"Haha, Patriarch Yun, no need to be nervous. Just hear me out." Sun Quan looked at Yun Tian's expression and smiled faintly.
"Please go on, Steward Sun."
"Patriarch Yun, aside from the usual allocation of family resources based on the tournament rankings this year—" Sun Quan paused briefly.
"The main event this year is that Bright Moon Academy will be sending people to observe the tournament. The top three finishers will be admitted directly into Bright Moon Academy." As soon as Sun Quan finished speaking, Yun Tian and the three elders in the council hall flashed looks of deep shock in their eyes.
Bright Moon Academy had existed for ages, producing countless powerhouses over the years. Legend had it that its headmaster was a Tianxuan Realm powerhouse, while several elders and instructors in the academy were Sea Crossing Realm powerhouses.
The Five Realms of Cultivation were: Qi Condensation, Pill Opening, Life Palace, Spirit Movement, and Sea Crossing.
Transcending the Five Realms led to the Tianxuan Realm.
Yet no one in the world had ever witnessed a true Tianxuan Realm powerhouse; they existed only in legends, and no one had ever laid eyes on the Tianxuan powerhouse of Bright Moon Academy.
Yet precisely because of the existence of a Tianxuan figure, Bright Moon Academy stood on equal footing with the royal family of the Great Xia Kingdom.
However, Bright Moon Academy admitted only geniuses, and its quotas were basically monopolized by the nobility of the Great Xia imperial capital. Therefore, in the past, the five major families of Yangzhou City never had the chance to enter Bright Moon Academy.
"You mean to say that the top three of this upcoming tournament can all enter Bright Moon Academy to cultivate?" Great Elder Yun Canghai's breathing grew heavy.
"Indeed. Patriarch Yun, Great Elder Yun, all the families will certainly go all out in this tournament. Because once a family's junior enters Bright Moon Academy, their future will be beyond anything you or I can fathom." Sun Quan glanced meaningfully at Yun Tian and Yun Canghai.
"Many thanks to Steward Sun for the information. The Yun family will surely make preparations early for this matter," Yun Tian said solemnly.
"Patriarch Yun exaggerates. The Yun family has always claimed top honors in past tournaments. However, our City Lord's Mansion will also participate this time. Furthermore, I hear that the Yun family's proud talent, Su Qinghe, was recently severely injured and lost all his cultivation...?"
Sun Quan paused his speech. Although the Yun family had kept Su Qinghe's situation under wraps, as the foremost prodigy of Yangzhou City, news about Su Qinghe naturally could not be hidden from the City Lord's Mansion and the major families.
"I won't keep it from Steward Sun, that is indeed the case. However, Qinghe has already recovered. Even though his cultivation realm has dropped, he remains the Yun family's number one prodigy," Yun Tian said with a trace of pride in his eyes.
"Oh? It seems Young Master Su is indeed extraordinary. The City Lord's Mansion still holds high hopes for the Yun family regarding this tournament. Here, I offer my premature congratulations to Patriarch Yun." Sun Quan narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
At that moment, Sun Quan was actually inwardly astonished. The intelligence he gathered indicated that Su Qinghe had suffered severe injuries and his dantian had been shattered. Yet in just a few short days, he had recovered—it was truly unbelievable.
However, he could not ask any further. Although the City Lord's Mansion stood above the four major families, one still had to mind one's boundaries in certain matters. After all, whether it was Su Qinghe or the prodigies of other families who entered Bright Moon Academy, the City Lord's Mansion would have to re-evaluate their respective families.
For now, they were merely in a wait-and-see state. As the "spokesperson" for the City Lord's Mansion, Sun Quan handled matters without a single flaw.
"Very well, Patriarch Yun, three elders, I have delivered the message to you all. I still need to notify the other families, so I will not disturb you any longer," Sun Quan said, and then moved to stand up and leave.
"Many thanks, Steward Sun. Someone, see Steward Sun out."
"Hahaha, Patriarch Yun, see you at the tournament in a month."
Inside the hall, after Sun Quan left, Yun Tian took a deep breath and looked at the three elders.
"It seems this tournament is out of the ordinary. I have decided that Qinghe, Nantian, and Yi'er will participate in this tournament."
"Big Brother, why not summon the three of them right now to tell them to prepare?" The three elders exchanged glances, raising no objections.
Currently, the three strongest members of the Yun family were Yun Tian's adopted son Su Qinghe, Great Elder Yun Canghai's son Yun Nantian, and Second Elder Yun Jinghong's son Yun Yi. Yun Yi's cultivation was at the mid-stage of the First Life Palace Realm, second only to Yun Nantian in the Yun family.
As for Third Elder Yun Feng's son Yun Che, his cultivation was still shallow, resting merely at the Sixth Layer of the Pill Opening Realm, so he naturally could not participate in the tournament.
Although the younger generation of the Yun family often vied with one another under normal circumstances, when it came to matters of family interests, they always presented a united front against outsiders and placed the family's interests above all else. This point was also the secret behind the Yun family's enduring prosperity.
"Whew, the Death-Executing Shadow-Killing Sword has reached the minor mastery stage." Su Qinghe's gaze was burning as he let out a turbid breath.
Along with his practice of the Death-Executing Shadow-Killing Sword, a ghostly, cold aura began to emanate around Su Qinghe.
"I still need to find a way to recover my cultivation as soon as possible." In his past life, Su Qinghe had already reached the Tianxuan Realm; he only needed massive amounts of resources to slowly recover, and no bottlenecks existed below the Tianxuan realm.
"Young master, the patriarch is calling for you to go to the council hall," a sweet and soft voice came from outside.
"Wan'er is here. What does adoptive father want with me?" As he spoke, Su Qinghe opened the door.
"Young master, I don't know either. The patriarch summoned you, Second Young Master, and Third Young Master to go together. It's probably about the family tournament a month from now." Wan'er blinked her eyes and looked at Su Qinghe.
"I see. It seems this tournament is somewhat different," Su Qinghe muttered to himself.
"Very well, I will head over now. Wan'er, how has your cultivation been going lately?" Su Qinghe suddenly raised an eyebrow.
"Wan'er is naturally nowhere near as outstanding as young master; I only just broke through to the Pill Opening Realm recently."
"Oh? Wan'er, are you cultivating the Profound Jade Scripture?" Su Qinghe sensed Wan'er's aura.
The Profound Jade Scripture was a Yellow-tier low-grade cultivation technique of the Yun family, suitable for women to practice, but its grade was too low, making it difficult to achieve great things in later stages of cultivation.
"Wan'er, I happen to have a cultivation technique suitable for women called the Ice Heart Art. The Profound Jade Scripture is too low in grade; you might as well stop practicing it." Su Qinghe took out a delicate cultivation manual from his storage ring and handed it to Wan'er.
"Ah, young master, this... thank you, young master! Wan'er will definitely cultivate diligently." The young girl's heart was filled with boundless trepidation as she looked nervously at the Ice Heart Art before her. She could sense that this technique was far more powerful than the Yun family's techniques.
"Alright, go ahead. Do not speak of this to others." Su Qinghe strode away.
"Where did young master get such a technique? It feels like young master has become even more mysterious ever since he was injured..." Ripples of emotion stirred within the young girl's heart.
Inside the council hall,
Yun Tian and the three elders had been waiting for a long time. Yun Nantian and Yun Yi sat opposite each other with solemn expressions.
"Adoptive father, Uncle Great, Uncle Second, Uncle Third."
"Qinghe is here. Sit." Yun Tian looked at Su Qinghe with gratified eyes.
"Adoptive father, did you call us here regarding the family tournament?" Su Qinghe looked at Yun Nantian and Yun Yi as he spoke.
"Qinghe is truly clever; it is indeed about that." Second Elder Yun Jinghong nodded slightly.
"Qinghe, Nantian, Yi'er, I called you here to inform you that this tournament concerns the admission quotas for Bright Moon Academy. At the same time, the City Lord's Mansion will also participate." Yun Tian looked at the three of them in turn.
What?!
It actually concerned admission quotas for Bright Moon Academy?
The City Lord's Mansion was participating too!
Yun Nantian and Yun Yi let out a gasp of shock!
"That's right, the top three finishers of this tournament will be able to enter Bright Moon Academy directly to cultivate," Yun Tian continued.
"Adoptive father means for the three of us to compete?"
Su Qinghe asked calmly.
"That's right, Qinghe. The three of you are currently the strongest members of the Yun family's younger generation, so naturally you are the ones to compete," the Great Elder said leisurely.
"Adoptive father, I have a proposal."
"Oh? Qinghe, what's on your mind?" Yun Tian looked at Su Qinghe in puzzlement.
"Adoptive father, I do not plan to participate in this tournament!"
After a long silence, Su Qinghe uttered these words.