Chapter 125: Internal Affairs Department Tianxuan Ranking

“You… you!” Murong Ye clutched his flaming red right cheek, his whole body trembling. Since childhood, he had been raised amidst flattery and awe. Even in the Azure Wind Profound Palace, although he was only a mid-tier outer-palace disciple, his father was, after all, the City Lord of New Moon City, and his cousin was an inner-palace member. Therefore, his status in the outer palace was undoubtedly high, and those who sought to curry favor with him were as numerous as fish crossing a river… He had never suffered such humiliation!

And the person who subjected him to this humiliation had even “obtained” Lan Xueruo, the woman he had dreamed of.

“You’ll regret this… It won’t be long before I make you regret ever being born into this world!” Murong Ye crawled to his feet, his voice a venomous shriek, then stumbled away like a beaten dog.

You can try, if you like… Yun Che silently sneered, watching Murong Ye’s retreating back.

“Yun Che, you… you were far too reckless.” Qin Wuyou walked over, admonishing him.

“He tried to kill me with a disciplinary stick. I merely disfigured him. That’s already merciful enough,” Yun Che said calmly.

“Sigh…” Qin Wuyou’s gaze flickered erratically, his expression profoundly complex. He let out a long sigh, unsure if he was sighing about Yun Che hitting Murong Ye, or about Yun Che having “slept with” Lan Xueruo. “Murong Ye, relying on his identity as the son of the New Moon City Lord, has always been arrogant and conceited. Even here at the Azure Wind Profound Palace, he hasn’t refrained from bullying others, so a lesson serves him right. However, he has a cousin here named Murong Yi, who is the son of the Azure Wind Empire’s Grand Marshal of the North. Murong Ye’s father’s position as City Lord of New Moon City is also connected to this Grand Marshal. If that identity isn’t significant enough, then there’s another identity that even I must consider… Murong Yi is an inner-palace disciple!”

“Inner… inner palace?” Yun Che showed little reaction, but Xia Yuanba, hearing the words “inner palace,” shuddered violently, his face turning quite pale.

“What about the inner palace?” Yun Che said expressionlessly.

“Hehe, it’s normal that you don’t know, as you’ve just arrived in the Azure Wind Imperial City. If you stay here for a few more days, you’ll understand what a terrifying concept the inner palace is. Let me give you some numbers.” Qin Wuyou slowly explained, “The entry threshold for the Azure Wind Profound Palace is extremely high. To be able to enter the Azure Wind Profound Palace, even if it’s just the outer palace, you’re considered a genius-level figure elsewhere. Within the empire, tens of millions of young profound practitioners dream of entering the Azure Wind Profound Palace. Yet, currently, the Azure Wind Profound Palace only has just over fifty thousand disciples. Among them, fifty-four thousand are in the outer palace, three thousand in the middle palace, and one hundred in the inner palace.”

“Only a hundred people?” Yun Che showed a hint of surprise.

“Precisely. Every disciple who can enter the inner palace is a prodigy among geniuses, destined to become a grandmaster or a powerful figure in the future, respected even by the Imperial Family. The list of one hundred people in the inner palace is called the ‘Heaven Profound Ranking.’ They are ranked according to their profound strength. Those who can enter this ranking are inner-palace disciples. To enter this ranking, one must challenge and defeat any person on the list. If the challenge is successful, one can replace their position on the Heaven Profound Ranking, and the last person is then kicked off the Heaven Profound Ranking and out of the inner palace.”

“Every disciple on the Heaven Profound Ranking enjoys immense fame and prestige within the Azure Wind Profound Palace, and even throughout the Azure Wind Imperial City. Murong Yi is not only on the Heaven Profound Ranking, but he’s not at the bottom; he’s currently ranked seventy-third. Coupled with his identity as the Grand Marshal of the North’s son, no one in the Azure Wind Profound Palace dares to provoke him.”

“Murong Yi’s temperament isn’t particularly good. If Murong Ye goes to him, Murong Yi might truly take action. At that point, no one will be able to protect you.”

Although Qin Wuyou said this, he knew in his heart that if such a thing truly happened, Lan Xueruo would certainly arrange for someone to intervene… because if Murong Yi were to really act against Yun Che, it would be like a tiger swatting a grasshopper… even with Yun Che’s incredibly astonishing growth.

“Let him do as he pleases. I’ve never been afraid of anyone,” Yun Che said, shrugging indifferently.

“Brother-in-law, the people in the inner palace are truly powerful! The lowest profound strength on the Heaven Profound Ranking is at the eighth level of the True Profound Realm! The three most powerful individuals are already in the Spirit Profound Realm! If Murong Ye really invites that cousin from the Heaven Profound Ranking, then… then…” Xia Yuanba stammered.

At least the eighth level of the True Profound Realm… Yun Che’s brow furrowed sharply. The age limit for disciples of the Azure Wind Profound Palace, like other branch palaces, was 15 to 20 years old. Those over 20, unless retained for a position within the palace, would permanently leave the Azure Wind Profound Palace. Therefore, the hundred people on this Heaven Profound Ranking were naturally all under twenty. To reach the eighth level of the True Profound Realm at such an age was unimaginable in either Flowing Cloud City or New Moon City. And those three in the Spirit Profound Realm were even more astonishing. His grandfather, Xiao Lie, nearly sixty years old and the strongest in Flowing Cloud City, was only in the Spirit Profound Realm!

The level of a city directly reflected the level of profound strength. In Flowing Cloud City, Xia Qingyue, who reached the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm at sixteen, was recognized as the number one genius of the younger generation. In New Moon City, Xiao Luocheng, the top young genius, also sixteen, was already at the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm.

And now, in the capital of the Azure Wind Empire, there were even people in the Spirit Profound Realm who were under twenty… the eighth level of the True Profound Realm was merely the minimum threshold for entering the inner palace of the Azure Wind Profound Palace.

“By the way, I haven’t even asked you, young man! Your profound strength has actually reached the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm! It’s only been a month and a half. Even if you ate an immortal pill, it couldn’t be this fast! Did you intentionally hide your profound strength before, using something like a Profound Locking Orb?” Qin Wuyou thought this was increasingly possible, recalling Yun Che’s significant leapfrog challenges in the New Moon Profound Palace.

Yun Che didn’t commit, directly changing the subject: “Palace Master Qin, what is the procedure to enter this Azure Wind Profound Palace?”

Seeing that Yun Che didn’t want to answer, Qin Wuyou stopped asking. He said, “I am no longer the Palace Master; just call me Instructor Qin, or even my name is fine. The Azure Wind Profound Palace has strict rules; everyone must pass an assessment to enter. However, as an instructor, I have two or three opportunities each year for a special arrangement. I originally intended to directly arrange you into the outer palace, but with your current profound strength, it’s no longer necessary.”

“You’ve come at a very opportune time. Today is the last day of the Azure Wind Profound Palace’s annual new disciple recruitment assessment. Although registration has long since closed, it’s easy to get you a spot. If you pass the assessment, you can legitimately enter the outer palace of the Azure Wind Profound Palace, which saves a lot of trouble compared to me directly arranging you in. And I believe you’d prefer this method as well,” Qin Wuyou said, stroking his long beard and smiling.

Xia Yuanba also nodded, “Yes, yes! This entrance assessment lasts for ten days, and today happens to be the last day. Brother-in-law is now at the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm, so he’ll definitely pass, and he’s young, so even in the outer palace, he’ll be very remarkable.”

After saying this, Xia Yuanba’s expression suddenly dimmed… His profound strength was only at the sixth level of the Elementary Profound Realm. This level of profound strength was decent in Flowing Cloud City, but it was completely unremarkable in the Azure Wind Imperial City. He had been brought into the palace by Qin Wuyou, anxiously awaiting news of Yun Che, while daily cleaning the outer palace’s Profound Pavilion, enduring countless surprised and disdainful glances… Indeed, everyone looked at him as if he were an inferior piece of trash, and his profound strength in the Azure Wind Profound Palace could only be described as useless. As for cultivating profound energy in the outer palace of the Azure Wind Profound Palace… that was something he dared not even dream of.

“Of course, no problem.” Yun Che nodded without hesitation. Between entering through an assessment and “pulling strings,” he would naturally choose the former. He glanced at Xia Yuanba and said, “Instructor Qin, since you have a few opportunities for special arrangements, how about giving the opportunity you were going to use for me to Yuanba?”

“Ah?” Xia Yuanba’s expression immediately became excited.

“This…” Qin Wuyou hesitated. It wasn’t that he was stingy, but… Xia Yuanba’s profound strength was simply too low, miles away even from the lowest threshold of the outer palace. He did have special opportunities, but they should at least be for someone in the Nascent Profound Realm, not too far from the minimum threshold. An Elementary Profound Realm practitioner entering the Azure Wind Profound Palace… it was almost comical. It was highly likely to provoke strong opposition from other instructors and the Vice Palace Master.

However, Xia Yuanba was pure-hearted, and Qin Wuyou was quite fond of him. Plus, this was Yun Che’s request…

He gritted his teeth, looking at Yun Che with an extremely strange gaze, his tone even more bizarre: “Young man Yun Che, first answer me a question… did you really and Xueruo… cough, cough, sleep together?”

“Yes, is there anything unusual about that?” Yun Che said with an innocent expression.

Qin Wuyou’s facial features twitched in unison. He swallowed hard and said, “Good! I also like this child, Yuanba. After you pass the assessment, I will directly arrange him into the outer palace. But I must warn you, the Azure Wind Profound Palace has all sorts of disciples. Yuanba’s profound strength is too low, and he’s very likely to suffer a lot of bullying…”

“He won’t,” Yun Che said, shaking his head, a faint smile on his face, his voice peaceful with a hint of cold determination: “I won’t let anyone bully Yuanba.”

“R-really? I can really join the Azure Wind Profound Palace?” Xia Yuanba’s eyes widened, his hands and feet fumbling with excitement, his words incoherent. Being able to enter the New Moon Profound Palace had already made him overjoyed. To join this highest profound palace, something countless profound practitioners dreamed of, had always been beyond his wildest dreams. He had come to the Azure Wind Imperial City simply to get news of Yun Che, never harboring such extravagant hopes, and now, immense happiness had suddenly descended from the heavens.

“Hahahaha, I wouldn’t lie to you youngsters.” Seeing Xia Yuanba’s joyful expression, Qin Wuyou’s mood also brightened. After a hearty laugh, he extended his hand to Yun Che, holding a Sound Transmission Jade: “Come, young man Yun Che, record my sound transmission imprint. If you need anything in the future, you can transmit a message to me anytime.”

“Uh…” Yun Che scratched his head awkwardly. “I don’t have a Sound Transmission Jade yet.”

“Oh.” Qin Wuyou withdrew his hand. “I’ll have someone prepare one for you in a few days. For now, come with me to the Profound Palace’s central square. With your current age and profound strength, passing the entrance assessment will be no problem at all. Perhaps next year or the year after, you’ll even have a chance to directly enter the middle palace. At that time, you’ll have a considerable status here in the Azure Wind Imperial City.”

One more chapter, likely around three or four o’clock…