205: Chapter 205 A stunningly beautiful, aloof, and tall mature woman! She takes the initiative to come to your door…

The main arena of the Human Council Tournament in the Transit Star Region was currently plunged into a bizarre, dead silence.

Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng, who stood opposite Zhou Liangan, was not in a good state at the moment.

As the chief referee of this Transit Star Region council tournament, she was usually treated like a star wherever she went, carrying herself with nobility and majesty.

But now, she had retreated three consecutive steps.

She raised her head, her almond eyes wide, staring intently at Zhou Liangan not far away, her eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.

Only she herself knew that the cold sweat on her back had already soaked through her inner robes, feeling chilly against her skin.

But in front of the live broadcast cameras reaching the entire Star Domain and before hundreds of millions of spectators, she could not show weakness. Even though her heart was in a complete panic, she had to maintain a tough front.

"Zhou Liangan!" she spoke, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, but she immediately raised her tone, trying to mask her lack of confidence with her Aura. "The Human Council Tournament is the Human Race's most important annual grand event, with the venue broadcasted live to interstellar stream rooms across over a hundred Star Domains. You've made such a mess of this place, caused a loss of life, and destroyed the arena. Are you satisfied now?"

Her fierce-looking yet weak-hearted appearance seemed utterly laughable in Zhou Liangan's eyes.

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan finally lifted his eyelids, his gaze indifferently sweeping over.

That gaze held no warmth, like two pieces of thousand-year-old ice. The moment it lightly swept past, Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng felt as if her cheeks were being scraped by ice shards, and she subconsciously tensed her back.

"I made a mess of things?" he spoke, his voice not loud but possessing an extremely strong penetrative power, spreading clearly across the entire arena, with every word sounding like ice beads crashing onto the ground, piercingly cold. "As the chief referee of this tournament, you deliberately favored the members of the Gongmen Clan the entire time, secretly condoning their underhanded moves against me. How should we settle this score?"

The moment his words fell, a flurry of quiet chatter immediately erupted in the spectator stands.

No one present was a fool; everyone had witnessed the daytime matches.

First, Wu Kui had secretly cast a curse on Zhou Liangan on the arena stage, clearly intending to destroy his cultivation. Yet, Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng had merely given a light punishment, banishing Wu Kui to the Human Race's front lines.

As the murmurs drifted into her ears, Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng's cheeks burned hot.

She clearly hadn't expected Zhou Liangan to show her so little Face, exposing the matter in public and pointing the spearhead directly at her.

She froze for a full two seconds before reacting. Then, she sneered, abruptly lifting her chin and putting on the airs of the chief referee.

"So you still know I am the chief referee?" She snorted coldly, tightening her grip on her law enforcement scepter, and argued rapidly. "My duty is to maintain order and ensure the tournament proceeds normally. You ignored the tournament rules, publicly killed a contestant on the arena, and disrupted the rhythm of the entire competition. What is wrong with me punishing you according to the rules?"

"Furthermore," she paused, her eyes sweeping across the spectator stands in an attempt to pull public opinion to her side. "When you accused Wu Kui of casting a curse on you earlier, I dealt with it immediately according to the rules. Clearly, it is you who is relentless and aggressive, insisting on driving them to a dead end and even ruthlessly killing Gongmen Xiuzhu. Zhou Liangan, can you bear the crime of harming fellow humans?"

With just a few words, she completely absolved herself of favoritism, and instead pinned a massive label of "harming fellow humans and disrupting the tournament" on Zhou Liangan.

It had to be said that Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng's ability to attain the position of chief referee was not just due to her Family background; her eloquence indeed held some merit.

Unfortunately, she was facing Zhou Liangan.

To Zhou Liangan, this level of distorting facts was no different from children playing house.

Hearing this, far from being angry, he let out a low laugh instead.

There was not a single trace of warmth in that laugh, only pure sarcasm.

He looked up at Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng, coldness surging in his dark eyes, and the temperature around him seemed to drop by a few more degrees.

"Harming fellow humans? I cannot bear such a massive accusation." He spoke unhurriedly, his tone flat, yet carrying an invisible sense of oppression. "Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng, you know better than anyone what is really going on here. Don't take everyone for a fool. Just because I haven't settled certain scores with you doesn't mean they are forgotten."

The moment those words fell, a thick, almost physical Killing Intent suddenly surged from Zhou Liangan.

It wasn't the kind of posturing, aggressive Killing Intent, but rather like a cold current deep beneath the sea, spreading silently and instantly enveloping the entire arena.

The few referees standing close felt their bodies stiffen, their blood seemingly freezing, and they hastily circulated their full spiritual energy to barely resist.

Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng, at the center of the arena, bore the brunt of it.

The moment that Killing Intent pressed down, she felt as if she were being targeted by an ancient Vicious Beast. Every hair on her body stood on end, her heart suddenly constricted, and even breathing became difficult.

She subconsciously circulated her full spiritual energy, releasing her third-stage Return to Void Realm Aura without reservation.

But it was useless.

Her proud Return to Void Realm Aura, in the Face of Zhou Liangan's Killing Intent, was like a firefly before a bright moon, leaving her with absolutely no room to resist.

The protective barrier trembled slightly, emitting an overloaded hum, as if it would shatter in the next second.

Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently.

Gritting her silver teeth, she forced herself to meet Zhou Liangan's gaze. Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms, the pain barely allowing her to remain conscious.

"Zhou Liangan, just how long are you going to keep acting so outrageously!" She barked, forcing herself to hold her ground, but the tremor in her voice could not lie. "This is the venue of the Human Council Tournament, watched by all the Cultivators of the Human Race. It is not a place where you can run wild! If you continue to behave so recklessly, the entire Human Alliance will not let you off!"

Though she spoke harsh words, her heart had already begun to thump with anxiety.

The scene of Zhou Liangan slaying Gongmen Xiuzhu just now was still replaying repeatedly in her mind.

Her only hope now was that Zhou Liangan still cared about the bigger picture and feared the rules of the Human Alliance; if he truly ruined the tournament completely, it would do him no good either.

She only hoped this fiend would quickly stop and not continue to make trouble.

Seeming to see through her thoughts, Zhou Liangan looked at her forced composure, the sarcasm at the corner of his mouth growing even more pronounced.

He swept an indifferent glance at her, the disdain in his eyes completely undisguised, as if he were looking at a buffoon jumping up and down.

"Forget it," he spoke suddenly, retracting his Killing Intent. The coldness around him instantly dissipated completely, as if that suffocating pressure from earlier had never existed. "Since today's tournament is so important, I will let you off for now."

Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng felt a wave of relief in her heart. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard Zhou Liangan's voice ring out again, cool and carrying an unquestionable dominance: "But the score regarding your favoritism cannot be settled so easily. Come find me yourself after the tournament and give me a satisfactory explanation. If I am not satisfied..."

The sentence was left unfinished, but anyone could hear the underlying threat.

Leaving behind those words, Zhou Liangan did not spare Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng another glance. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked toward the arena exit.

His black robes cut through the air, drawing a sharp arc. His steps were not fast, yet in just a few strides, he walked out of everyone's sight, leaving behind only a dashing and dominant silhouette.

Only when Zhou Liangan's figure completely vanished into the exit did the pressure on the arena completely dissipate.

Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng froze in place, her physical strength seeming completely drained.

She gritted her silver teeth, almost to the point of shattering them. Her beautiful eyes stared intently in the direction of Zhou Liangan's departure, her gaze swirling with hatred, humiliation, and a lingering trace of fear.

A sharp pain came from her palm. She looked down only to find that her fingernails had long since pierced her skin, with thin lines of blood seeping out and dampening her palm.

Yet she could barely feel the pain; the sense of humiliation in her heart was ten thousand times stronger than this minor pain.

She was a direct-line Young Miss of the Ruan Family, a powerhouse of the third stage of the Return to Void Realm, and the chief referee of this council tournament. Wherever she went normally, was she not pampered and respected?

Yet today, in front of tens of billions of spectators of the entire Human Race, she was publicly humiliated and held accountable to her Face by a young man whose age was not even a fraction of hers. Yet she didn't even dare to say a single tough word, only able to watch helplessly as the other party walked away with ease.

The surrounding gazes fell upon her—some sympathetic, some amused, some gloating—like fine needles, stinging her cheeks with heat and leaving her utterly mortified.

She knew that from today onward, her own Face, as well as the Ruan Family's Face, was completely lost.

While the storm on the arena had not yet settled, the interstellar stream rooms had already exploded into a chaotic mess.

When Gongmen Xiuzhu was slain, the bullet screen comments were already flying so fast that they obscured the screen. Now, seeing Zhou Liangan leave Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng speechless and walk off directly after delivering his harsh words, the stream room's popularity immediately surged to an all-time Peak, with the scrolling comments moving so fast they almost formed a single curtain of light.

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! This is way too badass! That's Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng! A chief referee of the third stage of the Return to Void Realm! He just shut her down like that?"

"I wanted to puke when Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng showed favoritism earlier. When Wu Kui cast a curse, he was only banished to the Human Race's Extraterritorial Battlefield. Now that Zhou Liangan counter-killed Gongmen Xiuzhu, she jumps out to talk about rules. Where's her shame?"

"LMAO, 'harming fellow humans'? Why didn't she mention harming fellow humans when the Gongmen people plotted a sneak attack first? Can this double-standard dog get lost?"

"Zhou Liangan's strength is way too ridiculous, right? Didn't the previous intel say he was only in the Enlightenment Realm? An Enlightenment Realm Cultivator instakilled Gongmen Xiuzhu? What kind of interstellar joke is this?"

"He is the Personal Disciple of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation! What kind of figure is the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation? How could a disciple she taught be lacking?"

"I knew Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng's Face went pale just now. She must be truly terrified, right? After all, Gongmen Xiuzhu didn't even last three moves. If she went up, she'd probably get wrecked for nothing too."

"Wager ten Medium Grade star crystals that Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng will definitely visit him tonight to apologize. Mark my words."

"This council tournament is too exciting! I originally thought it would just be a formality, but I didn't expect to see such a massive drama. It's totally worth the ticket price!"

"Zhou Liangan is simply too handsome! Not only is he powerful, but his presence is also so commanding. I'm in love!"

The two official commentators in the stream room were also completely dumbfounded at this moment.

The young male commentator held his microphone, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time. Only after quite a while did he compose himself and speak excitedly: "Spectators and friends! A historic moment! In this Transit Star Region division of the Human Council Tournament, the most outrageous iconic scene since its inception has occurred! Contestant Zhou Liangan publicly killed the Gongmen Clan Genius, Gongmen Xiuzhu, and questioned Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng Face-to-Face for her unfair handling. And Chief Referee Ruan... was unable to refute much throughout the entire process!"

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The veteran commentator beside him was relatively calm, but his tone could hardly hide his shock: "It really is too unexpected. Before this, everyone thought Zhou Liangan was just using the name of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation to get in through the back door. Now it seems, he really has solid strength. To be able to kill a Return to Void Realm powerhouse while crossing ranks, this talent, even among the entire younger generation of the Human Race, is top-tier."

"And what's more intriguing," the veteran commentator paused, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning, "is that Chief Referee Ruan Yufeng clearly had reservations just now, not daring to truly fall out with Zhou Liangan. After all, the weight of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation is too great. Let alone the Ruan Family, even the Gongmen Clan might not dare to truly offend this big shot. This matter will likely end with the Ruan Family bowing their heads and apologizing."

The number of online viewers in the livestream was still soaring crazily and was growing at an extremely fast speed.

Topics like #Zhou Liangan Human Council Tournament#, #Ruan Yufeng Bias#, and #Gongmen Xiuzhu Defeated# instantly swept the hot search lists of the entire Star Domain, with discussion levels skyrocketing.

As for the protagonist who caused all this, Zhou Liangan had long since returned to his villa and didn't care at all about the uproar of public opinion outside.

The remaining matches of the day were conducted in a very sloppy manner due to this sudden incident.

In the following few matches, the contestants all fought with restraint, fearing they might accidentally provoke that menace, Zhou Liangan.

The referee team was also trembling with fear, being extremely cautious when making judgments, not daring to have even half a point of bias.

Ruan Yufeng forced herself to finish hosting the closing ceremony of the day, with a stiff professional smile on her Face. Only she knew how agonizing those few hours were.

Having finally endured until all the procedures ended, she didn't stay a moment longer. After briefly instructing the other referees, she hurriedly returned to her Chief Referee residence.

The residence was a detached house allocated by the Transit Star Region officials, bordering an artificial star lake. The courtyard was planted with rare spiritual plants, and the decor was elegant and luxurious.

Usually, when Ruan Yufeng returned, she would always stroll around the courtyard twice to relax her mood, but today, as soon as she entered the door, she took off the silver referee crown from her head and smashed it hard onto the marble tabletop in the living room.

With a crisp "clang" sound, the exquisite crown rolled to the edge of the table, almost falling to the ground.

Ruan Yufeng slumped on the leather sofa, raising her hand to rub her throbbing temples, feeling her head buzzing.

The scene from the arena during the day replayed in her mind over and over: Zhou Liangan's cold gaze, his disdainful tone, and the whispering of the entire audience, all pricking her nerves like needles.

"Bastard... simply a bastard!" She gritted her teeth and cursed in a low voice, her eyes slightly reddening.

She had lived for hundreds of years, born into the direct line of the Ruan Family. Since childhood, she had been a proud daughter of heaven, her cultivation path smooth and unobstructed, and she was one of the most valued descendants of the Ruan Family.

Wherever she went, she was surrounded by adoring crowds; when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

But anger is one thing; she also knew clearly in her heart that she simply had no way to deal with Zhou Liangan. In terms of strength, she couldn't beat him.

In terms of background, he had the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation standing behind him; ten Ruan Families combined couldn't compare.

Not to mention that she really was biased today, even if she were in the right, if it really came down to it in the end, she and the Ruan Family would definitely be the ones to suffer.

The more she thought, the more frustrated and aggrieved she felt. She leaned against the sofa, let out a long sigh, and felt entirely powerless.

Just then, the smart optical computer worn on her wrist suddenly lit up, and a low, exclusive notification tone rang out.

Hearing this notification tone, Ruan Yufeng's expression changed slightly. The resentment from just a moment ago vanished completely, replaced by deep anxiety. This exclusive communication channel could only be used by the Ruan Family Old Ancestor.

She hurriedly sat up straight, tidied her messy hair and clothes, took several deep breaths to calm her emotions, and only then raised her hand to connect the communication.

A light blue projection instantly unfolded in the center of the living room. Inside the projection was an old woman wearing a dark gold robe.

Her hair was gray and neatly combed, and her Face was covered in wrinkles, but her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. Even though it was just a projection, her whole body carried a powerful Aura of someone who had long held a high position, making people dare not look directly at her.

It was none other than the Ruan Family's anchor, the grandmother of the current Family head, Old Ancestor Ruan Qingxuan, a veteran powerhouse at the Peak of the Return to Void Realm.

"Old Ancestor." Ruan Yufeng quickly stood up, hands hanging down, her posture respectful to the extreme. She didn't even dare to raise her head, her voice soft and gentle: "Why are you contacting me at this time? Do you have any instructions?"

Ruan Qingxuan in the projection did not speak immediately, just narrowed her eyes and calmly sized her up for a few seconds.

That gaze was calm but seemed to be able to see through the human heart. Ruan Yufeng felt panicked under her gaze, and her fingertips clenched involuntarily.

After a moment of silence, Ruan Qingxuan slowly spoke, her voice aged but carrying an unquestionable power: "I know everything about what happened at the arena today."

Ruan Yufeng's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head even further: "Old Ancestor, I..."

"I don't want to hear your explanation." Ruan Qingxuan interrupted her directly, her tone calm but carrying an unarguable strength: "Zhou Liangan said to give him an explanation."

Ruan Yufeng bit her lip, not daring to speak, waiting quietly for what followed.

"Tonight, you go find him." Ruan Qingxuan's voice was very calm, as if she were talking about a trivial matter: "No matter what conditions or requests he proposes, you must agree to them. You must make him vent his anger and let this matter pass."

"What?!"

Ruan Yufeng suddenly raised her head, the color instantly draining from her Face, her beautiful eyes wide open, filled with disbelief.

She stared blankly at the Old Ancestor in the projection, her voice trembling: "Old Ancestor... how, how can this be? I am a Young Miss of the Ruan Family's direct line, the Chief Referee of this tournament. If I take the initiative to go to his door to apologize, and have to agree to whatever conditions he sets? Where does that put my, Ruan Yufeng's, Face? Where does that put the Ruan Family's Face?"

She was truly stunned.

She thought the Old Ancestor would at most have her send someone to deliver a gift to apologize, just to make a gesture and be done with it.

She never expected that the Old Ancestor would actually have her go in person, and even let the other party make demands.

With Zhou Liangan's reckless nature, who knew what excessive demands he would make?

Hearing her objection, Ruan Qingxuan's expression instantly turned cold.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a trace of chill rising in her gaze, and her originally calm tone also sank: "What? Do you dare to disobey my words now? Or do you think your wings have hardened and you can leave the Ruan Family?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word felt like a boulder smashing into Ruan Yufeng's heart.

Ruan Yufeng's delicate body trembled in fear, and she quickly lowered her head again, her voice tinged with panic: "I didn't mean that! Old Ancestor, I absolutely didn't mean that! I just... I just feel unwilling. I was clearly doing it for the Family, wanting to give the Gongmen Family Face, so why am I the one who has to go and apologize with my head hung low now..."

By the end, her voice carried a hint of a sob; she felt incredibly aggrieved.

In her view, her initial bias toward the Gongmen Clan was not out of personal selfishness.

The Gongmen Clan was a top aristocratic Family of the Human Race with deeply intertwined forces. If the Ruan Family wanted to gain a firm foothold in the Transit Star Region, they couldn't avoid dealing with the Gongmen Clan.

She was just going with the flow, doing them a favor; how did it cause such a huge mess?

"Unwilling?" Ruan Qingxuan sneered, her tone full of chill: "You are unwilling, then what do you want? Fight Zhou Liangan? Or go reason with the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation?"

"I ask you, we cannot afford to offend the Gongmen Clan. Can we then afford to offend the successor of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation?" Ruan Qingxuan's voice grew colder and colder: "What kind of figure is the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation? She is the top Emperor-level powerhouse of the Human Race; a single finger of hers could crush our entire Ruan Family. Zhou Liangan is her most precious Disciple. If this kid suffers a grievance and goes back to cry to his Master, what do you think the consequences will be? By then, let alone you, the entire Ruan Family will have to be buried with you! You have lived for over three hundred years; can you not understand these stakes?"

This speech left Ruan Yufeng pale, unable to say a word.

She certainly understood. Although the Gongmen Clan was strong, they were an aristocratic Family after all, observing rules and interests. Even if offended, there was room for negotiation.

But the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation was different; she was a figure standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, whose joy and anger depended only on a single thought. If she were truly angered, no one would dare say a word if she wiped out the Ruan Family.

"I warned you long ago that in this tournament, you cannot offend either side and must hold the scale level." Ruan Qingxuan's tone carried a hint of reprimand: "But you, you just had to go and hug the Gongmen Clan's thigh. Now that you've kicked an iron plate, instead of thinking about how to quickly make amends, you're still here talking to me about Face? If the Family is gone, your Face is worthless."

Ruan Yufeng bit her lip, tears swirling in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall.

She knew that everything the Old Ancestor said was right.

Born into the Ruan Family, enjoying the resources and glory brought by the Family, she had to sacrifice for the Family at critical moments.

What is Face?

Compared to the safety of the entire Family, her bit of pride was not worth mentioning at all.

After a long silence, she spoke with a hoarse voice, with difficulty: "I understand, Old Ancestor. I... I will go to apologize at his door tonight and will definitely make him satisfied."

Seeing her agree, Ruan Qingxuan's expression softened slightly.

She looked at Ruan Yufeng, her tone still cold: "Remember, no matter what conditions he proposes, agree to them. As long as you can make him vent his anger, even if it means you becoming his maid, you must agree. If this matter is botched, don't blame me, the Old Ancestor, for not considering our grandmother-granddaughter relationship."

"Yes, I will remember." Ruan Yufeng lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"Go."

Dropping these last two words, Ruan Qingxuan directly cut off the communication. The light blue projection instantly disappeared from the living room, and the room returned to its previous quietness.

Once the communication was cut, Ruan Yufeng could no longer hold on. Her legs went weak, and she slumped back onto the sofa.

The tears she had suppressed for so long finally could not be held back; they fell, hitting her moon-white skirt and blooming into small, wet marks.

She sat like that for a long time until her tears were all dried up, then slowly raised her hand to wipe away the tear stains on her Face.

Crying won't solve any problems. Since the matter is settled, she can only go and Face it.

She stood up, walked to the bedroom's walk-in closet, chose for a long time, and selected a moon-white plain long dress.

Without the sharpness of the referee robe, and without the complicated decorations, the material was soft and the style was gentle, making her appear less high and mighty, and a bit more soft...