**Chapter 43: The Yellow-haired Guy Is Still Chasing Me, TMD!**
“What’s that Yun Zhonghe up to now?”
Every time Mu Jixue saw Yun Zhonghe, she felt a chill run down her spine as if her body was instinctively tightening in all the right… uh… spots. She could smell the trouble brewing!
Naturally, Yun Zhonghe picked up on Mu Jixue’s fiery gaze and thought, “What a pity! If only she knew I’m willing to step down from my lofty status for her childhood buddy, maybe she’d be so touched she’d want to become my brother!”
But of course, that was just Yun Zhonghe’s delusional fantasy.
Shaking off these silly thoughts, Yun Zhonghe focused on the tiny token tucked away in his sleeve. It was a small, bl**d-red token—only an inch long and half an inch wide—perfect for hiding in the palm of his hand, and it had the ability to conceal his presence. Unless someone pried open his palm, they wouldn’t even know it was there.
This token was called the Disguise Spirit Token, a low-grade magical treasure he borrowed from his dad at noon. It was one of the Yun family’s prized possessions, allowing the wearer to mask their spiritual energy and even fake their cultivation level. Of course, it could only mimic levels below the Golden Core Stage.
Yun Zhonghe needed this little gadget to cheat.
His cultivation was linked to Mu Jixue’s; she had already reached the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer. With her level, she could easily be in the top three!
While others might think higher cultivation is always better, Yun Zhonghe didn’t want that. Becoming the champion would mean he couldn’t name Lin Feng as his target anymore. After all, Lin Feng had the highest cultivation; the other two were at Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer and Third Layer.
“Better not lower my level too much. Master Youyue knows my cultivation has hit Foundation Establishment; let’s just pretend I’m at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer instead.”
That sounded just about right, enough to avoid suspicion without raising eyebrows.
With everything set, he started the test.
“Yun Zhonghe, Mid-level Grade B in talent, Foundation Establishment Second Layer!”
“Overall score: Above Average!”
“Pass!”
When Yun Zhonghe’s score came out, some folks raised their eyebrows, while others shrugged it off.
The surprised ones were like, “Wait a minute! Didn’t he just reach Qi Refinement Ninth Layer? How did he sh**t up to Foundation Establishment Second Layer so fast?”
But the nonchalant folks thought, “With the Yun family’s money, even a pig could reach Foundation Establishment if you thrown enough Dan Pills at it. What’s the big deal?”
Even Yun Zhongtian was a bit surprised: “This kid secretly reached Foundation Establishment without telling me?”
Though his mouth didn’t let up, his heart was actually feeling good – it showed his son was making progress!
Yun Zhonghe’s testing didn’t stir up much drama; in fact, a lot of people thought his little show was just pointless.
Lin Feng from the Lin family didn’t notice anything odd either; he simply snorted disdainfully.
Only Yun Zhonghe realized this was just the appetizer; the real action was yet to come.
Being the last family to take the test, once Yun Zhonghe finished, the rest of the participants quickly wrapped up too.
In the end, there were fewer than thirty passing candidates.
“Next up is the final test! As per tradition, the three with the highest cultivation will serve as the champions, and the rest can challenge them freely. The victor becomes the new champion, and the loser loses their qualification! After one hour, the last three standing on the stage will become the new disciples of our Xuantian Sect!”
After briefly explaining the rules, Master Youyue turned her gaze towards the thirty qualified candidates, including Lin Zhongyu and Yun Zhonghe, who were all pumped and ready to go.
“Lin Feng of the Lin family, Han Zifeng of the Han family, and Xiao Feng of the Xiao family, step up!”
Upon hearing their names, the three “madmen” kicked off, jumping onto the three stages with synchronized flair.
Seriously, can’t the cultivation world come up with better names? Yun Zhonghe thought, feeling a little snarky.
Lin Feng was practically bouncing off the walls; this was crucial for their lineage’s future! He was all geared up and ready for combat.
As he stepped onto the stage, his eyes locked onto Lin Zhongyu. She noticed the fiery intensity in his gaze, and instead of backing down, she shot him back a fierce look of her own.
Lin Feng scoffed, “Oh, feeling bold? Just because you’re attached to that playboy from the Yun family doesn’t mean you’ll stop being a loser. You probably licked his boots too!”
For years, she’d acted like a waste; why push her luck now? He was ready to knock her down and put her hopes to rest!
His scoff morphed into a sinister grin. He was fully ready to hurt her this time, even pre-dosing with that magic Dan Pill from his father!
This little pill could boost him beyond his limits without any left-over effects, perfect for keeping it all under wraps!
Sure, it came with a hefty price to his health, and his father warned him to use it only if absolutely necessary, but wasn’t this the ultimate “absolutely necessary” situation?
After all, on the stage, punches and kicks are fair game; if he accidentally turned her into a pancake, as long as she didn’t d*e, that was cool!
“Oh poor little sister, you just climbed up to heaven, but I’m ready to send you tumbling down to hell! Can’t wait to see that despair on your face~”
Lin Feng cackled with dark glee.
Those sinister thoughts didn’t escape Lin Zhongyu; even her Golden Emperor Sacred Eyes caught a glimpse of Lin Feng’s erratic spiritual energy tinged in bl**d red, resembling the Demon Path.
She figured it was time to put an end to this madness.
Meanwhile, high above on a platform, Mu Jixue noticed something was off with Lin Feng. She had been keeping her eyes on Lin Zhongyu, worried about her. When she saw the clash of glares between them, unease gripped her heart.
Combining today’s chaos with what she was witnessing, she quickly put the pieces together.
“Oh no! That guy is planning to harm Xiao Yu!”
But our protagonist seemed to always be a step behind, unfortunately typical of every tale.
“I declare the final test NOW!”
Master Youyue’s announcement echoed, and Lin Feng immediately pointed a finger at Lin Zhongyu.
“Lin Zhongyu, do you dare—”
“I’ll go!”
Before he could finish, a dazzling golden figure leaped onto the stage.
Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, and Lin Zhongyu felt her heart flutter. She had been warned by Tao Jiu’er that Yun Zhonghe would come to her aid, but seeing him charge ahead without a second thought ignited her emotions.
There stood Yun Zhonghe, hands behind his back, straight as a sword. He looked like a proud pine tree standing tall against the odds, commanding respect.
His eyes were piercing, like a battle god glaring down at Lin Feng.
That aura was enough to catch everyone’s attention and send chills down spines.
“Wait a minute! I called out Lin Zhongyu first! Why’re YOU jumping in, Yun Zhonghe?” Lin Feng fumed.
Yun Zhonghe! Yun Zhonghe! Why is it always him?
Lin Feng finally understood the frustration that only Mu Jixue could feel This yellow-haired nuisance just wouldn’t quit, always meddling in his evil schemes!
