Chapter 110: Understated

Yan Beiwang stood in the center of the arena, simmering with indignation. In his view, he was meant to be the protagonist of this Spring Trial, the one who would personally dismantle the last vestiges of the Yang family’s hope and then naturally inherit their assets. He had not expected, however, that his very first words upon entering would be completely ignored. Shen Yu showed no reaction; he did not even cast a glance in his direction.

This breezy indifference incensed him. Yan Beiwang narrowed his eyes, his voice icy. "Are you deaf?"

Hearing this, Shen Yu was reminded of something else. Back at Yixiantian, he had once killed Zhang Zhi, who was said to be a distant cousin of Xun Ju, the Hall Master of the Qinglv Hall. He wondered what Xun Ju might do if he ever learned of that. Shen Yu’s eyes held a look of contemplation, but to everyone else, it appeared to be pure, unadulterated contempt.

Yan Beiwang’s fury ignited. His spiritual energy surged, whipping up gusts of wind across the arena floor. In terms of sheer presence, within this small, isolated territory, he could be considered a formidable martial artist.

"Heh, since you are so confident, then forgive me."

With a sharp shout, a whistling sound cut through the air. He charged directly at Shen Yu, his right fist raised, trailing a flurry of afterimages. The crowd in the arena remained motionless, while the spectators outside wore expressions of gravity. Yan Beiwang was affiliated with the Qingxu Sect, the Dongfang family had colluded with the Gu family, and the Nangong family, the only ones remaining neutral, were clearly content to sit back and watch the tigers fight. In a sense, this melee was entirely unfair to Shen Yu.

Yang Yuanhao’s face was desolate, his heart sinking into despair. How could they fight this? How could they possibly win?

...

Sensing the killing intent and spiritual pressure in the air, Shen Yu looked up, though his reaction was belated. He had no real interest in this contest. Back at the Motian Cliff of the Qinglv Hall and before the Ancestral Hall, the enemies he had faced were far stronger than these people.

"You dare to be distracted? You're courting death."

Yan Beiwang reached Shen Yu and threw a violent punch with his right hand. In an instant, a blinding golden light erupted from his fist, dazzlingly bright. Under normal circumstances, an opponent would have their eyes stung by this deliberate flash, rendering them unable to track the follow-up strikes. But such petty, childish tactics were clearly useless against Shen Yu.

Shen Yu did not draw his sword; he simply took a casual step forward. It was effortless. Without any complex or mysterious technique, he leaned slightly to the side, and the fist whistled past his head. Then, Shen Yu extended his right hand. Before the shocked eyes of the crowd, he nonchalantly clamped his hand around his opponent's throat.

"Too slow."

The indifferent whisper brushed against Yan Beiwang’s ear as Shen Yu applied a slight pressure.

"Stop!" A voice boomed from afar.

Shen Yu paid no heed. As Yan Beiwang’s feet lifted further from the ground, his face flushed crimson before draining of all color.

"Boom!" A black cloud suddenly shrouded the two of them from above. It was a massive figure. The hulking, ugly Gu Ming descended from the sky, slamming down toward Shen Yu.

*Bang!* The floor tiles of the platform shattered, and the ground where Gu Ming landed buckled into a deep crater.

A breeze stirred. Gu Ming instinctively turned his head and threw a punch behind him, but mid-air, he forcibly altered his trajectory, switching to a double-handed grab. It turned out that Shen Yu had simply tossed the unconscious and unresponsive Yan Beiwang at him from over ten yards away.

"Such speed!"

"His footwork is too bizarre. Which sect is he from?" People exclaimed in disbelief.

Immediately after, a multitude of soldiers manifested from spiritual energy charged forward. They were cold, murderous, and high-spirited. Dongfang Duan had made his move; wielding a brush-like artifact, he slashed through the air, conjuring a squad of soldiers with every stroke. Having lost to his opponent in the art of painting—his greatest pride—he was clearly intent on regaining his face. The spiritual energy in the air fluctuated rapidly as wave after wave of soldiers swarmed toward Shen Yu.

Yan Yunyu, wearing a dragon-and-tiger jade pendant at his waist, narrowed his eyes. The technique the man had just used filled him with a trace of apprehension. Sensing this, Dongfang Duan gritted his teeth and shouted, "Attack!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Ming bent his knees and lunged forward with a powerful, earth-shaking momentum. Seeing the three families acting so unscrupulously, many of the spectators outside began to glare and murmur. Yang Pan'er was livid, shouting toward the side of the Qingxu Sect, "Have you no shame?"

Naturally, no one from the families responded. A little bit of face was, compared to the prosperity of their clans, not worth mentioning.

Unlike the others, Shen Yu moved at that moment. His fingers flicked, tracing lines in the empty air.

"I will teach you how to paint once more," Shen Yu said.

Then, a mountain-moving warrior appeared out of thin air, his muscles bulging with explosive power, letting out a roar that shook the heavens. The techniques of the Daoist sects were truly miraculous. As the sound of shattering spiritual energy echoed, the soldiers swarming from all directions were instantly torn to shreds by the mountain-moving warrior.

*Bang!* The brush artifact shattered. Dongfang Duan vomited a mouthful of blood and plummeted from the platform. At the same time, Gu Ming closed in, delivering a heavy, forceful kick.

Shen Yu remained composed, glancing casually at the mountain-moving warrior.

*Boom!* The warrior and Gu Ming’s strike collided, erupting in a brilliant flash of light. Shen Yu then pointed his right hand, a move as mundane as it was unremarkable. Gu Ming’s mountain-like frame was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the ground.

Having finished this series of actions, Shen Yu ignored the countless gazes of shock and awe in the arena and began walking toward Yan Yunyu. He had never been a man of great patience. Moreover, he had many things to do and could not afford to waste time here. If they would not agree, he would simply beat them until they did.

Seeing this, Yan Yunyu felt a chill in his limbs. Having grown up in the sheltered safety provided by his parents, he felt a flicker of fear for the first time in his life. Yan Nantian’s expression was dark. He had not expected this person’s cultivation to be so high. With his thoughts racing, he looked toward the last of the four families: the Nangong family.

Although the Nangong family was known for their mastery of deduction and calculation, their formation techniques were equally lethal and unpredictable in direct combat. If the two of them joined forces, perhaps there would still be a sliver of hope.

Nangong Rou felt his gaze but ignored it, as if she hadn't seen him at all. Yan Nantian’s lips moved slightly. Behind Nangong Rou, the faces of several family elders shifted, as if they had heard something incredible. The atmosphere in the air turned strange.

Shen Yu saw all of this, then looked back at Nangong Rou. He had looked at her once before, a silent inquiry as to whether she would join the fray. This time, the meaning was the same.

Nangong Rou made no attempt to hide it, smiling brightly. "Sect Leader Yan says that if we can get rid of you, he will be willing to split the fairy-jade mine with my Nangong family in the future. Do you believe him?"

"No," Shen Yu replied.

Nangong Rou laughed. "Haha, neither do I. Therefore, I refuse."