In the final moment before the incense burned out, Luo Luo swung Gu Meng and hurled her off the arena.
Chen Xuanyi, ever the gallant protector, leaped to catch his woman.
"Luo Luo wins!"
Near and far, thunderous applause erupted like crashing waves.
Since the Qingyun Tournament began, everyone had witnessed the performances of Chen Xuanyi and Gu Meng. Now, seeing her defeated, the onlookers couldn't help but revel in her misfortune, kicking her while she was down.
Chen Xuanyi’s face darkened as he tore open Gu Meng’s mouth.
Chunks of blood spilled out, and a faint black aura flickered in Gu Meng’s eyes, her face contorted with fury.
She grabbed Chen Xuanyi’s collar with a vice-like grip, her voice hoarse and accusing: "You said she was just a measly mid-stage Golden Core cultivator! So why? Why did this happen?!"
Humiliated beyond measure after being publicly thrashed by Luo Luo, Gu Meng writhed in agony and indignation.
She had… already shed her lowly mortal status, ascending to become an exalted immortal.
She had… already climbed to the top, trampling all those who once looked down on her.
She was supposed to crush Luo Luo at the Qingyun Tournament!
So why had it turned out like this?
Why?!
Uncontrollable resentment surged in her chest, her vision blotting with darkness. Luo Luo’s figure, standing tall above her, seemed unbearably blinding.
Chen Xuanyi’s expression was even uglier than hers.
He sensed the chaotic, unstable energy raging inside her and wanted nothing more than to whisk her away.
But Gu Meng clung to him, refusing to budge, her eyes burning with defiance as she screamed at the crowd: "She cheated! She must have cheated! A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator could never be stronger than me!"
Chen Xuanyi tugged at her, his voice low and sharp. "Enough!"
Gu Meng violently shoved him away, staggering forward with a face twisted in hysterical frenzy, like a dying ember flaring one last time.
"How could you be stronger than me… How dare you be stronger than me…"
Then, like a bolt of clarity—
"Men! Yes, men!" Gu Meng shrieked. "You climbed your way up by bedding a powerful man, didn’t you? That’s why you’re so strong now! What kind of skill is that—relying on a man?!"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
No one was blind. Between Gu Meng and Luo Luo, it was clear who had genuine skill and who was all flash and no substance.
Her shameless, baseless accusations were so outrageous that for a moment, no one even knew where to begin cursing her.
Then—
A sound like tearing silk and snapping strings echoed from within Gu Meng’s body.
BANG!
The borrowed spiritual power inside her went berserk, instantly rupturing her dantian.
Once the collapse began, there was no turning back.
Her body convulsed violently as meridians shattered one after another, each rupture accompanied by crisp, sickening cracks.
Rampant spiritual energy tore through her—blood gushed from her seven orifices, and grotesque black swellings bulged under her skin, a horrifying sight.
"Is this… qi deviation? Is she going to explode?!"
The crowd recoiled in panic, scrambling back to avoid being splattered.
Chen Xuanyi’s face turned ashen.
In front of so many witnesses, he couldn’t let anyone see the sinister Taiyi energy festering inside Gu Meng.
Gritting his teeth, he pressed his palm against her back and forcefully absorbed the raging, corrupted energy—
The backlash hit him like a tidal wave. Blood surged up his throat, nearly choking him.
Back when he’d used Gu Meng as a dumping ground for his own impurities, it had felt satisfying. Now, swallowing the bitter consequences was nothing short of agony.
Wave after wave of black energy flooded into him. He endured it all, grinding his teeth until they cracked.
Dizziness, ringing ears, unbearable torment.
"So it was him feeding her spiritual power! Tsk! How could she not know where her cultivation came from? How dare she act so righteous?"
"This isn’t love—it’s destruction! After this qi deviation, even if she recovers, she’ll be a cripple. He’ll have to spoon-feed her for the rest of his life!"
"They deserve each other—a pair of shameless dogs!"
The surrounding voices swarmed like ants, gnawing at Chen Xuanyi’s heart.
The fury and pain he felt now were no different from when he’d been a helpless novice, left to bleed under the scorching sun.
Draw your sword… Kill them all… Every last one…
Malice festered. Inner demons roared.
His fingers twitched, inching toward his sword hilt.
Kill… Kill…
Then—a cool, gentle hand rested atop his, giving a light pat.
A breeze carrying the scent of peach blossoms washed over him. Pure spiritual energy flowed into his meridians, suppressing the raging malevolence.
Chen Xuanyi’s mind snapped back to clarity!
His heart pounded in horror—those sinister energies had nearly driven him to commit an irreversible mistake. Not the act of drawing his sword, but the fact that among this crowd, there were too many he couldn’t defeat.
Thankfully, Master Qingxu had arrived just in time.
"Ah!" Master Qingxu sighed wearily. "I told you to take it slow! Using up all those spirit stones at once—of course this would happen!"
With that, he straightened and turned toward the arena, raising a hand in greeting to Luo Luo.
Luo Luo pressed her lips together, averted her gaze, and strode away without a word.
Master Qingxu blinked, arm still raised. "Huh? She left? Just like that? Why’s she ignoring me? Ah—my treasured Rainbow Silk! That brat ruined my artifact and now she’s too ashamed to face me!"
Luo Luo marched forward, head down, until a finger hooked the back of her collar.
She turned slowly.
Li Zhaoye stared at her, displeased.
"Why are you crying in broad daylight?" he asked.
Meeting his gaze, her heart trembled, a slow ache spreading through her chest.
No wonder he always said she cried when they first met.
"Was I… crying in my heart?"
Li Zhaoye patted her head with the force one might use on a particularly slow child. His hand lingered, resting heavily atop her skull.
"What did that old man do to you?" he demanded, still pressing down on her.
Her heart clenched again.
After a long pause, she muttered, "He didn’t do anything."
Her breath felt damp, like the air after rain.
"He killed you, Li Zhaoye," she forced out, the words jagged.
"Ah." He leaned in, eyes crinkling, lips quirking. "Small matter. Watch me extort him later."
Luo Luo: "…"
The tears threatening to spill retreated abruptly.
He scrubbed her head like he was polishing a stubborn stain. "Stay here. Wait for me to finish my match."
The arena had called his name three times already.
Seeing that person had left Luo Luo distracted.
The next few matches were thrilling, but though her eyes were fixed on the arena, her mind was elsewhere.
Before she knew it, the quarterfinal results were decided.
Luo Luo vs. Gu Meng—Luo Luo won.
Li Zhaoye, Feng Baiyan, and Chen Xuanyi each faced off against a Nascent Soul cultivator, and all three emerged victorious.
The semifinalists were decided.
The semifinals were scheduled three days later.
The Heavenly Dao Sect provided celestial-grade healing pills to help the participants recover to their peak condition.
Next, the matchups for the semifinals would be determined by drawing lots.
The light screen above intensified with formations, dazzling fireworks and illusions covering the entire Jianmu Great City, floating above the crowd with an overwhelming presence.
With a deafening boom, a massive red lottery box appeared midair, shaking violently before loudly revealing the names of the four contestants—bold, enlarged, and gleaming in golden light.
The results were in.
Luo Luo versus Feng Baiyan.
Li Zhaoye versus Chen Xuanyi.
The four brilliantly colored names collided in the air, bursting into illusory fireworks formed by arrays.
The crowd: "..."
True Lord Pangyue’s aesthetic taste… left much to be desired.
Private chamber.
Chen Xuanyi flung Gu Meng onto the bed like a piece of ragged cloth.
"Did you see that?" he hissed through gritted teeth. "This useless fool—given Nascent Soul cultivation, and she still ended up in this state!"
Master Qingxu leisurely lifted a teapot to his lips and drank directly from it.
"Of course I saw," he said, raising an eyebrow with smug pride. "Who clapped the loudest? Me! Whose disciple is Luo Luo? Mine!"
Chen Xuanyi narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying?"
"What do you mean, what am I implying?" Qingxu shot him an exasperated look. "Didn’t you bring Gu Meng out here to die? She’s seen the Taiyi True Breath and your face. Death is convenient."
Gu Meng, just regaining consciousness, heard these words.
Agony and horror widened her eyes. She wanted to scream, to struggle—but no sound escaped her throat, and not a single finger twitched.
Chen Xuanyi fell silent for a moment. "...She’s too stupid. Useful to keep around."
Qingxu studied him, then suddenly laughed. "Don’t tell me the great Daoist Xuanyi actually needs a woman to prop up his confidence now? What’s happened to you? Mingling with juniors has made you insecure?"
For a fleeting moment, Chen Xuanyi’s expression faltered.
"You don’t understand," he said hoarsely. "When you reach Dao Unification someday..."
He shuddered slightly, pressing his lips together and leaving the thought unfinished.
"Right, right, I don’t understand," Qingxu waved dismissively, shifting to business. "You’re not worried about the semifinals, are you? What’s the deal with that pretty boy around Luo Luo?" He snorted. "Don’t tell me he’ll steal both your name and the championship."
"Impossible. I’ll deal with him. But first..." Chen Xuanyi’s voice turned icy. "Go find me a scapegoat to transfer this filthy energy to."
Qingxu sighed. "I really hate dirty work like this. Honestly, Gu Meng’s temperament is impressive—so eager to absorb it for you."
He glanced back just in time to see Gu Meng, who had just woken up, faint again from terror.
With a derisive chuckle, Qingxu turned his gaze out the window.
"Chen Xuanyi versus Li Zhaoye," he mused. "Interesting."
Luo Luo sat blankly by the windowsill.
Using the Qingyun Token, Li Zhaoye had claimed a handful of medicinal pills. He tossed them one by one into the air, catching them in his mouth and crunching them like beans.
For every pill he ate, he flicked one toward Luo Luo’s lips.
Like a wooden puppet, Luo Luo obediently opened her mouth each time, swallowing mechanically.
Between bites, he asked casually, "How do you want Chen Xuanyi to die?"
Chen Xuanyi had suppressed his cultivation to the peak of Nascent Soul, but with the Taiyi Sword’s enhancement, his true combat power surpassed early-stage Divine Transformation.
Luo Luo pondered for a moment, then drew the Changtian Sword from her sword repository.
Holding it delicately between her fingertips, she offered it to him.
Her heart trembled; her throat tightened.
Afraid her voice might crack, she spoke to him silently in her mind.
This is Changtian—your former life-bound sword. I pieced it back together. It might still be a little fragile. When you use it, be careful. Don’t slash too hard. It’ll be so happy to return to you.
After this mental soliloquy, she blinked up at him slowly.
He took Changtian, gave it an idle swing, then glanced at her. "What about this sword?"
Luo Luo froze.
She repeated inwardly: Changtian! Changtian! Your sword! The one shattered into pieces—I restored it!
He waved a hand in front of her face. "Stop spacing out. Speak."
Luo Luo opened her mouth, astonished. "...You can’t hear me?"
His ear twitched impatiently. "Hear what?"
She pressed her lips together.
After a brief hesitation, she mentally cursed him three times: Dog!
Watching him nervously—no reaction.
So...
She snatched Changtian back, merged it into her sword repository with a flick of her fingers, then glared at him and mentally shouted: Dog!
He hissed, tilting his head as he pinched the nape of her neck.
Strangely, she didn’t blush or avert her gaze.
Still staring, she cursed again in her mind: Did you hear that, you dog?!
His dark, narrow eyes gleamed dangerously as he gritted his teeth. "Looking to die?"
Luo Luo gasped. "You heard me! You dog!"
She hastily summoned Changtian and placed it on the table.
Li Zhaoye is a dog! A turtle! Turtle! Turtle!
She hurled several more insults mentally.
"Did you hear me curse you just now?" She leaned in excitedly, her nose nearly bumping his chin. "But now you didn’t, right? I called you a dog and a turtle!"
Li Zhaoye: "..."
He leaned back slightly.
What in the heavens was this nonsense?
Luo Luo ignored his bewilderment, staring intently at Changtian.
"You can only hear my thoughts when Changtian is in my sword repository!"
Awe and exhilaration seized her, making her tremble faintly.
"Changtian was Li Zhaoye’s life-bound sword. You..."
Her voice caught.
At last, she had tangible proof.
She turned toward the window, blinking hard against the sunlight to steady herself.
Composing her emotions, she faced him again with feigned solemnity. "No wonder you couldn’t hear my thoughts in the dream—it was because of this!"
Changtian had been a spy in her body, secretly reporting her thoughts to him.
He arched a brow, twirling the sword with a lazy flick.
Glancing at her, he mused, "Memories… might be stored here."
Her heart lurched; her breath hitched. "...Possibly. Why don’t you… try merging it into your sword repository?"
Her fingers tingled, her entire body buzzing with anticipation.
He paused, then gave her a bored look. "What sword repository? I don’t have one."
Luo Luo: "..."
Right. The Divine Lord only knew how to crawl around. He didn’t practice swordsmanship—how would he have a sword repository?
Now, how did one cultivate a sword repository again?
"It's like what I just did—swish, sheathing the sword into the Sword Mansion," Luo Luo explained earnestly, carefully recalling the details. "You have to carve it out within the dantian's qi sea..."
"Oh." He casually lifted his sword, twirling it with a few elegant flourishes.
Then, in a sudden motion, he reversed his grip.
A dull thunk echoed as he impaled himself with the Changtian Sword.
Straight through his body.
Luo Luo's pupils trembled, her jaw dropping with an audible click: "..."
Dripping blood, he strode toward her, the sword still lodged in him, and glared down with clear displeasure.
"No memories. Explain."
Luo Luo: "..."
Shocked, speechless, struggling to breathe.
