As soon as Yuan Shu finished speaking, Qu Qing's expression instantly darkened. He turned his head and swept his gaze toward the dumbfounded Lu Guichen beside him. "You want to kill her?"
Lu Guichen's expression changed. He never expected Qu Qing to suddenly intervene and stop him from attacking Yuan Shu, let alone question him like this.
What was going on?
What exactly had Yuan Shu done to make the Sect Master treat her this way?
Lu Guichen was shocked and uncertain. Facing Qu Qing's cold and severe gaze, he quickly calmed down and bowed.
"Sect Master, Yuan Shu was originally a personal disciple of my Azure Cloud Peak. After being expelled from Azure Cloud Peak, I don't know what methods she used to bewitch Peak Master Yao into making her a guest elder of Medicine Cloud Peak."
"I was afraid that Peak Master Yao was being deceived and would do something he'd regret, so I acted out of desperation to stop it."
"Yuan Shu is merely a Foundation Establishment disciple. With such a status, how is she worthy of the position of guest elder at Medicine Cloud Peak?"
Lu Guichen's earnest report was originally expected to win the Sect Master's approval.
However, he didn't expect that as soon as his words fell, Qu Qing would speak, and what he said left him completely stunned.
"Since Yuan Shu has already left your Azure Cloud Peak, she has the right to freely choose her place of cultivation."
"As long as other peaks are willing to accept her, she can go."
"The Peak Master of Medicine Cloud Peak has already agreed to her position as a guest elder. Why are you, the Peak Master of Azure Cloud Peak, interfering?"
"Does your Azure Cloud Peak now manage the internal affairs of Medicine Cloud Peak?"
When Qu Qing said this, his tone clearly carried dissatisfaction with Lu Guichen's meddling.
The faint glance he cast over even carried blame for him attacking and injuring Yuan Shu.
Lu Guichen was dumbfounded.
No, that was a guest elder of Medicine Cloud Peak! Yuan Shu was a trash disciple expelled from Azure Cloud Peak who didn't even understand pharmacology. What right did she have to enter Medicine Cloud Peak as a guest elder?
As the Sect Master, instead of stopping Yao Qianci's nonsense, Qu Qing was blaming him for meddling?
These words didn't just leave Lu Guichen bewildered; even Yao Qianci on the side cast a surprised look over.
What was going on?
When did Yuan Shu even have a relationship with the Sect Master?
Was this real or fake? Was he dreaming?
For a moment, Lu Guichen wondered if Qu Qing had been possessed. Why else would he speak up for Yuan Shu like this?
But after just one glance up, Lu Guichen abandoned this thought.
Qu Qing was the Sect Master of the Fallen Immortal Sect, with strength reaching the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm. Who could possess him?
Besides, the sword strike that stopped his attack just now—who else besides Qu Qing had that kind of strength?
"Yes, the Sect Master's reprimand is correct."
Although Lu Guichen's heart was full of resentment, facing Qu Qing, he had no choice but to suppress his dissatisfaction.
Qu Qing didn't look at Lu Guichen again, but turned to look at Yuan Shu on the side. "You just said you want to be a guest elder of Medicine Cloud Peak?"
"I do have that intention." Yuan Shu nodded.
Qu Qing's expression softened slightly, a hint of a smile faintly surging in his eyes, and he nodded in finality. "Since Peak Master Yao has agreed, then go ahead."
"The Sect Competition is about to begin. Peak Master Yao, I leave Yuan Shu in your care. You must not let her be harmed again!"
Qu Qing turned his head and instructed Yao Qianci in a serious tone.
Yao Qianci was slightly startled in his heart, hurriedly bowing and cupping his hands in response. "Yes."
After dealing with the matters here, Qu Qing led the other peak masters and elders to the high platform's main seats above the open-air grand hall to host the Sect Competition.
It seemed that his protection of Yuan Shu just now was merely done in passing.
"Master, between that Yuan Shu and the Sect Master..." Su Lingxi hesitated to speak.
Just now, when the Sect Master reprimanded Lu Guichen, she was going crazy with anxiety and jealousy.
Why did this Yuan Shu have Yao Qianci of Medicine Cloud Peak standing up for her, and also the protection of Sect Master Qu Qing?
Why?
Lu Guichen's face was gloomy, but he didn't believe Yuan Shu really had any relationship with Qu Qing.
"Perhaps it's because the Sect Competition is about to start. The Sect Master might have accidentally stumbled upon this and didn't want to waste time, so he stepped in to stop it."
"Yuan Shu was at Azure Cloud Peak for ten years, and I never saw her have any remarkable abilities, nor did I ever hear that she had any relationship with the Sect Master."
"As for today's matter, we'll talk about it after the Sect Competition!"
"Lingxi, this Sect Competition is also an opportunity for you to gain experience. Go take some healing medicine and rest for a bit. In the afternoon, participate in the under-twenty competition."
Su Lingxi bit her lip and could only agree.
"Yes."
She originally thought she could trample Yuan Shu underfoot in the previous contest, but she didn't expect to be the one losing face.
Now her spirit sword was gone, her master had been reprimanded by the Sect Master, and she could only watch helplessly as Yuan Shu retreated unscathed with her spirit sword.
Su Lingxi gritted her teeth fiercely. Even with immense unwillingness in her heart, she could only swallow her tears for now.
...
"Today's Sect Competition is meant for sparring and improvement, stopping at the point of victory. I hope all disciples will go all out, not failing your cultivation, and not failing your masters..."
"This Sect Competition officially begins!"
Qu Qing stood on the high platform. After the same opening remarks as every year, the competition officially started.
Countless circular martial arts arenas rose from the plaza below the grand hall, immediately attracting the attention of everyone below.
These arenas were divided by age: the lowest tier was under twenty, followed by under thirty, under fifty, and under one hundred.
This separated the participating disciples accordingly.
Among them, disciples aged twenty to fifty were the majority, occupying most of the martial arts arenas.
The elders each performed their duties. Soon, eligible disciples leaped onto the arenas one after another, beginning their respective matches.
Qu Qing raised his eyes and glanced down, his gaze involuntarily pausing on Yuan Shu in the crowd.
"Peak Master Shen, do you think this Yuan Shu can really bring our Fallen Immortal Sect's underground spirit vein back to life?"
Behind Qu Qing, Shen Jingyuan, Peak Master of Soaring Cloud Peak, cupped his hands slightly. "Sect Master, when Yuan Shu came to find you the other day, wasn't it already tested?"
"The sect's underground spirit vein indeed reacted in her hands. Since she says so, she must have her confidence."
"Furthermore, the underground spirit vein of the Fallen Immortal Sect is a secret within the sect. The fact that Yuan Shu could detect it herself is an ability surprising enough."
"Now that the underground spirit vein is weakening day by day, it will likely dry up completely in at most half a year. We can only treat a dead horse as a living one and give it a try!"
Qu Qing nodded; he thought the same.
Two days ago, Yuan Shu had suddenly come to him and straightforwardly pointed out the drying up of the Fallen Immortal Sect's underground spirit vein.
He was both astounded and terrified at the time.
The sect's underground spirit vein was a matter of utmost importance to the sect!
Besides him and Shen Jingyuan, only the two Supreme Elders left by the old Sect Master knew about it.
To have it pointed out by Yuan Shu in a single sentence scared him so much that he wanted to kill her to silence her right then and there.
But Yuan Shu's next sentence was that she could bring the nearly exhausted underground spirit vein back to life!
Moreover, she accurately pointed out the specific location of the underground spirit vein.
He forcefully held himself back and silently sheathed his forty-meter-long broadsword.
After thoroughly questioning Yuan Shu, he confirmed that she was telling the truth.
To be more convincing, Yuan Shu even took the two of them to the underground spirit vein.
She directly laid her hands on it, making the originally dim underground spirit vein radiate wisps of the light of vitality once more.
