Chapter 256: Qingzhou's Number One

As Li Yilan and Ye Xiaodie's words fell silent, the entire venue fell into an eerie quiet.

The disciples and the elders of the sects stared at each other.

Even the renowned talents Wang Shuang and Zuo Xinghe were defeated.

Where did these people get the nerve to go on stage?

For a moment, the vast arena was utterly silent.

Only the sound of the mountain wind rustling the banners could be heard.

Qingyun Sect's Grand Elder Mao Ping stroked his snow-white beard, his eyes nearly brimming with a smile.

He proclaimed loudly, "Host, if no one steps up to challenge, then the champion's laurels of this Qingzhou Grand Competition will surely belong to our Qingyun Sect!"

Upon hearing this, the Qingyun Sect members burst into cheers.

The young disciples waved their sect banners, while the elders nodded repeatedly, their faces lit with proud smiles.

The host of the Qingzhou Grand Competition, Zhang Hengnian, had fine beads of sweat on his forehead, his gaze shifting uneasily among the major sects.

He knew well that behind this competition lay a tangled web of interests; hastily ending it now would be hard to explain to certain factions.

He instinctively glanced toward the Heavenly Sword Sect's Sect Master Li Tianyan, the Grand Dao Sect's Sect Master Chu Xiong, and the Profound Ice Sect's Sect Master Yang Cheng.

Their faces darkened terribly; the meticulously laid plans had been shattered by two obscure Qingyun Sect disciples—how could they possibly accept that?

Chu Xiong suddenly glared, slamming his hand heavily on the armrest beside him.

The jolt made the teacups on the table clink continuously: "Song Shan! What are you waiting for?"

This roar exploded like a thunderclap above the martial arena.

Everyone's eyes turned in unison toward the direction of the Heavenly Inquiry Gate, where a youth in snow-white robes stood.

With sword-like brows and starry eyes, his bearing extraordinary—none other than the famed "Number One Talent of Qingzhou," Song Shan.

"Senior Brother Song, it's time to make your move!"

"Song Shan is the pride of our Qingzhou; he will surely take care of these two girls!"

"Let them know what true strength is!"

The disciples' shouts rose and fell, their eyes full of anticipation.

The elders of the Xinghe Sect and the Fist Sect also sneered from the sidelines: "Song Shan, you usually claim to be invincible—could it be you dare not face two little girls?"

Song Shan stood still in place, his gaze deep as the sea, as if pondering something.

His silence made the crowd grow increasingly restless.

"What's wrong with Song Shan? Where has his usual vigor gone?"

"Could he have been scared stiff?"

"Impossible! Senior Brother Song is my idol—how could he be afraid?"

Just as the crowd chattered, Song Shan stepped forward slowly, his robes fluttering in the wind.

He scanned the crowd and spoke clearly: "Who said I, Song Shan, am afraid?"

Those words instantly ignited the crowd's enthusiasm.

"As expected of Senior Brother Song! This is the demeanor of Qingzhou's number one!"

"Brother Song, teach them a lesson!"

However.

But Song Shan suddenly shifted his tone, curling the corner of his mouth into a playful smile: "Well… my mother called me home for dinner."

Before his words even faded, he flickered, turning into a streak of light and vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

The entire venue fell into dead silence; everyone stared wide‑eyed, as if unable to believe their own ears and eyes.

"Is… this really Qingzhou's number one?"

"My idol actually… ran away?"

"This is nothing short of a joke!"

Curses, sighs, and mocking laughter intertwined, turning the martial arena into chaos.

The disciples of the Heavenly Inquiry Gate exchanged glances, and one asked timidly: "Sect Master, the young master has fled—what should we do?"

The Heavenly Inquiry Gate's Sect Master's face turned ashen; he swept his gaze around, saw countless hostile looks, and felt a chill: "What else can we do? Withdraw!"

Having said that, he led his sect's members away in haste.

Chu Xiong trembled with rage, his teacup smashing to the floor with a "pa" and shattering: "Trash! Trash!"

The genius he had painstakingly nurtured actually fled at the crucial moment—this was not only a humiliation for the Heavenly Inquiry Gate, but also a slap to the face of his Grand Dao Sect.

The Qingyun Sect crowd, however, was jubilant.

Grand Elder Mao Ping laughed: "Host, since no one has stepped up to challenge, shouldn't we announce the result? Our Qingyun Sect's disciples Li Yilan and Ye Xiaodie should be this competition's champion and runner‑up!"

Zhang Hengnian looked awkwardly at Li Tianyan, Chu Xiong, and Yang Cheng.

The three exchanged glances, all feeling resentful yet powerless. Just then, the sky suddenly darkened, clouds gathered thickly, and a figure slowly emerged.

It was Canlie of the Boundless Gate, clad in a black robe, surrounded by strange black mist, his eyes flashing with greedy light.

"Hahahaha…"

Canlie's laughter echoed across the arena, sending chills down spines: "As I expected, this supreme opportunity is closely tied to Li Yilan and Ye Xiaodie! As long as we continually stimulate their potential, this fateful bond will only grow stronger!"

A red light flashed in his eyes as he barked: "Chunhua, Qiuyue, Mingfeng, Haoyang—you four go down and meet those two girls! I want to see just how many tricks they have up their sleeves!"