Yi Yingying looked far more haggard and thin than she had half a year prior. Her once elegant, otherworldly features now carried a fragile, pitiful air that stirred compassion in any onlooker.
When their eyes met, Yi Yingying blushed deeply and lowered her gaze.
Yi Zhiyong caught sight of this and called out to her again, "Yingying!"
"Ah!" She finally snapped back to her senses, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment.
Yi Zhiyong secretly cursed himself for his earlier thought. Moments ago, he had wondered how glorious it would be if all these prodigies belonged to the Yi family.
Gao Han, in particular, was a monstrous talent, young and unparalleled. If his daughter were to marry him, the Yi family would gain a genius beyond compare.
Yet when he saw the murderous, bloodthirsty glint in the eyes of Zhuang Ling the Cinder Fire and Hound Fang, he felt a flicker of relief.
In his eyes, no matter how strong Gao Han was, he could not withstand their combined assault. He would likely be crippled, and his daughter would be thrown into a living hell.
Yi Yingying glided gracefully into the arena, casting a tender glance at Gao Han before announcing the rules.
The selection would be simple: a circle was drawn on the ground. All candidates would step inside, and the final five remaining would be chosen for the mission.
More than a dozen disciples stood within the white circle. All were from the major sects; the smaller factions had withdrawn of their own accord.
They knew they stood no chance against the elite disciples of the great sects, especially against Hound Fang and the Cinder Fire. To face them was to risk a lifetime of ruin.
"Boy, kneel right now, lick my shoes clean, and bark like a dog, addressing me as your lord. Then I might spare you. How about that?" Zhuang Ling sneered cruelly.
The three Misty Sect disciples glared at Zhuang Ling with resentment, yet their eyes also held anxiety as they watched Gao Han.
They feared not for his safety, but that he might yield to cowardice and do as Zhuang Ling commanded. If that happened, the Misty Sect would lose face before the entire jianghu forever.
Yi Zhiyong wore a look of quiet resignation, while Yi Yingying stared at Gao Han with deep worry, terrified he might come to harm.
Gao Han took in every expression around him. He understood the feelings of the three Misty Sect disciples—none of them could stand against Zhuang Ling or Hound Fang.
Naturally, in their eyes, Gao Han was equally outmatched.
"I return those words to you," Gao Han said with a calm, light smile, as if the upcoming contest were but a game. "If you do not lick my shoes clean today, your hands will be crippled."
"Senior Sister, do you think he will win?" Among the Serene Lotus Sect contingent, who had stayed out of the arguments, three delicate female disciples whispered among themselves.
The strongest among them was Rou Qing, a true disciple known in the jianghu as Dreamflower Tenderness. Her cultivation was no less formidable than Hound Fang or the Cinder Fire.
Unlike the Misty Sect, the other three great sects did not distinguish between true inner-sect disciples and regular inner-sect disciples. Any disciple who reached a sufficient level of strength was promoted to true disciple.
Dreamflower Tenderness smiled charmingly. "How could I know? Let us watch. I do not believe the champion of the Spirit Kingdom Tournament is a weakling. Besides, Le Han and Leng Ling are utterly infatuated with the top three finishers."
The three giggled, stealing glances at Gao Han's handsome face and refreshing aura.
At Yi Yingying's cry to begin, the arena descended into chaos. True essence surged wildly, and onlookers scrambled back.
To be caught in the crossfire meant certain grievous injury. The intensity of the battle rivaled that of Fifth Layer True Essence experts.
The first to charge at Gao Han was a true disciple of Firecloud Manor—not Zhuang Ling himself. His aura was roughly equal to Wen Rensi of the Fire Palm, and only a hair beneath Zhuang Ling's. His true strength, however, would only be revealed in combat.
Against the old Gao Han, this foe would have posed a challenge. But Gao Han had broken through since then.
"Hahaha! Die, Gao Han!"
The man roared, his right hand turning the color of molten lava. The lines on his palm twisted violently, as if churning magma flowed within.
The air around him incinerated at once, whipping up a violent gust.
This was the Firecloud Palm of Firecloud Manor, yet his execution was leagues beyond Wen Rensi's. But Gao Han was no longer a mere First Layer True Essence cultivator.
"Shatter!" Without even looking, Gao Han tapped his right foot lightly against the ground. A surge of power sank into the earth, racing beneath the surface to burst forth directly under the man's feet.
Boom!
The explosive force sent him flying out of the circle before his palm could even near Gao Han. He stared at Gao Han in utter disbelief.
"You coursed death! How dare you resist! You are dead for sure!" Zhuang Ling felt the Firecloud Manor's honor had been utterly disgraced. His eyes blazed crimson, as if two flames danced within them.
He clenched his fists into blazing orbs and charged at Gao Han, drawing back his arm to slam his fist down with brutal force.
Roaring flames engulfed his knuckles, incinerating everything around them. This power was even greater than the Firecloud Palm the previous disciple had unleashed.
"That is at least Fifth Layer True Essence power!" Yi Zhiyong exclaimed in shock. He had long known sect prodigies could battle across realms, but witnessing it firsthand still left him astonished.
Gao Han would not be outdone. His true essence erupted, coating his palm in layers of thick ice, which he raised to meet the incoming strike.
Boom-sizzle!
Fist and palm clashed, sending a cloud of steam billowing upward. The ice on Gao Han's hand melted under the intense heat, while Zhuang Ling's flames were steadily doused by the frost.
A violent shockwave burst outward from between them, blowing two other combatants clean out of the circle and eliminating them from contention.
In under a minute, three had been disqualified: one from Misty Sect, one from Firecloud Manor, and one from Qianling Sect.
"Fire Might! Cloud Slash!"
Countless flames erupted around Zhuang Ling, converging in the air to form four burning cloud blades. Their heat was so intense they warped the very void.
"Third-tier Fire Might!" Gao Han was caught off guard by the sudden technique. He had not expected the man to wield Fire Might, let alone at the third tier.
The four blazing clouds streaked toward him from different directions, each like a searing, red-hot blade. Gao Han sensed a genuine threat to his life.
A direct hit would reduce him to ashes in an instant—perhaps not even bones would remain.
Gao Han prepared to unleash his full power, repel Zhuang Ling, and dodge the fiery clouds.
But suddenly, two hands lunged at him from behind, fingers curved into vicious claws that locked tightly onto his shoulder blades, immobilizing him completely.
A crushing force surged from the grip, threatening to shatter his bones.