Chapter 89 Arrogant Senior Sister: What other junior sisters have, junior sister wants too!
The next day, on Zhu Mingfeng, a beam of fire suddenly pierced down from the mountain and reached the foot of the mountain.
The flames burned fiercely, turning the sky crimson. Wherever the firelight touched, it left many marks on the trees' surfaces, as if they had been slashed by a sword.
Seeing this, the servants and apprentices under Zhu Mingfeng were astonished, thinking that it was fortunate that they had planted heat-resistant spiritual plants, otherwise this mountain would probably be gone today.
"I've been practicing all night, Sister Yi..." The one who set the mountain on fire said weakly, gripping her sword with both hands.
Shen Lixia now only regrets that she can't faint.
Protected by spiritual energy, she was full of energy. She had been resting for so long that she had forgotten that, strictly speaking, she did not need to rest after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Even if she practiced all night, swallowing a single pill would immediately restore her to full strength. She wanted to faint, but she couldn't; she couldn't even fake it.
Moreover, if someone were to deliberately run into Yi Xiaohan's blade just to be lazy and create an accident, that would be somewhat reckless.
Flames surged in Yi Xiaohan's hands as he laughed loudly, "Again!"
Without waiting for Shen Lixia's reaction, she slashed forward with her sword. The worry on the young man's brow vanished instantly, and he countered with his sword, barely managing to block Yi Xiaohan's blade. She used the strength of both arms to deflect the opponent's blade, and took several steps back, not daring to be distracted any longer.
Yan Xueya's arrangement was not arbitrary. During her special training on Guyu Peak, she had figured out Shen Lixia's style—fast, ruthless, and accurate. Whether it was arrows or knives, they were all fierce and ruthless, a kind of "better to die than live" mentality, leaving no room for retreat, only concerned with slitting the opponent's throat in one strike.
Such a temperament is actually more in line with Yi Xiaohan's, and more suitable for wielding a knife. However, Shen Lixia herself has no intention of specializing in swords or knives; she uses whichever is most comfortable for her.
When Yan Xueya asked him about it, the boy tilted his head and replied with a smile, "What if I wanted to try them all? Aren't they all very interesting?"
Thus, she got her wish and was thrown onto Zhu Ming Peak to spar with Yi Xiaohan. Yi Xiaohan had been impatient since he was young, and he was still more impulsive than other cultivators of the same realm. He would go all out as soon as he drew his sword, which was perfect for Shen Lixia.
The downside is that she can't be distracted even for a moment, otherwise she'll immediately lose an arm or a leg. However, Shen Lixia suddenly realized that after the Divine Fire Imprisonment was lifted another layer, her wounds were healing much faster.
But after several rounds, it was still extremely tiring. The boy had no words to express his suffering, and could only watch as the sky gradually brightened, feeling increasingly exhausted.
When does today's competition start?
At this moment, Shen Lixia felt like a student who had been on seven consecutive days off, even beginning to yearn for the brief respite that exams would bring. Fortunately, just as she thought this, the bell rang out loudly, resounding throughout the entire territory of Emperor Taihui.
Yi Xiaohan clicked his tongue and sheathed his longsword. "Alright, let's go to the arena."
Shen Lixia hurriedly flew towards the small competition site on her sword, afraid that if she was a step too slow, Yi Xiaohan would slash at her again.
Upon arriving at the venue, she glanced around and spotted Qiao Yanshen, stopping beside him. The familiar presence drew near, and Qiao Yanshen turned to meet her gaze in a pair of eyes filled with grievance and a hint of accusation.
It's quite like that snowy owl that was once held in someone's arms.
She cupped Shen Lixia's face in her hands, patted it gently, and said with a smile, "Junior Sister, you've worked hard."
Needless to say, the two could see the weariness between each other at a glance, knowing that they were each experiencing their own duality of joy and sorrow.
Qiao Yanshen wore a dark black waist belt today, with silver patterns shimmering in it. It should have made him look deep and reserved, but his slightly disheveled outer robe gave him an air of travel weariness.
Shen Lixia, with her sharp eyes, silently raised her hand and brushed away a small piece of ice from her shoulder.
My senior sister seems to be in an even worse situation than me.
Her cheeks were being pinched as she adjusted her senior sister's outer robe, and she mumbled, "We have to go again tonight. Master is really treating us like we're made of iron..."
Qiao Yanshen rarely sighed in agreement, "After all, we are Master's personal disciples."
The two hadn't been talking for long when another person leaped into the crowd. Her black robes billowed as she ran towards Shen Lixia and the others, like a graceful bird.
"Junior Sister Lin," Qiao Yanshen called out first, "won't you rest for a couple more days?"
She was here to participate in the inner sect competition. When Shen Lixia saw the token at Lin Yuqian's waist, she understood and couldn't help but admire her amazing perseverance. The mental energy depletion she suffered yesterday did not hinder her from entering today. As soon as she recovered, she couldn't wait to rush in.
Lin Yuxian shook her head, "I want to spar with my senior sisters."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a warm sensation on her head. She blinked and realized that Qiao Yanshen was touching the top of her head.
The boy pursed his lips, but still didn't pull away, letting the other person gently caress him. The gentle person smiled softly and said, "Then I will wait for my junior sister on the stage in the future."
After Qiao Yanshen withdrew his hand, Lin Yuxian raised her head, her face slightly flushed. Although few people treated her like this, she didn't dislike the feeling.
However, someone suddenly coughed deliberately, drawing her attention. She saw Shen Lixia blinking innocently. The usually flamboyant young man bent down slightly, moving closer to her.
Seeing that Qiao Yanshen remained unmoved, Shen Lixia blinked and said softly, "Senior Sister, if Junior Sister can have it, why can't Junior Sister?"
She was about the same height as Qiao Yanshen, and when she bent down, she completely adopted a coquettish and begging manner.
Lin Yuxian felt a tingling sensation run from her fingertips to her shoulder as she was bitten down on the word "junior sister." She couldn't help but look away, feeling that it would be strange to look at her any longer.
Although this soft yet deliberate expression paired with Shen Lixia's beautiful features didn't actually seem out of place. Qiao Yanshen didn't react as strongly as she did; after a moment of surprise, he smiled slightly and also touched the boy's slightly disheveled hair.
"Of course." She stroked the other person gently, as if stroking a bird's feather, feeling incredibly fond of them, but her expression remained calm.
Shen Lixia rubbed her hand on her head with satisfaction, squinted slightly, straightened up with a smile, and started circling around her senior sister again.
When a bird expresses affection, it often clings to the other bird and cooperates with it. Qiao Yan pursed his lips, feeling that the person in front of him seemed to be increasingly resembling the habits of the crimson bird in his dream. Fortunately, the person was straightforward and not as awkward as the one from his previous life.
Lin Yuxian frowned. One problem after another arose; from a distance, she could hear Lu Changqing's voice behind her, suppressing even the clamor, just so the person she was calling could clearly hear "Xiao Wu." She rubbed her temples, thinking that encouragement from an elder could indeed give one confidence, but wasn't Shen Lixia being a little too deliberate?
It was as if Qiao Yanshen wouldn't lift a finger, and she would stay in that position forever, not caring if she turned to stone over millions of years. Wu Zhuyue was the same; she clearly looked annoyed by Lu Changqing when she frowned, but she still indulged him, only lightly saying "Don't do that" and that was it.
Lin Yuxian was somewhat confused and couldn't help but sigh. Just as she finished sighing, someone stopped beside her and asked with concern, "Junior Sister, are you feeling unwell?"
She looked up, and a pair of soft, warm eyes came into view. Tang Huairou reached out to take her hand and check her over, but she gently dodged him.
"It's nothing, Senior Sister." Lin Yuxian shook her head. "I just... find them strange."
It took Tang Huairou a while to realize who Lin Yuxian was talking about from the direction of her gaze. She couldn't help but smile and say, "People can become stupid sometimes."
"Will they also become very tolerant, without even realizing it?"
"Yes. In such special times... it's possible to become stupid, sharp, or completely unlike your usual self."
Just like when she was with her master. When Tang Huairou thought of Ruan Luoying, the image of her master leisurely drinking tea in the hall appeared before her eyes.
Aunt Xueya took on the task of organizing the minor competition, so at this time, Master should be processing case files. The tea he drinks is the weakest in the morning and becomes stronger in the afternoon.
Lin Yuqian nodded as if she understood, and stopped asking questions, instead focusing her attention on observing her opponent.
Many inner disciples have gathered here today, each wielding a different weapon. I wonder how exciting things will unfold later.
After a moment, someone arrived on a sword, towering above the crowd. His voice was steady and carried by spiritual energy, resounding in everyone's ears: "Each person draws a lot in turn. Those with the same lot number will be opponents."
Among the students who remained silent under the pressure, Shen Lixia quietly looked up and saw Yan Xueya standing on a long sword, bringing with him an aura of frost.
She always felt as if she could see Qiao Yanshen in the future.
No, no, the eldest sister and the master have different temperaments, so she shouldn't be as strict as the master.
She was assigned to the Foundation Establishment stage team based on her cultivation level. The Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core stages were divided into three separate arenas, operating simultaneously. However, inner sect battles were usually more complex and longer-lasting; even without stopping, it would likely take at least two days to conclude.
Qiao Yanshen stood in the line of Golden Core cultivators, quietly waiting for her turn to draw lots. However, the drawing of lots was not in the traditional way; instead, a spiritual flame appeared before her eyes.
She reached out to touch it, and the spiritual fire shifted, revealing an unfamiliar name in her mind.
Qiao Yan pondered for a moment, realizing that they had basically never spent more than a few days in the sect, and the time they did spend there was mostly for special training, so it was perfectly normal for them to run into strangers.
A few people began to whisper among themselves, discussing the tactics of several famous peers. She listened for a while, but realized she didn't recognize any of them, and after a few more sentences, she couldn't make sense of them, so she simply gave up.
With a calm and composed attitude, Qiao Yanshen awaited the turn order. Unexpectedly, the next moment, she heard a bell toll, and then the spiritual fire before her eyes lit up again.
She was actually chosen to play in the first round.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, someone grabbed the spirit fire, saw the names displayed within, and seemed to be deep in thought.
The two stepped into the teleportation array and appeared on the arena in the blink of an eye. Qiao Yanshen summoned Yu Feng and nodded to him in greeting.
She had already made up her mind that since it was the first round, she would conserve some of her strength to avoid giving others the opportunity to devise various countermeasures against her sword techniques.
Opposite him was another sword cultivator, dressed in blue robes with her long hair tied up high. Qiao Yanshen gazed at her from afar, and felt he saw a resemblance to Yue Qifeng, suddenly feeling a pang of emotion.
However, they will meet again when the grand competition begins. I wonder if they will be able to reminisce about their experiences in the Southern Kingdom then.
On the other side, Shen Lixia drew a disciple she didn't recognize, but he wasn't going to be on the first round. She turned her head and looked towards the Golden Core realm arena, immediately locking onto Qiao Yanshen's figure. She then summoned her longsword and jumped up.
Her clothes suddenly sank, and Shen Lixia almost lost her balance and fell. Turning her head, she saw that it was Wu Zhuyue who was pulling her, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Junior Sister Wu?"
"Senior Sister Shen, we might be facing these people soon... Don't you want to take a look at their moves?" Wu Zhuyue let go of her hand somewhat awkwardly. In her haste, she had grabbed the other person directly, her eyes darting away.
No, Master said... we must make eye contact. I can't be impolite.
She was somewhat annoyed, afraid that Shen Lixia would take it to heart, and her voice softened.
To everyone's surprise, the boy laughed without a care, his voice bright and cheerful, "What's so interesting about it? There's no need to watch!"
After saying that, she landed easily and headed towards the Golden Core Realm arena, leaving Wu Zhuyue and the other disciples who were shocked by her words standing there, staring blankly at that figure that was like a stream of light.
After a long pause, someone finally shouted angrily, "What do you mean? Are you looking down on us?!"
"Who is that? I've never heard of her before, she's far too arrogant!"
Although she was his direct disciple, the apprenticeship ceremony was not held in public, and the news was not publicized. Therefore, many people did not actually know Shen Lixia. On the contrary, Qiao Yanshen was remembered by many people because of the sparring match on Wanjian Peak.
Wu Zhuyue silently sweated. Of course, it wasn't for Senior Sister Shen—she had a premonition that Senior Sister Shen's confidence wasn't unfounded. However, after not seeing her for so long, she was also curious about the current state of the person whose spiritual veins had been completely destroyed back then.
Is it cultivation achieved through the accumulation of elixirs, or is it a genius of unparalleled talent?
They came from the same mud, and even if they didn't care, their hearts were still stained with dust. When Wu Zhuyue saw Shen Lixia being taken away, she couldn't help but feel jealous.
After all, if his master hadn't come along, he probably would never have had the chance to leave that quagmire and would have been stuck in it for life. Shen Lixia, on the other hand, was the lucky one…
They were also the ones who betrayed them.
Thinking of this, Wu Zhuyue unconsciously clenched her sleeve, lowered her eyes slightly, and let the shadows press down.
At that moment, another person shouted, "I'm going to beat her to a pulp!"
The man was a young sword cultivator, full of arrogance, and indeed seemed to possess some skill. However, his shout was extremely unpleasant, making him appear vulgar despite his handsome appearance.
...You'd be better off not getting beaten to a pulp by her. Wu Zhuyue thought to herself, touching her scabbard.
Senior Sister Shen, if possible, I really hope to have a battle with you and see who is better.
Let's see who is truly superior.
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Author's Note: *I made a small adjustment to the setting; Xia Bao and her senior sister are now about the same height. [Let me see!]
Xiao Wu is a child with a deep and complex mind. Although he usually appears to be a good student who can't be easily persuaded, he actually thinks a lot.
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