The steward was somewhat skeptical, yet he didn't dare completely disbelieve it.
After all, Xiao Li daring to bet his only few dozen spirit stones on Yuan Shu winning back then was a massive gamble.
At that time, Yuan Shu was nothing more than a useless personal disciple at the mere Qi Condensation Realm!
If he hadn't been certain she would win, how could he have dared to do such a thing?
In other words, the reason Xiao Li bet on Yuan Shu was that he knew she was guaranteed to win?
Moreover, he had indeed heard that Yuan Shu personally gave her winning spirit stones to Xiao Li.
Could there really be a relationship between these two?
The steward was a bit unsure.
If Yuan Shu were still that useless personal disciple from Qingyun Peak, perhaps he wouldn't be so conflicted.
After all, she would just be a Qi Condensation personal disciple; no matter how capable she was, she would have no authority over his Spirit Beast Garden.
But a Guest Elder of Yaoyun Peak was entirely different.
That was an existence equivalent to a Vice Peak Master in status. Dismissing a lowly Spirit Beast Garden steward like him wasn't out of the question.
It was better to be safe than sorry!
What if Xiao Li really did know her?
Hesitation filled the steward's heart, and his expression shifted repeatedly.
Finally, he squeezed out a smile on his plump face. Hehe, hehe, Xiao Li, my boy, I might have been a bit too strict with you before.
Ahem, since you know Guest Elder Yuan, why didn't you mention it earlier? What exactly is your relationship with her?
Seeing the steward act like this, Xiao Li knew he had successfully bluffed him for now. He casually brushed the dust off his lapel.
It's nothing much. She just owed my family a favor in the past and said she would look out for me once she made a name for herself.
It was just a casual remark back then. I never thought she would take it seriously, nor did I expect her to actually stand up for me this time.
Xiao Li carelessly fabricated a story, and sure enough, he saw the steward's expression change.
If that was really the case, then he would probably have to change his attitude toward Xiao Li from now on.
At the very least, as long as that Guest Elder Yuan remained a Guest Elder, he could no longer boss Xiao Li around.
The steward spoke with a chuckle, Alright, alright. If you had mentioned this connection earlier, I wouldn't have made you clean the spirit horse stables.
How about this: you naturally have a rather strong affinity with spirit beasts, so starting tomorrow, you can go help out in the Beast Taming Garden. You won't need to sweep the stables anymore.
The hostility on Xiao Li's face dissipated a little. Neither haughty nor humble, he cupped his hands in a salute. Then I thank you, Steward.
Don't mention it, don't mention it.
...
Meanwhile, Yuan Shu had no idea that her name was already being used to bluff people.
After coming over from the dueling arena, Yao Qianci had someone invite her to watch the Sect Grand Tournament, but Yuan Shu declined.
At that moment, she was leaning against a dense tree near the arena, lazily looking down.
As coincidence would have it, she met Lu Guichen's dark, gloomy face and Su Lingxi's resentful gaze.
Seeing them unhappy made Yuan Shu happy.
In a great mood, Yuan Shu flashed a wide grin, her eyes curving into crescents. This infuriated Lu Guichen so much that he blew into his beard and glared, nearly passing out from anger.
Silly little girl, let's see how long she can stay so smug!
Lu Guichen's face was grim. He took two deep breaths before managing to suppress his seething rage.
Beside him, Su Lingxi also gnashed her teeth in hatred, but now was clearly not the time to deal with Yuan Shu, so she could only swallow her bellyful of grievances.
...
Yuan Shu and Su Lingxi's match was merely a brief interlude before the grand tournament.
Today's protagonists were obviously the sect's prodigies who had trained diligently for an entire year.
Brilliant flashes of spiritual energy continuously erupted from the dueling arenas. As the results of fresh matches were announced one after another, it ignited the disciples' passion to fight for the number one spot.
Yuan Shu didn't have much interest in such competitions.
However, she had promised someone that she would definitely come to watch his match today.
Suddenly, a loud exclamation erupted from one of the dueling arenas below.
The chatter instantly boiled over like a pot of hot water, rising and falling in a cacophony that could be heard clearly even on the hillside a hundred meters away.
It immediately drew everyone's attention.
On the nearby arena, a tall, straight figure stood quietly in the wind.
His light blue long robes fluttered gracefully, capturing everyone's gaze.
He was handsome with an otherworldly temperament. His face featured fair skin and exquisite features, while his brows carried a cold, detached aura that rarely showed joy or anger.
Is that... Qingyun Peak's personal disciple, Leng Shuxue? someone recognized the man and immediately cried out in surprise.
Didn't he get afflicted with a demonic poison that left him unable to stand? How is he standing up?
It really is him! How, how is he standing? Has his demonic poison been cured?
Look closely, he didn't just stand up. He just sent a Foundation Establishment disciple of the same age flying!
Good heavens! Wasn't he also at the Foundation Establishment Realm before? Looking at his current spiritual energy fluctuations, he's at least at the Golden Core Realm!
No, no, no, not just Golden Core, it's the Nascent Soul Realm!
He must have broken through continuously. Because his advancement was too fast, his spiritual energy fluctuations are unstable, making it look like Golden Core. But right now, he has absolutely entered the Nascent Soul Realm!
What? Nascent Soul? How, how is this possible? Even that genius Yin Ruobai from Lingyun Peak is only at the late stage of the Golden Core Realm!
How could someone who has been in a wheelchair for years cultivate faster than Yin Ruobai?
Back in the day, Leng Shuxue was also a top-tier prodigy of the Luoxian Sect, possessing exceptional cultivation talent!
He broke through to the Golden Core Realm at a very young age.
But later, he was afflicted with demonic poison, rendering his legs completely crippled, and he could never stand again.
His movement relied entirely on a wheelchair and the support of his spiritual energy.
Under the corrosive influence of the demonic poison, his own cultivation base also plummeted sharply.
Slowly, he regressed back to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
At that time, anyone in the Luoxian Sect who knew of Leng Shuxue would express their pity.
But now, Leng Shuxue's legs were perfectly fine. He stood tall and straight on the arena, his aloof and outstanding figure leaving everyone staring in astonishment!
Discussions rose and fell.
Ever since Leng Shuxue moved to the cave dwelling in the back mountain to live, he rarely appeared in the public eye.
The last time anyone saw him was a few days ago in the Death Demon Forest, and at that time, Leng Shuxue was still in his wheelchair, unable to walk.
Yet now, Leng Shuxue's legs were perfectly straight. With unparalleled grace, he looked like a pristine and picturesque bright moon.
Radiant and dazzling!
Up in the stands, Lu Guichen abruptly shot to his feet, staring at Leng Shuxue with eyes full of disbelief.
Beside him, Shen Jingyuan stroked his goatee and smiled, Peak Master Lu, how could you not reveal in advance that your genius disciple had advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm? You really kept it hidden deep!
Reveal?
What was he supposed to reveal?
Even he didn't know, so what could he possibly reveal?
Lu Guichen's face was pitch black. He gave two dry laughs and brushed it off, It's a surprise, it's all a surprise.
Shen Jingyuan raised an eyebrow and let out a scoff.
Looking at it this way, did Lu Guichen have absolutely no idea why Leng Shuxue could stand up?
That made sense; after all, he was the one who personally kicked Yuan Shu off Qingyun Peak!
Shen Jingyuan's expression suddenly became profound and meaningful.
If his guess was right, the reason Leng Shuxue was able to stand up was related to Yuan Shu!
