Chapter 114: Hello, You're So Bad

"Senior Wu, be careful. Chu Chuyan is known as the top talent among the younger generation, a genius among geniuses. You must not be careless," Yuan Wendong warned. He had arranged for Wu Di to face Chu Chuyan because she had always been the pride and symbol of the Chu family. Defeating her publicly would be a huge blow to the Chu family's reputation and would help the Yuan family continue to rise.

"Don't worry, I'm a whole major realm above her; defeating her will be as easy as turning my hand," Wu Di said calmly. His current concern was how to defeat her without revealing his true cultivation level. He glanced at the stage. The Prefect wasn't an issue, but the key was that Chu Zhongtian, Principal Jiang, and others were not easy to fool. It would be troublesome if they noticed any discrepancies.

At that moment, Yue Shan was also cautioning Chu Chuyan: "Miss, your opponent is another unknown. Judging from previous matches, these types are tough contenders, so be careful."

Chu Chuyan hummed in response, her expression completely serene.

Yue Shan couldn't help but chuckle, thinking he was truly worrying needlessly. How could the Young Miss possibly lose?

Meanwhile, Qin Wanru was discussing with her husband: "Husband, even if Chuyan wins this match, we'll only be leading 4-3. There are still two more matches after this. Are we really going to lose this time?"

Clearly, she had great confidence in her eldest daughter, but none whatsoever in the remaining two participants.

Chu Zhongtian also looked somewhat worried. "In the previous rounds, the Yuan family's experts gave their all. The person Xiao Zhao is up against shouldn't have a very high cultivation level. Plus, with the unique properties of her 'Wailing Whip,' Xiao Zhao still has a chance to win."

He didn't sound very confident as he said this; after all, his second daughter was usually spoiled and headstrong and didn't put much effort into cultivation.

As for Zu An facing Yuan Wendong, he simply ignored it, knowing that match was a certain loss.

He frowned deeply. It didn't make sense. Even with the Wu family's assistance, their younger generation's cultivation levels were nowhere near those of the Chu family. Why had so many unknown experts suddenly appeared this time? It was truly bizarre.

At that moment, Chu Chuyan lightly touched her toes, and her graceful figure slowly descended onto the arena stage. Her skirts billowed, and as she stood there, her elegant and otherworldly aura, combined with her graceful movements, instantly drew cheers from the entire training ground.

"Miss Chu, we support you!"

"Miss Chu is indeed a peerless beauty. I wonder what kind of man will be fortunate enough to have her."

"Are these men crazy? Did they take aphrodisiacs?"

Hearing the cheers from the entire crowd, Shi Kun on stage smiled slightly. "As expected of the woman this young master has set his sights on; she actually has such high popularity. Only this young master is worthy of such a perfect woman."

Suddenly, Zu An's face popped into his mind, and Shi Kun's smile immediately froze. He felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

Zu An was originally casually eating melon seeds and watching the show from below the stage when he suddenly noticed a large wave of rage points coming in from the backstage. He was immediately amused. Evidently, it was because Chu Chuyan was so beautiful, and many people felt indignant thinking she was married to someone like him.

"Ah, this is what you call excellent! Just lying around and earning money," Zu An couldn't help but exclaim.

"Earning money? What kind of money?" Chu Huanzhao, who was standing nearby, instantly perked up, grabbing his sleeve and asking.

Zu An gave her a strange look. This girl had tasted the sweetness of success with him last time; was she now hooked?

"Uh, you misheard," he quickly said to divert her attention. "What's your sister's cultivation level anyway?"

"Probably peak fifth rank, but I'm not entirely sure of the exact level," Chu Huanzhao replied.

Zu An was immediately amused: "She's your sister, and you don't even know?"

Chu Huanzhao huffed, "I don't care about such things."

At this moment, the Yuan family's contestant also ascended the stage. Zu An's eyes widened, intending to get a good look. He realized he had never seen his "bargain wife" fight officially before, and wondered how far he still was from the true masters of this world.

"I am Di Wu, here to experience Miss Chu's Snowflake Divine Sword!" Wu Di stepped onto the stage, one step at a time. Gazing at the white-clad woman opposite him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Her beautiful eyes were as deep and captivating as a starry night, her skin like snow, and her lips red, her features picturesque. Just a simple glance made his heart, long dormant for years, pound wildly.

Suddenly, a wave of melancholy washed over him. If he were truly a young man who had cultivated to the sixth rank, he would relentlessly pursue her. Alas, he was already middle-aged, and his potential was exhausted. Such a peerless beauty was destined to be beyond his reach.

He wondered what kind of man could be worthy of such a world-shaking beauty!

Then he suddenly recalled the information he had received: the Chu family's eldest daughter had chosen a notoriously useless man from Brightmoon City as her son-in-law. How? What virtue or ability did that fellow possess? I'm better than him, so what right does *he* have to possess such a fairy-like woman!

Rage points from Wu Di: 999!

Zu An was originally eating melon seeds and watching the show from below when he was startled by the sudden surge of rage points. What was wrong with this Wu Di?

He looked around and finally pinpointed the Yuan family contestant on stage, who was staring intently at him.

Zu An pondered, "Wu Di, Di Wu... interesting."

At that moment, an official from the City Lord's Manor announced the start of the match. Wu Di on stage also composed himself. Gazing at the stunning woman opposite him, destined to be beyond his reach forever, he thought, "Today, I'll make you remember me forever. Remember the devastating defeat I bring you today."

He drew his long saber, and a red flame coiled around it. Behind him, a phantom image of a fierce tiger seemed to shimmer into existence. A wave of scorching heat spread outwards, and the oppressive aura caused many spectators close to the arena to change their expressions.

"He's actually a high-level fifth-rank cultivator! Where did the Yuan family find so many experts?"

"And he's fire-elemental, which happens to be antithetical to Miss Chu's ice element."

"I wonder who will overcome whom."

"Fire can overcome ice, but ice can also overcome fire. It really depends on both parties' mastery."

Chu Chuyan's expression remained calm as she slowly drew her long sword. Its blade was transparent with a faint blue tint, and as it was exposed to the air, wisps of white mist curled around it, clearly indicating an extremely low temperature causing the surrounding moisture to condense.

Zu An thought, *No wonder my bargain wife has such a cold personality; even her weapon is a piece of ice. How could she not be cold normally?* He then wondered, *Her temperament is cold and aloof, her cultivation method is ice-related, and she carries such an icy object on her all day. Could the cold energy enter her body and cause dysmenorrhea?*

He initially wanted to ask his sister-in-law beside him, but ultimately decided against it. Asking such a question would probably make him seem like a pervert.

Wu Di let out a roar, raising his long saber. He charged towards his opponent with terrifying momentum, like a burning tiger.

From below, Zu An watched in surprise. This fellow's attacks came with special effects; he clearly wasn't a simple character. He wondered if his bargain wife could block him.

Chu Chuyan slowly raised her sword, without many flashy moves. With a flick of her wrist, she thrust the sword straight towards her opponent.

With a crisp "clang," Chu Chuyan's sword tip struck the opponent's saber. The ferocious flaming tiger instantly vanished, and a strong gust of wind spread out from around the two of them.

Spectators on one side felt incredibly hot, while those on the other side felt their bodies turn cold.

The two separated after a single touch. Wu Di gazed at the beautiful figure several yards away, utterly shocked. This woman's skill in manipulating primal energy was far beyond his own. Was this the difference between himself and the world's true geniuses?

*However, no matter how much of a genius she is, she can't erase the nearly twenty years of cultivation time I have over her. Today, you are destined to lose.*

At this moment, Chu Chuyan also subtly furrowed her brows. The opponent's abundant primal energy was truly beyond her expectation. *It seems he must be the strongest among the Yuan family's contestants this time. Was he specifically chosen to deal with me?*

Although both were lost in their own thoughts, their hands did not pause. They quickly clashed again, their blades and swords meeting. Their figures blurred into a series of afterimages. Chu Chuyan's movements were graceful, while Di Wu's attacks were fierce and brave. They seemed evenly matched.

"This person can actually fight Miss Chu to a draw!"

"When did the Yuan family get an expert like this?"

Hearing the widespread discussion in the training ground, Qin Wanru felt a little worried for her daughter. "Husband, what exactly is this man's background?"

Chu Zhongtian's brows furrowed deeply. "I don't know, but I always feel there's something strange about this man. Normally, Chu Chuyan's Snowflake Divine Sword carries an icy aura that penetrates to the bone with every move. Opponents facing her are usually affected by her coldness, their movements inevitably becoming sluggish, then the gap widens, and they quickly collapse. But this Di Wu seems completely unaffected by her cold aura, which is truly odd."

Qin Wanru guessed, "Could it be because he cultivates a fire-elemental technique, which happens to counteract Chuyan's cold aura?"

"Perhaps," Chu Zhongtian said, continuing to watch the battle.

At this point, the two on the stage had temporarily separated, each recuperating their surging primal energy.

Wu Di looked at his hands, which were already covered with a layer of frost. With a thought, a burst of flame swept over them, and his hands returned to normal. He couldn't help but chuckle, "I've long heard that Miss Chu's Snowflake Divine Sword is incredibly marvelous, and seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. Next, I'm going to get serious, so Miss Chu, please be careful."

Yuan Wendong, below the stage, frowned, thinking, *Why is Senior Wu so talkative today? It's unlike his usual aloof demeanor.*

Only Zu An roughly guessed the reason: "Hmph, this guy must have seen how beautiful my dear wife is and wants to show off in front of her to attract her attention."

What reassured him was that Chu Chuyan showed no reaction whatsoever, still standing silently like an ice beauty, her gaze as calm as water.

Gazing at her clear, water-like eyes, Wu Di couldn't help but breathe rapidly. Alas, such a woman was destined to be beyond his reach. All his hatred and regret burst forth.

Blade of Burning Heavens!

He leaped into mid-air, holding his long saber pointed skyward. The flames on the saber suddenly surged, then transformed into a flaming blade dozens of meters long.

"Wow, even Kumārajīva's Fire Blade isn't as cool as yours!" Zu An straightened up in his seat. "I should learn some flashy moves like that in the future. Once I use one, I'll instantly gain a ton of female fans."

Chu Huanzhao, beside him, pouted, "Di Wu used it, and I don't see him gaining any female fans."

Zu An waved his hand. "That's because his appearance is too poor. Only handsome people like me can make such moves effective."

Although he spoke casually, he still felt a little nervous for Chu Chuyan. He wondered if she could handle it. If she were injured by that move, even just losing a few strands of hair would be a tremendous loss.

Chu Chuyan held her sword horizontally across her chest. As the blade slowly swayed, snowflakes appeared out of thin air within several yards around her. Soon, more and more snowflakes appeared, and she stood there like a goddess in a blizzard.

The spectators in the training ground exclaimed:

"Wow, so beautiful!"

"You're ignoring the danger beneath the beauty; every single snowflake in there could freeze you into an icicle."

"Miss Chu is so cold all day. Do you think her husband will freeze to death in the middle of the night if he sleeps holding her?"

"What do you know? Even the coldest woman is warm on the inside."

"Oh, you're naughty."