Chapter 95: Disciple Conference (Part 7)

Xu Qianyu did not block the Floating Grass Shenchong, as it was convenient to listen to the happenings on the senior brother’s side.
Occasionally hearing Lu You’s voice was just regarded as a way to temper her temperament. If she hadn’t mentioned Yu Chu in her words, Xu Qianyu wouldn’t have paid close attention.

Elder Yi’s disciple, Ye Ling, specifically avoided drawing attention from others to ask Lu You for help in “guarding the furnace.”
The rules of the chaotic battle arena were lenient, allowing instrument repair disciples to be challenged by disciples of other paths, known as “attacking the furnace.” Instrument repair disciples needed to control the fire while also preventing others from attacking, which inevitably distracted them. As a result, some secretly recruited outside assistance.

Ye Ling said, “According to the rules, guarding the furnace can only be done by oneself. But I trouble Junior Sister to help keep an eye out. If anyone attacks the furnace, you can jump out of the crowd and use the chaos as an excuse to stop them, so I can concentrate on controlling the fire.”
Lu You had received much care from Ye Ling while in the outer sect, so naturally, she agreed without hesitation.

Xu Qianyu, indifferent, was taking notes and thought, Is there such a good thing? Then tomorrow, I will also pretend to be in the chaos to help Yu Chu guard the furnace.
However, the next words made her furious.

Ye Ling whispered, “I need to trouble Junior Sister with one more thing: when I battle Yu Chu tomorrow, the furnace will open around noon, and I also need you to attack Yu Chu’s furnace.”
Lu You, after all, had a soft and endearing image in the inner sect. She hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, “Senior Sister, what has Yu Chu done to offend you? Why attack her furnace?”

Ye Ling scoffed, “The theme of our duel is to refine a fire-based attack artifact. I have already decided to refine a flying candle lamp. Who knew that the materials and timing she chose would overlap with mine in many ways?”

“Senior Sister means…”

“I use cold jade, and she uses cold jade; I add silver flower cups for property harmonization, and she also adds silver flower cups right after me. A useless sword cultivator has unexpectedly entered the inner sect; she has no skills but knows how to imitate others.”
Lu You advised, “Maybe she’s just not skilled in her craft and wants to create something similar so as not to be too embarrassed?”

“She can’t refine anything similar,” Ye Ling replied. “With my artifact ‘Ember’ as the foundation, the worst I can produce is a first-class artifact. No matter how she learns, it’s like Dong Shi imitating Yan Ying. Just thinking that she’s copying me to achieve a decent rank makes me feel like there’s a thorn in my throat. I want her to fail to open her furnace and teach her a lesson.”
Xu Qianyu was so angry that she snapped her pen.
She had encountered Yu Chu several times at night, and she was always staring blankly at her own furnace, staying up late and pouring pills into her mouth, never paying attention to others.
Ye Ling’s mind was so narrow and her face so broad; it was likely she mistook coincidence for intention. She deserved a lesson.

The next day, Xu Qianyu had a battle and got up early in the morning, drawing the earliest match.
As a result, she faced two opponents at once. Xu Qianyu looked at the two young men, Yun Chu and Yun Lan, standing beside her. “You two are going to take me on together?”

Yun Chu, holding a whisk, smiled faintly and said nothing; Yun Lan showed his little tiger teeth: “Thank you for your guidance, Junior Sister. Since it’s a chaotic battle, what’s wrong with that?”
Before he finished speaking, Yun Chu’s whisk had already expanded several times, the snow-white strands spreading out like claws, rushing towards her.
Yun Chu and Yun Lan were known as the “Yidao Twin Wonders,” excelling in illusions and formations. One’s attacks were as solid as a rock, while the other was flexible and agile. Together, they were incredibly difficult to break, so they rarely teamed up to avoid appearing to bully others.

Today, the two of them teaming up against Xu Qianyu showed that the little junior sister’s strength could not be underestimated, and the spectator area quickly filled up.
In the arena, Xu Qianyu had already been spinning in the air several times, with no place to land.

In her line of sight, there were white strands of silk weaving in the sky, on the ground, and all around her, becoming denser like a cocoon gathering a net, orderly and cohesive, forming a spinning Tai Chi symbol. When her sword struck the strands, it resonated like steel wire and couldn’t be severed.

After much effort, she managed to open a large hole. Through it, she saw the two young men in white standing back-to-back, with Yun Chu closing his eyes and forming seals, while Yun Lan held his whisk at an angle, resembling dual Daoist figures. The net quickly closed around her.
They were outside the formation, and without Yun Chu’s whisk, it seemed that the countless strands of silk were only illusions, with only one whisk being real.

Xu Qianyu closed her eyes and activated her killing intent perception technique. She saw the world ablaze, darkness filled with rosy shooting stars, and among them, a diagonal light was the most intense, darting like a fish through the net.

Xu Qianyu’s sword energy shot forth like a rainbow, piercing through the fish’s belly.
In an instant, the silk strands receded like a tide, and the whisk fell back into Yun Chu’s hands.
Yun Chu couldn’t retreat in time and was stepped on by Xu Qianyu when she landed, hurriedly reaching out to support her: “Junior Sister has broken the formation.”

Xu Qianyu thanked him, but her hands couldn’t pull free as they were caught. A gleam flickered in Yun Chu’s eyes, seemingly with a sly smile: “No need to thank me.”
Xu Qianyu felt a chill at the back of her neck, realizing Yun Lan was sneaking up from behind to launch a surprise attack. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her wooden sword let out a sharp cry, buzzing as it stabbed towards her back, while she fiercely tripped Yun Chu with her foot.

This technique of “dividing friend and foe” had been advised by her senior brother, and she had long been desensitized to it after practicing with Shen Suwei, so she didn’t panic.
With immense power, the wooden sword surged with spiritual energy and struck Yun Lan, causing the whisk to be flung back towards her face. Outmatched, he ended up running around in panic, much to the amusement of the spectators.

The little junior sister’s footing was incredibly stable; no matter what leg techniques Xu Qianyu employed, she wouldn’t fall. After a stalemate for a while, Yun Chu saw his junior brother couldn’t gain the upper hand, so he had to release Xu Qianyu’s arms and seek another way out.
Xu Qianyu seized the opportunity to jump several feet away, holding her sword horizontally.
Yun Chu closed his eyes to chant his spell again, and the whisk flew out once more. Xu Qianyu raised her sword to block, but the silk quickly wrapped around it several times.

Xu Qianyu felt a powerful pulling force, as if sand and stones were flying, trying to wrest her sword from her hand.
The wooden sword was firmly entangled, unable to move. She saw Yun Lan floating in from behind again, so she decisively pushed back with her hand, the wooden sword embedding deeply into the arena’s stone pillar.

Now Yun Chu could no longer chant his spell.
His whisk had been embedded along with the wooden sword into the shattered stone pillar. The silk trembled a few times as if trying to break free, but it was stuck too tightly to pull out.

Yun Chu lost his weapon and was left empty-handed, having lost his whisk.
Yun Lan, surprised, said to Xu Qianyu, “Junior Sister, are you giving up your sword? How will you fight empty-handed? I still have weapons here.”

With that, the feather duster in his hand struck mercilessly, coming straight at him.
Xu Qianyu had already leaped aside lightly, his expression calm, and slowly drew out a long whip that was pure white from his sleeve. With a twist of his wrist, the whip moved like a swift and silent water snake, entangling Yun Lan’s feather duster.

Seeing that the whip was thin and flexible, making it easy to break free, Yun Lan smiled and pulled hard.
The brown strands of the whip snapped like broken hair, falling apart in disarray.
Yun Lan gasped in cold shock and immediately withdrew his feather duster, as cheers erupted from the observation area.

Then, Xu Qianyu lightly tapped his toes and leaped over the restriction, flying onto the next platform.
“Hey, why did my junior sister jump to another platform?”
Xu Qianyu didn’t forget the important matter of the day, tossing out a casual remark: “I’m making an appearance.”
Yun Chu and Yun Lan exchanged glances. Looking at the incense burner burn out and the golden crow announce the time, they realized it was already time and Xu Qianyu had won.
Yun Chu said nothing, attempting to pull his feather duster back.

*
On the adjacent platform, Ye Ling’s refining furnace began to tremble, producing a creaking noise, a sign that it was about to be opened. She crouched on the ground, her face pale with anxiety.
Not long ago, a disciple had come to attack the furnace, but Lu You had jumped onto the stage and chased the person away. Seeing Ye Ling’s anxious expression now, she comforted her, saying, “I’ve already seen the outline of the flying candle lamp. Senior sister will definitely refine a grade A divine artifact.”

Ye Ling’s expression brightened slightly, but she replied, “Thank you for your good words. I wonder how things are going on the other side. ”
Lu You glanced at the back of Yu Chu. In the past, Yu Chu was always timid, but now her slender figure stood tall and lonely, and that bun resembling Xu Qianyu was somewhat annoying.

“The furnace hasn’t opened yet. However, since Junior Sister Yu has no divine artifact as a foundation, even if she uses the same materials and techniques as senior sister, it will likely be very difficult for her to achieve such a precious item.”

The two spoke openly, without using sound transmission, so the foundation-building cultivators below could hear them clearly, leading to murmurs of discussion.
Ye Ling had always been a standout among the artifact-refining disciples. If she could refine the ancient artifact, the flying candle lamp, it would signify a significant improvement in her strength. But refining artifacts is often a matter of personal style and experience; imitation is greatly discouraged. The newcomer, Junior Sister Yu, attempting to mimic her in the competition would only invite ridicule if she produced a subpar item.

Lu You didn’t intend to provoke; she just remembered how Yu Chu had left her side for Xu Qianyu. Now, watching Yu Chu advance to the inner sect like a polished jade shining, she felt no jealousy but couldn’t help feeling displeased. Her lucky charm system seemed to work this way; those who went against her were simply out of luck.

On this side, the chaotic sounds echoed for a while. Even though Yu Chu was slow to catch on, she finally realized what was happening.
It turned out Ye Ling also wanted to refine the ancient artifact, the Flying Candle Lamp. She had inadvertently collided with Ye Ling’s line of thought and probably even crossed paths with several materials!
At that moment, Yu Chu felt like a cotton ball had lodged in her throat, her heart sinking.

For the past few days, she had been taking invigorating pills all night without sleep, trying to refine the large spirit stones she had collected into a substitute for the divine artifact. She should have anticipated that Ye Ling would also choose the ancient artifact; she could have easily picked a simpler magical weapon to refine and avoided competition. Why did she choose to challenge the most difficult flying candle lamp?

Hearing Lu You speak this way only deepened her mixed feelings. Once her mind wandered, it was hard for her to focus again. She looked at the furnace, stuck in a dilemma, unsure of what to do for a moment, and felt like crying.

At that moment, there was a loud clang. Everyone looked up to see a girl landing on the furnace, her skirt fluttering, the ice crystals hanging from it clinking together.
“Qianyu?” Yu Chu’s eyes widened.
For some reason, upon seeing Xu Qianyu, Yu Chu no longer felt uncomfortable or anxious; she stabilized as if she had found her backbone.

Xu Qianyu didn’t even glance at her: “Useless thing, refine your artifact.”
Yu Chu was scolded by her and hurriedly fanned herself.

Ye Ling saw a sword-wielding junior sister suddenly drop down, recognizing her to be quite willful, and her gaze toward her was not friendly. She warned, “Xu Junior Sister, what are you doing on our platform?”
Xu Qianyu smiled at her. Under the bright midday light, the cinnabar on her forehead glowed orange, and that smile was strikingly dazzling, carrying a hint of provocation: “I’m here to attack your furnace.”

Ye Ling’s heart skipped a beat, her face losing color.
She had no prior connection with Xu Qianyu nor any grievances, but she had just heard her name being called from the adjacent arena, realizing she was a formidable sword cultivator. She thought Xu Qianyu might just be there to help Yu Chu guard the furnace but never expected Xu Qianyu to take the initiative to do what she had assigned Lu You yesterday!

Xu Qianyu had already reached out, and the wooden sword flew from the adjacent competition area into her hand.
The refining furnace trembled ominously, and at the critical moment Ye Ling was about to open it, she panicked and lost control of the fire, shouting, “Junior sister, help me!”

Lu You was also caught off guard, but with Xu Qianyu’s sword intent approaching, she could only defend herself. She intended to lead Xu Qianyu away from Ye Ling to prevent affecting her performance at a critical moment and thus twisted Xu Qianyu’s sword, trying to guide her towards Yu Chu.

However, after several days apart, Xu Qianyu’s skills had greatly improved since the last time they met: her feet felt nailed to the ground, and the basic skill “Water Moon Flying Flowers” from the Koi Market couldn’t move her at all.

When Xu Qianyu counterattacked, it was like the northern wind sweeping through the land, swift and heavy, sending Lu You flying back several feet.
At first, Xu Qianyu didn’t feel particularly powerful, but hitting Lu You now felt like striking a paper kite, realizing she had become much stronger, and she couldn’t help but feel elated: “Is this how Master Wuzhen taught you? The teaching skills of Master Wuzhen need improvement.”
Lu You frowned slightly, glancing sideways at Xie Yuzhen in the battle area.

Xie Yuzhen seemed to be concentrating on her but also appeared to be staring into space, with a misty haze in her eyes, seemingly oblivious to the discussions around her.
Fortunately, cheers erupted from that side. It turned out Ye Ling had successfully opened the flying candle lamp. The lamp was transparent like an ice torch, with an orange-red flickering flame at the wick, capable of transforming into countless spiritual fire flying candles, attacking earth and wood spiritual root cultivators.

However, there was a crack on the lamp due to the shock during the opening, though it wouldn’t be noticeable upon casual inspection. Ye Ling was somewhat satisfied, turning the crack to the bottom and carefully placing the flying candle lamp into the box, waiting for the formation rating.

“Now she was steady, feeling reassured, and she smiled gently, saying, ‘I’m just curious about what Junior Sister Yu Chu will achieve. I wonder, with the same materials, the same level of heat, but without the divine artifact as a base, what she will produce.’

Suddenly, Xu Qianyu appeared in front of her: ‘With the same materials, the same level of heat, and the same divine artifact, she’s going to be just like you. How will you handle that?’
As he spoke, he effortlessly tossed an object into the furnace.

The crowd gasped, watching as the towering artifact-refining furnace was immediately enveloped by green spiritual flames. It was as if water and fire were tempering each other, and the rich spiritual energy instantly wrapped around Yu Chu, leaving only a faint gray shadow.

Amidst countless dazzling lights, Yu Chu unexpectedly sensed the changes within the furnace: ‘Qianyu…’

The spiritual energy in the furnace erupted like a tsunami. The divine artifact was present: what Xu Qianyu had thrown in was one of the ten great divine artifacts of their sect—the God-Smiting Whip.”