Chapter 95 The Rootless Tree My moon, radiant and dazzling, yet it shines not alone…
On the third day of the competition, after two rounds of matches, only a few students remained from each of the three sides.
Everyone in the sect knew this was the most exciting moment. Even the servants and apprentices took a break to come here, excitedly waiting for the bell to ring.
Having practiced last night, Lu Changqing seemed much more relaxed when facing his swordsman opponent today. After a few moves, neither of them had gained the upper hand. Lu Changqing stepped back a few paces, the exquisite jade ornaments on his clothes shimmering with light, and his smile was as warm as a spring breeze.
The endearing young man, quite unlike the habits of her friends, maintained a good temper on the field, calling out to the young man opposite her in a clear voice: "Sister, your swordplay is so fierce! Please go easy on me and don't damage my clothes!"
She didn't actually like fancy clothes, but her mother had packed a few for her, which always carried the scent of her distant hometown. Whenever Lu Changqing missed home or needed some support, she would wear these clothes.
The boy opposite her smiled and didn't respond.
Wu Zhuyue, who had come to watch quietly during a lull in the game, also heard this. She lowered her head, secretly annoyed, thinking to herself—"So stupid! Why are they still asking someone to let them win at a time like this..."
From now on, I must hold onto her and cultivate with her every day, without interruption for even a moment...
She was unaware that Lu Changqing had never intended this to be the case. Wu Zhuyue harbored a complex prejudice against this person who had abruptly entered her world, unconsciously elevating her own stance as if doing so could conceal their vastly different backgrounds and the distinct personalities that stemmed from them.
Like a wretched young animal, she bluffed at the glamorous Lu Changqing, trying to show that she was strong enough.
The two exchanged blows for several more rounds on the stage. Amidst the flashing swords, Lu Changqing seized an opening, his figure as swift as a cloud. With one step, he unleashed a dense barrage of silver needles, and with two more steps, he lightly touched the opponent's fingertips. The opponent's spiritual power was instantly sealed, and all his strength vanished. The sword then slipped from his hand.
After the outcome was decided, Lu Changqing used his spiritual power to retrieve the silver needles, releasing the shackles that were blocking his opponent's spiritual power. As if sensing something, he looked down at the audience and met those familiar black eyes.
The boy smiled brightly, revealing his white teeth, his eyes sparkling. Wu Zhuyue felt a strange mix of embarrassment and annoyance welling up inside her, and silently uttered: "Stop smiling, it's so silly!"
Lu Changqing didn't understand what she was saying, assuming it was a compliment, and smiled even more brightly, prompting others to chime in:
"Look, this junior sister is so cute!"
Cute my foot!
Wu Zhuyue turned and left, striding back to the Foundation Establishment cultivators. She thought about it for a long time but still couldn't understand how Lu Changqing had discovered her at a glance.
With a slight stirring in her heart, she changed her mind and stopped thinking about it. Instead, she told her master in detail about the strange flame she had seen on Shen Lixia.
It was both a sharing and a quest for knowledge. However, Master didn't respond; perhaps he was busy. Wu Zhuyue wasn't in a hurry; after speaking, she went back to watch the competition on the stage.
By noon, the competition was finally drawing to a close. On the other side, as everyone had expected, the two stood on the ring to determine the champion.
"Senior Sister Jinyu," Qiao Yanshen called out with a smile, not in a hurry to draw his sword. Sunlight fell on her face, casting a shimmering, light that illuminated the deep blue.
Before she went on stage, she heard the disciple who had previously lost to Tang Huairou grumbling incessantly from below the stage, saying things like, "If it weren't for the magical artifacts and a good master, she wouldn't have been able to climb to her current heights at all."
Even though Tang Huairou never used a sword along the way, and the materials for making medicine were all provided by Xiao Bi, there was nothing with particularly strong medicinal effects.
As for the master, if True Monarch Cangling heard this, he would probably think that this is truly a case of sitting on a pedestal while a pot falls from the sky.
If one can calm down and understand the situation, and with a bit of luck to help, how could one not even be able to withstand a single dose of medicine?
Tang Huairou nodded, her smile gentle, and replied, "Junior Sister Yanshen, you have truly made a name for yourself."
A few years ago, she was someone bullied and oppressed by inner disciples, and Tang Huairou had to protect her during her tribulation. Having witnessed her step into the Foundation Establishment stage, diligently training her body, and now stepping into the battle for the top spot in the minor competition, Tang Huairou couldn't help but feel genuinely happy for her. A warm feeling welled up within her, and she first cupped her hands in greeting, then her body shimmered with spiritual energy, ready to begin the competition.
Seeing her posture, Qiao Yanshen suddenly raised his voice, which was amplified by the array so that everyone present could hear it clearly: "Senior Sister Tang, could you please give me a dose of medicine first?"
"Hmm?" Tang Huairou was slightly taken aback. "Junior sister, but—"
If it were his junior sister, he would definitely need to prepare the strongest medicine to match her strength. However, after several years, Tang Huairou wanted to personally spar with Qiao Yanshen and test his swordsmanship. Although she had watched from the sidelines before, nothing could compare to the excitement of experiencing it firsthand.
“No, I mean, I’ll take the medicine first, and then we’ll start sparring,” Qiao Yanshen said.
Tang Huairou blinked, completely baffled by her request. However, her junior sister must have her reasons for asking. At worst, she could just concoct an antidote herself, cure the poison, and then fight it.
So she took out the medicine cauldron, laid out the medicinal herbs, and asked, "Junior sister, would you like something stronger, or... the same as before?"
Qiao Yanshen replied, "A bit stronger."
The conversation between the two made the audience blush with embarrassment; anyone who didn't know better would think they were ordering food. The man's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he only muttered, "He might collapse in a minute..."
When it spoke, no one answered; instead, it was met with a mocking laugh. Feeling even more ashamed, it glared hatefully at Qiao Yanshen.
The medicine was ready in no time, and Qiao Yanshen drank it down. Her face turned slightly pale, but she immediately began to circulate her energy to neutralize the effects. Her spiritual power was pure and vast, like the sea, causing a soft, rippling aura to emanate from her body.
Before half an incense stick had burned out, the poison was expelled in a mouthful of blood. Qiao Yanshen wiped his lips, performed a hand seal to cleanse himself, and his face returned to its usual expression as he smiled at Tang Huairou.
Her gaze swept across a certain spot in the audience, the meaning of which was self-evident. Laughter erupted from the crowd, only subsiding when the person scurried away like a rat.
Only then did Qiao Yanshen nod, "That's fine, Senior Sister."
Tang Huairou blinked, feeling that her junior sister had done something good, and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister Yanshen."
Then, the two began their battle on stage. Some people shouted for bettors to place their bets. On stage, Yi Xiaohan saw that Ruan Luoying and Yan Xueya looked normal and wanted to go over to ask who to bet on, but Chi Yueying grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back.
She turned her head with dissatisfaction and said, "What? I know you don't play, but that doesn't stop me from earning some spirit stones for my apprentice to spend, does it?"
Chi Yueying raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to have such an intention. "You're short of spirit stones? I'll get you some magical artifacts to take care of them another day."
Yi Xiaohan shook his head and said mysteriously, "These are Ruan Luoying and Yan Xueya's spirit stones, they're different."
What's different? Chi Yueying felt that in all these years of being classmates and colleagues with this person, she had never understood her preferences in this regard. However, she felt the same way about Yan Xueya and Ruan Luoying, and over time she stopped caring about it. Among everyone, it turned out that Si Changxi, who had become their boss, was the easiest to understand. His dark eyes never concealed his joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, and even now he still possessed the purity and vitality of a young man.
I wonder when she will return. The sect has become much livelier lately; even those living atop White Dew Peak can feel the difference. If Si Changxi returns, it will surely add even more warmth and life to the place.
May there be countless more such days in the future.
Stopping her wandering thoughts, she released Yi Xiaohan and said calmly, "Then are my spirit stones different too? In that case, I'll bet on Qiao Yanshen."
Yi Xiaohan was taken aback when a mustard seed pouch was placed in her hand. Scanning it with her divine sense, she found several thousand spirit stones inside. She put it away and burst into laughter.
"Good, good! Another miracle of Taihui has been added! Even the Nine-Branch True Lord, who never participates in such trivial matters, has made his move today!"
"Don't make a sound." This remark earned her a glare from Yan Xueya. Yi Xiaohan didn't mind, smiling as he leaned closer and asked them how much they had bet. Chi Yueying's lips curled slightly, a smile playing on her lips as she watched their conversation.
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"Could it be... divine fire...?"
As he sheathed his sword, blood flowed silently, yet it did not soak his white robes. After a whisper, a sigh followed.
The woman in white standing in the hall carefully examined the astrolabe in her hand. A section of the runes on it was tinged with blue, a shimmering light born from countless cries and wails. But even such injustice was futile, for in the eyes that were fixed on the runes, blue was simply blue, never turning red. All things were clearly defined, devoid of warmth or coldness, leaving only a single, unwavering obsession.
"Almost there." She closed her eyes slightly, sensing the arrival of a familiar aura. Spiritual energy swirled around the sword in her hand, distorting space. She unleashed a sword beam, cleaving a gap in front of her, the destination unknown.
Once the runes on her horoscope are complete, that will be the time for her to step into the upper realm.
Time was running out. Si Liuhua clearly felt that the Heavenly Dao had noticed him, and his cultivation was regressing instead of advancing. He was trapped in the mortal realm, which was not enough to nourish the spiritual power of his vast divine consciousness, and he was increasingly troubled by pain.
She has been trapped here for too long and is unwilling to leap to the upper realm. Fortunately, she is a demonic cultivator, which can delay her a little longer.
When Si Changxi arrived, she only caught a glimpse of a white robe. The person was about to disappear into the cleavage, without even looking back, as if she no longer held any value for her to turn back.
The young woman's lips trembled slightly before she finally clenched them. Unaware of the strength she was using, the taste of blood seeping from her tongue paled in comparison to the overwhelming pain in her heart. Without hesitation, she drew her sword and slashed, but she missed the last moment, causing a pillar in the hall to break. The already chaotic building, ravaged by the struggle, became even more precarious.
Once again.
Aside from that person's elusive movements, was there truly no other reason? Si Changxi never asked herself this question, because she already knew perfectly well what was going on. She could barely grip her sword, standing in the empty hall filled only with corpses, as if she wanted to merge into it, so that she could atone for her sins and completely resolve the conflicting emotions that had been raging within her for so long.
How long are we going to keep being soft-hearted?
She raised her sword, no longer aimed at anything else, but instead cut her own palm. The deep, bone-revealing wound immediately gushed blood, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain, letting the blood fall to the ground and gradually accumulate, mingling with the already cold bloodstains of others.
Tears and nothing else mattered anymore. She had once thought they were useful because if she cried, her older sister would comfort her; if she bled or was injured, her older sister would carefully bandage her wounds. The warmth of her older sister's fingertips and the moisture of her breath became the cause of countless absurd dreams in her later years, a nightmare that haunted her and from which she could not escape the dampness and the smell of blood.
But in the end, her older sister abandoned her, using such a cruel method to make her understand that tears are actually useless.
She even used the sword that had once saved countless lives to take the lives of many, including her cherished friends and disciples.
Love and hate are hidden too well, and no one notices them afterward. Love is like drinking water; only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold.
Her relentless pursuit was nothing more than a futile attempt to find a lost sword by marking the boat.
Love is like sailing on a sea of suffering, a vast and boundless ocean.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will be the end of the small competition! At most, there will be a little more at the party in the chapter after next.
Sorry it took me so long to finish this part! I caught a cold today and just collapsed. The fluctuating weather during the changing seasons is really scary. Everyone, please remember to keep warm.
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