At dawn, a faint mist lingered in the bamboo grove, and the air was filled with a delicate fragrance.
Liuli stood some distance away, watching the two people sparring opposite her. The longer she watched, the sleepier she became.
Miss really has changed. She’s no longer the young lady who used to laze in bed with me.
Perhaps this is what a genius is like.
Liuli struggled to keep her eyelids open. Even so, she still thought her young lady’s movements were the most beautiful—light and graceful, with every motion relaxed and fluid.
Senior Brother was impressive too, but compared with Miss, he seemed a little clumsy.
She watched for a while longer before finally closing her eyes.
Beside the emerald bamboo, Ji Zhaoxi gripped her heavy sword. Damp strands of hair clung to her forehead, and her brows were tightly furrowed as she thrust the sword straight at her opponent.
An irresistible force caught her blade. Her tiger’s mouth went numb, and the heavy sword plunged upright into a bamboo stalk beside them.
Ji Zhaoxi: “…”
Without saying a word to the person in front of her, she immediately pulled the heavy sword free. The two heavy blades crossed in midair, ringing with a series of impacts as bamboo leaves were sent flying in every direction.
Ji Zhaoxi spotted a flaw in Wen Shubai’s defense at once. Taking advantage of it, she pressed forward and brought her heavy sword to his throat.
“I won!”
Ji Zhaoxi raised her brows and looked at him triumphantly.
Wen Shubai stopped. He let the tip of the sword remain pointed at him, a smile in his eyes. “Junior Sister is getting stronger and stronger.”
Other disciples were practicing their swordsmanship nearby as well. They were all relatively new arrivals.
The sect’s grand examination was divided into tiers, based on how long each disciple had been in the sect.
Not far away, Gu Wuyou watched the scene with a look of utter despair.
That meant Ji Zhaoxi might become his opponent…
He was finished.
The surrounding disciples continued training hard. Wen Shubai wiped the sweat from Ji Zhaoxi’s forehead and asked softly, “Will Junior Sister keep practicing tomorrow?”
Ji Zhaoxi nodded firmly.
Of course. Even a genius couldn’t afford to slack off.
All disciples who had joined the sect within the past five years would take the examination together. Ji Zhaoxi had found several people to test herself against one-on-one, and she had won every match.
She now had a much clearer understanding of her own strength.
Ji Zhaoxi noticed Gu Wuyou’s gaze from nearby, but paid it no mind. Perhaps every genius had to endure such looks of envy and jealousy.
Just as Wen Shubai was about to go guide the other junior disciples, several disciples from the same sect came over.
Their faces were filled with guilt.
“I’m sorry, Senior Brother…”
“We’re sorry.”
“We really had no choice back then…”
They apologized to Wen Shubai. In truth, they had not been completely unwilling to save him at the time. It was just that Triangular Eyes had kept urging them on, and the situation had indeed been extremely dangerous.
Unlike Wen Shubai, their constitutions were not particularly strong. Their own lives had been under threat, and they could not keep themselves warm at all. They had needed to find a way out as quickly as possible.
After being sent back to the sect and recovering from their injuries, they had gone looking for Senior Brother, but had never been able to find him.
The eyes of several of the disciples grew red as they described what had happened during that period, their words coming haltingly.
Wen Shubai said gently, “There’s no need to feel guilty. I never blamed any of you. The sect’s grand examination is coming soon, so you should all hurry back to training.”
The disciples in front of him stared at Wen Shubai in disbelief.
“Senior Brother, you really don’t blame us?”
Wen Shubai smiled and nodded. “I truly don’t.”
Those who cultivated the Ruthless Dao had to sever the seven emotions and six desires. If he was going to dwell on such trivial matters, how could he continue cultivating the Ruthless Dao?
To be honest, Wen Shubai’s reaction had been exactly what they expected. But hearing him say that he truly did not care still left them somewhat surprised.
In their memories, Senior Brother had always been like this. Whether he was misunderstood by the common people after descending the mountain, or injured during a trial, he had never shown much emotional fluctuation. It was as though he could accept and embrace everything in the world.
No wonder the Sect Master placed such high hopes in Senior Brother. As for them, they still had a long road ahead…
Triangular Eyes stood silently behind a tree, watching the scene. His grip tightened around his sword, and a trace of hatred flashed through his eyes.
He and Wen Shubai had entered the Heavenly Severing Sect at nearly the same time, yet Wen Shubai had become a disciple of the Sect Master, while he had only been accepted by an insignificant elder.
These people had clearly abandoned Wen Shubai alongside him. And now they were trying to curry favor with Wen Shubai again…
The sun climbed higher and higher. Almost no living creatures cast shadows on the ground anymore, and sweat covered the foreheads of the disciples in the training grounds.
Liu Fuyin was exhausted and preparing to rest. But when she saw Ji Zhaoxi training nearby with a tense expression, she fell silent for a moment before continuing.
For the dignity of the Liu family!
“Have you heard? Senior Brother Zhishan issued a life-and-death challenge to Senior Brother.”
“What? Why? Does Senior Brother Zhishan have some grudge against him?”
“A grudge? It’s far more than that. They’re sworn enemies!”
The other disciples remained quiet, but several of the new arrivals whispered among themselves.
Ji Zhaoxi caught the key words and lowered her sword. She pushed her way into the group. “Who is Senior Brother Zhishan?”
Everyone else stared at her in disbelief. “You don’t know who Senior Brother Zhishan is? Didn’t you go on that trial together?”
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head. She could not think of anyone whose name sounded like Zhishan.
Gu Wuyou said quietly, “The one with the drooping eyes. The gloomy-looking one.”
Ji Zhaoxi finally understood. So someone as sinister as Triangular Eyes actually had a name meaning “utmost goodness”…
Gu Wuyou sighed. “Why did Senior Brother sign a life-and-death challenge with Zhishan? What if he dies?”
He did not think Senior Brother Zhishan could win, but that man was sinister.
Ji Zhaoxi instinctively retorted, “Senior Brother is so powerful. He won’t die.”
Several of the new disciples gathered together, chattering animatedly.
“Who knows? I heard Senior Brother’s inner demon appeared, and the elders have been searching for him every day.”
“Then what will Senior Brother do during the trial of the heart? I never thought that someone as powerful as him would have an inner demon.”
The more Ji Zhaoxi listened, the quieter she became.
The sky filled with crimson clouds. The disciples in the training grounds were exhausted and returned to their courtyards. No one wanted to embarrass themselves in the sect’s grand examination.
Wen Shubai had just come out of the elders’ residence when he saw Ji Zhaoxi looking dispirited. He asked softly, “Junior Sister, was training too tiring this afternoon?”
Unlike usual, she was not chattering away. She merely gripped her heavy sword so tightly that her fingertips had gone white.
Wen Shubai stared at the silent Ji Zhaoxi for a moment before reaching over to ruffle her hair. His voice grew even gentler. “Are you unhappy? Who upset my junior sister?”
Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes immediately reddened. Wen Shubai paused, then wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and sighed. “Then I suppose I’m the one who upset Junior Sister.”
Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes were red with anger. “Senior Brother, why did you sign a life-and-death challenge with Triangular Eyes? What am I supposed to do if you die?”
Wen Shubai froze at the nickname Triangular Eyes, but quickly understood who she meant.
