This cold-looking man was Ouyang Qingqing, who possessed the formidable cultivation of the Late-Stage Eighth Layer of Life Palace Realm.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze turned to Su Qinghe.
"Has Su Qinghe gone mad?! How dare he provoke an peerless prodigy from Bright Moon Academy?!"
"This—I heard Su Qinghe was severely injured and his cultivation plummeted. Could his brain be damaged as well?"
"..."
At this moment, the crowd broke into a flurry of discussion.
And the next sentence caused an even greater uproar among the spectators.
"Oh, it's nothing," Su Qinghe replied indifferently.
"Arrogant! Brat, do you take me for deaf?" Fire blazed in Ouyang Qingqing's eyes. As a genius of Bright Moon Academy, Ouyang Qingqing was met with cheers wherever he went.
Never had he expected that someone in this remote Yangzhou City would dare to speak to him like this; it was undoubtedly a blatant provocation.
"Brat, do you know who I am?" Ouyang Qingqing demanded angrily.
"It's over. The grand tournament hasn't even started, and Su Qinghe is already bringing trouble upon himself and the Yun family."
"Oh? Do I need to know who you are? Besides, what I said is none of your concern," Su Qinghe retorted forcefully.
No sooner had Su Qinghe finished speaking, and before anyone could react, Ouyang Qingqing's figure flashed as he threw a punch straight at Su Qinghe.
Many people with low cultivation levels in the arena were forced back by the overwhelming pressure of the aura.
"Too strong! Is this what a peerless genius can do?"
"The Late-Stage Eighth Layer of Life Palace Realm!"
City Lord Zhou Xing and the powerhouses from several families exclaimed in shock.
Feeling the powerful rushing qi heading straight toward him, Su Qinghe remained unmoved. Yun Tian stepped forward, intending to shield Su Qinghe from the blow.
However, Su Qinghe stepped out first, arched his body, stamped his right foot on the ground, and shot forward like a streak of light, meeting the attack with a punch of his own.
"Ah! Su Qinghe actually dares to fight back!"
"Wait, the Peak of the Third Layer of Pill Opening Realm! His cultivation really has dropped."
"Using the Third Layer of Pill Opening Realm against the Eighth Layer of Life Palace Realm—isn't that just seeking death?"
"Bang!" Their fists collided with a loud crash.
Su Qinghe's figure was thrown back twenty-four zhang, but to everyone's utter shock, Ouyang Qingqing actually retreated half a step as well!
Though it was only half a step, this was the Third Layer of Pill Opening Realm going up against the Eighth Layer of Life Palace Realm!
"Good heavens, what did I just see?!"
"Why is Su Qinghe's combat power still so formidable even though his realm has plummeted?"
Zhou Xing, Lin Dongtian, Xie Wuji, Liu Dong, and everyone else familiar with Su Qinghe felt as though their brains were about to short-circuit. What was going on here?
"Hmph, no wonder you dared to speak so wildly. To be able to take a punch from me shows you have some skill, but I only used thirty percent of my power just now. The chasm between our realms is something you cannot possibly imagine." A flash of ruthlessness crossed Ouyang Qingqing's eyes as he prepared to strike again.
"Ouyang, step back!" Beigong Han said softly. He had witnessed the recent clash, and this Su Qinghe had piqued his interest.
Astonishment was likewise evident in the eyes of Xiao Se and the other two genius maidens standing nearby.
Others might not know, but they understood Ouyang Qingqing's strength. To put it mildly, an ordinary practitioner at the Eighth Layer of Life Palace Realm could not have blocked that punch so easily. It seemed this Su Qinghe was no simple character.
"Instructor Beigong, my son is young and lacks discretion. Please forgive him," Yun Tian stepped forward and bowed slightly to Beigong Han.
"It is of no consequence! Your name is Su Qinghe?" Beigong Han waved his hand casually, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Su Qinghe.
"Instructor Beigong, I am Su Qinghe. How may I help you?" Su Qinghe suppressed the surging spiritual qi within his body.
"Not bad. Su Qinghe? You are not on the registration list." Beigong Han looked at the list of contestants in front of Zhou Xing.
"Instructor Beigong, I am not participating in the tournament," Su Qinghe replied calmly.
"Oh? May I know why?" From Beigong Han's perspective, given Su Qinghe's age and talent, it was entirely possible for him to secure a top-three finish in the tournament and gain entry into Bright Moon Academy, which was why he pressed the matter.
"I do not plan to participate in the tournament because I intend to ascend the Enlightenment Mountain."
Su Qinghe's words instantly caused a massive uproar across the entire arena.
"Did I hear that right?! Su—Su Qinghe actually wants to ascend the Enlightenment Mountain?"
"Good heavens, the grand tournament hasn't even begun today, and it's already this explosive?"
" Shameless boast! Brat, do you know what kind of place the Enlightenment Mountain is?" Ouyang Qingqing looked at Su Qinghe with disdain.
"Hahaha, interesting, utterly fascinating. Su Qinghe, was it? I'll remember you." A trace of light ignited in Beigong Han's lazy eyes.
"Instructor Beigong, this—?" Ouyang Qingquing looked at Beigong Han in confusion, and even the other three wore looks of utter bewilderment.
"Su Qinghe, it is not impossible for you to ascend the Enlightenment Mountain. Once the tournament concludes, if you can withstand ten moves from Ouyang Qingqing, I will personally take you to ascend the Enlightenment Mountain." Beigong Han's follow-up statement left everyone dumbfounded.
"Well, it seems Su Qinghe has displeased Instructor Beigong, so he is deliberately having Ouyang Qingqing deal with him."
"Indeed. No matter how defying the heavens Su Qinghe might be, there is no way he can block ten moves from Ouyang Qingqing."
Many people in the audience held this exact thought.
"Qinghe, you...?" The members of the Yun family wanted to step forward and dissuade Su Qinghe.
"It's fine, Father. Trust me." Su Qinghe looked at the Yun family members and gave them a reassuring look.
"Instructor Beigong, I accept your proposal."
"Good, very good! All right, City Lord Zhou, let the tournament begin!" With that, Beigong Han leaned lazily back into his rattan chair once more.
Zhou Xing looked at Beigong Han, then glanced at Su Qinghe. Suppressing the shock in his heart, he announced,
"I now declare the Yangzhou City Family Grand Tournament officially underway."
"The rules of the tournament are very simple: the fourteen participating contestants will draw lots to determine the order of appearance. The loser is eliminated and cannot fight again, until the strongest three are decided. If either party concedes defeat, the duel ends, and the opposing party may not attack again. Now, let the tournament begin! Referees and contestants, enter the arena."
As soon as Zhou Xing finished explaining the rules of the tournament, the fourteen contestants stepped forward one after another to draw lots. An elder dressed in black robes was the referee for the tournament, a powerhouse at the Peak-Stage Second-Layer Spirit Movement Realm.
The first to take the stage were Yun Che from the Yun family and Xie Yanqing from the Xie family, both of whom had drawn the number "7".
Xie Yanqing of the Xie family was at the Mid-Stage First Layer of Life Palace Realm, belonging to the lowest tier of cultivation among the Xie family's contestants. The same applied to Yun Che of the Yun family.
"Yun Che only has the cultivation of the Early-Stage Eighth Layer of Pill Opening Realm. This match is likely going to be a one-sided affair." Sensing the two opponents' auras, the spectators began to speak among themselves.
"Does the Yun family have no one left? Sending someone at the eighth layer of the Pill Opening Realm just to make up numbers?" The Xie family disciples chimed in without the slightest bit of tact.
"Yun Che, is it? Why don't you just forfeit directly? In case I accidentally cripple or kill you with a strike, you won't be able to blame me," Xie Yanqing said to Yun Che with extreme arrogance.
"The match hasn't been fought yet, so no one knows the outcome." Yun Che stared fixedly at Xie Yanqing. He knew his disadvantage lay in his cultivation, but he was not afraid; he could not let Su Qinghe down.
"Hmph, obstinate and stupid." Xie Yanqing acted as though Yun Che were unworthy of being his opponent.
"Both sides prepare, let the match begin!" The black-robed elder slowly retreated from the stage.