from one to one thousand."

Snapping back to the moment, Yu Kun noticed that all the disciples participating in the second round had received their numbers.

Zhou Xingtian then stood and began calling contestants to the stage for their battles.

"In the first arena, contestant 237 versus contestant 171!"

"In the second arena, contestant 233 takes on contestant 9527!"

"In the third arena, it's contestant 98 against contestant 36!"

"The fourth arena..."

"And in the seventh arena, contestant 777 faces off against contestant 44396!"

Yu Kun felt a jolt of surprise. His own number had been called.

But then, he was at a loss for words.

"Back in the seventh arena again? Up against contestant 777 once more? I've got this ominous feeling! I need to stop overthinking. I'm destined for the Inner Sect. Otherwise, how will I ever stand a chance against Yaen Changge?"

With that resolve, Yu Kun descended from the stands and made his way to the seventh arena.