Zhong Yun calmly sheathed his sword and stood still, the surrounding commotion seemingly cut off entirely. He knew well that Zhao Hu's defeat was only the beginning, and bigger trouble was still brewing. Sure enough, after Zhao Hu was carried away, Qian Duoduo's face turned livid, his vicious gaze locked onto Zhong Yun as if he wanted to tear him apart alive.
Zhong Yun didn't care at all, brushing it off as nothing more than being stared at by a mad dog. He turned to leave, but Fatty Wang grabbed him by the arm. "Brother Zhong, are you alright? That was incredible, taking him down in a single move..." Fatty Wang's face was flushed with excitement, as though it were he who had defeated Zhao Hu.
Zhong Yun smiled faintly, patting Fatty Wang on the shoulder to signal that he was fine. Yet, his heart remained completely untroubled; to him, this match was merely a small stepping stone to clear away some trouble.
Over the next few days, Zhong Yun intended to seize the time to cultivate and enhance his strength. However, the shadow of Zhao Hu lingered like a persistent ghost, impossible to shake off. Every few days, Zhao Hu would appear before him, hurling provocations and wanton insults.
"Zhong Yun, don't think you can get away with being so cocky just because you beat me once! It was pure luck!" Zhao Hu gnashed his teeth, his eyes filled with venom. "If you have the guts, let's have another match! This time, I'll make you beg on your knees!"
Zhong Yun sneered at this, dismissing it as the impotent rage of a clown. Yet, Zhao Hu's harassment only intensified. He even began spreading rumors to slander Zhong Yun's character and falsely accuse him of practicing dark arts, turning Zhong Yun into a public target overnight.
Faced with these groundless accusations and attacks, Zhong Yun felt a surge of anger, but he maintained his composure. He knew Zhao Hu was merely a pawn, inevitably directed by someone behind the scenes. He wanted to see precisely who was manipulating all of this from the shadows and what their objective was.
One day, Zhao Hu blocked Zhong Yun's path once again. This time, however, his attitude was somewhat different; gone was his previous arrogance and haughtiness, replaced by a sense of decadence and despair.
"Zhong Yun, let's have another match!" Zhao Hu's voice was hoarse and low, his eyes bloodshot. "This time, I'm wagering everything I have—my entire family fortune, even my life!"
Zhong Yun frowned slightly, acutely sensing that the matter was not so simple. Zhao Hu's abnormal behavior and the stakes he offered exuded a bizarre aura, resembling the calm before a storm and foreshadowing an even greater tempests ahead... Looking at the dejected Zhao Hu before him, Zhong Yun felt not a ripple of emotion, only endless annoyance. Ever since the last match, Zhao Hu had been like a buzzing fly that refused to leave, disrupting his peace. It wasn't that Zhong Yun didn't care about the gossip and deliberate harassment; rather, he simply disdained to pay attention to them. All he wanted was to focus on his cultivation, uncover the truth behind his transmigration as soon as possible, and find a way back.
"What do you want to wager?" Zhong Yun asked indifferently, as though speaking to a weed by the roadside.
Zhao Hu snapped his head up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. With trembling hands, he drew a yellowed sheepskin scroll from his robes. "This is my family's ancestral Earth-grade high-tier cultivation manual, the Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Skill. As long as you agree to fight me once more, win or lose, this manual is yours!"
An Earth-grade high-tier manual was already a coveted treasure for outer sect disciples, let alone an ancestral family technique whose value was immeasurable. The surrounding disciples cast gazes of envy, jealousy, and hatred, whispering among themselves as they guessed how Zhong Yun would choose.
"Brother Zhong, you need to think carefully! That Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Skill is a rare treasure. With it, your strength will definitely reach the next level!" Fatty Wang urged anxiously from the side, his eyes filled with greed and yearning.
Shen Yao also furrowed her brow slightly, her cold voice tinged with a hint of worry. "Zhao Hu's actions are far too abnormal; there must be something fishy going on. You must not agree to him."
Naturally, Zhong Yun understood what they meant and knew there had to be tricks behind it. He knew exactly what kind of person Zhao Hu was—a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong—so how could he easily hand over such a precious family heritage?
However, Zhong Yun had already made up his mind. He intended to accept Zhao Hu's challenge; he would shatter Zhao Hu's conspiracy completely in front of everyone so that he would never dare provoke him again!
"Fine, I accept." The corners of Zhong Yun's mouth curved into an amused smile, his eyes flashing with a penetrating insight that made him inscrutable.
Zhong Yun's prompt agreement left Zhao Hu momentarily stunned. He had expected to waste breath and had even prepared himself for refusal, never imagining Zhong Yun would be so straightforward. Could it be that Zhong Yun had been dazzled by the bait he dangled?
"Good! Three days from now, at the martial arts arena, we fight again!" Zhao Hu suppressed his inner ecstasy and feigned composure, terrified that Zhong Yun might go back on his word.
Over the next three days, Zhong Yun seemed like a changed man. Instead of secluding himself in cultivation as usual, he wandered outside all day, drinking and making merry with fellow disciples at times, and lingering around the marketplace at others—completely dissolute and carefree.
Watching this, Fatty Wang felt anxious in his heart and couldn't help advising, "Brother Zhong, what is wrong with you? Zhao Hu's little brat clearly harbors malicious intent, and you still have the mood to stroll around here?"
Zhong Yun merely chuckled and said dismissively, "Fatty, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Shen Yao had also dropped veiled hints to remind Zhong Yun, but his attitude remained unchanged, leaving her to wonder whether this seemingly shrewd youth had truly been blinded by immediate gains.
The three-day appointment arrived in a flash. The martial arts arena was packed with a sea of people engaged in heated discussions, all speculating on the outcome of the match.
Zhao Hu was dressed in martial attire, his face full of confidence as though victory was already in his grasp. In contrast, Zhong Yun appeared listless, his gaze vacant and his footsteps unsteady, looking as though he had indulged in debauchery and exhausted himself.
"It seems this Zhong Yun is nothing much after all, losing his mind over a tiny bit of petty profit."
"Zhao Hu really went all out this time. That's an Earth-grade high-tier manual; if it were me, my heart would flutter too."
The surrounding disciples whispered amongst themselves. Most of them did not favor Zhong Yun, believing he was bound to lose miserably this time.
"Zhong Yun, if you surrender now, it's still not too late, lest you lose too ugly later!" Seeing Zhong Yun in this state, Zhao Hu grew even more smug and couldn't help hurling taunts.
Zhong Yun raised his head, his gaze gradually sharpening as a playful curve formed on his lips. "Zhao Hu, win or lose—until the very last moment, nobody can say for sure."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhong Yun's figure flickered, taking the initiative to attack Zhao Hu. Yet his strikes were limp and full of openings, seemingly intentionally giving Zhao Hu an opening.
Seeing this, Zhao Hu was overjoyed. Believing Zhong Yun was genuinely weakened beyond measure, he hesitated no longer and poured his all into launching a fierce assault against Zhong Yun.
Just as Zhao Hu's attack was about to land on Zhong Yun, the latter's previously vacant eyes suddenly turned razor-sharp, and a powerful aura erupted from within his body.
"Not good! It's a trap!" Panic struck Zhao Hu's heart; he tried to pull back his attack, but it was already too late.
With a deafening "Boom!", Zhao Hu was sent flying by a palm strike from Zhong Yun, crashing heavily onto the martial arts stage with a violent spray of blood.
The entire crowd erupted in uproar, everyone staring dumbfounded at the scene, unable to believe their eyes.
Dead silence fell over the stage; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone remained immersed in the shock of a moment ago, unable to snap out of it for a long time. Zhao Hu stared with wide, disbelieving eyes, utterly failing to understand how he could have lost to someone he considered trash.
"Impossible! This is impossible!" Zhao Hu roared, struggling to crawl back up, only to have Zhong Yun step firmly onto his chest, rendering him immobile.
Looking down at Zhao Hu from above, Zhong Yun wore a mocking smile. "Zhao Hu, did you really think I was as foolish as I looked on the surface? You were nothing more than someone else's spear."
Hearing this, Zhao Hu's face instantly turned pale. Zhong Yun's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer. He recalled how, a few days prior, a mysterious person had approached him, asking him to find a way to test Zhong Yun's strength and promising generous rewards upon success.
Could it be that all of this was orchestrated behind the scenes by that mysterious person? Was he merely a pawn in their hand?
Just then, a commotion rippled through the crowd. A figure clad in black robes and a bamboo hat, whose face was obscured, slowly walked onto the martial arts stage.
"Zhong Yun, you are quite impressive to have seen through Zhao Hu's trick," the mysterious person said in a low, hoarse voice. "However, do you think winning this means anything? The battle between you and me has only just begun."
With that, the mysterious person casually flicked a sleeve, and a black challenge letter landed right before Zhong Yun. "Three days from now, Sunset Valley, a fight to the death!"
Having said his piece, the mysterious person turned and vanished into the crowd, leaving behind only that challenge letter thick with killing intent.
Zhong Yun picked up the challenge letter and opened it. Inside were just a few short lines: Three days from now, Sunset Valley, a fight to the death!
The handwriting was scribbled yet immensely powerful, seemingly imbued with formidable force that inspired awe.
Taking a deep breath, Zhong Yun tucked the challenge letter into his robes. He knew an even greater storm was approaching.
Upon returning to his quarters, Zhong Yun called Fatty Wang and Shen Yao into his room and recounted the whole story from beginning to end.
"Brother Zhong, what on earth is the background of this mysterious person? How dare he be so arrogant?" Hearing Zhong Yun's narration, Fatty Wang said with righteous indignation.
"I don't know either." Zhong Yun shook his head, his brow tightly furrowed. "However, judging by the strength he displayed just now, this person is definitely extraordinary. He likely has surpassed the Xiantian Realm."
Surpassed the Xiantian Realm!
Hearing this, Fatty Wang and Shen Yao turned solemn. The Xiantian Realm was already composed of martial arts experts, and those beyond it were rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. They never imagined Zhong Yun would provoke such a formidable enemy.
"Zhong Yun, what do you plan to do?" Shen Yao looked at Zhong Yun, her eyes filled with worry.
"I must go," Zhong Yun said with a firm tone. "If I don't go, he will definitely target you two. I cannot let you suffer harm because of me."
"But..." Shen Yao wanted to say more, but Zhong Yun interrupted her.
"Say no more, I have already decided." Looking at Shen Yao and Fatty Wang, Zhong Yun's eyes burned with resolve. "Rest assured, I will return safely."
With that, Zhong Yun turned and left the room, leaving Shen Yao and Fatty Wang behind with eyes full of worry and unease.
Sunset Valley, located a hundred miles outside the Qingyun Sect, was a remote and perilous forbidden zone shrouded in thick mist year-round, fraught with unknown dangers.
Three days later, Zhong Yun arrived at Sunset Valley alone. Here, he would engage in a life-or-death battle with that mysterious person.