C22 The Chaotic Battle

A wave of shock and disbelief converged upon Su Yun as countless eyes locked onto him.

Oh no!

The combat puppet had actually been destroyed!

My God!

Were they seeing things?

Many in the crowd couldn't resist rubbing their eyes.

But the undeniable truth was right there before them.

Whoosh!

A tumultuous uproar burst forth throughout the arena.

On the balcony, the commotion jolted the black-haired middle-aged man to attention.

"You little rascal..."

His gaze shifted from the shattered puppet and fallen crystal to Su Yun on the stage, and he found himself at a loss for words.

Anticipating a dispute, Su Yun quickly interjected, "Senior, you did say there was no need for compensation!"

At this, the black-haired man exchanged a knowing look with his two companions, and a wry smile spread across all their faces.

This kid was truly a freak of nature!

"This can't be!"

Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise of the crowd, "That loser must have cheated!"

All eyes turned to the accuser.

It was Lin Feng!

Having recently sparred with the combat puppet, he knew full well its combat capabilities. It was a formidable opponent, not easily defeated by Soul Cultivators at the Soul Condensing Stage, let alone the Soul Controlling Stage.

Su Yun cheating? Lin Feng would stake his life on the impossibility!

Yet, his certainty did nothing to sway the silent crowd. The evidence was laid out before them; how could it be a lie?

Still, they understood his reaction.

Not long ago, Su Yun had killed his younger brother, Lin Hee. Now, during the High Sect selection, he had been bested by Su Yun time and again. Anyone would feel off-kilter in his shoes!

The trio on the balcony barely gave Lin Feng a second glance.

This only worsened Lin Feng's already sour expression, and he looked ready to explode with more accusations.

But Lin Zongshan at his side held him back.

Though Lin Zongshan himself suspected foul play, he knew that shouting accusations now would be futile and would only serve to irritate the black-haired middle-aged men further.

"Su Yun, you're moving on!"

With the proclamation from the black-haired middle-aged announcer, Su Yun stepped off the stage.

Meanwhile, the other six youths in his group were simultaneously bested by the combat puppets, tumbling out of the arena.

This only reinforced the crowd's belief that the issue wasn't with the puppets—it was that Su Yun was exceptionally extraordinary!

"Kid, you just keep getting more and more extraordinary!"

Yun Yan, Su Yun's father-in-law, teased as Su Yun made his way back.

Su Yun couldn't help but roll his eyes. Who compliments someone like that?

"Due to damage to one of the combat puppets, we'll proceed with groups of six from here on out!"

The black-haired middle-aged man announced from the pavilion above.

As his words echoed, all eyes in the arena were drawn back to Su Yun.

Twice he had taken the stage, and twice the rules had been altered because of him...

Absolutely preposterous!

...

The battles with the combat puppets resumed with groups of six.

Following Su Yun and Lin Feng, the third person to successfully dislodge a crystal from a puppet was Dong Tianlong, the Dong family's premier prodigy!

Subsequently, several others managed to knock off the crystals and advance, including Yun Yilan and Yun Liyao.

This outcome momentarily thrust the Yun family into the spotlight.

Out of the nine advancing, three were from the Yun family—a remarkably high success rate!

And many were aware that Yun Feng, the Yun family's top talent, was absent this time.

Despite whispers that Yun Feng had been incapacitated by Su Yun, the specifics of the Yun family's internal matters were unclear to outsiders. Yet, that didn't stop the crowd from speculating about what might have been if Yun Feng had participated. Surely, as the Yun family's ace, his performance would rival, if not surpass, Yun Liyao's, wouldn't it?

This line of thinking suggested that the Yun family could have seen four members advance.

The Yun family's current generation was proving to be formidably impressive!

The onlookers' attention made Yun Yan and the other Yun family elders stand tall and proud.

The Yun family hadn't felt such pride in a very long time!

Of course, not all the Yun family's higher-ups were thrilled. Yun Linguang, for one, was in a particularly foul mood.

Even though his daughter, Yun Liyao, had advanced, the other two who moved forward were the last people he wanted to see succeed.

Su Yun, most of all.

The thought of Yun Feng, still lying in a coma with no signs of improvement despite the best efforts of Yunhe City's top physician, ignited a fury in Lin Guang.

If he had his way, he would have taken Su Yun's life then and there!

"The next phase of this round is about to begin, marking the final practical test of the selection process!"

At that moment, the middle-aged man with black hair on the balcony announced in a resonant voice, "Pass this, and you'll join the ranks of the Yuntian Sect as our newest disciples!"

Upon hearing these words, the remaining nine contenders, including Su Yun, inhaled sharply.

The moment of truth had arrived!

"Now, I invite the nine advancing contestants to step onto the stage," the black-haired middle-aged man continued.

At his beckoning, Su Yun and the others ascended to the platform.

"This final stage will unfold as a free-for-all battle!"

As they took their positions, he elaborated, "Each of you is an adversary to the others. Your objective is to eject your opponents from the ring. If you're knocked out, you're out of the running. Only the last five standing will earn the right to be called disciples of the Yuntian Sect!"

"Let the melee commence!"

Barely allowing a moment for reaction, he issued the command.

Initially taken aback, the nine on the stage quickly regained their composure and instinctively created distance between themselves.

Only five would remain standing...

This meant four would face elimination!

A sense of gravity washed over the young faces on the platform.

"I've been itching for a chance to reveal the fraud that you are. And now, that chance has presented itself!"

Just then, a chilling voice cut through the tension on the stage.

The crowd turned, catching sight of Lin Feng's icy stare fixed on Su Yun, venomous as a viper poised to strike.

Su Yun regarded his opponent with an even-keeled gaze.

"Indeed, it's a prime opportunity!"

Yet another voice chimed in from the side.

Yun Liyao's lips twisted into a chilly smirk as she fixed Su Yun with an icy stare. She then cast a flirtatious smile at a black-haired young man nearby, "Mr. Tianlong, care to join me in knocking this imposter off the stage?"

Dong Tianlong's gaze fell upon Yun Liyao, her smile blooming like a flower, stirring a warmth within him. He chuckled heartily, "How could I refuse an invitation from Sister Liyao?"

As the Dong family's premier prodigy, Dong Tianlong was never one to sit on the sidelines. At just twenty, he had already racked up his fair share of romantic debts in Yunhe City. He had pursued Yun Liyao, one of the Yun family's most esteemed daughters, yet she had never reciprocated—until now, with her invitation contingent upon his willingness to fight.

And why would he refuse?

The answer was clear—there was no reason to!

Especially since the melee was designed to whittle down four competitors, and taking out Su Yun meant one less rival. Besides, Su Yun's prominence in the previous testing rounds had irked him. He couldn't fathom a Yun family in-law possessing any real talent. This battle would be the perfect opportunity to show the crowd who the true genius was!

Prompted by Dong Tianlong's move, other young men from the Dong family stepped up to the platform.

Lin Feng, Yun Liyao, Dong Tianlong, and the Dong family's youth swiftly encircled Su Yun.

"How despised is Su Yun to warrant a four-on-one assault?"

"Lin Feng, Dong Tianlong, Yun Liyao... Wow, Yunhe City's elite geniuses are banding together. Su Yun's done for!"

"Talk about bad luck. He ends up in a free-for-all, and his opponents are all the very people he's crossed!"

...

The crowd buzzed at the unfolding drama.

Within the arena, Yun Yan's expression turned steely as he witnessed the scene. He shot a frosty look at Yun Lin Guang and barked, "The High Sect's selection has come to this—colluding with outsiders against our own? Yun Lin Guang, do you and your daughter still consider yourselves part of the Yun family?"

"Great Elder, I believe you're overstating things a bit!"

Yun Linguang offered a faint smile upon hearing this. "The High Sect's selection is naturally a battleground for the younger members to compete. Besides, the Old Family Head has made it clear that if we encounter a clan member during the selection, we must engage them with our full strength and show no mercy!"

"You're twisting the words!"

"If that's how the Great Elder sees it, then I'm at a loss for words."

Linguang gave a helpless shrug, but the mocking sneer in his eyes was unmistakable.

Yun Yan's face soured at this, his gaze filled with concern as he watched Su Yun on the stage.

Up in the pavilion.

"This kid really knows how to make himself unpopular!"

The black-haired middle-aged man chuckled as he observed the scene below.

"Is this really okay...?"

The long-haired middle-aged man beside him frowned in hesitation.

"Should we intervene?" another voice chimed in.

"There's no need," the black-haired man replied, shaking his head with a look of intrigue directed at Su Yun below. "The young fellow hasn't revealed much during the earlier tests. Now's the perfect opportunity to gauge his true capabilities. If he's truly outmatched, we can always step in later."

Upon hearing this, the long-haired man exchanged a glance with his companion and then both nodded in agreement.

​