Chapter 211: Reunion

The sneering, contemptuous, jeering, and critical onlookers were all dumbfounded at this moment. Even Fen Juebi and Fen Juecheng’s expressions froze for a split second.

When Yun Che first defeated Fu Yanjie, they could still rationalize it by assuming Fu Yanjie was careless and unlucky, coincidentally struck at a vital point, thus losing strength. But just now, everyone could see that Fu Yinjie’s strike was delivered with full power, without any reservation. The fierce wind from his blade was clearly audible from dozens of yards away. Such a full-force attack would typically force an opponent of the same level to evade; even a direct block might not fully stop it.

Yet, Yun Che not only didn't dodge, but met the attack bare-handed. In an instant, he shattered the massive, profound-energy-infused blade with his palm, and then delivered a kick... a mere, effortless kick, which instantly defeated Fu Yinjie and rendered him unconscious on the spot.

Not even an idiot could still believe this was merely a coincidence.

At the very least, none of the sect disciples who had been constantly mocking, jeering, and flaunting their superiority from a condescending stance could have achieved such a feat. They collectively fell silent, unable to utter another contemptuous word, all staring blankly at Yun Che. Their former disdainful and arrogant gazes now held a look of dazed surprise, even a hint of apprehension and fear, and their faces burned with embarrassment.

"He... is he really only at the True Profound Realm?""Perhaps there's something wrong with the Profound Measuring Stone.""Fu Yanjie defeated in seconds, Fu Yinjie defeated in seconds, one at Spirit Profound Realm Level 2, the other at Spirit Profound Realm Level 3... How could such power come from someone only in the True Profound Realm?"

Yun Che concluded his second battle swiftly and decisively. Originally, he had planned to be more understated in the group stage to avoid drawing too much attention, but to his surprise, someone had already attempted to ambush him right at the start of the competition, and it was an ambush from the Burning Heaven Clan. Given this, he saw no need to hold back. By instantly defeating Fu Yinjie, he delivered a harsh slap to the faces of all who had scorned him, while also declaring to Fen Juecheng... that anyone wishing to ambush Yun Che should first find someone with sufficient qualifications and strength!

"Father, did you see that?" Ling Yun asked in a low voice, turning his gaze after witnessing the extremely brief battle."Indeed," Ling Yuefeng nodded slowly. "It's truly astonishing, even beyond my expectations."A moment later, he added faintly, "Perhaps even more astonishing than my current revised estimation. It's possible he has the strength to enter the top hundred! A True Profound Realm practitioner making it into the top hundred of the ranking tournament would create an incredibly astounding piece of history."Ling Yun slowly nodded. "I think so too. I'm very curious how he, a mere disciple from the Blue Wind Profound Palace with absolutely no advantage in resources or profound arts, can wield profound energy with power far exceeding his profound realm level... How exactly does he do it? Is he truly gifted to such an extent?"

Even before the ranking tournament officially began, Yun Che had garnered significant attention. After two consecutive instant victories, his level of attention skyrocketed. However, the initial attention was tinged with disdain, whereas the latter was pure shock and disbelief. A True Profound Realm disciple had consecutively defeated two Spirit Profound Realm opponents, both in mere seconds! It wasn't just the young disciples; even the accompanying elders, who were seasoned and influential, felt considerable astonishment.

When Yun Che's third match began, there was no longer any jeering from the surroundings, and the number of people watching the match surged again. This opponent was at Spirit Profound Realm Level 3, but he no longer held the confident air of someone sure of victory. Instead, he was much more cautious, only wielding his weapon and directing his profound energy at Yun Che after repeated probing.

Yun Che didn't even glance at the attack. He extended his right arm straight out, effortlessly piercing through the opponent's layers of sword shadows and profound energy defenses. He struck directly above the opponent's chest, sending him tumbling airborne for more than a dozen rotations. When he landed, he was dizzy, and his longsword had flown off to who knew where.

"Thank you... for showing mercy, I concede." The opponent shakily stood up, gratefully bowed to Yun Che, and then admitted defeat before stepping off the stage. He knew very well that Yun Che's strike could have easily inflicted severe injuries, but his continuous mid-air tumbles had allowed the immense force he received to be dispersed layer by layer, leaving him virtually unharmed upon landing.

"Blue Wind Imperial Family's Yun Che wins!"

The third battle was, once again, an instant victory!This time, all eyes on Yun Che held no trace of disdain or ridicule... only shock and profound disbelief.

Perhaps due to good fortune, Yun Che's group had no true masters, not even decent mid-level practitioners. By the end of the day, Yun Che had fought five matches, winning each one with ease. Every victory further etched his name deeper into everyone's minds.

Every ranking tournament sees the emergence of one or more dark horses, but never before had there been such an exaggerated one! With True Profound Realm strength, ranked last among all competing disciples—a full major realm behind even the second-to-last—he still achieved five wins out of five in the first round of the group stage!

As dusk approached, the first day of the tournament concluded. Across thirty sword stages, over two thousand matches had taken place. Among these numerous bouts, there were undoubtedly many spectacular and thrilling contests. However, after the first day's competition, the most talked-about topic was not these, but the super dark horse that had taken everyone by surprise: Yun Che.

No, that's not right... If a disciple from another sect defeated a peer from one of the four major sects, that could be called a dark horse. But Yun Che's profound energy level was undeniably fixed, yet he repeatedly transcended several levels to defeat opponents. This could no longer be called a dark horse; he was a monstrous anomaly that left everyone astonished.

"Haha! Brother-in-law, you wouldn't believe how incredible their expressions were. It looked like their eyeballs were about to pop out! Hehe, I knew that the moment you made your move, you'd give them a huge shock," Xia Yuanba said, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. His enthusiasm made it seem as if he himself had achieved a great victory in the ranking tournament.

"I've reviewed the data for Group 15, and there are no strong practitioners there, at least none from the Four Major Sects. We can only say we were lucky," Qin Wushang said calmly. "Therefore, Yun Che, don't get complacent just because today's matches were too easy. All the opponents you faced today were of lower-tier strength; not a single one would qualify for the top seven hundred."

"I understand," Yun Che nodded.

Just then, five ethereal figures in white robes, with an aura of floating ice spirits, slowly approached them. At first glance, it was like seeing five celestial maidens of the azure waves stepping down from the clouds, instantly giving one the sensation of being in an immortal realm.

Seeing them, Yun Che paused, slightly startled, and instinctively stopped walking.

"Ah... it's Sister!""Sister, Sister!"Having grown up with a beauty like Xia Qingyue, combined with his rather simple-minded nature, Xia Yuanba possessed a strong immunity to beautiful women. The stunning women of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, coupled with their extraordinary aura, were enough to make even experienced elders lose themselves in admiration for extended periods, let alone hot-blooded youths. But Xia Yuanba had no such trouble; he simply let out a surprised cry of joy and jogged towards Xia Qingyue, almost completely ignoring the other Frozen Cloud Palace women around her.

"Yuanba?" Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and she stopped. Caught off guard by encountering Xia Yuanba here, she looked at her now taller and sturdier younger brother. The usual coldness in her eyes completely dissipated, and her voice was soft with surprise as she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xia Yuanba's large frame stopped before Xia Qingyue, his face beaming with excitement. Xia Qingyue had previously remained at home, and this was the first time Xia Yuanba had been separated from her for so long, so naturally, he missed her. Now that they had finally met, he was overjoyed. "Sister, brother-in-law and I aren't in Floating Cloud City anymore. We first went to New Moon City, and then eight months ago, we went to Blue Wind Profound Palace together. I came here to accompany brother-in-law for the ranking tournament; I knew I'd meet you, Sister! You've become so powerful now, Sister; I watched every one of your matches today. If Father knew how strong you've become, he'd be overjoyed... Sister, how are you doing over there? Has anyone bullied you? When are you coming home...?"

The excited Xia Yuanba poured out a torrent of words to Xia Qingyue. The mention of "brother-in-law" made Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin, who were beside Xia Qingyue, glance sideways simultaneously, both revealing strange expressions.

"..." Xia Qingyue's gaze flickered, and she looked at Yun Che, who was standing just ahead. "Yuanba, is he... could he be...?"

"Huh?" Xia Yuanba looked at Yun Che, then at Xia Qingyue, rubbed his head, and widened his eyes. "He's brother-in-law! Has it only been a year and a half, and you can't recognize him, Sister? That's strange, brother-in-law hasn't really changed much in the past two years."

Xia Qingyue: "..."

Chu Yueli had also heard Xia Yuanba's words clearly. Her gaze shifted, and she looked at Yun Che with a hint of surprise. "You are Xiao Che, the one who married Qingyue in Floating Cloud City?"

"Ah?" Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin simultaneously let out an uncontrolled gasp, staring at Yun Che with wide, beautiful eyes.

Only Chu Yuechan, though she also stopped, kept her gaze cold and unwavering, looking straight ahead, as if detached from the mortal world.

Yun Che, the super dark horse, had garnered the attention of the entire venue today, naturally including the Frozen Cloud Asgard. However, for Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli, although Yun Che looked almost identical to the Xiao Che they knew, they had never believed that Yun Che *was* Xiao Che. The disparity between the two was simply too vast, so vast that they seemed to exist in two completely different worlds with no possible intersection. They had both been convinced that this Yun Che merely bore an extreme resemblance to Xiao Che.

Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin had even less expected that the person they had been discussing for so long was actually the husband Xia Qingyue had married. But wasn't the man she married rumored to have crippled profound veins, destined to be a cripple for life? How could this be...?

Yun Che stepped forward and respectfully said, "Yun Che, a disciple of the Blue Wind Profound Palace. It is an honor to meet the esteemed immortal maidens of the Frozen Cloud Asgard. Indeed, I was named Xiao Che when I was in Floating Cloud City, but now, my surname is Yun and my given name is Che." He then turned his gaze to Xia Qingyue and smiled slightly. "Qingyue, long time no see."

Xia Qingyue subtly nodded in response, her posture serene and graceful.

Receiving a definitive answer from Yun Che, Chu Yueli's eyes wavered, filled with shock.She had witnessed the entire process when Xiao Che was expelled from the Xiao Sect, observing from above. At that time, Xiao Che's profound veins were still crippled, a deeply rooted defect that had persisted from childhood into adulthood, making recovery seemingly impossible. Even if he had experienced some heaven-defying fortune the very next day, allowing his profound veins to heal, only eighteen months had passed since then. A restored profound vein would surely require cultivation from scratch. This meant that Yun Che had progressed from zero to his current True Profound Realm Level 10 in just eighteen months!This was a fact that even she, as one of the "Seven Frozen Cloud Fairies," found hard to fully believe or accept.