Only Luo Haitian’s eyes betrayed extreme dread. As a Soul Master, he clearly understood that effortlessly condensing a long bow was far beyond the reach of an ordinary Spirit Manifestation realm Soul Master; it meant one foot was already planted in the Soul Immortal territory…

How could this Ye Jingyu be so powerful at such a young age? Did he perhaps have a formidable Soul Immortal companion beside him?

“A bow without a string, is it still a bow?” Witnessing Ye Jingyu’s feat, Xiao Geng knew he had been outclassed, yet he refused to yield, instead speaking coldly…

“Heh, using the power of the Heavens as the string…” Ye Jingyu replied calmly. Immediately, a white radiance appeared on the black great bow, perfectly forming a taut string…

Everyone’s expression shifted again. The Qi of the Earth as the bow, and the power of the Heavens as the string—what manner of force was this? Had his mastery of Spirit Arts reached such heights that he could condense the ambient energies of the world with a mere gesture?

“Where is your arrow? Do you intend to slay that great eagle with mere arrow-qi? If I bring it down, don't you dare claim it was killed by your arrow-qi later…” Xiao Geng refused to give up, though his face had turned exceedingly grim…

“Heh, since you put it that way, how could I make such a mistake? Ten Thousand Starlight becomes the arrow…” Ye Jingyu chuckled lightly, extending his right hand. A silver arrow materialized in his palm, emitting streams of radiant silver light…

Whether it was Luo Haitian, Qin Yunxiao, or even Luo Feng, their expressions changed. They too sensed the immense power contained within that silver arrow…

That power could definitely threaten a Martial Saint! Had Ye Jingyu’s Soul Power already reached such a terrifying realm? To condense such an elaborate bow and arrow in so little time—wouldn't even a Martial Saint have to tread carefully around him?

As for the princesses and high-born ladies, upon seeing Ye Jingyu’s feat of conjuration from thin air, their faces filled with delight and excitement. Spirit Manifestation realm Soul Masters were rare, akin to living Super-Envoys; even with their noble status, they seldom saw such figures, let alone witnessing Ye Jingyu performing magic like this…

Many instantly shed their composure and began to cry out in astonishment…

Luo Ling’er, seeing Ye Jingyu’s confident smile, felt the slight worry in her heart finally subside…

“Your Highness, shall we begin?” Having stunned the crowd once more with his display, a faint smile touched Ye Jingyu’s lips.

Luo Haitian finally snapped back to attention. The way he looked at Ye Jingyu was now complex. Such a powerful figure must be eliminated somehow, for he would surely become the greatest threat in the future. But now, with no capable men left at his side, what was to be done?

Thinking this, Luo Haitian subtly raised his right hand, preparing to give the signal to commence…

“Swish…” As the Crown Prince’s arm dropped, two beams of light—one gold and one silver—shot across the sky. Immediately following, a sharp cry echoed from above, and the massive great eagle plummeted downwards…

No one even managed to clearly see how Ye Jingyu and Xiao Geng had nocked their arrows…

The great eagle crashed heavily not far away, shaking the ground. Guards quickly moved forward to secure it. Only then did the onlookers realize the eagle was nearly the size of a grown man, and embedded precisely in its eye was a silver arrow condensed entirely from starlight…

As for the golden feather-arrow shot by Xiao Geng, its whereabouts remained unknown…

Xiao Geng’s face once again turned deathly pale. His archery was inferior to this man’s? An arrow that cleaved the air and pierced the eye of that great eagle—was this man even human?

The Crown Prince’s expression also darkened. He had intended this event to elevate Xiao Geng’s stature, but it seemed Ye Jingyu had snatched this victory away yet again.

“How amazing…”

“So brilliant…”

“That eagle was flying so high, and Noble Ye shot it down in one go—incredible!”

Among the princesses and ladies, another wave of exclamations erupted. They paid no heed to the subtle machinations or power struggles between the men; they only focused on what they saw: Ye Jingyu was superior to Xiao Geng…

The first round of the contest between the peerless talents of the Southern Cloud Empire concluded with Ye Jingyu’s complete triumph…

Hearing the cheers around him, and catching sight of Luo Ling’er’s captivated gaze fixed upon Ye Jingyu, Xiao Geng was consumed by fury that surged straight to his core. He started to step forward, ready to challenge Ye Jingyu to a duel, but Luo Haitian stopped him with a look…

“Heh, I did not expect Noble Ye to not only possess formidable martial prowess but also the most unparalleled archery skills in the realm. This is truly a blessing for our Southern Cloud Empire!” the Crown Prince declared, smiling as if entirely unbothered, addressing Ye Jingyu directly.

“Heh, Your Highness flatters me. I was merely lucky this time, truly, just a stroke of luck…” Ye Jingyu slightly bowed in return, speaking calmly.

Luck? The insolence! Even he knew how to feign modesty.

The Crown Prince cursed Ye Jingyu inwardly but maintained a gracious facade. Meanwhile, Ye Jingyu’s status in the hearts of the princesses and ladies soared to immense heights. Arrogant yet not arrogant, dominant yet never rash—where else could one find such a man?

At this moment, they held no thought for Xiao Geng or Qin Yunxiao; there was only Ye Jingyu. As for the rumors surrounding Ye Jingyu and Luo Ling’er, the ladies dismissed them entirely. Luo Ling’er was set to marry Xiao Geng; how could she possibly marry Ye Jingyu?

Setting aside the subtle shift in the women’s feelings, Xiao Geng, having been utterly defeated by Ye Jingyu, showed no further reaction. He merely suppressed the rage boiling in his chest and stayed close to the Crown Prince as the group, laughing and chatting merrily, entered the Qishan Mountain Range…

Once inside Qishan, the remainder of the day was dedicated to hunting. As these attendees were all royalty and high nobility, they naturally didn't swarm the area en masse; they each had their own preferred style of sport.

As the saying goes, ‘a maiden accompanying the work makes the labor lighter’—this hunt was naturally more enjoyable with the ladies involved. In the end, wasn't this hunting expedition merely an opportunity for these noble young men and women to foster deeper connections?

They were descendants of princes, dukes, and the imperial clan, all possessing similarly lofty statuses. If a spark truly ignited between a pair of young noble individuals, an alliance between the two families would be a wonderful outcome…

Such occurrences had happened countless times during previous hunting excursions or flower-viewing festivals, and this time would be no exception…

The customs of the Southern Cloud Empire were open-minded. The Crown Prince immediately announced that every young man would have one opportunity to invite one young lady to hunt with him. However, if the lady refused, the man forfeited the opportunity and had to hunt alone. Conversely, any lady left unchosen would have the right to select any man to hunt with, and the chosen man could not refuse…

As soon as this decree was issued, every young lord, from princely heirs to minor dukes, rushed towards the assembled noblewomen they had already earmarked. Some were driven by genuine affection, others by familial duty, but regardless of the motivation, their eagerness was palpable…

As for Xiao Geng, he immediately made his way toward Luo Ling’er. Just as he was about to reach her, another figure instantly cut in front of him…

(End! Please offer more support, and brothers who haven't collected, remember to do so!)