222: Chapter 221 Hot Commodities

The first match was won easily, the second was much the same, and the third took just a few more rounds.

Xiao Ye won match after match, each one clean and decisive.

Most ended with a single strike, his opponents often being blasted off the arena before they could even reveal their trump cards.

The chatter in the spectators' gallery shifted from "This kid is lucky" at the start to "This kid really has something," and later on, people were already inquiring about Xiao Ye's marital status.

"I heard he isn't married yet?" a Fairy in purple robes asked in a low voice.

"He has hundreds of concubines at his estate and a whole brood of children," her companion rolled her eyes.

"Didn't you read the intel? Emperor Xiao is notorious for being lecherous."

Far from being deterred, the purple-robed Fairy's eyes lit up: "Doesn't that mean I have a chance too?"

"You're really something." The companion shook her head, deciding not to try and talk her out of it.

By the latter half of the semi-finals, Xiao Ye finally encountered a tough nut to crack.

His opponent was a middle-aged man with a square face; his build wasn't tall, but standing on the arena, he was as steady as if he had taken root.

This man was known as the Immovable Ming King, who cultivated the Dao of the Immovable Ming King, claiming to have the "number one defense in the Golden Immortal realm, unbreakable by anyone."

In previous rounds, he had simply stood in place, letting his opponents bombard him while he remained motionless, until they exhausted their immortal power and conceded.

After the two stood their ground, the Immovable Ming King nodded slightly and spoke his first words after stepping onto the arena: "Make your move. I will not dodge."

Xiao Ye smiled.

Without drawing his sword, he threw a punch.

With the Great Dao of Strength fully unleashed, his fist wind moved like a shifting mountain range, crashing toward the Immovable Ming King with a dull roar of wind and thunder.

The pale golden light screen trembled slightly, absorbing most of the force, and the residual power slid across the surface, causing the surrounding barrier to ripple, but the Immovable Ming King didn't even have a hair out of place.

Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow: "Truly tough enough."

"Try some real skill," the Immovable Ming King said in a flat tone.

Xiao Ye didn't rush to attack again.

Instead, he circled around the Immovable Ming King, as if inspecting an artifact.

A moment later, he reached out and drew the slaughtering immortal sword, faint immortal light flowing along its blade.

The momentum of this strike was completely different from before.

He gathered his power for a moment, then swung his sword.

The Sword Qi surged like a long river, carrying the weight of the Great Dao of Strength, and struck directly against the Immovable Ming King's golden light screen.

The screen shook violently and finally cracked a thin line, but it healed itself in the blink of an eye without shattering completely.

For this strike, Xiao Ye had used seventy percent of his power, yet the effect was still limited.

The Immovable Ming King's defensive power was even stronger than he had anticipated.

Xiao Ye sheathed his sword and fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Fine, no more hiding."

A faint rotation of sword light appeared in his hand as the aura of the four swords of immortality quietly emerged—four immortal swords suspended around him, their Sword Qi crisscrossing like a net.

The slaughtering immortal sword, along with the other three, were all unleashed, immortal light flowing, and Sword Qi piercing the sky.

The Immovable Ming King's expression finally changed slightly.

He sensed the dangerous aura brought by those four swords, and this aura was continuously increasing.

Xiao Ye raised his hand, and the four swords lunged forward simultaneously, the sword light condensing into a single line like a flash of lightning piercing the air.

Under the combined strike of the four swords, the golden light screen shattered inch by inch, and the Immovable Ming King took three steps back for the first time.

He looked down at his shattered protective immortal light, remained silent for a long time, and finally cupped his hands slowly: "I have lost."

The arena was silent for a moment, then low gasps of amazement broke out.

The referee on the arena announced the winner, and Xiao Ye sheathed his sword and bowed to the Immovable Ming King: "I accept your concession."

The Immovable Ming King didn't say much and turned to walk off the arena, but his back didn't look dejected.

Xiao Ye returned to the rest area and was immediately surrounded by several female Cultivators.

Some handed him spiritual tea, others handed him Jade Slips, and one even stuffed a note with an address into his hand before running away, blushing.

Xiao Ye looked down at the address on the note and found it was his temporary residence, causing him to chuckle.

"Is this for a late-night discussion of the Dao?"

A Fairy watching nearby had sharp ears, heard this, coughed lightly, and added nonchalantly: "If it's a discussion of the Dao, I can do that too."

Xiao Ye glanced at her and shook his head with a smile: "Let's finish the tournament first, then we can discuss."

The sky gradually darkened, and the second day's schedule had ended.

Xiao Ye's winning streak continued, and his name was no longer just "that ascender from the White-Clad Immortal Realm," but "that somewhat outrageous Emperor Xiao."

At least, those who had originally looked down on him were now seriously considering what posture to use to surrender with dignity if they met him in the finals.

On the night the semi-finals concluded, Xiao Ye had just returned to his temporary residence when he saw several people standing at the door.

Some held jade boxes, others clutched Jade Slips, and an old Cultivator was pacing back and forth while holding his granddaughter's hand, as if he were about to wear a groove into the bluestone slab outside the courtyard gate.

Xiao Ye paused and looked back at Li Dan, who was following him—yes, Li Dan had also come, saying that "the master cannot be without someone to manage accounts when out and about," so Xiao Ye had brought him along.

Now, it seemed this decision was incredibly correct.

"Master, you've finally returned."

Li Dan stepped forward quickly and lowered his voice, "These people have been waiting since evening. I tried to stop them several times, but I really couldn't."

Xiao Ye swept a glance at the expectant or nervous gazes of those people and waved his hand: "Invite them all in; there's enough room in the courtyard."

"By the way, brew that pot of tea from this afternoon again and prepare more cups."

Thus, within less than half a cup of tea's time, the courtyard where Xiao Ye was staying became as lively as a small market.

Those Sect Elders and representatives of aristocratic families who usually held airs in the Immortal Realm were now all smiling, handing over gift boxes, their words full of polite flattery like "Emperor Xiao is a heaven-sent genius," "Emperor Xiao has a limitless future," and "If Emperor Xiao has time, you are welcome to visit our Sect."

Xiao Ye accepted them one by one, turning no one away, receiving the gifts, drinking the tea, and remaining composed throughout.

The head of the Zuo Family also sent someone, bringing a box of Medicinal Pills newly developed by their family, with a note attached that read: "The Zuo Family has prepared the marriage agreement, just waiting for Emperor Xiao to return and sign."

Xiao Ye glanced at the note and handed it to Li Dan: "Archive it."

Li Dan took the note and tucked it away, silently noting in his heart: This Zuo Family acts truly efficiently.

What caught Xiao Ye's attention most was a young female Cultivator.

She wore an old robe washed until it was pale, which looked particularly jarring among the silks and satins.

While others were handing over gift boxes and Jade Slips, she only clutched a common stone talisman in her hand.

She stood on the periphery of the crowd, hesitating for a long while before gathering the courage to step forward.

Xiao Ye noticed her and signaled for the people around to quiet down for a moment: "Do you have something to say?"

The young female Cultivator was stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath and handed the stone talisman to Xiao Ye: "Emperor Xiao, my name is Su Tan, and I am a Loose Cultivator."

"I cannot produce any valuable gifts."

"This is a protective stone talisman I crafted myself; it can withstand three full-force attacks from a Golden Immortal Middle Stage Cultivator."

"I... I know it's not worth much, but I just want to tell you that I truly admire you."

Her tone was a bit nervous, but her eyes were very sincere.

Xiao Ye took the stone talisman and examined it carefully for a moment.

It felt warm to the touch, and although the patterns carved inside were simple, they were filled with dense paths of immortal power; it was indeed crafted with effort.

He tucked the stone talisman into his chest and nodded seriously: "Thanks. This sentiment is more valuable than a Jade Slip."

Su Tan was stunned at first, then blushed.

When she retreated to the back of the crowd, her steps were a bit light.

"Seems it was worth it."

Xiao Ye smiled and continued to deal with the next batch of visitors.

By the time the people in the courtyard had gradually dispersed, it was already late at night.

Xiao Ye leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

Li Dan handed him a cup of hot tea from the side: "Master, today we received a total of forty-seven visiting cards, seventeen boxes of various Medicinal Pills, nine Immortal Artifacts, and twenty-six contact Jade Slips from Fairies."

"Additionally, six Sect Elders expressed their desire for marriage alliances, and three of them brought the candidates themselves."

"Noted."

Xiao Ye took the tea and took a sip, "We'll talk about it after the tournament ends tomorrow."

Li Dan nodded and stepped back.

Xiao Ye sat for a while longer, feeling the coolness of the night wind passing through the courtyard.

He reached out and touched the stone talisman in his chest, his mouth curling up involuntarily—this thing, while not valuable, was indeed more comfortable than many gift boxes piled with gold and jade.

The next day's match, he cleared easily as usual.

Before the finals, he had already defeated a host of experts, including the Immovable Ming King, and now only the last two matches remained.

His opponent in the afternoon voluntarily conceded, reasoning that "saving immortal power to watch the finals is more valuable."

Xiao Ye didn't say much, collected his qualification for advancement, and returned to the courtyard to rest.

He sat by the window, flipping through the thick stack of visiting cards, picked out a few interesting contact Jade Slips to set aside, and handed the rest to Li Dan: "Leave these for now; wait until the grand competition is over to reply to them uniformly."

Li Dan didn't even lift his eyelids when he took them: "Understood. I will arrange them as a priority after we return."

Xiao Ye nodded and looked at the outline of the Tianxu Realm arena looming in the night outside the window.

Tomorrow was the final.

The winner would take that complete Small World, and the loser could only leave with regret.

He knew clearly in his heart that the Small World was the only thing he truly wanted.

As for those Jade Slips, they could be put off for a little while—after all, the people wouldn't run away.