"Father! That is Gao Han—the one who helped us half a year ago!" Startled from her trance by her father's voice, Yi Yingying quickly explained.
"Oh?" Yi Zhiyong exclaimed in astonishment. "Impossible! If I recall correctly, you said that young man was only at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation. Yet his cultivation is clearly the Third Layer of True Essence. Could it be…"
Yi Yingying had not given the matter much thought at first, but her father's words jolted her to realization. Indeed, Gao Han had been merely a Qi Condensation cultivator half a year ago; in that time, he had risen through three entire realms.
"Could it be what, Father?"
"Could he be the champion of this year's Spirit Kingdom Tournament—the Ice Hero, Gao Han?" Yi Zhiyong said gravely.
"What… That can't be! This Gao Han surely isn't…"
Before Yi Yingying could finish her sentence, someone in the crowd cried out Gao Han's title.
"The Ice Hero Gao Han! It's the Ice Hero!"
"It really is him! The Ice Hero!"
The entire assembly fell into shock at the proclamation. Though none had laid eyes on Gao Han's true face, the name of the Ice Hero was known to all.
Cultivating at the First Layer of True Essence, he had defeated countless opponents two or even three realms above him, finally breaking through mid-battle to claim first place at the Second Layer of True Essence.
Yi Zhiyong took a deep breath and stared at Gao Han in disbelief. "So it is true. He is that Gao Han."
Yi Yingying covered her blushing mouth with her delicate white hand, looking utterly adorable.
At that moment, a sharp, mocking voice cut through the murmur.
"A tournament of worthless fools. What is there to be proud of?"
The speaker was a disciple of Firecloud Manor, his fiery red robe embroidered with three snow-white clouds. His cultivation aura surged at the Fourth Layer of True Essence, yet the power he exuded surpassed even Wen Rensi by a considerable margin.
Strangely, no one objected to his words—not even Yi Zhiyong.
Everyone knew that in each Spirit Kingdom Tournament, the four great sects only sent disciples of mid or lower-tier strength within their ranks. Even the six great clans tacitly agreed to this arrangement. If the sects dispatched their finest disciples, the top ten ranks would be monopolized by them, leaving no room for the aristocratic clans.
Countless elite disciples of the four sects could battle across realms, yet those who entered the tournament were never their strongest.
Gao Han had heard as much from Bai Xuebin and the others, yet he disagreed. Who dared claim the tournament lacked talent? Not a single sect disciple besides himself had placed in the top five this year.
Take Jian Qingtian, for instance—his power rivaled that of a Fifth Layer True Essence cultivator. Could that not be considered crossing realms in battle?
With Jian Qingtian's strength, most of the sect disciples present would be no match for him.
"Exactly! Beating a bunch of losers is nothing to boast about. We think nothing of your so-called first place."
Gao Han smiled faintly. "If you refuse to accept it, you are welcome to challenge me."
A hush fell over the crowd. Everyone fell silent, holding their breath as they fixed their gazes on Gao Han.
His words were tantamount to declaring war on all the elite sect disciples present. Even with his strength, how could he stand against so many?
Nearly ninety percent of the cultivators there could battle beyond their realm, the strongest able to fight an entire realm above their own.
"How arrogant! So you are the one who maimed Wen Rensi's arm! Today, I shall break all your limbs!" A disciple of Firecloud Manor stepped forward, sizing Gao Han up with a cruel grin.
"You are welcome to try. Just hope it is not your own legs and arms that get broken," Gao Han said indifferently, glancing at him before turning toward the other Misty Sect disciples.
"Die!" Rage and killing intent flared in the man's eyes. He struck out with a palm toward Gao Han's back.
Sensing the incoming palm wind, Gao Han turned and countered with a palm strike of his own without hesitation.
He used no formal technique, yet the true essence flowing within him was frigid ice energy. The moment their palms made contact, the man's hand turned blue with frost.
Thud, thud, thud!
The man stumbled backward three steps, each leaving a deep indentation in the ground. He lifted his head, his eyes blazing with fury, his knuckles cracking as he prepared to attack again.
"Look! Isn't that Zhuang Ling, the Cinder Fire, a true disciple of Firecloud Manor?"
"They say he is a genius who can battle across realms, highly valued and nurtured by his sect.
They call him Cinder Fire because he leaves his opponents crippled or dead without exception, even fellow sect disciples."
"Yet Gao Han actually repelled him! Incredible!"
"It means nothing. Zhuang Ling didn't use even one percent of his true power!"
The man spoke the truth—Zhuang Ling had exerted only a fraction of his strength. What none knew was that Gao Han had also struck out casually, using merely half of one percent of his power.
Hostility toward Gao Han was not limited to Firecloud Manor. Within the Qianling Sect contingent, another figure glared at him with murderous eyes.
Anyone who recognized him would know him as the true disciple of Qianling Sect known only as Hound Fang.
His real name had long been forgotten; even his fellow sect disciples no longer remembered it, addressing him solely by his title.
Many cultivators abandoned their given names once they earned a title, devoting themselves wholly to martial arts—such as Chi Ya and Ling Hen among the inner-sect disciples.
Hound Fang's killing intent intensified; he could not ignore Gao Han's provocative words.
A battle was on the verge of erupting when Yi Zhiyong quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Ahem, young heroes, I thank you all for accepting this mission and aiding my Yi family. I offer my gratitude in advance."
Yi Zhiyong's words drew everyone's attention, and the crowd listened closely to his announcement.
Relieved to have diverted their focus, Yi Zhiyong let out a quiet breath.
If the disciples of the great sects came to blows before the selection was finalized, the Yi family would bear responsibility. Offending all four sects at once was more than the Yi family could bear.
How could he possibly stop them? Yi Zhiyong himself was only a Sixth Layer True Essence cultivator, facing more than a dozen Fourth Layer experts—most of whom were geniuses capable of fighting up to the Fifth Layer.
Yi Zhiyong had even found himself wishing that all these talented disciples belonged to the Yi family. Their addition would elevate the clan's power immeasurably.
In a decade or two, at least one of these geniuses would surely break through to the Spirit Fusion realm, allowing the Yi family to rise to the ranks of the great clans, much like the Situ family.
It was nothing more than a passing fantasy, however.
Zhuang Ling snorted coldly, fixed Gao Han with a venomous glare, and returned to the Firecloud Manor group.
Gao Han paid the incident no mind at all and continued toward his fellow Misty Sect disciples without a second glance.
Satisfied that his intervention had calmed the tension, Yi Zhiyong continued. "However, my Yi family requires only five participants for this mission. I ask for your understanding—I must select the five strongest warriors among you."
With that, his body moved like a soaring roc, landing gracefully at the front of the courtyard.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Those who paid the gold had every right to choose, a rule even the sect disciples could not dispute.
"I shall now call upon my daughter, Yi Yingying, to announce the rules. She will lead this expedition, so I ask for your cooperation." With that, Yi Zhiyong stepped aside to make way for his daughter.
Yet after several moments, not a sound was heard. All eyes turned toward Yi Yingying, and Yi Zhiyong himself looked back in confusion.
Yi Yingying stood frozen at the gate, staring blankly at Gao Han, her gaze distant and motionless.
When Yi Zhiyong had spoken her name, Gao Han lifted his head toward the gate.
He had been too busy confronting Zhuang Ling and the Firecloud Manor contingent to notice her earlier, and his full attention had been on Yi Zhiyong during his speech. Only now did he finally see her.
As he raised his eyes, Yi Yingying's delicate, beautiful face came into view. She was the very first person he had met after embarking on his journey as a cultivator—Yi Yingying.