Chapter 200: First Beauty

"Choosing disciples for the competition will require some extra effort," Qin Wuyou said, sounding a bit helpless. "We'll have to select the fourth and fifth-place finishers from the selection tournament, but finding and preparing them might take a bit more time."

Yun Che suddenly asked, "Palace Chief Qin, earlier, Senior Sister mentioned that the sect rankings in the Ranking Tournament are based on the highest-ranked disciple, not the average ranking. Is that true?"

Qin Wushang nodded. "Indeed. For example, if one sect has a disciple ranked first individually, while their other two disciples are outside the top hundred, and another sect's disciples are ranked second, third, and fourth respectively, the former will still hold the first position in the sect ranking. The latter will only be second. This is because cultivating a single top-tier expert is the most crucial indicator of a sect's strength."

Yun Che smiled, then stated proudly, "In that case, wouldn't it be enough for me to represent the Imperial Family alone? Although Fen Juechen, Feng Bufan, and Fang Feilong are impressive, I'm confident that their rankings in the tournament won't surpass mine. The other disciples in the Profound Palace won't either. So, why waste time summoning more disciples?"

"This... what you're saying is indeed true, but the opportunity to participate in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament is incredibly rare," Qin Wuyou replied. "Regardless of rank, being present at the event itself can bring immense benefits to any young profound practitioner. Such an opportunity naturally shouldn't be wasted."

"I understand that," Yun Che said. "If we had ample time, we could certainly choose two more participating disciples. However, there are only two days left until the Ranking Tournament. Leaving now, time is already tight. If we were to select and prepare more disciples, we'd likely run out of time. And if any small complications arise along the way, causing us to miss arriving at Heavenly Sword Villa on time, it would be a complete loss."

"This..." Qin Wushang found Yun Che's words unrefutable.

Yun Che turned to Xia Yuanba and asked, "Yuanba, would you like to go and see the Ranking Tournament in person?"

"Huh? Want to... Of course I want to!" Xia Yuanba nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking rice. "When I was very young, Uncle Sikong told me about the Ranking Tournament. He said it gathers the empire's most elite young talents, and being there is a life-changing experience. Of course, I've always dreamed of it."

His expression then dimmed. "But, I don't have the qualifications to enter a place like that. I'm only in the Elementary Profound Realm now. I didn't think much of it back in Floating Cloud City, but coming to the Blue Wind Profound Palace, I realized my profound strength isn't even enough to be considered at the bottom. As for the Ranking Tournament, I wouldn't dare to dream of it in this lifetime. Brother-in-law, you must do your best in the tournament, get a good ranking, and then tell me all about it."

"No! I refuse. I'm too lazy to tell you," Yun Che said with a grin.

"Uh..." Xia Yuanba scratched his head.

"If you want to know what the Ranking Tournament is like, go see it yourself," Yun Che said, then turned to Qin Wushang. "Palace Chief Qin, I have a selfish request, and I hope you can grant it. Since choosing new disciples might well delay us, and leaving the spot empty would be a waste, how about bringing Yuanba along?"

Qin Wushang understood what Yun Che was going to say halfway through his sentence. He could only force a wry smile. "This puts me in a difficult position. There's really no precedent for such a thing."

Bringing a disciple who is only in the Elementary Profound Realm to the Ranking Tournament would be even more "eye-catching" than bringing the injured Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong.

This wasn't just inappropriate; it was outright ludicrous. To put it bluntly, bringing an Elementary Profound Realm disciple to a Ranking Tournament where the world's top young talents gather would practically lower the entire event's prestige. Before the competition even began, the Blue Wind Profound Palace, and even the Imperial Family, would likely be drowned in ridicule and scorn.

However, Cang Yue disregarded all of this. Faced with the "returned" Yun Che, her entire heart was now fixated on him. Her emotions, after extreme suppression and despair, now overflowed with immense joy. Her status as a princess, the Ranking Tournament—everything was secondary to Yun Che. Whatever Yun Che said, she affirmed: "Palace Chief Qin, Junior Brother Yun is right. If we select new disciples, we might miss the Ranking Tournament. While bringing Yuanba might be slightly unconventional, you've seen Junior Brother Yun's strength. He can even easily defeat Fen Juechen. This time, he will certainly achieve a very good ranking for the Imperial Family. Junior Brother Yun's request is not excessive at all."

With Princess Cang Yue's endorsement, Qin Wushang naturally had nothing more to say. He could only let out a bitter chuckle and reply, "Very well, since Your Royal Highness also agrees, we won't select any other disciples. We'll bring Yuanba along."

As he spoke, he groaned inwardly... *Damn it! What a mess this is!* The Blue Wind Ranking Tournament is such an important and serious event. The three original disciples were injured, and one was forced out in the blink of an eye. Now, they're being replaced by one who's unexpectedly strong and another who's pathetically weak... A major matter concerning the Imperial Family's prestige has become a complete farce.

*Forget it, so be it.*

"However, in exchange, Yun Che, I also have two requests," Qin Wushang said with a serious expression. "First, Yuanba can come, but his status must be the same as ours: an accompanying guest, not a participant."

"Alright," Yun Che nodded. His goal was to fulfill Xia Yuanba's wish of being present at the event. As for letting him participate, even if Xia Yuanba truly wanted to, Yun Che wouldn't allow it. At that arena, Xia Yuanba was simply too weak; if an opponent were even slightly malicious, Yuanba could be gravely injured.

"Second," Qin Wushang looked directly at Yun Che and said with extreme seriousness, "I hope your individual ranking in this tournament... can enter the top hundred! Listen carefully, individual ranking, not sect ranking!"

"Ah!" Before Yun Che could respond, Cang Yue exclaimed in surprise.

In the previous Ranking Tournament, the Blue Wind Imperial Family's sect ranking was two hundred and twenty-third, but their highest individual ranking was only five hundred and thirty-seventh! For other sects, such a ranking might be considered an honor, enough to be called a hegemon in their region. But for the dignified Imperial Family, holding power over the world, such a ranking was merely a laughingstock... and for many years, their rankings had been consistently dismal.

Let alone an individual ranking, even a sect ranking within the top hundred had only ever been the Blue Wind Emperor's dream, never realized.

Yet, what Qin Wushang had just stated was for Yun Che to enter the top hundred in individual ranking!

This meant making it into the top one hundred among the world's most elite young talents under twenty years old!

Those who could enter the top hundred were all among the strongest of the strong. Each one was famous throughout the world and destined to make waves across the four seas in the future.

If Yun Che's individual ranking truly entered the top hundred, then the Blue Wind Imperial Family's sect ranking wouldn't just be entering the top hundred; it would very likely place within the top fifty! It would be a complete vindication, a moment of triumph.

Qin Wushang giving Yun Che such a goal was certainly not to intentionally make things difficult or to speak idly. Yun Che's instant defeat of Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong had shocked Qin Wushang, and the strength he displayed against Fen Juechen earlier had astonished him even further. Having personally attended the previous two Ranking Tournaments, he had some understanding of the power levels involved. Based on his estimation of Yun Che's strength, it might truly be possible for him to enter the individual top hundred!

"Good!" Yun Che nodded without hesitation. "I will absolutely not disappoint Palace Chief Qin."

"Hm," Qin Wushang nodded with satisfaction.

"Yuanba, did you hear that? You can come with us to the Ranking Tournament now! Hurry and thank Palace Chief Qin and Senior Sister Xueruo," Yun Che said to Xia Yuanba with a smile.

Their conversation had already left Xia Yuanba flustered with excitement, so overjoyed he could barely tell up from down. He stammered, "Thank you, Palace Chief Qin! Th-thank you, Senior Sister Xueruo! I-I-I... I can really go to the R-Ranking Tournament?"

"Hehehe," Qin Wushang chuckled at Xia Yuanba's reaction. He waved to Yuanba. "Yuanba, come, ride a snow eagle with me. We'll set off now."

"Huh? Okay... Okay, okay, okay!" Xia Yuanba nodded frantically, then followed Qin Wushang toward the largest giant snow eagle... Given his build, he really had no choice but to pick the biggest one.

"Junior Brother Yun, let's go too... Little Snow, let's depart."

Yun Che and Cang Yue boarded another giant snow eagle. Both snow eagles soared into the sky together and soon disappeared into the distant horizon.

The giant snow eagles rode the wind, quickly reaching several thousand feet in the sky. Their speed was swift, yet their flight was exceptionally stable. As the two snow eagles inevitably had slightly different speeds, they soon distanced themselves from each other, eventually losing sight of one another.

"Junior Brother Yun..."

With no outsiders present, Cang Yue, who had been trying to suppress her emotions, finally let out a soft cry and embraced Yun Che tightly, holding him very hard for a long time before letting go.

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister, for making you worry about me," Yun Che murmured, holding her soft body in return.

"No, it was my fault. I was just overthinking things. I should have trusted you... trusted that nothing would happen to you." Lan Xueruo closed her eyes and spoke softly, calmly and peacefully enjoying the warmth of the moment.

"Senior Sister..."

With a joyful cry, the giant snow eagle accelerated again. Unbeknownst to them, they had already flown beyond the boundaries of Blue Wind Imperial City.

This was their second time riding a giant snow eagle together. Their first shared ride had also marked their first shared hardship. Cang Yue's feelings for him had evolved from simple regard to increasingly deep reliance, and now to an inseparable attachment.

Cang Yue leaned on Yun Che's chest and quietly said, "Junior Brother Yun, your bond with Yuanba is truly strong. When he heard what happened to you, he cried like a child. And when he was bullied, you got so angry... You two aren't even blood brothers, yet you're like this. As for my brothers..."

Yun Che tilted his head slightly, speaking with reflection. "Yuanba and I grew up together. When we were little, he wasn't strong; in fact, he was a bit scrawny. Whenever he was bullied, I'd help him. Later, his physique rapidly improved, while I was diagnosed with congenitally crippled profound veins. Almost everyone, both inside and outside the family, looked down on me. Anyone could bully me freely. During that time, it was always Yuanba who protected me, even cutting ties with many playmates who mocked and bullied me, all for his sake. In my eyes, apart from Grandpa and Little Aunt, he was my only true family... Now that I have the power to protect him, if anyone dares to bully him, I will naturally make them pay many times over."

"How can he be your only family? You clearly have a wife..." Cang Yue murmured softly to herself, ending with a tiny huff, filled with the innocent jealousy typical of a young girl.

"Her?" Xia Qingyue's peerless, ethereal beauty appeared in his mind. At sixteen, she was already flawlessly beautiful; having not seen her for a year and a half, at seventeen and a half, she must have grown even more breathtaking. However, although she was his wife in name, she belonged to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, not to him. He said in a calm tone, "While she was decent to me—at least she never looked down on me and always tried to protect my then-fragile dignity—she never truly regarded me as her husband, nor could she see me as family."

In front of one girl, it's best not to talk too much about another, especially one with whom you have a highly sensitive relationship. Yun Che naturally understood this. He immediately changed the subject. "By the way, Senior Sister, have you ever heard the name Chu Yuechan?"

"Chu Yuechan? You mean Chu Yuechan?" Cang Yue's reaction was surprisingly strong, beyond Yun Che's expectation.

"Senior Sister knows that name?"

"Of course I do. In this world, how many people don't know that name?"

Yun Che: "..."

"Chu Yuechan is the leader of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace's renowned 'Seven Fairies of Ice Cloud.' For over twenty years, she has been widely acknowledged as the Blue Wind Empire's foremost beauty, and the strongest female practitioner in her age group, unchallenged by anyone. However, her fame for beauty far surpasses her reputation for power."

Speaking of "Chu Yuechan," Cang Yue's face showed a mix of emotion and yearning. "Many years ago, her admirers were everywhere. Countless people risked their lives to visit the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace just to earn a smile from her, or simply to catch a glimpse. These included the current Sect Master of the Xiao Sect, the Master of Heavenly Sword Villa... and even my Imperial Father. After my Imperial Father saw Chu Yuechan once, he became hopelessly infatuated. He later inherited the throne but never appointed an Empress, solely because of Chu Yuechan. Even now, he often unconsciously mutters the name 'Fairy Bingchan'."

Yun Che's mouth was slightly agape, his face blank.