The other two people in Nian Zhi's group were, respectively, a disciple of the Tianyin Sect and a rogue cultivator with considerable combat experience.
The jade flute used by the Tianyin Sect disciple had an extremely wide range of influence, and the footwork of the rogue cultivator was so skillful that it was clear at a glance that he had traveled extensively throughout the world. Even Lu Zhaozhao couldn't predict his next move for a moment.
"Junior sister's opponent is rather troublesome."
Lu Zhaozhao had no bias in this matter and offered an objective evaluation.
Ying Che nodded, his worry deepening. He said anxiously, "Junior Sister has only recently broken through, her aura is weak, and she's facing an opponent who is well-versed in gladiatorial combat. It's really..."
He didn't say anything more, but Lu Zhaozhao knew that he was lamenting Nian Zhi's bad luck.
A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes, and Lu Zhaozhao asked softly, "Senior brother, how did Junior Sister Nian achieve Core Formation and break through to the next realm in such a short time? Was it Master who intervened?"
Ying Che turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with fear and other indescribable emotions, and opened his mouth.
"Senior brother, this is against the rules."
Lu Zhaozhao spoke first, silencing Ying Che.
How can someone rise from a low level of cultivation to catch up with the top practitioners of their generation? Nian Zhi is not a person of extraordinary talent, and even Liao Chou, who possesses a unique physique and is born with a cultivation body, could not possibly improve so much in such a short period of time.
The only possibility is that a highly skilled cultivator forcibly transferred true energy to her, raising her cultivation threshold. Doing so would not be without side effects, but Lu Zhaozhao believed that if it were Yun Xian, these side effects would be negligible.
However, doing so is against the rules, because it does not reflect the cultivator's own cultivation level.
Lu Zhaozhao looked at Ying Che with disappointment and said, "Besides Master, I can't think of anyone else with such skills."
At this moment, all etiquette and rules completely collapsed.
In Lu Zhaozhao's memories, her exemplary master and dutiful senior brother imparted knowledge that guided her to act with integrity and uprightness. Yet now, they openly cheated and disregarded the rules at a grand event like the Golden Banquet.
In an instant, all my doubts were cleared up.
The reason why Yunxian was so angry when he privately summoned her was because he suspected that he had obtained a special opportunity, and if he hadn't gone, the opportunity would most likely have belonged to Nianzhi, and they wouldn't have needed to fake it.
After Ying Che appeared with Bai Yuanshi, Yun Xian cut off the conversation. Lu Zhaozhao originally thought it was a family scandal that should not be aired in public, which was far-fetched but still made sense. Now it seems that it was more about being afraid of implicating Nian Zhi behind the scenes.
Ying Che looked into Lu Zhaozhao's eyes and realized that she already knew everything.
“Junior sister, there’s a reason for doing this.” He tried to take Lu Zhaozhao’s hand, but she dodged him. A look of heartache flashed across Ying Che’s eyes. “Junior sister was attacked by the demons when she was young, and her body is incomplete. I’ve been to the Golden Platform, and so has Master. There’s a way to save junior sister there.”
"Senior brother." Lu Zhaozhao remained silent for a long time under Ying Che's gaze. After slowly exhaling, she raised her eyes to meet Ying Che's gaze.
"If Nian Zhi wins this match, the next one will be a contest between me and her. Who would you and Master hope to win?"
Lu Zhaozhao's gaze was so intense that it seemed to burn Ying Che, who awkwardly shifted his gaze to the competition stage.
After a long silence, Lu Zhaozhao gave a self-deprecating laugh and stood up.
"My friendship with you has lasted for over a decade. You didn't need to put on this show for me today. Just say it directly. But I won't hold back. If you want me to win, you and Master can use any more tricks."
His tone was sarcastic, his words dripping with sarcasm. Lu Zhaozhao glanced at him one last time, then looked up again. Yun Xian had appeared at some point, observing the situation from afar.
The first time they made eye contact, Lu Zhaozhao did not perform the teacher-student etiquette. She picked up the sword on the table, glanced at Ying Che's clenched fist out of the corner of her eye, sneered, and walked away quickly, as if she would be stuck to something dirty if she lingered.
As they reached the outer perimeter, the bell rang, signaling the end of the competition. Lu Zhaozhao turned around and saw Nian Zhi kneeling alone on the stage, panting heavily. She also looked up and met Lu Zhaozhao's gaze.
Lu Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow; she suddenly felt that this competition had taken on a different kind of fun.
As the sun began to set, all the qualifiers from the group stage were determined. The twenty people were now in the center of the square, with Qing Songzi and the leaders of each sect standing on the stage, assigning the remaining matches.
"In the first round of the imperial examination, Emperor Huizong of Qing, Lu Zhaozhao, faced off against Emperor Huizong of Qing, Nian Zhi."
All eyes fell and focused on the two female cultivators of Emperor Huizong.
The rivalry between fellow disciples has always been a topic of great interest, and the rumors circulating from who-knows-where that these two have fallen out have only added to the intrigue of this competition.
"Senior sister." Nian Zhi's voice cut through the crowd, and the person in question attracted everyone's attention.
She slowly walked towards Lu Zhaozhao, stopping just a step away, her face full of respect, but her eyes filled with provocation.
"Senior sister, please go easy on me and don't make me lose face."
Before her was no longer the gentle and delicate Nian Zhi of the past; a fierce tiger was now subtly revealing the claws and fangs hidden behind its back.
"Junior sister, please don't joke. If I were to show mercy, wouldn't that be a violation of the competition rules? I can't bear that kind of blame."
Lu Zhaozhao laughed, too lazy to argue with her. As she walked past her, taking advantage of the fact that the girl's face had darkened after hearing this, she whispered, "If this gets out, it will be a disgrace to the sect. But no matter how useful something is, it's not yours to begin with. Your opponent won't show any mercy. If you want to win, Junior Sister, you'd better show your true abilities."
After saying that, Lu Zhaozhao walked straight ahead. She heard Nian Zhi clench her fists and make a cracking sound, but she didn't see Nian Zhi's ashen face or the fierce look in her eyes.
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