Chapter 25 025 Sect Competition 2
Song Chi glanced at the jade pendant that had jumped into his hand, which displayed the words 'Gengzi, fourth year, Xue Qingyan'.
That is, tomorrow is the Gengzi day, the fourth arena, and the opponent is Xue Qingyan.
She had indeed heard of this name before; he was a very handsome alchemist from the previous generation of disciples. He had one spiritual root of ninety and two of eighty, possessing water, fire, and wood spiritual roots. He was considered quite outstanding.
Song Chi was speechless. They'd all been told they'd be drawn as ordinary alchemy disciples, but Xue Qingyan was clearly quite famous. Both her alchemy skills and her looks were praised among the previous batch of disciples. She was anything but ordinary!
"Song Chi! Is it her?"
"Brother Qingyan, this is exactly what you wanted."
Then several male disciples nearby started laughing. Someone even pointed in her direction.
“That Junior Sister Song is right under that tree root, look.”
Then, with a whoosh, a passageway large enough for two people to walk through appeared between Song Chi and a handsome young male disciple with delicate features.
The male disciple glanced helplessly at his good brothers a few times, then blushed slightly and bowed to Song Chi.
"Junior Sister Song."
"Senior Brother Xue!" Song Chi naturally had no choice but to return the greeting quickly.
The others chuckled. Some even whispered to Xue Qingyan, "Now you're in a bind. On one side is your junior sister, whom you've fallen for at first sight, and on the other is the martial arts competition. Qingyan, what are you going to do? Will you obediently admit defeat to win her favor, or will you ruthlessly defeat her?"
"After all, with six wins out of ten, Brother Qingyan, I think it would be better to lose one game to please Junior Sister."
Xue Qingyan felt helpless, grabbed her two brothers, and quickly flew away. Before leaving, she turned back for an apologetic look.
After the first round of competition, about 560 disciples remained. The sect had just announced that winning six out of ten matches would qualify them for the secret realm. This was just like in the book.
However, Song Chi's feelings are complicated right now.
"..." She felt... Ever since she transmigrated, her luck with men had inexplicably increased.
She didn't even know this person before. What kind of ridiculous love at first sight is this! When did it happen? How come she had no idea?
She dared not linger and flew back. After all, some busybodies had already taken out their jade mirrors and were taking pictures. And the sect disciples were really quite idle, their spirit of gossiping was no different from that of later generations.
While flying through the plum grove, Qi Zhenmo suddenly darted to her side.
"It looks like you're going to lose this first match. Although that person's spiritual root aptitude can't compare to those little geniuses who are all above ninety, he has an excellent movement technique, knows a strange water and wood life-giving technique, and his fist technique is also quite good. He is definitely a tough guy among alchemists, and his cultivation level is three realms higher than yours, already at the ninth level of Qi Refining."
"Your luck isn't very good!" Qi Zhenmo's smiling eyes showed no sympathy.
From that brief eye contact, Song Chi knew his opponent was a formidable foe, someone he couldn't possibly defeat. He was in a bad mood, so he gave Qi Zhenmo a disgruntled glare.
Qi Zhenmo then let out a few laughs from his throat in a perverse way.
"But it doesn't matter. You've been very lucky in love lately. That kid will probably let you win."
"So, your luck is pretty good after all. Hmph."
He laughed and leaped away, while Song Chi chased after him and kicked him a few times. Then, glancing around, he saw Ye Qingyu rushing towards him from the plum grove behind them.
Song Chi dared not linger, and ran as fast as she could, practically invisible. Ye Qingyu's expression, as if she needed to explain, gave her a headache. Running was the only option!
Qi Zhenmo laughed even louder, the kid even leaning against the tree trunk and bending over with laughter.
Yes, yes, yes! Keep laughing, laugh until you die! Song Chi didn't even bother to roll his eyes at him and hurriedly ran back to his dormitory without saying anything more.
High in the sky, Venerable Tonghua couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw this scene.
"This kid is quite lucky; he's guaranteed to win the first match."
Venerable Xueqiao glanced at her. "That's not necessarily true. In the arena, personal feelings are not allowed."
Venerable Tonghua chuckled, flicking his sleeve. "If that kid wouldn't even let his beloved win, what kind of man would he be? If that's the case, I'll have to talk to the Seventh Elder. There's no need to take this kind of disciple as a personal disciple."
Mo Shubai and Shen Wenyan believed that Venerable Tonghua's judgment was accurate, and Song Chi should be able to win the first match without a doubt. As immortal masters, they were basically clear about the strength of these two generations of disciples. In terms of pure strength, Song Chi absolutely could not defeat Xue Qingyan.
Although this person's natural talent and spiritual roots aren't particularly outstanding, they are extremely intelligent and quick-witted. They must have encountered some extraordinary opportunity, acquiring a remarkable Water-Wood Life-Generating Spiritual Technique. Furthermore, they possess keen combat awareness and exceptional movement skills. Even the most talented disciples would face a fierce battle if they encountered this person.
Xue Qingyan's selection as a disciple even sparked a fierce competition between the Seventh Elder and the Eighth Elder. The Seventh Elder was a pill refiner, while the Eighth Elder belonged to the Linglong Sect and was skilled in using water and wood-based life-giving techniques. In the end, the Seventh Elder, Ziyan Sanren, prevailed, simply because Xue Qingyan preferred the path of pill refining.
Although Venerable Xueqiao refuted, he knew the outcome from the tender look in Xue Qingyan's eyes.
He's now considering something else.
The young girl from the Cui family of the Yunji Holy Land is the one whose destiny is acknowledged even by the Grandmaster. Therefore, the one who will become the star of destiny is either the temperamental young man from the Ye family, or his eldest disciple.
However, the moment the Ye family member was bound by the love knot, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Then, his eyes frantically searched for someone in the crowd, looking for nothing more than that little girl, Song Chi.
Then he flew through the plum grove, wanting to catch someone and explain things further. His heart had already completely strayed.
How can he possibly be infatuated with that woman from the Cui family now?
"Could it be..." Venerable Xueqiao looked to the side.
“I’m not,” Mo Shubai immediately denied without hesitation.
Seeing this, Shen Wenyan couldn't help but chuckle and offered words of comfort to Venerable Xueqiao. "Venerable, there's no need to worry. The feelings of young people come and go like the wind, fleeting in an instant. Perhaps it's just that the Ye family's boy and the Cui family's girl haven't reached the right time yet."
“That makes sense.” Venerable Xueqiao immediately agreed.
He felt that if he wanted his eldest disciple to develop feelings for him, it would probably take something extraordinary to even happen.
After all, in terms of appearance, Cui Xue Ruo can only be said to be on par with her aunt, Fairy Yi Lan. Fairy Yi Lan's temperament, demeanor, talent, and wisdom are so outstanding that even Venerable Xue Qiao would have to praise her. This girl truly deserves the title of the most beautiful woman in the cultivation world.
Even with such a woman's affection, his eldest disciple remained unmoved.
He didn't think there was any woman in the world who could win this young man's heart.
The following day at 9:00 AM, Song Chi arrived at Zhemei Pavilion, located northeast of the academy. This place was the sect's martial arts training ground, where inner disciples competed in the Zhemei Mountains.
The Azure Sword Sect is quite refined; for example, their martial arts arena is named the Plum Blossom Pavilion. This name implies plucking plum blossoms to create snow, and using martial arts to make friends.
The inner disciples' competition consists of twenty rounds each day, ten in the morning and ten in the afternoon.
Ten arenas, shaped like plum blossoms and gleaming with a metallic sheen, rose between the cliffs surrounded by mountains. Disciples watched from the surrounding peaks on either side. Elegant pavilions for viewing the plum blossoms were also built throughout the mountains.
The sect elders and immortal masters were all watching the competition from inside the elegant pavilion. However, today only two elders were presiding over it.
All the immortal masters were present, without exception. The number of spectators at the arena matches was even greater than yesterday. Disciples filled the dozen or so mountain peaks.
Song Chi noticed that there were a lot of disciples from the mountains on both sides of the No. 4 arena.
As soon as she arrived, she heard someone shout.
"She's here!"
Then came the enthusiastic shouts and cheers from all around.
"Xue Qingyan!"
"Xue Qingyan!!"
Xue Qingyan, dressed in a blue robe with a matching hair ribbon fluttering in the wind, stood smiling at the opposite end of the arena.
With his fair face and elegant, refined appearance, it was clear he had dressed up before coming. Furthermore, he didn't seem to be there for a martial arts contest, but rather for a leisurely stroll. He bowed respectfully, his face beaming with a warm smile, exuding a refined and graceful air.
The sect allows its disciples to wear ordinary clothes when competing, so Xue Qingyan's outfit is not considered excessive.
Song Chi's feelings at this moment were hard to describe. Ever since she entered the Azure Sword Sect, this sense of powerlessness had been increasing. She was almost numb to it.
Before coming today, she consulted the fortune teller's method to determine her fate. Not only did the character for "auspicious" appear, but several peach blossoms also appeared, fluttering about. That meant she was experiencing an abundance of romantic luck.
It's unclear whether the original owner of this body also drew Xue Qingyan, or whether she fell in love with him at first sight. The book glosses over this, saying that the disciples drawn all had ordinary cultivation levels and techniques, and the original owner quickly won six matches before the story ended.
If the plot hasn't changed, it's hard to know how the original owner felt about all this. Anyway, her feelings right now are indescribable.
"The hour of Si has arrived; disciples, ascend the stage for the competition!"
At this moment, as the sound of metal clashing rang out, the deacon raised the ritual banner to activate the formation. A cloud of mist suddenly burst forth from the Mo Mei arena, which then spun violently dozens of times before finally freezing with a click.
Song Chi noticed that the defensive talismans and two or three intermediate-level defensive magic treasures that her parents had prepared for her in her storage ring were all locked by the aura, turning gray and losing their spiritual energy.
The arena doesn't allow cheating using magical artifacts; it's all about skill. Otherwise, with noble scions like Ye Qingyu, who are also the treasured disciples of sect leaders, their defenses alone would be so strong that other disciples couldn't break through them even after a whole day of fighting. What would be the point of the competition then?
"Junior Sister Song, please."
"Senior Brother Xue, I've long admired you!"
Song Chi and Xue Qingyan stepped onto the arena, exchanging a fist and palm salute. The arena steward then tossed a yellow banner and gave the order: "Begin!"
Song Chi immediately embraced his pipa and abruptly retreated one or two zhang (approximately 3.3-6 meters) away.
"Junior Sister Song, be careful."
Xue Qingyan was equally swift. He moved with incredible speed and agility, his movements as light as a shooting star. Wherever his complex finger marks swept across, lush, verdant vines would sprout up.
Furthermore, the vines rapidly took root and sprouted, quickly spreading out in patches, each time perfectly blocking Song Chi's Instant Step.
That's not all; every time the vines block her way, a patch of delicate and beautiful pink flowers blooms.
"Well, that's a pretty good fight."
"Brother Qingyan, you're really something."
"Haha, such a beautiful spell, how come we've never seen it used on us before?"
"Brother Qingyan, you're showing favoritism!"
"Who are you to Brother Qingyan? And who are you to Brother Qingyan, Junior Sister Song! If he uses this Flying Flower Spirit Technique on you, I reckon you won't be laughing anymore."
"Haha, that's true, we're not Qingyan's confidantes."
The disciples around them started to jeer, whispering louder than thunder, as if afraid no one would hear them.
They might think these pink flowers would be easy to fight. But that's not the case. Song Chi found that just looking at these flowers made her dizzy, and touching those vibrant green leaves drained a lot of her spiritual energy.
This technique is truly wicked. No wonder Qi Zhenmo said Xue Qingyan possessed incredibly powerful life-giving magic!
If Xue Qingyan were to really fight, she would probably lose in a single exchange. Indeed, someone who could fiercely contend with even a genius disciple was an opponent she simply couldn't defeat at present.
Maybe that "luck in love" thing really does work a little. In any case, Xue Qingyan's Water and Wood Life-Giving Technique is played at a leisurely pace, making it very beautiful and romantic.
Of course, it was also meant to provoke her to take action, as his eyes kept glancing at the pipa in her hands.
Song Chi also sensed that his Water and Wood Life-Giving Technique seemed to be using that mysterious and elusive energy. Moreover, it had a flaw: the proportion of water elemental power was slightly off.
Song Chi then played the "Spring Water Flowing" tune, and sure enough, the green vines that were entwined around her suddenly bloomed into countless small pink flowers. Moreover, the trembling of these flowers no longer made her dizzy, but instead scattered from her body like flowing water, as if a celestial maiden were scattering flowers.
"You're really clever, but that tune isn't right. We need something more powerful!" Upon seeing this, Xue Qingyan flew past her in a flash, retreating as she spoke so gently. Immediately afterward, even denser and more extensive green vines sprouted up in clumps along Song Chi's path.
Song Chi had to change one water-elemental song after another to avoid being entangled by the vines and captured.
But none of them are correct.
Each time a new song was played, Xue Qingyan would stand not far away, smiling and shaking her head slightly.
Until Song Chi had a sudden inspiration and played the piece "Hehuan" on his piano!
Xue Qingyan's face flushed slightly. She glanced at her quickly, then turned her cheek tenderly to the side. Then, she unfurled her sleeves like flowing clouds, and the light green vines and pink flowers bloomed magnificently throughout the entire area.
It was as if they were building up momentum for the acacia tree.
Song Chi realized that this kid had deliberately left a small flaw in his water elemental power, simply to force her to play "Hehuan" for him.
That was on that evening, and I guess this person was also there.
Seriously… couldn't they just leave this piece alone? Admittedly, the melody is sweet and beautiful, and she loves it herself. But "Hehuan" is truly the original title; it doesn't imply any romantic union or a long and happy life together. Maybe the original song really did have that meaning… but her playing it definitely doesn't convey that!
However, if Xue Qingyan wants to hear it, then she can play it for him. Even so, winning is still winning.
Integrity is something that doesn't exist for now.
Song Chi played it once, and even immediately adjusted the strings and played it a second time. At that moment, Xue Qingyan's eyes shone like stars, and her gaze towards him was filled with emotion.
His affection wasn't like Ye Qingyu's, which was simply infatuation. Ye Qingyu's attitude was, "I like you, so you have to be mine." It was like she was crazy!
Therefore, Song Chi's impression of Xue Qingyan was acceptable.
As she neared the end of the piece, Xue Qingyan swiftly landed beside her in the blink of an eye. At that moment, pink flowers almost completely enveloped the area within a ten-foot radius around the two of them.
Xue Qingyan glanced at her with a smile, then spread her hands and gently moved her fingers, slowly demonstrating the life-giving spell to her.
"I think what Junior Sister Song has been trying to grasp is this wisp of spirit and essence."
His life-giving spiritual technique was also mixed with that wisp of cold and mysterious energy, but he also perfectly integrated the water and wood spiritual roots with a certain gentle and enchanting emotion.
Song Chi had never been able to connect the aloof aura with other similar emotions, but at that moment, he seemed to understand something. Therefore, he looked at Xue Qingyan with gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Xue."
Xue Qingyan smiled tenderly, her fingers swiftly flicking and unleashing a torrent of flying petals that enveloped the two of them and began to scatter outside the arena.
After unleashing this powerful move, he had almost used up all his spiritual energy.
She then spun around and jumped back four or five steps, smiling gracefully as she cupped her hands in a gesture of respect. "Junior Sister Song, I have lost."
The steward of the fourth arena jumped between the two, glanced at Xue Qingyan with a barely suppressed laugh, and then waved his flag.
"Song Chi wins in arena number four!"
Song Chi: "..." She bowed very seriously to Xue Qingyan.
"Just as I thought!"
"A youth who isn't a bit of a playboy is a wasted youth!"
"This kid handled things with great flair, very good."
"These two seem to be mutually attracted."
"I would be tempted too. That life-giving magic is so beautiful and gentle. Senior Brother Qingyan, he really loves it."
"..."
Song Chi dared not linger and leaped off the stage to run. But the flying petals followed her, practically leaping over three or four stages. Not only the disciples in the stands, but even those competing on the stage were distracted, watching her intently and howling.
When Xue Qingyan mustered her courage and flew to her side.
Whistles and jeering could be heard everywhere.
Although Xue Qingyan's cheeks were flushed and she looked very shy, a smile suddenly came from her as the two flew away from the valley entrance, amidst the howling mountain wind from afar.
“Junior Sister Song, I actually met you five or six years ago. My maternal grandfather’s family lived in the Baihuaxi area. Five years ago, in the summer, I went to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday and harvested medicinal herbs in the same herb garden as Junior Sister Song.”
He paused, then pointed. "Spring Court Manor!"
Song Chi remembered this person. Starting when she was twelve or thirteen, she would work in the herb garden of a nearby mountain villa to earn some money. The owners of Chunting Villa were good friends with her parents, so this was where she went most often.
However, she had never noticed the existence of Xue Qingyan.
Xue Qingyan paused slightly, then shook her head with a smile. "Back then... I didn't dare to speak to Junior Sister Song. Besides, Junior Sister Song was still very young then."
Five years ago, she was indeed only twelve years old in this life... while Xue Qingyan was already seventeen. She probably felt a little ashamed and didn't dare express her affection.
While the two were exchanging those few words, many busybodies had already flown over to take pictures.
Xue Qingyan couldn't help but sigh slightly at this, and then smiled.
"In the upcoming competition, Junior Sister Song only needs to grasp that wisp of divine essence, and winning should not be difficult."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Xue."
After saying this, the two flew off to one side and quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.
"We met five years ago, so you could say we're childhood sweethearts."
"He's been thinking about this for five years now; this guy is quite persistent."
"I think this couple is definitely going to make it work."
"Not necessarily. After all, Junior Sister Song played 'Hehuan' for Young Master Mo for the first time."
"And Young Master Ye also seems determined to have Junior Sister Song. Look, he's so angry his face has turned black."
Some shook their heads. "You don't understand. These powerful families wouldn't intermarry with ordinary cultivators. Even if they did, it would only be exceptionally talented individuals who surpassed everyone else, enough to catch their eye. What does it matter how much these two young masters love her? With Junior Sister Song's aptitude..."
Everyone understood what the man meant by leaving it unsaid, and they couldn't help but shake their heads and nod at the same time.
"In that case, Brother Qingyan and Junior Sister Song are a perfect match, and Brother Qingyan is such a gentle person, he is truly a perfect match for Junior Sister Song!"
The disciples, having witnessed this turn of events, dispersed only after arriving at this conclusion.
Song Chi indeed had good luck in the following days. Three out of the five matches were against disciples from the same year, and they were all alchemists or disciples of the Linglong Sect with slightly better spiritual roots than her. The latter mainly focused on defense, while there weren't many alchemists who were good at combat; they were the type who did scientific research.
She won both matches, of course. The next two were against disciples from the previous year, but their spiritual roots and aptitudes were both quite average, and their cultivation levels were only one rank higher than hers. One was a disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Sect skilled in talismans, and the other was a sword cultivator. However, they seemed to be the type who weren't very diligent; even their Instantaneous Movement Technique was only so-so.
Therefore, after their defeat, they were summoned by their immortal master and severely reprimanded.
Including the match she won against Xue Qingyan, she has now won exactly six matches.
This means that even if she doesn't participate in the upcoming competition, she will still be guaranteed a spot in the secret realm.
Cheng Yao looked on with envy; she had only won four matches so far and still needed to fight harder. Dai Jia was in a similar situation, but their next opponent didn't seem very strong. Therefore, neither of them was too nervous. Come to think of it, both of them had quite good luck.
Song Chi felt that Cheng Yao's strength was probably inferior to hers. Dai Jia's swordsmanship was somewhat impressive, but the gap between her and the young genius was obvious. Her water elemental root was a major drawback, making her sword strikes always slightly slow. Therefore, winning four out of five matches was already quite fortunate.
However, it's possible that all the luck in this dormitory was given to the three of them. As for Xi Ya, despite having the best spiritual root aptitude, she had the worst luck.
Just like in the book, she drew either little geniuses or the real genius disciples like Ye Qingyu.
There were two young geniuses who also wanted to give way. After all, Sia was truly beautiful.
But she was proud and arrogant, and when her opponent yielded, she became even more furious and fought even more fiercely. As a result, her opponent had no choice but to fight back with his full strength.
So she played four matches and lost all four. The next day, her opponent was Ye Qingyu.
Ye Qingyu has been acting like a madman lately, fighting fiercely in the arena. He shows no mercy, usually striking until his opponent is injured, coughs up blood, and admits defeat. His reputation within the sect isn't great now, but everyone seems to understand.
"After all, it's up to you to see the person you like being all lovey-dovey with another man. Anyone would feel bad in that situation."
This is absurd talk circulating among the sect's disciples.
Song Chi scoffed at this, thinking it was none of her business. Ye Qingyu was the same kind of jerk in the book. Someone who could make people cry in a ring match—what did that have to do with her!
If Xi Ya cannot defeat Ye Qingyu, she will have lost five matches and has no chance of winning.
Therefore, when Xi Ya returned with a sullen face, Song Chi and the other two didn't dare to speak. Saying anything at this point would be futile, and Xi Ya silently went back to her room. Her fighting spirit seemed astonishing. As a pill cultivator, she was actually quite skilled in teleportation techniques, fist techniques, and spells.
According to Qi Zhenmo, Xi Ya is considered the third most capable fighter among this year's female disciples. The first and second are naturally Ji Minghuang and Cui Xueruo.
But unfortunately, I had bad luck. What kind of opponents did I draw?!
Song Chi sincerely hoped that the script wouldn't be changed. She had a good impression of Xi Ya and hoped that, like in the book, Xi Ya would receive the blessing of the koi fish and get the chance to enter the secret realm.
That afternoon, her token displayed the names of her disciples for the next round of the competition.
—Yin Qiang!
The person she wanted to rob. Unexpectedly, she actually ran into him!
She hadn't originally planned to compete in any more matches. But this time, she wanted to try her skills.
Although, according to the book's plot, she could have easily found a loophole and obtained the three auspicious fruits before Yin Qiang. It was only because he fell into the secret realm with his lover that she didn't. And once inside, they even ended up sleeping together instead of exploring.
This is one of the reasons why Song Chi chose to rob this person.
However, Yin Qiang was also quite lucky. In the previous five rounds, he drew disciples who were one year younger than him, and none of them were very strong.
Therefore, Song Chi couldn't see Yin Qiang's true strength and always felt that this person was hiding something.
Just in case, she needed to understand this person's strength. That way, if they encountered each other in the secret realm, she could anticipate whether to fight or flee for her life.
Therefore, on the second day, Song Chi flew to the edge of the fourth arena to wait.
"She actually came!"
"Didn't she win six games?"
"It's possible that Senior Brother Qingyan is in the next arena, number three. She was too embarrassed to watch the match, so she came to participate in the competition to catch a glimpse of Senior Brother Qingyan?"
"It's unlikely, but it's possible. Look at the two of them, their eyes are meeting."
Song Chi truly hadn't expected Xue Qingyan to be participating in the competition. Therefore, she was quite speechless at the sight of the ambiguous gazes from the crowd.
Xue Qingyan glanced at everyone, then leaped over the arena to her side.
At that moment, a series of "Oh!" sounds came from the disciples' viewing platform, and the jade mirrors were frantically raised from all directions.
Song Chi has gotten used to it now and just pretends not to see it.
Xue Qingyan turned slightly to the side and gently reminded Yin Qiang as he jumped to the other side of the arena, "This Yin Qiang is hiding his strength. He has an extremely powerful teleportation technique. If you are no match for him..." He moved his lips but didn't finish his sentence.
Song Chi immediately said, "If I am no match for him, I will automatically admit defeat, so Senior Brother Xue doesn't need to worry. I was just training my combat skills anyway."
Seeing her like this, Xue Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt that her concern was somewhat impolite, so she blushed.
Song Chi simply smiled at this. This person was great as a friend, but as for love and such, she honestly had none of that.
Anyway, they'll gradually understand these things in the future.
"Ah, what a coincidence! Young Master Ye Qi is competing in Arena Number Five! Good heavens, hahaha! This is getting interesting."
"And Young Master Mo is also there; he's in arena number two!"
"What an amazing ranking today, hahaha!"
Many people were immediately amused as they watched Mo Feiyun and Ye Qingyu fly over and stand a short distance above Song Chi and Xue Qingyan.
Then Ye Qingyu, with a dark expression, landed beside the fifth arena, crossed her arms, and coldly glanced at Song Chi.
Mo Feiyun simply released a little bit of cold air before landing at the edge of the second arena.
Upon seeing this, Xue Qingyan smiled slightly at Song Chi and went to the edge of the third arena.
The disciples in the stands were laughing hysterically. "What a chaotic scene this is! I love watching it, hahaha!"
"If the three of them could fight, hahaha! That would be interesting."
"Stop with the nonsense, the competition has begun."
With a command from the steward, Song Chi stepped onto the fourth arena.
Yin Qiang was a step slower, and he spun around and landed on the platform. He was tall and imposing, with the appearance of a disheveled man. He seemed to still have some popularity within the sect, as many male disciples were watching from the platform, calling out "Brother Yin, Brother Yin!"
"So it's Junior Sister Song!" Yin Qiang exclaimed as he jumped onto the arena.
A disciple shouted, "Brother Yin, you're a real man, give Junior Sister Song a break! Otherwise, not to mention anyone else, Brother Qingyan will be the first to punish you!"
Yin Qiang immediately cupped his hands in greeting to everyone, and also cupped his hands towards Xue Qingyan on the third arena. Then he smiled and said, "I will take care of myself."
Xue Qingyan gave Song Chi a forced smile.
Song Chi remained unmoved, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Senior Brother Yin, please!"
Yin Qiang immediately returned the greeting with clasped hands. "Junior Sister Song, please!"
As the deacon's flag waved, Song Chi used his Instant Step to create distance. Yin Qiang, on the other hand, genuinely wanted to project a composed and dignified image, holding his sword but neither attacking nor moving.
Song Chi didn't rush to use his killing move. Instead, he played the tunes representing the three spiritual roots of water, wood, and metal in turn.
Then Yin Qiang was quite accommodating, his attack neither too forceful nor too weak, seemingly neither harming her nor blocking her path. This allowed the disciples to both understand his strength and demonstrate his magnanimity. Consequently, quite a few people praised him.
Such praise revealed a hint of joy in the person's eyes. It was unexpected that they were so eager for fame; they probably harbored a great ambition to rise above others. Later, this person improved their spiritual root and indeed gained the support of many disciples, rising to the ranks of the sect's strongest.
But he was ultimately a lecherous fiend. Infatuated with the heroine's beauty, he even attempted to take advantage of her while she was injured and unconscious. If Mo Shubai hadn't arrived in time, the heroine would likely have been violated. Of course, this man ultimately died at the hands of the immortal master Mo Shubai in the book.
However, no matter how well he concealed himself, people like Xue Qingyan and Ye Qingyu seemed to see through his true colors. Xue Qingyan's attitude towards him was indifferent, and Ye Qingyu even gave a cold, ruthless laugh. Even Mo Feiyun's side released several chilling auras.
"Senior Brother Yin, be careful."
Song Chi was preparing to unleash her full power; no matter what, she needed to know just how powerful Yin Qiang's Instant Step was.
Therefore, the music suddenly shifted, playing the piece "Shattered Soul," and directly transitioning to its most intense part. The three spiritual roots of metal, water, and wood were fiercely intertwined on the arena, with the spiritual blades formed from the metal spiritual root moving silently like ghosts.
The disciple in the stands was somewhat surprised when he heard this. "I didn't realize this one was so skilled."
Yin Qiang became slightly more serious at this moment, but only slightly. His sword attacks became much more fierce.
When Song Chi's melody suddenly changed, a chilling and ominous sound rang out.
Upon hearing this song, Yin Qiang finally narrowed his eyes, moved. The killing intent around him truly dissipated, and his movement speed increased significantly.
But there must be something being hidden. Song Chi then mobilized his spiritual power, and his metal and water spiritual roots fused together, instantly locking onto Yin Qiang like a ghost.
But then, the great green sword that had been charging towards him suddenly stopped, and he instantly leaped away, his spiritual energy surging around him. Even so, a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Many of the disciples in the stands stood up. "She's actually that powerful, able to force Yin Qiang to this point?"
Some people even cursed. "Yin Qiang, are you even capable? You can't even beat a music enthusiast who's a year below you!"
Yin Qiang's expression turned slightly unpleasant at that moment, but he quickly put on a gentle and dignified demeanor.
"Next, Junior Sister Song, please be careful as well." He held his sword, his whole body exuding a chilling killing intent.
Song Chi immediately activated his Instant Step technique, switching to "Shattered Soul" this time. However, the music was devoid of any killing intent; instead, it was as if mist was spreading.
At that time, all I could see were many flowers flying in the air, and occasionally a green vine would climb up for a moment and then disappear immediately.
"That must be Brother Qingyan's Flying Flower Spirit Technique!" a disciple exclaimed.
Then the other disciples laughed. "What are you making such a fuss about? Didn't you see Brother Qingyan personally teaching Junior Sister Song how to learn that day?"
"I saw it. But I didn't expect this person to be so intelligent, learning it after just one glance."
Song Chi's technique differs from the Water and Wood Life-Generating Technique. She mainly uses illusions that utilize the Water and Wood spiritual roots, and does not possess the life-generating technique characteristic of Xue Qingyan, which absorbs people's spiritual energy.
Then she saw that Yin Qiang had only changed his position a few times using the Instant Step technique, and had not been fooled by the illusion. His eyes suddenly flashed, and he gripped his greatsword tightly.
Taking advantage of this moment, Song Chi suddenly changed the tone of his zither.
—It was that domineering tune! At that time, Ye Qingyu was still fighting, but she couldn't help but turn around and look at the fourth arena.
Then suddenly a chill ran down my spine. "Watch out!"
Taking advantage of that fleeting moment, Song Chi directly changed the melody. This time, her Golden Water Spiritual Root, at its highest level, surged towards Yin Qiang. She indeed succeeded; locking onto his dantian felt slightly heavy.
But the next moment, a sudden feeling of tension made her heart pound.
Although she used almost all her spiritual power to escape in an instant, she still sensed a tall figure approaching from behind, radiating intense killing intent.
At that time, whispers of caution rose and fell.
Even the deacon jumped over to stop them.
Song Chi turned around and saw Yin Qiang's tall figure right behind him, a palm already thrusting towards him. Yin Qiang was coughing up blood, his eyes filled with ferocity. Clearly, the previous attack had provoked him.
Although he coughed up blood, clearly injured by Song Chi's sudden attack on his dantian, he still managed to strike Song Chi with a palm strike that was almost aimed directly at him.
She had absolutely no chance to dodge. This person's movement technique was beyond ghostly; it seemed even faster than geniuses like Ye Qingyu. Moreover, the feeling of his dantian locking on her was so real that, logically, he shouldn't have been able to launch an attack immediately. Even if he could, he would have been momentarily stunned. It shouldn't have left her with no chance to escape.
Could this person possess a secret treasure that even the sect's array cannot detect?
Although Song Chi felt a sense of tension and danger, he wasn't worried about dying. After all, the Golden Core Elder was nearby, and several of the Immortal Masters, including Mo Shubai, were leaping up, ready to intervene at any moment.
Yin Qiang reacted quickly, instantly concealing the sinister glint in his eyes. He glanced at Song Chi, then merely brushed his palm lightly across Song Chi.
But that one glance he gave Song Chi was clearly aimed at his chest. Whether it triggered his lustful desires or not, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers removed Song Chi's hair ribbon.
"Ah! What happened?"
"Yin Qiang's teleportation technique is too bizarre."
"And another thing, hiss!" The disciples reacted at this moment and saw Yin Qiang rushing towards Song Chi like a ghost. Then, in the next instant, the two passed each other.
Yin Qiang held a piece of gray gauze ribbon in his hand, while Song Chiyun's hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading out like water in the spiritual energy.
To be honest, her appearance was like flowing clouds and swirling snow, extremely beautiful.
Song Chi became the talk of the entire sect, initially because of her pure, innocent nature, which naturally inspired a protective instinct in everyone. Later, on the night of the Lantern Festival, the alluring and graceful figure in her slender purple dress, and the beauty of her playing the zither with her head bowed, secretly stirred the hearts of many disciples.
"This—!" Some of the male disciples blushed slightly upon seeing her cascading hair.
Then many people stared at Yin Qiang with disapproving expressions.
That's incredibly rude.
Sensing the change in the gazes around him, Yin Qiang immediately adopted a simple and honest demeanor, awkwardly holding the hairband in his hand, unsure whether to drop it or keep it, and offered apologetic with clasped hands in a very embarrassed manner.
"Junior Sister Song, it was my rudeness that offended you."
Song Chi was in a terrible mood, and certainly not because of this mere loose hair. Who in later generations would care about such a thing?
She discovered that the easy target she thought she could take was actually quite difficult to manipulate. This person must possess a secret treasure, and she feared she would have to drastically revise the plans for their journey into the secret realm.
This was supposed to be the most detailed and best opportunity mentioned in the book.
As for Yin Qiang's terrible acting skills, she only glanced at him briefly before extending both hands to accept the headband as a gesture of respect.
"It was only because Senior Brother Yin showed mercy that he accidentally undid my hair ribbon. How can you blame Senior Brother Yin?"
Yin Qiang apologized repeatedly. Song Chi, no longer willing to play along, clasped his hands in a fist salute. "I admit defeat!"
Then she flew away quickly. She needed to go back and reconsider; since this Yin Qiang possessed a secret treasure that even the sect's array couldn't detect, she probably couldn't handle him.
Ye Qingyu watched the slender figure with her cloud-like hair flowing away, and his mood worsened. He had almost been scared into breaking out in a cold sweat just now. This woman usually seemed indifferent to everything, so why had she suddenly become so competitive?
Could it be that Yin Qiang, that lecherous scoundrel, had harbored feelings for her? Ye Qingyu's face darkened, and a murderous intent rose in her heart.
What bothered him even more was that Song Chi hadn't thought to tie her hair up before running, or even try to hide herself. Just thinking about so many people seeing her beautiful appearance made him want to gouge out the eyes of all the male disciples present. That wasn't something they could even dream of.
Then he saw the murderous intent flashing in the eyes of both Mo Feiyun and Xue Qingyan. His expression darkened again. He was enough to deal with Yin Qiang; there was no need for unrelated people to protect that woman.
Mo Shubai and Shen Wenyan exchanged a glance in mid-air. They could naturally see Yin Qiang's teleportation technique clearly with their cultivation levels, but for a Qi Refining stage disciple, such a ghostly and swift movement technique was truly too strange.
This person is very likely to possess a secret treasure. However, since the magic array hasn't detected it, it's difficult to manage. This is because that's the sect's rule.
The two elders in charge had clearly noticed, but they only glanced at Yin Qiang a couple of times. In the end, they didn't interfere with his cheating using the secret treasure.
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Author's Note: [Three-Cat Head] is here!
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