"Is what you said true?"
Bai Yang's eyes flickered, and he stared intently at Ye Chuxue.
"It's true."
Ye Chuxue nodded, feeling that Bai Yang was acting a little strange today.
Hearing this, Bai Yang pressed his lips together, a sigh of relief escaping in his heart.
'Master must still care about me, right?'
'That's why she warned Ye Chuxue to stay away from me.'
He led Ye Chuxue into the courtyard but didn't accept the Elixir Pills she offered him.
"The Heavenly Genius Tournament is in a few days. If you're still injured, how will you compete?"
Ye Chuxue was anxious, worried about Bai Yang's injuries, and insisted on shoving the Elixir Pills into his hand.
But Bai Yang just shook his head, his eyes cold.
'If I'm injured, maybe Master will feel sorry for me?'
"Even with my injuries, I won't lose to anyone!"
'I will make Master see just how outstanding I am!'
'Only I can be Master's pride.'
'That Li Rao is nothing!'
*
On the day of the Heavenly Genius Tournament, the most talented disciples from every sect and clan gathered at the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.
Song Wanning and the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs who were in the sect all made an appearance to show how much importance they placed on the tournament.
Some time had passed since she had broken off the engagement, and Song Wanning had not seen Gu Qingyuan since.
Seeing each other today, the two were like strangers, keeping a great distance between them.
People from other sects didn't know what had happened, and some even laughingly teased them, asking about their wedding date, only to be deflected by the Sect Master with just a few words.
Ye Chuxue's internal injuries hadn't fully healed, but she looked much better.
She stood behind Gu Qingyuan, basking in the "envious" gazes from the disciples below the stage.
Once, she had been nothing but a piece of trash with Five Spirit Roots. But through her relentless efforts, she was now a genius Cultivator with a Chaos Spirit Root and had been accepted as Gu Qingyuan's disciple.
'These people can be as envious and jealous as they want, but there's nothing they can do about it.'
'This is what I earned through my own hard work!'
Ye Chuxue's confidence surged. In today's tournament, she was determined to perform well and show everyone that Gu Qingyuan had made no mistake in taking her as his disciple.
Her fighting spirit soared as she stood ready, completely unaware that the disciples in the crowd were whispering about her.
"Tch, look at that smug look on Ye Chuxue's face. She has no shame!"
"Grandmaster Gu has terrible taste. How could he have taken a liking to Ye Chuxue? No matter how you look at it, Grandmaster Song is far superior!"
"What do you know? He got tired of fine dining and decided he wanted to try some crap for a change!"
"Pah! How fucking disgusting. This is practically incest!"
"To disregard all worldly principles... it's utterly repulsive!"
"…"
Previously in the Cultivation World, Venerable Mo Yu fell in love with his own disciple. He didn't hesitate to betray his sect to be with her, defying all worldly conventions in a tumultuous and passionate affair.
But in the end, no one can completely ignore the judgment of the outside world. After getting together, the two did not find happiness. Instead, they were crushed by immense pressure.
Because of this, Venerable Mo Yu was plagued by a Heart Demon, failed to pass his Heavenly Tribulation, and was killed by its lightning.
As for his disciple, she went mad and was killed in a beast tide not long after.
Feeling the many stares from the crowd like thorns on his back, Gu Qingyuan unconsciously furrowed his brow. He worried that Ye Chuxue would gradually distance herself from him after she learned the truth.
But he couldn't stop the wagging tongues of the masses. He could only hope that Ye Chuxue would find out as late as possible.
Song Wanning sat off to one side with a placid expression. Her three disciples stood behind her, all of them unusually quiet today.
Even the normally talkative An Ze stood there obediently, not daring to utter another arrogant word.
After being injured by Song Wanning twice in a row, he had finally realized that she was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, a powerful existence far beyond his reach.
In the past, she had merely been giving him some face and didn't bother arguing with him, but now, it was clear his Master was no longer willing to treat him with any courtesy.
An Ze clenched his fist. As resentment festered in his heart, a trace of fear grew alongside it. Plus, without his Master's Elixir Pills to help him recover, his body still ached terribly.
He glanced up at his Senior Brother beside him.
Senior Brother's expression was grim, his gaze fixed on Li Rao, who stood by their Master's side.
It was impossible to tell what emotion was in his eyes.
All in all, the atmosphere in the Heavenly Inquiry Sect was a bit strange.
The sect masters from the other sects gradually noticed it too. Their expressions shifted slightly, and their cheerful chatter slowly faded.
Once all the competing disciples had arrived, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, as the one in charge of the tournament, stepped onto the high platform.
"The purpose of this Heavenly Genius Tournament is for our seven great sects and four great houses to spar, exchange knowledge, and improve together. All disciples must give it their all, but you must also know when to stop. You are not to take a life, and more importantly, you must not destroy another's foundation!"
He first laid out the rules, added a few more words of instruction, and then handed over the hosting duties to an elder from the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.
For this Heavenly Genius Tournament, each sect and clan could send ten combatants. All were disciples at the Foundation Establishment Stage, regardless of their specific Cultivation level. Only those who distinguished themselves in the initial free-for-all would advance to the next round.
Ye Chuxue, Bai Yang, and Lu Nanfeng were all among them. Only An Ze, who had joined the sect a bit later, had not qualified to participate in this tournament.
"Master, I will be going with Senior Brother now!"
Lu Nanfeng bowed his head and spoke to Song Wanning with rigid formality, a far cry from his previous intimacy.
He no longer dared to overstep his bounds in the slightest, fearing that if Song Wanning was displeased, she would send another slap his way.
Song Wanning had no reaction to his words. Lu Nanfeng wasn't surprised, but he still stepped down from the viewing platform with a hint of disappointment.
Bai Yang also stared at the back of Song Wanning's head for a few moments with heavy eyes before leaping down.
Ye Chuxue followed close behind them. Gu Qingyuan's worried gaze remained fixed on her, his expression fraught with anxiety.
'If Song Wanning hadn't interfered, Chuxue's injuries would have healed long ago!'
Veins bulged on the back of his hand. He couldn't help but look toward Song Wanning, his eyes filled with reproach.
But he saw that Song Wanning was staring right back at him, smiling.
It was a meaningful smile.
Gu Qingyuan's heart clenched. He felt that something was wrong, and his mood grew even more agitated.
He quickly looked away, trying to calm his emotions.
Seeing this, the smile on Song Wanning's lips deepened, and a wicked glint flashed in her eyes.
'The tournament hasn't even started, and Gu Qingyuan is already this distressed.'
'When he watches Ye Chuxue get pummeled later, won't his heart just break?'
She leaned back lazily and ate a grape that Li Rao had brought to her lips.
"Song Dao You, you don't seem worried in the least. You must be extremely confident in your disciples' strength?"
The Sect Master of the Mountain Gazing Sect chuckled, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
At his words, everyone turned to look at her.
Song Wanning nonchalantly spit out a grape seed. Her movements were languid and leisurely, and as she slowly raised her gaze, it made people's hearts tremble.
"Winning or losing isn't important. As long as they don't die, it's fine."
She had long since stopped caring whether Bai Yang and Lu Nanfeng could win or not.
As long as it didn't affect her grand plan, it was fine.
The Mountain Gazing Sect Master's smile froze on his face, becoming a bit strained. "Heh heh, Song Dao You certainly loves to joke…"
Everyone knew that Song Wanning had always had a bad temper. Doted on by her family since childhood and later taken in as a disciple by Venerable Fengya, her path in cultivation had been completely smooth.
Coupled with her outstanding talent for Alchemy, it had always been others who had to curry favor with her.