"Oh? Lei Xiuyuan has become a personal disciple now?"
A somewhat flippant male voice suddenly rang out behind them, startling Li Fei and the other two. They quickly turned around to see Hu Jiaping, who should have been teaching at the Academy, floating in mid-air with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. Three steps behind him stood a slender woman entirely veiled in black, standing atop a black Mystic Sword. The wind billowed her dark veils endlessly, drawing the gazes of many disciples nearby.
Deng Xiguang and Su Wan immediately recognized him as the legendary former genius Hu Jiaping and promptly bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior Brother Hu."
Hu Jiaping, lacking any semblance of seniority, casually waved his hand before patting Li Fei on the head. "You've grown taller, little girl."
Li Fei looked at him in delight, then at the black-veiled woman behind him, and grinned. "Senior Brother, did you bring A Mu back with you? Have you finished your duties as a teacher?"
"I had to come back for the Martial Competition Tournament—otherwise, I wouldn't have returned," Hu Jiaping shrugged. "I'll leave again once it's over."
So he came back specifically for the tournament? Then why bring the black-veiled woman along? Could these two really not bear to be apart even for a moment?
Li Fei had been intently watching Lei Xiuyuan's match, but their arrival kept drawing her attention. Finally, Hu Jiaping flicked her forehead with a knuckle. "What are you gawking at? Your Xiu Yuan is about to win—shouldn't you be watching?"
Still as blunt as ever. Li Fei glared at him before hurriedly looking down. Sure enough, the golden mist of the Golden Water Dragon's Roar had shattered the Earth Barrier completely. It suddenly dawned on her—the Mirage Dragon from the Trial Grounds in the Eastern Sea must have been reduced to dust by this same Immortal Technique.
Gu Wensheng had nowhere left to retreat. As the golden mist surged toward him like lightning, he could only shut his eyes tightly. Yet the next moment, nothing happened. He opened his eyes abruptly to see Lei Xiuyuan holding a golden light sword, its tip hovering three inches from his chest. The young man smiled faintly, withdrew the sword, and bowed leisurely. "Senior Brother Gu, I concede to your generosity."
Impressive! Utterly convinced, Gu Wensheng clasped his hands in admiration. "Junior Brother Lei, your skills and Immortal Technique are remarkable!"
Hu Jiaping snorted. "That guy doesn’t even know how to fight. Lei Xiuyuan is far more experienced in magical combat—losing would’ve been strange."
Li Fei frowned immediately. "Can’t you just admit that Xiu Yuan is genuinely strong?"
Hu Jiaping suppressed a laugh. "Hmm, 'your Xiu Yuan' is indeed strong. Satisfied?"
Every conversation with him left Li Fei itching to lose her temper. Suddenly, a hand rested lightly on her shoulder—Lei Xiuyuan had returned. He showed little deference to Hu Jiaping either, merely nodding and offering a perfunctory, "Senior Brother."
"Still as impolite as ever," Hu Jiaping sighed helplessly. "You became a personal disciple—shouldn’t you be focusing on cultivation instead of joining this tournament?"
That was a long story. Eager to get closer to the legendary senior brother, Deng Xiguang volunteered to explain the tangled web of affection and grudges involving Qin Yangling and Le Cailing. Hu Jiaping listened with a scoff. "So it’s Qin Yangling. That guy’s persistence is second to none."
"Senior Brother, have you fought him before?" Li Fei asked, noting his certainty."We had a magical combat ten years ago. He was so annoying that I ended up knocking him out with a Tickle Spell." Hu Jiaping said smugly, "That ranks fifth among the top ten most exciting magical combats of my life."
Top ten most exciting magical combats of his life... Li Fei couldn't help but laugh. Just as she was about to ask more about Qin Yangling, she suddenly felt Lei Xiuyuan take her hand. Turning her head, she saw his relaxed expression and smiled, "Not tired at all?"
Lei Xiuyuan tilted his head thoughtfully. "A little tired."
Li Fei was taken aback. Huh? Wasn't he supposed to say something cool and aloof like "not tired at all"? What did he mean by "a little tired"?
Suppressing a smile, Lei Xiuyuan gently removed the glass bead strand from her ear and tucked it into his robe, whispering, "Give me a keepsake, and I won't be tired anymore."
Li Fei patted his shoulder, causing a lock of her hair to slip down her chest. Fortunately, Zhao Min Shijie hadn't arrived yet, or she would surely scold her for the loose strand.
Lei Xiuyuan tucked the stray lock behind her ear and said calmly, "Don't worry."
Li Fei sighed. She thought she had hidden her concerns well. After all, Qin Yangling had been here for decades, was about to break through his fourth Bottleneck, and had a notoriously shameless personality. Losing wasn't the issue—what worried her was if he would resort to humiliating tactics. That would be truly awful.
"If I win, what's my reward?" Lei Xiuyuan whispered close to her ear.
Li Fei felt both amused and flustered. "What do you want?"
He pretended to ponder deeply, and Li Fei laughed, giving him another playful pat. Suddenly, a woman coughed loudly behind them. Li Fei quickly turned to see Zhao Min Shijie standing nearby, watching them with an amused smirk. Embarrassed, Li Fei clasped her hands behind her back and hurried over, forcing a chuckle. "Shijie, you're here."
"Your hair's loose." Zhao Min swiftly braided the loose strand and said lightly, "There are many people here. Don't get too carried away."
Li Fei felt her face burn. Seeing her blush, Zhao Min couldn't help but laugh. "Little girl, you're so easily flustered."
Just then, an elder called from the arena, "Zhao Min, Qin Yangling."
Zhao Min raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh? A match with him?"
Li Fei instinctively grabbed her sleeve, alarmed. "Shijie, you—"
Zhao Min patted her hand reassuringly. "It's fine. I might not beat him, but I won't lose too badly either. Don't worry."
She soared onto the arena on a cloud, where Qin Yangling stood opposite her. His Direct disciple uniform had been replaced with an ordinary Disciple uniform, yet he still carried himself with striking elegance. However, his eyes now held a sinister glint, devoid of his former warmth and ease. Without a word, he clasped his hands in salute. In the next moment, his sleeves swept out, and countless massive Ice Mirrors materialized across the arena, layer upon layer, their biting cold instantly spreading.
Gasps erupted from the surrounding disciples. This move was one of Zheng Xu Zhang Lao's renowned Immortal Techniques—the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror. If struck by a single Ice Mirror and unable to reach its opposite side within three breaths, the victim would freeze solid, unable to break free no matter their strength. Among restraining Immortal Techniques, the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror was considered top-tier. That this exiled Direct disciple had mastered it to such a degree was truly impressive.In the distance, Zheng Xu Zhang Lao let out a long sigh, his heart filled with sorrow. What he had admired in Qin Yangling was precisely this talent—with his pure water Spirit Root, he could unleash the full power of the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror. What a pity, what a waste. He secretly regretted banishing him from the Cloud Sea, hoping only that this punishment would set him back on the righteous path, devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivation from now on.
Zhaomin’s expression was grave. She, too, knew the might of the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror. Immediately, towering flames erupted around her, and a whirlwind surged from the ground. The fire, fueled by the wind, instantly engulfed the entire arena. Blades of wind and seas of fire gradually sliced and melted the massive Ice Mirrors. At the four corners of the arena, fiery lotuses bloomed one after another, their countless tongues of flame lashing wildly, forcing Qin Yangling, who had been hiding behind the Ice Mirrors, into the open.
Thunder rumbled faintly, followed by countless bolts of lightning crashing down with earth-shaking force. The surrounding disciples gasped once more. Thick smoke billowed across the arena, with flashes of lightning and fire raging endlessly. Zhaomin cast the Spring Rain Art, and the drizzling rain washed away all the dust and smoke. The countless Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirrors that had once filled the arena now lay shattered on the ground. Qin Yangling lay face down, motionless, his condition unknown.
Zhaomin had already recognized it as an Illusion spell. Suddenly sensing movement above her, she immediately erected multiple Earth Barriers. In a blur before her eyes, the Illusion spell dissipated, and she was horrified to find herself standing at the center of densely packed rings of Ice Mirrors, though she had no idea when she had been trapped there. Qin Yangling descended on a cloud, landing not far behind her, and leisurely sat down.
"Junior Sister Zhaomin, aren’t you going to run?" he asked softly.
Run? With so many Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirrors already locked onto her, where could she run? Zhaomin’s face paled, and she stood motionless. The next moment, her feet were suddenly encased in a layer of crystal-clear ice, followed by her ankles. The ice gradually spread, freezing her up to her waist before finally stopping.
Zhaomin felt as though the ice was sapping her strength—once frozen, she couldn’t muster even a shred of energy, nor could she use any Immortal Technique. The piercing cold invaded her body, her lips quickly turning blue-white as she began to shiver uncontrollably.
"Senior Brother Qin, I admit defeat—"
She clasped her hands, about to bow in surrender, when Qin Yangling abruptly cut her off: "Junior Sister Zhaomin, be quiet."
Suddenly, the ice swallowed her entire body. The cold within the ice was unnaturally piercing, as if it sought to penetrate her Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Zhaomin shuddered involuntarily.
"The match is over," the judging elder immediately declared, frowning slightly at Qin Yangling. He could have refrained from freezing the female disciple so thoroughly—there was no need for such cruelty. The cold poison would surely run rampant through her Eight Extraordinary Meridians, requiring extensive effort to cure. Though his Immortal Techniques were exquisite, his character seemed questionable.
The ice shattered piece by piece, and Zhaomin, utterly drained, collapsed weakly. The cold raged through her Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and despite her protective Immortal Techniques, she remained deathly pale and trembling all over.
Unable to bear it any longer, Li Fei could hold back no more. He rushed down, scooping her up in his arms and immediately weaving a Healing net. Glaring darkly at Qin Yangling, he saw the man simply smile faintly and say, "She was outmatched. A few more decades of hard training might help."Li Fei couldn't be bothered to exchange even a single word with him. The Zhaomin in her arms suddenly fainted, her skin gradually turning as cold and piercing as ice.
"The cold poison is raging within her. The Healing Net won't work—she needs a more refined Immortal Technique for treatment."
After the judging elder finished speaking, he tossed out a piece of Talisman Paper. In an instant, a crimson fire dragon roared into the sky. At the signal, two elders immediately stepped forward to examine Zhaomin's condition. Seeing how severe the cold poison within her was, their expressions darkened slightly. In magical combat, injuries were unavoidable, but such brazenly vicious cold poison was rare—the disciple responsible had clearly gone too far.
Li Fei watched as Zhao Min Shijie was carried away by the two elders for treatment. She couldn't care about propriety now and hurriedly chased after them.
Qin Yangling watched her retreating figure, then suddenly looked up toward Lei Xiuyuan high above. Amid the clamor, he pointed at Li Fei, then at Lei Xiuyuan, before sneering and soaring away on a cloud.
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