Chapter 189: A Thousand Beauties, Yet Only One Is Loved

The world is vast, filled with countless beauties, yet true friends are hard to find. Just as there are myriad charms in the world, I alone adore one particular scent of flowers.

Listening to the words before him, Lan Laojun glanced sideways at Ye Luobaihua, who was perched atop a high building. Seeing that Ye Luobaihua was staring at him, he felt pleased and, putting on an air of gentlemanly grace, smiled and said, “Young man, you’re too arrogant. Do you even know who I am? Do you think you can dodge my blade?”

Hearing this, Yu Chenxing quickly pretended to be surprised and said, “I haven’t dared to ask about your identity. Pardon me, pardon me.”

Watching Yu Chenxing’s reaction, Lan Laojun deliberately raised his voice and said, “Very well. I am Lan Laojun, the third young master of the Flame Star Palace.” He thought that saying this would scare the young man into rolling off the arena. After all, no one had ever dared to measure the strength of the Six Star Palaces in the Netherworld, let alone their young masters.

Below the arena, Qi Yue softly asked Liu Yi, “Scholar, is this the Six Star Palace under Lan Ying’s control?”

Liu Yi nodded gently and replied through telepathy, “The two elders under Yu Chenxing already said it—although the Six Star Palace is under Lan Ying’s control, since he left the human world, the palace has split up, with each group doing its own thing.” At this point, Liu Yi seemed to remember something and stopped speaking.

Qi Yue also said through telepathy, “Looking at how frail Yu Chenxing is, he surely can’t be a match for the young master of this palace.”

Liu Yi shook his head and continued, “Although Lan Laojun is highly skilled, he’s definitely no match for Yu Chenxing. Moreover, Yu Chenxing’s background is even more complicated. It’s best if we don’t provoke him. There are more important things waiting for us to do. As for the Netherworld… since they’ve interfered in the human world, one day I’ll make them regret it.”

Listening to Liu Yi’s words, Qi Yue felt a chill despite the calmness in the first half. It seemed as though the man beside him carried endless resentment. But Qi Yue had no idea that this was the result of Liu Yi’s evolving murderous heart. As his true energy grew stronger and the chaotic energy continued to accumulate, ‘Lan Erfeina Qing’ would eventually devour Liu Yi’s heart, allowing him to fully embrace the path of darkness and gain the power of a murderous heart.

With a hint of emotion, Qi Yue turned his gaze back to the arena. Yu Chenxing simply smiled, revealing his white, neat teeth, and said, “I thought some deity had appeared—turns out it’s just a naive kid.” These words enraged Lan Laojun, and the crowd below was also shocked. After all, the power of the Lan family’s Six Star Palace was extraordinary. Even if Ye Luobaihua, the head of the Ye family, were here, he wouldn’t dare speak such arrogantly and offend the Flame Star Palace. The people below the arena grew worried for the handsome young man.

Lan Laojun was now filled with anger and fury. He had intended to show off in front of Princess Baihua, but instead, this arrogant youth knew his identity. Not only did he show no fear, but he also insulted him in public. Unable to hold back, he snapped, “Young master, one can eat whatever they want, but words must be chosen carefully. Those who offend my Star Palace should know what awaits them.” His tone was fierce, laced with threats.

Yu Chenxing simply nodded slightly and said, “Young master is right. This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. Could the Lan family truly have declined to this extent? A young master of the Star Palace participating in the marriage selections of other clans is truly unbelievable. I’m giving you this advice out of kindness—don’t speak carelessly, and certainly don’t identify relationships recklessly. Otherwise… Hmph!” His tone shifted from calm to stern, showing that this handsome youth’s eloquence was beyond ordinary people’s reach. With just one sentence, he separated the identity of the man before him from that of the Lan royal family.

Lan Laojun grew even angrier. All traces of his gentlemanly demeanor vanished, replaced by a competitive spirit. He retorted, “Good. I didn’t expect you to be not only good-looking but also so eloquent. Since that’s the case, let Lan Laojun see what your skills are like. Let’s see if your martial prowess matches your eloquence.”

With that, he gripped his long sword at an angle, his right hand firmly holding the hilt, ready to fight at any moment. Yu Chenxing, still with his hands behind his back, calmly said, “Please.” That single word marked the beginning of their duel.

Lan Laojun moved his right foot slightly, and his white figure flashed forward in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he appeared opposite Yu Chenxing. His long sword, reflecting the sunlight, swung downward in a diagonal cut that was too bright to look directly at. The simple sword move became perfect through strength and speed. The spectators below opened their mouths wide in shock, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to express themselves due to their astonishment.

At that critical moment, there was a clanging sound—the clash of weapons. Lan Laojun’s sword had struck Yu Chenxing’s left arm. No, getting closer, it became clear that the sword hadn’t hit the arm but rather a short sword about two feet long.

The short sword was about two feet long, with a smooth blade that reflected light. Its double edges were as thin as cicada wings yet gave off an impression of invincibility. The sword wasn’t held in Yu Chenxing’s hand but extended from a special wrist guard in his sleeve, seemingly fixed to his arm, giving the illusion that he was using his arm to block the long sword.

In the instant they locked eyes, Yu Chenxing’s lips curved into a faint smile, filled with mystery. His right hand suddenly swung out in a diagonal strike, though it was still three feet away from Lan Laojun. To an ordinary person, it would seem meaningless, as it couldn’t possibly reach the opponent.

But Lan Laojun was a cunning man. With his sharp and perceptive mind, he realized this strike was no ordinary one. At that very moment, as the opponent’s right hand moved, a white light flashed out from his sleeve, accompanied by a sword beam, slashing downward.

Lan Laojun had already taken precautions. In an instant, he quickly stepped back, blocking with his long sword. Another sound of weapons clashing followed. Then, the sword light from his right hand forced Lan Laojun to retreat sharply. He only stopped after moving about ten meters back. Lan Laojun’s breathing was somewhat rapid; clearly, he had expended a great deal of his vital energy to defend against that sudden attack.

Regaining his balance, he looked at the young man in blue before him. From his right arm, a black broken sword extended—slightly shorter than the sword on his left arm. The blade was thick and unusual, curved like waves. The two short swords, of different shapes and colors, seemed fixed to the man’s arms.

At that moment, Lan Laojun heard the sound of fabric tearing. Looking down, he saw a one-foot-long sword wound on his left arm. Although the wound wasn’t deep, its length caused continuous bleeding, turning his left side red. With his clothes torn by the short swords, he no longer resembled a noble young master but rather a down-and-out gentleman.

Pain surged through Lan Laojun’s brain. His eyes were filled with confusion. He wondered—how could he have been injured when he clearly had blocked that sword strike?

Below the arena, July murmured, “That boy in blue is really fast.”

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “Yeah, right? It seems people from the Netherworld place more emphasis on speed and don’t seem to cultivate vital energy. But… Yu Chenxing isn’t that fast either. Though he’s stronger than Lan Laojun across from him, he didn’t injure Lan Laojun through speed.”

July asked doubtfully, “Isn’t it because he’s fast?”

Liu Yi replied, “It’s because those two short swords in his hands are extremely sharp. They tore through space the moment they were used, injuring Lan Laojun. As for the sword strike Lan Laojun blocked, it was the sword energy emitted by the blade.”

July nodded and then looked up at the arena.

By now, Lan Laojun had sealed the veins in his left arm. Although blood was still flowing, it was much less than before. Yu Chenxing raised his right arm, looking at the black short sword, then at Lan Laojun. With a smile, he said, “This… down-and-out gentleman, haha! What a pity. You won’t get the Princess of a Hundred Flowers. How about this? Beg me, and after I’ve had my fun with her, I’ll give her to you for your amusement.”

Before Lan Laojun could speak, the judge beside him, Ye Luo Jianmu, was furious. He stood up abruptly and shouted, “Shut up!” As soon as he spoke, Ye Luo Jianmu raised his right hand, and a white light ball the size of a fist shot toward Yu Chenxing.

Yu Chenxing glanced sideways and sneered, “Hmph.” With that cold snort, his right-hand black short sword slashed out. The white light ball, which was about to hit Yu Chenxing, wobbled a few times in that seemingly distorted space before being split apart and disappearing into the air.

Yu Chenxing stared coldly at Ye Luo Baihua and shouted, “Is this how you treat guests, Princess? If that’s the case, why talk about choosing a spouse from all over the world? As long as you like them, isn’t that enough?”

Ye Luo Baihua glanced at Yu Chenxing, then said to Ye Luo Jianmu in her beautiful voice, “Uncle Mu, let him talk.”

Although Ye Luojianmu was reluctant, he had no way against this handsome youth and had no choice but to sit back down. This boy not only possessed extremely high cultivation but also excelled in speech; with just a few words, he could pinpoint one’s weaknesses, leaving no room for rebuttal.

At that moment, Lan Laojun on the other side spoke up, “Young sir, I haven’t left this arena yet, which means I still have the ability to fight back. How can you be sure you’ll win the next match against me?”

The handsome youth turned his gaze back to Lan Laojun, gently moved his arms, and instantly slipped two short swords back into his sleeves. Smiling, he said, “So, you still want to compete with me? Let me give you some advice—just because it’s a woman, there are countless beauties in this world. If you waste your prime years dying on this arena for one woman, it’s… not worth it.”

Yu Chenxing’s words were arrogant, his tone harsh, bitter, and shrill. Yet Lan Laojun was equally cunning and ruthless. Hearing these words, he immediately thought of how to please the Princess of a Thousand Flowers and pretended to be angry, saying, “How dare you! How can countless beauties compare to the princess? How can wild flowers in the mountains be compared to the queen of flowers? For daring to insult the princess, Lan Laojun is willing to sacrifice his life to protect her.”

His words were clear—as if he were the one defending the princess’s honor. But among these thousands of people, it didn’t sound excessive. How could a noble princess be compared to an ordinary woman? The crowd admired Lan Laojun’s tactful speech. Yet among them, one person felt a hint of helplessness at the error in these words—people truly were vulgar.

Liu Yi slowly stepped forward a few steps but didn’t enter the arena. Casually, he said, “This young master’s words are rather far-fetched. Even if he wants to please the princess, there’s no need to be so obvious. There are countless beauties in the world, each charming in her own way. How can you be sure there isn’t one you truly love? Don’t judge everyone based on one person—you’ll realize just how wrong you are.” His voice was calm, yet it sounded like thunder, clear and reaching every ear, as if coming from the heavens.

As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, everyone turned to look at him, including Ye Luojianmu, the noble Ye family, and the Princess of a Thousand Flowers. They all knew this arena was set up for matchmaking—those who came here either wanted to see the princess’s face or win her heart. Yet now, there appeared such a strange person who spoke in riddles. Could it be that the noble and esteemed princess was not even comparable to an ordinary woman?

Where everyone was looking, there stood a middle-aged man, strong-built, dressed in black, with white hair. His eyes were covered by black silk—clearly blind. Since his face wasn’t fully visible, no one could see Liu Yi’s face clearly. Only his solitary figure stood out—the black silhouette, the fluttering white hair, the flowing black silk, all seemed to tell his story. His long black sword never left his left hand, clad in black gloves.

Yu Chenxing on the stage was the first to break the unexpected silence. He suddenly laughed happily, looking at Liu Yi and saying, “I like these words from a blind man. I like it, haha! So what about the Princess of a Thousand Flowers? What about wealth and glory? Good, good.”

What a fine marriage selection event—it seemed to become ordinary in the words of Liu Yi and Yu Chenxing. Clearly, the two weren’t there for marriage selection; otherwise, they wouldn’t have said such things. Ye Luojianmu couldn’t help but observe Liu Yi closely. At that moment, Ye Luobaihua upstairs also cast a gaze his way, though it seemed like a fixed stare, as if she were thinking about something.

Meanwhile, Lan Laojun pointed his long sword at Liu Yi and shouted, “How dare you come here for marriage selection? Go back and get your eyes treated first. I think you’re just here to cause trouble.”

Liu Yi remained motionless, with gentle breezes blowing through his white hair and lifting his black ribbon. He spoke softly, “In this world of marriage selection, how can there be talk of being worthy or not? If we judge by such mindset, how can you know that Princess Baihua deserves me to draw my sword for her? People think for themselves—don’t measure them by your status. Perhaps you think you’re superior, but in others’ eyes, you might just be an animal.” It seemed Liu Yi was extremely angry at Lan Laojun’s words.

At that moment, Lan Laojun seemed truly enraged. In Liu Yi’s words, he had become something worse than an animal. He swung his sword, sending out a white blade of light, and roared, “Die!”

Just as the blade sliced through the ground, raising a cloud of sand and stones, a pink glow flashed. Where the light landed, the fierce white blade vanished instantly without a trace. If not for the cut in the ground, no one would have known if the blade had truly existed.

After the blade disappeared, a woman appeared beside the blind man. She appeared to be in her twenties, with dark skin, healthy and vibrant. Dressed in purple-red combat attire, she was extremely attractive—her flat stomach and long, beautiful legs were fully exposed. She wore a tight top, a purple-red short skirt, and black knee-high leather boots. A shoulder cape fluttered occasionally, and pink silk bracelets wrapped around her arms. Her slender, beautiful dark silver sword spoke of its identity.

The beauty of this girl was beyond description. Although no one had seen Princess Baihua, the appearance of this woman in purple clothes left everyone in awe, filled with questions—how could such a beautiful woman be by a blind man’s side?

At that moment, Lan Laojun on the arena was shocked. He hadn’t expected such a beautiful woman to be by the blind man’s side, and she had easily deflected his sword strike. He glanced at her several times.

Then, Yu Chenxing across from him laughed loudly, “What? Have you taken a liking to this girl again? Then why not go down and try to win her over? Put Princess Baihua aside for now—why not give it a try? But… this blind man’s lover is quite fierce. Be careful, or you might end up losing everything.”

Lan Laojun snapped back to reality and shouted, “Shut up!”

At that moment, Qi Yue below the arena also snapped, “You want to die?”

Hearing this, Yu Chenxing wasn’t angry nor did he answer their questions. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Lan Laojun and said, “Young master, your opponent is me. Why are you pointing your sword at a blind man? Unless you kill me, you have no chance with Princess Baihua.”

Lan Laojun retracted his long sword and looked at Yu Chenxing, saying coldly, “Fine, let me see just how powerful you are. Try my ‘Eighteen Grey Eagles’.”
At these words, everyone was shocked. They were well aware of some of the rumors circulating in the martial world, especially since this third young master had made his debut early, and his famous spirit beast, the “Eighteen Grey Eagles,” was extremely ferocious.
Qiyue asked curiously, “What are the ‘Eighteen Grey Eagles’?”
Liu Yi simply shook his head. He didn’t know much about the Netherworld, but one thing was certain: the cultivation methods there were completely different from those in the human world.
Just then, Afey came over and said, “The two heroes may not know this, but the ‘Eighteen Grey Eagles’ belong to a higher class of spirit beasts. They are difficult to tame, but once tamed, they can become weapons for battle. Their owners can train these eagles into even more ferocious and cruel spirit beasts.”
Qiyue asked in curiosity, “Can beasts also be trained?”
Afey replied, “Yes. The ‘Eighteen Grey Eagles’ are a good example. Ordinary eagles can only fight with their physical strength and aren’t very powerful. But since they are spirit beasts, their owners can perform various types of training. The third young master’s ‘Eighteen Grey Eagles’ represent the most difficult and brutal form of beast cultivation, almost surpassing some ordinary divine beasts.”
Qiyue and Liu Yi nodded. It seemed that certain cultivation methods in the Netherworld focused more on external training.