Chapter 51: The Pinnacle Battle
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Tempest!" Su Yu shouted; a medium level cultivation technique at Stage Three Upper Class!
Rustle－
As Su Yu raised his leg, ice and snow started to form and a cold wind started to surround the whole arena!
A second ago, the arena was as warm and calm as spring fields about to bloom.
However, a second later, the arena became an icy cold wasteland filled with snow!
An extremely cold snowstorm surrounded Su Yu's leg.
Su Yu's raised leg had chaotic swirls of icy wind continuously blasting out and around it; his leg looked like an ice dragon, roaring and blowing snow across the winter world.
As the power from Su Yu's leg roared, it collided explosively with the millions of horses that were galloping and carrying soldiers!
Strike, slap, rub－
Zhan Li's and Su Yu's attacks collided!
Zhan Li's savage eyes were full of astonishment!
Rub, rub, rub－
Zhan Li's mountain-like leg was covered by thick ice and frost.
Zhan Li felt the cold sensation of the ice and frost pierce his flesh, sinking down into his bones as it spread throughout his whole body—including his arteries and veins!
Thump－
Zhan Li's legs were frozen stiff, which caused him to lose his agility. As he retreated, he lost his balance and fell on his butt.
Su Yu stood in his original position calmly and innocently; his hair fluttered around his head and across his purple shirt, dancing in the wind.
He had a willful posture, full of elegance and intellectual brilliance; it portrayed an extremely strong and war-like shadow that glimmered in the hearts of the audience.
The match's outcome was clear!
Zhan Li was astonished; he could feel the pressure grow immensely.
It was clear that Su Yu had the skills necessary in order to achieve victory!
Su Yu shot a glance at him indifferently; "The Second Prince is a failure. The genius he recommended is also a failure. What a disappointment."
Zhan Li's heart was filled with humiliation. He could not, however, disagree with Su Yu— as he was indeed incomparable to Su Yu.
After his speech, Su Yu retired from the arena stoically; "I will retire as well. These duels are meaningless."
Su Yu did not feel any sense of achievement from beating Zhan Li—Zhan Li's abilities were incomparable to the Third Prince's bodyguard, Lin Xiao.
At the grandstand, the audience gasped.
Dong Lin was a frightening martial artist who was at Level Six, and it was expected that he would be completely victorious against Zhang Ling.
Su Yu, however—who was at Level Five Lower Tier—had actually managed to defeat Zhan Li—who was at Level Five Peak—with one move!
Comparing only the levels of their skills, Zhan Li was actually stronger than Zhang Ling!
"After witnessing this event for myself today, it seems like the rumors about the Duke of Xianyu's son-in-law being a caliber of a demon student are real!"
"Humph! Just that rumor? Do you know about the martial arts training institute? It is said that, as the Silver King, he suppressed two generations of Gold Kings at the same time. As for the demon students in the training institute, he defeated them with one move! It is also rumored that he had managed to comprehend the frightening Holy Decree!"
...
In no time, rumors about Su Yu spread among the audience.
Regarding the incident that occurred at Xianyu prefecture, the citizens of the empire were more concerned about the Duke of Xianyu himself—as he was the strongest Duke of the current generation!
As for the Duke of Xianyu's son-in-law, not many people had inquired about him; as a result, there were few rumors regarding the Duke of Xianyu's son-in-law.
As such, Su Yu's display of his abilities had awed the audience.
Without question, he was the strongest representative of the Royal Family after Du Yuntian and Dong Lin!
The First Prince's pupils shrunk to needle-points.
At the Duke of Xianyu's palace, the First Prince had confronted Su Yu head-on.
Su Yu had resisted with all his might, but he almost died at the hands of the First Prince. One could say that Su Yu was defeated after one attack from the First Prince!
However, in just a short time, Su Yu had actually managed to easily defeat someone of the same caliber as the First Prince?
His potential was frightening!
A thread of indescribable fear filled the First Prince's brain.
At that moment, the First Prince regretted that he had laid his hands on the Duke of Xianyu—what a huge mistake!
The First Prince withdrew his remorse. As he glared at Su Yu, his head was full of murderous intent; Su Yu could not be allowed to live!
After the Holy Meet, he would convict Su Yu for his rebellion against the state—as he had killed the Second Prince—and would cause the whole empire to go after Su Yu. The First Prince could not allow him to continue living for another second!
The Third Prince secretly admired Su Yu, as he was impressive. When confronted by the Second Prince's lackey, even though he was full of hatred, Su Yu had restrained himself and did not display his true abilities.
Du Yuntian gazed at Su Yu coldly as he commented:
"Zhan Li's leg technique is smooth, he managed to become one with his leg technique. The sound of his footsteps intimidated his opponent's spirit, and that intimidation was used cleverly. He had plenty of experience in combat and, in all, he deserved to be praised. Not bad.
"As for Su Yu, his cultivation base is quite weak and his foundation in martial arts is poor. His defeat of Zhan Li is owed to the power of his cultivation technique, as well as the power and complexity of Tempest. His win against Zhan Li was also largely due to his luck, diligence, strong willpower and his ability to guard against arrogance."
One of the spectators remained calm and collected. As Du Yuntian was the strongest martial artist among the representatives of the Royal Family, he had the right to comment.
However, his comment towards Su Yu was biased.
It was normal for a martial artist to fight against another martial artist that was a tier higher than him. It was rare, however, for a martial artist to fight against another martial artist that was two tiers higher than him. As such, Du Yuntian could not stand Su Yu.
When the audience thought about Du Yuntian and Su Yu's positions, they felt relieved.
Su Yu shrugged his shoulders and remained composed.
Du Yuntian was extremely arrogant, but Su Yu was too lazy to argue with him.
Moreover, Du Yuntian's comment was not completely illogical. Su Yu's abilities had increased greatly and, as a result, his foundation was unsteady—he needed to train more.
As for Su Yu's victory being attributed to luck, Su Yu declined to comment.
Su Yu had only displayed part of his powers. If he unleashed his full powers, he could kill Zhan Li in an instant.
Dong Lin looked at Su Yu indifferently and said sternly; "You barely passed."
Su Yu laughed vacantly. He refused to listen to Dong Lin—he had no intention of being his friend.
"Humph!" All along, it was Dong Lin who disregarded the others. However, when he was disregarded by Su Yu, he hummed coldly and stopped looking at Su Yu; "You better stay away from me during the Holy Meet!"
Though Su Yu heard Dong Lin's threat, he was too lazy to deal with him.
The Third Prince could not do anything. Dong Lin treated people according to the level of their skills. Dong Lin always altered the levels of exerted skill to match those of his opponent—whether that meant toning down his power against weaker foes, or amping himself up for stronger opponents. However, he was very obstinate—it would be difficult to change that personality of his.
As time progressed, duels carried on in the arena. The other twelve representatives had friendly duels and learned from one another.
Dong Lin and Su Yu's matches, however, were at the very start of the Dragon's Meeting. The matches after that were dull and boring in comparison.
...
A gleam of light pierced through the azure sky.
The sunrise's beauty was unmatched.
The sunlight dispersed the darkness, spreading its warmth across the world into the hearts of the people, causing their blood to boil with excitement!
It was time for the Holy Meet!
Creak－
After one year, the Holy Arena—which had been covered with dust—was formally opened!
The excited audience waiting outside entered the arena one after another.
The grandstand—which could hold ten-thousand people—was fully filled within an hour.
Outside the arena, unsatisfied people were held up—they hoped that there would be a vacant, precious seat available for them.
Rustle－
A huge number of imperial guards from the imperial capital came and dispersed the crowd, opening up a path that led to the arena.
Groups and groups of people shuttled back and forth on the path.
A huge portion of the group were young men and women full of pride alongside their frightening abilities.
They were the students from the martial arts training institute of the thirteen prefectures!
Every martial arts training institute from the thirteen prefectures had sent ten of their strongest students to participate in the Holy Meet and compete for the Holy Crown!
In Fenglin empire—how vast was its district? How vast was its territory?
How many proud demon students were there?
Finally, all the demon students were gathered, starting the empire's pinnacle battle!
The thirteen martial arts training institute's chosen students entered the arena one after another.
At the battle preparation area, there were seats prepared for them, next to the Royal Family's seats.
Coincidentally, Xianyu prefecture's martial arts training institute was the closest to the royal family's seats!
After Xia Jingyu entered the arena, her beautiful eyes started to look around anxiously for a familiar silhouette.
In a split second, she saw a young man in a purple shirt.
His purple shirt flashed across her sight, gliding through the air under a cloud of floating black hair.
He was handsome, like an attractive celestial being. He was refined, elegant, and full of spirit.
Her restless heart became peaceful in an instant. If the purple-shirted young man was safe and sound, her heart was satisfied.
"He successfully earned the trust of the Third Prince." Seeing that Su Yu was standing by the Third Prince's side peacefully, Xia Jingyu's heart was peaceful as well.
As though he felt someone looking at him, Su Yu raised his eyes and looked towards Xia Jingyu. He felt indebted but conflicted.
Su Yu shifted one foot forward and turned into the shadow of clouds as he floated to Xia Jingyu's side, as elegant as duckweed on the river surface.
He wanted to say something, but he did not know what.
Xia Jingyu blushed lightly and she hung her head low. Her face then turned completely red and she did not know what to say either.
After all, there was an embarrassing experience and an unfulfilled promise between both of them.
A boy and a girl; one handsome and refined, the other an incomparable beauty. When both of them stood side by side, they seemed like figures pulled from a painting.
"Who is that lady from Xianyu prefecture? She is as beautiful as a celestial beauty. If you look at her once, you would find it hard to forget her."
"Also, who is that guy in the purple shirt? He has an extraordinary presence, he seems almost nonhuman. I wish to know him."
The hearts of the male demon students in the martial arts training institute of Xianyu prefecture were overcome by jealousy.
Xia Jingyu was exceptionally elegant and brilliant. She was also as beautiful as a goddess.
She actually sacrificed her own innocence, however, without hesitation in order to save Su Yu. Moreover, they heard that Housemaster Xia intended to marry his daughter off to Su Yu, making Su Yu his son-in-law.
Those rumors had greatly increased the hatred that the male demon students had for Su Yu.
"Su Yu, you are a representative from the Royal Family. What are you doing here at Xianyu prefecture's martial arts training institute? Why don't you excuse yourself?" Fang Qingzhou had a gloomy expression.
Fang Qinzhou's father was an inspector at Xianyu prefecture's martial arts training institute and, naturally, he would be at the Holy Meet.
Although Fang Qingzhou did not have the rights to participate in the Holy Meet, he was brought to the Holy Meet by his father to watch the battles. His father hoped that watching the battles would be beneficial for his training.
A few days ago, the Fang family's father and son had joined up with Xia Linxuan and his group of people.
At the moment, Fang Qingzhou heard the rumor that Xia Linxuan wanted to marry his daughter, Xia Jingyu, to Su Yu!
To Fang Qingzhou, that rumor was incredibly unexpected; as he pressed for more information, he found out that Xia Jingyu, who refused to be corrupted by evil influences, had actually shared a bed with Su Yu in order to protect him!!
Fang Qingzhou could not believe the news; the woman he wanted to marry had actually slept with another man!
However, the current Su Yu was much different than his former self. The current Su Yu's ability was way higher than Fang Qingzhou's, and Su Yu was also a Holy Seal holder. Even though Fang Qingzhou was furious, he did not dare to be as arrogant as he once was.
For now, he berated Su Yu softly. In reality, Fang Qingzhou was just putting on a strong facade—he was actually afraid on the inside. Moreover, his heart also felt small and humbled.
It was said that the Level Four Peak Second Prince was killed by Su Yu ruthlessly. From the empirical perspective, who would dare be as gutsy as Su Yu?
Fang Qingzhou was a bit afraid that he would arouse Su Yu's murderous intentions and get himself killed.
Hearing Fang Qingzhou's words, Su Yu looked towards his direction. A flash of coldness passed through Su Yu's deep eyes, and he said coldly; "Why? You have something you'd wish to say?"
Having felt Su Yu's murderous intent, Fang Qingzhou felt a chill down his spine. He drew back his neck and could not muster the courage to offer a retort.
Since his father was not with him, he did not dare be reckless.
Fang Qingzhou's nonverbal yield to Su Yu had caused a few of the demon students to stir.
"You are a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong! You are known for being arrogant in the martial arts training institute. You would even berate us, the demon students. In front of Su Yu, however, you are a dog— all bark, no bite!"
Xia Jingyu despised Fang Qingzhou to a great degree—she detested people like him.
Xia Linxuan understood the situation quickly; dissatisfaction still remained in his eyes as before and he reminded Su Yu of the current tension; "Su Yu, you were once a student of Xianyu prefecture's martial arts training institute. It is inadvisable for you to stay here for a long time as it might arouse suspicions of collaboration."
Su Yu looked back at the Royal Family. After he went to the martial arts training institute, many members of the Royal Family had been secretly watching him. They were taking precautions against Su Yu, as they did not trust him.
As he nodded his head, Su Yu looked at Xia Jingyu. After a moment of hesitation, he said; "Jingyu, I will give you an explanation."
Xia Jingyu's heart started to beat violently, her face boiling hot red. With a dainty voice like the wings of a hummingbird, she said; "Yes..."
Rustle－
Su Yu turned his body and leaped back to the Royal Family.
Hearing Xia Jingyu's name coming out from Su Yu's mouth, Zheng Yilin, who was not too far away, frowned unhappily.
Shao Li frowned coldly; "Humph! How arrogant! Even though he left the training institute, he's still concerned about Senior Xia and he actually called her 'Jingyu.' Does he really consider himself Housemaster Xia's son-in-law?"
Jingyu was actually what Xia Jingyu wanted Su Yu to address her as.
As Su Yu was no longer a student of the training institute, he was also no longer her Junior Brother. Hence, it was no longer appropriate for him to call her Senior.
Moreover, both of them were very close to one another, and it was not strange for them to call each other by their individual names.
"He does not know his position! Even though he is going to be killed soon, he is still such a nuisance!" Zheng Yilin's eyes turned gloomy and the audience knew Su Yu's situation.
Even though Su Yu entered the imperial capital alive, there was a chance he would not be able to leave in one piece.
When Zheng Yilin turned and looked at Xia Jingyu, a thread of admiration flashed through the deepest part of his eyes.