The Yan Siblings and the Uninvited Challenge

Perhaps the two’s impatience had finally been answered. Two black dots suddenly appeared in the sky to the west of the peak, gradually growing into two enormous twin-headed strange eagles. They were the same Twin-Headed Vultures Han Li had seen at the Tai Nan Meeting, and each carried a rider—a man and a woman.

At the sight of outsiders, the previously languid Dong Xuan’er immediately perked up. She straightened her back and stared curiously at the approaching vultures.

“Our sincere apologies for keeping you waiting! I am Yan Yu, and this is my younger sister, Yan Ling. We’ve been sent to escort you both to Yanling Fort.” As the vultures landed on the peak, the pair dismounted. The young man steadied himself and immediately spoke with an apologetic tone.

“It’s no trouble. We only just arrived ourselves!” Before Han Li could respond, Dong Xuan’er—seeing that Yan Yu was a strikingly heroic man—lit up and replied in a sweet, delicate voice. Her tone was so charming that even Han Li shot her a sidelong glance.

If he hadn’t witnessed her willful and bratty behavior over the past few days, hearing her speak now might have made him believe she was a proper lady from a noble household.

Naturally, Yan Yu knew nothing of this. Seeing that the girl before him was so stunningly beautiful and hearing her soft words, his heart stirred with an unfamiliar feeling. He straightened his posture and declared,

“In truth, there were originally Yan Clan disciples here to await the honored guests. But the disciple on duty encountered an accident, leaving no one to receive you for a time. It nearly led to an oversight. I, Yan Yu, apologize to you both on behalf of the Yan Clan, and I hope you won’t take offense.”

Dong Xuan’er gave a light laugh, her eyes shimmering with allure. She was about to speak again when Han Li’s voice suddenly rang in her ears as a clear transmission:

“Sister, are you not afraid that Uncle-Master Redbrocade will blame you for this behavior?”

At these words, Dong Xuan’er’s expression changed drastically. Her lips moved several times, but no sound came out. This strange reaction puzzled the Yan siblings.

Yan Ling was a lively, spirited girl of fifteen or sixteen, with a pair of bright, black eyes that kept darting between Han Li and Dong Xuan’er, giving her an exceptionally clever appearance.

“As Sister Dong said, a small delay is nothing. I believe the Yan Clan would not deliberately snub invited guests. But I am still a little curious—what kind of ‘accident’ befell the disciple on duty? Surely it wasn’t a conflict with some other guest?” Having stopped Dong Xuan’er from recklessly using the Spring Transformation Art’s charms, Han Li cleared his throat, spoke a polite word, and then inquired about the so-called ‘accident’ in a light, joking tone.

“This…” Yan Yu’s face showed hesitation upon hearing the question, as if something held him back from speaking openly.

“Han Li, since Brother Yan has some difficulty, we shouldn’t press him. Better to head to Yanling Fort first. Many others must have already arrived, right?”

“Yes, let’s go to Yanling Fort. Many other guests are already there, discussing their cultivation insights and exchanging ideas. The two of you can join them once you arrive.”

Dong Xuan’er suddenly spoke up for Yan Yu when she saw his hesitation. The Yan disciple let out a relieved sigh and quickly agreed, his fondness for her growing with each word. Yan Ling, however, seemed to sense Dong Xuan’er’s ‘bad intentions’ and pouted in displeasure.

This time, Han Li didn’t react to Dong Xuan’er’s antics. He simply smiled faintly and nodded.

“Then I’ll ask Brother Yan and Sister Yan to lead the way. Sister Dong and I will follow right behind you.”

Yan Yu’s face brightened upon hearing that Han Li wouldn’t press the matter. But then, as if remembering something, he spoke apologetically again:

“Before I lead the way, according to protocol, I must still check your invitation letters. Please don’t take offense.”

Though Yan Yu spoke courteously, Han Li could clearly sense that his tone was largely directed at Dong Xuan’er. It seemed this Yan Clan disciple had already begun to fall into her web of charm.

Han Li sneered inwardly. He couldn’t be bothered to meddle in Dong Xuan’er’s ridiculous affairs. Feigning ignorance, he pulled out Li Huayuan’s invitation and handed it to Yan Yu without fuss. Dong Xuan’er, meanwhile, produced Auntie Redbrocade’s letter and offered it with her jade-like hand, the alluring scent of her body and the brilliance of her skin so distracting that Yan Yu momentarily forgot to reach for it.

His sister could no longer tolerate the sight. Irritated, she snatched the letter from Dong Xuan’er’s hand. The motion finally snapped her brother back to his senses. Under Dong Xuan’er’s low laugh, his face turned bright red.

“So you are Junior Brother Han and Junior Sister Dong. The invitations are in order. Let’s go!”

After returning the examined letters to Han Li and Dong Xuan’er, Yan Yu mounted his vulture in a somewhat distracted state, stealing glances at Dong Xuan’er several times along the way. But this willful young lady had now put on a perfectly solemn and composed expression, which only fueled the Yan Clan elite’s wild fantasies.

The four of them took off, flying in the direction from which the Yan siblings had come.

After several dozen li, they arrived at a place nestled between two small peaks and came to a halt.

Yan Yu pulled a token-like object from his robes, gripped it tightly with both hands, and furiously infused his spiritual power into it. A vast, yellow radiance erupted from the token, shooting toward the empty air ahead.

The yellow light swept across the seemingly void space, and a five-colored glow appeared. As the five colors dissipated, Han Li and the others’ eyes widened. A majestic, ancient castle had materialized on the ridge between the mountains.

Gazing at the towering city walls—three to four hundred feet high—and the countless tall, ancient buildings visible within, both Han Li and Dong Xuan’er felt a wave of novelty wash over them.

“This is one of the Yan Clan’s key strongholds, Yanling Fort. Welcome, Senior Brother Han and Junior Sister Dong!” Yan Yu’s expression suddenly turned serious as he spoke.

Han Li was about to say something when Dong Xuan’er let out a surprised “Eh!” Her gaze fixed on a spot within the fortress, filled with shock.

Naturally, Han Li followed her line of sight.

On what appeared to be a training arena or competition platform near the fortress wall, two men in different attire were floating in a standoff. One was a fierce-looking man in the brown robes of the Yan Clan. The other had a face full of curly beard, gray eyes, yellow hair, and dark skin, wrapped in a strange blue-green long robe.

Around them, a giant, faintly flickering white light shield pulsed. Outside the shield, people stood in scattered clusters. The most conspicuous groups were two parties in uniform attire. One stood in orderly, silent rows, clearly well-trained—this was the Yan Clan faction. The other party was all dressed in the same blue-green robe as the floating curly-bearded man, most of them with gray eyes and yellow hair, though a few ordinary faces were mixed in.

After taking a clear look, Han Li’s face also showed a flicker of surprise. He turned to the Yan siblings, expecting an explanation.

But before he could ask, Yan Yu’s expression turned slightly unnatural. Beside him, Yan Ling clenched her fist in indignation.

“They’re already starting another challenge! And with such vicious methods—this is outrageous!”

Hearing this, Han Li’s heart stirred. He probed cautiously,

“These people… aren’t they guests of the Yan Clan?”

“Of course not! They showed up on their own. As soon as they arrived, they injured the two younger brothers who were receiving guests—Little Sixteen and Little Fifteen—and insisted on joining the Treasure-Seizing Assembly. I don’t know what the elders were thinking, but they actually agreed to it! It’s infuriating!”

This time, Yan Ling ignored Yan Yu’s restraining looks and poured out her grievances like poured beans, throwing a full-fledged tantrum that left Han Li speechless with amusement. Yan Yu, meanwhile, looked thoroughly embarrassed, unsure of what to say.

“So that’s the reason we had to wait so long on the peak. Brother Yan, would you be willing to tell Xuan’er the full story?” This time, before Han Li could ask, Dong Xuan’er—whose curiosity had also been piqued—began to ply Yan Yu with her sweet words. After a brief hesitation, Yan Yu readily agreed.

“These people arrived at Yanling Fort this morning. At the reception point outside the fortress, they had no invitation letter and tried to force their way in, injuring the two disciples on duty. When other disciples rushed to the scene, they wanted to teach these people a harsh lesson. But unexpectedly, these intruders produced some letters and tokens that made the elders present act with great caution. They swallowed their anger and invited them into the fortress.”

“But these people didn’t stay peaceful even inside Yanling Fort. They immediately issued a request for a sparring match with the Yan Clan. After some deliberation, the elders seemed to want to teach them a lesson, so they agreed. The match is for ten bouts, all to be fought by Foundation Establishment disciples. I had already left for you by the time the first few bouts were finished, but the result…” Yan Yu shook his head slightly, his expression dim. Clearly, without asking, the Yan Clan was on the losing end.