My Brother's the Protagonist? Good Thing I Awakened My System!

The hooded man didn't respond to Hao Ye's outburst. Instead, he moved with a calm, almost indifferent grace, his every action precise and measured.

Hao Ye's furious attacks seemed to meet an invisible wall, each strike deflected or neutralized with minimal effort.

The crowd watched in stunned silence. Even those who had doubted the hooded man's strength now leaned forward, their eyes glued to the stage.

After all, they didn't think that they would get a chance to witness a fight between two Grand Qi Condensation realm geniuses before the actual competition.

Even those who stood up to leave were back to their seats as they continued to watch with excitement.

"Hah… Hah… "

Hao Ye's breathing grew ragged, his energy rapidly depleting.

His once-arrogant expression was now one of desperation and disbelief.

The hooded man's movements were a blur as he closed the distance between himself and Hao Ye.

His fist struck like a thunderclap, landing squarely on Hao Ye's chest.

The impact sent Hao Ye flying across the stage, his body skidding to a stop just before the edge.

Hao Ye coughed violently, blood splattering the stage.

He struggled to stand, his legs trembling under the weight of his defeat. The once-confident prodigy now looked utterly defeated.

The hooded man walked toward Hao Ye, his steps unhurried.

Hao Ye's eyes burned with defiance as he mustered the last of his strength.

"You think you can humiliate me like this? I won't let you!"

In a desperate move, Hao Ye lashed out with a surge of energy, aiming to tear the hooded man's robes apart.

The strike barely grazed the man's shoulder, but it succeeded in dislodging his hood.

However, the hooded man struck again, this time with a single, devastating punch that sent Hao Ye crashing to the edge of the stage.

Hao Ye struggled to rise, but his strength had been drained. Defeated and humiliated, he slumped to the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, though whispers of curiosity and speculation spread like wildfire.

"Who is he?"

"How can anyone easily defeat Hao Ye? He was in the Grand Qi Condensation Realm!"

"Did the organizer put two Grand Qi Condensation Realms in the last fight to make it interesting? But it was just one sided!"

…

Although not many recognize him even after his hood was removed, those who did were surprised.

"I knew Brother Yun wouldn't let us down!"

"Whew! For a second, I thought that perhaps he had missed the chance to exact his revenge."

Although Feng Yun changed quite a bit, there was no way that they wouldn't recognize his face.

Feng Clan's participants couldn't help but be excited after Feng Yun's face was revealed.

They no longer need to worry about Feng Yun missing the competition.

Feng Clan elders were the same.

"Chen'er, Yun'er is back!"

"And he seemed to be stronger than ever. I can't sense his strength at all."

"Good! Good!"

The elders were also excited as the last bit of worry was also gone with the arrival of Feng Yun.

Feng Chen was the same as ever.

He has already sensed Feng Yun's presence and knew that he was there and wasn't too worried since the selection phase began.

( And his cultivation realm, it is already the Three Elements Divine Realm! Indeed a Heavenly Pride Genius! )

The reason why Grand Elder Zhenshan couldn't sense Feng Yun's strength is because Feng Yun was in the same realm as him.

"Feng Yun… He has become even stronger."

Yuan Ling muttered.

He didn't think he could defeat Hao Ye so easily as Feng Yun.

He couldn't help but extinguish his last hope of winning Feng Mei heart as well. His rival is just too strong.

The regal overseer stepped forward, his expression a mix of awe and recognition.

He raised his hand high, his voice booming across the arena.

"The winner of the final match is Feng Yun of the Feng Clan!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, though many still wore expressions of shock.

"Feng Yun! The genius of Feng Clan and the one who is engaged to Ling Meiyu?"

"That's him? No wonder he is so powerful!"

"This Feng Clan has really raised a lot of monsters. One is stronger than the other."

…

The spectator was stunned when the overseer announced the result.

"So that's him?"

Shen Ming muttered as he glared at Feng Yun.

"Hmph! Only so-so. I would have been able to defeat Hao Ye in one move."

Shen Ming declared with arrogance.

Feng Yun, meanwhile, stepped down from the stage, his expression calm despite the uproar around him.

As the crowd's cheers filled the arena, the regal overseer stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Feng Yun.

There was a flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, perhaps even disbelief. He raised his hand, signaling for silence.

"Feng Yun," the overseer called out, his voice steady but commanding.

"Before you leave, I would like to speak with you privately. Please come with me for a moment."

The crowd murmured in confusion, but no one dared to question the overseer's authority.

Feng Yun glanced at the overseer before nodding in agreement.

Inside the chamber, the overseer gestured for Feng Yun to stand before a glowing crystalline orb placed on a pedestal.

"Feng Yun," the overseer began, his tone serious.

"When you registered for this competition, our initial assessment placed you in the Core Formation Stage. However, your performance today has raised questions."

This is the reason why Feng Yun got a match up against the Grand Qi Condensation Realm cultivator.

Otherwise, for the selection phase, the officials make sure that no two Grand Qi Condensation Realms fought against each other.

Feng Yun remained calm, his expression unreadable.

"I will conduct another assessment," the overseer continued, "to confirm your cultivation realm. Place your hand on the orb."

Feng Yun nodded and stepped forward, placing his palm on the artifact.

The artifact began to glow faintly, then erupted into a brilliant light.

The overseer's eyes widened as the artifact showed that Feng Yun was in the Mid-Level Grand Qi Condensation Realm, different from his earlier assessment.

"This…"

The overseer's voice faltered for a moment before he regained his composure.

"You are in the Mid-Level Grand Qi Condensation Realm. This explains your dominance over Hao Ye."

Feng Yun remained silent, his face betraying no emotion.

However, deep within, he chuckled.

( Master's concealment technique is flawless. Even now, they cannot sense my true cultivation. )

In truth, Feng Yun's real cultivation had already surpassed the Grand Qi Condensation Realm.

He was in the Three Elements Divine Realm, a level so far beyond the current competition that it would have caused an uproar if revealed.

To avoid causing commotion while registering, he kept his cultivation realm at the Core Formation Stage as he wasn't aware that officials segregate Grand Qi Condensation from others of the same realm.

The overseer stepped back, visibly impressed.

"To reach the Mid-Level Grand Qi Condensation Realm at your age is extraordinary. No wonder the Feng Clan holds you in such high regard."

He paused, then added, "I must apologize for the earlier oversight. Had we known your true cultivation, you would have been matched differently."

Although the one he truly feels sorry for is Hao Ye who is eliminated because of their oversight.

Now, there was no way to reverse the result and Hao Ye would be deemed eliminated despite being one of the strongest contenders in the Dragon and Phoenix Ranking.

A Grand Qi Condensation Realm genius who was eliminated in the selection phase, perhaps it was the first in the history since the establishment of this competition.

Feng Yun inclined his head slightly.

"There is no need for apologies."

The overseer nodded, a hint of respect in his gaze.

"Very well. You may return to your clan. I wish you the best of luck in this competition!"

As Feng Yun exited the chamber, he went straight to where his fellow clan mates were. Stay updated with empire

When he reached the area where they previously were, he was met with the eager faces of his fellow Feng Clan members.

Feng Liang and Feng Jianhong rushed toward Feng Yun, their faces lighting up with a mix of relief, excitement, and disbelief.

"Brother Yun!"

Feng Liang exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly.

"It's been two years! You're finally back!"

Feng Jianhong clasped Feng Yun's arm tightly, his eyes gleaming with emotion.

"Welcome back, Brother Yun!"

Feng Yun offered a faint smile, his calm demeanor unchanged.

"It's good to see you both as well. You have become so much stronger that I hardly recognize you two!"

Feng Liang laughed, though his voice carried a hint of nervous energy.

"Haha… Well, none of us can compare to you. Brother Yun, tell us. What cultivation realm are you in?"

Feng Jianhong whispered.

"Hehe… Let's keep this as a secret for now. You will know soon!

Feng Liang hesitated, glancing around before lowering his voice.

"Brother Yun, the overseer called you aside after the match. Did something happen?"

Feng Yun's eyes flickered briefly before he responded.

"There was some confusion during my registration. The overseer wanted to confirm my cultivation."

Feng Jianhong furrowed his brow.

"And what did they determine?"

"They assessed me as being in the Mid-Level Grand Qi Condensation Realm," Feng Yun said, his tone neutral.

Both Feng Liang and Feng Jianhong exchanged knowing glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"Mid-Level Grand Qi Condensation Realm?"

Feng Liang repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"That's impressive, but… is that your true level?"

Feng Yun's lips curved into a faint smirk, though he said nothing.

"Focus on your own preparations," he said instead.

"The selection phase was just the beginning. The true competition is yet to come."

Feng Jianhong chuckled, shaking his head.

"Always so mysterious, Brother Yun. But with you here, I feel like the Feng Clan's victory is within reach."

He looked around before closing his eyes, allowing the buzz of the arena to fade into the background.

His thoughts, however, were far from still.

( Two years… So much has changed, and yet so much remains the same. Ling Meiyu… it's been three years. I hope you don't disappoint me! )