Chapter 214 - The True Beginning

Yun Che was silent for a long time with only shock in his heart.

At that time, even though he was absolutely certain that Xia Qingyue’s profound strength was not just at the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, he only surmised that her true profound strength was at the Nascent Profound Realm, and at most, the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm. Never would he have expected that the Xia Qingyue then, was actually the same as the current him, at the tenth level of the True Profound Realm! And was only at a distance of a step away from the Spirit Profound Realm.

It was something the him at that time would never imagine. Because to a little Floating Cloud City, reaching the pinnacle of the True Profound Realm at the age of sixteen, was even more mythical than myth.

If she had immediately announced her sixteen year old self’s profound strength to be at tenth level of the True Profound Realm at that time, that kind of sensation, would not merely be in just a Floating Cloud City, but also deeply startle the surrounding cities, including the Blue Wind Imperial Family. If that happened, it would be fundamentally impossible for Xia Qingyue to even think about comfortably staying within Floating Cloud City.

It was also no wonder that Frozen Cloud Asgard would choose Xia Qingyue. Her innate talent, was actually at this shocking level!

“So that’s how it is. I suppose your Master was afraid that your profound strength was just too universally shocking, so she used some kind of method to help you cover it up and let your profound strength aura be only at the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm. Right?”

Xia Qingyue nodded slightly.

“Third question.” Yun Che looked straight at Xia Qingyue with a bit of an assertiveness in his gaze: “I want to know, in this period of time you’ve been at Frozen Cloud Asgard, have you ever, once in awhile, thought about me?”

“...” Xia Qingyue became silent. After a short while, she turned around and softly said: “It is already getting late. There are still matches tomorrow, it’s best to rest early. Qingyue should also return now.”

When she finished speaking, without waiting for Yun Che’s response, she was already shifting away with light steps. After her snowy clothes started to float lightly, her figure was already moving further and further away at a fast pace… without the slightest hesitation.

Yun Che did not chase after her. He sucked air in and softly yelled out in a voice loud enough for her to hear: “After tomorrow, I will definitely enter the last thirty-two ranking battles! If we meet during the Round of Thirty Two, I hope that you will not go easy on me!!”

His voice slowly swept outwards and Xia Qingyue’s silhouette, had already disappeared from his line of sight.

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Sixth day of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, which was also the last day of the second round of group stages.

The focus of most of the gazes, was still upon Yun Che’s matches. Everyone wanted to see how far this person with the lowest profound strength amongst numerous disciples, who was a freak level super dark horse, could possibly go in this ranking tournament.

Since yesterday’s ten consecutive wins in the second round of group stages, Yun Che’s victories within the group stage had not stopped, rather, it continued on after every match within each and every shocked shout.

Eleventh match:

“...Blue Wind Imperial Family’s Yun Che wins!”

Qin Wushang tightly gripped both hands in excitement, itching to wave his hands in the air and shout loudly without the slightest of elegance.

Twelfth match:

“...Blue Wind Imperial Family’s Yun Che wins!”

Qin Wushang stood up in excitement with trembling lips. As both his hands shook, it was as if he did not know where to put them.

Thirteenth match:

“...Blue Wind Imperial Family’s Yun Che wins!”

Even Qin Wushang’s black beard started to shake as he continued to repeat himself: “Top fifty… Top fifty… Top fifty…”

Top fifty in the individual ranking was a position that he did not even dare to even wish for! His long time wish was the same as Cang Wanhe’s, and he only wished for their power ranking to be in the top hundred. And now, Yun Che alone, had already let the entire Imperial Family obtain a rank so high it was not known how many times higher it was from their original goal… He could imagine how excited this would make Cang Wanhe feel when he received news of this.

…………

Fifteenth match, which was also the last match:

“...Blue Wind Imperial Family’s Yun Che wins!”

“Blue Wind Imperial Family’s competing disciple Yun Che, second round of group stages, complete victory in all fifteen matches, directly advances to tomorrow's elimination rounds!”

The referee declared these achievements with a type of incomparable amazement when looking at Yun Che… Fifteen consecutive victories. In the previous ranking tournaments, even though there were very few disciples outside of those belonging to that of the Four Major Sects who had accomplished this, it wasn’t like there weren’t any who had not done it before. But, obtaining fifteen consecutive victories with a profound strength at the tenth level of the True Profound Realm...

A single phrase wildly surged inside the referee’s heart… What kind of cosmic joke was this! Have I gone crazy or did the entire continent already go mad!

Aside from Yun Che, Xia Qingyue, Ling Yun, Fen Jin, Xiao Kuanglei, and other disciples within the Four Major Sects also finished with complete victories in the second round of group stages, which meant that they too, did not need to be ranked and could directly advance into tomorrow’s elimination rounds.

“Complete victory… top thirty-two… Even if he were to place last in tomorrow’s elimination rounds, his individual ranking would still be at thirty second place…” It had been a while since Qin Wushang’s bottom had touched his seat. He was so excited that he was essentially incapable of sitting down as he continued to rave deliriously, with each of his words carrying a deep vibrato. At this moment, he deeply felt that he was currently dreaming, and was also deeply afraid that this was merely a dream...

In contrast, Cang Yue was much more tranquil. After all, unlike Qin Wushang, she did not carry the burden of always seeing the previous ranking tournament’s dismal performance results that brought along such humiliation, resentment, and unwillingness. She also had never constantly dreamed, and wished for a day of one day being this proud with elation. Seeing Yun Che knock down every opponent that came his way, while reaching an even greater height that evoked a higher cry of surprise from the entire audience, she was inwardly joyous, proud, and completely filled with a sense of satisfaction. As she thought back to the time when she had first gotten acquainted with him in New Moon City and all the little details that came after that, she unwittingly, began to smile.

He is a person who has always brought hope, nice surprises, and miracles...

Meeting him, is my lifetime’s most fortunate of miraculous encounters.

“What a truly unforeseen outcome. I originally thought that I was already overestimating him, but I didn’t expect that I was still greatly underestimating him. He actually entered the top thirty-two with a sweeping victorious performance. For a True Profound Realm to obtain such an accomplishment is the first of all historical precedents, and is also something that is fundamentally impossible to happen again in the future.” Ling Yuefeng lamented with sincerity as he watched Yun Che walk down the Sword Discourse Arena after fifteen consecutive victories.

“Mn.” Ling Yun nodded slowly.

“However, for him to obtain such a result, we also have to say that a large portion of that is due to good luck. After all, in the second round of group stages, he had never come across anyone from any large sects; especially, disciples from our Four Major Sects. Otherwise, it is fundamentally impossible for him to continuously keep up his consecutive victories. But if we put this aside, for him to have reached this point with strength only in the True Profound Realm… this younger generation will surpass us in time.”

“Father, for one to defeat an opponent of a higher level, there are only three possible reasons why. One of them, is when one’s innate talent of using of profound energy is so high that they are able to bring out a power that’s double their own profound strength. The second, is when one’s profound arts and techniques are so strong that they are able to completely crush their opponent. The third, is when one’s innate talent is astonishingly superior with a special nature, like an innate divine strength, a hardened body, a sharp perception, and so on. The majority that appear amongst all these are those who have crushingly strong profound arts and profound techniques… Father, can you tell what kind of profound art he is using?” Ling Yun cautiously asked.

Ling Yuefeng actually shook his head: “I am completely incapable of seeing through his profound art. No matter his freestyle martial arts or his use of the heavy sword, the profound energy that he releases is incomparably fierce. It directly releases and retracts; the feeling it gave me was instead more like pure profound energy, without the existence of any profound arts. However, the strength of this pure profound energy far surpassed the limit of the True Profound Realm… To be able to triumph over opponents across such a big gap, is also the first I’ve seen in my life. Seems like, after the match, it’ll be necessary for me to find him for a little chat.”

Ling Yun glanced at his father with a slight surprise. From his birth until now, it was actually the first time he had see his father show such curiosity towards a youth. However, Yun Che did indeed have such qualifications.

After the second round of group stages, the sect’s disciples were directly ranked out using the number of wins. Among them, the top thirty-two disciples in the rankings would proceed to the last elimination round on the main Sword Discourse Arena tomorrow. Disciples below the one hundredth rank, as well as rank thirty three to one hundred, would respectively be transferred to different secondary arenas, and progress to the ranking battles between their ranks.

The elimination round, was the last stage of the Ranking Tournament, as well as the core existence of the entire Ranking Tournament. Because, among over one thousand and five hundred participating disciples, these were the decided strongest thirty-two people! Who represented the pinnacle of the Blue Wind Empire’s younger generation’s strength! Even though the elimination round only had thirty-two people, it would last for an entire five days, longer than any round of group stage matches. The arena would also no longer be the small Sword Discourse Arenas, and would instead be the enormous central Main Sword Discourse Arena.

————————————

The next morning, as the sky was just barely lighting up, the Sword Discourse Arena in the Heavenly Sword Villa was already clamoring.

The final event of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, the Round of Thirty Two, had finally begun!

An enormous profound stone was temporarily erected in the center of the Main Sword Discourse Arena, and the names of the thirty-two people who had entered the Round of Thirty Two, as well as the sect they belonged two were displayed on top. Amongst these thirty-two names, the twelve disciples from the Four Major Sects were all present without any exceptions.

But in the history of this Ranking Tournament, this was a sight that was most common. If even one were to be missing from there, it would instead be abnormal. The great disparity between the Four Major Sects and the other sects, could be glimpsed at from this. And so, there was another name for this last Round of Thirty Two, called the “Four Major Sect’s Showdown Battle”, which by name, wasn’t exaggerated in the least.

“I had never thought even in my dreams, that there would be a day our Blue Wind Imperial Family’s name would actually appear on it.” Looking at that enormous profound stone in the arena, Qin Wushang’s complexion actually carried a deep devoutness within. He was excited to the point of being unable to sleep at all last night, and to also come here so early in the morning. His feeling of excitement could not be suppressed no matter what.

Every single name on the profound stone was more breathtaking than the last, and the name of the sects was also more astonishing than the last. Qin Wushang believed, that Yun Che’s steps in this Ranking Tournament would be stopped here, because none of the last thirty one could be compared to the opponents he had encountered before. But even if he were to lose on the first round, the gains from this Ranking Tournament would already far surpass the original expectations; there was already nothing he was unsatisfied about.

“Participating disciples of the Round of Thirty Two, please come to the stage and draw the lot for battle order!”

There was only one judge during the entire Round of Thirty Two, and that would be Ling Wugou. Following Ling Wugou’s loud cry, thirty-two people came up one by one and drew their own battle number.

“Junior Brother Yun, what number… Ah? It’s actually… Number one!”

Cang Yue took the plate in Yun Che’s hand. The number on there, was shockingly, a large “One”.

Which is to say, that in today’s match, Yun Che would the first to take the stage!

“If I’m first, then I’m first. Saves me from impatiently waiting anyway.” Yun Che said nonchalantly.

“Yun Che, it is already very very impressive of you to be able to enter the Round of Thirty Two.” Qin Wushang said: “However, in the Round of Thirty Two, every single opponent would be extraordinary. Especially the Four Major Sect’s disciples; you have never met them before, and simply do not know their dreadfulness at all. So, in today’s matches, if you feel that you cannot win, it is not shameful at all to surrender early. You have already created a miracle that has shocked the entire audience, so you definitely should not try to flaunt yourself. Otherwise, it would be bad if you, by any chance, receive malicious injuries from the opponent. It is already enough for you to reach here in this year’s ranking tournament. The next ranking tournament, would be your true stage.”

Yun Che nodded: “Palace Chief Qin, be at ease. I will definitely advance when I need to, and when I ought to retreat, I won’t brainlessly overexert myself either.”

“That’s good then.” Qin Wushang nodded while smiling.

Gripping his own number plate while looking toward the gigantic central Sword Discourse Arena in front of him under rows after rows of gazes with variant intentions, Yun Che truly felt that this current round in the ranking tournament, was not at all the finish line that Qin Wushang had expressed...

Instead, it was the true beginning!!

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Author note: 【That’s right, the Ranking Tournament has just begun. The earlier group stages was all for(filling)-mali(up)-ty(words), the true match only starts now. Speaking of which, in the last last book from this Mars, Pig Feet and Hua Qimeng fought for an entire ten-odd chapters on the final match… I was thinking, if I did ten-odd chapters for every single match ahead here, Mn… I believe that all of you definitely would not beat me to death!! ]

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