The dense barrage of attacks collided repeatedly, producing sounds, and then collided again.
Everyone thought the situation would remain deadlocked for a while, but in the next moment, the situation on the field changed dramatically.
Lu Zhaozhao stared at Sang Pan, who was standing not far behind her. He was the most mysterious yet powerful rogue cultivator in the conference. No one knew his origins, and although they knew he was strange, they had no evidence.
She heard it clearly: after Sangpan finished speaking, the situation on the field immediately shifted to one where the east wind prevailed over the west wind.
"boom--"
Another loud bang forced Lu Zhaozhao to turn her attention back to the stage.
Under countless dense and terrifying attacks, Ji He finally failed to hold her ground and had to raise her zither to block. As she blocked, her hand movements stopped and the music stopped.
Songxue's zither blocked the countless sword flashes that the ink characters transformed into, allowing her to catch her breath. With a quick movement, she flipped over and dodged to the other side, using this as a base to launch another attack.
The strings vibrated once more, carrying the resounding notes as it moved toward Master Bai.
But at this moment, Bai Yuanshi's offensive was complete. He stood still, his hands forming hand seals and turning in a dazzling display. With another change in his hand gesture, the bamboo tube flashed again, and the ink stains around him were constantly transforming into attacks while converging towards one point.
A sudden gust of wind whipped the sleeves of those around them.
An enormous bow appeared before everyone's eyes.
The bow is covered in mottled ink marks, seemingly exuding the fragrance of ink, and appears even more elegant and dignified under the light.
The bamboo tube was used as an arrow and nocked onto the ink bow.
The bowstring was drawn taut, and in the next moment, the arrow pierced through time and shot towards Jihe.
Ji He also sensed the danger of the attack. Right now, her only option was to abandon her attack and focus all her strength on defending, which might give her a chance to catch her breath, but she didn't do that.
Her expression darkened, as if she had made a decision in that instant. She closed her eyes, placed her hands on the strings, and then a burst of music poured out like a storm, coalescing into a physical form and flying toward Bai Yuanshi.
She actually abandoned her defense and went all out!
Lu Zhaozhao was stunned by her imposing presence, and her hands unconsciously clenched. Yao Tong, standing beside her, was so shocked that she covered her open mouth with her hand.
No one expected that Ji He would be so courageous. Faced with the pressure of Bai Yuanshi's attack, everyone would probably be wary, but she did the opposite and unleashed her strongest attack at the last moment.
As the arrow drew closer, a smile flashed across Ji He's face.
The iceberg that had remained frozen for millennia seemed to melt away at this moment; she had no idea how long she had been waiting for this moment.
Many images flashed before my eyes.
She practiced asceticism in the sect, listened to music on snowy nights, and was ridiculed for her dullness. She made up for it with double the effort. Others mocked her for overestimating her abilities by choosing a seven-stringed zither, so she played music every night until her fingertips bled and the strings became rough.
The cold night was long, and what had sustained her all this way was this moment she had imagined. Now, this moment had arrived, and it was even more magnificent and grand than she had imagined.
Her dream was to unleash her most powerful attack with the seven-stringed lyre. At that moment, under the pressure of absolute adversity, a flash of inspiration struck her, and her hands seemed to move beyond her control, everything falling into place so naturally.
"bump--"
Two attacks arrived simultaneously.
The force of the shockwave reached the field and even the stands, forcing Lu Zhaozhao to raise her hand to block the spreading aftershocks.
At this point, the competition has transcended the question of victory or defeat.
The strength they displayed far exceeded everyone's expectations. Even those from Wenyuan Academy and Tianyin Sect outside the stands forgot that only one person could win this competition and couldn't help but applaud and admire them.
"The Golden Palace Banquet was originally held for the future of the cultivation world." Master Bu Lu's eyes were filled with satisfaction. Regardless of who won or lost this competition, it meant that the cultivation world had ushered in a brighter future.
As the light faded, the situation on the arena gradually became clear.
One person is standing in the center of the stage, while another is lying on the ground, unable to get up.
Who will win?
Everyone craned their necks to get a good look.
The north wind howled, and Wen Yuan's patterns shimmered in the sunlight.
Master Bai stood in the center of the platform, his face solemn and tired, but there was not a single scratch on his body, as if it were just the hard work after daily training.
The one who fell to the ground was Jihe, and her condition seemed rather bad.
The desperate attack earlier failed to harm Bai Yuanshi, but Yun Guan's arrow pierced through her. Even though Bai Yuanshi managed to change the direction at the last moment, reducing the damage from Yun Guan, she was still inevitably affected.
A metallic taste filled her throat, and she couldn't help but cough, causing blood to gush out.
"Senior Sister!"
Yao Tong exclaimed in surprise and rushed onto the stage. Ignoring the fact that the arbitrator had not yet announced the results, she ran to Ji He's side and tried to help her up.
Jihe coughed incessantly while leaning against her, and Yaotong's eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to find a pulse to check, but Jihe grabbed her hand first.
Yao Tong looked anxiously at Ji He, and upon seeing him, she stopped what she was doing.
In Jihe's eyes, there was a light she had never seen before, bright and dazzling. She recalled a conversation between the two of them, in which they talked about what they looked forward to most. Yaotong replied that it was about practicing medicine and saving lives, and that the world was at peace, while Jihe answered that it was the moment when she could fully control the seven-stringed zither.
She said, "Junior sister, I don't have your broad mind. I only hope that one day I can unleash all my strength in adversity and witness this brilliant scene."
Yao Tong smiled too, happy that her senior sister had gotten her wish.
After the competition ended, Yao Tong took Ji He away, and the rest of the audience cheered for the winner.
Everyone praised Bai Yuanshi's youthful talent, saying that his bamboo flute arrows were awe-inspiring and that he could escape unscathed even after being struck hard.
Bai Yuanshi's expression remained unchanged from the moment he stepped onto the stage until he left, except that he looked somewhat tired.
Lu Zhaozhao was about to leave, but she realized something was wrong the moment she turned her head.
So he quickly stepped forward, and as Bai Yuanshi was about to stumble on the last step down the stairs, a hand appeared and steadily supported his arm.
Bai Yuanshi glanced sideways and saw Lu Zhaozhao. He was somewhat surprised, perhaps because the battle had exhausted him. He was a little stunned at this moment.
Seeing that he had stood still, Lu Zhaozhao quickly withdrew her hand, as if nothing had happened.
She smiled back, nodded as a greeting, and then turned and left.
Yue Cong rushed over and glanced at Bai Yuanshi with concern. Bai Yuanshi shook his head at him, indicating that he was fine. Only then did Yue Cong feel relieved. His master had asked him to take Bai Yuanshi back. It seemed that the battle just now was too dazzling. He would inevitably have to attend a social event. Fortunately, Bai Yuanshi's mental state was still quite good.
Lu Zhaozhao was halfway there when she saw Ying Che standing in the middle of the road and he waved to her.
This surprised her somewhat. She remembered that Nian Zhi had fainted after the backlash from their battle and hadn't woken up since. Ying Che wasn't by her side to take care of her, so why was he here?
"Senior brother." Lu Zhaozhao bowed to him.
Ying Che's hand paused, frozen in mid-air, as he sensed Lu Zhaozhao's indifference.
"Junior sister," he replied. The two, who had grown up together and were practically inseparable, couldn't help but feel awkward and distant in this situation.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Ying Che's eyes. After a moment, he said softly, "I'm sorry."
"Hmm?" Lu Zhaozhao was a little confused. Ying Che continued, "I didn't know that Master didn't teach you those things, nor did I know that those things were forbidden. As soon as the competition ended, I wanted to ask Master, but he was called away. I waited until he came back and went to ask, but Master didn't answer."
His eyes were slightly red, and his face was dejected. In her memory, Lu Zhaozhao had never seen him look like this before.
Emperor Huizong of Qing, Yingche, achieved fame at a young age, and was the most outstanding at the Golden Palace Banquet, when he was full of vigor and ambition.
To outsiders, he was a prodigy, but to Lu Zhaozhao, he was the person she relied on most. When she went up the mountain as a child, far away from her parents, it was Ying Che who made up for her fears, raising her, teaching her to read and write, and learning both literature and martial arts.
Unfortunately, this is ultimately a world within a book, and all trajectories will change. Without exception, the moment Nian Zhi appears, Ying Che will also side with her.
"I don't blame my senior brother," Lu Zhaozhao said softly. She might be sad, she might complain, but time would eventually smooth things over. At this moment, she truly no longer had those deep feelings.
Ying Che wanted to say something more, but stopped when he saw Lu Zhaozhao's eyes and instead gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Zhao Zhao, do you know that when you used to come to me crying in the middle of the night because you couldn't sleep, I often wondered when my junior sister would grow up? But now that you've really grown up, I feel a thousand regrets in my heart."
“But senior brother, people always grow up. No one can stay a carefree child forever.”
Lu Zhaozhao seemed to sigh and regret. Perhaps the Lu Zhaozhao of the past could have truly been an innocent little girl, but as the world changes, she can only protect herself by growing up.
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