Yun Xi wanted to cover her face out of embarrassment. She wanted to tell him, "Just forget about it in the sect. There's a powerhouse watching over this place. The moment even a trace of the Mystic Thunder Violet Flame leaks out, it'll be discovered immediately."
But there was no time for explanations. Wang Ye's second meteor hammer had already joined the attack.
With one hand gripping the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff, Yun Xi used the other to swiftly form hand seals. In the blink of an eye, the entire stage was engulfed in fluttering snowflakes. Though they looked harmless, the sight alone made Wang Ye's scalp tingle.
Yun Xi flicked her wrist and struck away the meteor hammer with a swing of her staff. Her voice was light as she spoke:
"Snow Dance Across the Sky."
As the words fell, the previously gentle snowfall suddenly turned into a blizzard. Snow swirled wildly through the air, shrouding Yun Xi's figure and cutting off Wang Ye's line of sight. He could no longer lock onto his target.
"This isn't possible!"
Wang Ye muttered to himself. He spun his meteor hammers into a fiery arc, forming a wall of flame around him to keep the snowflakes at bay.
Hidden by the snow, Yun Xi had already closed in on him. Wang Ye hadn't noticed, but his instincts were sharp. He hurled a fireball in Yun Xi's direction. She narrowly evaded it using Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind.
"So sharp..." Yun Xi thought.
After dodging the first attack, she summoned the Mystic Frost Needle from her dantian. The needle attached itself to a single snowflake and began drifting slowly toward Wang Ye.
To create an opening for the sneak attack, Yun Xi revealed herself within the storm. With both hands gripping the staff, she leapt into the air and came crashing down. Using the force of her fall, she struck hard against the pair of meteor hammers. The clash of ice and fire briefly disrupted Wang Ye's fire wall.
The Mystic Frost Needle slipped past the meteor hammers, brushing by them and closing in on Wang Ye. Just as he recalled his hammers for another strike, his expression shifted drastically. Dropping to one knee, he looked up at Yun Xi, eyes wide.
Yun Xi stood among the falling snow, one hand holding her staff. Her tone was calm.
"Senior Brother Wang, do you still want to fight?"
Wang Ye gritted his teeth. "What did you do to my dantian?"
Yun Xi raised her hand. A single snowflake landed neatly in her palm. She smiled faintly.
"I merely sent a snowflake in. Do you still want to continue, Senior Brother?"
Frustration welled up in Wang Ye's chest. His dantian was under her control now. What was the point of continuing? If he pushed on, the outcome wouldn't change. With no better option, he turned toward the judge.
"I concede."
The judge, a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn, immediately understood the reason behind Wang Ye's surrender and announced the failure of his challenge.
Only then did Yun Xi raise her hand and call back the Mystic Frost Needle, still hidden within the snowflake so that the watching disciples couldn't see its true form.
As the snowflake returned to Yun Xi's hand, the swirling storm vanished.
The protective shield lowered, and Wang Ye leapt off the stage, returning to his eighth-place platform.
Beneath the platform, murmurs rippled through the watching disciples.
"I didn't expect it. Wei Zhēnrén's move was quick, accurate, and ruthless. Just one snowflake decided the outcome."
"You didn't notice who Wei Zhēnrén's master is, did you?"
"To be fair, Wang Zhēnrén wasn't bad either. Fire counters ice. He just fell a bit short."
"Both of their techniques were brilliant. But I especially liked Wei Zhēnrén's 'Snow Dance Across the Sky.' It was beautiful and deadly."
"Exactly, especially paired with that white robe with blue patterns. She looked just like a fairy dancing through the snow."
"She formed her Golden Core early, so she hasn't fully grown into her looks. But once she does, she'll definitely make the Beauty Ranking in Haoran Sect."
The topic had clearly started to drift. Wei Yunqing, who had been quietly watching Yun Xi's match from the sidelines, felt her face twist with frustration. In her mind, she should have been the one standing on that stage receiving all the praise.
What she didn't realize was that her twisted expression had been caught by Sheng Yuhong, who was also watching Yun Xi's challenge not far away. His brows furrowed ever so slightly. He could sense the malice in Wei Yunqing's gaze.
Perhaps now he understood why Junior Sister Yun Xi had been avoiding him. It was likely because of his ties with Wei Yunqing. That was why she deliberately kept her distance. Yet, he had once saved Yun Xi during the beast tide in Baohua City. Her attitude back then had been nothing like now.
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. He needed to distance himself from Wei Yunqing. He also had to reach the Golden Core stage soon. Not only to avoid falling behind, but because the secret realm in the Baohua Mountains was about to open, and he intended to explore it together with Yun Xi.
With that decision made, Sheng Yuhong settled his mind and continued watching the tournament.
After defeating her first challenger, Yun Xi had one incense stick of rest time. Of course, if she chose to continue immediately, she could. The rest period could be deferred and accumulated after a second match.
She turned to Cao Yi and cupped her fists.
"Senior Brother Cao, do you plan to challenge me?"
Cao Yi looked a little embarrassed. It felt like he was using his strengths to target her weaknesses. But the reward for placing in the top three was tempting. So, he nodded.
"Yes. Once Junior Sister Wei finishes adjusting her breath, I'll challenge her."
Yun Xi smiled.
"No need. Please, Senior Brother Cao, go ahead."
Cao Yi was stunned for a moment. Then he leapt from his fifth-place platform to the one Yun Xi stood on.
Before the judge could even announce the start, Yun Xi cupped her fists again.
"This Junior Sister concedes."
With that, she turned and stepped off the platform, heading to the fifth-place one instead.
Cao Yi's face burned slightly. He hadn't expected Junior Sister Wei to concede twice in a row. It made him feel like his victories were hollow.
But Yun Xi hadn't thought that far. The match was a guaranteed loss, so why waste effort? It was just a ranking. It didn't define her worth. Including Cao Yi's challenge, she had already accepted two. One more would solidify her placement.
This time, Yun Xi used two incense sticks of time to sit and recover. Once the time passed, she opened her eyes, ready for her third challenger.
But no one came.
Yun Xi looked around. The other platforms were all engaged in matches, except hers.
"Huh? No one wants to challenge me?"
No one answered.
And so it continued until the end of the challenge tournament. No one challenged Yun Xi again, locking her in at fifth place.
She was more than satisfied. Not too high-profile, not a disappointment to her Master.
After the sect competition's award ceremony, Yun Xi took her prize and was about to head to the Cultivation Method Pavilion to browse for a new technique. But just then, Cao Yi blocked her path.
"Junior Sister Wei, wait."
Yun Xi pocketed the jade token for a free technique exchange and looked at Cao Yi's serious expression.
"What is it, Senior Brother Cao?"
"During my second challenge, you clearly had the strength to fight. Why did you concede?"
"I already said. I'm not very well-versed in formations, and I had no confidence in a sure win. That's why I chose to concede."
"But how can you be sure you couldn't break it if you never even tried?"
Yun Xi found Cao Yi a bit stubborn. She had already let him win, and yet he still pursued the matter. Left with no choice, she said helplessly:
"Senior Brother Cao, I appreciate your confidence in me. But I only have one method to break formations—brute force.
If I used it, even assuming I could break your formation, it would have damaged your divine sense. This wasn't a fight to the death. There was no need to go that far."