Outside the Yaoyue Tower, a crowd had gathered. On a martial arts stage erected nearby, a man in his twenties, clad in fine robes, was accepting a jade token from an attendant of Qingxu Heaven, proudly displaying it to the onlookers.
Applause and exclamations erupted, filled with admiration and envy.
"That's incredible! Young Master Su the Second truly lives up to his reputation as a Profound Sky Master, securing the last spot!"
"The victor on the first day was the First Prince, now that's true power, a worthy strong contender!"
"I heard Qingxu Heaven only allocated three spots for our Yun Cang Kingdom this time, as we are a smaller nation. Only the other three top-tier powers, comparable to the Northern Underworld Empire, received ten spots."
"With three geniuses joining Qingxu Heaven, our Yun Cang Kingdom's renown on the continent will surely rise by several notches!"
Listening to the excited discussions, Su Luo realized that the three spots for Qingxu Heaven's recruitment had been claimed by the First Prince Shangguan Hanyu, the heir of Marquis Wu'an Gu Shaofeng, and the Su family's second young master, Su Hao Cheng.
The man on stage was Su Hao Cheng, Su Feiyan's own brother.
Su Luo felt a pang of worry. She had intended to secure a spot herself through the competition and join legitimately, but she had arrived too late.
Just then, someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Eldest Young Lady!?"
Su Luo turned her head and saw a middle-aged man with a goatee, wearing a butler's uniform, staring at her in shock. He then shouted towards the stage, "Second Young Master, I've found the Eldest Young Lady! She's here!"
Instantly, all eyes turned in their direction, wondering what had happened.
Su Hao Cheng, who had been basking in glory on stage, heard the voice. He glanced into the crowd, his expression changing drastically. He blurted out, "Su Luo, it really is you! You actually have the nerve to come back!"
He leaped from the stage and strode towards Su Luo.
The Su family guards, who had accompanied him to cheer and spectate, followed behind Su Hao Cheng. The onlookers gasped in surprise. They menacingly parted the crowd, quickly surrounding Su Luo.
Encountering her own family members so soon, Su Luo had been mentally prepared.
"What, are you disappointed that I'm not dead?" she said sarcastically, crossing her arms.
Although the original owner of this body was the Su family's eldest young lady, due to her lack of cultivation talent, her efforts were never valued by her family. Even her own parents only paid attention to her because she was engaged to the Fourth Prince, never truly caring about her.
In their eyes, the original Su Luo was merely a tool for a political alliance with the imperial family.
Su Hao Cheng's eyebrows shot up, and he gritted his teeth, enraged, "You wretched girl! Where have you been hiding for the past few months, daring to..."
He almost blurted out that Su Luo had killed the Fourth Prince and her sister Feiyan, but he stopped himself just in time.
When they had received the terrible news the previous night, everyone in the Su family was shocked. Su Luo, who was considered useless, had managed to accomplish such a feat single-handedly after being missing for three months.
However, many people had witnessed it firsthand – influential young masters from the capital city. They had no choice but to believe it.
The family patriarch, Su Fengnian, upon hearing the news, had immediately ordered a full search for Su Luo, determined to capture her and apologize to the royal family!
Seeing Su Hao Cheng about to make a move, Su Luo surged forward, grabbed his hand, pulled and slashed, and then delivered a palm strike to his chest. Su Hao Cheng let out a muffled groan and retreated several steps, cold sweat breaking out.
"You think you can capture me? With just you?" Su Luo's lips curled into a cold smile as she looked at him.
The surrounding onlookers were also stunned.
The Su family's eldest young lady was notoriously a cultivation prodigy. How could she make her own second brother retreat with a single move?
He was, after all, the expert who had just won the third spot for Qingxu Heaven!
Su Hao Cheng didn't understand how Su Luo had suddenly become so powerful, attributing it to his carelessness. He immediately shouted sternly, "Su Luo, you're still so arrogant after being missing for three months! Guards! Seize her! If she dares to escape, kill her on sight!"
A group of Su family guards, including the goat-bearded butler, simultaneously charged towards Su Luo.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack…*
The next moment, they were all sent flying backward like sandbags.
The speed was so immense that the onlookers couldn't even make out what happened. They simply saw all the Su family guards fall to the ground, groaning in pain.
Su Hao Cheng was furious and drew his sword, lunging at Su Luo.
Divine Eye Mirror, activate!
In Su Luo's eyes, the opponent's information was clearly displayed.
Su Hao Cheng: Eldest son of the Su family's second branch, 20 years old, a first-tier Earth element Profound Sky Master. His learned techniques include 'Earth Tomb Stab' at fourth level, 'Swift Wind Sword' at fifth level, 'Yin Yang Harmonious Cultivation Technique' at third level…
What? Her second brother, whom the Su family considered one of their potential successors, had actually cultivated a sinister technique like the Yin Yang Harmonious Cultivation Technique!
Su Luo's expression turned cold. She pointed at Su Hao Cheng's most vulnerable spot.
With a flash of spiritual energy, Su Hao Cheng's right waist throbbed with intense pain. His face changed drastically. Before he could react, Su Luo kicked him flying, sending him crashing heavily to the ground, almost knocking him unconscious.
"Heavens, is this the true strength of the Su family's eldest young lady? So powerful!"
"Eldest Young Lady Su was clearly a cultivation talent, how could she defeat her own brother? It's unbelievable! Could it be that she was just being low-key all these years, cultivating in secret?"
"I didn't even see how it happened, and it was over. What's going on? Second Young Master Su actually lost, can someone explain it to me!"
Su Luo walked up to Su Hao Cheng, placed a foot on his chest, retrieved the jade token from him, and said disdainfully, "Cultivating a sinister technique like the Yin Yang Harmonious Cultivation Technique is self-harming and harmful to others. It's more appropriate for me to cripple you!"
With that, she pointed at Su Hao Cheng's dantian, collected the jade token, pushed through the crowd, and left.
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances. Second Young Master Su actually cultivated such a method of extracting Yin energy to supplement Yang energy?
How despicable!
No wonder he was unremarkable before, but suddenly became powerful after turning sixteen, advancing rapidly. He had just won a spot in Qingxu Heaven, and it turned out he relied on such a shameful method.
Not long after, Su family members, having received the news, rushed over. Upon seeing Su Hao Cheng's pained state, they cried out in alarm, "This is bad, Second Young Master's dantian has been crippled…"
The news spread, shaking the entire capital city.
No one knew that Su Luo had made a detour and secretly returned, even making her way to the fifth floor of Yaoyue Tower.
"Sister Su, you really came, and so quickly!"
In the elegant and chic guest room, Tang Xiaoguo looked at Su Luo with joyful surprise. "How did you know that Senior Brother and I were here?"
Su Luo pinched her soft and cute cheek and smiled, "Isn't it obvious? Since Qingxu Heaven has a recruitment office in the capital of Yun Cang Kingdom, I just had to inquire, and I could guess you might be staying here. But I was lucky too, finding you as soon as I arrived."
Tang Xiaoguo was overjoyed, but after only a few smiles, her expression saddened. "Sister Su, I just found out that we are only recruiting three new disciples in Yun Cang Kingdom, and the spots are already full…"