First round
Yun Wei's gaze shifted from Xie Lanchen's cold profile to Zhao Changsheng, who was trembling on the ground.
Her fingertips tightened almost imperceptibly inside her sleeve, her knuckles turning pale white.
This person is certainly despicable, but if Xie Lanchen were to carry out a vigilante justice in public here, it would not only confirm the rumors of her "protecting" him, but also attract unnecessary attention, which would be very detrimental to her plan of lying low and seeking revenge.
“This senior brother,” Yun Wei deliberately emphasized the word “senior brother,” making it all too clear that he wanted to distance himself from him, “Although this person speaks ill of others and disregards the sect rules, his behavior is despicable and has already polluted the public. Rather than dirtying your sword, it would be better to hand him over to the Enforcement Hall after the sect competition and punish him severely according to the law, both to serve as a warning to others and to prevent this place from being defiled.”
The boy tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on her veiled face, a complex expression on his face.
Yun Wei distanced himself so decisively... Was it to protect the girl who was burning paper money, or was he afraid that his impulsive actions would cause trouble and ultimately implicate her? Or perhaps both?
A barely perceptible hint of mockery curled at the corner of his lips as he lightly twitched his wrist.
"Clang!"
The lone goose sword was sheathed, its clear, melodious sound piercing the night.
The boy didn't even glance at Zhao Changsheng, who was slumped on the ground. He just glanced at her sideways and lazily uttered two words: "Whatever you want."
Zhao Changsheng was taken aback at first, and it took him a while to come to his senses. His face gradually regained its color, and he said repeatedly, "Thank you... thank you so much, Senior Brother!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't bother to brush the dust off his body. He turned around and rushed down the mountain, his steps unsteady, but he ran extremely fast, as if a fierce ghost was chasing him.
In the blink of an eye, the figure shrank to a tiny black dot and disappeared into the deep night, leaving no trace.
After he had completely disappeared, Yunwei turned her gaze back to Anian.
The girl's face was still pale, her eyes filled with tears, but even more so with the bewilderment and lingering fear of surviving a disaster.
Yunwei's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before she slowly approached, coldly saying, "Yesterday you said your parents spent all their savings to send you here, and they wouldn't acknowledge you if you didn't win the championship." She paused, her tone devoid of emotion, "That was a lie, wasn't it?"
A-Nian froze, meeting Yun Wei's eyes that seemed to see right through her, a mixture of shame and panic washing over her.
She bit her lip and whispered, "...It's fake. I'm sorry, sister, I lied to you." She mustered her courage, her voice choked with emotion, "Actually...I came for my benefactor! I wanted to prove her innocence at the competition! She saved our whole town, she's not a demon! I...I saw you help me just now, and even spoke up for me..."
She stole a glance at Xie Lanchen, her voice even lower, "You really are just as I thought, a great philanthropist like my benefactor..."
A great philanthropist?
Yun Wei looked slightly taken aback.
She saved countless lives, but within the sect, most of her fellow disciples feared, hated, and envied her.
Was it because she was a woman? Was it because she disdained to curry favor and was aloof and independent? Or was it simply because she was stronger than them?
For her now, the word "good person" is more like a distant irony.
All she sought was a clear conscience and a clear conscience under the sword.
She no longer cares what the world says.
“Sister,” Anian suddenly spoke timidly, interrupting her thoughts, “Do you…do you know that Senior Brother Xie? He’s my benefactor’s nemesis…I don’t like him…but…I think I just saw you two…whispering? Although I didn’t hear clearly…”
The girl was quite observant.
"I don't know her." Yun Wei said firmly, her eyes calm and composed, without any ripples.
She had no intention of acknowledging Anian's identity; right now, she had to cut off any clues that might connect "Wuming" and "Yunwei".
A-Nian's benefactor is the deceased "demon" Yun Wei, who has nothing to do with the current "nameless". Admitting that she knows Xie Lanchen and that she is Yun Wei will only drag this innocent girl into a deeper vortex and expose the "bond" between her and Xie Lanchen.
Upon hearing this, the boy's mockery deepened.
He stared at Yun Wei for a full two breaths, his deep eyes churning with emotions she couldn't decipher. Finally, he let out a soft, ambiguous hum, turned, and disappeared into the deeper darkness. His figure in black robes vanished in the blink of an eye.
They left quite decisively.
She withdrew her gaze and said to Anian, "Clean up and go back to rest. Only through diligent practice will you be qualified to participate in the first round of the competition." This was the only expectation she could offer at that moment, unrelated to her status.
As for proving her innocence... that path was a hundred times more difficult than she had imagined.
Anian nodded vigorously, a spark of hope rekindling in her eyes: "Yes! Don't worry, sister! I will practice as hard as I can!" She hurriedly extinguished the remaining sparks and gathered up the scattered ashes of the yellow paper.
*
On the day of the sect's grand competition, in the bamboo hut.
The first light of dawn.
Yunwei sat cross-legged on the couch. The circulation of spiritual energy in her body had just stopped, and the last wisp of her breath gathered into her dantian like a wisp of silk.
She slowly opened her eyes, a flash of clear light passing through them. She reached for the veil beside her and put it on, covering most of her face. She thought to herself that she should go and see how Anian was doing.
Just then, the Cloud Trace Bead around her neck lit up without warning.
She was selected.
Yun Wei's eyes flickered slightly, showing no surprise.
With her current cultivation level, if she can't even pass the preliminary selection, how can she talk about revenge?
She rose, her pure white robes flowing gracefully, undisturbed by a speck of dust.
As my fingertips brushed against the cool surface of the pearl, the scene before me rippled and swayed like waves.
After a brief feeling of weightlessness, my feet were already on a hard, cold white stone ground, and the crisp air, carrying the unique chill of the mountaintop, rushed into my nostrils.
This is a huge square, paved with white jade, and shrouded in mist.
There were already quite a few people standing around, roughly a hundred or so.
Yun Wei quickly scanned the crowd: in the crowd, she saw Zhao Changsheng, who was huddled in a corner, his eyes darting around, his face still pale; she also saw Ning Xihe, who was tall and serious not far away; but she did not see A Nian's petite figure, nor did she see that dazzling black figure.
Ah Nian... as expected, she was not selected.
Yunwei understood, but remained largely unmoved.
Her foundation was too shallow, and even with determination, the time was ultimately too short.
However, the sect competition is fraught with danger, and for her, being eliminated was actually a blessing in disguise.
As for Xie Lanchen... thinking of that young man in black, Yun Wei's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
He has been cultivating on his own these past two days and has not shown himself. He must still be troubled by what happened at the cliff that night.
Although the life-sharing pact binds two people together, their hearts are not on the same path, and they will eventually become strangers.
Yun Wei composed herself and stepped into the queue. Suddenly, she heard a few deliberately hushed whispers coming from the crowd ahead. It turned out that several disciples dressed in the outer sect robes of the Guiyun Sect were huddled together, talking amongst themselves.
"Have you heard? The rules of the illusion array have been drastically changed this time! It's actually for 'finding people' now?" a shorter male disciple said worriedly.
“That’s right! And the elders haven’t said a word about it… I think the sect leader must be testing the young sect leader… uh, thank you, senior brother!” A female disciple chimed in.
"What young sect leader? The sect leader hasn't officially issued the decree yet." Another older male disciple warned in a low voice, his tone filled with awe. "However, Senior Brother Xie is exceptionally talented, surpassing his peers, and the sect leader treats him like his own son, imparting all his knowledge to him. This position is only a matter of time."
Yunwei listened to these flattering words without changing her gaze, but a chill ran through her heart.
Xie Lanchen's glory has never been her concern.
Back when the entire sect praised her as "a once-in-a-century talent," he was just an insignificant outer disciple; now she has become a "demon" despised by everyone, while he has become the future sect leader, surrounded by admirers.
The world is ever-changing, that's all there is to it.
Her hand, which was hanging in her sleeve, loosened slightly, and the slight ripple at her fingertips caused by hearing old news was instantly suppressed.
These empty fame and fleeting gains are nothing but passing clouds on her path of revenge.
"Silence!" A sharp, harsh voice suddenly rang out, drowning out the whispers in the room.
Following the sound, everyone looked and saw an old man with a thin and withered face, dressed in a dark brown elder's robe, standing with his hands behind his back on a high platform at the end of the square.
He was not tall, but he carried an undisguised scrutiny and critical eye.
When his gaze swept over Yun Wei, he paused slightly, a barely perceptible hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes, as if he were trying to discern something.
Elder Wu, how have you been?
In Shitang Town, he promoted Xie Lanchen as the only candidate to inherit the Guiyun Sect's throne, slandering her as vicious, jealous, and committing massacres and harming innocent people in Shitang Town. He demanded that his father immediately clean up the sect and kill her to set the record straight.
Yun lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a light shadow beneath them, concealing the chill surging within.
When the reckoning comes, I will use your blood to atone for the hatred of that day.
Elder Wu stroked his sparse goatee with his withered hand, his gaze filled with condescending arrogance: "Now that you have been chosen, you are among the 128 preliminary candidates for this Guiyun Sect's grand competition! Whether you harbor the delusional desire to join the inner sect and receive true teachings, or you vainly hope to take this opportunity to meet the sect leader and make some unreasonable requests..." He deliberately emphasized the words "delusional desires" and "unreasonable requests," his eyes sweeping over several people with eager expressions, "You must all understand, it's not that easy!"
After a long pause, he pointed to a huge, white-glowing circular magic array in the center of the plaza: "This is the entrance to the 'Myriad Manifestations Illusion Array'! Enter the array immediately! I will only say this once: Find a fellow disciple! There are only sixty-four spots available!"
"Looking for a fellow disciple? Which fellow disciple?"
"Yes, Elder! You must tell us our names or physical characteristics, otherwise how will we find us in this vast illusionary realm?"
"Please enlighten us, Elder! Otherwise, how can we complete this task?" A chorus of surprised and uncertain voices arose from the audience, and everyone looked at each other, feeling bewildered.
"Shut up!" Elder Wu shouted impatiently, waving his withered hand to silence all the noise.
His gaze shifted to the shadows on one side of the platform, and his tone softened somewhat: "Lan Chen, please act as a 'prelude' for these good-for-nothing disciples."
From the shadows, a figure slowly emerged and stepped into the edge of the light of the magic circle in the center of the square.
He was dressed in dark black, with an upright and dignified posture.
It was Xie Lanchen.
It really was him.
Yun Wei's eyes remained calm and unwavering, showing no surprise at the outcome.
Given his cultivation level, it would be a huge joke if he were to be eliminated.
No wonder I couldn't find him anywhere in the crowd.
The young man's expression was indifferent as he coldly swept his gaze across the faces of the audience, which were filled with tension, anticipation, or awe.
When his gaze swept over where Yun Wei was, it paused for a very subtle moment, then moved away as if she were no different from anyone else.
"Everyone!" Elder Wu's voice rose again, carrying a deliberately displayed reverence, "This is Xie Lanchen, the adopted son of the Sect Master and the undisputed leader of the younger generation of our Guiyun Sect! His cultivation is profound, his talent exceptional, and he is the future pillar of our sect! This illusion array mission is..."
"Elder Wu," Xie Lanchen said coldly, interrupting his almost fawning flattery, his tone filled with undisguised annoyance, "Get to the point. Don't waste time."
Elder Wu was momentarily speechless, a barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes, but he dared not show it. He could only cough lightly: "After entering the formation, you will all act alone, but the core mission remains the same! Although the illusion formation is dangerous, your lives are not in danger! If you cannot withstand it, crush the Cloud Trace Beads around your necks, and you will be immediately teleported out of the formation, which will be considered as a forfeit!"
With a flick of his withered hand, a huge bronze mirror, shimmering like ripples of water, floated into the air. "This is the 'Mirror of Observation.' Everything you do in the formation will be reflected in this mirror. After one incense stick's time, those who fail will be eliminated!"
"Now, enter the battle!"
As he finished speaking, the Cloud Trace Pearl around Yun Wei's neck shone brightly, echoing the array of light. In an instant, his five senses were stripped away, leaving only chaos and a sense of weightlessness.
The next instant, the smells of burning, blood, and stench mingled together, mixed with desperate cries and wails, surging in from all around.
"A deity! A deity has appeared!"
"Heaven has eyes! Finally, a god has come to save us!"
"Please, gods! Please save our village! Exorcise the demon! Quickly exorcise the demon!"
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