Song Wanning had always doted on her young disciples, so for her to say such things today was truly a surprise.
The others could only change the subject and talk about something else.
Only when the grand tournament finally began did they turn their attention to it.
The first round was a melee. All 110 participants appeared on a single battle stage.
They broke off into eleven teams, grouping up by sect.
The free-for-all was about to erupt.
Spells flew across the battle stage in a chaotic frenzy. The disciples below were dazzled, crying out in excitement.
However, since the audience consisted entirely of Heavenly Inquiry Sect disciples, their cheers were the only ones that were particularly loud.
Song Wanning glanced at the figures on the stage without much interest. Instead, she picked up a storybook and began to read leisurely.
The Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect felt a vein throb in his temple as he watched her. Still, he couldn't very well criticize her, so he could only silently cheer on his sect's disciples.
On the stage, Bai Yang, Ye Chuxue, and Lu Nanfeng were a tightly-knit unit. Their coordination was seamless as they quickly knocked enemies off the platform, weaving through the chaotic crowd with ease.
They had faced life and death together several times, creating a bond others could hardly imagine.
But their string of victories brought Bai Yang no joy.
The figure on the high platform never once glanced his way.
...
The melee ended quickly. Due to the indiscriminate attacks, defeated cultivators were knocked off the stage one after another. In the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, only twenty people remained.
Because Bai Yang's trio had stuck together, they were the only three disciples from the Heavenly Inquiry Sect left; all the others had been eliminated.
Overall, however, the Heavenly Inquiry Sect still had the most members remaining among the Seven Sects and Four Schools.
The Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect was both pleased and worried, as both Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang were injured.
After a ten-minute break, the second round of the tournament began.
The cultivators drew lots to be paired off for one-on-one duels. The victors would advance to the next round.
The matches went as expected. Bai Yang and Ye Chuxue advanced without any trouble, but Lu Nanfeng was eliminated.
On the high platform, Song Wanning's expression remained cold, showing no hint of pleasure.
So far, everything had unfolded exactly as it had in the Three Lives Mirror.
'As the hero and heroine, of course they can't be the losers. The final championship match will be their main stage.'
'The two of them will go all out, putting on a spectacular show. In the end, they'll fight to a draw and share the title of champion.'
'From then on, their fame will skyrocket, and they'll become the most sought-after geniuses in the Cultivation World.'
She gently toyed with the end of her hair, a cold light glinting in her eyes.
'Thinking of using me as a stepping stone to climb to the top?'
'They'll have to see if I let them.'
Time flew by. The evening twilight faded as darkness began to creep in.
Bright lights illuminated the plaza, instantly making it as bright as day.
The tournament had reached its most exciting and critical moment.
Only five contestants remained, all vying for the top three spots.
Bai Yang and Ye Chuxue were, of course, among them, bathing in the adoring gazes of the other disciples.
Even with the scandal hanging over her head, nothing could stop the disciples' admiration for Ye Chuxue.
"Ye Chuxue of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect draws Xi Wenjun of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect! Liu Chan of the Seven Stars Sect draws Bai Yang of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect! The Mountain Gazing Sect gets a bye!"
With the lots drawn, Bai Yang and Ye Chuxue each stepped onto their respective battle stages.
Their eyes met, and they exchanged a look of encouragement.
They had promised each other they would fight their way to the finals and stand together on the championship stage. This was the most critical moment.
With a command from the elder, the match officially began.
Ye Chuxue struck first. The long flute in her hand spun rapidly, and a delicate, flowing melody burst forth.
It struck deep into one's Divine Soul.
Xi Wenjun's expression grew taut. He brandished his broadsword and slashed at her.
The blade whistled through the air like unstoppable thunder.
The sound waves suppressed the blade's light, causing it to dim.
Xi Wenjun's eyes narrowed. With a single returning stroke, a wave of light from his blade illuminated heaven and earth, its power immense.
Tapping her toes lightly, Ye Chuxue's body was as light as a feather. As she dodged and weaved, her flute streaked across the stage like a shooting star.
Her graceful movements made it seem like a captivating performance.
Xi Wenjun, on the other hand, was all sharp and ferocious blade work, his every move swift and powerful.
Their techniques clashed, their movements so nimble and swift that the disciples below could barely follow their forms.
"Hey, has Ye Chuxue learned Sound Attack?"
An elder watched Ye Chuxue with excitement, his eyes shining.
"Sound Cultivation has been in decline for years. Few people choose to practice its techniques, and it's even rarer to see someone with her level of skill."
"Her aptitude is truly remarkable!"
As a cultivator with a Chaos Spirit Root, Ye Chuxue faced almost no obstacles in her cultivation. As long as she wished, she could choose to practice any Cultivation Technique from the five attributes.
Once she fully develops, her combat prowess will be formidable. Her future is limitless!
She is the future hope of our Heavenly Inquiry Sect!
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Ye Chuxue. Even if they were burning with jealousy, a torrent of praise still followed.
The Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect was grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly pleased with Ye Chuxue's performance.
He had been worried about her condition, but now he realized his fears were unfounded!
On the other stage, however, the battle between Bai Yang and Liu Chan was not looking as optimistic.
Bai Yang had been injured by Song Wanning several times, and with his wounds still unhealed, he now seemed to be on the defensive.
The Sect Master frowned. He had clearly sent someone to deliver Elixir Pills, so why did Bai Yang seem to be in such poor shape?
'That shouldn't be right.'
Little did he know, Bai Yang hadn't taken the Elixir Pills at all.
He struck with vicious intent, his eyes cold. The Longsword in his hand carried the force of a tidal wave, and a single swing was like unleashing ten thousand blades at once.
A flurry of sword-shadows swarmed Liu Chan from all directions like phantoms. The air was compressed and pierced, creating a sound that set one's teeth on edge.
Liu Chan used a gourd-shaped Magic Artifact in one hand to absorb the sword-shadows, while with his Red Cherry Long Spear in the other, he continuously parried the incoming sword-light.
His expression was grave, but he was also puzzled. He had fought Bai Yang before, and he could tell his opponent's condition today was clearly off.
'But that's not my concern.'
Liu Chan's eyes narrowed. He spun his spear, and its tip suddenly burst apart, sending a cloud of Golden Needles, each as fine as an ox's hair, flying toward Bai Yang.
Bai Yang faltered for a moment, then twisted and shot back into the air. He swung his Longsword straight down, casting a large shadow to overwhelm the Golden Needles.
PFT PFT PFT—
The Golden Needles all rained down, embedding themselves diagonally into the battle stage.
But then, Liu Chan's Red Tassel Spear suddenly shot out from behind him, thrusting viciously at Bai Yang's back.
Bai Yang's expression darkened, and he threw a sweeping kick behind him.
But the spear seemed to have a mind of its own, nimbly dodging the kick before coming at him again.
He took a sharp breath, about to counterattack, when his Dantian suddenly seized up. His flow of Spiritual Energy was instantly cut off.
THUNK—
The spear pierced his body.
Bai Yang plummeted to the stage, landing hard on one knee as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Liu Chan cried out in alarm, "You're injured?"
They had all been preparing for the Tournament of Prodigies for ages, even remaining within their sects to ensure they were in peak condition for the fight.
Yet Bai Yang was fighting while seriously injured!