Chapter 130: An Encounter with Yang Yu

Che Wuyou pressed forward, losing track of time, until he suddenly beheld a sky of brilliant azure. The hazy, crimson world seemed to vanish in an instant, and everything became unnervingly clear. Even from a distance, Che Wuyou could see a dense crowd of young figures gathered ahead.

"Why are there so many people still here?" Che Wuyou watched the massive golden pillar of light at the center of the crowd. It was self-evident that this pillar was the gateway to the third level of the Heaven-Reaching Tower. He frowned, deep in thought: "The golden pillar must have been open for quite some time now. Why are they lingering around it instead of entering the third level?"

As he pondered, he drew closer to the golden energy pillar, subconsciously scanning the crowd for those dazzling figures he knew. Yang Fengge—that prideful youth who seemed to hold the entire world in contempt yet carried an air of profound loneliness—was clearly not among them. Ye Xuan—that perpetually quiet girl in black, who shone like a star in the heavens and possessed unfathomable strength—was also absent.

Even Yang Shi, who was the de facto leader of the younger generation of the Yang family, was nowhere to be seen. They must have already entered the third level, he reasoned. With their skills and power, even the trials of the second level could not hold them back.

Then, Che Wuyou’s eyes narrowed. Within the crowd, he spotted Yang Yu—the luxuriously dressed youth with whom he had previously clashed, the younger brother of Yang Shi. To think he was trapped on the second level! It seemed impossible, yet it was the truth. Yang Yu stood at the perimeter of the energy pillar, and as if sensing someone approaching, he turned his gaze toward Che Wuyou’s group.

Yang Yu fixed his eyes on Che Wuyou, his gaze cold enough to send a shiver down one's spine. However, as his eyes drifted to Yun Fan, who was beside Che Wuyou, his expression flickered. Yang Yu knew his brother Yang Shi’s strength well. If Yun Fan could emerge unscathed from a confrontation with Yang Shi, even forcing Yang Shi to back down, then Yun Fan’s strength was clearly not to be underestimated. How could such a person be traveling with a nobody like Che Wuyou?

"Look! Is that forty kilograms of mid-grade Yuan stones? My god! How did they manage that? How could they have so much?" A voice from the crowd shrieked, pointing at the heads of Che Wuyou’s group.

The cry was like a pebble cast into a calm lake. The crowd collectively craned their necks, searching, until every eye fixed upon the space above Che Wuyou’s head. Even Che Wuyou looked up.

He hadn't even realized that, at some point, the crimson characters floating above him had transformed to read: Forty Kilograms of Mid-Grade Yuan Stones. It was an astronomical sum—even for a major clan, such a weight of Yuan stones could not be taken lightly.

Che Wuyou pulled himself out of his initial shock. Under normal circumstances, such a fortune would be cause for celebration, but surrounded by enemies, this wealth was a liability. One wrong move, and it could cost him his life.

Sure enough, he noticed the shift in the crowd. He could see the naked greed in their eyes—a hunger that mirrored his own recent shock—and he could faintly hear their ragged, eager breathing.

Che Wuyou’s heart leaped into his throat. If these people lost control, the consequences would be unimaginable. Yet, he did not stop. He continued to drag his two companions forward, step by step. The three of them, shoulder to shoulder, looked like a single giant, yet compared to the vast crowd, they seemed infinitesimally small and insignificant.

Che Wuyou’s clothes were soaked through with sweat. He forced himself to remain calm, though how could he be at ease when he was responsible for two unconscious people?

Fortunately, before reaching the center of the second level, he had secretly tucked his Qiankun bag into Yun Fan’s robes, anticipating potential trouble. He just hadn't expected to encounter so many people, nor his old nemesis, Yang Yu. He also hadn't expected the crimson characters, which had seemed to blend into the environment, to suddenly manifest so clearly.

"Boy, hand over everything you have! If you do, and I’m in a good mood, maybe I’ll spare your life." Seeing that no one else was making a move, Yang Yu stepped out from the crowd, blocking Che Wuyou’s path. He was not a tall man, but to Che Wuyou, he stood like a mountain, firmly barring his way.

Che Wuyou’s steps faltered only for a second before he continued to drag Yun Fan and Zhang Qing'er forward, speaking calmly: "Oh, it’s you, Yang Yu. Where are Yang Shi and Yang Qi? Why are you the only one left here? And you want me to hand over my belongings? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean my twenty kilograms of low-grade Yuan stones? Surely a young master of your status wouldn't care for such a pittance? But if you want them, I suppose I can spare them."

"Enough of your nonsense! You know exactly what I want. If you refuse to hand it over, so be it, but if I have to take it from you myself, today will be the day you die here. Do you believe me?"

Yang Yu’s eyes narrowed, a blatant killing intent radiating from his gaze. He loathed Che Wuyou, and had it not been for his wariness of Yun Fan, he would have struck already. His pride could not tolerate the humiliation of their previous encounter without a reckoning.

Yang Yu had already decided not to give Che Wuyou any chance at close-quarters combat. He planned to open with his signature technique, the *Azure Pool Long Fist*, to crush him outright. With his cultivation at the mid-stage of the Guiyuan realm and his superior speed, he was confident he could handle not only Che Wuyou but even put up a fight against Yun Fan. Even if he couldn't defeat Yun Fan, he was fast enough that defeat seemed unlikely.