Unparalleled Sword Emperor/C23 The Suppression of Strength
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Unparalleled Sword Emperor/C23 The Suppression of Strength
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C23 The Suppression of Strength

"Waiter, could we see the menu?" Ye Tianwen called out nonchalantly as he settled into his seat at the inn.

"Right away." No sooner had Ye Tianwen spoken than a man in simple attire swiftly approached Ling Yunfan's table, placing three stiff pieces of paper before them. "Gentlemen, here's the menu. What can I get for you?"

The trio picked up the menus to peruse the offerings.

Ling Yunfan's eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw. The menu listed nothing but Rank One Peak Demonic Beast meat, with some dishes even featuring Rank Two Demonic Beast meat as ingredients. The most basic dish, made with Spirit Rice, was priced at a hundred taels of silver, while the starting price for the other dishes, all using Demonic Beast meat, was a staggering six thousand taels of silver.

These same dishes were available in Swallow Azure City, yet they were nowhere near as pricey. However, in Purple Gold City, the cost had skyrocketed several fold.

"I'll have three bowls of Spirit Rice, a portion of Spirit Profound Fire Fox Roast, Azure Blue Explosive Essence Bear meat stir-fried with Spirit Azure Fruit, and a bowl of Blood Armor Soup," Ling Yunfan said with a smile, setting the menu down after making his selections.

Following Ling Yunfan's lead, Ye Tianwen and Yuu Mo also placed their orders.

"Very well, gentlemen, your dishes will be out shortly!" The waiter, visibly thrilled by the expensive orders, responded with enthusiasm and quickly departed.

As the waiter bustled away, the three of them turned their attention to sipping tea.

"Have you heard? The Dragon Hidden Sect plans to arrive early in Purple Gold City to collect the young disciples participating in the Inner Sect Disciple Exam. We'll soon have the chance to witness a variety of powerful young talents, and perhaps even observe the formidable strength of the Dragon Hidden Sect's elders," one of them remarked.

"Is that so? But why is the Dragon Hidden Sect arriving ahead of schedule?"

"Rumor has it that a mysterious alchemy elder from the sect had a vision of a young disciple here in Purple Gold City with exceptional alchemy potential. This prompted the sect to move up the exam schedule. That's also why the sect's representatives are coming early to fetch the candidates."

"Really? Given that so few people possess the talent for alchemy, what are the odds we'd have someone with exceptional aptitude among us? It seems rather unlikely."

Ling Yunfan had just taken a sip of tea when the conversation at the neighboring table caught his attention. As he listened, he realized that the topic of the Dragon Hidden Sect's examination was the buzz of the entire inn, not just at the adjacent table.

"Someone with exceptional alchemy talent? I'd like to see who this prodigy is. Even though alchemy doesn't interest me much, a person with such talent is unlikely to be mediocre. They might even have impressive cultivation skills!" Ling Yunfan mused, his curiosity piqued by the mysterious individual with notable alchemy skills.

Meanwhile, Yuu Mo and Ye Tianwen were deep in conversation. Soon after, the waiter served up the dishes they had ordered.

"I won't stand on ceremony then!"

Ye Tianwen and Yuu Mo eagerly grabbed their bowls brimming with Spirit Rice and began to dig in. Ling Yunfan chuckled at their enthusiasm and joined in the feast.

"Hey, pretty lady, you're quite the looker. How about joining me? I can take you to the Dragon Hidden Sect. Once I'm an Inner Sect Disciple, you could be my companion!" The three were savoring their meal when an arrogant voice interrupted them.

Yuu Mo's happy demeanor instantly soured, and she looked ready to set the speaker straight. However, Ling Yunfan quickly interjected, "Yuu Mo, an ill-mannered dog bites the first person it sees. You're better than that. Don't stoop to its level, okay?"

At Ling Yunfan's words, Yuu Mo, who had been on the verge of anger, burst into laughter, covering her mouth.

"You little punk, who do you think you are, insulting me like that?" The earlier speaker, now clearly enraged, demanded.

Sensing the hostility emanating from behind, Ling Yunfan sighed, set down his utensils, and turned to face the source of the commotion. He saw a young man, about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a fine robe that contrasted sharply with his ordinary looks and youthful face. The combination was so incongruous it bordered on the absurd, making him seem like quite the oddity.

"Heh, a dog can't spit out ivory, so please stop trying to wear clothes that just aren't meant for you. It's downright painful to look at." Finally, unable to contain his amusement, Ling Yunfan spoke with a sneer.

"You're asking for it!"

The man, now the butt of ridicule, was seething with anger and swiftly drew his long saber, slashing at Ling Yunfan.

Yuu Mo and Ye Tianwen, witnessing the scene, did nothing but smile in anticipation, as if settling in for an entertaining spectacle.

They refrained from intervening because they were well aware of Ling Yunfan's prowess; he was capable of inflicting serious injury on someone at the Essence Gathering Level Two, let alone the challenger before them who was merely at Level One and posed no real threat.

Clang ~ ~

Clang!

As the attack came, Ling Yunfan deftly unsheathed his Cold Water Sword and parried the blow.

"This guy packs a punch. He's definitely stronger than Xiaotian was. If I were still at Body Refining Level Nine, I doubt I'd stand a chance," Ling Yunfan thought, impressed by his opponent's vigor.

"What?!"

The young man in fine attire was taken aback, having never imagined that his Essence Gathering Level One strike could be so effortlessly neutralized by an unknown adversary of the same level.

"Wuuwaa!"

As he geared up for another assault, a sudden sharp pain in his gut sent him screaming and tumbling through the air.

In an instant, he crashed into several tables, reducing them to splinters, while the onlookers at the inn quickly stepped aside, eager to watch the unfolding drama.

"Damn it, this can't be happening!"

Humiliated by being sent flying by a nobody, he bellowed in rage and once again swung his long saber in a furious attack.

Clang, clang, clang ~ ~

Yet, just like before, his vicious strikes were effortlessly deflected. Meanwhile, Ling Yunfan's barrage of punches and kicks left him battered and bruised.

"Who exactly are you? State your name," the young man demanded, his voice seething with anger after being thrown back yet again. Instead of continuing his assault, he chose to confront his adversary.

"Defeat me, and I'll share my name with you. If you can't manage that, then step aside and stop interrupting my meal," Ling Yunfan replied, his response laced with a taunting grin rather than a direct answer. He then added, "You've made quite a mess, so make sure to compensate the innkeeper. It's only right."

The young man's fury reached its peak upon hearing these words. Powerless to prevail due to his lesser strength, he could do nothing but stand there, teeth clenched, glaring at Ling Yunfan with a gaze sharp enough to kill.

"You'll see," he hissed, tossing a purse brimming with silver to the innkeeper. With a final, lingering threat, the young man swiftly made his exit.

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