Of course, in his mind, it would be best to eliminate Huangfu Buyue in this match. He truly did not wish for the Qinlong Sect to gain further prestige through this martial examination; the ensuing reprimand from the Tianyuan Empire would be something the small state of Shuyun could not possibly withstand…
The four Young Masters were all filled with confidence regarding this matter; their goal was to have their own people occupy the final four slots…
The third round of the competition would take place in five days, affording the remaining eight contestants another five days of rest. Ye Jingyu continued to cultivate relentlessly. After learning that Qin Yunxiao was Qin Yan’s son, he had secretly resolved to kill Qin Yunxiao during the contest, believing that even Qin Yan would not dare retaliate against him then…
After all, once on the stage, life and death were left to fate…
Because of this goal, his efforts in cultivation became even more desperate. To defeat Qin Yunxiao, he first needed to overcome his next opponent, Dugu Qian…
To this end, Ye Jingyu, who had always disdained gathering intelligence on opponents, sought out Luo Ruofeng, hoping to obtain first-hand information on Dugu Qian. However, what disappointed him was that Luo Ruofeng possessed absolutely no data on Dugu Qian…
This left Ye Jingyu deeply astonished. The Third Young Master, though his influence wasn't as vast as the First Young Master's, could usually uncover information about anyone with ease. Yet now, beyond knowing the opponent’s name was Dugu Qian, they knew nothing—it was as if the man had materialized out of thin air…
This result made Ye Jingyu even more cautious. Anyone whom even the Third Young Master could not research must not be taken lightly…
Without intelligence on his foe, the best recourse was constant self-improvement. Thus, these five days turned into the most frantic period of cultivation for Ye Jingyu…
Five days slipped by in a flash…
Tomorrow was the third round of the examination. According to Luo Xiaofeng’s arrangements, the martial contests would be split across four arenas, commencing simultaneously…
Ye Jingyu sat quietly in his room, his mind ceaselessly cycling through the various forms and techniques he had learned. At this juncture, besides the Ba Yuan Jue, which drastically amplified his strength, the only martial technique he had mastered was the Jing Lei Dao Jue (Startling Thunder Blade Art). Even so, he had only barely managed the thirty-six stances of the first move, having not even touched upon the second. This was his singular combat technique, and victory resting solely upon it made him deeply uncertain…
During the preliminary rounds, witnessing the might of Bie Li and others had given him a profound understanding of the Innate Martial Master realm. It was absolutely not just about raw power; their ultimate skills and vital energy were terrifying forces…
He shouldn't presume that defeating Chi Yixiu, merely because the latter was a Level Four Warrior, was comparable to facing an Innate Martial Master. In a real fight, Chi Yixiu might not last three moves; no matter how great his strength, it was useless if he couldn't land a blow…
If Bie Li and the others were so formidable, then how could Dugu Qian, who managed to break into the top eight, be an ordinary person?
He had learned too little. It seemed that before he could delve into the combat techniques section of the Ba Yuan Jue, he needed to thoroughly study more varied martial arts…
“Huu…” With a long exhalation, Ye Jingyu rose from the bed and slowly approached the wooden tub that had already been prepared. He stripped off his warrior uniform and submerged himself entirely into the water…
The warm water and rising steam caused every pore on Ye Jingyu’s body to open, achieving a state of complete relaxation…
“Splash…” With a sudden sound, the door to Ye Jingyu’s room was violently kicked open from the outside…
In his relaxed state, Ye Jingyu instantly sprang up, ready to launch an attack, but then he distinctly heard a scream…
Focusing his gaze, he saw Luo Linger standing at the doorway, clad in a white gauze dress, both hands covering her eyes…
“You… you… why don’t you close the door when you bathe…” Luo Linger stammered, her face crimson, her hands pressed tightly over her eyes, speaking with extreme mortification…
“Uh… I didn’t close the door? It seems like you burst in, didn’t you?” Seeing Luo Linger’s distressed and embarrassed expression, Ye Jingyu let out a soft laugh…
However, he made no move to sit up, remaining in the tub. Exposing what shouldn't be exposed in front of a princess could lead to a charge of profanity if reported…
“I… I… I didn’t mean to…?” Luo Linger had already turned her body away, murmuring very softly…
“Not intentional? My Princess, that was my integrity you just witnessed. Now that you’ve seen me so completely, how am I supposed to show my face in public?” Ye Jingyu put on an air of deep offense…
“Ah…” Luo Linger’s mind replayed the scene she had accidentally glimpsed. Her brain, already momentarily blank, became utterly lost after hearing Ye Jingyu’s words. All she could manage was, “Then what do you suggest we do?”
“What to do? Naturally, you must take responsibility for me…” A wicked smile flickered across Ye Jingyu’s face, though he immediately began dressing. Although they were within the Third Young Master’s manor, it was impossible to rule out spies from other factions. If news spread that he had profaned the princess, the cost would far outweigh any small gain, though seizing this chance to tease her verbally was unavoidable…
“Responsibility? How am I supposed to take responsibility…” Luo Linger asked, bewildered…
“What would you do if a man had spied on you while you were bathing?” Ye Jingyu thought privately that the only recourse might be to offer marriage…
“Kill that man…” Unexpectedly, Luo Linger blurted out the response without hesitation…
“Uh… then perhaps forget it… What did you need me for?” Facing Luo Linger’s bluntness, Ye Jingyu found himself at a loss for words…
“Are you dressed yet?” Luo Linger remained turned away, continuing her question…
“Of course I am. Are you hoping to see more?” Ye Jingyu rolled his eyes and replied flatly…
“No, that’s not it…” Luo Linger finally turned around. Seeing that Ye Jingyu was fully dressed, she walked a few paces toward him, cupping a piece of extremely thin silk armor in her hands, and presented it before him, saying softly, “This is the Celestial Cicada Silk Armor my Royal Father gifted me the day before yesterday. It is impervious to blades and spears. You go into the arena tomorrow; wearing this will make you safer…”
Gazing at the incredibly fine armor that emitted a faint, soft glow, and then at Luo Linger’s flushed cheeks, an unusual sensation welled up in Ye Jingyu’s heart—a feeling called… gratitude…
Though he often met Luo Linger these past few days, she had always presented herself as a carefree girl with extremely simple thoughts. Yet now, she was giving him the Celestial Cicada Silk Armor, just bestowed by her father, for his protection. How could this not move him?
Looking into her sparkling, wide eyes and at her rosy lips, Ye Jingyu was suddenly gripped by an impulse—a desire to pull Luo Linger into a fierce embrace and kiss her deeply…
“Ahem…” Just as Ye Jingyu was about to embrace Luo Linger, a light cough sounded from the doorway…