Chapter 10: Raindrops

“Greetings, Head of the Family!”

On the training ground, everyone bowed respectfully toward the figure who had just appeared in the stands, including even the powerful members of the Retainer faction.

A middle-aged man stood there clad in loose white robes, his handsome and refined face bearing a faint smile that exuded warmth and kindness.

He was Su Baichen, Su Xin’s father and the current head of the Su family.

After the death of the Su family’s ancestor, Su Baichen became the pillar and greatest support of the family.

In his youth, Su Baichen was a peerless prodigy famed throughout Tianyan, though he gradually withdrew from the spotlight and adopted a more low-key demeanor. Yet, anyone who knew of him dared not underestimate him.

“My father once said that among the current powerhouses in the Su family—even the Grand Elder Su Boyong, who has reached the Void-breaking Realm—was not considered a threat by him. Only Su Baichen himself was regarded with great caution,” Zhao Ling mused quietly.

Within the Su family, the Retainer faction led by Zhao Tianlei was growing stronger, often surpassing the core lineage in many respects. Yet to this day, Zhao Tianlei did not dare sever ties completely with the Su family, largely out of respect and fear for this family head.

“Everyone, rise,” Su Baichen raised his hand slightly, and the crowd stood up.

“Beside me is Mr. Yuan Qing, the overseer of the Scarlet Dragon Tower in Yongning Commandery. Pay your respects,” Su Baichen announced.

“Greetings, Lord Yuan Qing,” the crowd bowed again.

“Haha, I’m just here to watch casually,” Yuan Qing chuckled.

“Yuan, you and I had an agreement,” Su Baichen reminded him.

“Don’t worry,” Yuan Qing waved dismissively.

“Bring a seat for Lord Yuan Qing,” Su Baichen instructed.

Immediately, someone brought over a chair and placed it beside Su Baichen’s seat. The two Void-breaking Realm experts took their places.

Whispers erupted across the training ground.

“Didn’t expect the family head to invite Lord Yuan Qing of the Scarlet Dragon Tower for this contest.”

“This isn’t an ordinary family competition; it’s about the battle for the Sword Order. Naturally, the family is taking it very seriously.”

…

Su Xin stood among the crowd.

“Yuan Qing, overseer of the Scarlet Dragon Tower?” Su Xin furrowed his brows. “This complicates things.”

Previously, when he, under the alias ‘Sword One,’ stormed through the Scarlet Dragon Tower’s fourteenth floor in one go, overseer Yuan Qing had witnessed the entire process.

If Yuan Qing intervened in the upcoming Sword Order contest, he would surely recognize Su Xin once he unleashed some formidable sword techniques.

Trying to conceal his identity further now seemed impossible.

“It’s about time. Second brother, let’s begin,” Su Baichen said.

“Alright.” Su Baihu, seated nearby, nodded slightly, then swiftly appeared in the center of the training ground.

“All disciples who have passed the family’s assessment, step forward,” Su Baihu’s deep voice boomed.

Immediately, numerous young disciples from both factions qualified for the contest advanced.

A glance revealed over sixty individuals, though most were only at the True Martial Eighth Layer realm.

“This family contest has two rounds,” Su Baihu continued. “Only one will remain at the end, and that person will wield the Su family’s Sword Order, becoming the leader of our younger generation and the de facto clan chief.”

Excitement and anticipation shone on the faces of these young disciples.

To command the Su family’s Sword Order was the highest honor, but only one could claim it.

…

“This contest has two rounds,” Su Baihu reiterated. “Prepare yourselves; the first round is about to begin.”

The young competitors tensed immediately.

This battle for the Sword Order was unlike the usual family contests; its rules were unknown to them.

In the stands,

“Yuan, it’s up to you now,” Su Baichen smiled.

Yuan Qing shrugged and stood.

Without warning, Yuan Qing appeared directly above the young competitors on the training ground.

“Little ones, your opponents in the first round are none other than me,” Yuan Qing said with a faint smile, his voice carrying through the air.

“What?”

“Are you kidding?”

The young disciples’ expressions changed drastically.

Yuan Qing was a genuine Void-breaking Realm expert.

A Void-breaking Realm powerhouse was going to face off against these True Martial Realm youths?

“Don’t worry. It won’t be as difficult as you think, but not easy either,” Yuan Qing continued. “I have a technique that unleashes a massive, densely packed attack covering all of you simultaneously. Your task is to withstand it. Those who succeed will pass the first round; those who fail will be eliminated.”

Though Yuan Qing spoke lightly, everyone was tense.

Even Zhao Ling and Su Qinghong had grave expressions.

After all, a Void-breaking Realm attack, even a single move covering all participants, was no small feat to endure.

Without further explanation, Yuan Qing acted.

He looked down from above at the “little ones” below, then pointed a finger.

A vast spiritual force rapidly gathered in the void, quickly forming a spiritual energy layer several dozen feet long like a gigantic mirror. From this mirror, countless beams of light shot downward simultaneously.

These beams were numerous and swift.

To the young disciples, it seemed as if a torrential rain had suddenly fallen from the sky, with countless droplets threatening them. Yet each “droplet” carried tremendous power.

The young disciples erupted with energy, releasing powerful auras as they braced themselves against the “rain.”

However, the beams were fast, dense, and overwhelmingly strong. Most could only barely block a few “raindrops” before succumbing.

Crash!

The storm passed in less than a breath.

Yuan Qing withdrew his hand from the void above.

From nearly seventy participants, only ten remained standing.

Su Xin was among them.

“Those who withstood my attack are not bad,” Yuan Qing smiled faintly, then returned to the stands.

Su Baihu stepped forward.

“Those injured and down, escort them to rest. As for the ten still standing…” Su Baihu noticed several panting heavily. “You have half an incense stick’s time to recover. After that, the second round will begin.”

The fallen immediately withdrew to recuperate.

The training ground buzzed with astonishment.

Already over?

No one expected the first round to conclude so swiftly.

Though fast, many had been eliminated.

In the stands,

“Brother Su, you must have seen that just now,” Yuan Qing glanced at Su Baichen.

“Indeed,” Su Baichen nodded slightly.

“When I unleashed that technique, I gave Zhao Ling ‘special treatment’ as you requested. Though the speed and density of the beams were unchanged, the power contained within his ‘raindrops’ was tripled,” Yuan Qing said solemnly. “Under such conditions, most True Martial Realm Tenth Layer elites would suffer injuries that affect their performance. Yet Zhao Ling easily blocked all the beams without employing advanced techniques. It’s clear his strength surpasses our expectations.”

“Brother Su, your family might be in trouble this time.”

Su Baichen remained silent.

Zhao Ling’s power was too great; no one among the Su family’s younger generation could match him.

To prevent the Sword Order from falling into an outsider’s hands, the Su family was forced to resort to underhanded tactics.

For instance, Su Baichen inviting Yuan Qing was precisely to have him discreetly “play dirty.”

Of course, these underhanded moves couldn’t be too obvious—Zhao Ling couldn’t be eliminated or seriously injured in the first round; that would be too blatant.

Moreover, Zhao Ling himself was a prodigy who had cleared the eleventh floor of the True Martial Pavilion and held “Yellow-level” privileges in the Scarlet Dragon Tower. Yuan Qing wouldn’t genuinely harbor ill will toward him but helped at Su Baichen’s request to make things harder for Zhao Ling subtly—perhaps forcing him to take a hidden disadvantage that might slightly affect his second-round performance.

But clearly, Yuan Qing’s subtle sabotage failed; Zhao Ling’s combat effectiveness remained unimpaired.

“Zhao Ling’s strength is well recognized since he passed the eleventh floor of the True Martial Pavilion. His ease in blocking my beams is unsurprising. But that boy…” Yuan Qing’s gaze suddenly shifted to a sword-wielding, eyes-closed youth on the training ground.

He recognized him.

Su Xin, the Su family’s young master and once a prodigy of his generation.

“Of the ten who withstood my attack, nine had cultivation levels above True Martial Tenth Layer. Only this boy was at the peak of the True Martial Ninth Layer. Yet compared to those Tenth Layer warriors, he resisted the beams far more easily.”

Several of the Tenth Layer warriors panted heavily after enduring the attack; the process had clearly been grueling.

But Su Xin’s face showed no redness, no signs of breathlessness.

Yuan Qing could tell Su Xin bore the attack with remarkable ease.

“Besides Zhao Ling, Su Xin seems the most relaxed in enduring the beams, despite only being at the True Martial Ninth Layer.”

“This is intriguing,” Yuan Qing’s expression turned oddly contemplative.

…