Getting Entangled

Entering Yellow Sand City only to encounter such ill fortune immediately soured Bai Lan’s mood.

Yet, amidst her displeasure, a flicker of confusion arose within her.

‘Strange,’ Bai Lan mused as she walked, ‘why did that man’s eyes feel so familiar just now?

Clear as a mirror, pure as water—I must have seen eyes like that somewhere before, otherwise it makes no sense.

It has to be that way.

What, am I supposed to believe I’d fall in love at first sight with another man?

Don’t be ridiculous.’

Following Xue Yue’s memories, she arrived at the largest cluster of buildings in Yellow Sand City.

This was a resting area specifically prepared for trial-takers, known as the Sky Pride Pavilion.

The Sky Pride Pavilion was no ordinary place.

Its various structures were categorized into five tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Spirit, and Yellow.

Each tier was further divided into four sub-levels, and the functions of these residences varied with their rank.

Foremost among their benefits, every pavilion offered free cultivation arrays.

The lowest-ranked residence was the Yellow-tier Low-grade.

Even at this level, cultivating there for a single day was equivalent to the speed gained from consuming a thousand spirit stones.

The Mid-grade offered two thousand, High-grade three thousand, and Peak-grade four thousand.

These figures only applied to the Yellow tier.

For the Spirit tier, cultivation started at five thousand spirit stones, the Profound tier at ten thousand, the Earth tier at fifteen thousand, and the Heaven tier at twenty thousand.

These were merely the basic cultivation benefits; many other advantages were not even mentioned.

While no fees were required to reside in this place, one first needed to undergo a challenge to determine their rank before being granted entry to the Sky Pride Pavilion.

Furthermore, the pavilions here were limited in number, with only five hundred available in total.

This meant only five hundred trial-takers were qualified to reside within.

However, trial-takers were not permanent residents.

If other trial-takers wished to move in, they needed to challenge the current owner of a pavilion.

Xue Yue had once lived here, and while his talent was undoubtedly impressive, in terms of pavilions, he had only managed to secure a

Heaven-tier Mid-grade residence, never ascending to a Heaven-tier High-grade or Peak-grade pavilion.

The Sky Pride Pavilion was not confined solely to the ground; many structures floated in the air.

The higher a pavilion’s location, the more formidable its owner’s cultivation talent was deemed.

This area was considered the most frequented by trial-takers.

Upon reaching the entrance, Bai Lan noticed a crowd of them gathered, watching an enormous mirror.

The mirror projected a scene of one young man clashing with another.

There was no need to wonder; a Sky Pride was clearly initiating a challenge against an existing pavilion owner.

This was also a rule of the Void Heaven Realm: once challenged, if a trial-taker was still within the realm, they would be forcibly teleported by the Void Heaven Realm’s consciousness into the Sky Pride Battlefield to accept the challenge.

Refusal was not permitted; it was tantamount to admitting defeat and forfeiting one’s pavilion.

Of course, if the challenged individual was not in the Void Heaven Realm, the realm’s will would manifest an avatar of the pavilion owner to accept the challenge.

Though merely an avatar, the Void Heaven Realm’s consciousness recorded the combat information of trial-takers who had spent time there.

Thus, creating an avatar with strength identical to the original body was not difficult.

As for the Sky Pride Battlefield, it existed within a separate dimension.

Other trial-takers could spectate the battles through the profound light mirror, making this place incredibly lively, with several challenge matches occurring almost daily.

Information about the challengers was displayed on a jade tablet beside the profound light mirror.

Currently, the challenger was Mufeng, facing the Profound-tier Mid-grade Sky Pride, Li Languang.

“Hey, do you think Mufeng can win this challenge?” one trial-taker remarked.

“Li Languang is a Profound-tier Mid-grade Sky Pride, no ordinary person.

Even if it’s just an avatar, I don’t think he can win.”

“What’s the big deal about a Profound-tier Mid-grade genius?” another countered.

“It’s not like he’s challenging a Heaven or Earth tier.

If he dares to challenge, it means he’s confident.”

Upon arriving, Bai Lan did not immediately proceed to challenge anyone.

Instead, she stood among the crowd, observing the battle.

In truth, any challenge was acceptable, provided it wasn’t against one of the top hundred cultivators on the Divine Physique Ranking.

Incidentally, bloodlines and physiques seemed to correspond.

While possessing a special physique didn’t necessarily mean having a rare bloodline, cultivators with rare bloodlines invariably possessed special physiques.

For example, Xue Yue’s Snow Divine Physique was an inherited divine physique, implying the presence of a rare bloodline.

Bai Lan needed to wait for this match to conclude before she could register.

She was uncertain how many matches were scheduled for the day, and registration also required waiting in line, which facilitated spectating for other trial-takers.

Of the two combatants, one appeared to wield a wind-attributed ability, while the challenged, Li Languang, was a sword cultivator.

This was evident from his very first move, which already demonstrated the ‘Shadow-Following Light’ level of the Second Step.

Such an achievement suggested he hailed from a renowned swordsmanship family or had been guided by a master from a young age.

Cultivators who became sword wielders, especially those who reached the ‘Shadow-Following Light’ level in the Qi Condensation realm, were no longer inferior to those with special physiques and bloodlines.

Talent could not be solely judged by physique and bloodline.

Physique and bloodline were merely advantageous factors; they did not determine one’s ultimate cultivation realm.

Just as Bai Lan quietly observed the battle, a soft voice suddenly drifted into her ear.

“So, who do you think will win between the two of them?”

The voice was clearly directed at her.

Bai Lan paused, then looked to her side, only to realize that the white-robed man standing beside her was the very person who had bumped into her earlier.

“It’s you?” Bai Lan uttered, surprised.

Seeing Bai Lan’s unfriendly gaze, the young man quickly clarified, “Hey, don’t misunderstand.

I didn’t intentionally follow you.

I just arrived in Yellow Sand City myself and am not very familiar with the place.

I was just passing by when I saw this excitement.”

His words were innocuous enough, so Bai Lan didn’t dwell on them.

However, the man’s presence beside her made her inexplicably uncomfortable.

“By the way, wouldn’t you say we’re fated to meet?

What’s your name?” the young man asked, smiling.

“My name is Long Lingyu, and this is my first time in the Void Heaven Realm.”

He introduced himself with a grin.

This fellow seemed to have taken an interest in Bai Lan, which was understandable.

Bai Lan was exquisitely beautiful; even if her appearance wasn’t her true form, it was enough to attract cultivators with impure intentions.

It was only natural for men to be drawn to beautiful women.

However, most trial-takers wouldn’t typically be interested in Bai Lan at first, as most were too young to understand matters between men and women.

“Excuse me, but I’m not familiar with you,” Bai Lan stated, then moved to a different spot, desiring to put some distance between herself and this man.

Yet, the man seemed intent on clinging to Bai Lan.

No sooner had she moved to another position than he followed.

“Oh, come on, young lady,” Long Lingyu persisted, sticking close once more.

“I truly have no ulterior motives.

It’s just that you give me a sense of déjà vu.

Have we met in the outside world?”

Bai Lan genuinely did not want to speak with him.

No matter how he questioned her, she remained silent.

But this man was like a persistent plaster, and even after she changed locations several times, she couldn’t shake him.

Eventually, Bai Lan could only ignore him.

She paid no heed to anything he said or any of his attempts at conversation.

However, Bai Lan had underestimated his patience.

The man continued to chatter incessantly, like a ceaseless talker, finding all sorts of topics.

It was utterly exasperating.

Bai Lan felt he wasn’t normal; a normal person would stop after being rebuffed a few times.

But this man, regardless of whether Bai Lan responded or not, simply kept talking.