Chapter 13: Super‑Value Reward

When he arrived at the training arena, he realized that today's crowd was no fewer than yesterday's.

Many Outer Residence disciples, though not participating in the contest, still came to watch. From the masters' matches they could also draw some experience.

Soon after everyone had gathered, the Steward Elder began announcing today's contest rules.

"The format of today's competition is a challenge system to determine the final ranking of the Inner Residence disciples.

Whether newly entered or veteran Inner Residence disciples, each person has three challenge opportunities.

If a challenge succeeds, the challenger replaces the opponent's rank and retains the challenge opportunity; if it fails, the challenger is replaced in rank and loses one challenge opportunity; if one meets a challenge but does not accept, one automatically loses one challenge opportunity.

The top twenty will receive one Yellow Rank supreme technique, three hundred low‑grade Crystal Stones, and one Yellow Rank medium‑quality weapon; the top ten gain an additional Yellow Rank supreme technique, one Hundred‑year Blood Spirit Fruit, and the weapon reward changes to one Yellow Rank high‑quality weapon; the top three gain an additional Mysterious Tier lower‑grade technique, one Crossing Boundary Pill, and the weapon reward changes to one Yellow Rank supreme weapon; the first place gains an additional Thousand‑year Blood Spirit Fruit.

When the Steward Elder spoke, some Outer Residence disciples who were just there for the spectacle became unusually excited just hearing about the prizes. Every reward was something they had dreamed of.

"The rewards this year are too precious! The Inner Residence is the best!"

All the disciples, upon hearing such a super‑value reward, instantly became excited.

Especially among the Inner Residence disciples, a gleam lit their eyes as they began to discuss.

"I won't count on the Thousand‑year Blood Spirit Fruit! Getting a Yellow Rank medium‑quality weapon would already satisfy me! It should be worth at least six or seven hundred Crystal Stones, right?"

"Getting a Hundred‑year Blood Spirit Fruit isn't bad either…"

The Steward Elder, seeing the people below with shining eyes, couldn't help but feel even more proud.

What the clan wants is to give these disciples blood and competition! As for some disciples dying, they don't care at all.

On the contrary, survival of the fittest allows more resources to be used to cultivate disciples with greater prospects.

Ye Liuyun at this moment was also thrilled by these generous rewards!

He didn't expect the Ye Clan actually possessed a Mysterious Tier lower‑grade technique.

Never mind the technique! There's even a Thousand‑year Blood Spirit Fruit!

Everyone knows the Thousand‑year Blood Spirit Fruit can strengthen the body, heal wounds, or raise one's realm. But he also knows the fruit can activate the blood vessels.

"I must obtain this Thousand‑year Blood Spirit Fruit!" he resolved silently.

Immediately, he looked toward Ye Tianci, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in meditation.

The top figure of the Inner Residence, Ye Tianci.

For three years, his position as number one in the Inner Residence has never wavered.

It is said he has reached the Body Refining Eighth Peak and has long been practicing Mysterious Tier techniques; defeating him would likely be very difficult!

At this moment, Ye Tianci paid no heed to the contest, calmly cultivating as if no one were there.

As for the Blood Spirit Fruit reward, he had already known about it.

In his mind, no one in the Ye Clan could match him. The Blood Spirit Fruit was prepared for him.

Under the stimulus of such super‑value rewards, the Inner Residence disciples' enthusiasm was all stirred.

When the contest began, many veteran Inner Residence disciples immediately challenged those in the top twenty.

Ye Liuyun and the other four newly‑promoted disciples carefully observed the veterans' strength, looking for suitable challenge targets.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Liuyun swallowed a pill, beginning to slowly refine and absorb it, hoping to improve a bit more before the contest.

Ye Xinyu, Ye Wanjian and others were all watching Ye Liuyun.

Seeing him take a pill, Ye Wanjian sneered, "I told you that useless thing suddenly got so strong! Turns out it's thanks to the pill! Junior sister, don't worry, I can handle this kind of trash with ease!"

Ye Xinyu, upon seeing this, nodded appreciatively! She could not accept Ye Liuyun's turnaround as genuine, preferring to believe it was built on pills.

On the arena, from the first match onward, the battles became intense; every contestant fought wildly, and casualties quickly appeared.

The rankings of the Inner Residence disciples also shifted significantly, especially between the tenth and twentieth places.

Then, people began gradually challenging those from fourth to tenth place.

A few newly‑promoted disciples beside Ye Liuyun also joined the challenge ranks, mostly targeting opponents ranked beyond the hundredth. Ye Yong fared slightly better, around the seventieth place.

Only Ye Liuyun remained seated, unmoving. He swallowed another pill and watched the Inner Residence disciples' battles.

He stayed still because he still didn't know the strength of the top three, all of whom are at the Body Refining Eighth Level.

Especially the first‑place Ye Tianci and second‑place Ye Mingzhen.

He sensed both auras to be strong, so he wanted to first see the techniques they used before deciding on a countermeasure.

These two usually cultivate within the Inner Residence and rarely show themselves, so hardly anyone knows their strength.

As for third‑place Ye Wanjian, he wasn't very worried. Just from the aura, he could tell Ye Wanjian lagged far behind the other two and wouldn't be his opponent.

Unexpectedly, though he didn't act, someone couldn't wait to eliminate him.

Ye Wenze, ranked fifteenth, actually challenged him!

Logically, newly‑promoted disciples are at the bottom, so a fifteenth‑ranked disciple shouldn't be challenging the lowest‑ranked ones; it's fundamentally abnormal.

But Ye Liuyun immediately realized it must be a suitor of Ye Xinyu making a move.

The audience below also began to chatter.

"Ye Liuyun must have offended some Inner Residence disciple! Otherwise why such a challenge?"

"Alas! He just entered the Inner Residence and already offended people; his future days will probably be rough!"

"Ye Wenze, ranked fifteenth in the Inner Residence, should be in the later stage of Body Refinement Seventh Level. Ye Liuyun is in trouble!"

The Steward Elder also found this challenge odd. Out of kindness, he reminded Ye Liuyun: "You may decline to fight; you'll just lose one challenge opportunity."

"I accept his challenge!"

Ye Liuyun said confidently, and stepped onto the arena at a leisurely pace.

Ye Wenze, seeing Ye Liuyun actually dare to step up, couldn't help but mock him.

"Ha ha, I don't know who gave you that courage! This is an Inner Residence contest. Do you think we're the Outer Residence trash? Fine, today I'll settle you, and make junior sister Xinyu completely free!"

His words finished, someone immediately started gossiping.

"So it's for Ye Xinyu! By the way, Ye Liuyun is Ye Xinyu's fiancé!"

"Originally it's a love rival! Then this Ye Liuyun is miserable! It's said that Ye Wan Jian has also been pursuing Ye Xinyu!"

"If Ye Wenze didn't mention it, many people would have already overlooked the fact that Ye Liuyun and Ye Xinyu have an engagement."

"And the Outer Residence disciples, scolded by Ye Wenze as trash, now dare not speak out in anger. There's nothing they can do—who let them be unable to defeat Ye Wenze!"

"At this moment, they all hope Ye Liuyun can win some face for the Outer Residence."

"Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, remained silent, coldly staring at his opponent."

"Seeing him not speak, Ye Wenze thought he'd been frightened into silence, and couldn't help laughing again."

"\"Kid, you've been scared stupid, huh... \""

"He hadn't finished speaking when the Steward Elder already announced the start of the match."

"At the moment the Elder's voice fell, Ye Liuyun moved."