The day of the Five-Year Appointment finally arrived, and from the moment the sun rose above the prefectural city, the entire central district had already become a sea of people, countless martial artists pouring into the area from every direction until the streets, rooftops, teahouses, and surrounding buildings were filled with figures discussing the upcoming battle, while the atmosphere itself seemed to carry an unusual tension, as though everyone instinctively understood that what was about to happen would be far more important than an ordinary exchange between two young geniuses.
"Look, the Jade Sword Palace is here!"
"And the Liu Family is with them!"
The shout immediately caused the surrounding crowd to turn their heads.
A group of martial artists appeared from the distance, their presence alone causing many of the weaker practitioners to instinctively move aside, and at the front of the procession walked a woman dressed in the robes of the Jade Sword Palace, her long black hair flowing behind her as her expression remained calm and indifferent.
Liu Ruyan.
The moment she appeared, countless gazes focused upon her.
Beside her walked Han Yu, the Young Master of the Jade Sword Palace, and the aura radiating from his body was noticeably different from the last time many people had seen him.
"Han Yu!"
"His cultivation..."
"Rank thirty-five!"
The surrounding martial artists immediately erupted into discussion, because Han Yu had actually advanced to Rank 35 on the Jade Sword Palace's internal ranking, crossing into a position that represented a considerable leap among the younger generation.
Even among the numerous geniuses gathered for the Five-Year Appointment, reaching such a ranking was no ordinary achievement.
Han Yu's expression remained composed as he walked beside Liu Ruyan, but the slight pride hidden within his eyes could not completely be concealed.
Behind them came the members of the Liu Family, their expressions considerably more serious than usual, and among them were several powerful figures whose restrained auras caused experienced martial artists to quietly retreat.
The Liu Family had clearly come prepared.
Not long after, another group arrived.
"The Wei Family!"
"And the Zhou Family!"
The arrival of the other two great families caused another wave of discussion, and before long, the representatives of the four great families had gathered around the central arena, although the atmosphere between them was anything but harmonious.
The Yamen had already stationed people throughout the surrounding streets, with constables standing at every important intersection while members of the Demon Suppression Division remained nearby, prepared to intervene should the fighting between the gathered martial artists spill beyond the arena.
The Martial Halls had also arrived.
Hall Masters and powerful instructors from several branches were present, while numerous disciples stood behind them, their eyes burning with anticipation as they watched the arena.
For ordinary martial artists, this was already an extraordinary gathering.
For the younger generation, however, it was an opportunity to witness a battle that could potentially determine the future of one of the prefecture's most promising geniuses.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"It seems this battle is going to be incredible."
"I wonder whether Su Yang can actually withstand Liu Ruyan."
"Five years ago, nobody would have expected him to reach this point."
"He's already on the Human Ranking, isn't he?"
"Yes, but Liu Ruyan is an Xuan Gang expert, and she possesses the Ice Sword Intent, so the difference between them is still enormous."
A middle-aged martial artist shook his head.
"I can only hope Su Yang has something prepared."
Before he could continue, the surrounding crowd suddenly became silent.
The Su Family had arrived.
Several figures walked toward the arena, and the first thing many people noticed was that the Su Family had not brought a massive procession.
Only the Patriarch was present alongside the necessary family members, while the Su Family Ancestor had remained hidden, his existence concealed from the ordinary spectators.
At the center of the group stood Su Yang.
His appearance hadn't changed dramatically over the past five years, yet his presence had.
His steps were steady, his expression calm, and although he had deliberately restrained his aura, experienced martial artists could still sense the unusual foundation hidden beneath that calm exterior.
The crowd immediately became restless.
"Su Yang!"
"He's here!"
"The battle is about to begin!"
Su Yang walked toward the arena without paying attention to the surrounding voices, his eyes eventually landing upon Liu Ruyan.
Their gazes met across the distance.
Neither spoke.
Yet the moment their eyes met, the atmosphere between them seemed to tighten.
While the entire city focused on the arena, Lin Sheng was nowhere among the visible spectators.
He was above the city.
Within the void.
His figure stood quietly in a concealed position, his perception spreading throughout the surrounding area as he observed the countless powerful presences that had gathered.
Then his expression suddenly changed.
A strange force touched his perception.
It wasn't Qi-Blood.
It wasn't Astral Gang.
It wasn't even a martial concept.
It was something considerably more refined.
A powerful divine sense swept through the void and collided with his own mental perception, and although neither side released any hostility, the instant the two forces touched, Lin Sheng immediately understood that the person on the other side possessed a divine sense that was slightly stronger and sharper than his current mental perception.
His eyes narrowed.
Someone had noticed him.
The two perceptions remained connected for only an instant before both sides withdrew.
Lin Sheng didn't pursue it.
Instead, he looked toward the opposite side of the void.
"So there really is someone else watching."
Far away, concealed from the countless martial artists below, stood a woman with long silver-white hair.
Her hair flowed freely behind her like a stream of moonlight, the strands occasionally fluttering across her beautiful features as the wind passed through the void, while the long dress covering her body moved gently around her legs, its elegant design carrying an unmistakable imperial dignity.
She was the Empress Dowager.
She had deliberately come alone.
There were no servants.
No maids.
No guards.
Over the past several months, she had personally attempted to determine the origin of the strange Yin-Yang energy that had appeared within the prefecture, yet despite using every method available to her, she had failed to accurately locate its source.
The energy had appeared and disappeared too strangely, leaving behind traces that were difficult to distinguish from the fluctuations of the surrounding world.
After failing to pinpoint its exact location, she had eventually concluded that the best place to continue investigating was the nearest major prefectural city.
And now she was here.
Her gaze slowly moved across the city before settling upon the arena below.
Then her expression became slightly amused.
Two figures were standing opposite each other.
Su Yang.
And Liu Ruyan.
The Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed slightly when she sensed the faint aura coming from Su Yang's chest.
"A protective talisman?"
She recognized the aura almost immediately.
It was familiar.
Very familiar.
Her gaze became thoughtful.
"So this is the person who knows my disciple."
The connection between the talisman and Shen Bing was obvious to someone of her cultivation, and although she didn't know exactly what relationship existed between Su Yang and her disciple, the presence of the talisman was enough to confirm that the two were close.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Interesting."
Below, the atmosphere suddenly became quieter.
A figure walked into the center of the arena.
It was the Yamen Constable responsible for overseeing the Five-Year Appointment.
He wasn't here to interfere with the outcome.
Everyone understood that.
His purpose was simply to act as an intermediary.
The consequences of this battle could potentially extend far beyond the two people standing in the arena, and once powerful martial artists became involved, a simple disagreement could easily transform into a massacre.
Therefore, someone needed to maintain order.
The Constable looked around the arena before raising his voice.
"Today marks the Five-Year Appointment between the Su Family and the Liu Family, the two participants are Su Yang of the Su Family and Liu Ruyan of the Liu Family."
His voice carried throughout the entire central district, allowing even those standing at the far edges of the crowd to hear every word.
"The rules are simple, the battle will determine the victor, and neither side may intentionally attack those outside the appointed battlefield."
He paused.
"The outcome shall be determined by the participants themselves."
The Constable then stepped away from the arena.
He knew better than anyone that his own strength was insufficient to interfere once the battle began.
The surrounding crowd became completely silent.
Su Yang stood at one end of the arena.
Liu Ruyan stood at the other.
The wind swept across the battlefield.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then—
DONG!
A bell rang.
The sound reverberated throughout the entire central district.
The Five-Year Appointment had officially begun.
Liu Ruyan's beautiful eyes sharpened.
She didn't intend to test Su Yang.
She didn't intend to exchange blows slowly.
She wanted to end the battle immediately.
BOOM!
Her Xuan Gang erupted.
A terrifying Gang Qi Field burst from her body, instantly sweeping across the arena like an icy storm, and wherever it passed, the temperature rapidly dropped, frost appearing across the surface of the stone beneath her feet as a sharp sword intent rose from within her body.
The Ice Sword Intent.
It was cold enough to make the surrounding martial artists feel their skin tighten.
Liu Ruyan's long hair fluttered behind her as she stared directly at Su Yang.
Her eyes glistened with cold determination.
"Su Yang."
Her voice carried across the arena.
"Let's end this."
The moment her final word fell, her figure disappeared.
BOOM!
The stone beneath her feet exploded.
She shot forward like an unsheathed divine sword, her Xuan Gang condensing around her arm as an icy sword radiance tore through the air, and the force behind that single movement caused the surrounding space to tremble.
The crowd erupted.
"She's attacking!"
"Already?!"
"That's Xuan Gang!"
Liu Ruyan's sword intent roared.
Su Yang's pupils contracted.
His right foot slammed into the ground.
"Come!"
BOOM!
His True Essence erupted from his body, his Four Seasons Sword Intent rising alongside it, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter merging into a single endless cycle as his aura surged to its peak.
His hand reached toward his waist.
The Rank 2 Peak sword appeared.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, an astonishing sword cry resounded throughout the arena.
CLANG!
Su Yang stepped forward.
The two swords collided.
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying shockwave erupted from the point of impact, spreading outward like a violent tide.
Liu Ruyan's expression changed.
Su Yang's body was pushed backward several steps, his feet carving deep marks into the stone, but he remained standing.
Liu Ruyan's arm trembled.
Her eyes widened.
For the first time since the battle began, disbelief appeared within her gaze.
Su Yang raised his sword.
His Four Seasons Sword Intent surged.
"Five years ago, I couldn't fight you."
His eyes became sharp.
"But five years is a long time."
The surrounding crowd fell completely silent.
Then Su Yang's sword moved.
"Now..."
He stepped forward.
"...you'll have to see whether you can still suppress me."
BOOM!
The two figures collided again, sword light exploding across the arena as the Five-Year Appointment officially entered its first clash.:::