Chapter 187: The Mysterious Youth, Ye Luo City’s Princess Selection

The “Four-Winged Dragon Beast” was almost twice as strong as the Wind-Horned Beast, with an enormous body, a dragon’s head, four wings, and blue scales covering its entire body. Its limbs were as strong as tiger claws, and its long tail had three barbed spikes as sharp as daggers. Its pair of blue eyes stared intently at the Wind-Horned Beast beneath Liu Yi and the others.

What Liu Yi and the others didn’t know was that the “Four-Winged Dragon Beast” was an extremely ferocious divine beast in the Netherworld. It usually hunted demons and spiritual beasts for fun, was inherently cruel, possessed immense strength, and had special abilities like “Heart Fire.” It was extremely difficult to tame, and even if tamed, it remained wild and brutal toward other beasts.

At this moment, the roar of the “Four-Winged Dragon Beast” had already made the mount beneath Liu Yi panic and circle in place. It was clear just how terrified the Wind-Horned Beast was—it didn’t even have the courage to flee.

Meanwhile, the young man in blue on the back of the beast gently patted its head to calm it down. He glanced at the three of them, his gaze stopping on Liu Yi before returning to normal quickly.

It was only then that July noticed the boy’s eyes were blue—just as deep blue as Blue Blade’s eyes from the Human Realm. Yet the boy’s eyes seemed clearer and brighter, far more beautiful than Blue Blade’s.

The blue-eyed boy seemed lost in thought and once again focused his gaze on July and Liu Yi. This time, he spoke up, “Where are you from?” His voice was soft but full of strength.

Ah Fei immediately replied, “My lord, these two are my friends. They came with me to Ye Luo City to watch Princess Baihua’s selection.”

The blue-eyed boy looked at Ah Fei and said lightly, “Oh? Did I ask you a question?”

Ah Fei hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes. I was wrong.” Just as he admitted his mistake, a blue cross-shaped beam the size of a fingernail shot toward Ah Fei’s forehead at lightning speed. In an instant, the blue cross was just three inches away from him—seemingly about to end a life.

As the blue cross flashed, a pink light appeared. With a clang, the blue cross vanished from the air, replaced by a dark silver sword glowing with pink light, standing right in front of Ah Fei, only three inches away.

The blue-eyed boy smiled and said to July, “You’re beautiful, and your sword is equally stunning. I admire you.”

July casually sheathed her sword, “You flatter me, sir. Your magic weapon is also impressive. But… it seems you’re too cruel. Ah Fei only said one extra word, and you wanted to take his life. That’s rather narrow-minded.”

The blue-eyed boy merely smiled but didn’t reply to July. Instead, he focused his gaze on Liu Yi and asked curiously, “Is he blind?”

Hearing this, July said irritably, “Are you blind, sir? Can’t you tell? Do you really need to ask?”

At that moment, a youth behind the blue-eyed boy snapped, “How dare you speak to my lord in such a manner!” The blue-eyed boy raised his porcelain-white right hand, and the other youth immediately stopped talking. The blue-eyed boy smiled slightly and said, “Miss, your words are too harsh. I was merely asking a question. Why would you call me blind?” July couldn’t help but grow angry and said, “We have no need to answer your questions.” Just as July finished speaking, Liu Yi quickly interjected, “My lord is right. I am indeed blind.” July glared fiercely at the youth, but the blue-eyed boy seemed unbothered, only smiling and saying, “This fellow here is straightforward. Miss’s heart may not be as open as mine. Goodbye; we’ll meet again someday.” With that, he gently patted his ‘Four-Winged Dragon Beast’ and flew away swiftly. In the blink of an eye, only a trail of yellow dust remained from the group of people and beasts. Watching them disappear, July snapped, “None of those Blue-family people are good.” Ah Fei found July’s words strange but stayed silent given his explosive anger. Liu Yi simply shook his head helplessly and said, “It’s fine. He’s just a passerby. We don’t need to worry about him. We still have our own tasks to do. Ah Fei, keep leading the way.” Ah Fei nodded, tightened his legs, and rushed toward Mosang State, with July and Liu Yi following closely behind. Clearly, their mounts were not as fast as the nine people ahead. Despite speeding constantly, they still couldn’t see a trace of those nine. Time passed unnoticed, and after about three days, the three arrived outside Ye Luo City. July sighed, “This place is really strange. It’s desolate all the way. After traveling for three days, we finally see this city—it’s so barren.” Ah Fei nodded and said, “Yes, that’s how it is here. Most people live inside the city. No one lives outside because the environment is too poor. That’s why we only saw some monsters along the way and few pedestrians.” Liu Yi’s world was black. All he could see were some light spots—people with cultivation. He couldn’t see anything else. So, whether this world was desolate was something he could only imagine. What mattered more to him was how to make the Flowers of the Other Shore bloom and let the Heavenly Maid return to the divine realm; everything else didn’t matter. Yet at this moment, Liu Yi felt a hint of hope. He hoped that this Ye Luo Baihua was the one who possessed the Tears of the Hundred Flowers. That way, at least one of the nine tears would be found, adding a bit more hope and anticipation. July and Liu Yi stopped beside Ah Fei at the towering ancient city walls. The walls were covered with red notices, mostly listing the dates and locations for the Princess of the Hundred Flowers’ marriage selection. Looking at the various crowds pouring in from behind, it seemed they were all there to win the heart of the beauty. July’s curiosity grew even more. “I wonder what kind of fairy this Ye Luo Baihua is. She’s gathering people from all over just for a marriage selection—it’s quite interesting.” Ah Fei glanced at them and said, “The marriage selection is today.” July hurriedly asked, “Really? Then have we arrived too late?”

Ah Fei hurriedly said, “It’s not late, not late. There must be many people here for the matchmaking. It probably won’t end in ten days or half a month. I think… unless Princess Baihua finds her ideal match, this matchmaking will go on and on. Look at all these people who have come to Ye Luo City—it seems really lively.”
Qiyue nodded and said, “That’s true. I really want to see what Ye Luo Baihua is like and who her chosen one will be. Come, let’s go in.”
Ah Fei nodded and headed toward the city…
Qiyue, along with Liu Yi, followed behind Ah Fei. As soon as they entered the city, it felt like they had stepped into a different world. During their journey these past few days, aside from that boy surnamed Lan, they hadn’t seen anyone else. They had thought there was no one in this Netherworld, but it seemed they were wrong.
Ye Luo City was already packed with people, and the city was incredibly large. At first glance, it seemed like the entire city was made up of crowds. People were coming and going in great bustle. Upon closer inspection, most of them were either carrying long knives or wearing swords at their waists. There were tall ones, short ones, young ones, old ones, monks, and Taoists—everyone was there, but it seemed they all shared one goal: to crowd toward the matchmaking arena.
As they walked, Qiyue said, “This matchmaking by Ye Luo Baihua is really lively. Everyone has come. If there’s a monk who’s both talented in literature and martial arts, good-looking, and can answer her questions, would she still want to marry a monk?” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but laugh, finding the situation quite interesting.
Hearing Qiyue’s words, Liu Yi also laughed and said, “Why would you say that? Haha.”
Seeing Liu Yi laugh, Qiyue said happily, “Haha, even you can laugh! It’s been so long since I came to the Netherworld, and this is the first time I’ve seen you laugh. Come, let’s go see if Ye Luo Baihua chooses a monk.”
Liu Yi shook his head, realizing Qiyue’s words were becoming more and more nonsensical, but they still sounded quite interesting… Thus, the three of them slowly made their way toward the matchmaking arena. Whether it was because of Qiyue’s determination or the crowd’s unintentional pushing, they quickly reached the front of the arena. From their position, it seemed the arena was located right in the center of the city, surrounded by crowds on three sides—truly the most bustling place.
Looking at the arena, Qiyue took Liu Yi’s hand and said, “It’s so big! This arena is over a hundred zhang wide and long—it’s like a battlefield. There’s even a building behind it. It seems Princess Baihua really intends to spend a long time here choosing her match.”
Hearing Qiyue’s words, Liu Yi didn’t show much reaction, but the people surrounding them all turned to look here, some with curiosity and some with disdain, as if saying, “Where did these country folks come from?”
Qiyue glanced around and realized there were tens of thousands of people behind her. Although it was noisy, those close to her could still hear her clearly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she quickly covered her mouth.
Just as Qiyue was feeling awkward, she suddenly felt the crowd behind her parting to both sides. When she turned around, anger surged in her heart—this was really her nemesis. It turned out that as she turned, the crowd split apart, and a handsome young man in blue, along with two strange-looking old men and eight young boys, was walking toward them.

The young man stepped forward, and the crowd behind him immediately closed in around him. Some began to whisper about this mysterious youth, but the blue-clothed boy paid no attention. With his hands behind his back, he looked at July and Liu Yi with a smile, saying, “The world is so small—how could we meet here? It’s already strange enough for a blind man to come here to choose a spouse. Does this lady share the same interest?”
Upon hearing this, July drew her long sword with her left hand and snapped, “What did you say?”
The blue-clothed boy pretended to be frightened and said, “Oh, the lady is quite angry. But please don’t use that sword on me. If you like Ye Luo Bai, you can go and challenge her. If you fight me, isn’t that the same as choosing a spouse?” His tone was extremely frivolous, seemingly trying to provoke July.
July couldn’t stand it any longer. She raised her right hand, and with a clang, her “Dance Moon” sword came out of its sheath. At that moment, a hand with a afterimage swiftly moved forward and tapped the hilt lightly, causing July’s sword to return to its sheath. Just as she was about to react, she turned to see Liu Yi stopping her from drawing her sword, so she calmed down somewhat. Liu Yi said, “We’re here to watch the excitement. There’s no need to pay attention to others’ words.”
July glared fiercely at the blue-clothed boy before turning away. Though angry, she said nothing. At that moment, Liu Yi used telepathy to say, “His cultivation level is very high, not inferior to yours. Especially those two old men behind him—their cultivation is much higher than yours. We don’t need to get involved in these troubles.”
July replied telepathically, “Okay, I understand. I won’t bother that guy.”
Although July stopped talking, the blue-clothed boy continued, “Very obedient, aren’t you? Is this blind man your lover? Coming out with your lover to choose a spouse—haha, quite nice.”
Though furious, July didn’t want trouble at that moment and held back from saying anything. Liu Yi turned his head and said, “Young master, the world is full of wonders. Why we’re here has nothing to do with you. Just as we can’t understand why you use a woman’s earring as a hidden weapon, we also can’t interfere.”
Hearing this, July was first surprised, but the blue-clothed boy was even more shocked. He stopped talking and simply stared at the blind man with his deep-blue, clear eyes. Although July didn’t fully understand what Liu Yi meant, she remembered that the boy had only attacked Afey once since they met—clearly referring to that incident. Though she hadn’t seen clearly what weapon the boy used, she knew it was a deadly hidden weapon, which was why she had drawn her sword to intercept.
What surprised the blue-clothed boy was that the blind man in front of him actually knew what weapon he had used. He always thought his hidden weapon was fast enough that no one could see it, but he never expected a blind man to guess correctly. This made him curious about the blind man and he became quieter.
Just then, movement arose on the arena. A gray-clothed old man with gray hair at the temples but a youthful face, sharp eyes, and a strong build stepped onto the arena, holding a black long sword. With a wave of his hands, the crowd of tens of thousands of people immediately fell silent. Of course, many people knew this old man—such as the blue-clothed boy next to July.

The boy in blue turned to the two elders behind him and said, “Uncles, do you know this man?”
The two elders nodded, indicating they did, but remained silent.
The boy in blue glanced at the elder on the stage and sneered coldly, “The Ye Luo family really goes to great lengths—using just Ye Luo Baihua to gather all the heroes under one roof. It’s not hard to guess their intentions. Even the elders of the Ye Luo family have shown up; it seems we need to be more careful.”
July turned to look and saw a tall, thin old man in his seventies, dressed in black with a somewhat dark complexion. He had a deep scar over one eye, while the other eye shone with intensity. He held a long, straight sword and stood respectfully behind the boy, saying, “Young master, there’s no need to worry. Someone will surely help us. It’s not that simple for the Ye Luo family to buy everyone’s loyalty.”
The boy in blue nodded and also glanced at July. July quickly turned away, thinking to himself, “So this kid surnamed Lan is really no good—he’s here to cause trouble.”
Liu Yi, who had remained quiet until then, also understood the implication of their words, but he didn’t care. The rivalry between the Ye Luo family and the Lan family had nothing to do with him. All he wanted to do was find the Nine Tears.
Seeing that the crowd below had quieted down, the elder on the stage spoke casually, “Perhaps some of you don’t know me. Let me introduce myself first. My real name is Ye Luo Jianmu.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear. From this alone, it was evident that this old man was no ordinary person.
As the elder revealed his name, the previously quiet crowd became agitated again. Ye Luo Jianmu was one of the six elders of the Ye Luo family, with an unfathomable level of cultivation. As a leader of the royal clan, he rarely appeared in the martial world, let alone in public places like this.
Ye Luo Jianmu waved his hand, and the crowd quieted down once more. He continued, “I’m sure everyone knows this is a selection ceremony chosen by Princess Baihua. But in a selection like this, there can only be one chosen one. So, I hope that person is the best. Of course, we’ll also take note of the talents of the others. If you’re willing, the doors of the Ye Luo family are always open to you. Wealth and honor are just a nod away.”
The boy in blue beside July said, “Hmph! An old fox—revealing his intentions in just a few words.”
At that moment, a voice rang out loudly, “May I ask Lord Jianmu, as long as one passes the selection, is that enough? Are there no restrictions on our identities?”
The crowd turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw an old Taoist priest. It seemed even those who had taken monastic vows still had worldly desires. Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and smiled, saying, “Of course. As long as you can pass the selection and prove your strength, we won’t care about differences in status. If you succeed, you’ll be Princess Baihua’s chosen one. Even if not, the doors of the Ye Luo family will still be open to you.”

As Ye Luo Jianmu finished speaking, the crowd below quietly settled down. Ye Luo Jianmu continued, “Since that’s the case, let Princess Baihua explain the rules for this marriage selection.”

Once the old man finished speaking, a woman in white appeared on the railing of the tall building behind. The distance between the arena and the building was about a hundred zhang, so those in front of the arena could hardly see her face. But as soon as she appeared, the crowd below erupted like boiling water…

July activated his vital energy to try to see more clearly, but due to the great distance, there was still some obstruction. The woman on the building wore a long white dress, had a slender figure and a narrow waist. She held a long white sword in her hand. Her face was covered by a thin veil, making it impossible to see her features, but her eyes gave off a special impression. Despite the great distance, her eyes were as bright as stars, giving the illusion that she was right beside them.

Something seemed to be flying beside Princess Baihua’s figure. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be butterflies. From afar, although her face couldn’t be seen clearly, the overall impression she gave was stunning—a sense of nobility and elegance, serenity and beauty beyond description. Her figure appeared so delicate; it was hard to tell whether it was the grand building emphasizing her loneliness or her loneliness highlighting the desolation of the building.