Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter One: Which Place Did You Get?

At the pavilion, Li Yu was surprised to see a familiar face he hadn’t seen for days.

“You’re back?” Li Yu raised his eyebrows, a hint of delight in his voice.

Qing Anqi said, “Come eat! Why are you so late today?” She had already been waiting in the pavilion, impatiently starting her meal long ago, and didn’t expect Li Yu to arrive only now.

“I was practicing a bit late,” Li Yu waved his hand.

The truth was, he had just returned from Blue Star and overshot the time by a little. It wasn’t the first time he’d done so, nor would it cause any issues, but he hadn’t expected Qing Anqi to be back today.

When he asked Xiao Cui earlier, she told him it would still take some time.

Her sudden appearance caught him completely off guard.

“Practicing!?”

Qing Anqi’s beautiful eyes sparkled, as she asked, “Are you almost at the seventh grade?”

Li Yu replied calmly, “Sixth grade.”

“I’m at the peak of seventh grade!” Qing Anqi launched into her story, her face full of pride. “Let me tell you, cultivation is all about accumulation. Don’t rush it. I’m just a tiny bit more talented than you…”

Peak of seventh grade?

Li Yu’s brows twitched. That was quite fast.

Before she went on her mission, their abilities had been about the same. At that time, Qing Anqi was only an eighth-grade cultivator, and still had a ways to go before breaking through. He hadn’t expected that, after such a short time, she’d leap all the way to the peak of seventh grade.

“Wait, what grade are you at?” Qing Anqi finally realized, her mouth open in disbelief.

“Sixth,” Li Yu said with a smile, then sighed, “Ah… My cultivation has slowed recently.”

“What?” Qing Anqi turned her gaze toward Xiao Cui outside the pavilion.

Xiao Cui nodded, confirming it was true.

Qing Anqi looked back at Li Yu, who was staring at her, and suddenly felt a bit defeated.

This mission was supposed to be an opportunity for her to be trained and tempered by others. Even with her safety ensured, she had still endured plenty of hardships to reach her current level.

She had been determined to surpass Li Yu, eager to see his reaction when she finally drew ahead—but this was the result?

She had struggled and fought outside, yet couldn’t match Li Yu’s leisurely cultivation at home, eating and drinking as he pleased.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. There’s a difference between genius and ordinary folk!” Li Yu said, striking the right balance with his teasing. “Think about it: this time, you must have gained the most out of everyone, right?”

Qing Anqi nodded.

Her gains this time were overflowing, unmatched by any other member of the Qing clan.

“That’s it. With me around, it’s normal you can’t get first place, but you can aim for second—and surpass everyone else,” Li Yu said, gently ruffling Qing Anqi’s hair.

“Don’t mess up my hairstyle!” Qing Anqi turned her head to avoid his hand, gritting her teeth with determination. “Then I’ll aim for second place first, and strive to surpass you later!”

“Good!” Li Yu nodded with satisfaction. “You must stick to that goal!”

“I will!” She nodded her little head.

“…”

Outside the pavilion, Xiao Cui watched as Qing Anqi was nearly convinced by Li Yu’s words, her expression helpless.

Miss Princess, you started cultivating earlier than the young master—and if you two truly competed, your goal should have been to defeat Li Yu directly.

But on second thought, perhaps Miss Princess really had no chance to beat him.

In the path of divine cultivation, a single slow step leads to lagging behind, and Li Yu’s talent… In the future, he might leave her eight streets behind.

After some playful banter, the two finished their meal.

“Father said you’re joining the martial contest?” Qing Anqi asked, popping a grain of rice into her mouth.

“It’s time to get moving,” Li Yu nodded.

The martial contest was a Qing clan tradition. In most matters, the Qing clan was relatively ‘fair’: ambitious clan members had many opportunities, and selection was a key reason.

Anyone with the drive and who met the requirements could participate and fight for their own chance.

There were major and minor contests. The one they spoke of was the largest this year, meant to select clan members for the Hundred Families Assembly.

“Does your strength really need to be tested? Wouldn’t you just pass directly?” Qing Anqi asked, puzzled.

Among the candidates, the strongest was merely sixth grade.

Li Yu shook his head. “You can’t say that—there’s always someone who’s not convinced. Just beat them and be done with it, it’s no trouble.”

No one questioned that.

Li Yu was only twenty, and already sixth grade. There were others under twenty at this level, but not many—certainly, the Qing clan didn’t have several.

Moreover, his thunder attribute gave him a natural edge.

“Then rest well. I’ll come watch you fight tomorrow!” Qing Anqi’s eyes gleamed.

…

…

The next day, Li Yu, led by Xiao Cui, left the lakeside cottage and boarded the prepared beast carriage, heading for the martial arena.

“So many people,” Li Yu clicked his tongue.

The streets were crowded, even busier than Blue Star’s weekend commercial streets. Most people were heading in the same direction, making the flow congested and slowing the beast carriage.

“Many are going to the contest,” Xiao Cui said from inside the carriage. “Then there are friends and family of contestants. This contest is quite high-level.”

It was a grand event for the Qing clan.

Every major contest drew massive crowds, showing both the clan’s prosperity and the enduring strength of their martial tradition.

This was a scene the clan leaders were eager to see.

Clan members without much background could still shine thanks to the arena: every year, talented seedlings were discovered and trained.

“Master, I once fought in the arena myself,” Xiao Cui reminisced. “It was then the Lord discovered and chose to nurture me.”

Li Yu nodded. “It seems many people aren’t ordinary.”

“Where?” Xiao Cui lifted the curtain and looked out. Many had deep spiritual power and a fierce aura. Just along this short stretch, she saw several whose cultivation wasn’t weaker than hers.

Xiao Cui was surprised. “I recognize a few—they’ve been training outside for years, and now they’re back!”

Li Yu’s thoughts stirred.

Looks like this contest isn’t ordinary after all!

He’d thought it was always like this, but Xiao Cui’s reaction proved this martial contest was special.

Of course, the Lord himself had come to find him!

That was a signal. Li Yu glanced at the people outside the carriage, pursed his lips.

“Seems this time, I have to give it my all.”

He murmured to himself. Clearly, this was the Qing clan’s assessment of him.

He’d been given the ‘seed’ position, all sorts of resources, nurtured for so long—the clan was looking to see whether their investment was worth it.

“Are you nervous, Master?” Xiao Cui asked curiously.

“No…” Li Yu shook his head. “I’m just wondering which place I should aim for!”