Chapter 88: Maya Takes Action!

Just as Auburn Hill’s right fist was about to strike Su Yi in full view of the crowd, a blue figure appeared like a phantom before him. At once, that figure extended a snow-white hand; a flash of red light gleamed, and she planted her palm squarely against Auburn Hill’s right fist.

Then came a thunderous crash. Amid the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Auburn Hill cried out in pain, and his body—along with a mouthful of blood—was hurled backward. He slammed viciously into the wall at the edge of the arena, shattering it with countless cracks and stirring a cloud of dust.

After coughing violently several times, Auburn Yu struggled to his feet, his face filled with terror. He had never imagined that his full-strength strike would be completely taken and thrown back at him, leaving him grievously wounded.

How was that possible?

With his strength as a fourth-rank Battle Emperor, and the profound-class combat technique he had cultivated, even the city’s strongest peak sixth-rank Battle Emperor might not have been able to do that.

Who exactly was she?

Ignoring his torn clothing, Auburn Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up at the blue-clad figure. When he finally saw her face clearly, his pupils contracted to pinpoints, and a cry of dreadful shock burst from his throat: “How is this possible?!”

The blue figure wore a fitted cheongsam, her figure exquisitely curved, her bearing alluring yet gentle. It was none other than Mei Ya, who had been sitting serenely in the distinguished guests’ seats only moments before.

The entire arena was struck dumb by the sight.

Not a single person could say a word. It was like a dream. Wait—what was happening? Mei Ya, the enchanting and seductive beauty who was the dream lover of every man in the city, was actually a qi practitioner, and from the look of it, she seemed to be stronger than Auburn Hill, a profound-class cultivator.

Mei Ya had been in Cangling City for nearly three years, and no one had ever imagined that this alluring beauty could also be a powerhouse. After all, no one had ever sensed the slightest fluctuation of qi from her. Yet now it seemed that Mei Ya had concealed herself so deeply that even the experts of the great clans had failed to see through her.

The strongest figure in Cangling City was Elder Lie Yun of the Lie Clan, a peak sixth-rank Battle Emperor. Yet even he had not noticed anything amiss with Mei Ya. From this, it might even be possible that her strength had already surpassed the sixth rank. Could she actually be a Battle Dragon expert?

At the thought of this, everyone looked at one another in shock. A Battle Dragon expert in her twenties—what kind of cultivation talent was that? Compared with her, Su Yi’s so-called talent suddenly seemed rather ordinary...

By then, Lie Chen had also come onto the stone platform and stood beside City Lord Chet, who had made the earlier move. Both of them could see the shock and gravity in each other’s eyes. Although City Lord Chet had been warned by the Jiang family that Mei Ya was no simple woman, he had always assumed she was merely an ordinary woman.

He had never expected her to possess such skill. Lie Chen, too, had not imagined that within a single day he would misjudge things twice in a row. Only when he saw Mei Ya on the platform just now did he realize that she was no longer beside him. Her speed had been so terrifying that even he, a dignified fifth-rank Battle Emperor, had not sensed a thing.

What a dreadful fact that was.

“Mei Ya jie...”

Su Yi, standing beside Mei Ya, was also filled with shock. In the past, such a thought had occasionally flashed through his mind. After all, Mei Ya came from a great imperial family, and with her natural advantages, it would not have been strange for her to have cultivated qi to some extent.

But Su Yi had never once sensed such an aura from her, and so he had gradually dismissed the idea.

Yet Mei Ya’s sudden move today had left him stunned, forcing him to realize that the beautiful woman beside him, always wearing that seductive smile, was actually a powerhouse stronger than Auburn Hill. And because Su Yi had spent more time with Mei Ya than anyone else, his astonishment ran even deeper...

“Don’t worry, little brother Su Yi. With me here, no one can touch you in the slightest.” Mei Ya glanced sideways at him and said with a teasing wink.

Coming to his senses, City Lord Chet could not help but cough lightly, then said with a sigh, “I never expected Miss Mei Ya to be such an expert as well. To have failed to notice it for three years is truly shameful.”

Lie Chen beside him also wore the same expression of agreement.

“City Lord Chet need not say that. In truth, Mei Ya only concealed her strength by cultivating a secret method; otherwise, no one would have been unable to sense my true power...” Mei Ya said with a faint smile.

A secret method? The crowd exchanged glances. What kind of secret method could achieve such a feat?

Still, when they thought of the Yuximan family behind this auction house, many of them gradually understood. For a great imperial family to possess such a secret art or combat technique was not impossible. From this alone, Mei Ya’s status within her family was likely very high.

Smiling, Mei Ya shifted her gaze to Auburn Hill, whose face was still stained with blood and disbelief, and said, “Patriarch Auburn Hill, this contest between your son and Su Yi was first proposed by your son. According to the rules, the match has not yet been decided. It would not be proper to interfere midway, would it?”

“What does Young Master Auburn Yu think?” Mei Ya looked at Auburn Yu lying on the ground and asked.

Auburn Yu, already in so much pain that he was nearly unconscious, shuddered reflexively at the words and said with difficulty, “I... admit defeat...”

Today’s blow to him had been immense. First, he had been full of confidence that he could crush Su Yi, only to be gravely wounded by merely two moves. Then he discovered that the woman he had long fantasized about was actually such a formidable expert—and that she had even saved Su Yi from his father’s hand.

What could be more unbearable than being beaten mercilessly by one’s love rival before the woman one loves? What could be more painful and helpless than the woman one loves wounding one’s father in order to save one’s love rival?

Poor Auburn Yu had suffered through both today, in full.

Hearing Auburn Yu’s answer, Mei Ya smiled faintly and said, “Patriarch Auburn Hill, since the match has already produced a result and ended, I think there’s no need for us to remain here and interfere with the other contests, don’t you agree?”

After seeing Mei Ya’s move, Auburn Hill had become deeply wary. Setting aside the auction house for the moment, just from that one strike he could already sense considerable danger. With the eyes of a fourth-rank Battle Emperor, he could tell that Mei Ya’s strength was actually quite a bit greater than Lie Chen’s.

He also noticed the faint wry smiles on City Lord Chet and Lie Chen’s faces, confirming that they had reached the same conclusion.

Aside from the terrifying strength Mei Ya had displayed, her dreadful movement speed had left Auburn Yu shaken to the core. As the person involved, he knew very well that at that critical instant, even if Lie Yun had come, he might not have been able to stop it. Yet Mei Ya had appeared before Su Yi in that instant and unleashed such overwhelmingly terrifying power within such a brief span of time.

Auburn Hill, who had already been leaning toward retreat, looked at his son’s miserable state on the ground. The fury and hatred in his heart surged again, filling his chest. He shot Su Yi a murderous glance and said, “Then are we simply to let what happened to my son pass like this?”

“Oh? Then what does Patriarch Auburn Hill intend?” Mei Ya asked with a smile, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“As long as Su Yi can withstand one palm strike from me, I’ll let this matter rest for now...” Auburn Hill said, his expression turning vicious.

Upon hearing this, many people were speechless in their hearts. How was that any different from killing Su Yi? True, Su Yi had shown surprising strength today, but at most he could not possibly be stronger than a battle cultivator expert. Under the palm strike of a dignified fourth-rank Battle Emperor, Su Yi would either die or be left grievously injured, clinging to life by a thread.

Even City Lord Chet and Lie Chen could not help but frown slightly. If the condition were put to them, they would not agree either. But if so, how was this matter to be resolved today?

With a light snort, Mei Ya glanced at Auburn Hill, then said lazily, “I’ll take that palm strike for Su Yi.”

At that, Auburn Hill’s expression changed slightly. He gave Mei Ya a cold, sinister look and said fiercely after a moment, “Mei Ya, are you really willing to make the auction house an enemy of my Auburn family for the sake of a mere Su Yi? Mutual destruction will bring you no benefit.”

“Oh, is that so? I don’t think it will end in mutual destruction at all...” Mei Ya said with a calm smile, shrugging her shoulders carelessly.

Auburn Hill’s face turned livid. After a moment, his eyes suddenly flashed, and with a sly laugh he turned to Lie Chen and said, “Patriarch Lie Chen, this Su Yi has a strange sort of strength. Perhaps he has cultivated some powerful combat technique. And Mei Ya has concealed her power so deeply for no reason. Perhaps the two of them are connected to the mysterious black-robed man who stole the Heaven and Earth Reversal Technique that day...”

At those words, Su Yi’s expression changed slightly, and a hint of coldness slowly appeared in his eyes...