Reluctantly, Yun Che took up the bow again, slowly drawing the string.
"Look at this kid's posture—he's clearly a novice!"
"Hmph! If he hits the bullseye again, I'll write my name backwards."
The archers in the training grounds were visibly excited, their expressions dripping with disdain for Yun Che.
Among the crowd, Yun Yu, the most skilled archer, wore a confident, composed expression as he arrogantly remarked, "In archery, only through countless repetitions can one truly master the art."
His words resonated with the other archers nearby, and they nodded in agreement.
Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly, choosing not to fully activate his left eye.
If he unleashed its full power, hitting the bullseye would be a certainty.
He decided to remain understated and only partially engaged his left eye's abilities.
At the same time, the techniques from the "Meteor Arrow" manual blended into his mind, subtly affecting his body.
His every muscle, even his breath, underwent slight adjustments.
These changes went unnoticed by the surrounding crowd.
However, Yun Yu, a master of archery, caught a flicker of keen insight in his eyes.
Whoosh—
With a tremor, the string released. The arrow shot forward in a blur, cutting through the air like a shooting star, striking the target.
Bullseye!
"Another ten-ring shot!"
Yun Che was taken aback.
This time, he had not fully activated his left eye's power but only tested the techniques from "Meteor Arrow."
He had expected a lesser result, but once again, the arrow struck the bullseye.
Sigh...
He shook his head, a wry smile on his face.
This outcome left the surrounding family members visibly twitching in frustration.
"Another bullseye? What kind of freak is this guy?"
"Two bullseyes in a row? How can anyone be this lucky?"
The archers wore perplexed expressions, unsure whether to feel astonished or vexed.
"Alright, I'm done. I'll be on my way."
Yun Che dusted off his clothes and lowered the bow, preparing to leave.
As he turned, the archers, their faces twisted with frustration and resentment, stood rooted in place, unwilling to let him go.
"Boy! Stop right there!"
A sharp, icy voice rang out from behind him.
Yun Che paused, turning to look.
The speaker was none other than Yun Yu.
With a cold expression and an unmistakable air of anger, Yun Yu's presence, bolstered by the aura of his third stage of martial arts, weighed heavily on those around him.
Yun Yu, seventeen or eighteen years old, was significantly older than Yun Che, and his mastery of martial arts only added to his imposing stature.
"You've shot your arrows; what more do you want?"
Yun Che's tone remained calm.
Despite Yun Yu's overwhelming power, Yun Che did not fear him. Victory was uncertain, but neither did he feel intimidated.
"Still pretending, huh?" Yun Yu sneered. "You're no novice in archery. You came here to make a fool of us."
Upon hearing this, the other archers immediately realized.
"No wonder this kid's luck was so good. Turns out he was pretending to be a fool!"
"Unbelievable, he's been toying with us!"
The family members, their expressions now hostile, all began to jeer and reprimand Yun Che.
"Everyone, calm down, I truly am a first-time archer..."
Yun Che gave a bitter smile and shook his head. He had no intention of deceiving anyone.
The excellent results had taken even him by surprise.
Yun Yu's cold stare pierced him as his eyes gleamed with insight. "The first two arrows, I was fooled, but the third... Your technique and posture were clearly of a master's level. Two consecutive bullseyes from such a distance—on your first try, how could anyone be that lucky?"
His reasoning was sound, and even with a hundred explanations, Yun Che could not easily disprove it.
"So, what do you intend to do about it?"
Yun Che's face darkened, choosing silence rather than explaining further.
"Heh, you think you can leave after messing with us like that?"
The surrounding Yun family members, fists clenched and faces full of malice, stepped forward.
The area around the archery field became the center of attention, and more people gathered to witness the unfolding spectacle."Yun fei, there's quite a commotion over there. Let's go take a look."Several young girls from the clan were also drawn to the noise.
These girls ranged in age from twelve to sixteen.
Among them, a graceful maiden in purple stood out, her delicate eyebrows framing crystal-clear eyes. Her face, as flawless as porcelain, radiated a beauty so pure it seemed untouched by the world. Her skin was as smooth as silk, and her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders like a dark waterfall—her beauty was utterly extraordinary.
"She's so beautiful... Who is she?"
A boy of Yun Che's age stood, stupefied, his eyes glued to her.
"That's Yun fei, the rising genius of our clan!"
Most of the clan members recognized the young woman in purple.
"At only fourteen or fifteen, she's already reached the pinnacle of the third stage of martial arts, and is on the verge of stepping into the fourth stage, becoming a true martial artist."
"Not only is Yun fei incredibly beautiful, but her talent is also exceptional."
Some of the boys quickly looked away, feeling a sense of inferiority and not daring to meet Yun fei's gaze.
Yun fei was not only breathtakingly beautiful but also possessed an ethereal, almost otherworldly aura. Her eyes, bright and flawless, far surpassed the typical charms of ordinary women.
Even Yun Yu, upon seeing Yun fei, couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback.
"It's her..."
Yun Che recognized Yun fei as well.
She had come from another branch of the clan six months ago.
Her martial prowess was comparable to Yun Yijian's, but she was far younger!
It was hard to fathom how someone from a less resourceful branch could achieve such heights in martial arts and training.
Perhaps this was the mark of a true genius!
What would be impossible for ordinary people was effortless for such prodigies.
When Yun Che had first met Yun fei, he had been stunned by her beauty, and, like any other ordinary youth, he couldn't help but be captivated. However, at that time, Yun Che was keenly aware that with his cultivation and status, he and Yun fei were from entirely different worlds.
Seeing Yun fei approaching, Yun Yu and the others eagerly greeted her.
Yun Che remained composed, his gaze straightforward and unwavering as he appraised her.
In the past, he would have been overwhelmed with self-doubt in the presence of such a talented and beautiful woman, unable to look her in the eye.
But today, he was able to admire her calmly.
As he observed, Yun Che instinctively activated his left eye slightly.
Through this eye, Yun fei's tall, slender figure was revealed in even sharper detail before him.
Wait—
This time, Yun Che was taken aback.
Vaguely, Yun fei's clothes seemed to fade, and for a moment, he could almost discern the contours of her undergarments and fair skin...
Of course, his left eye did not possess full x-ray vision, and even its weak form was not perfect.
The difference lay in his extraordinary vision, which allowed him to see things more clearly than most, bringing distant images into a near "zero-distance" perspective, almost akin to a limited form of "x-ray" vision.
At one point, when his left eye reached its limit, the faint azure spiral light in the black void spun rapidly.
Suddenly, Yun fei's clothes, even her body, became almost entirely translucent, as if stripped of all concealment.
Through his left eye, Yun Che could see streams of blood and energy flowing smoothly through her body. Though subtle, the flow was both delicate and powerful, tinged with a faint purple aura.
"Yun fei's talent is astonishing! She's already on the verge of cultivating the 'Martial Inner Energy'…"
Yun Che was shocked, inhaling sharply.
At her age—only a year older than him—she had already achieved such remarkable feats.
In Qinghua Continent, most "martial apprentices" never break past the third stage, unable to comprehend "Martial Inner Energy" and reach the fourth stage.
Yet Yun fei, at just fourteen or fifteen, was on the cusp of mastering this inner energy, soon to become a true martial artist.
"My left eye can't fully see through objects, but it has a strong sensitivity to blood energy, martial inner strength, and other forces," Yun Che realized as his left eye flickered with intense insight.
At that moment, Yun fei, the center of attention, seemed to sense something. Her bright eyes turned, and she suddenly locked gazes with Yun Che.
Yun Che did not avert his gaze; he simply deactivated his left eye's power.
Yun fei felt a peculiar sensation, as though her secrets were laid bare, her clothes vanishing before her very eyes.
"What's going on here?"
Yun fei withdrew her gaze, scanning the surroundings.
"Yun fei, it's like this..."
Yun Yu and the others eagerly recounted the events, embellishing the story as they went.
"Ah, I see."
Yun fei glanced at Yun Che with a hint of surprise.
Yun Che understood that, in this situation, any attempt at explanation would be futile, so he chose to remain silent.
"Boy! Your actions have already provoked the ire of many. Now, I'm giving you a chance—apologize to everyone," Yun Yu said, his tone laced with pride.
Apologize?
I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I apologize?
Yun Che scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"As long as you apologize, this matter can be settled," Yun Yu said with a flourish, hoping to make a good impression in front of Yun fei."Apologize? Impossible." Yun Che said without a trace of fear, "Everything that transpired earlier was merely your personal conjecture."Upon hearing these words, many of those present, including Yufei, furrowed their brows.
"Yun Che is utterly oblivious to the situation."
Yufei's delicate brows knitted slightly, and her impression of Yun Che took a turn for the worse.
"You sure know how to quibble, don't you?"
Yun Yu responded with a smile, his anger replaced by amusement.
"Refuse to apologize, and you won't be leaving."
Several young disciples from the surrounding families advanced, closing in on Yun Che with a menacing air.
"Are you ganging up on me?"
Yun Che sneered, casting a glance at Yun fei, either deliberately or unknowingly.
Yun Yu and the others' expressions shifted slightly.
In front of a genius like Yun fei, they were eager to maintain decorum—resorting to intimidation would hardly be dignified.
"Fine, fine!"
Yun Yu's eyes flickered for a moment as a plan took shape. He chuckled and said, "We won't resort to numbers against you… If you can defeat me in archery, then you won't need to apologize."
"Exactly! Since we are both archers, let's let our skills do the talking."
"Yun fei, would you kindly act as the judge for us?"
The others eagerly chimed in, supporting the proposal.
Yun Yu secretly laughed in his heart; this was truly a plan that killed two birds with one stone.
Through this archery contest, he could gracefully demand Yun Che apologize without losing face.
Moreover, he could showcase his own archery prowess in front of Yun fei, and who knows, perhaps even win her favor.
"Archery contest?"
Yun Che sighed with slight resignation. "Very well, let our skills be the measure."