Su Wei shot Tang Yan a venomous glare and said coldly, “I hope I don’t see you in the tournament!”
“Stop whining like a little girl and get on with it!” Tang Yan prodded impatiently.
Su Wei’s face twisted with rage at Tang Yan’s taunting demeanor, practically spitting blood. A sidelong glance revealed Yao Qian’s expression darkening like a storm cloud. Knowing the city lord had no patience left, Su Wei steeled himself and shouted, “Yu City is inferior to Yun City!”
“Two more times! Louder—didn’t you eat or something?” Tang Yan chimed in with mock helpfulness.
Su Wei’s glare grew even more poisonous as he gritted his teeth and bellowed, “Yu City is inferior to Yun City! Yu City is inferior to Yun City!”
“Mountains don’t move, but rivers do. We’ll settle this at the tournament! Let’s go!” Yao Qian spat out a parting threat, then turned and stormed off with a flick of his sleeve.
Su Wei and the others scurried after him, heads bowed.
As the Yu City group departed, everyone present knew the rift between Yun City and Yu City had fully split open. At this year’s Eastern Domain Tournament, the youths of both cities were bound for a brutal showdown.
Most, however, weren’t optimistic about Yun City’s chances. Having provoked Yu City this time, their contestants would surely face ruthless retaliation when matched against Yu City’s fighters.
The one reveling in this the most was undoubtedly Lin Xiao.
Su Wei’s three shouts had rung out sweeter than music to his ears.
And he wasn’t overly worried. His daughter was already at Mysterious Rank, Grade Three, with rapidly improving combat skills and formidable battle prowess.
Bolstered by her glowing praise and Tang Yan’s feat in the Deathstrike Tower, Lin Xiao had growing confidence in Tang Yan’s abilities.
When the youths of both cities clashed, who’d come out on top was still anyone’s guess!
As for Liu Zhi, Lin Xiao barely gave him a thought. The Liu family had long been crossed off his list—whether Liu Zhi lived or died was irrelevant.
“You’ve done a great service this time! Though we’ve won some pride, we’ve also made a powerful enemy and passed up three third-tier pills. Sorry you had to take that hit,” Lin Xiao said, clapping Tang Yan on the shoulder. The more he looked at the young man, the more he liked him.
“It’s only right. Those who insult Yun City deserve tenfold payback!” Tang Yan declared firmly.
“Well said!” Lin Xiao laughed heartily, thoroughly pleased with the response.
“By the way, this is your friend.” Lin Xiao gestured to Wan Fei standing nearby.
Tang Yan turned to scrutinize Wan Fei, frowning slightly. “Miss, have you mistaken me for someone else? Have we met?”
“Pfft!” Lin Xiao nearly choked on his spit. *You’re saying you don’t know her?*
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Then what was with her betting 200,000 taels on him?
“Benefactor, this is my sister!” Chang Ying piped up, hurrying over to explain.
Seeing Chang Ying jogged Tang Yan’s memory of the mercenary he’d met in Cangyun Mountain. He studied Wan Fei again—oval face, willow brows, almond eyes, and sensual red lips exuding a wild yet capable air. She did seem vaguely familiar.
“Auntie?” Tang Yan ventured hesitantly.
Wan Fei, who’d been smiling warmly, exploded at the title.
“I’ll fight you to the death!”
As the Furious Wan Fei lunged at him with claws bared, Tang Yan scrambled to dodge, pleading, “Auntie, wait, listen! I didn’t realize it was you! Auntie, don’t be rash—let’s talk this out…”
After much cajoling, Wan Fei finally calmed down, her beautiful eyes glaring as she warned, “Call me ‘auntie’ again, and I’ll rip your mouth off!”
“Got it, Auntie.”
“I’ll kill you!” Wan Fei, just pacified, erupted again, raining a flurry of punches on Tang Yan.
“Okay, okay, my bad, my bad!” Tang Yan begged for mercy once more.
Truth be told, Tang Yan felt a bit wronged about Wan Fei’s looks. The last time he’d seen her, she’d been fresh from a brutal fight—covered in blood, mud, and grime, her hair a tangled mess. Calling her “auntie” had hardly been a stretch.
Now, the woman before him blended several stunning qualities into a breathtaking whole.
Who’d have thought they were the same person?
“Benefactor, I knew you were a beast! No one’s reached the sixth floor of the Deathstrike Tower in seven years, and you not only got there—you cleared it!” Chang Ying exclaimed, buzzing with excitement.
“Just got lucky and passed. Strength had little to do with it,” Tang Yan said modestly, waving it off.
After chatting with the siblings, Tang Yan sidled up to Lin Xiao. “Sir, when Dongxue goes up later, have her conceal her identity. Let’s not reveal Yun City’s hand too early.”
Lin Xiao nodded in agreement. It was a simple enough task—Lin Dongxue could change her appearance and blend in.
Soon, Lin Dongxue, disguised as an ordinary person, slipped into the crowd to await her turn at the Deathstrike Tower. Looking like that, she drew no attention.
Once Liu Zhi entered the tower, Lin Xiao pulled Tang Yan aside and whispered, “Tang Yan, what’s on the sixth floor of the Deathstrike Tower? How did you get through?”
Swallowing the Soul-Refining Flame wasn’t something Tang Yan could easily share. Best to keep it under wraps for now.
After a moment’s thought, he said, “There’s an array inside that refines the soul. The closer you get to the center, the more painful it becomes. I stayed at the core for a quarter-hour, and the door opened on its own.”
Lin Xiao didn’t suspect a thing, nodding with approval. “Soul refining on the sixth floor must be excruciating—beyond what most can endure. And passing the first five floors is no small feat. At the Eastern Domain Tournament, give it your all, kid, and aim for a top spot!”
“Will do. Dongxue’s at Mysterious Rank, Grade Three. If she can clear the fourth floor, she’ll likely score well on the fifth too,” Tang Yan said with a smile.
*Boom!*
Mid-conversation, a door swung open, and all eyes shot up to the tower.
Second floor, eight points!
The crowd burst into mocking laughter.
Lately, most challengers were Eastern Domain Tournament hopefuls—elite youths from various cities. Few emerged from just the second floor.
When they saw it was Liu Zhi, Yun City’s so-called “number one,” sneers filled their eyes.
Yun City’s strength was as pitiful as ever.
No one knew how Tang Yan had cleared the sixth floor—most chalked it up to dumb luck.
Liu Zhi, meanwhile, stewed in frustration. Still rattled from earlier slaps and shaken by Tang Yan’s score, his mind was a mess.
Inside the tower, too many stray thoughts kept him from focusing, and he’d been ousted at the second floor.
An hour later, Lin Dongxue emerged, sparking another uproar.
“Fifth floor, four points!”
A faint smile curved Lin Xiao’s lips.
Lin Dongxue descended, ignoring the crowd, and slipped away swiftly. By the time people reacted, she’d vanished, her disguise leaving her identity a mystery.
The Yun City group reconvened at Wanfang Inn. After greeting Lin Xiao, Tang Yan returned to his courtyard.
With eight or nine days left, he needed to fully refine the Soul-Refining Flame.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he took a deep breath, activating the *Supreme Alchemy Scripture* and fire-control technique in tandem.
The white flame, enveloped by the Creation Flame, dwindled as it was steadily refined, its white glow fading.
Tang Yan felt the Creation Flame growing stronger.
Its color deepened, richer and more profound.
Time ticked by. When Tang Yan opened his eyes, the stars glittered outside—it was well past midnight.