He wore robes the color of wood, patterned faintly like tree bark, his frame tall, straight, and lean, standing silently in the corner with his head bowed — easy enough to mistake for a tree itself.

When Ziqing and Jun Beiyue finally spotted him and both turned to look his way, he was already looking back up at them, his features fine and handsome, his bearing calm and quiet.

His gaze was remarkably peaceful and clear — as though he hadn’t just personally killed three men moments ago, as though nothing at all had happened.

Ziqing had never seen this man before, and yet from that clear, tranquil gaze, she sensed an intensely powerful killing intent — not directed at Jun Beiyue, but at her.

This fellow — he had to be the Bai clan’s greatest trump card this time!

The black-and-white pair from before, powerful as they were compared to Bai Feiyao, weren’t even worth a single finger of this wood-robed man!

“Go on ahead, you two.” Jun Beiyue said flatly, one hand pulling Ziqing behind him — he too seemed to have sensed this man’s murderous intent directed at her.

“Go on ahead? Heh heh, that depends on whether you actually have the ability to.” The Bai patriarch finally spoke up.

Bai Feiyao spoke up quickly, “Father, why not just let them go on ahead? They’re already short on people as it is — if we lose them a few more, the ranking battle won’t be any fun at all!”

Ziqing stepped forward at once. “Is Young Miss Bai still not satisfied with how much fun she’s had? I’ll keep you company!”

Bai Feiyao immediately backed off — she’d suffered such a crushing defeat at Ziqing’s hands before that even with the wood-robed man present, she still didn’t quite dare take the risk.

Ziqing gave a cold snort and turned to go — but the very instant she turned, a man-eating flower suddenly appeared, timed with such precision that no one could have guarded against it, and no one else could have saved her in time.

Its bloody maw lunged straight at Ziqing, jaws snapping open — but quick as thought, Jun Beiyue’s wind blade appeared out of nowhere, just as silently as the flower itself, slicing down like a loosed arrow, and the man-eating flower scattered into nothingness at once!

Ziqing’s heart lurched — judging by this, the wood-robed man’s vine techniques were a match for Jun Beiyue’s own!

Since Jun Beiyue told them to go, they naturally went. Patriarch Gu and Situ Haonan led the Gu clan disciples ahead first, with Ziqing bringing up the rear. Man-eating flowers kept darting out unpredictably from both sides as the group made their way through — fortunately, with Jun Beiyue guarding them, striking down every threat with ruthless precision, and only once everyone had made it through did Jun Beiyue’s clenched fists finally relax. At the same moment, across from him, the wood-robed man unclenched his fists as well.

The two men’s eyes met, both showing a flicker of grudging admiration — though hostility outweighed admiration by far.

“We’ll meet on the battlefield,” the wood-robed man finally spoke, his voice as calm and even as his temperament.

Jun Beiyue only gave a faint laugh, offering no reply, and turned to walk away.

The moment he left, the Bai patriarch grew displeased at once. “Mu Fusang, you didn’t go all out!”

Such a perfect opportunity, and the situation just now had clearly favored the Bai clan entirely! And yet he’d let the Gu clan go ahead — how could the Bai patriarch possibly be satisfied with that?

“Jun Beiyue didn’t go all out either. I will kill him,” Mu Fusang said, expressionless, as though this weren’t something the Bai patriarch had demanded of him at all, but rather his own personal mission.

Having said this, he paid no mind at all to matters of rank or precedence, walking out ahead of even the Bai patriarch himself, his gaze seeming to trail after a figure moving on ahead…

Once all three great clans had taken their seats, the whole arena erupted with excitement — the competition hadn’t even begun yet, and the supporters of the various clans already looked ready to come to blows!

The judges’ seats sat to the east, the Gu clan’s seats to the west, with the Bai and Yu clans to the south and north respectively. The guest seats of honor sat behind the judges’ platform, with City Lord Situ seated at the very center — Madam Situ was nowhere to be seen, but Situ Xin’er had tagged along again, dressed to the nines, her eyes never once leaving Jun Beiyue since the moment he’d entered.

While paying respects to the two Qinse elders, Ziqing had taken careful note — that particular shade of purple was nowhere to be found among the guest seats behind them. Xuanyuan Lige had been absent for so terribly long — and yet, try as she might, she kept thinking of him, instinctively remaining on guard.

The opening ceremony dragged on, rather tediously. Patriarch Gu sat fidgeting, sweat beading on his forehead — the roster he’d submitted had included the names of all three hall masters, and yet all three had lost their lives right at the entrance. Such a catastrophic development left Patriarch Gu drenched in cold sweat with anxiety — under the rules of the ranking battle, once a name was registered, there was no possibility of substitution, short of death.

If the three hall masters fell before the battle had even begun, the Gu clan — whose reputation wasn’t particularly high to begin with — would look thoroughly demoralized before the fighting had even started!

No matter what, this humiliation could not be allowed to stand!

The Bai clan’s side, meanwhile, was already sitting back, eagerly waiting to watch the show!

After the opening ceremony came the official announcement of the roster, confirming the lineup for all three rounds of competition!

Who would compete in the free-for-all, who in the doubles match, and who in the singles matches — all of it had to be finalized. Only the opponents themselves would be decided by a random drawing of lots!

Without the three hall masters, and under the best-two-out-of-three, one-match-per-person rule, the Gu clan stood a very real chance of losing even to clans ranked below the Yu clan!

The Gu clan now had only one option left — calling in outside help. Someone like the Gu clan’s own disgrace, Jiang Chen!

Bai Feiyao kept a cold smile fixed at the corner of her lips, staring intently at Jun Beiyue!

She was waiting — she simply didn’t believe Jun Beiyue wouldn’t swap someone in.

As the opening drum sounded, this year’s newly-risen-power ranking battle on Liuxian Island officially began. Elder Qin rose to his feet — a sign that the roster was about to be announced, and once announced, there would be no chance left to change it!

But even now, at this very moment, Jun Beiyue sat behind Patriarch Gu as though nothing were the matter at all, fingers idly tapping against the armrest now and then, while Ziqing kept her full attention fixed on Mu Fusang, who hadn’t stopped staring at her the entire time.

“Everyone here, this old man has now presided over two of these newly-risen-power ranking battles. Seeing our Liuxian Island’s new talents rise up one after another, so many gifted young people — truly one of the great joys of my life. Today’s battle begins, and we contend only for victory or defeat, never for life or death…”

Elder Qin’s opening remarks were nearly finished when Patriarch Gu, unable to hold back any longer despite the eyes of the whole arena upon him, stopped sitting properly and instead turned to whisper urgently to Jun Beiyue. “We have to make a substitution, or we’re certain to lose!”

“I already told you — we won’t lose,” Jun Beiyue said flatly, sounding somewhat impatient.

“The situation is completely different now! We don’t have the slightest confidence left!” Patriarch Gu couldn’t help but raise his voice in frustration.

Jun Beiyue simply ignored him. Patriarch Gu, refusing to let it go, pressed on. “Bring Jiang Chen in — he has people under him too!”

Before Jun Beiyue could even move, Ziqing’s small hand had already shot out, striking with poison. Patriarch Gu instantly went rigid all over, unable even to open his mouth.

“So annoying!” Ziqing muttered, turning him around bodily so that he blocked Mu Fusang’s line of sight toward her.

“Beiyue, that man keeps staring at me,” Ziqing said bluntly, prompting Situ Haonan off to the side to stifle a laugh.

“I’ll gouge his eyes out one of these days,” Jun Beiyue said coldly, pulling Ziqing close against him, pressed into his chest, clearly displeased — though he hadn’t spared a single thought for Patriarch Gu’s concerns at all.

Just then, Elder Qin finished his opening remarks. “May the champions show restraint and mercy, and may all accept the outcome with grace. This old man has said enough — bring out the results!”

The moment he finished speaking, an enormous banner unfurled from the judges’ platform — the official roster for this year’s tournament, every name clearly listed under its respective clan.

“His name is Mu Fusang,” Ziqing murmured.

At that moment, even the Bai patriarch on the other side looked puzzled — Jun Beiyue hadn’t made a substitution after all, which meant the three hall masters’ positions would now be filled by ordinary substitute disciples!

With fighting strength this weak, could it be that Jun Beiyue simply didn’t intend to play the game seriously at all?