The courtyard was enveloped in complete silence.
Xu Wanci sat quietly by the dark jade table, gazing at the spirit tea before her, its steam still curling upward.
This was the spirit tea sent by Duan Ziwei.
From that day onward, it had never ceased to arrive.
After a long while, she lifted the teacup and took a small sip before shifting her gaze away, calmly analyzing her earlier confrontation with Xie Tingbai.
Over the past few days, he had thoroughly investigated her past in the Taiqing Sect.
That was why he had tested her with questions about the outer sect.
Immortal Venerable Qingyan had passed away a century ago, and at that time, Xu Wanci had only recently obtained the Frost Orchid, her talents still unremarkable, remaining an outer sect disciple.
Thus, her interactions with the Immortal Venerable could only have occurred in the outer sect.
Naturally, she couldn’t behave like other outer sect disciples, struggling to survive and desperately cultivating.
Xu Wanci slowly set down her teacup.
The original owner of this body had come from a decent family, raised with indulgence. Unfortunately, when her family elders failed to break through to the Unity Realm, their meridians shattered, and the family fell into ruin.
Yet, the original owner had retained the pride of a noble scion, rarely interacting with other disciples in the outer sect, always keeping to herself.
Thanks to her family’s remaining resources, she possessed a few spirit treasures and was never harassed by others, so her life hadn’t been particularly harsh.
Nearly a century had passed, and most outer sect disciples had likely been replaced.
Even if Xie Tingbai investigated, he wouldn’t uncover anything deeper.
If he had found anything substantial, given his temperament, he wouldn’t have bothered testing her like this.
At this thought, Xu Wanci exhaled almost imperceptibly.
Over the past few days, she hadn’t left any noticeable flaws.
She pushed aside all her thoughts, stood up slowly, and returned to her bedroom.
Compared to Xie Tingbai, the most important matter was the upcoming sect competition in three days.
The next day, Jiang Ze arrived before Xu Wanci, his body still carrying a chilling aura.
However, this time, after their sparring session, he didn’t wait for her to close her eyes and meditate as before. Instead, he casually tossed a bottle of spirit-replenishing pills in front of her.
Xu Wanci swallowed a pill, and within three breaths, her spiritual energy was fully restored.
Without resting for even a moment, she silently drew her spirit sword and attacked again.
Thus, when Duan Ziwei arrived at the courtyard gate with a tray of spirit cuisine, Xu Wanci was still sparring with Jiang Ze.
When Duan Ziwei left dejectedly, Xu Wanci was still locked in combat with Jiang Ze.
When Xie Tingbai leisurely took a seat by the dark jade table, Xu Wanci was still exchanging blows with Jiang Ze.
Even after Xie Tingbai had sat there for two hours, Xu Wanci remained engaged in their duel.
By the time the sun set and only the two of them remained in the courtyard, Jiang Ze finally withdrew his spiritual energy.
With a wave of his hand, a bottle of medicinal pills appeared on the dark jade table.
His voice was indifferent: "Rest well."
"Tomorrow, we continue."
The following day was no different.
After these two days of rigorous training, Xu Wanci felt her meridians had widened significantly, and her spiritual energy recovered faster than before.
Each time she was pushed to her limits, her golden core grew more condensed.
Now, she was just one step away from the late-stage Golden Core realm.
Then, the day of the sect competition arrived.
On Qianding Peak, several martial platforms rose from the ground.
Above them floated a grand stage suspended mid-air.
Atop this stage stood Ning Menglan, the sect master of the Taiqing Sect, his expression solemn and dignified.
Not far from him stood the First and Second Elders, who rarely involved themselves in sect affairs.
When the disciples below saw them, they fell silent, though excitement and anticipation flickered in their eyes.
Could it be that the two elders… intended to take on disciples?
No one noticed that the elders’ spiritual senses were fixed on one particular disciple.
Xu Wanci stood in a corner, her aura calm and composed, yet carrying an unshakable aloofness that set her apart from the surrounding disciples.
Most disciples in the Taiqing Sect knew of Xu Wanci’s alleged role in harming Jiang Qiuning, but few knew the full story.
Only a handful had witnessed Xu Wanci offering the Frost Orchid as an apology to Jiang Qiuning, and they had been forbidden by Ning Menglan from speaking further.
All they could do was defend Xu Wanci when others mocked her.
Thus, when Xu Wanci appeared on Qianding Peak, though no one dared to act against her due to sect rules, the looks directed her way were filled with identical disgust and disdain:
How dare this villain show her face at the sect competition?
What a disgrace!
Many disciples near her snorted and deliberately moved further away once she took her place.
Just as the space around Xu Wanci had emptied completely, a figure hurried over to her side.
Once settled, the newcomer reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Xu Wanci’s ear, her voice laced with unmistakable concern:
"Wanci, are you feeling better now?"
The other disciples’ expressions twisted in shock when they saw who it was.
Jiang Qiuning?!
Had they hallucinated from sheer tension?
Xu Wanci was the one who had nearly killed her!
What kind of magnanimity did Jiang Qiuning possess to treat her with such… warmth and kindness?!
Jiang Qiuning paid no attention to the stares. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with cautious worry.
Over the past days, Xu Wanci had repeatedly pushed herself to the brink of death. The Darkmoon Needles she had endured would have required at least half a month of recovery for anyone else.
Yet she had ignored her injuries, resuming cultivation the very same day.
Every time Jiang Qiuning visited the Sword Peak, Xu Wanci was immersed in relentless training, leaving no room for persuasion.
Jiang Qiuning’s gaze flickered to Xu Wanci’s left hand, hesitation flashing in her eyes.
Xu Wanci’s expression remained serene and composed. She had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Her voice was steady:
"I’m fine now. There’s no need for concern, Young Mistress Jiang."
Jiang Qiuning, ever perceptive, sensed something different about Xu Wanci today—a newfound sense of… stability?
A faint doubt crossed her mind, but it was quickly overshadowed by worry:
The sect competition was fraught with danger, and no defensive artifacts were allowed. What if something went wrong…
At this thought, Jiang Qiuning’s frown deepened. Without hesitation, she made up her mind:
She would stay and watch Xu Wanci’s preliminary match.
As for Chu Qingchuan…
It was just the preliminaries. With his abilities, there was no chance of mishap.
Just then, Duan Ziwei—the notoriously arrogant and disdainful disciple of the Taiqing Sect—hurried over to Xu Wanci, his eyes uncharacteristically warm and attentive.
Half a cup of tea later, the master of the Sword Peak, after consoling his personal disciples, also approached Xu Wanci, kindly explaining the key points of the competition.
Another half-cup of tea passed, and the Seventh Elder, who had just returned from his travels, stopped beside Xu Wanci as well.
The empty space around Xu Wanci was now entirely filled by these figures.
The expressions of the surrounding disciples had shifted from shock to utter numbness.
Dazed, they wondered:
Had their memories failed them?
Was Xu Wanci not the villain who had harmed Jiang Qiuning, but the hero who had saved her?
In the viewing pavilion of Qianding Peak…
Jiang Ze stood by the window, watching as more and more people gathered around Xu Wanci. His expression remained unchanged, but the chilling aura around him grew heavier.
It wasn’t just these people—even the two elders on the high platform had cast their divine senses upon her.
Every single one of them grated on his nerves.
Feeling this unfamiliar emotion stirring within him, Jiang Ze let out a derisive scoff and coldly averted his gaze.
As cultivators, gathering in crowds to disturb others—utterly disgraceful.
After Taiqing Sect’s Sect Master Ning Menglan finished explaining the rules, a towering spiritual pillar shot into the sky, reaching toward the heavens.
Countless points of spiritual light emerged from the pillar before scattering in all directions, landing before each disciple participating in the Sect Competition.
Xu Wanci reached out and caught one of the glowing specks. Reading the words inscribed upon it, she murmured softly,
"Combat Platform: Seven."
Hearing her voice, Jiang Qiuning frowned and turned her gaze toward the seventh platform.
The preliminary round of the Sect Competition was a ten-person free-for-all, with the victor advancing.
At that moment, three disciples were already standing on the platform.
Jiang Qiuning’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as she studied the figures on the platform, as if recalling something.
Before she could say anything, Xu Wanci had already leaped onto the platform.
Once all ten participants had arrived, a faint golden barrier rose around Platform Seven. Only a few esteemed elders could enter or interfere with the match.
Xu Wanci swept a calm glance over the nine other disciples on the platform, her gaze finally settling on a slender figure in green robes with delicate features.
This person’s spiritual energy was the most abundant.
Just as her hand moved toward the sword at her side, she suddenly sensed an extremely faint ripple of spiritual energy beneath her feet.
When sparring with Jiang Ze, he would sometimes completely conceal his aura, forcing her to rely entirely on sensing the slightest fluctuations.
Fortunately, having lived two lifetimes, her divine sense was formidable.
Though sensing spiritual energy had been difficult at first, it had long since become second nature to her.
The moment before the energy erupted from the ground, she drew her sword and retreated two steps, effortlessly evading the attack.
At the same time, several screams rang out around her.
Seven disciples, despite shielding themselves with spiritual energy, were still pierced by thorny vines. The remaining one, who had leaped into the air, was struck by wind-borne blades before he could move.
In an instant, only Xu Wanci and the master of the spiritual plants remained on the platform.
A disciple below exclaimed in admiration,
"As expected of Senior Brother He! He took out eight opponents the moment he stepped onto the stage!"
He Mu was a well-known inner disciple of the Five Elements Peak—a Golden Core cultivator with a pure Wood Spirit Root, capable of sowing seeds into plants and transforming flora into weapons.
Many wood-aligned disciples looked up to him.
Another disciple, spotting the lone figure still standing on the platform, shouted, "Now it’s just Senior Brother He and Xu Wanci left!"
"Seems like Senior Brother He will win soon," a disciple remarked, shaking his head with mild disinterest. "Preliminary rounds are always too easy."
Just then, his companion gasped, "Look! Look at the platform!"
On the high platform, Xu Wanci lowered her eyes, attuning herself to the surrounding spiritual energy.
The aura of the thorny vines and wind-blades was far too conspicuous. With just a moment’s focus, she mapped their positions across the platform.
Channeling spiritual energy into her steps, she dodged every attack within a few strides.
He Mu’s plants were widespread, but in her eyes, they grew too slowly—moved too sluggishly.
So slow that she could clearly trace their trajectories and pinpoint their weaknesses.
He Mu’s eyes flickered with surprise as Xu Wanci evaded every one of his assaults.
With his right hand, he continued controlling the plants to encircle her, while his left hand swept outward. Countless vines burst from the ground, weaving into an impenetrable shield around him.
Just as he exhaled in relief and prepared to summon more plants—
A sword abruptly pierced through the thinnest layer of vines and came to a silent halt at his throat.
He Mu froze in disbelief.
He… lost?
The vines around him slowly retracted, slithering back into the earth.
Xu Wanci glanced at the extinguished light point on his person and sheathed her sword.
"My thanks for the match."
The crowd below erupted into chaos.
"No way!!"
"How is her sword so fast?!"
"What just happened?!"
"How did Xu Wanci beat Senior Brother He?!"
Every pair of eyes stared at Platform Seven in shock.
The Xu Wanci they remembered had always been timid, trailing meekly behind Chu Qingchuan, neglecting even her studies.
If not for her decent innate talent, she might never have reached Golden Core in her lifetime.
Since when… had she become this strong?!
