Chapter 66 The Tianchen Island Competition
After many sects had spent several days leisurely exploring Tianchen Island, the next day finally saw the grand ceremony for the succession of the new island master.
On the long staircase of Tianchen Island Square, the disciples of Tianchen Island stood in neat rows on both sides.
People from other sects have been entering and taking their seats in the audience area.
At the Hehuan Sect's seating arrangement, Sect Master Yan Yu sat at the very front, with several elders seated behind her.
Si Yao arrived very early today. When Yan Yu saw her, she was reminded of how Si Yao had often been idle and unproductive in the sect many years ago, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of disorientation.
Now, Si Yao finally looks like an elder of the Hehuan Sect.
In addition to the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, the sect leader of the Seven Star Temple, the sect leader of Luanqin Valley, and the sect leader of the Wind Sword Sect were all present.
After a series of booming gongs and cannon salutes, the grand ceremony for the succession of the new island master of Tianchen Island officially began.
At the start of the event, elite disciples from Tianchen Island performed a sword dance, displaying their magnificent spirit and showcasing the vibrant talent of the island's young disciples.
Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent black and yellow robe ascended the steps of Tianchen Island step by step.
With each step he took up the stairs, a corresponding disciple from Tianchen Island would bow down and kneel in worship.
This man is Xiao Shengyuan, who has now succeeded as the master of Tianchen Island.
Si Yao looked at him and began to sized up the new island master of Tianchen Island.
She couldn't help but ask Yu Ke beside her, "What level has Island Master Xiao's cultivation reached now?"
Yu Ke had always been very interested in matters of cultivation. She whispered, "Island Master Xiao is currently at the Integration Stage, which is two major stages higher than my Nascent Soul stage."
Si Yao nodded. Yan Yu of the Hehuan Sect was still at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and was inferior to Xiao Shengyuan in strength.
By the time Xiao Shengyuan reached the top of the steps, the disciples of Tianchen Island were already kneeling in a sea of kneeling.
At the end, there is a chair symbolizing the highest power on Tianchen Island and the jade seal of the sect leader.
Surrounded by several elders of Tianchen Island, Xiao Shengyuan received the sect leader's jade seal and underwent a special blessing ceremony performed by the elders.
Then, the sound of gongs rang out again.
The disciples of Tianchen Island stood up, and then immediately knelt down in unison.
They shouted, "Greetings to the new island lord!"
The voice was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout Tianchen Island Square.
The leaders, elders, and disciples of other sects also stood up and loudly addressed Xiao Shengyuan, who had already assumed the position of island lord:
"Congratulations, Island Master Xiao!"
Xiao Shengyuan returned the greeting with clasped hands, expressing his gratitude for the patronage of the various sects.
He raised the large banner behind him and finally sat down in the special chair reserved for the island lord of Tianchen Island.
Xiao Shengyuan raised his hand with proper gestures, and the traditional music of string and bamboo instruments began to play in the square.
Next, the steward of Tianchen Island read out the list of congratulatory gifts sent by each sect.
This segment made Si Yao drowsy. She rested her chin on her hand and yawned.
Unexpectedly, Ye Guyan across from her looked at her and even transmitted his voice to her, "Little Siyao, did you not sleep well last night?"
Si Yao immediately straightened her back in her seat and sat upright and properly.
She looked at Ye Guyan opposite her, smiled, and replied telepathically, "Not really, I'm just waiting for the competition among the disciples of various sects."
Thinking of this, Si Yao couldn't help but turn her head and look at Li Ye behind her.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, the other party's attention was focused on her.
Si Yao frowned, gave Li Ye a wink, and whispered to him, "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Li Ye picked up a cup of green tea in front of him, took a sip, and slowly lifted his eyelids. "You're only allowed to have your old flame stare at you, but I'm not?"
"Alright, alright." Si Yao didn't have time to argue with him at the moment, but continued to remind him in a low voice, "The disciple competition is about to begin, so you should prepare well."
Regarding the competition, Li Ye did not respond to Si Yao, but he could feel Ye Guyan's gaze directed at him.
He closed his eyes briefly, his gaze suddenly turning cold and sharp, a hint of ferocity and malice flashing in them.
Ye Guyan paused for a moment, then looked away and turned to his disciple beside him with a smile, seemingly talking about something.
After the steward of Tianchen Island finished reading the list of congratulatory gifts from each sect, the people of Tianchen Island, including the island lord, once again expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the other sects.
The ceremony was finally ready to move on to the next stage.
The competition among young disciples from various sects has begun.
Si Yao couldn't help but stretch and began to look at the young disciples of other sects.
Each sect sent four young disciples to participate in this competition. In addition to Li Ye, Qi Lan, and Tang Che, the Hehuan Sect also sent Xing You, the eldest disciple of Su He.
Including disciples from Tianchen Island, Qixing Temple, Luanqin Valley, and Fengjian Sect, a total of twenty disciples participated in this competition.
The tournament format involves drawing lots to select opponents.
In the first round of the competition, ten disciples will be selected from the twenty to advance to the next round.
Si Yao was confident in Li Ye's current strength.
But if he suppresses his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage, then it's hard to say.
However, Si Yao didn't care about the rankings. She even comforted Li Ye at this moment, saying, "Just go on stage and do a few moves. I don't expect you to win first place. Just don't come in last."
Li Ye frowned. "You've asked me time and again how my preparations for this competition are going, and now you're telling me I can just compete however I want. Master, I really can't see through you."
After his identity was revealed, this was the first time Li Ye had called her "Master".
Si Yao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I was just worried about putting too much pressure on you. But to be honest, I'm used to doing whatever I want. You just need to stop when you've made a move with your opponent, and don't get injured easily. Your health is the most important thing."
She couldn't help but recall the way Li Ye curled up on the ground, trembling all over, that night.
"As your teacher, I don't want you to get hurt."
Upon hearing this, Li Ye's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a complex expression.
He naturally also remembered the night Si Yao took care of him.
The sound of the gong pulled the master and apprentice back from their reverie.
The competition began, and Lei Yan, the elder of Tianchen Island who was in charge of the competition, began to notify the participating disciples to enter the arena.
Si Yao gave Li Ye a deep look, "Disciple, go."
Li Ye hesitated, but eventually stood up, her graceful figure moving further and further away from Si Yao.
He walked step by step to the very center of the square, and among all the participating disciples, he was indeed the most dazzling.
So much so that many disciples from Tianchen Island and other sects watching the match couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
Some people were even whispering among themselves.
"In this Hehuan Sect, not only are the female disciples beautiful, but the male disciples are also handsome. Especially the tallest one in the crowd, his demeanor doesn't seem like that of a young disciple."
"Sigh... After all, they are the Hehuan Sect, they have special cultivation methods."
"What mental cultivation methods? You mean the Jade Maiden Scripture and the Jade Yang Scripture?"
"Yes, they have been studying the art of dual cultivation for many years. This dual cultivation between men and women, after harmonizing yin and yang, is also very helpful in maintaining youth."
"No wonder they are all so good-looking."
The twenty disciples on the field began to draw lots.
Li Ye drew a disciple from the Seven Stars Temple right away. He didn't recognize the disciple and had never seen him before.
Xia Chongyun, who was also participating in the competition, took the initiative to approach Li Ye and said, "Junior Brother Ye, how wonderful it would be if we could be opponents this time. I really want to see what kind of disciple Si Yao has taught."
Li Ye remained completely unmoved, even raising the corners of his mouth in a smile. "Then see you in the next round."
Upon hearing this, Xia Chongyun said, "It seems that Junior Brother Xiaoye is very confident in advancing to the next round, but you will be facing my junior brother Xu Xiu, who is also quite strong. I hope you will not underestimate him."
Li Ye ignored him, clutching the lottery number in her hand, and walked off the stage.
Xia Chongyun froze, clenched his fists, and retreated to the waiting area. He turned to Xu Xiu beside him and said, "The Hehuan Sect disciple you are facing is someone who has just entered the Foundation Establishment stage. You must not be careless. If necessary, you can use your killing move."
Xu Xiu said, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I will definitely not bring shame to our Seven Stars Temple."
However, Xia Chongyun did not expect that the slap in the face would come so quickly.
When Li Ye and Xu Xiu went to the arena to fight, Xu Xiu was defeated in less than ten moves.
"This...this..." Jiu Xinhua from the Seven Star Temple turned pale and grabbed Xia Chongyun's arm, shaking it repeatedly. "Senior Brother, what happened to Third Senior Brother? He was defeated so quickly!"
Xia Chongyun's face flushed red and then turned pale. He had been too careless just now, only paying attention to talking to Jiu Xin and not having time to watch Li Ye's every move on the field.
At this moment, he took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with anger as he looked at Xu Xiu.
"Useless!" In the end, Xia Chongyun said these two words, then withdrew his hand in frustration, ignoring Jiu Xin's words.
Everyone present was amazed that Li Ye had secured his place in the next round in such a short time.
Even Si Yao smiled and transmitted her voice to Li Ye: "Even though you suppressed your cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage, I didn't expect you to still be so strong."
Li Ye responded, "It's because the other side is too weak."
Si Yao gasped, "Although you won, you can't be too proud. The next round won't be so easy."
After the first round of competition, ten disciples remain to advance to the second round.
Li Ye and Qi Lan from the Hehuan Sect were among those defeated, while Tang Che and Xing You were defeated by disciples from Tianchen Island and Luanqin Valley, respectively.
Yu Ke was indignant about this and berated Tang Che in front of Si Yao.
Si Yao sighed and shook her head, knowing that these words were deliberately said to her.
She didn't try to persuade Yu Ke. The second round of the competition was about to begin, and the disciples on the field had completed a new round of drawing lots.
Upon hearing the announcement of the matchup lineup, he transmitted his voice to Li Ye: "Next up, you will be facing Xiao Zhaoshui, the daughter of Xiao Shengyuan, the island lord of Tianchen Island."
Li Ye: "I know, but what are you trying to remind me of?"
Si Yao had a headache. "I want to say that if you want to win, for the sake of the island lord, you can't let her lose too badly... After all, today is the inauguration ceremony of Island Lord Xiao, and this competition is just to add to the festivities."
To everyone's surprise, Li Ye said, "What's the difference between men and women on the battlefield? I don't care about showing mercy to women."
Si Yao: "..."
Well, this answer is exactly Li Ye's usual style.
Looking at the arena, in the second round of the competition, Qi Lan's opponent was Xia Chongyun, and their match had already begun.
Compared to Qi Lan, although both of them are at the Foundation Establishment stage, Xia Chongyun's strength is clearly a notch above Qi Lan's.
Si Yao witnessed the duel between the two and found that Xia Chongyun was very reckless, and she wished she could end the competition immediately.
Therefore, not long after, Xia Chongyun used his ultimate skill - the Bright Moon Meteor Sword.
Qi Lan was unable to cope and was repeatedly repelled by the aggressive Xia Chongyun.
In the end, without any suspense, Xia Chongyun won.
At the moment of victory, he looked at Si Yao in the stands, and then turned his gaze to Li Ye.
He seemed eager for a thrilling showdown with Li Ye, and then to prove himself to Si Yao.
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