Chapter 59 Prelude to the Grand Tournament

Looking at the serious expression on Yun Yi's face, Qian Mo drooped his head and replied, "Boss, I understand!"

"Let's go! Let's find Ling'er and celebrate for you and her! Eat well, drink well, and tomorrow during the grand tournament, it'll be time to show our true strength!"

Patting Qian Mo on the shoulder, Yun Yi spoke and led him straight towards Lei Ling'er's residence.

......

In the evening, at Yixian Restaurant:

"Cheers! Wishing us all a great result in tomorrow's grand tournament!"

Yun Yi smiled as he stood up, looking at Lei Ling'er, Qian Mo, and Feng Lingling before him!

"Cheers!"

After that, the group began eating, drinking, and chatting merrily...

Originally, Yun Yi had only intended to invite Lei Ling'er, but to his surprise, Feng Lingling was also there, so he extended the invitation to her as well.

The gathering continued late into the night before slowly dispersing.

Naturally, Yun Yi and Lei Ling'er walked back together, leaning against one another.

Watching Yun Yi and Lei Ling'er fade into the distance, a look of envy flashed through Feng Lingling's eyes.

Ever since Yun Yi had seen her unclothed, his handsome and striking expression would invariably surface in her mind whenever the deep hours of the night arrived.

"Sigh!"

With a soft sigh, Feng Lingling felt a profound sense of loss in her heart.

"What's wrong? Do you have feelings for my boss?"

Qian Mo's voice suddenly rang out from beside her, pulling Feng Lingling back from her thoughts.

"Hmph! Mind your own business!"

Caught off guard by Qian Mo, Feng Lingling's face flushed with annoyance as she picked up her pace and strode away into the distance.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Chuckling, Qian Mo hurriedly chased after her.

......

"Let's stop here!"

Looking at the courtyard before her, Lei Ling'er raised her head to look at Yun Yi, reluctance evident in her gaze.

"Ling'er, good luck tomorrow! Your ranking doesn't matter; what's important is that you stay safe!"

Gazing at the young woman before him, Yun Yi stroked her silky hair, his eyes filled with absolute pampering.

"Brother Yi, you too. Don't push yourself too hard, just securing a decent ranking is enough!"

Looking at Yun Yi under the moonlight, Lei Ling'er's cheeks flushed slightly with shyness as she continued, "Also... Brother Yi, once the grand tournament is over, would you be willing to accompany me back home?"

"Huh?"

Yun Yi looked slightly startled, then broke into a warm smile and said, "Hahaha, of course! It's about time I went to pay my respects to your father anyway."

Gazing at Yun Yi bathed in the moonlight, Lei Ling'er suddenly stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips lightly against his like a dragonfly skimming the water, before turning around and dashing back inside with a blushing face.

Feeling the lingering warmth upon his lips, Yun Yi wore a look of utter astonishment.

"I'll definitely have to experience that properly next time!"

Yun Yi smiled, glanced up at the night sky, and walked leisurely toward his own courtyard.

......

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, just as the first rays of dawn began to break and before Yun Yi could even emerge from his meditation, the waist token hanging at his waist suddenly began to vibrate.

"All disciples are required to assemble at the main plaza within one hour!"

A majestic and imposing voice echoed through the token, bringing a faint smile to the corners of Yun Yi's lips.

"It's time to prove myself!"

With that, Yun Yi stood up and walked toward the plaza.

Almost all disciples received the message at the exact same moment, and instantly, everyone began rubbing their palms together in eager anticipation, hoping to secure an impressive ranking.

An hour later, when Yun Yi arrived at the plaza, he was momentarily taken aback by the sheer scale of the scene before him.

At this moment, the Yingtian Plaza was already surrounded by tier upon tier of enthusiastic onlookers. Naturally, to accommodate the grand tournament, high viewing platforms had been hastily erected around the perimeter of the plaza for everyone to watch the matches conveniently.

For any academy or sect, a grand tournament was an indispensable event. It served as a crucial indicator of whether a sect was flourishing or suffering from a lack of successor talent, and therefore, it was treated with utmost importance.

Feeling the crackling, electric atmosphere, Yun Yi's own blood began to surge with excitement.

"Brother Yi, over here!"

"Boss!"

Before Yun Yi could search for Lei Ling'er and the others, a familiar cry rang out.

Spotting Qian Mo and Lei Ling'er in the distance, Yun Yi walked toward them with a smile on his face. "You two are quite punctual!"

"Boss, you're so slow!"

Teased Qian Mo, watching Yun Yi arrive late.

"Hahaha, I was held up by a few things!"

"Hmph, I thought some coward was planning to turn into a turtle hiding in its shell!"

Before Yun Yi could reply, a discordant, sneering grunt cut through the air. Hearing the familiar voice, Yun Yi turned his head and smiled as he looked over.

"Liang Heng, do you smell something foul?"

"What?"

Liang Heng looked bewildered, not following the prompt.

"Someone is spewing garbage!"

With a mocking expression, Yun Yi stared straight at Liang Heng in the distance.

"Yun Yi! Are you looking to die?!"

Hearing the implication behind Yun Yi's words, Liang Heng's face instantly twisted in fury, his eyes blazing with incandescent rage as he glared across the space between them.

Ever since he was defeated by Yun Yi last time, Liang Heng's mood had remained perpetually sour—he was like a rabid dog ready to snap at anyone who provoked him!

Meeting Liang Heng's furious gaze, Yun Yi let out a derisive laugh. "Looking to die? Weren't you just a defeated opponent under my hands not long ago?"

"Yun Yi, you..."

Liang Heng lunged forward, preparing to charge directly at Yun Yi, only to be stopped dead in his tracks by an outstretched arm.

"Liang Heng, calm down for a moment!"

After holding Liang Heng back, Liang Rui cast a look of utter disdain toward Yun Yi and sneered, "You will die by my hands!"

Watching Liang Heng get restrained by another pretty boy, Yun Yi wore a look of mild regret. Then, hearing yet another pretty boy threaten him, a phrase naturally spilled from his lips:

"Moron!"

"Hmph!"

Realizing he couldn't out-verbalize Yun Yi, Liang Rui let out a cold snort and averted his gaze, refusing to look at him any longer.

"How utterly boring."

Yun Yi shook his head and sighed.

"Hehe, that just goes to show how amazing Brother Yi is!"

Lei Ling'er chimed in with a bright smile, her eyes filled with undisguised adoration.

"Brother Yi!"

Before Yun Yi could respond, a booming shout echoed out, causing Yun Yi to turn his head once more.

"It's him!"

Seeing a massive, brawny man walking toward him accompanied by a slender fellow swaying his waist and forming orchid finger gestures, Yun Yi's expression shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions.

The newcomers were none other than Quan Jinhu and Ning Yinyang.

"Brother Quan!"

Spotting them, Yun Yi cupped his fists with a smile in greeting.

"Hahaha! Brother Yi, it seems your cultivation has increased dramatically lately!"

As Quan Jinhu approached and observed the aura flowing effortlessly around Yun Yi's body, he praised him on the surface while feeling inwardly shocked. With his level of insight, he could easily tell that Yun Yi's physique had undergone a profound transformation.

Hearing Quan Jinhu's remark, Yun Yi smiled faintly and replied, "Brother Quan's strength has grown immensely as well!"

"Hmph! Well of course! Tiger Brother is naturally the strongest of them all!"

Before Quan Jinhu could reply, Ning Yinyang batted his eyelashes at Yun Yi with an air of spoiled arrogance.

"Uh... um..."

Yun Yi found himself completely at a loss for how to respond to Ning Yinyang's affected, high-pitched falsetto.

"Brother Yi, I truly look forward to crossing swords with you!"

Naturally sensing Yun Yi's awkwardness, Quan Jinhu hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. He cupped his fists politely and departed with Ning Yinyang in tow.

"Boss, that man is so revolting!"

Watching the two figures recede into the crowd, a look of nausea crossed Qian Mo's face.

"Though he certainly feels a bit bizarre, the world is vast and full of all kinds of wonders; we ought to remain respectful."

Though Yun Yi himself felt a mild sense of physiological discomfort, he was, after all, a reincarnator who had witnessed plenty of eccentricity in his past life.