C59 A Strange Person

The instant Yu Kun laid eyes on Contestant 777, the source of his unsettling premonition clicked into place.

Because Contestant 777 was none other than Lu Renjia, the dark horse who had unexpectedly risen to prominence.

Yu Kun had never even heard of Lu Renjia before, yet here he was, astonishingly powerful. Lu Renjia had outperformed Wu Baishun, securing fourth place in the first round.

"Still, his aura doesn't strike me as particularly strong! He's merely at the Intermediate Rank of Qi Refining. How did he manage to clinch fourth place in the first round? But I shouldn't take him lightly. He may have had some extraordinary encounter!"

With these thoughts in mind, Yu Kun greeted him with a respectful bow, "Greetings, Junior Brother Lu."

Lu Renjia returned Yu Kun's gaze with a look of complexity.

Just when Yu Kun braced for Lu Renjia to strike, Lu Renjia instead uttered something incomprehensible to Yu Kun.

"Where is the jade pendant?" Lu Renjia inquired.

Yu Kun was taken aback. The voice hadn't come from Lu Renjia's lips but was transmitted directly into Yu Kun's mind through Lu Renjia's Astral Energy.

"The jade pendant?" Yu Kun echoed, puzzled, "Which jade pendant are you referring to?"

Lu Renjia's surprise deepened, "You've forgotten? The jade pendant passed down in your family!"

That's when it dawned on Yu Kun—the jade pendant.

Indeed, the body's original owner possessed a family heirloom jade pendant, never sold even in the direst of times.

Yet it was that very pendant Yu Kun had utilized to activate the Leviathan-roc System. The system's consumption of the pendant had set Yu Kun on his cultivation journey.

Now, with Lu Renjia's inquiry, Yu Kun's curiosity piqued, "How do you know about the jade pendant? I've kept it safe."

"You haven't completely forgotten the pendant, I see. But the pendant itself isn't what matters—it's what's inside that counts," Lu Renjia said, a hint of relief in his tone, before adding meaningfully, "Given your current state, you appear to be out of harm's way. I had been contemplating ways to help you restore your Qi Sea, but to my surprise, you've managed the feat all on your own."

Yu Kun's bewilderment deepened. "Who exactly are you? What's the purpose of telling me all this?"

Lu Renjia's smile held a hint of mystery as he replied, "There's no need for you to know my identity. Soon enough, you'll forget this entire conversation. The gap between your realm and mine is vast—like the distance between heaven and earth. Speaking to you now is akin to a divine voice from above; it's more than you can withstand. Once I retract the sound barrier, all of this will fade from your memory."

Before Yu Kun could respond, Lu Renjia cut him off.

"The secrets within that jade pendant are beyond your reach at the moment. But the day will come when you'll uncover them. The pendant is a manifestation of a mighty power, and refining it to inherit its strength will serve you well."

Reflecting on this, Yu Kun mused, "It seems my body holds secrets yet to be discovered. I can't seem to remember anything, and it appears that even the original owner was oblivious to the pendant's mysteries. No wonder it looked so unremarkable and damaged, yet it could be consumed by the system in exchange for a substantial amount of Growth Value. It's clear now that there's nothing ordinary about that pendant. But what exactly is the secret he's referring to?"

As Yu Kun pondered, Lu Renjia's voice broke through his thoughts, "You must strengthen yourself quickly and enhance your power. Your first goal should be to become a Direct Disciple of the Flying Cloud Sect. I'll seek you out again once you've achieved that."

Yu Kun opened his mouth to inquire further, but Lu Renjia simply raised his hand.

In an instant, a flash of white light enveloped Yu Kun, and he sensed a subtle shift in his surroundings.

"Junior Brother Lu, greetings," Yu Kun said, bowing slightly to the figure before him.

Oddly, Yu Kun felt as if something peculiar had been added to his mind—elusive yet present.

"This is so strange. Why am I suddenly fixated on becoming a Direct Disciple of the Flying Cloud Sect? Could it be because of Yan Changge's influence? But I can't dwell on that now. If I become a Direct Disciple, my status will surely surpass that of an Inner Sect disciple. Still, that's for the future. For now, I should focus on entering the Inner Sect."

Yu Kun gave Lu Renjia another puzzled look. Despite this being their first encounter, Yu Kun couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen Lu Renjia somewhere before. In truth, Yu Kun had indeed met this person previously, but he couldn't recall who it was.

"Am I imagining things?" he wondered.

"Please, Junior Brother Lu," Yu Kun invited.

In a fluster, Lu Renjia responded, "After you, Senior Brother Yu."

With that, they both began to channel their Astral Energy, readying themselves for combat.

Meanwhile, the Elders watching from the stands were taken aback.

"How peculiar. It felt as though time had come to a standstill for a moment."

"It's no illusion. I sensed it too, as if something shifted."

"Did the Sect Master intervene?"

"That's unlikely! The Sect Master doesn't possess such power. It must have been some powerful figure passing by our Flying Cloud Sect, seemingly without ill intent."

After much deliberation, the Elders couldn't reach a consensus and eventually attributed the anomaly to the presence of an unnamed powerful entity.

Their attention then returned to the ongoing trials in the Test Square. Some platforms had already declared victors, while battles raged on others.

Observing the seventh platform, Zhou Xingtian shook his head slightly.

"Yu Kun has ascended to the High Rank of the Qi Refining Stage, and his strength is formidable. His combat experience is also extensive. That disciple, Lu Renjia, may have scored well in the last round, but his deficiencies in cultivation are now glaringly apparent."

"True, but the Flying Cloud Sect's trial rules are quite fair. With his previous performance, winning five bouts in this round would secure his spot in the Flying Cloud Tower. Even if he doesn't reach the tower, it's a significant boost to his cultivation."

"It's a shame, though, that he faced Yu Kun in the first round. His defeat was somewhat inevitable."

No sooner had they spoken than Lu Renjia was bested by Yu Kun.

Unaware of the Elders' exchange, Yu Kun graciously addressed his opponent, "Thank you, Junior Brother Lu."

Lu Renjia rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes. He acknowledged Yu Kun with a bow before descending from the platform.

Watching Lu Renjia's retreating figure, Yu Kun was plagued by an odd sensation.

"Why do I get the feeling that Lu Renjia intentionally let me win? Yet, he did take a solid hit from me earlier. It must be my imagination. I need to stop dwelling on this and concentrate on the fight ahead!"

With that resolve, Yu Kun stood in the arena and declared, "I request the second battle to commence!"

During his duel with Lu Renjia, Yu Kun had only unleashed his Astral Energy in the final move. Therefore, he was ready to engage in the next battle without any need for rest.