Chapter 23: Ling Yanyun

Yang Minglei continued his winning streak, reaching fifty consecutive victories before he knew it. His impressive run had begun to draw considerable attention, and his ranking on the Profound List had climbed into the top hundred. "Sister Yanyun, this Yang Minglei is quite something! With his strength, he should easily rank among the top hundred in the Outer Sect," a young woman in a pink robe remarked. "Yurou, you're still underestimating him. In these fifty consecutive wins, no one has lasted more than two rounds against him. His true combat strength is far beyond what we've seen," Ling Yanyun said softly. "Then, Sister Yanyun, do you think he might be the one we're looking for?" Lin Yurou asked quietly. "He's the one I brought from Hanyang City. If there are no surprises, he should be the one Elder Tianji divined," Ling Yanyun said, a hint of certainty in her eyes. "Sister Yanyun, are you so impressed with him because he's handsome?" Lin Yurou teased. "You little rascal, are you getting infatuated again?" Ling Yanyun retorted. "What's wrong with being smitten? Men can like beautiful women, so why can't women like handsome men? Or does Sister Yanyun prefer those burly, rough-and-tumble types?" Lin Yurou chuckled. "What's wrong with burly, rough-and-tumble types? They offer a sense of security!" Ling Yanyun shot back. "Sister Yanyun, you wouldn't know, but I heard Sister Luanxian say that the stronger a man looks, the less reliable they are in certain aspects, and their build often means they're not as... well-endowed," Lin Yurou whispered conspiratorially into Ling Yanyun's ear. "You little imp, you're getting more and more out of hand," Ling Yanyun playfully pinched Lin Yurou's waist. Just then, it was Yang Minglei's turn to step onto the stage again. His opponent this time was a powerful cultivator at the ninth level of the Bright Profound Realm. It was none other than Xiao Junyi, whom Yang Minglei had ambushed previously, using Feng Xueqing as a shield to succeed. "You little scoundrel, today I'll cripple all your limbs!" Xiao Junyi's eyes burned with boundless rage. "Who are you calling a scoundrel?" Yang Minglei replied with a faint smile. "The scoundrel is calling you!" Xiao Junyi blurted out without thinking. "Oh, did everyone hear that? The scoundrel is calling me!" Yang Minglei burst into laughter. Laughter erupted throughout the crowd. "You're asking for death!" Xiao Junyi drew his long sword and charged at Yang Minglei. "Wait... wait," Yang Minglei quickly stopped him. "You brat! Do you think it's not too late to beg for mercy now?" Xiao Junyi's eyes glinted with coldness. "The officiating elder hasn't even called for the match to start yet! What's your hurry? Do you know that your actions are provoking the elder?" Yang Minglei said coldly. "Elder Liu, I absolutely did not mean to provoke you," Xiao Junyi turned to the officiating elder on the stage. "It's fine. You two may begin!" Elder Liu waved his hand. *Whoosh!* The moment Elder Liu's words fell, before Xiao Junyi could even turn his head, Yang Minglei's figure transformed into a white blur, and he swung his staff towards Xiao Junyi. *Bang... bang... bang... bang!* Under Yang Minglei's relentless assault, Xiao Junyi endured hundreds of blows in just a few breaths, instantly being knocked unconscious. *Crack... crack... crack... crack.* Yang Minglei mercilessly broke all four of Xiao Junyi's limbs. He never showed mercy to his enemies. "Ah... ah... ah... ah!" "You little scoundrel, despicable and shameless!" The intense pain brought Xiao Junyi back to consciousness. "My friend, this is called stratagem. If you go into a duel without using your brain like this, what's the difference between that and seeking death if you were outside the sect?" Yang Minglei lightly patted Xiao Junyi's face. "Damn, this kid is too underhanded!" "Tsk, what do you know? Yang Minglei used his wits. If you're so careless on the stage, who can you blame?" Those who had bet on Xiao Junyi's victory and those who had bet on Yang Minglei's victory began to argue. "Sister Yanyun, this guy is so despicable and shameless! But I really like that mischievous side of him." Lin Yurou looked at Yang Minglei with a hint of admiration. Seeing Yang Minglei take down Xiao Junyi, Ling Yanyun suddenly let out a sigh of relief. Her previously troubled mood seemed to vanish in that moment. After defeating Xiao Junyi, Yang Minglei chose not to continue challenging. After several days of fighting, he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough, so there was no need to keep fighting. Yang Minglei left the Profound List arena and walked towards the exit. Just then, Yang Minglei felt a sharp gaze fixed on him, a gaze that sent shivers down his spine. He saw a young man in an Inner Sect disciple's robe, with an extraordinary aura, staring intently at him. Beside him stood an elegant and refined young woman with a graceful, curvaceous figure. "Brat, I finally found you. Today, you will surely die," Li Tianxing said with a chilling voice. "Oh, for crying out loud, why am I so unlucky?" Without another word, Yang Minglei flashed and ran back. The entrance to the Profound List arena was blocked, so he had no choice but to retreat. Yang Minglei could only hope that Li Tianxing would show some consideration for the officiating elders, otherwise, he would be in serious trouble today. "Hmph! Still trying to run." Li Tianxing's figure instantly shot forward, chasing after Yang Minglei. Soon, Yang Minglei was cornered by Li Tianxing again. Many Outer Sect disciples who had gathered to watch the commotion surrounded them, but upon seeing the Inner Sect disciple's robe on Li Tianxing, they all retreated several meters. In the Heavenly Origin Palace, Outer Sect disciples were vastly inferior in status to Inner Sect disciples. Even if an Inner Sect disciple killed an Outer Sect disciple, they would at most be confined for a month or two. "Brother, don't kill him. Cripple his Dantian. I want to tie him up and keep him as a pet dog," Li Xinyi said with venom in her eyes. "You old hag, how long has it been since you've seen a man? Why are you looking at me so thirstily? With your pathetic appearance, even if you stripped naked, I wouldn't get excited!" Yang Minglei retorted with a sneer. Everyone present was shocked! This was Li Tianxing, the Inner Sect disciple's sister! Yang Minglei was truly audacious! "Hmph, you're asking for death." Li Tianxing swung his hand and unleashed a palm strike towards Yang Minglei. Yang Minglei did not back down, meeting the strike with his own palm. *Bang!* Yang Minglei was sent flying backward by the palm strike, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. Li Tianxing pressed his advantage, striking again with another palm. At this point, Yang Minglei had no strength left to retaliate. Just as Li Tianxing's palm was about to land on Yang Minglei's chest, a beautiful figure flashed past, instantly pulling Yang Minglei to the side. *Rumble!* Li Tianxing's palm struck the empty ground, sending dust flying. "Who are you? How dare you obstruct me?" Li Tianxing's eyes were cold, and he watched Ling Yanyun warily. "You, an Inner Sect disciple, bullying an Outer Sect disciple, don't you feel ashamed?" Ling Yanyun's voice was clear and cold. "I advise you not to meddle in others' affairs." Li Tianxing stared at Ling Yanyun cautiously. He was wary of this sudden appearance of a woman, as he found he couldn't discern her cultivation level. At this moment, Yang Minglei finally saw clearly that the one who had saved him was a stunningly beautiful young woman. Dressed in white, she appeared to be around eighteen years old. Her beautiful eyes were captivating, her cherry lips delicate, and her eyebrows curved like a crescent moon. Her fair, slender neck made her appear exceptionally elegant and noble, instantly evoking a strong desire for conquest in anyone who saw her. Just then, Elder Liu from the Profound List arena walked over and said in a deep voice, "Li Tianxing, private duels are forbidden in the Profound List Hall. Even if you are an Inner Sect disciple, you cannot violate this rule." Elder Liu was quite optimistic about Yang Minglei's talent. This young man was definitely one of the most outstanding young disciples in the Outer Sect, so he didn't want to see such a genius killed here. "Brat, today I'll give Elder Liu some face and let you live for a couple more days. You'd better clean your neck and wait for me," Li Tianxing said coldly. The Profound List Hall indeed had a rule against private duels, and even as an Inner Sect disciple, he could not violate it.