Chapter 515: Not a Dark Horse

Wan Shan had only one thought in his mind at that moment.

"Before setting out, the elders of my clan placed great expectations on me. Over the years I've kept striving, enduring countless battles and life‑and‑death trials, and the clan has poured all its resources into me. If I lose the first match, how could I repay the clan for years of nurturing me!"

Thinking that, Wan Shan directly infused his bloodline power and True Essence into the honor‑grade battle halberd in his hand and swept it toward Ye Liuyun.

Wan Shan's sweeping strike, though appearing plain, has always been his trump card.

His bloodline power is already not weaker than Ye Liuyun's, and with the entirety of the True Essence of the Third Layer of Tian Gang, this blow would have slain countless Martial Cultivators of the Fourth and Fifth Layers of Tian Gang.

"At around twenty years old, he already possesses such a powerful cultivation talent…" Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil clearly saw his bloodline power and True Essence flowing, recognizing it as a lethal move.

But he also sighed at the youngster's aptitude and realm.

"I fear that as he grows, he will never remain obscure."

In the first battle, Ye Liuyun dared not be careless or underestimate his opponent, focusing his whole mind on the fight.

He stood rooted, motionless, while a strand of condensed Blood Thunder flickered in his palm. He controlled its power precisely—enough to breach Wan Shan's defense and temporarily strip him of combat ability, yet not so much as to wound him severely and affect his next fight.

Sss!

Everyone below the arena inhaled sharply.

They thought Ye Liuyun, standing still, was going to brace the blow.

Suddenly, Wan Shan roared, and his golden halberd surged forward, erupting with a flash of metallic light that sliced straight through Ye Liuyun's form, splitting him in two.

Ah!

Another dead!

The audience below erupted in gasps.

Even Hao Chengfeng and Piao Yun, though knowing in their hearts that Ye Liuyun could certainly block the strike, were shocked by the outcome.

Ye Liuyun's body shattered like a bubble.

"How is this possible? Junior brother couldn't have lost so easily!" Hao Chengfeng exclaimed, bewildered.

At that moment,

"Clack!" a burst of thunder‑electricity rang out.

A strand of Blood Thunder slammed into Wan Shan's back, flinging him to the spot where Ye Liuyun had just stood, scorching his back to a charred blackness as he collapsed, convulsing on the ground.

Ye Liuyun, however, stood lightly at Wan Shan's former position, as if he had never acted.

Only then did the crowd below react, letting out a chorus of amazement.

"What a bizarre body technique!"

"Crimson thunder! The power of heavenly punishment!"

At least, the body technique and Blood Thunder Ye Liuyun displayed earned the admiration of the vast majority.

A single move deciding victory is rare on the Cangyun Martial Competition stage; it usually appears only in battles among the Five Great Tian Gang or their immediate successors. Otherwise, it signals a newly emerging dark horse.

The referee immediately declared Ye Liuyun the winner, and his score and the brightness of his numbers both rose accordingly.

Ye Liuyun sensed his current luck again. "Too little; it probably won't have any effect yet."

The luck granted to Ye Liuyun after the Twin‑Headed Shadow Snake was penalized, plus the sliver he just earned, produced an increase too subtle to notice; he still needs more accumulation. Nevertheless, his first battle was a success.

"Senior Brother Gao, this Golden Pupil kid Ye Liuyun might become a dark horse in this competition!"

Below the North District arena, several young members of the Sixth Layer of Tian Gang gathered to watch the match. One handsome youth of the Sixth Layer praised the young man beside him.

Ye Liuyun's body technique when he stepped onto the stage had already caught his eye, and after seeing Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil, he paid even closer attention to his combat.

Because he watched closely, the handsome youth thought Ye Liuyun's technique must involve Spatial Power, and the Blood Thunder representing heavenly punishment also indicated Ye Liuyun's strength far exceeded what was shown. Moreover, his Golden Pupil hadn't even been utilized.

He was convinced Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil was far from merely decorative.

"It's decent, but not a dark horse yet. In past Cangyun Martial Competitions, only those with at least ten consecutive wins earn the title of dark horse."

Senior Brother Gao replied lightly.

This "Senior Brother Gao", in his thirties and dressed like a scholar, was not once disrespected by those around him.

He is Gao Qiang, the top prodigy of the Confucian‑Dao Academy on Cangyun Continent. In the previous Cangyun Grand Competition, he clashed with Lie Hongxia for over twenty moves, ultimately ranking seventh.

Here at the North District arena, besides Gao Qiang, there are two other prodigies whose strength is only slightly below that of the Twin‑Headed Shadow Snake. They are referred to as the Second Tier.

One of them is Du Yuan, a true disciple of the Fire‑Pupil lineage; his Fire‑Pupil bloodline is wholly inherited from his family.

The Du family's Fire‑Pupil inheritance is one of the three major pupil‑technique families on Cangyun Continent, and its power and status are not to be underestimated.

The other is Mu Qinghe, a closed‑door disciple of the Flower King, adept at controlling plants. He wields many plants similar to Magic Vine seeds, granting him formidable attack and defense in battle.

Ye Liuyun had long noticed these three. Their overhead projection numbers shone with dazzling bright silver, with hints of Golden Light flickering. They were the three brightest, aside from the Twin‑Headed Shadow Snake.

After the battle, Piao Yun could no longer settle down to cultivate; instead, she scoured for information, bringing back details on the three and reporting them to Ye Liuyun.

What interested Ye Liuyun most was the Fire‑Pupil Du Yuan. When discussing him, he and Piao Yun glanced toward him. He intended to use his Golden Pupil to observe Du Yuan's bloodline flow.

However, Du Yuan seemed to sense Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil and instantly flashed a pair of fiery red eyes, sweeping toward Ye Liuyun.

Ah!

Suddenly, the geniuses in the area felt an intense wave of heat scorching them, and each mobilized all their True Essence for defense.

Piao Yun was so frightened that her delicate body trembled, her face pale with terror, unable to utter a word.

Ye Liuyun also felt the scorching heat, making his breathing uneasy. Du Yuan's Fire‑Pupil attack gave him a hint of danger.

He immediately pulled Piao Yun behind him to shield her from harm.

"What a powerful Fire‑Pupil bloodline!"

It was Ye Liuyun's first time encountering such a strong pupil‑technique attack. He even felt the force of the Fire‑Pupil assault was not inferior to his Golden Crow Holy Fire.