Chapter 122

Occasional sounds of arguments from the back mountain made the scene lively and chaotic.

These kids never seem to settle down when they are together.

Several senior brothers from Changming Sect were lagging behind, with Xue Yu being one of the rare ones taking the running seriously. Using her method of stepping on others’ shoulders, Ye Qiao quickly caught up with the third senior brother at the front, and the two ran side by side.

“The one from Yueqing Sect,” Xue Yu glanced back at the disciples left behind, speaking urgently, “She’s been released.”

Ye Qiao initially didn’t notice anyone, but upon seeing her, she said leisurely, “About two more days until we enter the secret realm. She’s been released after serving her time.”

She knew Yunhen, and was aware that the punishment was just for show. Yunhen had eagerly awaited this prodigious spiritual root and would never truly punish her.

The back mountain wasn’t very large, and now it was occupied by a group of disciples. Running meant they would inevitably encounter each other.

When Ye Qiao and Yun Que crossed paths, Ye Qiao thought Yun Que had learned her lesson and wouldn’t initiate conversation.

Unexpectedly, Yun Que spoke up. As they were about to pass each other, Yun Que pursed her lips and softly said, “Second senior sister, you’ve been in the cultivation world for so long. Have you heard the saying, ‘Heaven rewards diligence’?”

That disgusting term ‘second senior sister’ made Ye Qiao turn her head. As Yun Que was about to run past, Ye Qiao unexpectedly punched her in the face.

Yun Que didn’t expect her to attack without warning and hastily retreated, but her earlobe still got grazed, causing a burning pain.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Xue Yu stopped and his voice turned cold.

Yun Que took a deep breath and quickly finished her sentence, “But in reality, heaven doesn’t reward diligence. Heaven favors the talented.”

Yun Que was still unwilling to admit that Ye Qiao, who was once inferior to her in every way, had become so competent. “So, just because you learn a lot doesn’t mean you have high talent.”

“Oh.” Ye Qiao recognized the sarcasm and resisted the urge to punch her again. She replied calmly, “I didn’t realize you considered me diligent?”

How flattering.

“Move, move, move. Don’t block the way.” Chu Xingzhi couldn’t stand Yun Que. He directly sprinted and knocked her aside.

A sword cultivator pushing a talisman cultivator was effortless.

Yun Que staggered and almost got knocked down, luckily Su Zhu quickly grabbed her.

Her expression changed several times but ultimately said nothing.

She couldn’t afford to offend the people from Wenjian Sect; otherwise, how would Senior Brother Qinghan view her?

Su Zhu pursed his lips and advised, “Don’t bother with them. Those sword cultivators are always so rude.”

“Who are you calling rude?” Mu Chongxi glanced back at him with a mocking smile. “Why don’t we have a fight and see how courteous your Yueqing Sect fights?”

Su Zhu’s expression changed immediately.

In the past, he would have been confident that Changming Sect wouldn’t start a fight, as it would result in point deductions.

But now, Changming Sect had secured first place in the team competition. Losing some points meant nothing. If Mu Chongxi got angry, getting beaten up would be humiliating.

Seeing Su Zhu fall silent, Yun Que felt aggrieved. These talisman cultivators were unreliable.

If only Song Hansheng would come out and speak for her, she doubted Mu Chongxi would be so arrogant.

Yun Que lowered her watery eyes, clenching her fingers, trying to console herself.

When the fifth match starts, she would make them pay.

“I think this little sister from Yueqing Sect really resents us.” Xue Yu observed, his tone contemplative. Growing up in a prominent family, he was good at reading people.

Initially, Yun Que might have simply felt dissatisfied with being overshadowed by Ye Qiao.

But now, her character seemed somewhat twisted.

Ye Qiao felt the plot had gone so astray it was unrecognizable.

First, after losing his first place, Ye Qinghan focused solely on the righteous path, with no time for romance.

Second, her senior brothers had become somewhat abnormal, causing Yun Que to lose many potential suitors.

“Has she been eating bull-strength candies lately?” Ye Qiao clicked her tongue lightly. “Something seems off.”

Previously, Yun Que wouldn’t have been arrogant enough to provoke her.

While chatting, the other senior brothers gradually caught up. Running was routine for them, and utilizing Treading the Breeze easily widened the gap. Once together, they started discussing what had happened.

“Be careful of her in the individual competition.” Xue Yu warned, “That Yun Que, haven’t you noticed? Her luck is unusually good.”

Mu Chongxi: “We know, but don’t the other sects hate us just as much?” What’s one Yun Que? Plenty of disciples dislike them.

Xue Yu’s expression darkened, “It’s different.” The five sects fought but rarely caused trouble. Yun Que, however, seemed like a wildcard.

Xue Yu was about to say more when he saw Mu Chongxi already running off to mess with Chu Xingzhi.

Xue Yu was speechless: “…Did that idiot even listen to me?”

“…Unimaginable.” Ye Qiao raised her hand to block the view, sighing, “Mu Chongxi, such an airhead, is actually from the palace.”

If Mu Chongxi hadn’t revealed it himself, she would never have guessed his true background.

“Perhaps he experienced a carefree, brainless joy while in the palace.” Ming Xuan followed, chuckling leisurely.

It’s clear that Mu Chongxi, having grown up in the palace, really hasn’t seen much of the malevolence of human nature.

“When will you reach the Golden Core stage?” Zhou Xingyun dragged his feet, walking slowly behind, feeling dejected. “There’s not much time left, little sister.”

“If you’re going to break through, try to do it before the secret realm starts,” Ming Xuan added. Judging from Ye Qinghan’s three days and nights of lightning tribulation, Ye Qiao would likely be no better. Breaking through in the secret realm would be a disaster.

Ye Qiao shrugged. She understood the reasoning, but when she could break through wasn’t something she could control.

When the five of them reached their destination, the other direct disciples were still rushing, so they had a chance to enjoy the sight of others’ struggles. Mu Chongxi took out a recording stone and said, “Come, come, click on this to watch the other four sect’s direct disciples running. We’ll auction it off later. Starting bid: 100 spirit stones.”

“???” Are you human?

Chu Xingzhi reached out to grab it, but Mu Chongxi deftly tossed it to Ye Qiao. She took it and ran, with the others quickly following. As they left, someone, in a rather annoying manner, said, “Off we go, you all take your time running.”

“A group of direct disciples, holding hands, won’t feel lonely on the run.”

Damn.

—

Back in the courtyard, after their night run, they were so energetic they couldn’t sleep. So, they gathered together to discuss the fifth secret realm and the individual competitions.

Xue Yu sat on a stool, taking out a blueprint and sketching and marking the various types and rules for each round of the individual competition.

“The individual competition is divided into four types: weapon cultivators, pill cultivators, talisman cultivators, and sword cultivators. Which one are you preparing to participate in?”

Ye Qiao practiced all three types, but that didn’t mean she could participate in all of them; there was no precedent for this in the cultivation world.

If possible, Xue Yu would love for her to join him in the pill cultivator competition; it would be boring to compete alone against the Bishui sect.

Ye Qiao never forgot her profession: “I’m a sword cultivator.”

Of course, everyone has a dream of roaming the world with a sword.

Mu Chongxi clapped: “Well done. Since that’s the case, we’re relying on you to get into the top ten for our sect. If you go, I won’t go into the Sword Cave to avoid the spiritual swords from fighting.”

Zhou Xingyun and Mu Chongxi both had their own natal swords, so it didn’t matter whether they went into the Sword Cave or not.

It should be known that spiritual swords preferred sword cultivators with innate sword bones. If Mu Chongxi entered the Sword Cave with Ye Qinghan, other sword cultivators would only feel rejected.

Ye Qiao waved her hand and laid back: “Whether or not I can enter the Sword Cave is another matter.”

She had to break through to the Golden Core stage first before discussing whether she could make it into the top ten. But Ming Xuan had always been highly skilled in talismans, and even he had been stuck for a long time.

“There’s still one more secret realm,” Ming Xuan reassured her. “Don’t rush.”

Ye Qiao just needed a breakthrough opportunity.

“By the way, this fifth secret realm is actually quite strange,” Xue Yu said, looking down at the strategy. When he looked up, the others were all curious and crowded around. He sighed, “Do you want to hear about it?”

“Yes,” they nodded eagerly.

“Alright.” Xue Yu unfolded the blueprint. “The fifth round is called the Ghost Realm, a very peculiar secret realm. It has many opportunities, but it’s called that because it’s quite strange.”

“Other major secret realms open once every hundred or several decades, but this one appears very frequently.”

Because this major secret realm appeared too many times and often disappeared mysteriously, cultivators named it that.

Originally, they weren’t supposed to enter the secret realm so early, and they might have had a chance to bring Ye Qiao along for some training to see if she could advance to the Golden Core stage.

But since this secret realm appeared, they had no choice but to start the fifth round early.

Since everyone couldn’t sleep again tonight, they focused on planning for the next round.

“The danger level is very high. Many cultivators have perished in this secret realm. Do you have anything to say?” he asked.

Ye Qiao was silent for a few seconds. “So magical.”

A moving secret realm.

Ming Xuan cautiously asked, “Are there ghosts?”

“No ghosts,” Mu Chongxi said dismissively. “You have such a small heart. It’s just a secret realm. Besides, we’re currently in first place. No matter if the fifth round is last or second to last, our team is already secure in first place.”

In the end, the main focus in the secret realm was still on hunting demon beasts. Personal grudges had to be set aside, and no matter their ranking in the fifth round, Changming Sect had won.

So, the outcome of the fifth round wasn’t that important to them.

“In the fifth round, to be blunt,” Xue Yu said, tapping the table, “we’re just going for fun.”

“With our Changming Sect securely in first place,” Xue Yu looked up with a smile, “Do you believe Ye Qiao will be the target of all the direct disciples?”

Ye Qiao, who had been a bit sullen, perked up at this, “If you say so, then I’ll just enjoy it.”

In the earlier rounds, she either played it safe or led ambushes. Winning was one thing, but Ye Qiao had always been focused on rankings, afraid to act recklessly.

But now, with the fifth round coming up, wasn’t this a chance?

Winning or losing wouldn’t affect Changming Sect at all.

—

After their run, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. The next day, they needed to take a flying boat to the secret realm’s location. The direct disciples could only endure their fatigue, discuss, and make a simple plan overnight.

At the Sword Seeking Sect, the lights were always on.

The five of them sat together.

Zhu You said softly, “The next round is the Ghost Realm, which is very strange. We’ll discuss it in detail tomorrow. For now, let’s briefly talk about the situation with the other sects.”

“For Changming Sect, we need to extend an olive branch and try to pull Ye Qiao to our side, understood?” she asked indifferently.

“Why?” Chu Xingzhi lifted his chin, his expression cold and disdainful. “That Ye Qiao, we must not let her go. In the fifth round, she’ll see who is truly in charge among the five sects’ direct disciples.”

Having to endure taunts from those two sword cultivators from Changming Sect while just running was something Chu Xingzhi couldn’t stomach.

Cooperate with Changming Sect? What a joke.

“But now, Changming Sect is already firmly in first place. Eliminating her won’t help,” Zhu You said. They might have had a chance to struggle and eliminate Ye Qiao in the fourth round, but now they didn’t even have that option.

“Besides, it’s already the fourth round,” Zhu You sighed. “Don’t you still realize a certain fact, Second Senior Brother?”

As the saying goes, fortunes shift. Ye Qiao was no longer the same Ye Qiao who was targeted by all the sects in the fourth round.

Even if she were eliminated, it wouldn’t affect Changming Sect at all. With first place in three rounds secured, Changming Sect had already won.

Meanwhile, the remaining sects still had to compete for the final round’s points and rankings.

Chu Xingzhi’s eyes widened slightly. “Recognize what reality???”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Ye Qinghan sighed, clearly exasperated by his junior brother’s stupidity.

He looked up, pressed his lips together, and said calmly, “The reality is that whoever gains Ye Qiao will secure first place in the fifth round.”