"Dugu... Ba Chen..." Luo Ruofeng murmured, yet the look of utter reverence in his eyes was impossible to conceal. Xuanyuan Jue was arguably the foremost genius of the age, not only possessing supreme swordsmanship but also having founded the formidable Tianyuan Empire—a near synonym for invincibility. Yet, he was actually wounded by Dugu Ba Chen. How could such a figure not inspire worship?

Especially for minor vassal states like the Shu Yun Kingdom, being able to injure someone like Xuanyuan Jue, who was practically a deity to the people of the Tianyuan Empire, naturally brought immense joy...

Dugu Ba Chen...

Ye Jingyu whispered the name. What a proud and imposing name; what an arrogant and self-assured name...

If he could cultivate to that level, what would he become?

"Alright, it’s getting late, you should rest early too. There are many people with the surname Dugu; this person might not even belong to the Dugu family. You don't need to worry," Luo Ruofeng said upon seeing the longing expression mirrored in Ye Jingyu's face.

"Mhm..." Ye Jingyu nodded softly. Worry? What would he have to worry about?

Luo Ruofeng said no more, turning and walking out of Ye Jingyu's room... His brow, however, slowly furrowed...

It was unclear if he was worried about tomorrow's match or about the matter concerning his ninth sister...

Ye Jingyu closed his door. For the first time, he didn't practice cultivation at night. Instead, he lay quietly in bed, contemplating these legendary figures. Could he ever become like them?

Without realizing it, Ye Jingyu drifted into a deep sleep. In his dream, he became an unparalleled master, a single blade in his hand reducing all experts under heaven to mere ants...

The next morning, the weather was exceptionally clear. The golden-red morning sun slowly climbed into the sky. Within the capital city of the Yunjing Royal Palace, four colossal martial arenas had been constructed. They were built entirely of the finest bluestone and reinforced with complex arrays cast by powerful Soul Masters, making their structural integrity unimaginable...

This was already the final stage of the competition. Casual onlookers were no longer permitted to observe such an event. Aside from the court officials and the nobility, no one else had the right to enter the palace grounds...

The examiners for this round were no longer the Minister of War, but rather the four Young Lords of the Shu Yun Kingdom. Naturally, Luo Xiaofeng would not allow them to supervise the matches involving his subordinates...

Instead, they were arranged to take turns overseeing the contests. For instance, the one supervising the fight between Ye Jingyu and Dugu Qian was the Seventh Young Lord, Luo Xiaoyuan...

Upon arriving at the martial stage, Luo Xiaoyuan, clad in a long robe of deep purple brocade, was already seated beneath a parasol near the platform. Two gracefully built women stood behind him, while several other officials were seated on either side...

The Third Young Lord was busy supervising another bout, so he hadn't accompanied Ye Jingyu. However, as soon as Luo Ling'er received word of Ye Jingyu's arrival, she immediately rushed out of her own palace chambers and bumped into Ye Jingyu right there at the site...

"Seventh Brother, you're here very early..." Luo Ling'er smiled at Ye Jingyu before turning to address the Seventh Young Lord seated in the main seat.

"Commoner Ye Jingyu pays respects to the Seventh Young Lord..." Ye Jingyu simultaneously formed a cupped-fist salute toward Luo Xiaoyuan. By strict custom, he should have performed a kowtow, but having never knelt even to his own parents throughout his life, he certainly wouldn't kneel to Luo Xiaoyuan...

As he performed the salute, he was also covertly observing Luo Xiaoyuan. This was the Young Lord his sworn brother, Luo Ruofeng, had described as the most enigmatic. After watching for quite some time, however, Ye Jingyu could perceive nothing beyond Luo Xiaoyuan appearing amiable and possessing a somewhat childlike demeanor. Yet, the more mundane he seemed, the more Ye Jingyu sensed his profound nature...

"Heh heh, Brother Ye is too polite..." Luo Xiaoyuan didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, he stood up and returned the salute to Ye Jingyu. This action immediately silenced the officials who were about to reprimand Ye Jingyu. Since the Young Lord had returned the gesture, it indicated he was overlooking Ye Jingyu's lack of proper deference, accepting instead a martial artist's greeting...

And he, too, was scrutinizing Ye Jingyu, fleeting glints flashing in his eyes, lost in thought...

"Come, Ling'er, since you have time to watch the matches, sit over here..." After saluting Ye Jingyu, Luo Xiaoyuan turned to Luo Ling'er.

Though not born of the same mother, Luo Ling'er was inherently innocent and lovable, adored by everyone in the palace...

"Mhm..." Luo Ling'er nodded, skipping lightly to a seat beside Luo Xiaoyuan. Someone had already prepared a chair for her, and the assembled officials rose to salute her, but Luo Ling'er waved them off dismissively...

Before long, a figure clad in black martial attire was escorted to the scene by palace guards. He too offered Luo Xiaoyuan a cupped-fist salute customary among martial practitioners. Luo Xiaoyuan again rose to return the gesture...

Ye Jingyu turned his head and saw a man with a handsome face and fair skin, almost comparable to his own. His expression was extraordinarily cold, even colder than Hu Yanmeng, maintaining that chilling aloofness even when facing the Seventh Young Lord...

Was this Dugu Qian? He had seen him once on the training grounds but hadn't paid him much heed. Now, looking at him, he clearly wasn't an ordinary person...

Ye Jingyu thought softly to himself. He had noticed this man during the archery competition that day, but his attention had been focused on Qin Yunxiao at the time and he hadn't paid close attention...

"Now that both participants have arrived, let's not waste any more time. Please ascend the stage," Luo Xiaoyuan's voice rang out.

Ye Jingyu and Dugu Qian exchanged a glance. Their feet moved, their figures vanishing from their original spots, reappearing moments later atop the martial stage...

Such agility immediately drew murmurs of praise from the surrounding officials and nobility, and Luo Xiaoyuan’s eyes showed undisguised admiration. However, he did not forget his duties and began to announce the rules of the examination, which, apart from the allowance of weapons, were largely similar to the preliminary rounds...

After concluding the rules, Luo Ruofeng directly announced the start of the competition, then settled back into his seat, the childlike smile still fixed on his face.

On the stage, contrary to the fiery sword flashes the audience expected, there was only profound silence...

Ye Jingyu carried his broken piece of iron on his back, though it was already wrapped with strips of cloth; otherwise, the crowd would have erupted in laughter before the match even began...

Dugu Qian, too, carried a long sword bound with cloth strips, his expression desolate, like a cold killing machine...

Their gazes locked fiercely, subtly generating sparks, but then Ye Jingyu’s focus shifted to Dugu Qian's throat, because he noticed... there was no protrusion there...

Meaning, "he" had no Adam's apple...

Could "he" be a woman?

In that single moment of stunned realization, a terrifying surge of sword energy sliced through the sky, illuminating the entire horizon...