Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Ten: Victory and Surprise

Although the surrounding light curtains obscured the view, making it impossible to see the audience’s reaction, Qing Yuan understood in his heart that perhaps the crowd below was already in an uproar. As a fifth-grade cultivator, he was unable to subdue a sixth-grade opponent—within the Qing clan, his name would surely be recalled for a long time, and not in a favorable light.

His gaze was fierce, as if he could devour someone, locked tightly onto Li Yu.

“If looks could kill, you’d have won this already. Unfortunately, glaring won’t get you anywhere,” Li Yu shrugged.

Though his mastery of martial arts manuals was not as extensive as Qing Yuan’s, he had learned them all—fist techniques, body-refining and protective arts, each one practiced to proficiency. More than that, the skill points and double experience he’d accumulated were never hoarded; he used them as needed. Each technique was refined—not many, but enough. It was the so-called ‘one trick to rule them all.’

Li Yu wiped the sweat from his cheek and looked at Qing Yuan. “Why don’t you just take your beating honestly?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Qing Yuan snapped back. Despite his calm outward demeanor, his mind was taut with tension; he was beginning to fall behind, which seemed impossible.

“Stop dreaming!” Qing Yuan gritted his teeth, manipulating the wood-element spiritual power within his domain, lifting himself slowly above the arena.

“With this move alone, you won’t be able to counter me!” Qing Yuan sneered, a flicker of humiliation in his eyes. To fight a sixth-grade cultivator, he felt unexpectedly inferior, forced to use flight to ‘bully’ his opponent. Never before had he seen a fifth-grade challenger forced to go all out against a sixth-grade opponent.

“My heavens, Qing Yuan has finally taken to the skies!”

“Focus, everyone—Li Yu is this strong? No wonder he’s earned a seed status.”

“Did Qing Yuan just get outmatched by Li Yu, or am I imagining things?”

“…”

Li Yu mocked, “You finally ascended? I thought you’d stubbornly refuse to use that move.”

“Do you still have a way to deal with me?” Qing Yuan’s brow furrowed. He now hovered at a height exceeding two hundred meters, a distance untouchable for most sixth-grade cultivators. But… was Li Yu an ordinary sixth-grade?

Li Yu nodded. “What a coincidence, I actually know a move but haven’t used it for fear of upsetting An Qi.”

“Putting on airs!” Qing Yuan, having already resorted to flying, did not mind a few more words. His pride had been shattered enough, and there was nothing left to lose.

Li Yu had been able to suppress him just now, and Qing Yuan finally realized why. When absorbing spiritual power, it washes over the body; perhaps because of this, Li Yu’s thunder bloodline, when absorbing thunder-element power, produced superior effects—giving him an edge physically.

Now, however, the contest was about spiritual power, about the suppression of realm. Surely Li Yu couldn’t possibly overcome or defeat him here?

Yet, looking at Li Yu’s confidence, Qing Yuan suddenly felt less certain.

“Surely not, he can’t really have a way, can he?”

Li Yu watched Qing Yuan, his peripheral vision catching Qing Heng’s gaze—filled with curiosity, clearly wanting to see how he would resolve the current predicament.

Li Yu pondered, then slowly closed his eyes. It was time to act boldly, to let the Qing clan see what kind of extraordinary genius he truly was.

“What’s he doing?” Qing Heng wondered aloud, while Qing Yuan grew agitated in the sky.

Thunder surged around Li Yu, arcs crackling and leaping. He snapped his eyes open, and the lightning exploded outward. Then, Li Yu leapt up.

“What’s he doing? That’s over two hundred meters! Is he trying to jump up and hit Qing Yuan’s knees?”

“He should just admit defeat—anything else would only make him look ridiculous!”

Below the stage, voices buzzed with discussion, though some sharp eyes noticed something unusual.

“Whoa, he’s suspended in mid-air!”

“I thought I was seeing things—this is real! Li Yu is a fifth-grade cultivator?”

“That can’t be, I’ve read the records—he’s supposed to be sixth-grade!”

Someone swallowed nervously, whispering, “Is it possible for a sixth-grade to fly?”

“…”

Pupils contracted.

Qing Yuan watched Li Yu approach, blurting out, “There’s no way you’re fifth-grade—how could you possibly ascend?”

Now close, the differences were unmistakable. Qing Yuan was certain—Li Yu did not possess a spiritual domain, he was definitely fifth-grade. If that were true, Li Yu couldn’t possibly fool him.

But if that was the case… if a sixth-grade could wield fifth-grade skills, it was even more astonishing!

He would rather believe the other had mastered some kind of concealment technique, making him appear to be a sixth-grade.

Li Yu didn’t answer; he seized upon Qing Yuan’s unstable mental state, letting a torrent of thunder spiritual power burst forth, yanking Qing Yuan back down to the arena.

“You seemed so energetic earlier!”

“Is this how you treated An Qi?”

Li Yu’s strikes were brutal, but not excessive—enough for Qing Yuan to feel pain, but not suffer serious injury.

Li Yu had not forgotten Qing Heng’s words: “Know your limits,” “Don’t exceed the arena’s rules.” It was a clear hint: as long as he acted within the rules, nothing would be amiss.

Qing Yuan cried out in pain.

But there was no further reaction, just a constant muttering: “How did he do it? How did he do it?”

“…”

How did he do it?

Li Yu curled his lip.

With plenty of spiritual power, he simply simulated a fifth-grade domain using his own energy. His body was riddled with thousands of thunder acupoints, each filled to the brim—his reserves were immense. To project a domain externally and maintain it for a couple of hours was no problem at all!

Li Yu pummeled Qing Yuan for a while, finally exhaling in satisfaction.

“That felt good!”

It wasn’t just about avenging Qing An Qi; he had shown Qing Heng a side worth fostering. When the family council convened, if any disputes arose, he would be less likely to become cannon fodder.

Perhaps before, Li Yu was merely seen as an outsider with special potential by the Qing clan; now, his performance added a weighty mark to his importance.

With a final punch to Qing Yuan’s face, knocking him unconscious, Li Yu turned to Qing Heng.

Qing Heng stared at Li Yu for a long moment before finally regaining his composure. He stepped forward to check Qing Yuan’s injuries, then announced:

“Li Yu, victorious!”

The light curtain slowly descended, and the roar of the martial arena washed over the stage—voices filled with disbelief, amazement, and shock.

Li Yu said nothing more, his gaze sweeping the entire arena before finally settling on the medical room to the side.

“Li Yu…”

Qing Heng approached, but before he could finish his sentence, Li Yu had already jumped down from the platform, heading to the side.

Qing Heng frowned, catching sight of Xiao Cui collapsed outside the medical room, with several Qingshan soldiers nearby also lying unconscious.

“Something’s happened!”

Qing Heng reacted instantly, his spiritual power erupting. In the next moment, he appeared beside Li Yu at the medical room entrance.

“They’re just knocked out…”

Li Yu saw the bruising on Xiao Cui’s neck and made a judgment. Carefully, he lifted the curtain to peer inside.

“Nothing’s wrong?”

Qing An Qi’s small figure lay on the bed, breathing steadily.

Qing Heng, not thinking further, strode in, his eyes filled with anxiety.