From the fake emperor to the concubine

"A peculiar aura?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Liu Ruyan shook her head. "I just feel like he's not simple, like he's hiding some secret."

The maid chuckled, "Miss, you're overthinking it. What secrets could a cultivator from another realm possibly have?"

"Perhaps." Liu Ruyan didn't say anything more and went into the room.

But she knew in her heart that her intuition was right. That Zheng Yi was definitely not as simple as he appeared.

“Interesting,” Liu Ruyan murmured, a smile playing on her lips.

The next morning, Zheng Yi and his three companions had breakfast at the inn and prepared to head to the location of the ancient ruins.

Just as they stepped out of the inn, a commotion suddenly broke out on the street.

"It's Young Master Zhao from the Zhao family!"

"Zhao Lingyun is here!"

"Zhao Lingyun, who is ranked ninth on the Prodigy Ranking, has reportedly recently broken through to the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, further enhancing his strength."

Zheng Yi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people striding towards them at the end of the street. Leading them was a young man who appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a magnificent purple brocade robe, with a long sword at his waist, exuding an extraordinary air. He had striking eyebrows and bright eyes, and was handsome, but his arrogance made him seem unapproachable.

The young man was followed by seven or eight followers, all of whom were at the Nascent Soul stage or the early stage of the Divine Transformation stage, clearly indicating that they were no ordinary people.

"The Zhao family?" Zheng Yi asked Xiao Tianxing in a low voice.

Xiao Tianxing quickly explained, "The Zhao family is also a major family in the Xuan Tian Domain, and their strength is no weaker than the Liu family. This Zhao Lingyun is the Zhao family's prodigy; at only 110 years old, he has reached the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm and ranks ninth on the Prodigy Ranking. It is said that he has been pursuing Liu Ruyan."

Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow: "Pursuing Liu Ruyan?"

“That’s right,” Xiao Tianxing said. “Zhao Lingyun has admired Liu Ruyan for many years and has proposed marriage to the Liu family many times, but Liu Ruyan has rejected him each time. However, he is not giving up and continues to pester her. Although Liu Ruyan has a forthright personality, she also finds this kind of harassment very troublesome.”

Zheng Yi nodded, saying nothing more. This kind of family feud was none of his business, and he didn't want to get involved.

But some things can't be avoided just because you don't want to get involved.

As Zhao Lingyun was walking, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickened his pace to come over. Zheng Yi thought he was just passing by, but to his surprise, he blocked the four of them's path.

"You're Zheng Yi?" Zhao Lingyun stared at Zheng Yi, her tone unfriendly.

Zheng Yi frowned: "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," Zhao Lingyun sneered. "However, I heard you were drinking with Miss Liu at Zuixianju yesterday?"

Zheng Yi understood. It seemed that this young master Zhao had learned about yesterday's events and had come to confront him.

"I did have a few drinks," Zheng Yi said casually. "Is there a problem?"

"This is a huge problem!" A flash of anger crossed Zhao Lingyun's eyes. "Miss Liu is of such high status; how dare a country bumpkin like you approach her so casually? If you know what's good for you, stay away from Miss Liu from now on, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding cultivators began to whisper among themselves.

"Zhao Lingyun is here again. He tries to cause trouble whenever he sees anyone approaching Liu Ruyan."

"Yes, he's taught several people a lesson before."

"Unfortunately, Miss Liu doesn't like him at all, but he's only infatuated with her."

Zheng Yi listened to the surrounding chatter, his face calm, but inwardly he was somewhat displeased. His encounter with Liu Ruyan yesterday was purely accidental; they hit it off and had a few drinks, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened. What right did Zhao Lingyun have to accuse him?
"You seem to be meddling a bit," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Miss Liu and I are just friends, having drinks and chatting. What's wrong with that?"

"Friends?" Zhao Lingyun sneered. "You? Do you even know who Miss Liu is? She's the daughter of the Liu family in the Xuan Tian Domain, a powerhouse ranked seventh on the Prodigy Ranking! And you're just an unknown nobody from another region. You think you're worthy of being her friend?"

Zheng Bowen couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward, saying, "Young Master Zhao, please watch your words. My master is also at the late Nascent Soul stage; why can't he be friends with Miss Liu?"

"Late-stage Nascent Soul?" Zhao Lingyun sized Zheng Yi up and down, then said disdainfully, "I'm also at the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, a level higher than you. Besides, so what if you're at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm? There are plenty of cultivators at that level in the Xuan Tian Domain. Who do you think you are?"

He became increasingly outrageous, his tone filled with contempt: "Let me tell you, Miss Liu is mine. You'd better stay away from her from now on. Otherwise, don't blame me, Zhao Lingyun, for being ruthless!"

"Your people?" A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to look, only to see Liu Ruyan appear at the other end of the street at some point. Her face was icy, and her eyes were full of disgust as she looked at Zhao Lingyun.

"Zhao Lingyun, how many times have I told you, I have nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself!" Liu Ruyan said coldly.

Upon seeing Liu Ruyan, Zhao Lingyun's eyes immediately lit up with infatuation, but he quickly regained his arrogance: "Ruyan, what brings you here? I'm just helping you shoo away flies; you should be thanking me."

"A fly?" Liu Ruyan laughed angrily. "I think the real fly is you! Fellow Daoist Zheng is my friend. We drank and chatted yesterday. What business is it of yours? What gives you the right to point fingers?"

"Friends?" Zhao Lingyun's expression changed. "Ruyan, how long have you known him? How did you become friends? I've been pursuing you for so many years, and you haven't even given me a second glance!"

"That's because you're not good enough for me!" Liu Ruyan said mercilessly. "Zhao Lingyun, I'm warning you one last time: don't bother me anymore, and don't harass my friends. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhao Lingyun's face turned ashen. Being rebuked like this by the woman he admired in front of so many people made him feel utterly humiliated. His pride was severely wounded, and the anger in his eyes was almost bursting out.

"Fine, very well!" Zhao Lingyun said through gritted teeth. "Liu Ruyan, you'd treat me like this for this brat from another region? Since that's the case, then I'll show you today what this brat is capable of, and whether he's worthy of being your friend!"

He turned to Zheng Yi, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "Zheng, do you dare to have a match with me? If you can last ten moves against me, I'll acknowledge that you're worthy of being friends with Ru Yan. But if you can't last ten moves, then obediently go back to your outer realm and never appear before Ru Yan again!"

The surrounding cultivators immediately became excited. A duel between geniuses is not something that can be seen often.

"A fight is about to break out!"

"Zhao Lingyun is at the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm; that cultivator from the outer region is probably no match for him."

"Not necessarily. Anyone who catches Miss Liu's eye must have some skill."

Zheng Yi looked at Zhao Lingyun and sighed inwardly. He hadn't wanted to cause trouble, but now he was in a bind. If he backed down, he would not only lose face himself, but also implicate Liu Ruyan.

Moreover, he was genuinely annoyed. This Zhao Lingyun had gone too far, calling him a wild brat all the time; it was simply too much.

“Alright, I accept your challenge,” Zheng Yi said calmly. “But what if I win?”

"You win?" Zhao Lingyun sneered. "If you can win, I, Zhao Lingyun, will eat shit while standing on my head!"

Upon hearing this, everyone around laughed. Clearly, no one had high hopes for Zheng Yi.

“If I win, you’re not allowed to bother Miss Liu anymore,” Zheng Yi said.

Zhao Lingyun was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Alright, it's settled then! But if you lose, besides going back to the outer realms, you'll also have to kowtow three times to me in public and admit that you're not worthy of being friends with Ruyan!"

“Okay.” Zheng Yi nodded.

Liu Ruyan wanted to stop him, but swallowed her words. She could tell that Zheng Yi was serious. Moreover, she also wanted to see just how strong this mysterious Fellow Daoist Zheng really was.

"Then let's go!" Zhao Lingyun waved his hand. "This place is too small, let's go to the martial arts arena outside the city!" The group headed out of the city in a grand procession. More and more cultivators joined them along the way, all eager to witness this duel between the prodigies. By the time they arrived at the martial arts arena, there were already hundreds of cultivators watching.

The training ground is a wide-open flat area, paved with special spirit stones that can withstand the aftershocks of battles fought by Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

Zhao Lingyun stood at one end of the arena and drew the long sword from his waist. It was a low-grade spiritual treasure, with cloud patterns carved on its blade, radiating powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

"Hey Zheng, I advise you to unleash your full power, otherwise you might not even last ten moves," Zhao Lingyun sneered.

Zheng Yi also drew his longsword. His sword was just an ordinary high-grade magic weapon, much inferior to Zhao Lingyun's spiritual treasure.

“Please,” Zheng Yi said calmly.

"Arrogant!" Zhao Lingyun roared. "Since you're courting death, don't blame me for being impolite!"

He flashed forward like a ghost, rushing towards Zheng Yi. His longsword flashed, unleashing a torrent of sword energy that blocked all of Zheng Yi's escape routes.

"Wandering the world!"

This is the Zhao family's signature sword technique, combining offense and defense, and unpredictable in its variations. Zhao Lingyun thrust out his sword, creating eight sword shadows that attacked Zheng Yi from eight different directions.

"What superb swordsmanship!" the onlookers exclaimed.

But Zheng Yi's expression remained calm. In his eyes, although the eight sword shadows were impressive, their weaknesses were obvious. He moved his feet slightly to the side, easily avoiding all the attacks.

"What?" Zhao Lingyun was shocked. This move was his trump card, but he didn't expect it to be neutralized so easily by his opponent.

"Again!" He refused to believe it and unleashed several more moves in succession.

"Clouds roll and unroll!"

"The clouds have parted and the moon is shining brightly!"

"Dragon soaring through the clouds!"

Each move was more ferocious and swift than the last. The sword energy crisscrossed, carving deep grooves into the ground of the training ground.

But Zheng Yi remained completely at ease. He didn't launch any attacks, but simply dodged, and each time he managed to avoid vital points perfectly, appearing extremely relaxed.

"How is this possible?" The onlookers were stunned.

"That cultivator from another realm has incredibly powerful movement techniques!"

"Zhao Lingyun has already made seven or eight moves, yet he hasn't even touched the hem of his opponent's clothes!"

Zhao Lingyun also sensed something was wrong. He had attacked with all his might for so long, yet he hadn't even scratched a hair on his opponent's head. What did this mean? It meant that his opponent's strength far surpassed his own!

"Impossible!" Zhao Lingyun refused to admit it, gritting her teeth. "I refuse to believe you can only hide!"

His spiritual energy surged wildly, and his longsword gleamed with a dazzling light. He was about to unleash his full power.

"The clouds parted with a startling force!"

This sword strike concentrated all of Zhao Lingyun's cultivation. The sword energy soared into the sky, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long giant dragon, roaring as it pounced towards Zheng Yi.

"This is the Zhao family's ultimate move!"

"A full-force attack from a peak late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is incredibly powerful!"

The onlookers retreated hastily, fearing they might be caught in the aftershocks of the battle.

Liu Ruyan also watched the scene nervously, her Xuanbing Sword already drawn, ready to intervene at any moment.

But Zheng Yi remained calm. He looked at the approaching dragon of sword energy, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

“Time and space confinement,” he said softly.

In an instant, the giant dragon of sword energy suddenly stopped in mid-air, as if frozen by an invisible force, remaining motionless.

"What?!" Zhao Lingyun's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"What kind of supernatural power is this?"

"To be able to stop an attack from the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, what kind of strength would that require?"

The onlookers were also stunned.

Zheng Yi raised his hand and waved it, and the giant sword energy dragon immediately changed direction and charged towards Zhao Lingyun.

Zhao Lingyun was shocked and hurriedly raised his sword to defend. But it was his own attack, and he knew its power best. In his haste, he couldn't completely defend against it.

boom--

The dragon of sword energy crashed into Zhao Lingyun's sword, unleashing a deafening roar. Zhao Lingyun was sent flying backward, tumbling several times in the air before barely managing to regain his footing.

Blood was already seeping from the corner of his mouth, and his face was as pale as paper. Although he had only suffered minor internal injuries, the humiliation of being attacked in front of everyone was more unbearable than the physical injury itself.

"Who...who exactly are you?" Zhao Lingyun asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with shock and fear.

Zheng Yi said calmly, "As I've said before, I'm just an ordinary cultivator. However, I want to remind you—there are always heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people. Don't think that just because you're a prodigy of the Xuan Tian Domain, you can look down on cultivators from other domains."

He paused, then said, "Consider today's battle a lesson. I hope you'll think carefully about the consequences before you act in the future."

"Furthermore," Zheng Yi said, turning to Zhao Lingyun, his tone turning stern, "I've remembered what you just said. From now on, you're not allowed to bother Miss Liu again. If I find out you dare to harass her again, next time it won't be as simple as spitting blood."

Zhao Lingyun's expression changed several times, but in the end she lowered her head.

"I...I understand," Zhao Lingyun said with difficulty. He waved his hand and slunk away from the training ground with his entourage.

The onlookers erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

"That was fantastic!"

"That cultivator from another realm is incredibly powerful!"

"Zhao Lingyun has really messed up this time!"

Liu Ruyan walked up to Zheng Yi, a strange light flashing in her eyes: "Fellow Daoist Zheng, you've been hiding your abilities very well. That move just now wasn't something a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could pull off."

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Just a little trick."

"A minor trick?" Liu Ruyan shook her head. "To be able to stop an attack from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is no minor trick. Fellow Daoist Zheng, your true cultivation level is the Integration Realm, isn't it?" (End of Chapter)