Unlike normal snowflakes, those drifting around Chu Chuyan didn’t fall to the ground and melt. Instead, they congregated together to form an ice lotus that embraced her body.

Seeing this, Sang Hong nodded slightly. “Young miss Chu’s reputation as a prodigious cultivator is well-known, and it looks like she’s as formidable as the rumors put her out to be. It’s incredible that she’s able to manipulate her ki to such a degree.”

Behind him, Sang Qian was staring at Chu Chuyan with heated eyes. Zheng Dan might be pretty as well, but she’s still lacking compared to Chu Chuyan. If I had such a woman, I would wake up laughing even in the middle of my sleep!

In the past, such a dream would have been unthinkable to him. However, ever since he found out that Chu Chuyan had chosen Zu An—who was his inferior in every way—as her husband, the possibility of capturing this fairy seemed much more realistic than before.

These thoughts gained traction after he had learned of his father’s plans. Once the Chu clan fell apart, she would no longer be the lofty daughter of a duke anymore. Perhaps then, he might just stand a chance.

The only troublesome part was that Shi Kun seemed to be interested in her too… 

Sang Hong had no idea what was going on in his son’s mind. He turned to Jiang Luofu and struck up a conversation. “It must be thanks to Principal Jiang’s guidance that young miss Chu is able to achieve such great accomplishments at such a young age.”

Despite his best efforts to keep himself in check, he still couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting towards her legs. They were so exquisitely long and shapely, he would have had no doubts if someone told him they had been shaped by the heavens themselves. The pair of stockings that she had on veiled her legs slightly, which further enhanced their allure by shrouding them in a layer of mystery.

This woman is truly a succubus!

Jiang Luofu smiled in response. “Chu Chuyan’s achievements are mainly built upon her high aptitude and intelligence. All we’ve done is provide a little guidance.”

“Principal Jiang is too humble.” Sang Hong didn’t think of himself as a lustful man, but the woman beside him was simply too beautiful. Even with his level of self-control, he couldn’t stop himself from sneaking glances at her.

Back in the dueling ring, Wu Di had finished charging up his attack. The ten-meter long inferno blade came down in one swift stroke, falling with incredible momentum and smashing heavily down upon the ice lotus.

Fire was the natural nemesis of ice. As the blade fell, the outermost flower petals immediately melted as they came into contact with the intense flames, creating a pathway for the inferno blade to strike all the way toward the center of the lotus, where Chu Chuyan stood.

“Young miss Chu, be careful!”

“Fairy Chu, be careful!”

… 

Even though the crowd knew they had no business interfering in the duel, they were unable to look past Chu Chuyan’s captivating beauty. Sensing that she was in danger, they instinctively shouted out warnings to her.

Zu An was angered by how they were butting into his wife’s business. Hey, even I am not shouting over here. What are all of you panicking for?

It displeased him to know that so many men were fantasizing about his wife, and whenever he was displeased, he was determined to displease others as well. He shot to his feet and began chanting, “Go, honey! Go, honey! Go, honey!”

He was shouting so loudly, he seemed afraid that the crowd would somehow miss the fact that the woman in the dueling ring was his wife.

Just as he had expected, as soon as he started shouting, countless murderous gazes turned his way.

“Is that man Chu First Miss’ husband? Hah, there’s nothing special about him at all!”

“Nothing special? He’s a notorious wastrel in the city!”

“How could the world be so unfair to allow a man like him to marry my goddess? This is ridiculous!”

“Shit! Just seeing his face has ruined my good mood!”

… 

Watching from the sidelines, Shi Kun clenched his fists so tightly that he broke the arm of his chair. Chu Chuyan was his private possession! The sight of another man calling her ‘honey’ was absolutely unbearable. He felt as if he was being cuckolded.

Shameless! He’s way too shameless!

Ji Dengtu, who was fidgeting in the crowd and taking advantage of the married women around him, shook his head. 

I need to find an opportunity to ask him what comes next in the story. Did that Wang character change in the end? Huh? Why am I so into that Wang character? Did I accidentally put myself in his shoes? Pui, pui, pui!

… 

The huge wave of Rage points coming into his system left Zu An beaming from ear to ear. I never knew that having a beautiful wife could bring so much happiness. Aiyoo, it’s a happiness that none of you will ever be able to experience. Hahahaha!

Chu Chuyan hadn’t shown the slightest bit of emotion during her long fight with Wu Di, but Zu An’s sudden cheering caused her fair cheeks to flush for a brief moment.

Noticing the shy look on her face, Wu Di flew into a state of rage. You didn’t react to anything I said earlier, but his yelling can make your face turn red? On top of that, you even dare to be distracted in the midst of a duel with me?!

His overflowing anger caused the already-massive inferno blade to grow even larger. It drove deeper into the ice lotus, threatening to sever it in two.

The crowd gasped. Chu Chuyan was surely in a dire position!

In contrast, a frown began to form on Wu Di’s face. Somehow, the descent of his inferno blade was quickly slowing down.

Chu Chuyan stood at the center of the ice lotus, gazing at the inferno blade above her head with cold, emotionless eyes. Snowflakes were still drifting around her. Just like that, the duel came to a standstill.

“Look!” There was a high-pitched exclamation as a sharp-eyed spectator noticed something strange.

The crowd quickly focused their attention, and they saw that the flames on the inferno blade had stopped flickering. Instead, a layer of white mist had started forming on the surface of the saber.

The inferno saber was visibly turning into ice at a substantial rate. Soon, even Wu Di would be turned into an ice sculpture as well.

Zu An gulped at the sight. My wife is actually this formidable… What if she decides to get violent with me one day? Wouldn’t I be totally helpless before her? No, this won’t do. I need to grow stronger, quickly! If not, the next ice sculpture she creates might be me!

“Even his ki is being frozen?” Some of the juniors spectating the match were understandably stunned. Even the powerhouses present were amazed by what they were witnessing.

As expected of the woman I’ve chosen! A triumphant smile emerged on Shi Kun’s face, as if Chu Chuyan’s feat had brought him honor.

On the other hand, the faces of those from the Wu clan and Yuan clan darkened. The presence of such a talented cultivator in the Chu clan didn’t bode well for them.

City Lord Xie Yi sighed deeply. It was such a pity that the Chu clan had rejected the offer of a political marriage from King Qi’s faction previously.

A glint flashed across Sang Hong’s eyes. It’s fortunate that Chu Chuyan is a woman. If Chu Zhongtian had such a formidable son, my plans would surely fall into shambles.

To everyone present, Chu Chuyan’s victory seemed assured. Even Chu Chuyan herself had begun to ask her opponent to yield, when she sensed something amiss. “It’s over…  Hmm?”

She had planned to retract her ki to free her opponent, when the ice sculpture above her suddenly began to crack. With a thunderous crash, it shattered into a white mist. Wu Di fell back down to the ground with a shimmering layer of light surrounding him like a barrier.

“He’s at the sixth rank!”

Everyone present was stunned. Elemental barrier was an ability that only cultivators who reached the sixth rank could utilize. It could guard against most lower-level elemental attacks.

“How could they possibly have a sixth rank cultivator?” Qin Wanru stood up with a look of disbelief on her face.

Chu Zhongtian also shot a sharp look at the Wu clan patriarch. “Sunspring Duke, what is the meaning of this?”

He was well aware that the Yuan clan didn’t have the resources or any offspring talented enough to reach the sixth rank. Therefore, the individual on the field right now had to be from the Wu clan.

“Brightmoon Duke, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying. This is a duel between the Chu clan and Yuan clan. Why are you asking me about it?” asked Wu Wei with a smile.

Chu Zhongtian sniffed coldly. “Both of us know very well what’s going on here.”

“Isn’t he just a sixth rank cultivator? Why are you kicking up such a big fuss? You’re making it sound like no sixth rank cultivator is allowed in the Clans Tournament. Lord Governor, is there anything wrong with what I’ve said?”

“Indeed, there is no such rule.” Sang Hong nodded.

Chu Zhongtian frowned.

There indeed isn’t such a rule, but this is a tournament between the juniors of both clans. Even our talented Chuyan is only at the fifth rank, so how could the Yuan clan have any sixth rank cultivator!

Wu Wei burst into laughter. “Brightmoon Duke, your daughter isn’t the only prodigy in the world. The circumstances are very clear. Why don’t you have your young miss admit defeat? It would be horrible if she got hurt during this duel, no?”

It was common knowledge amongst cultivators that there was a huge gap between fifth rank and sixth rank cultivators. After all, the elemental ability of fifth rank cultivators—their most prized ability—could be easily deflected by the elemental barrier of sixth rank cultivators. There was no way Chu Chuyan stood a chance against Wu Di.

Chu Zhongtian looked at his daughter hesitantly for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak. Before any words were out of his mouth, Chu Chuyan’s cold voice cut him off. “The fight isn’t over yet.”

This prompted Shi Kun to speak up. “Young miss Chu, it’s common knowledge that there’s a huge gap between fifth rank and sixth rank cultivators. Please don’t force yourself to fight on. Even if you admit defeat, your reputation will remain unsullied.”

He was worried that Chu Chuyan’s perfect body would be scarred if she forced herself to fight against a more powerful cultivator. There was no way he could accept her becoming disfigured over this.

However, Chu Chuyan replied nonchalantly, “Thank you for your concern, young master Shi, but I know what I’m doing.”

The patriarch of the Yuan clan, Yuan Zhengchu, burst into laughter. “Since that’s the case, Di Wu, you should continue the fight with young miss Chu. Make sure not to harm her, all right?”

Wu Di smiled in response. “That’s a given.”

Hearing that his daughter was intending to continue the duel, Chu Zhongtian sent her a worried message via ki, “Just admit defeat if you find anything amiss. Don’t put your life at stake for this.”

Chu Chuyan nodded in response, while calmly eyeing Wu Di.

Wu Di chuckled softly. “Young miss Chu, you are indeed a prodigy, but you are a whole rank lower than me. Your Snowflower Sword poses no threat to me at all. There’s no point in you continuing the fight.”

For the first time since the start of the battle, Chu Chuyan finally responded to him. “There’s nothing absolute in the world.”

Right after saying those words, her body turned into a blur, and  a cold glint flashed from the sword in her hands. A barrage of attacks came flying toward him from all angles.

Wu Di immediately understood her intentions. 

She knows that she can’t hurt me with elemental attacks, so she has decided to use her swordsmanship to defeat me. However, that’s too naive. Have you forgotten that I’m still able to use my elemental abilities?

He stomped his foot on the ground, and two flaming shackles materialized on the ground. Like agile snakes, the shackles darted straight for Chu Chuyan’s legs. Just as the shackles were about to lock onto their target, however, Wu Di suddenly hesitated. 

Wouldn’t it be a huge waste if I left burn scars on the legs of a fairy like her?

The thought hadn’t had time to fully sink in when his face immediately warped in horror. His shackles had only succeeded in catching a mere silhouette. He hurriedly took on a defensive stance. He was just in time. Right at that instant, Chu Chuyan appeared behind him.

The two traded several quick blows before she disengaged again. 

Wu Di wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. Is this the difference between me and a true prodigy? Despite her being an entire rank weaker than me, I’m still having difficulties trying to handle her. If we were of the same rank, I would surely have lost by now!

It was clear that he couldn’t afford to hold back anymore. He gathered his full attention and trained it on defeating Chu Chuyan.

Suddenly, the pressure on Chu Chuyan increased greatly. Both his saber and the flames he commanded assailed her mercilessly, and she suffered more than a few close shaves.

Shi Kun straightened and glared coldly at Wu Di. If you dare leave behind any scars on my woman, I’ll make you suffer a fate worse than death!

“Game’s over, young miss Chu!” 

Wu Di knew that he had to end the duel as soon as possible. Letting it drag on would only increase the chances of a sudden unexpected complication. He found a perfect opening, and the saber in his hand morphed into a thirty-meter long inferno sword. With a swift stroke, he brought it crashing down toward Chu Chuyan. This attack was far stronger than the one he had summoned earlier. Undoubtedly, this prowess was far beyond what a fifth rank cultivator could cope with.

Chu Zhongtian was swiftly on his feet, ready to step in to save his daughter if required. The safety of his daughter took precedence over any duel.

Suddenly, a teasing voice called out, “Wu Di, your mama's calling you back for dinner!”