Chapter 578: Cheng Yuan, You Don’t Have a Guardian, Do You?

Yang Qiuyu nearly choked on her fury at Cheng Yuan's words!

But with no way to retort, all she could do was seethe in silence.

Cheng Yuan said coldly, "Yang Qiuyu, run out of things to say? Weren't you going to have your subordinates fight this grudge match for you? Tell them to get started!"

Yang Qiuyu: "..."

With so many people watching, Yang Qiuyu couldn't back down. She could only bite the bullet and turn to her subordinates. "Who is willing to fight in my place?"

Yang Qiuyu's subordinates all bowed their heads. They were as silent as the grave; not a single one dared to respond.

They had become Yang Qiuyu's subordinates to gain advantages, to ride the coattails of the Jinling Yang Family! To curry favor with an Ultimate Martial Saint!

They hadn't signed up to die!

Cheng Yuan's subordinates couldn't help but erupt in laughter.

"Hey, you—Yue Daqun! Yeah, you! Did you stick your head in your own crotch? Weren't you acting all high and mighty a minute ago? Why don't you step up now!"

"What a bunch of wimps! You were all shouting so loud a moment ago! Come on out and go a few rounds with your grandpa here!"

"Let's just make it a team fight! Finish this quickly and stop wasting Cheng Wangzhen's time!"

...

Cheng Yuan chuckled, amused. "Yang Qiuyu, I think Manor Master Wen's suggestion is a good one. Since you're in such a bind, don't bother picking individuals. Let's just have a team battle! Thirty-one against thirty-one, a fight to the death!"

Yang Qiuyu's expression changed drastically.

If they really fought as Cheng Yuan proposed, she would certainly die today!

But in front of all the world's heroes, she couldn't back down. She'd become a laughingstock and utterly disgrace the Jinling Yang Family!

'What should I do?'

Yu Fanghua had found her disciple with great difficulty; she certainly wasn't going to stand by and watch Yang Qiuyu be killed.

Yu Fanghua slowly rose to her feet. "There is no need for the subordinates' match. Qiuyu has lost."

Hearing this, Yang Qiuyu's face fell. 'Is Master abandoning me to preserve the reputation of the Jinling Yang Family?'

A wave of sorrow washed over Yang Qiuyu.

'Ah Chen, Mommy is useless. I couldn't avenge you!'

'But don't you worry. Even if I have to become a Fierce Ghost, your mother will never let Cheng Yuan get away with this!'

Two streams of tears traced paths down Yang Qiuyu's cheeks.

'I can't accept this. I truly can't!'

The powerful figures in the training grounds all looked at Yu Fanghua with expressions of admiration.

"The Old Matriarch is truly a legendary woman of the Ancient Martial Realm! Such unyielding integrity, it's impossible not to be impressed!"

"The Old Matriarch is so impartial, not even favoring her own disciple. I, Meng Fei, am truly impressed!"

"I'm sold! Totally sold! From this day forward, I'm the Old Matriarch's biggest fan!"

...

For a moment, cheers and praise were endless.

Even Cheng Yuan found himself looking at Yu Fanghua with new respect. 'As expected of Master's former love,' he thought. 'Such bearing is worthy of his affection!'

However, even if he admired Yu Fanghua's character, Cheng Yuan had no intention of letting a menace like Yang Qiuyu go.

Otherwise, he was sure to be backstabbed by her one day.

Cheng Yuan cupped his hands in a salute. "Thank you, Old Matriarch, for upholding justice. Out of respect for you, I can grant Yang Qiuyu a quick and painless death."

Yang Qiuyu gave a self-deprecating smile, slowly closed her eyes, and waited for death's embrace.

Just as Yang Qiuyu had completely given up hope, Yu Fanghua's teasing voice reached her ears.

"Cheng Yuan, do you think you've won? Who told you only subordinates can fight in a grudge match? Guardians can substitute as well! Do you have a problem with that, Cheng Yuan?"

Yang Qiuyu's emotions went on a roller coaster ride, soaring from the depths of the valley to the highest peak in an instant. She stared at Yu Fanghua, her face alight with excitement.

'Master didn't abandon me!'

'This is wonderful!'

'Cheng Yuan is a dead man now for sure!'

The reversal was so abrupt it left everyone speechless.

The faces of the powerful figures who had just been singing her praises turned bright red with embarrassment.

Their admiration for Yu Fanghua vanished, replaced by a sense of disgust.

'To change the rules so arbitrarily... isn't the Old Matriarch a bit too shameless?'

If the Old Matriarch had been a woman of her word, Cheng Yuan might have felt he had wronged her.

But now that she was acting so shamelessly, Cheng Yuan actually felt a sense of relief.

He was even a little glad that his master had left her all those years ago. If she had become his master's wife, his life would have been hell.

Cheng Yuan shot back with a mocking expression, "Old Matriarch, there's no need for such hypocrisy. Is my opinion even important?"

Yu Fanghua snorted coldly. "Good, as long as you know. Your opinion isn't important in the slightest! I am Qiuyu's master and her Guardian! I'll give you three minutes to summon your own Guardian. Once three minutes are up, I won't be holding back!"

The expressions on the faces of Cheng Yuan's subordinates turned grim. They never imagined Yu Fanghua would be so shameless as to personally make a move against a member of the younger generation.

If Cheng Wangzhen died, the Jinling Yang Family wouldn't spare them either!

Cheng Yuan's subordinates could only turn their pleading gazes toward their own powerful elders in the crowd.

In the audience, there were a total of five Martial Saints.

They were Grand Elder Hua Xiangnan of Flower Valley.

The Old Prince of the Dali Duan Dynasty.

Supreme Elder Master Geng Di of the Silver Moon Sect.

Grand Elder Kong Rong of the Thousand-Year-Old Kong Family.

And the Third Elder of Illusion Sea, Lin Xiaofeng.

Among them, Hua Xiangnan was the strongest, a Sixth Grade Martial Saint. Kong Rong was next, a Fifth Grade Martial Saint. The others were all Third Grade or below.

Kong Lin, a disciple from a branch family of the Kong Family, had been fortunate enough to be chosen as one of Cheng Yuan's subordinates.

Kong Lin looked expectantly toward his own clan elder, who was seated in the second VIP seat, hoping the man would become Cheng Yuan's Guardian.

Kong Rong's pupils constricted as his mind raced, weighing the possibilities.

'With the potential Cheng Yuan has shown, once he becomes a Half-Step Martial Saint, there's a high probability he'll be able to refine Fifth Grade Elixirs!'

'With enough Fifth Grade Elixirs, I'd have a great chance of reaching the Ultimate realm!'

'Should I take this gamble?'

Just as Kong Rong was about to rise, Hua Xiangnan, seated in the number one VIP seat, slowly stood up and announced in a deep voice, "I, Hua Xiangnan, am willing to become Qiuyu's Guardian!"

With a flash, Hua Xiangnan's figure appeared on the fighting stage.

Kong Rong, who had already begun to rise from his seat, sat back down heavily.

'Hua Xiangnan and Yang Jian, plus Yang Qiuyu... even if the four remaining Martial Saints here joined forces, they would be no match for them!'

'Cheng Yuan is likely a dead man.'

'It doesn't matter how incredible his Alchemy is now!'

Kong Rong sighed and lowered his head, adopting a meditative pose. He saw nothing, heard nothing; this had nothing to do with him.

Cheng Yuan's subordinates fell into complete despair.

'How are we supposed to fight this?'

'The two strongest Martial Saints are both on Yang Qiuyu's side!'

Yang Qiuyu was also completely baffled. She truly couldn't understand. Her second grand-uncle had just stepped on Grand Elder Hua to rise in status, so why would Grand Elder Hua want to be her Guardian?

Seeing Yang Qiuyu staring blankly at Hua Xiangnan, Yu Fanghua prompted her, "Qiuyu, aren't you going to greet your Master Hua?"

Jarred from her stupor as if waking from a dream, Yang Qiuyu quickly performed a graceful bow to Hua Xiangnan.

"Qiuyu greets Master Hua! Thank you, Master Hua, for becoming my Guardian! From this day on, I will revere you as I do my own master!"

"Good! Very good! HAHAHA!"

Hua Xiangnan threw his head back and laughed heartily.

With Hua Xiangnan as her Guardian, Yang Qiuyu felt as if she had instantly reached the pinnacle of her life.

Yang Qiuyu turned her head and looked at Cheng Yuan as if he were already a dead man.

"You, Cheng! Don't tell me you don't have a Guardian? If you really can't find one, just kill yourself. Don't dirty my Master Hua's noble hands."