Chapter 120: First Engagement

Chu Youcai smiled slightly and said, "Xiangyu and the others have shared life and death with me. This gift is a token of their sincerity, so you should accept it, Ninth Sister."

Chu Zhaoyun then acknowledged this.

Just then, a round of trials in the great hall had concluded. The Sixth Young Master, Yan Yudong, had won his match, yet even so, a look of agitation remained on his face. His right eye seemed to be causing him unbearable discomfort, as if he longed to reach up and tear away the thick film covering it. He returned to his seat and silently recited the Scripture of Light, but this time, the effect was greatly diminished. He grew even more restless, wishing he could finish the remaining matches quickly and return to his residence to rest.

On the other side, Chu Yuwang had also won his match with ease. Sitting in his place, he watched Chu Youcai laughing and chatting with Xiangyu and Jiangxue. Suddenly, envy surged within him to its limit. His gaze turned needle-sharp, staring at Chu Youcai from afar as if he wished to swallow him whole.

Sensing this ill-willed stare, Chu Youcai felt a stir in his heart. Upon seeing it was Chu Yuwang, he shot back a gaze filled with icy chill. The two men's eyes seemed to spark with fire in the air. Chu Yuwang angrily shook his robes and turned his head away.

Chu Youcai’s gaze remained cold. He thought of the letter from his second aunt. With such an ace up his sleeve, he only needed to hide his brilliance and remain low-profile. When the critical moment came, he would use the letter, and Chu Yuwang would have no way to escape!

At this, Xiangyu said with slight concern, "Young Master Chu, I feel that the Second Young Master intends to harm you. His cultivation is now at the level of ten years of Taoist arts; he defeated his opponent in a single blow just now. He is not simple."

Chu Youcai nodded and said, "I know."

It was now Chu Youcai's turn to enter the arena. He was number eight, matched against number eleven, Yan Yuhai.

Yan Yuhai already stood in the great hall. His strength was considered formidable among the group, and he was even confident of breaking into the top four. Seeing that his opponent was nothing more than an abandoned son—someone who had only advanced because Chu Zhaoyun had forfeited—he could not help but feel filled with contempt. Those around them also cast disdainful looks at Chu Youcai, expecting that his luck would finally run out and hoping to see him make a fool of himself.

Chu Youcai walked to the center of the stage. Despite the scornful gazes cast upon him, his heart remained calm and unstirred. He had undergone a complete transformation. The life-and-death battles he had experienced provided a wealth of knowledge far beyond what these young masters, raised in greenhouses, could ever possess. Although he could not currently use the Tuo Dragon Mountain and River Pearl, he possessed ten years of demonic arts, the Six-Jia Divine Array, the Fish-Scale Blade, an external incarnation, and a formidable physical body—any one of which could sweep away everything around him. Naturally, he would not reveal these trump cards easily.

Yan Yuhai gave a cold laugh and said, "Third Brother, I hear you’ve done quite some big things in Yanzhou Prefecture! But I also heard that your wife was almost sold by you? Our Prince’s Mansion has always been the greatest in Yanzhou; we represent the Commandery Prince’s Mansion, and everyone looks to us for cues. You have brought such great honor to our mansion." His tone was sharp and filled with mockery.

Chu Youcai said calmly, "I have already been struck from the records of the Commandery Prince’s Mansion, so I naturally do not represent it, and you have no right to lecture me. I am living a free and easy life now. As for the rumors outside, do you really believe them?"

Hearing this, the Commandery Prince Chu, who was in the hall, had a change in expression and looked grave. Having been away for five years, he was unaware that Chu Youcai had been expelled from the mansion. How could this be? He stared intently at Chu Youcai, as he vaguely sensed something extraordinary about him and noticed the unusual fluctuations in his aura.

"Very well!" Yan Yuhai said coolly. "Third Brother has certainly sharpened his tongue! But let me give you a warning today: I am using the Sea Shark Sword, forged from the heart-blood of many blood sharks. It is not only sharp but also possesses the toxicity of the blood sharks. If you are even grazed by it, there may be no saving you. Third Brother, you must be very careful."

With that, he pointed his sword at Chu Youcai, emitting a beam of blue light. He did not hesitate to reveal the power of his weapon, both to intimidate Chu Youcai and those around him, and because of his own contempt for his opponent.

Chu Youcai smiled faintly and said nothing.

Yan Yuhai sneered. Blue light surged from the Sea Shark Sword, and invisible rays flickered everywhere. The blue radiance was dense, sealing all six directions and preventing Chu Youcai from taking a single step forward. Confident that this move would force Chu Youcai to his defeat on the spot, Yan Yuhai felt completely at ease.

Just then, Chu Youcai flickered his body and threw something onto the ground. Suddenly, a thick, heavy mist rose up. In an instant, the entire hall was swallowed by the fog, making it impossible to see one's own hand.

"What is this?" some onlookers gasped in shock.

Xiangyu and Jiangxue turned surprised eyes toward Chu Zhaoyun, having clearly recognized that Chu Youcai had used a Fog-Image Crystal Mine.

Chu Zhaoyun whispered, "Today’s trial is extremely important, and I hoped Third Brother could win a few rounds, so I secretly gave him the crystal mine when he went up. Please do not blame me, fair ladies."

Xiangyu gave a soft laugh and said, "How could we blame you? We are happy for him." A great fondness for Chu Zhaoyun blossomed in her heart.

In the hall, the countless mists swirled, and no one could see clearly. The Fog-Image Crystal Mine was indeed incredibly powerful; it was formed from the mists of the heavens and the essence of divine elephants, tempered by the essence of the sun and moon. Because Chu Youcai had thrown the crystal mine but kept the heart of the crystal in his palm, these heavenly mists had no effect on him at all.

Yan Yuhai roared, swinging his sword everywhere and creating violent gusts of wind that blocked everything around him, keeping his six-directional defense intact. Chu Youcai knew this was a defensive technique; though it looked like the man had lost control, he was actually guarding himself flawlessly. It seemed Yan Yuhai was not simple after all.

However, even this could not stop Chu Youcai. He drew his Fish-Scale Blade, his movements as fluid as the wind, striking directly toward Yan Yuhai’s chest. Hearing the rush of wind, Yan Yuhai was delighted and cried, "Well come!"

With his eyes closed, he slashed his sword—which emitted a sharp, blue-poison-laden light—through the empty air toward Chu Youcai. The blade held a hidden toxin that could be fired independently, revealing his insidious nature.

But Chu Youcai shifted his footwork, easily dodging the strike. He moved behind Yan Yuhai and slashed downward with his blade. During those ten years in the fairyland, aside from practicing demonic arts, he had never ceased his training with the Fish-Scale Blade. His ten years of swordplay had reached a pinnacle; every strike he made could change the very colors of the wind and rain.

This strike, accompanied by the sound of a storm, landed on Yan Yuhai’s back. Yan Yuhai let out a miserable shriek, unable to bear the pain. Chu Youcai had restrained his strength, using only thirty percent of his cultivation. He then seized the opportunity to close in on Yan Yuhai, grabbed him, and tossed him out of the great hall.

Yan Yuhai was sent flying like a weightless object, soaring through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground outside the hall.

At that moment, ten breaths passed, and the effect of the Fog-Image Crystal Mine dissipated.