C55 Miss Good News!

Chu Yan's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Lin Yun, emitting a dangerous signal. The surrounding air seemed to freeze in that instant.

For reasons unknown to Lin Yun, Chu Yan's intense stare made his chest feel as if a massive stone was crushing it, making it hard to breathe. He began to regret the words he had uttered moments before.

"To provoke you—" Chu Yan's lips curled into a smirk as he drew a sharp dagger from within his cloak.

"That one." Lin Yun mistakenly thought Chu Yan was backing down. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Chu Yan's fingers tightened into a fist.

Creak—

The sound was grating, almost making one's teeth ache. The high-quality dagger was mercilessly twisted and deformed in Chu Yan's grip.

With a few rubs of his palm, the once straight and sharp dagger was now a lump of metal, as easily manipulated as dough in Chu Yan's hands, and fashioned into an iron ball.

With a loud thud, the iron ball landed at Lin Yun's feet, startling him into a jump.

"This is what provocation looks like. Understand?" Chu Yan sneered coldly.

"You... you... Chu Yan, how dare you..." Lin Yun's face turned ashen as he stumbled backward, pointing at Chu Yan, unable to articulate a full sentence.

Lin Yun knew full well the quality of that dagger. Even with both arms, he could only hope to bend it slightly. Yet Chu Yan had effortlessly turned it into a ball as if it were mere paper. The man's strength was terrifying, and it didn't show on the surface.

This was the man who had publicly thrashed Lin Liqiang.

Catching a glimpse of Chu Yan's unblemished palms, Lin Yun involuntarily swallowed, his throat parched with fear.

If those hands were to grasp him...

The thought of the consequences was too much for Lin Yun to bear.

Suddenly, Chu Yan's icy stare shifted onto him, sending a shiver down his spine. Instinctively, Lin Yun sidestepped, no longer possessing the bravery to confront him.

But just then, a sigh echoed from behind Lin Yun.

As Chu Yan came to a halt, Lin Ao made his entrance.

Still clutching a book, his eyes never straying to those around him, Lin Ao blocked Chu Yan's path.

"Cousin Lin Ao!" Lin Yun exclaimed, startled.

Lin Ao nodded slightly and gestured toward the steel ball on the ground.

Lin Yun hurried to retrieve it, cautiously presenting it to Lin Ao with both hands.

Chu Yan watched Lin Ao with a detached gaze, his attention drawn to Lin Ao's waist.

There hung a fiery red long sword.

Chu Yan's eyes sharpened.

The Fire Ripple Sword!

He remembered it as the sixth-grade weapon with inscription patterns he had first seen in the Martial Skill Pavilion.

Now, that very sword was in Lin Ao's possession.

"Chu Yan, I'm aware of today's council hall incident," Lin Ao said, toying with the short sword Chu Yan had previously compressed into a ball.

With a few seemingly effortless twists of his fingers, the ball expanded and straightened, morphing back into its original form as a short sword.

Lin Yun watched, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Cousin Lin Ao, have you already advanced—"

A glint of recognition crossed Chu Yan's eyes.

He could sense that Lin Ao's aura had deepened since their last encounter, signaling another leap in his abilities.

Lin Yun's words also hinted at the truth—Lin Ao had ascended to the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage!

His mastery over his power was so precise, it seemed to follow his will effortlessly.

Unaffected by Lin Yun's astonishment, Lin Ao continued, "Clearly, you've defied me. Have you forgotten your place as a dependent son-in-law? Do you realize the consequences?"

Chu Yan's response was a half-smile. "Are you challenging me to a duel?"

"I've already said I don't waste time on the unworthy. Engaging with you now would be nothing but a waste of my time," Lin Ao stated, as if merely stating a fact.

"I'm aware the Patriarch has granted you the opportunity to compete in the family selection, but it's a shame that with your current abilities, you won't even get the chance to have me waste my time on you when it matters. You'd better watch yourself. Next time, not even the Patriarch will be able to save you." Lin Ao spoke with a dismissive air, then turned to leave.

Lin Yun hurried to keep up.

Chu Yan blinked, and after a brief pause, called out to Lin Ao's retreating figure with a smirk, "So you really lack confidence in yourself, thinking you won't even make it through the preliminaries to face me?"

At Chu Yan's words, Lin Yun stumbled, nearly falling over.

Lin Ao's stride faltered for just an instant before he continued on, unwavering, into the shadows.

Watching Lin Ao fade away, the smile on Chu Yan's lips slowly morphed into a cold sneer: "That's the second time you've called me trash."

Upon reaching his new courtyard, Chu Yan was pleasantly surprised by the surroundings. The space was more than double the size of his previous one, complete with a charming little pond. Under the bright moonlight, the moon's reflection shimmered on the water's surface, while willow branches gently swayed nearby, creating a serene atmosphere.

However, Chu Yan didn't linger long in the enchanting night scene. After a brief moment of admiration, he went inside to begin his arduous training.

With only half a month left before the Lin Family's selection contest and just two months until the Evergreen Town Family Competition, Chu Yan knew he had to make the most of his time.

Today, he had already encountered a formidable opponent whose cultivation level exceeded his own—Lin Ao.

Late into the night, near the ruins of old Evergreen Town, hurried footsteps approached a room, accompanied by the crisp voice of a young girl: "Miss, miss, I've got major news, major news!"

Shortly after, the voice halted outside the room. Without knocking, as if familiar with the occupant, the girl pushed the door open.

The adorable girl in a light jade dress, her hair plaited into two long braids, was visibly excited, her face flushed as she animatedly gestured with her hands, "Miss! Miss! There's been a huge development in the family today, do you want to know? It's a really big deal!"

The one being addressed as "Miss" by the endearing girl was a young maiden in white, seated cross-legged within the room.

This girl in white appeared to be in her mid-teens, with strikingly beautiful features, a graceful figure, and silky black hair cascading down her back, all contributing to her cool and detached demeanor.

Noticing that the white-clad girl hadn't spared her a single glance, the endearing girl's lips jutted out in a pout, "Miss! As the esteemed daughter of the Lin family, Lin Miaoran, how can you show no concern for the significant events unfolding within your clan today?"

"What significant event could that be?" Lin Miaoran opened her eyes, casting a brief look at the girl before her, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "I've been aware of Lin Ao's ascension to the fifth tier of the True Martial Realm for quite some time. Fu Rui, you're a bit behind with your news."

"Ah, you've got it wrong, Miss," Fu Rui said with a grin, her dimples deepening and her braids flicking back and forth, "It's not about Young Master Lin Ao. It's concerning your betrothed, who has yet to be welcomed into the family."