Chapter 409 - 407: Elder Yang

"Retreating without a fight... that doesn’t seem to be my style. Since your Qianli River insists on testing me, I’ll be happy to oblige," Li Qiye said with a smile to the Treasure Turtle Daoist.

The Treasure Turtle Daoist was not surprised by Li Qiye’s choice. He nodded and said, "Very well. There will be three tests. To be fair, you may choose the subject for one of them."

"Alright. Since I get to pick one, I’ll choose the subject for the second test," Li Qiye said readily with a smile.

"Very well. The first test will be on your martial arts. It begins tomorrow. Do you have any objections?" the Treasure Turtle Daoist said.

Li Qiye shrugged. "I’m ready whenever."

"Then go back and prepare. Tomorrow, my Qianli River will send a disciple to challenge you. You should be mentally prepared. Don’t underestimate your opponent." The Treasure Turtle Daoist was being friendly, offering Li Qiye a special reminder.

Li Qiye glanced at Lan Yunzhu beside him and said with a smile, "Don’t tell me you’re sending my fiancée to fight me?"

The word "fiancée" made Lan Yunzhu’s blood boil. She glared furiously at Li Qiye, her face flushing a burning, bright red.

"You can rest assured on that point. If we sent Yunzhu out, it would be unfair to you," the Treasure Turtle Daoist said with a smile. In truth, as both the Sect Leader and Lan Yunzhu’s master, he was naturally on his disciple’s side.

’Of course,’ the Treasure Turtle Daoist thought, ’if Lan Yunzhu were to fight, Li Qiye would have absolutely no chance of winning.’ He had the utmost confidence in his disciple. He believed Lan Yunzhu had a definitive chance of victory even against the heirs of other Emperor Immortal Gates. In his opinion, his student Lan Yunzhu would even stand a good chance against the heir of the Ten Thousand Bones Throne.

As for Li Qiye, he was happy to take on any opponent. In fact, the stronger his foe, the more his fighting spirit soared.

After bidding farewell to the Treasure Turtle Daoist, they returned to their private courtyard. Lu Baiqiu was waiting and quietly informed them that someone was inside.

"Grandpa Yang!" Upon entering the room and seeing the old man sitting inside, Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but exclaim in both joy and surprise.

An old man in his seventies was seated in the room. Though not large in stature, his presence was like a fortress, capable of weathering any storm. He gave off the impression of an unbreachable wall.

This was one of Qianli River’s Elders, a man from Feiyang Village—Elder Yang.

In fact, Feiyang Village had produced many remarkable individuals: great generals and marshals of the Mortal World, chancellors of entire nations, and even Elders of Emperor Immortal Gates, like Elder Yang himself.

But no matter what kind of people Feiyang Village produced, none could disturb its tranquility—a peace born from an Immortal Emperor’s twilight meditations, a peace that no one could shatter.

"Grandpa, you’ve come out of seclusion?" Lan Yunzhu asked in surprise. Elder Yang was not her biological grandfather, but he was a highly respected elder from Feiyang Village, so she addressed him as such.

Elder Yang beamed. "Since the Divine Tree has chosen a fine husband for you, how could I, as your grandfather, not come and take a look for myself?"

"Grandpa, what are you talking about!" Lan Yunzhu was easily embarrassed, and she pouted as her face turned bright red.

Elder Yang, however, carefully sized Li Qiye up from head to toe. Like a mother-in-law inspecting her future son-in-law, the more he looked, the more pleased he became.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent." After looking Li Qiye over, Elder Yang nodded repeatedly in praise. He chuckled and said, "It seems the Divine Tree really did pick a fine husband for our little girl."

"The Divine Tree may have picked a fine husband for her, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it picked a gentle and virtuous wife for me," Li Qiye said with a smile.

"You cheeky brat. You’ve struck gold and you’re still playing coy," Elder Yang said, giving him a playful glare. "Our girl is quite a catch, too. Regardless, you two must support and love one another in the future."

Elder Yang was quite satisfied with Li Qiye. He believed in his village’s Dream Tree. As an Elder of an Emperor Immortal Gate, he understood the significance of the tree. There had to be a reason why the Dream Tree had chosen Li Qiye for Lan Yunzhu.

"Grandpa, nothing is set in stone yet!" Lan Yunzhu protested, both embarrassed and annoyed.

Li Qiye just smiled and shook his head. ’To me, this engagement is just a coincidence,’ he thought. ’As for Lan Yunzhu, she’s only using me to escape a forced marriage from the Qianli River.’

"Young man," Elder Yang said with a smile, "I came out of seclusion today specifically to give you some encouragement. I won’t say much more, just this: Whatever it is, go all out. In short, this old man wholeheartedly supports your marriage. Don’t let your resolve waver, no matter how others interfere. The son-in-law of our Feiyang Village won’t be defeated so easily, right?"

As an Elder of the Qianli River, Elder Yang rarely involved himself in worldly matters. He had come out of seclusion this time specifically to back Li Qiye. He feared Li Qiye would be unable to stand his ground alone and be forced to back down by the other Elders. That was precisely why he had come to offer his support.

"Alright. I’ll be sure to win the beauty’s hand and have a son with her as soon as possible," Li Qiye replied with a grin, matching Elder Yang’s enthusiasm.

As for Lan Yunzhu, his words made her so furious that her face flushed red with shame and anger. She wished she could beat this Little Ghost until his head swelled up like a pig’s.

"Good, good, good! I’ll be waiting for the good news." Elder Yang laughed heartily. As he was leaving, he added to Li Qiye, "Go all out. This match was made by the heavens; no one can tear you two apart."

"What was all that nonsense you were spouting?!" Once Elder Yang had left, Lan Yunzhu flew into a rage, fiercely pinching Li Qiye’s thigh as she glared at him.

SMACK! Li Qiye slapped her on the rear and gave it a squeeze. Lan Yunzhu shrieked and leaped away, her face flushing crimson as she glared furiously at him.

"You little pervert!" Lan Yunzhu’s eyes blazed with fury. To be treated so frivolously by this Little Ghost... she trembled with rage, her face as red as a sunset.

In contrast to Lan Yunzhu’s towering rage, Li Qiye just gave her a lazy glance. "Little pervert? Such an ugly term. Don’t forget, I’m your fiancé. It’s perfectly reasonable for a fiancé to pinch his own wife. Besides, your backside is so full and springy..."

"You’re still talking—" Lan Yunzhu exploded with a mix of fury and embarrassment, chasing after Li Qiye like a wildcat.

For a time, the room was filled with Li Qiye’s teasing laughter and Lan Yunzhu’s frustrated shouts. Listening from outside, Lu Baiqiu couldn’t help but crack a smile. The two of them were acting more and more like a young married couple.

「The very next day」

News of the assessment for Li Qiye, the future son-in-law, spread like wildfire throughout the Qianli River sect.

"Future son-in-law? Bah! Let’s see him pass the tests first. He’s not qualified to be called that yet." Countless disciples of the younger generation within Qianli River admired Lan Yunzhu, meaning Li Qiye had rivals everywhere. As a result, many of these young disciples were openly hostile toward him.

Thus, when they heard Li Qiye was to be tested, the first thought on every young disciple’s mind was a fervent hope that he would fail.

Soon after, news of the first martial arts test spread, revealing that Li Qiye’s opponent would be none other than the head disciple of Qianli River, Flame Dragon.

It was understandable that Qianli River would send Flame Dragon—their head disciple and one of the strongest of the younger generation—to test Li Qiye’s martial arts. In fact, it was already quite fair that the older generation wasn’t getting involved.

Whether Flame Dragon had been assigned by the elders or had volunteered for the duel was unknown.

When the Qianli River disciples heard it was their Head Brother fighting, they were thrilled. "Perfect!" one disciple said excitedly. "Head Brother will teach that Little Ghost a harsh lesson for thinking a toad like him can have a swan!"

For once, all the disciples of Qianli River were united. Regardless of their usual cliques or rivalries, today they all shared a single thought: drive this Little Ghost, Li Qiye, out!

"Heh, that Little Ghost surnamed Li won’t last three moves against Head Brother. As if some nobody like him could ever be a worthy opponent for Head Brother!" said a junior sister who idolized him.

"Three moves? You’re giving him too much credit. I say one move is all it’ll take. Head Brother is an incredible Ancient Saint!" a junior brother chimed in. "Heh, Head Brother will crush that Little Ghost in a single move and shatter his confidence. He probably won’t even have the guts to face the next tests."

"That would be for the best. It’s time that Little Ghost learned that our Senior Sister isn’t someone just anyone is worthy of." In an instant, all the brothers and sisters of Qianli River were united in their condemnation of Li Qiye.

It was as if Li Qiye had committed some heinous crime, so fervently did the Qianli River disciples wish for his defeat.

At the crack of dawn the next day, the area outside Qianli River’s designated dueling ground was already packed. Disciples had flocked there early in the morning to spectate.

After the officiating elders arrived, Flame Dragon entered the dueling grounds. He was a magnificent sight today, his entire body wreathed in flames that soared like a dragon. The raging inferno seemed capable of burning through the Celestial Vault itself.

Flame Dragon’s fighting spirit was soaring, and his aura was imposing. He carried himself with an air of conceit, as if victory was already in his grasp.

In truth, Flame Dragon didn’t take Li Qiye seriously at all. In his eyes, a nameless junior like Li Qiye could never be his opponent, no matter how strong he was.

Flame Dragon’s conceit was not without reason. As the head disciple of Qianli River, his talent had always been exceptional, and he had already reached the realm of an Ancient Saint several years prior.