C11 Martial Arts

Upon witnessing Ye Yun's silence, Faang Qingzhuo became convinced of his lack of capability.

Faang Qingzhuo had previously heard from a disciple that Ye Yun had reached the Origin Opening Stage, but he was skeptical. Having met Ye Yun before, Faang Qingzhuo dismissed him as worthless. It now appeared that the tales of Ye Yun's advancement were mere rumors.

"Sect Master, Ye Yun is merely a disciple. How could he possibly be fit to marry you?"

The consensus was clear: Ye Yun was no match for the Great Empress.

"If you're considering marriage, it would be more strategic to choose the Light-Shaking Holy Son, the Eastern Divine Son, or the Restricted Area Prince from the Outer Sect. That way, you could at least align with the powerful factions supporting them."

Faang Qingzhuo immediately regretted his words, but the damage was done.

"Presumptuous!" The elders were taken aback by Faang Qingzhuo's audacity to meddle in the Sect Master's affairs.

"How dare you address the Sect Master in such a manner?" An elder rebuked, causing Faang Qingzhuo to kneel and bow his head in fear.

"Sect Master, please reconsider!"

Despite their objections to the Great Empress marrying a mere disciple—especially one like Ye Yun, who was relegated to menial tasks in the Outer Sect—the elders were adamant.

"Miss, one must not take marriage lightly, especially not when you are the Great Empress."

The elders' expressions grew stern as they stood before Leng Wuyan, seated at the heart of the Asura Palace.

Leng Wuyan met their gaze with an icy detachment. "I assure you, I am not jesting. I'm simply unaware of your vested interest in my marital decisions."

Her subsequent words were devoid of any warmth as she regarded them with a chilling stare.

The elder's face turned grim. He hadn't expected Leng Wuyan, whom he had watched grow up, to speak so bluntly to him for the first time over someone like Ye Yun.

Still, he held onto hope that Leng Wuyan might yet be persuaded.

"Ye Yun is merely a disciple tasked with menial duties in the Outer Sect. He does not deserve you."

"If the Sect Master were to marry someone capable, that would be one thing. But marrying Ye Yun? I'm certain it's not just me—no one in our sect would respect him."

"Sect Master, please reconsider!"

Faang Qingzhuo, along with all the disciples, dropped to their knees in unison!

Leng Wuyan's gaze instinctively found Ye Yun.

This time, however, she wasn't angry. She had already devised a strategy.

Still, she was curious about Ye Yun's thoughts on the matter.

Her eyes flicked to Faang Qingzhuo, whose resolve was as firm as ever.

A rare smile broke across Leng Wuyan's usually icy countenance.

"So, if Ye Yun can demonstrate his strength, you would all accept our marriage?" she inquired.

"Yes!" Faang Qingzhuo, the leader, responded.

Leng Wuyan had considered using her authority as Sect Master to quell dissent, but she knew that wouldn't win their hearts and minds.

Besides, Ye Yun could face considerable difficulties. Their marriage might be a sham, but she didn't want to leave any room for regret.

She had assessed Ye Yun's cultivation level earlier that day. With his innate Devil Body, he could easily best those below him.

Thus, Leng Wuyan was reassured.

Ye Yun was aware of Leng Wuyan's predicament.

As he turned his head, their eyes met by chance.

Understanding her intentions, he gave her a subtle nod—an assurance of his unwavering support, whatever her decision.

Grasping Ye Yun's intent, Leng Wuyan's expression swiftly reverted to its customary frostiness.

"Commence the martial arts contest!" she declared. Below, a buzz of speculation erupted.

"It looks like the Sect Master isn't dead set on marrying Ye Yun. With his weak cultivation, who could he possibly defeat?"

"We'll soon witness his downfall!"

The disciples murmured among themselves, speculating on the impending showdown.

Faang Qingzhuo was particularly pleased with the Great Empress's decree.

"Just wait and see how I handle him," he thought smugly.

Even as Leng Wuyan spoke, Faang Qingzhuo was already strategizing his approach to the upcoming challenge against Ye Yun.

Ye Yun paid no mind to the chatter of his fellow disciples, making a beeline for the center of the grand hall.

"Ye Yun, you better apologize quickly. That might be the only way you'll survive this," a well-meaning disciple cautioned.

"No need for words!" Ye Yun dismissed with a wave of his hand, cutting off the disciple mid-sentence.

"Who's up for the challenge first?"

The disciples exchanged surprised glances. Despite their eagerness to see Ye Yun's downfall, they couldn't help but respect his audacity.

"I'll take the lead."

Faang Qingzhuo stepped forward before he even finished speaking, positioning himself before Ye Yun.

"With Second Senior Brother stepping in, Ye Yun is bound to be easily defeated," they murmured among themselves, taken aback by the unfolding scene.

Ye Yun and Faang Qingzhuo wasted no time on talk; they launched into combat in the blink of an eye.

"Is that the Evil Sky Sword Technique Manual?"

The elder who had objected to Ye Yun's marriage to the Great Empress was visibly shaken by the swordplay before him, his face betraying his astonishment.

"How can this be? I haven't even mastered the Evil Sky Sword Technique Manual myself!"

His words struck Faang Qingzhuo like a thunderclap, a heavy realization.

Faang Qingzhuo was doomed to defeat within five moves.

True to prediction, Ye Yun needed only three moves to best him.

"Anyone else who thinks they can best me, step up! I'll be right here."

In that moment, Ye Yun's presence seemed to tower over the hall.

Once he demonstrated the Evil Sky Sword Technique Manual, even the elder had to acknowledge his prowess, not to mention the rest of the disciples.

The elder openly commended Leng Wuyan for her discernment, admitting his own had been lacking.

"Junior brother, why don't you challenge him? Weren't you just saying you were stronger?"

"Have I lost my mind? You're aware of how formidable Second Senior Brother is. He's been defeated, and I've no desire to embarrass myself."

"Host, congratulations on leaving the elder utterly astounded."

"Host, congratulations on leaving Lee Qihang thoroughly shocked."

"Host, you've managed to astonish Meng Xiaoheng!"

"Host, congratulations on shocking a whopping 70% of the Asura Palace!"

"Host, with the system upgrade, you've been awarded 50 Vital Energy Pills, 50 Qi Replenishing Pills, and a complete set of River God Protection."

Ye Yun's heart swelled with secret joy; he hadn't anticipated acquiring a windfall of 50 Vital Energy Pills all at once.

The grand hall fell into a hushed silence once more!

Abruptly, a cold shiver ran down Ye Yun's spine.

With a swift pivot, he found himself encased within a ring of light formed by an invisible surge of air.

With a mere flick of his wrist, a slender, sharp dagger clattered to the floor.

Ye Yun had been the target of a stealthy attack!

"Had his reflexes been any slower, he might have met his end in that instant."

Just yesterday, Ye Yun was considered nothing more than trash at the first layer of Body Tempering.

What on earth had transpired in a mere twenty-four hours?

He had astonishingly ascended to the Origin Opening Stage in a single day, a testament to his exceptional aptitude for understanding.

In a flash, a wave of admiration washed over the faces of the surrounding disciples as they gazed upon Ye Yun.

Possessing such profound insight and an immense reserve of Spiritual Energy, Ye Yun was a prodigy within the Wicked Sky Sect.

Now, they even harbored doubts that Ye Yun had previously masked his true capabilities.

They found it hard to accept that Ye Yun could have advanced to the Origin Opening Stage in just one day.