Lin Ya hadn't expected Yun Jin to pull off something like this. But then again, since it was Yun Jin, it somehow made perfect sense. If Yun Jin didn't stir up a bit of chaos, Lin Ya would actually start to worry.
"Sect Master," Lin Ya said with a straight face and a faint smile, "this just shows how seriously Xiao Jin takes the tournament. Preparing all these things took time and effort. She simply thought everyone waiting around for the matches might get bored, so she sacrificed her own time to make this for everyone. Such spirit, truly moving."
Zhao Wuji: "???"
He gave Lin Ya a cold glare. "You really know how to twist words."
Lin Ya, now utterly unafraid of Zhao Wuji, replied, "Twist? What's there to twist? Which sect rule says we're not allowed to set up stalls during the sect tournament? None, right? If there's no rule, then nothing's wrong."
Zhao Wuji's temper flared. "The sect rules also don't say you can't commit suicide. Why don't you go do that?"
Lin Ya feigned shock. "What? Sect Master, you're thinking of suicide? Absolutely not! You're the soul of our Tianxing Sect! If you were gone, I can't even imagine how joyful—"
He paused. "How painful our lives would be."
Zhao Wuji's face turned completely dark.
Ever since Yun Jin arrived, Lin Ya had been acting more and more unhinged.
Fine, let Lin Ya be shameless. But should he lower himself to match?
Everyone knew Lin Ya had no shame. But could he, the Sect Master, stoop that low?
Zhao Wuji turned his head away, too annoyed to keep the argument going.
It was just a few more days.
He'd chalk it up to Lin Ya's final struggle before the fall.
Let him act out a little. It could be forgiven.
Zhao Wuji turned his attention back to the tournament stage.
While all that had been going on, a victor had already emerged on Platform One.
Ruan Jun stood with a curved saber-shaped artifact pressed against his opponent's neck, smiling with perfect poise. "Thank you for the match, junior brother."
His opponent collapsed in a daze, visibly shaken.
This opponent was also in the Nascent Soul stage, though at the early stage compared to Ruan Jun's peak. Still, he hadn't even lasted three moves. That kind of gap was frightening.
"Platform One, victory goes to Ruan Jun," the judge announced.
Ruan Jun gave a calm smile, his gaze shifting directly to Yun Jin. "Junior sister Yun, I do hope we meet in the next round."
Everyone followed his gaze.
Yun Jin smiled softly. "I hope so too. Though for now…"
Ruan Jun narrowed his eyes.
Yun Jin suddenly brightened. "Senior brother Ruan, would you like some pastries?"
Ruan Jun's expression darkened.
She had just watched such a fight and still looked so relaxed?
Did she not take him seriously, or did she have a death wish?
Ruan Jun sneered and jumped off the stage. "Junior sister Yun, are you selling snacks now to save up for your coffin?"
Yun Jin beamed. "Exactly. So how about supporting my business?"
Ruan Jun found it laughable and tossed her a top-grade spirit stone. "Keep the change."
So generous?
Yun Jin's eyes lit up. She quickly pocketed the stone and laid out some spare spirit herbs and ores she had on hand.
With a hopeful look, she said, "Senior brother Ruan, all this together, just fifty top-grade spirit stones."
Ruan Jun's smile froze.
Was she taking him for a sucker?
"Too expensive? Forty-nine, but that's as low as I'll go," Yun Jin added.
Ruan Jun stormed off, face dark.
Yun Jin called after him, "What, can't even afford a few spirit stones, senior brother?"
He didn't reply.
Yun Jin muttered, "I thought he was generous. Turns out he was just pretending."
High above in the void,
Qing Yun chuckled.
"What an interesting disciple. Looks like the Xuandan Gate is going to get lively," he said with amusement.
Those two brats, Feng Yu and Li Yun, always loved showing off their disciples in front of him.
Well now, this one disciple of his could probably drive all seven or eight of theirs to an early grave.
"Xuandan Gate?" Cang Li commented coolly. "It's not far from Kunlun Sword Sect. Since you're already here, Senior Qing Yun, remember to visit my junior sister Yun more often."
Cang Li had once been unsure if Yun Jin would truly become his direct junior sister.
But now?
He had merely passed along a message, and his master had rushed over in person.
If that didn't prove it, what would?
Yun Jin was definitely going to be his little junior sister!
"Is that so? Pity the Beastmaster Sect is a bit farther. Traveling back and forth will be tough," Shen Yanye said with smug confidence. "But don't worry, I'll be sure to pass along all your sentiments to Yun Jin."
The Beastmaster Sect was closest. His master, the Mahayana cultivator Liuli Zhēnzūn, would be arriving soon.
Qing Yun might be Mahayana too, but as a pill master, his combat power wasn't as focused. In a real scramble, he couldn't compete with Liuli Zhēnzūn.
Yun Jin had long been fated to join the Beastmaster Sect.
The three hovering in the void glanced at one another, mutual hostility clear in their eyes.
Heh.
Yun Jin was just one person. In the end, it would come down to who had the skill to claim her.
The tournament continued without pause.
A full twenty-six matches were conducted far quicker than expected.
Many fights were over in mere moments.
Both Yue Zhao and Yu Songnian advanced with ease.
And now, it was Si Wanning's turn.
Her opponent: Zhou Li.
Si Wanning didn't bear any particular ill will toward the Zhou brothers. In fact, she even felt a little sorry for them.
But this was the tournament stage.
Giving it everything she had was the truest form of respect.
And this time,
She would not let Tianjian Peak lose.
Even if they only had four participants,
They would fight with everything they had for first place!
"Senior brother Zhou Li," Si Wanning bowed slightly, "my apologies."
A crystalline longsword appeared in her hand.
Zhou Li's expression was grim as he summoned a spear.
In the next moment,
they became blurs of motion, locked in fierce combat.
Sword versus spear, both perfectly matched. Each clash thrilled the audience.
No one even watched the other two matches happening alongside it. Every gaze was fixed on this rare high-level match that came so early in the tournament.
Even Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes.
He knew Zhou Li's strength. Years of field training had given him real combat experience, which should have given him the upper hand over Si Wanning.
But then,
the winds on the platform suddenly shifted.
Zhao Wuji's face changed slightly.
Lotus blossoms unfurled across the arena, petals swirling.
Zhou Li faltered.
And in that instant,
Si Wanning's blade was already at his throat.
Zhou Li's spear clattered weakly to the ground. He murmured, "Seventh level sword art…"
Si Wanning had taken her Lotus Bloom Sword Art to a new height.
The seventh level!