Chapter 6091 - 6093

The streets were bustling with people, a cacophony of hawking, bargaining, and laughter.

Kai pondered how to raise the three hundred and sixty bottles of immortal liquid. Selling treasures was one option, but most of the divine race spoils in his storage ring had sensitive origins, and rashly selling them might expose his whereabouts.

Just then, a commotion arose ahead.

“Quick, look! A martial arts contest to find a husband!”

“Really? Which fairy is seeking a husband?”

“The eldest daughter of the Chen family in the east of the city! You know the Chen family, right? One of the most prominent families in Yunxian City!”

“Let’s go, let’s go see the excitement!”

A group of cultivators excitedly surged towards the east of the city.

Kai paused, his gaze following the flow of people.

“A martial arts contest to choose a husband?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Such things exist in the Fourteenth Heaven?”

Liu Qianqian also looked over there, a hint of realization flashing in her eyes. “It’s the Chen family. The Divine Palace in Yunxian City is relatively weak, and the affairs of the city are mostly managed by two major families. The Chen family is one of them, mainly engaged in the business of pills, and they are very wealthy.”

She paused. “The eldest daughter of the Chen family, Chen Wanqing, is said to be exceptionally talented, but she has been stuck at the eighth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm for many years without breaking through. It seems that she is looking for a Daoist partner to help her break through through dual cultivation.”

Ming Li suddenly understood. “I see.”

After he finished speaking, he suddenly noticed Kai’s thoughtful expression and immediately became alert.

“Mr. Chen,” Ming Li said cautiously, “you wouldn’t be thinking of…”

Kai withdrew his gaze, his expression calm: “Three hundred and sixty bottles of immortal liquid is no small sum. Selling treasures is risky, the condensation chamber is too slow, and mercenary missions will take an unknown amount of time.”

He paused: “But if I could become the son-in-law of the Chen family, three hundred bottles of immortal liquid should be no problem.”

Ming Li’s eyes widened.

Liu Qianqian was also stunned.

“Mr. Chen,”

Ming Li said with difficulty, “You…you’re going to a martial arts contest to find a husband?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Of course there’s a problem!”

Ming Li was unusually anxious, “Although the temple’s jurisdiction here is relatively weak, it is still within the temple’s sphere of influence, and we are wanted by the temple!”

“If you go to a martial arts contest to find a husband, what if you are recognized? Wouldn’t that be very troublesome, and we might not be able to leave.”

“She’s just a female cultivator. If Mr. Chen wants a woman, he can just spend money in the city to find one to vent his frustrations.”

Kai glanced at Ming Li: “…………”

He was helpless. He wasn’t looking for a woman, but he didn’t expect Ming Li to think of him like that.

Did others see him as someone who loved playing with women?

Kai couldn’t understand. Although he had a few women, most of the time he was the one who was passive!

Liu Qianqian looked at Kai, remained silent for a moment, and whispered, “My benefactor, a martial arts contest to find a husband isn’t so easy. Miss Chen has very high standards. Even if you win the contest, if she doesn’t like you, it’ll be a waste of effort.”

She bit her lip, her cheeks slightly flushed, “If you… if you just want women, you don’t need to take this risk. I…”

She lowered her eyes, her voice barely audible, “I’m willing to offer myself to my benefactor, to let him have some fun…”

Kai was speechless!

“That’s not what I meant.”
Kai interrupted her, explaining, “Miss Liu, you misunderstand. I’m participating in the martial arts contest for a husband only for the immortal elixir, not for women.”

“If you could marry into the Chen family, you’d naturally have over three hundred bottles of immortal elixir.”

“Besides, if I wanted to play with women, they would come to me willingly; why would I need to personally participate in the martial arts contest?”

Kai wasn’t lying; dozens of women had approached him willingly. He had never actively pursued any of them!

That’s his charm!

Moreover, if he wanted to play with women, he had the sword spirit Zhongli, whom he could summon anytime for a good fight.

“Oh, then I misunderstood my benefactor!”

Liu Qianqian lowered her head.

“Let’s go…” Kai walked towards the arena!

Ming Li hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed.

Liu Qianqian stared blankly at Kai’s back, sighed softly after a long while, and quickly caught up.

The three walked towards the martial arts contest arena.

They passed through the bustling crowd and soon arrived at the East City Square.

In the center of the square stood a arena about ten feet high, its surface paved with lapis lazuli, polished smooth as a mirror.

At each of the four corners stood a white jade pillar, over ten feet tall, its shaft carved with intricate array patterns, faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

Beside the arena, a magnificent glazed sedan chair, its curtains drawn low, obscuring the face of the person inside.

Eight maidservants in green robes stood beside the chair, each with a beautiful face, their cultivation levels all around the fifth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm.

The area below the arena was already packed with at least three or four hundred cultivators.

There were independent cultivators, scions of noble families, and passing merchants, all craning their necks to peer at the arena.

“Why hasn’t anyone gone up yet?” someone asked impatiently.

“What’s the rush? The stage has only just been set up. The Chen family’s eldest daughter is holding a marriage contest; any hero with courage and ability should carefully consider their options.”

“Consider what? Those four pillars are the first test. I heard the Chen family set up these testing pillars to assess real ability; there’s no room for faking it.”

“Indeed. Immortal power strength, immortal power limit, physical strength, bloodline strength—only those who pass two-thirds of all four tests are qualified to invite the eldest daughter to alight from her sedan chair. This one test alone will probably eliminate 99% of the candidates.”

Kai stood in the crowd, his gaze fixed on the four white jade pillars.

Ming Li leaned closer and whispered, “Mr. Chen, can those four pillars really detect these things?”

“Yes,”

Kai said calmly. “The pillars are engraved with a spiritual resonance array, which can convert the immortal power injected by cultivators into light. The brighter the light, the stronger the aptitude in that area. When the entire pillar is lit up, it means that this aspect has reached its peak.”

Liu Qianqian nodded, “My benefactor has a good eye. These four pillars are testing artifacts that the Chen family purchased from the Divine Hall at great expense. It is said that there are only three sets in the entire Yunxian City.

Miss Chen has extremely high standards, and ordinary cultivators cannot meet her standards, so she set up this first test to prevent those who overestimate themselves from harassing her.”

As she was speaking, a commotion broke out in the crowd.

A burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist pushed through the crowd and leaped onto the arena.

He was shirtless, his muscles were bulging, and the veins on his arms were standing out. He was clearly a cultivator who specialized in physical cultivation.

“I’ll give it a try!” the burly man said in a deep voice.　　The audience immediately perked up.

“It’s Iron-Armed Hermit Zhou Meng! A sixth-rank Immortal! I heard he can shatter a small mountain with a single punch!”

“Iron-Armed Hermit? The one who fights in underground boxing matches? Interesting.”

Zhou Meng strode to the first stone pillar, took a deep breath, and placed his large, fan-like hand on it.

The array patterns on the pillar lit up one by one, the light slowly rising from the bottom.

One step… two steps… three steps…

When it reached the fourth step, the light stopped, no matter how much Zhou Meng channeled his immortal power, it couldn’t rise any further.

Laughter erupted from the audience.

“Four steps? Not even halfway there!”

“You dare to embarrass yourself with this little skill? Go back and train for another hundred years!”

Zhou Meng’s face flushed red, he slammed his palm against the pillar, turned and jumped off the stage, squeezing into the crowd without looking back.

“Next!” a maid in green called out.

A young man in brocade robes leaped onto the stage.

He was fair-skinned, holding a folding fan, looking every bit the dashing scholar.

“It’s the young master of Zhou’s Trading Company! What’s a mere merchant doing here?”

“Don’t underestimate him. Young Master Zhou is a genuine fifth-grade Upper Immortal. It’s said he was tested as a child and found to have a profound-grade spiritual root.”

Young Master Zhou calmly walked to the first pillar, closed his folding fan, and gently pressed his slender fingers on the pillar.

Light shone.

One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps…

When it reached the sixth step, the light began to flicker erratically, struggling for a moment before finally stopping between the sixth and seventh steps.

Young Master Zhou’s face stiffened slightly.

“Six and a half steps? Still far from it!”

“Hahaha, Young Master Zhou, you’re too delicate. You should go back and settle your accounts!”

Young Master Zhou coughed, feigning composure as he withdrew his hand, and cupped his hands towards the sedan chair: “I, Chen, am of limited talent and learning, and dare not presume to presume.” With that, he quickly stepped off the stage.

Another burst of laughter followed.

The third to step onto the stage was a gaunt old man with white hair and beard, who claimed to have cultivated diligently for three hundred years, living in seclusion.

Everyone initially thought he was quite remarkable, but the first pillar only lit up five bars, and the second only three.

“Old man, at your age, you’re still here to find a husband? Go home and hold your grandchildren!”

“Perhaps he’s still vigorous despite his age? Hahaha!”

The old man slunk off the stage.

The fourth, fifth, sixth…

one cultivator after another stepped onto the stage, only to slunk off again.

Some couldn’t even get past the first pillar with five bars lit up, some barely passed the first, but the second was a disaster.

The worst one tried all four pillars, only managing ten bars lit up in total, and was booed off the stage by the crowd.

“Anyone else want to try?” The maid in green’s voice was already tinged with impatience.
Whispers arose from the crowd, but no one answered.

“The Chen family’s threshold is too high. Passing two-thirds of all four pillars—that’s some kind of heaven-defying talent!”

“Indeed. The first pillar, Immortal Power Strength, passing two-thirds means at least a seventh-grade Upper Immortal Realm Immortal Power purity;

the second pillar, Immortal Power Limit, tests the dantian capacity and meridian resilience—only those with extraordinary talent can achieve that;

the third pillar, Physical Strength, might be attainable for cultivators specializing in physical training;

the fourth pillar, Bloodline Strength, that’s truly mysterious—what ordinary cultivators possess such a bloodline?”

“So, it seems the eldest daughter of the Chen family doesn’t want to marry at all. Setting such a high threshold is just self-aggrandizement.”

“You can’t say that. When Miss Lin was choosing a husband, didn’t she set similar thresholds? In the end, she was still won over by the third young

master of the Zhou family.” “The third young master of the Zhou family is a true genius, already an eighth-grade Upper Immortal Realm cultivator before he was even a hundred years old, and it’s said he possesses some kind of ancient bloodline. How easy is it for the eldest daughter of the Chen family to find such a husband?”

The discussions rose and fell.

Ming Li shook his head, “The Fourteenth Heaven is indeed full of talented people, but even so, the conditions of this Miss Chen are too demanding.”

Liu Qianqian said, “Miss Chen Wanqing of the Chen family is said to be exceptionally beautiful and proficient in alchemy. How could she possibly be interested in ordinary men?

However, she has been stuck at the eighth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm for many years and has been unable to break through, so she had no choice but to seek a Daoist partner through a marriage proposal.

Although her conditions are high, they are not unattainable. At least, the young master of the Wu family in Yunxian City has the ability to meet them.”

“The young master of the Wu family?” Ming Li asked curiously.

Just as Liu Qianqian was about to explain, a commotion suddenly arose in the crowd.

“Make way! Young Master Wu is here!”

The crowd parted to the sides like a tide, making way for

a young man.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face and clear eyes. He wore a spotless moon-white robe, and a jade pendant hung at his waist, swaying gently with his steps.

His steps were slow, yet each one possessed a certain rhythm, his aura restrained and profound, as if he were one with heaven and earth.

“It really is Young Master Wu!”

“Wu Lingyun, the eldest son of the Wu family! Why is he here too?”

“The Chen family’s eldest daughter is holding a marriage contest, and Young Master Wu is personally participating. What chance do others have?”

“I heard Young Master Wu is already a ninth-grade Immortal, and he’s not even 120 years old yet. He’s truly a chosen one!”

Wu Lingyun ignored the surrounding discussions, walking steadily towards the arena without glancing to either side.

Every step he took was unhurried, as if he weren’t there to participate in the marriage contest, but rather to inspect his own backyard.

The eight maids in green unconsciously lowered their heads, and even the curtain of the eight-treasure glazed sedan chair seemed to sway slightly.

Wu Lingyun stepped onto the arena, standing with his hands behind his back before the four pillars, his gaze sweeping lightly over the crowd below, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Finally, someone decent has arrived,” someone muttered softly.

Wu Lingyun did not immediately conduct the test, but first nodded slightly towards the sedan chair: “Miss Chen, I apologize for my intrusion in coming today.”

There was a moment of silence in the sedan chair, then a clear, cold female voice came out: “It is an honor for the Chen family that Young Master Wu is willing to come.”

Wu Lingyun smiled, then turned and walked towards the first stone pillar.　　Unlike the previous cultivators who drew in their inner energy or deliberately built up their power, he simply extended his right hand, his fingertips lightly touching the pillar.

Boom!

The entire pillar instantly erupted with blinding white light!

The light shot upwards from the bottom, one level, two levels, three levels… almost without pause, reaching the ninth level in the blink of an eye!

Everyone held their breath.

The tenth level!

The light pierced the top of the pillar like a sharp sword, exploding into a dazzling rain of light in the air. A

deathly silence fell.

Then, deafening exclamations erupted.

“Full light! The first pillar is fully lit!”

“My god, the entire pillar is lit!”

“Is this the strength of a ninth-grade Upper Immortal?!”

Wu Lingyun withdrew his hand, his expression calm, as if he had only done something insignificant.

He walked to the second pillar and extended his hand again.

This time, the light also reached the ninth level, but paused slightly at the tenth level, ultimately failing to completely pierce the top, stopping at nine and a half levels.

“It’s a pity it almost fully lit.”

“Nine and a half bars is still amazing! Didn’t you see those people before? Getting past six bars was considered good!”

Wu Lingyun looked at the nine and a half bars of light, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, before returning to normal.

He said calmly, “I’ve been in seclusion for a while recently, and my immortal energy flow is a bit sluggish. Please excuse my poor performance.”

The crowd below dared not laugh, and flattered him repeatedly, “Young Master Wu is too modest! Nine and a half bars is a once-in-a-century achievement!”

“Yes, yes, the second pillar tests the limit of immortal energy .

Reaching nine and a half bars means that Young Master Wu’s dantian capacity has reached a state of perfection!” Wu Lingyun remained noncommittal and walked towards the third pillar.

This pillar tested physical strength.

Wu Lingyun was tall and slender, not as burly as cultivators who specialized in physical strength, and the crowd couldn’t help but worry for him.

Wu Lingyun rolled up his sleeves, revealing a section of his strong forearm. He clenched his fist and casually struck the pillar.

Bang!

The dull impact sounded like a drumbeat.

The stone pillar trembled, its light illuminating the pillar. One step, two steps, three steps… it rose to the seventh step, then slowed, finally stopping at seven and a half steps.

A chorus of regret rose from below the stage.

“Seven and a half steps, still half a step short of the two-thirds mark of eight…”

“What a pity, what a pity. Young Master Wu isn’t a specialist in physical cultivation after all.”

“Seven and a half steps is still pretty good, a hundred thousand times stronger than those three or four steps before.”

Wu Lingyun withdrew his fist, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

He looked at his palm and said softly, “It’s been too long since I’ve practiced body tempering, I’m rusty.”

These words were spoken casually, yet they made many below the stage blush; they were far less rusty than Wu Lingyun.

Finally, the fourth stone pillar.

Bloodline strength.

This was the most mysterious aspect.

Ordinary cultivators simply didn’t have a bloodline worth mentioning; less than one in ten could light up this pillar.

Wu Lingyun stood still and closed his eyes.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and placed his right hand on the pillar.

A pale golden light shone at the base of the stone pillar.

The golden light, like flowing honey, slowly and steadily spread upwards.

One bar, two bars, three bars… Upon reaching the fifth bar, the gold suddenly deepened, turning into a dazzling crimson gold.

“What kind of bloodline is this?!”

“Crimson gold! At least a high-grade Xuan rank!”
“I heard that a true immortal once existed in the Wu family. Could it be that the bloodline of that ancestor has awakened?”

The light continued to climb, the sixth, seventh, eighth…

It stopped between the eighth and ninth marks.

Wu Lingyun frowned, seemingly trying his best to push forward.

The golden light flashed several times, attempting to break through the threshold of the ninth mark, but ultimately failed, stopping at eight and a half marks.

He stopped and remained silent for a long time.

“Eight and a half marks.”

The maid in green announced the result, her voice carrying a hint of respect, “The results of the four pillars: the first pillar is ten marks, the second pillar is nine and a half marks, the third pillar is seven and a half marks, and the fourth pillar is eight and a half marks. All of them exceed two-thirds, Young Master Wu has passed.”

The crowd below immediately erupted in cheers.

“He passed! He really passed!”

“I knew Young Master Wu could do it!”

“Now Miss Chen should get out of the sedan chair, right?”

All eyes were on the eight-treasure glazed sedan chair.

The curtains of the sedan chair remained motionless.

Wu Lingyun stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips. He was neither impatient nor anxious, as if everything was under control.

After a while, a clear, cold female voice came from inside the sedan chair: “Young Master Wu is indeed exceptionally talented. However…”

She paused.

“However, the marriage selection is not over yet.”

Wu Lingyun raised an eyebrow slightly.

The maid in green quickly explained, “Young Master Wu, please don’t be offended. My mistress set up this Four Pillars test only to select a worthy candidate.

Those who pass the test may ask the mistress to alight from the sedan chair, but this is not the end of the marriage selection.

The mistress will meet with the successful candidates in person, and if they are mutually interested, then…”

“Then the next test.”

Wu Lingyun finished the sentence, his smile deepening. “I understand. Then, Miss Chen, would you please alight from the sedan chair for a chat?”

The sedan curtain was finally lifted slightly.

A slender hand reached out, delicate fingers like jade, and gently rested on the maid’s arm.

Everyone held their breath.

A graceful figure slowly stepped out of the sedan chair.

She wore a light green fairy dress with tassels at the waist, the hem of which flowed gracefully.

Her face was covered by a light veil of the same color, obscuring her features, revealing only a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water.

Those eyes alone were enough to captivate.

Chen Wanqing nodded slightly: “Young Master Wu has come from afar. On behalf of the Chen family, Wanqing thanks you.”

Wu Lingyun cupped his hands: “Miss Chen, you are too kind. I have long heard of your divine alchemy skills. It is my great honor to meet you today.”

The two faced each other from a distance, one dressed in white as snow, the other in green as smoke, truly like a celestial couple from a painting.

The crowd below was mesmerized, and the murmurs subsided.

Ming Li leaned closer to Kai and whispered: “Mr. Chen, this Young Master Wu seems quite impressive. He has passed two-thirds of the Four Pillars of Destiny. Shall we still go up on stage?”

Kai did not answer, but simply watched the white-robed man standing with his hands behind his back on the stage.

Liu Qianqian said softly, “Wu Lingyun, the eldest son of the Wu family in Yunxian City, is 120 years old and at the mid-stage of the ninth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm. The Wu family and the Chen family are known as the two major families in Yunxian City. The Wu family is a rising star, having only emerged in the last five hundred years. This young master Wu has been hailed as a genius since childhood. It is said that he entered the Qi realm at the age of three, established his foundation at ten, and entered the Upper Immortal Realm at fifty. Among his peers, he has never met a worthy opponent.”

She paused, then whispered, “My benefactor, this person… is not to be trifled with.” Ming Li

looked at Kai nervously.

Kai withdrew his gaze, his expression remaining calm.

“Let’s take another look.”

Wu Lingyun on the stage seemed to sense something, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the crowd, lingering for a moment in Kai’s direction.

He smiled, withdrew his gaze, and continued talking to Chen Wanqing.