The Lower Realm, Azure Sky Sect

The sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the entire world with its radiant light.

In a vast land, countless floating mountains could be seen, and atop each one, numerous majestic and splendid Chinese-style palaces stood tall.

Powerful Qi energy enveloped the entire land, blessing it with its presence.

In the main region of the Azure Sky Sect, prodigies were fiercely competing with one another.

The sound of clashing swords and fists echoed in the sky, creating a mesmerizing scene.

"As expected from Senior Brother Li!"

"He's truly a genius! He's only twenty, but he's already reached the Mind Palace Realm!"

"I've even heard that the sect leader has taken notice of him and is considering accepting him as a disciple!"

"Hush! Really?" Everyone turned to look at the disciple who had spoken.

After all, the words he uttered were not simple—becoming the personal disciple of the Sect Leader!

One must know that their sect leader was one of the most powerful experts in the Southern Lands.

"Heh, no matter how powerful he is, he will definitely be defeated by Brother Chen!" Though not everyone seemed to agree.

"Ye Chen? Haha, sure, his talent isn't bad, but he is certainly no match for Senior Brother Li!"

As they continued their debate, they watched the two handsome youths battling on the stage.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battleground, a tall and striking young man with long black hair and brown eyes stood, his sword strapped to his waist. His expression revealed hints of determination and a thirst for greatness.

"Who would have thought that I, Ye Chen, would one day reach such heights?" A mocking smirk spread across his handsome face.

"From a humiliated commoner to the contender for Holy Son of one of the most powerful sects in the Southern Lands." The smirk vanished, replaced by an air of arrogance.

However, as he looked again at the scene of the ongoing battle and saw one of the prodigies competing with his opponent, a murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

A set of memories he had buried deep in his mind played back like a film.

Three years had passed since that incident, but how could he ever forget such humiliation? He had sworn that one day, he would make that bastard regret what he had done.

And today was that day.

"Well, the match is over, and the winner of this round is Li Xian!" One of the elders stepped onto the stage, announcing the result after seeing one of the opponents collapse unconscious.

"Haha, as expected from Brother Li!"

"He's truly invincible! The pride of our Azure Sky Sect!" Upon hearing the result, a surge of excitement spread through the crowd.

After all, Li Xian was extremely popular and famous among all the disciples of the sect, so such excitement was somewhat natural.

"The final match, between Li Xian and Ye Chen, will be held in five minutes, and the winner will become the Holy Son of the Azure Sky Sect!" The elder announced loudly before handing two recovery pills to Li Xian and leaving the stage.

Li Xian, after receiving the pills, nodded in gratitude and swallowed both.

Within five minutes, he had fully restored his strength and stood on the stage like an immovable mountain.

Arrogance was evident in his eyes, as though nothing was worthy of his attention.

Of course, this was natural. Not only was he one of the Five Golden Disciples of the Azure Sky Sect, but he was also the young master of the Li family, one of the most powerful families in the Southern Lands.

Ye Chen, seeing Li Xian stand up, stepped onto the battlefield, staring coldly at the bastard who stood before him.

"Hahaha, Li Xian, you never expected that I, Ye Chen, would become your greatest obstacle, did you?" Ye Chen laughed loudly, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Well, I didn't expect a bug like you to make it this far, but so what? Today, I, Li Xian, will defeat you and claim the title of Holy Son!" He didn't even try to hide his arrogance.

"Hmph! Dream on! Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi! Today, I, Ye Chen, will take revenge for all the humiliation and the stealing of my girlfriend!" Without hesitation, he drew his sword from its scabbard.

There was nothing particularly special about his sword—it looked like a simple, cheap blade. However, an aura of nobility subtly surrounded it, an aura that no one could see.

"Heh, the fact that you're so incompetent you couldn't even keep your girlfriend has nothing to do with me," Li Xian mocked, showing no sign of remorse.

"You—you bastard!" Ye Chen's face twisted in anger as he roared like a dragon and charged toward Li Xian.

Their swords clashed in the air, beginning a fierce contest of strength. A few seconds later, both were thrown back.

While Ye Chen's expression remained calm, Li Xian frowned.

He hadn't expected Ye Chen to be this strong. In that exchange, he realized that Ye Chen's physical strength was on par with his own, which made his face darken slightly.

"What's going on? Did Brother Li really get pushed back?"

"Hiss!! Is Ye Chen really this powerful? Has he been hiding his strength all this time?" The other disciples, watching the fight, couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Heh, Li Xian, do you want to surrender? If you kneel, I might just spare you." Ye Chen's laughter rang out, filled with mockery.

"Don't get too cocky. The one who laughs last wins!" Li Xian quickly regained his composure and launched another attack.

Ye Chen let out a cold snort and countered.

Meanwhile, above the battleground, on a mountain, the sect elders and the Patriarch sat on their thrones, observing the fight.

"Haha, Li Xian is truly talented, just as expected from someone with the Tyrannical Absolute Physique."

"Indeed, he is certainly worthy of becoming the Holy Son of our Azure Sky Sect."

"However, this Ye Chen is no slouch either. He is holding his own against Li Xian." Some of the elders seemed more optimistic about Ye Chen's chances.

"If I'm not mistaken, this Ye Chen has gained quite a reputation over the past three years. It even seems like he has a good relationship with the Sacred Maiden," one of the elders said, glancing at the beautiful girl serving tea.

"Hmph! What nonsense! That boy has no relationship with my daughter!" Suddenly, a majestic and commanding voice echoed, silencing the other elders.

"Yes, yes, perhaps I heard wrong," the elder quickly shut his mouth. Although he didn't particularly like the current Patriarch's lineage gaining more power, it seemed there was no choice.

At this moment, he could only blame himself for not having a daughter as beautiful as the Sacred Maiden to attract that one's attention.

"What do you think, Patriarch? Who do you think will win?" One of the female elders, sensing the tense atmosphere, tried to change the subject.

The Patriarch paused for a moment, not saying anything, before turning to look at the incredibly handsome young man sitting next to him—seated at the same level—and asked with flattery,

"What do you think, Young Master?"