190: Jiu Ling'er took the initiative to come to the door

Not long after, inside the Time Wheel Emperor Palace, Mu Zining brought Mo Yu to meet Cao Bu.

When she saw the situation inside the hall, Mo Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she was completely stunned.

Her mother really hadn't lied to her.

Lu Qingwu, Zhao Wei, Qin Bingyao... these women of noble status were actually all here.

What made her even more incredulous was that even Leng Yue and Su Li, the two mistresses of the Gu Clan, were sitting quietly to the side, their expressions natural, as if they belonged here.

Heavens!

What kind of lineup was this?!

Mo Yu's heart was in turmoil.

Any one of these women was a figure who could summon wind and rain in the outside world, yet now, they were all gathered around the same man.

"Cao Bu, Yu'er has agreed." Mu Zining led Mo Yu in front of Cao Bu.

Mo Yu quietly raised her eyes to look at the man sitting in the main seat.

Cao Bu was also looking at her, his gaze deep, carrying an irresistible sense of oppression.

"Miss Mo Yu," he spoke slowly, "Are you truly willing to accept my guidance?"

Mo Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the palpitations in her heart, and nodded gently: "I am willing."

A smile curled the corners of Cao Bu's mouth.

He reached out, his gaze lingering on her delicate face, and his voice was low:

"Very good, those who know the times are the heroes."

"Since you are willing, let me see just how much sincerity you have."

Mo Yu lowered her head, her face flushed with shyness, and walked toward Cao Bu nervously.

When she reached him, she extended her slender, jade-like fingers and placed them on the hand Cao Bu had reached out.

With a tug, Cao Bu pulled her directly into his arms.

An hour later.

Cao Bu looked at Mu Zining with satisfaction and nodded: "Not bad, I am very satisfied with your daughter's sincerity."

Mu Zining's expression was extremely complex, and she said in a deep voice: "Just don't let me and Xiao Yu down."

"That goes without saying." Cao Bu nodded, then turned to look at Mo Yu in his arms: "Come, a spot for Immortal Ascension, I'll count you in."

As he spoke, he took out the ten thousand fragrances paying homage to the phoenix diagram.

Mo Yu's cheeks flushed red, and she looked at Mu Zining, somewhat bewildered.

Mu Zining explained softly: "Yu'er, separate a wisp of your Primordial Spirit, then force out a drop of Essence Blood and merge it into the diagram."

Mo Yu did as she was told.

When she entered the world within the diagram, she immediately felt a surge of majestic Spiritual Qi and Law rushing toward her.

In just a few breaths, her cultivation broke through a minor Realm, reaching the second level of the World King!

When she came back to her senses and stood in the hall again, her eyes were filled with shock.

This... this was too fast!

Cao Bu looked around at the women in the hall and laughed heartily: "Everyone, today I am going to challenge all of you alone!"

Lu Qingwu snorted: "Clan Chief Cao has a big mouth. Now that we have Little Sister Mo Yu joining us, you had better admit defeat early."

Zhao Wei also laughed: "Since Clan Chief Cao is so confident, why don't we sisters set up the "Nine Turns Reincarnation Formation" and ask for your guidance?"

Tang Shuying covered her mouth and chuckled: "It just so happens that Little Sister Mo Yu can see how flustered our Clan Chief Cao gets inside a Formation."

Mo Yu stood beside Mu Zining, dumbfounded.

She felt as if she were meeting these people for the first time.

Not long after, a fierce battle began.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Heavenly Pride Battle finals arrived.

Cao Bu stood on the high platform of the Gu Clan square, his gaze sweeping over the one thousand people who had advanced below, his voice spreading across the entire venue:

"Everyone, the third stage of the Heavenly Pride Battle—the Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle, begins now!"

"The format for this competition is: Ladder Challenge plus King-of-the-Hill Ranking Match."

"First half: Top 1000 Ranking Match."

"You one thousand contestants will be initially divided into four tiers: A, B, C, and D, based on your performance in the second stage, with two hundred and fifty people in each tier."

"Competition rules: Contestants in a lower tier may challenge contestants in a higher tier; if the challenge is successful, the rankings are swapped."

"Through this round of challenges, everyone's ranking will be initially determined, forming a generally accepted Top 1000 list."

Cao Bu waved his hand, and a massive arena instantly rose in the center of the square.

With another wave, four glittering golden lists appeared above the arena, each containing two hundred and fifty names.

Cao Bu nodded to the Grand Elder behind him, then turned and walked back to sit on the Clan Chief's throne.

The Gu Clan Grand Elder walked forward with a solemn expression, his voice like a booming bell:

"The Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle, begin! First round of challenges: Hao Ren of the D-tier, versus Lu Renjia of the C-tier!"

As soon as the words fell, a figure shot onto the arena like an arrow.

It was Hao Ren; his build was not tall, but his eyes were sharp, and his aura was steady.

Lu Renjia also leaped onto the arena from the C-tier area, standing opposite Hao Ren with a solemn expression.

"Please!" Hao Ren cupped his fists in a salute.

"Please enlighten me!" Lu Renjia dared not be careless and immediately assumed a stance.

The arena Formation was activated, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out.

...

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, a month went by.

Cao Bu stood up and announced: "The Top 1000 Ranking Match has officially ended. Ten days from now, the second half will begin."

After announcing the schedule, Cao Bu's figure flashed and disappeared from the spot; the next moment, he had already returned to Cangfeng Residence.

He had just sat down in the cultivation room when a series of stumbling footsteps came from outside the courtyard, followed by a rich aroma of wine, mixed with a unique, faint feminine fragrance.

"Cao... Cao Bu! Come out here!"

The voice was delicate and crisp, carrying obvious drunkenness.

Cao Bu raised an eyebrow slightly, stood up, and pushed open the door of the cultivation room.

He saw a slender figure leaning against the doorframe, struggling to stand steady.

The person who arrived was wearing a pale pink dress, her face flushed red, her eyes hazy—who else could it be but Jiu Ling'er?

"Cao Bu!" Jiu Ling'er saw him, tried hard to open her drunken eyes, swaying as she pointed at him: "Tell me! Do you like me or not?"

She asked directly and boldly, with the recklessness of being drunk, yet her eyes hid a trace of nervousness and anticipation.

Looking at her like this, a knowing smile curled the corners of Cao Bu's mouth.

He stepped forward slowly, walked up to Jiu Ling'er, looked down at her, and asked instead of answering: "Spirit, how much have you had to drink?"

"None... none of your business!" Jiu Ling'er pouted her red lips and stomped her foot in dissatisfaction, but her body swayed because of it, and she nearly fell.

Cao Bu reached out and firmly supported her slender waist.

Their skin touched through a layer of fabric, and Jiu Ling'er's body trembled slightly; her drunkenness seemed to sober up by two parts, her cheeks turning even redder, but she stubbornly pressed on: "You... you still haven't answered me! Do you... like me or not?"

Cao Bu lowered his head, looking at the charming and persistent beauty in his arms, feeling the warmth and the aroma of wine coming from her, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

"So what if I do?" His voice was low, carrying a hint of seductive magnetism.

Jiu Ling'er's drunken eyes lit up first, then became aggrieved: "Since you like me, I've been at the Gu Clan for several months, why have you never taken the initiative to find me?"

Cao Bu laughed heartily, said nothing more, and with a strong arm, he picked up the light-as-a-feather Jiu Ling'er horizontally.

"Ah!" Jiu Ling'er exclaimed, subconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck: "What... what are you doing?"

"Since you asked, just saying I like you would be too boring." Cao Bu carried her and strode toward the bedroom: "This Clan Head will use actions to give you the answer."

"You... you rogue! Put me down quickly!" Jiu Ling'er struggled lightly in his arms, but that force was less of a resistance and more of a shy, coy refusal.

She had always had a good impression of Cao Bu, and now, taking advantage of the alcohol to break through the paper window, although she felt shy, she was also filled with anticipation.

Cao Bu carried her into the room and closed the door behind him.