Volume Three: Rising Fame - Chapter Seventy-One: Come Here for a Moment

"Are you done? If you're finished, get lost!" Li Yu slanted a look at the beardless young man.

Judging by his face, he didn't look like a good person at all. If he continued to pester them, Li Yu was certain that, based on his physiognomy, he was destined for an early grave.

That second half of his comment, something about being "very moist," was clearly directed at Wen Xiangxuan. It seemed that before Li Yu had met her, she and this Ning Ankang had experienced some unpleasant history.

However, there were currently four fifth-rank cultivators present, and it appeared there were others lurking in the shadows. No matter how protective Li Yu was, he wasn't about to stick his neck out for a girl he had only known for a few days. It wasn't worth it. This wasn't some heroic tale where he would suddenly become "selfless and righteous" just because a woman was involved; he had no urgent desire to step up as a champion.

"You!"

Ning Ankang had never expected such a young man to look down on him so blatantly. He was instantly incensed, but when he sensed the surging spiritual energy faintly radiating from the youth, his heart shrank.

Was this a warning not to act rashly, or was he being told in no uncertain terms that the other party was a fifth-rank cultivator who shouldn't be trifled with?

Ning Ankang’s thoughts raced. The sense of superiority he had felt after becoming a fifth-rank cultivator upon entering the secret realm vanished. This unknown youth was not only his equal in strength but also much younger.

Who was this person?

Usually, only smaller clans sent twenty-five-year-olds to compete; only the great clans had the audacity to send youths in their late teens. That was the confidence of a great clan—so what if they were young? They could still stand above others!

His expression flickered, but finally, with a cold snort, he turned and walked away.

"That guy must have something wrong with his head. Why show off his superiority for no reason?" Li Yu said to Can Yishuang. His voice wasn't loud, but it was certainly audible to the youth who had just turned away.

Ning Ankang stumbled, nearly turning back, but he reconsidered. The fact that the other party acted so brazenly suggested he had nothing to fear. Moreover, there were many fifth-rank cultivators present; it wasn't worth starting a conflict right now.

With a flick of his sleeves, Ning Ankang returned to where he had come from.

"Tch!"

A flash of disdain crossed Li Yu’s eyes. He wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what "very moist" implied. If it weren't for the fact that there were more important matters at hand, he would have made the guy see what a fist the size of a mortar really felt like!

"That’s it?"

Tang Zhengqing looked at the beardless youth's retreating figure with surprise. That didn't seem like the guy's style over the past few days, did it? He looked toward the young man not far away, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Was it this youth who had humbled Ning Ankang?

Xiang Yadan also noticed the shift in Ning Ankang—how he had arrived aggressively only to leave in such a hurry. A trace of surprise appeared in her beautiful eyes, and she turned her gaze toward the young man. After a long moment, she snapped out of it, chatting with her companions and covering her mouth to giggle from time to time. She was full of grace.

Only the "His Highness" Ying Feiguang, who kept his eyes closed, remained unmoved. Although his eyes were shut, he seemed to know exactly what had transpired, and the corner of his mouth curled up in what looked like a mocking sneer.

"Damn it, I'll get even sooner or later!" Ning Ankang muttered under his breath.

Since reaching the fifth rank, his senses had sharpened considerably. The weight of the gazes directed at him made him feel as if he were being watched while naked, a sensation that made him exceptionally uncomfortable. But he lacked the confidence to seek revenge right now. Besides, he had just been rebuffed; if he went back now, what if he hit another wall? That would be more than just becoming a laughingstock.

Currently, the fifth-rank cultivators maintained a polite facade, but if anyone were to show weakness, the others would undoubtedly kick them while they were down.

Li Yu turned his head and caught Wen Xiangxuan’s eye; she offered him a smile. He looked away and turned his attention back to the small hill. After observing for so long, he had begun to see a pattern.

The four groups must have received some inside information he wasn't privy to. They were holding their positions, waiting for the "right moment," as if they were waiting for something to change before they made their move.

Li Yu looked at the hill again; the mist remained unchanged. He glanced at the four groups and decided to sit down and rest.

"Sister, why didn't you let me speak?!" Wen Yongsi whispered.

"..."

Hearing the accusation, Wen Xiangxuan felt helpless. It was like trying to prop up mud against a wall. She looked at the back in front of her and whispered back, "Speak? On what grounds would he help us?"

Before she finished, Wen Yongsi was about to retort, but hearing her words, he fell silent. Indeed, why would he help them?

"Look, all four groups have fifth-rank cultivators. If something happens, they will inevitably keep each other in check and won't act rashly," Wen Xiangxuan scolded. "If the young master were to step in, it would be fine if it ended in a draw, but if he were to win decisively, he would become a thorn in everyone's side. He would be isolated and unable to cope!"

Listening to this, Li Yu was almost convinced by Wen Xiangxuan’s words. A major reason he hadn't intervened was that they were strangers with no connection to him, and he had no reason to get involved. But hearing her, he felt like he almost had a moral justification for his inaction!

However, what Ning Ankang didn't know was that just for his arrogant and vulgar comment about being "very moist," if the opportunity arose, Li Yu would absolutely smash his head in!

Time slipped away bit by bit. The crowd gathered at the site grew larger.

The current situation was that Li Yu’s group was the smallest, with only five people, occupying a small corner. Xiang Yadan’s group was the largest, with seventeen members, followed by the beardless Ning Ankang with fourteen. Ying Feiguang and Tang Zhengqing both had eight.

Once everyone had arrived, Ning Ankang looked at Li Yu repeatedly, hoping to see a trace of regret in the youth’s eyes, but he was disappointed—the youth was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, feigning sleep.

His plan had failed.

After the crowd gathered, they waited for a while longer.

"The time is almost here, everyone!" Ning Ankang looked up at the sun and said in a loud voice. Seeing everyone’s attention shift to him, he enjoyed the feeling of being the center of focus. He paused before continuing, "We are all here for the 'Snow-Blowing Ghost Crystal.' The information I received is that at noon, the mist will disperse. I wonder what you have heard?"

"That matches mine!" Tang Zhengqing replied.

Both of them scanned the crowd. Although Ying Feiguang didn't speak, he nodded. Xiang Yadan did the same, dipping her chin slightly and saying, "The information I received is the same."

Only Li Yu’s eyes showed confusion.

The leaders of the four groups looked at him, only to see a look that said, "What are you guys talking about?" in his eyes.

Xiang Yadan’s beautiful eyes flickered, and she asked, "Little brother, did you not receive any information?"

"..."

What information?

Li Yu was baffled. He had come here only because he had accidentally blocked a group of people and learned the location from them. As for the "mist dispersing at noon" bit, he truly knew nothing.

After thinking for a moment, Li Yu said, "Miss, I just happened to be passing by. It was purely a coincidence!"

Fury flashed in Xiang Yadan’s beautiful eyes.

*Coincidence? Who are you trying to fool?* she gritted her teeth inwardly.

Although the small hill was strange and always shrouded in mist, it was hidden deep within the mountains. If someone just "happened" to pass by, how coincidental could that be? Those who were further away would likely have missed it entirely even if they had seen the hill.

However, since Li Yu wasn't talking, she couldn't pry his mouth open. Although Li Yu had only shown a brief moment of spiritual fluctuation to deal with Ning Ankang, as a fifth-rank cultivator herself, she had naturally caught that fleeting, immense surge of power.

In fact, all the fifth-rank cultivators present had felt it. Though she didn't know which clan Li Yu came from, as fellow fifth-rank cultivators, they would show each other some respect.

"If you don't want to talk about it, little brother, then so be it!" Xiang Yadan said through gritted teeth.

"So, what’s the plan, Miss?" Li Yu asked with a chuckle.

"What other plan could there be? Obviously, we go in and scavenge for treasures!" Ning Ankang was the first to speak with a sarcastic tone. He looked at Li Yu and smiled, "If you don't believe me, ask them!"

*This guy is really asking for it!* Li Yu slanted a look at him and then scanned the other three.

All three avoided his gaze, then looked back with an air of innocence, as if telling him, "Ning Ankang is right; hurry up and go in!"

"Heh!"

Li Yu looked around. How could he not understand the little schemes in their heads? They were clearly trying to trick him into going in first to test for dangers. He had seen this kind of "sacrifice the friend to save oneself" approach many times.

"Whoever finds it gets to keep it. Seeing that you're so young, we're letting you go first," Ning Ankang said.

"Do you think you can fool me just because you’ve lived long enough to have your years wasted on a dog?" Li Yu retorted, looking down his nose at Ning Ankang with disdain.

The man was practically begging to be humiliated. Did he think Li Yu had no intelligence at all? And what was this "seeing that you're young" business? Was he trying to take advantage of him? Li Yu wasn't going to tolerate that kind of person and started firing back immediately.

"You!" Ning Ankang choked, unable to find a response.

He hadn't been able to trick the only person who didn't know the truth, and he had been insulted to boot. While he was furious, he also felt quite helpless. The situation was clear to everyone; anyone who could be tricked into going in first would have to be a fool. It was harder to trick someone than to provoke them.

However, the people on the scene weren't disappointed. Tricking someone would have been a bonus, but failing didn't matter much—it was just a waste of breath.

As for the mist on the small hill, it had been quietly dissipating while they were mocking each other, and it was now much thinner.

At that moment, more figures appeared on the periphery. They had no fifth-rank cultivators among them, and their numbers were few—only seven people.

Ning Ankang’s spiritual energy surged, and a grim smile appeared on his beardless face. He looked at this group of frightened birds and said in a gentle voice, "Come over here."

Watching Ning Ankang’s superficially polite demeanor, Li Yu’s lips twitched. If he were truly so kind, why expand his spiritual domain? It was clearly to intimidate these newcomers. It looked like he was going to use them as cannon fodder to test the path.

Li Yu scanned them casually, but then he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Li Yu waved and said, "You, come over here."