Chapter 179: Why Haven’t You Made a Move Yet?
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Three days had passed since the last eventful day. Yu Zhao and Silent were making their way along a narrow path toward the Achievement Pavilion, heading to the martial grounds. As they walked, other individuals spotted them and quickly moved aside, giving them plenty of space.
Yu Zhao frowned, puzzled. “Why is everyone avoiding us?”
Silent just smiled, saying nothing.
This only made Yu Zhao more uneasy. Silent was usually chatty, especially when something was on his mind. As they reached the martial grounds, the reason for his silence became apparent. Yao Wuji came running up to them, grinning from ear to ear, and pointed at Silent.
“Silent, I really underestimated you! Who would’ve thought someone as gentle as you could have such a sharp tongue! Teach me your ways—I want to be unbeatable in arguments too!”
Yu Zhao looked at Silent, who turned away, his face flushed with guilt.
“Yu Zhao, you probably don’t know, but here’s what happened…” Yao Wuji began, her voice filled with amusement.
While Yu Zhao had been meditating, Silent had gone out to supposedly spread Buddhist teachings. But things took an unexpected turn when he ran into Yao Ji and Slashes in Yan Yi City. They had wanted to apologize and make peace, but something went wrong, and Silent lost his temper, leading to a heated argument.
Yao Wuji had been in Yan Yi City the day before, just wandering around, when she stumbled upon the argument. She found it so amusing that she clapped and cheered.
“Hahaha! And you won’t believe the nickname they gave Silent!” Yao Wuji suddenly remembered, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over.
Yu Zhao felt a sinking feeling and tried to stop her, but it was too late.
“They called him ‘Stinky Mouth Baldy’! Hahaha! Stinky Mou—mmph!”
Yu Zhao quickly covered Yao Wuji’s mouth and gave Silent an apologetic look.
“Sorry, sorry about that.”
Silent clenched his teeth. “It’s… fine.”
He said it was fine, but his hand moved toward his sleeve, where he kept his wooden fish, a tool monks often used for meditation.
Sensing that things might get out of hand, Yu Zhao quickly looked for a distraction. That’s when she noticed Situ Xuan, dressed in his usual elegant attire, watching them with wide eyes from a distance.
“Cultivator Xuan!” Yu Zhao called out, hoping to defuse the tension.
Situ Xuan hurried over, trying to maintain his composure.
Silent’s mood darkened when he saw Situ Xuan; the memory of their last uncomfortable encounter still fresh in his mind.
Fortunately, Situ Xuan seemed more pleasant today. “Cultivator Yu Zhao, Master Silent, who is this…?”
Yu Zhao realized she was still covering Yao Wuji’s mouth and let go, introducing her. “This is Yao Wuji.”
“Cultivator Wuji,” Situ Xuan greeted her with a nod.
Yao Wuji, a bit embarrassed by her earlier outburst, returned the greeting. She knew about Silent’s biting tongue and didn’t want to provoke him further.
She gave Yu Zhao a grateful look, then turned to Situ Xuan.
“You’re the young master of the Situ family?”
“Indeed,” Situ Xuan replied with a touch of pride.
Yao Wuji smiled confidently. “Then you better watch out. Just because you know Yu Zhao doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you. I’m determined to win the second match!”
Situ Xuan was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure, his pride shining through. “The Situ family never backs down. If you think you can beat me fair and square, then bring it on!”
Their intense exchange made it seem like sparks were flying between them.
Silent, having forgotten about his wooden fish, watched with a grin, clearly enjoying the growing tension.
Yu Zhao, however, felt a headache brewing. She had hoped Situ Xuan would help calm things down, but now it seemed like he and Yao Wuji were on the verge of a showdown.
She couldn’t help but wonder who would win between Yao Wuji and Situ Xuan.
A little while later, the trio, along with the watching disciples, gathered in the center of the martial grounds. Yao Ji and Slashes kept their distance from Yu Zhao, each positioned at opposite corners of the area.
After the initial eliminations, around five thousand disciples remained. Those who were out of the competition didn’t leave but stayed to watch from the sidelines.
Several elders from the Achievement Pavilion then took the stage to lay out the rules for the next round of the competition.
The rules were straightforward: the elders would scatter one thousand tokens across the martial grounds. Anyone who managed to grab a token would move on to the third round, which involved one-on-one fights.
This third round would take part with the participants from the great sects, an event watched by the most influential figures in the cultivation world. For many wandering lone cultivators, this was a golden chance to display their abilities, and everyone was eager to get a token by any means necessary.
The mood was tense, charged with anticipation.
Elder Blade looked over the young trainees, feeling a mix of pride and concern. He knew that for most, it was safer to drop out early. The competition got more dangerous with each round, especially in the third, where the fights could be lethal. Few would finish without injury.
Still, no one wanted to give up.
Elder Blade gathered his focus and, with a sweep of his sleeve, released a swarm of glowing lights into the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The air filled with the sounds of disciples leaping up, all trying to catch the lights.
In one corner, Yao Ji cautiously watched Yu Zhao, then tossed her feather fan into the air. It spun and transformed into a white phoenix, screeching as it soared toward the lights.
In another corner, Slashes concentrated on a specific light, quietly forming hand signs. Moments later, the light seemed pulled by an unseen force, flying straight to him.
Amidst the chaos, Yu Zhao noticed her two friends hadn’t moved. “Why haven’t you tried to get a token yet?” she asked, puzzled.
“Why haven’t you?” Yao Wuji shot back.
She had been waiting, thinking Yu Zhao was planning something clever, and decided to wait too.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao smiled, showing a white jade token in her hand. “Because I already got one.”
Yao Wuji and Situ Xuan were stunned. Yu Zhao had been right beside them, and they hadn’t noticed her move. It was impressive!
“If you two keep waiting, there won’t be any tokens left,” Yu Zhao warned.
They looked up and saw only a few lights remaining.
In a rush, Yao Wuji threw a chain of spider silk into the air, while Situ Xuan charged forward with his spear. Both returned shortly with their own glowing tokens.
Soon after, the last light was captured.
All one thousand tokens had been claimed.
“The second round is complete,” announced Elder Blade. “The third round will be at the Achievement Pavilion in ten days. Remember the date.”