When the elders saw Grandfather Yue step into the arena himself, silence swept across the audience like a wave.
They were beyond shocked—utterly confused.
Hadn't it been declared that the legendary Yue patriarch had completely withdrawn from worldly affairs?
"Old Man Hu is really set on making a name for the Snake Tribe this time," one elder murmured to another.
Before anyone could recover from the surprise, the sound that followed threw even Grandfather Yue off guard.
A creepy voice echoed through the cavern:
"Grandfather! Why would you leave without waiting for me? Am I so dazzling that you couldn't bring yourself to face me? Or… were you scared to sprinkle flower petals for my grand entrance?"
The cavern went quiet—so quiet, one could hear a needle drop.
Butler San was desperately trying not to burst into laughter, covering his mouth as his shoulders trembled. Meanwhile, Old Man Hu was sweating bullets. He had no courage to announce, "This... is Yue Ling."
All eyes turned toward the bizarre figure approaching.
And there stood Yue Ling—in her full disguise.
From afar, it was impossible to tell if she was a boy or girl. Her figure was childlike, no more than seven years old, and her voice? It could make hair stand on end.
The cultivators in the audience blinked, then gawked.
"I've been waiting to meet the Snake Tribe's mysterious young heir," one girl whispered. "But… is this a 300-year-old baby?"
A ripple of laughter surged through the crowd.
The young men who had puffed their chests earlier to impress her were now backing away slowly, not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Only if they knew—this was Yue Ling's favorite kind of chaos.
Old Man Hu and Grandfather Yue exchanged a helpless glance, then quickly retreated to sit with the elders, sighing in relief to escape the spotlight.
"Old Man Yue," one elder whispered through clenched teeth, "why didn't you stop your granddaughter from wearing that… that thing?"
"If I had known I'd be this embarrassed," another elder muttered, "I would never have come with her."
More murmurs followed.
"She's Ye'er's daughter?" another elder finally asked in disbelief. "She's nothing like Ye'er at all."
"She must've gotten this mischief from her father's side," someone else chimed in.
Just then, a loud voice echoed through the arena, interrupting the gossip.
"Let the tournament begin!"
The spiritual bell rang again, reverberating through the ruins. Its sacred tone marked the start of the long-awaited fight.
A regal-looking woman stepped forward. She was one of the elders, chosen as the commentator for the event. Her robes fluttered in the spiritual wind, and her voice commanded respect.
"All registered participants, please listen carefully.
The tournament includes 300 contestants.
You will be assigned to five rings.
Each ring will begin with 60 contestants, and you must defeat at least 45 opponents to advance.
Ring 1: Numbers 1–60
Ring 2: Numbers 61–120
Ring 3: Numbers 121–180
Ring 4: Numbers 181–240
Ring 5: Numbers 241–300"
With a wave of her sleeve, 300 green jade pieces floated into the air, charged with spiritual qi. The jades danced above the crowd, ready to be drawn.
The cultivators raised their hands, drawing on their spiritual energy to attract a jade to them.
Yue Ling, however, stood there… arms crossed.
She looked up at the flying jade stones like a child being denied candy.
She was too small to reach them—and she wasn't planning to use her spiritual qi, not in front of everyone.
After all, she didn't want anyone to detect her level too soon.
From the moment she arrived, dozens had been sizing her up, trying to guess her cultivation. But no one could. Her spiritual energy was tightly hidden—so tight that even if she used qi, only the person directly fighting her would sense anything.
She was deep in thought when she looked beside her and saw a figure: Princess Mei.
Without a second thought, Yue Ling tapped her arm and said innocently:
"Excuse me… can you help me grab one? I'm too short to catch any."
The entire arena gasped.
The air stilled as everyone turned toward the scene.
Had they just heard correctly?
Yue Ling had spoken… to Princess Mei?
Everyone knew the princess Mei of the Heavenly Palace as the cold-faced beauty—someone who didn't talk to others unless absolutely necessary. She had no known friends, rarely smiled, and her disdain for chit-chat was legendary.
Dozens of eyes narrowed, wondering what the princess would do.
Would she ignore Yue Ling? Scold her? Show her usual ice-cold glare?
Even Princess Mei herself stood frozen, caught completely off guard.
Her fingers paused over the jade she had just drawn, her eyes scanning the childlike figure beside her. Her long lashes blinked once, twice.
There was a strange silence—just the soft crackle of qi in the air.
And then…
Princess Mei reached forward, plucked an extra jade from the air, and handed it to Yue Ling.
No words. No emotion. Just that single, precise action.
The crowd gasped again. A few jaws dropped.
Did that just happen?
Yue Ling grinned mischievously as she received the jade.
"Thank you~" she said in her haunting voice, drawing a shiver from several nearby participants.
And just like that, the mood shifted again.
People were now completely confused by the little figure.
Who exactly was she? A child? A cultivator? A trickster? A hidden genius?
Even the elders, who had thought themselves unshakable, were beginning to feel off-balance.