As the final batch of contestants was teleported onto the Martial Arts Platform, the first round of the Taixu Realm competition finally came to an end.
Unsurprisingly, the first-place winner of the Golden Core group was Ji Xuerou. Working alone, she had managed to secure a high score of 73 points, leading the second-place contestant by a full 20 points.
Wu Yan was ranked twenty-third, while Bai Zhiqiu was twenty-seventh. However, Bai Zhiqiu did not seem discouraged. Instead, she asked Wu Yan with a giggle if she had missed her while at the Piaomiao Sect, which began to irritate Yu Qingyao, who was standing beside them.
Wu Yan noticed that both Zhao Wuji and Lin Xiao had also managed to gather 10 points.
As for the Foundation Establishment group, because those in the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Golden Core Stage had been placed in the same Secret Realm, the scores were generally much lower. Yu Qingyao actually managed to rank ninth with 14 points. Su Qianqian had likely paired up with Gu Jian, as the two of them advanced together with 10 points each.
After the six members of the Piaomiao Sect gathered at the Martial Arts Platform, they bid farewell to their companions from other sects and returned to the Piaomiao Sect’s resting area together.
“You did well.”
As soon as they returned, Wu Yan heard Xia Lingshuang’s praise, though her tone remained as cold as ever.
“You have already surpassed the fellow disciples who participated in the last competition. For the upcoming matches, simply do your best and leave no regrets.”
Xia Lingshuang waved her hand, and Sun Elder immediately stepped forward, taking six bottles of medicine from his Storage Ring.
“This is the Peiyuan Pill, one bottle for each person. It can help you quickly recover your Spirit Chi.”
When Sun Elder handed the Peiyuan Pill to Wu Yan, his attitude was clearly much worse than it was toward the others. He was likely still harboring a grudge over Wang Teng’s death. However, Wu Yan did not care. Given the evils Wang Teng had committed, being hacked into a thousand pieces would not have been enough punishment.
“The second round will take place in two days, and the format will be one-on-one duels. During these two days, those who need to rest should rest, and those who need to cultivate should cultivate.”
After saying that, Xia Lingshuang left.
Wu Yan remembered that the two days between the first and second rounds were specifically intended to give those eliminated in the first round a second chance.
That was right—the Resurrection Match! The top ten contestants from the Resurrection Match would also advance to the second round.
This was a small bit of cleverness on the part of the organizers, intended for those who were unlucky enough to be ambushed right after landing, or those who had sufficient strength but were eliminated early due to encountering a powerful enemy.
In reality, it was just a safety mechanism set up by the other four major sects because they were worried their own Heaven’s Favorites would be eliminated by Ji Xuerou.
***
Night fell upon Tianyuan City, East Market.
Compared to the daytime scene of drums, gongs, and constant shouting, the East Market at night could only be described as even more bustling. Countless night lanterns were hung, illuminating the entire street as bright as day.
Wu Yan was not wearing that plain white Flowing Cloud Water-Sleeve Robe. Instead, she wore a set of ordinary blue-gray hemp clothes, blending inconspicuously into the crowd.
Her movements were not fast, and her face appeared expressionless at first glance, but her slightly furrowed brows revealed her inner lack of peace.
‘Tsk, that sword on the right is even worth putting out for sale? I think even a stone picked up from the side of the road and sharpened would be sharper than that!’
‘Oh, this rouge and blush are quite nice. The color matches your lifeless clothes well, little Wu Yan~’
Since returning to their residence, the inner Wu Yan had been noisily demanding to go out and browse the market. The former Demon Venerable was like a child, wanting to explore every time they reached a new location.
Wu Yan had originally wanted to circulate the Sutra of Calming the Heart to block out the inner Wu Yan’s noise, but due to the aftereffects of using Spirit Mastery, she was currently unable to block her out at all.
Therefore, Wu Yan could only follow the inner Wu Yan’s wishes and come to the East Market for a walk, treating it as a way to make the soul happy.
‘Hey, little Wu Yan, look at those candied oranges over there. They look pretty good. Quick, go buy a stick for me!’
The inner Wu Yan pointed toward a vendor’s stall that specialized in selling candied haws.
Wu Yan looked in the direction of her finger and found that the vendor’s candied fruit was indeed well-made. Not only was there a great variety, but the sugar coating also shimmered with a sweet luster under the lights, looking exceptionally tempting.
“Let’s get this straight, I’m only buying one stick.”
Wu Yan walked to the stall and bought a stick of candied oranges.
“So, Fellow Daoist Wu also enjoys this kind of mortal delicacy?” A questioning voice sounded from Wu Yan’s side.
Wu Yan reflexively moved to draw Wu Nian from her waist, but her hand was suddenly pressed down.
The hand pressing down on Wu Yan’s was slender and delicate, appearing as white as jade under the lights.
Wu Yan looked up along the hand, and what met her eyes was an aggressive, extreme beauty that seemed to outshine the frost and snow.
“What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Ji?”
Wu Yan tried to break her hand free from Ji Xuerou’s restraint, but unfortunately to little effect. After all, Ji Xuerou was at the peak of the Golden Core Stage, while Wu Yan had only recently stepped into the Mid Golden Core Stage.
‘Truly a woman who won’t be shaken off. One sees her everywhere!’ As soon as she saw Ji Xuerou, the good mood the inner Wu Yan had from finally coming out to shop alone with Wu Yan vanished instantly, replaced by sharp, biting words.
“My apologies, Fellow Daoist Wu.” Following Wu Yan’s reminder, Ji Xuerou seemed to realize that her behavior was inappropriate and withdrew her hand. “I was only worried that if we exchanged blows in public, it would harm the innocent.”
Wu Yan moved her hand slightly before speaking coldly, “If Fellow Daoist Ji could greet me normally, I believe things wouldn’t have escalated to that point.”
“It was my mistake. My apologies, Fellow Daoist Wu. I only wanted to chat with you.”
After recognizing her error, Ji Xuerou apologized quite sincerely.
Since the other party had apologized so decisively, Wu Yan found it difficult to blame her further.
“If there is something you wish to discuss, speak plainly. I am in a hurry.”
Hearing Wu Yan say this, Ji Xuerou did not beat around the bush. “I want to know if Fellow Daoist Wu experienced any physical discomfort after unleashing that final strike in the Secret Realm?”
Just as Wu Yan had expected, this was likely the only thing the other woman wanted to understand from her.
“No discomfort.”
“Is that so…” Ji Xuerou murmured to herself.
Through her Glazed Pupils, she could see that Wu Yan was not lying, but her intuition told her that Wu Yan was hiding something. And her intuition had never been wrong.
However, since Wu Yan did not wish to tell her at this moment, Ji Xuerou would not continue to press the matter.
“That sword strike from Fellow Daoist Wu was very powerful. It is highly likely that I would not have been able to block it. I look forward to seeing you in the finals.”
With those words, Ji Xuerou departed.
The finals?
Wu Yan sighed. It was another troublesome matter.
If she wanted to win those 100,000 High-grade Spiritual Stones for the sect, she had to take the championship. But if she wanted to win, Ji Xuerou was a mountain that could not be bypassed.
Unknowingly, a sticky sensation came from her index finger.
The sugar coating on the oranges had melted and flowed onto Wu Yan’s finger.
Wu Yan subconsciously placed her index finger to her lips and licked the sugar syrup.
It was sweet.
Then, she took a bite of an orange.
‘It’s sour to death! How did that damn boss make this candied fruit! How are these oranges so sour!’
The juice flowed between her teeth, and the sour, astringent taste hit Wu Yan along with the inner Wu Yan’s complaints.
‘This candied fruit is quite like me—one knows the face, but not the heart,’ Wu Yan thought to herself.