Chapter 167: She Only Feared Yu Zhao Wasn’t Strong Enough

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Ye Cong Xin had been frail and sickly since birth. Her mother died during childbirth, so her father, Elder Ye, brought her back to the sect and raised her personally. However, when she was ten, Elder Ye tragically passed away, leaving her in an awkward position within the Five Elements Dao Sect.

Fortunately, her endearing personality and tragic background garnered sympathy, sparing her from much mistreatment. Later, during a public match, she was gravely injured and vomited blood after battling Yu Zhao. To quell the whispers among the sect, Master Qing Yan took her as a disciple.

Even though Xiu Luo had never paid much attention to Ye Cong Xin, she could recite her life story by heart. Xiu Luo hadn’t thought much of it before, but Yu Zhao’s recent reminder made her realize something peculiar.

“Strange. Why didn’t I think of that?” Xiu Luo muttered, a puzzled look in her eyes.

Yu Zhao remained silent. This was the second clue.

Knowing Ye Cong Xin’s secret, Yu Zhao had kept a close eye on her during the chaotic skirmishes between the eight teams. That’s when she noticed something unusual. Ye Cong Xin’s prolonged presence on the battlefield wasn’t due to any significant improvement in her skills. Rather, the disciples fighting around her seemed to bypass her as if they couldn’t perceive her existence.

Even Yu Zhao found that when she became distracted, Ye Cong Xin’s figure would disappear from view. It wasn’t until she deliberately searched and locked her focus on her again that she could pinpoint her location.

This couldn’t be a coincidence.

Yu Zhao suspected Ye Cong Xin had made another deal with malevolent forces, exchanging something for a strange technique that concealed her aura.

A sense of urgency swelled within Yu Zhao. While she was pushing herself forward, Ye Cong Xin hadn’t stopped her plundering; in fact, her pace of fortune plundering was even faster than in Yu Zhao’s previous life.

Yu Zhao glanced at Zhou Jin Yue, who was currently receiving praise ahead of her. A plan began to form in her mind.

…

As the selection tournament ended, many disciples came forward to congratulate the winners, including Zhou Jin Yue, Fang Cheng Lang, and others. Yet, aside from Pu Xing He, Quan Ye, and the unexpected victor He Luo Luo, the rest of the winners showed little joy. Their expressions were heavy with worry, leaving the onlookers baffled.

Zhou Jin Yue expressed brief thanks to her fellow disciples before excusing herself and heading out. Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu exchanged glances, fully aware that Zhou Jin Yue was likely going to find Yu Zhao. They watched her leave with complicated emotions, feeling a whirlwind of mixed thoughts.

When Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue finally met, neither spoke immediately. Instead, they moved to a quiet, secluded area.

“Senior Sister Zhou…” Yu Zhao began.

“Yu Zhao, let me speak first,” Zhou Jin Yue interrupted, looking at her earnestly. “Even though you can’t represent the Five Elements Dao Sect in the sect competition, you can still participate in the individual trials as an independent contender. As long as you place in the top twenty, you’ll still earn a spot on the Floating Island. With your strength, I’m confident you can achieve this.”

The cultivation world’s grand competitions were split into sect matches and individual trials. Both competitions granted the top twenty contestants access to the Floating Island. However, unlike the sect matches, the individual trials brought together elites from all corners and were exponentially more challenging, requiring greater time, effort, and risk.

Moreover, the individual trials had fewer rules, meaning any conceivable danger could arise during the battles. Death was a common occurrence. The top twenty in the individual trials were hailed as the fiercest warriors, forged through blood and chaos.

Because of these risks, most sect disciples avoided the individual trials unless absolutely necessary, as the rewards often didn’t justify the dangers.

But Zhou Jin Yue, understanding Yu Zhao’s character, believed she wasn’t someone to retreat in the face of hardship.

“Senior Sister Zhou, I was thinking the same,” Yu Zhao replied with a faint smile.

To her, the difference between sect matches and individual trials wasn’t significant.

From the depths of her heart, Yu Zhao leaned more toward participating in the individual competition. Only by walking the fine line between life and death could she fully unleash her potential.

After all, in her previous life, Wu Shao Zhen managed to rise above a sea of exceptional talents. Yu Zhao believed that her current abilities were not inferior to his—in fact, she was confident she could surpass him.

“If you’ve decided to join the individual competition, you should leave for Wen Ding Pavilion as soon as possible. There’s less than a month left before the registration deadline,” Zhou Jin Yue reminded her.

The cultivation world’s grand tournament was hosted alternately by the seven major sects, with this year’s event falling under the domain of Wen Ding Pavilion, renowned for its expertise in artifact crafting.

Yu Zhao nodded. “I’ll set off as soon as I return.”

Zhou Jin Yue gave a small nod but then hesitated. “Is there something you’d like to say to me?”

“You know me well, Senior Sister Zhou,” Yu Zhao said solemnly. “There’s something strange about Ye Cong Xin. Please be cautious around her.”

Anyone else might have doubted Yu Zhao’s warning, but Zhou Jin Yue, the perceptive senior sister, took her words to heart without hesitation.

“I understand. I’ll keep a close watch,” she replied.

In truth, Zhou Jin Yue was already monitoring Ye Cong Xin. Without solid evidence, saying more would be pointless. If Ye Cong Xin harbored ill intentions, her slip-ups would eventually come to light.

“See you at the grand tournament, Senior Sister Zhou.”

“See you there.”

Yu Zhao stayed in the sect for less than a day before setting out again for Wen Ding Pavilion in the Eastern Region. Meanwhile, Zhou Jin Yue returned to the Main Peak, only to be summoned by the Sect Master Ji Yuan.

“Jin Yue, what did Yu Zhao say? She’s not upset with the sect, is she? I was forced into this decision,” the sect master began, clearly troubled.

Zhou Jin Yue had initially harbored some resentment toward her master, but seeing his haggard appearance softened her heart. She sighed lightly. “She’s headed to Wen Ding Pavilion to prepare for the individual competition.”

“The individual competition?” Sect Master Ji Yuan was momentarily stunned before bursting into hearty laughter. “Excellent! The individual competition is perfect!”

“Master!” Zhou Jin Yue’s tone turned sharp with disapproval.

Hurriedly, the sect master explained, “Jin Yue, I’m genuinely happy for Yu Zhao. If Master Qing Yan undervalues her, this competition will allow her to showcase her strength.”

“But so many cultivators lose their lives in the individual competition. I’m worried…”

With Yu Zhao absent, Zhou Jin Yue finally voiced her fears.

“You’re underestimating Yu Zhao,” the sect master said with a knowing smile. “If you were to face her, the odds would be fifty-fifty.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jin Yue’s tension eased. She didn’t mind if Yu Zhao surpassed her. What she feared was Yu Zhao being too weak to achieve her dreams.

“Good child, the ones who should worry now are those on Lone Moon Peak. Once the competition starts, they’ll realize how deeply they’ve erred,” Sect Master Ji Yuan remarked. He could only wonder what their reactions would be when that moment came.

…

Lone Moon Peak

Lan Zi Yu, Su Ming, Quan Ye, and Ye Cong Xin stood outside Master Qing Yan’s cave residence, stealing glances inside.

Pacing back and forth anxiously, Su Ming muttered, “Do you think the master will punish our eldest senior brother for speaking up for an outsider?”

Quan Ye crossed his arms and sneered, “Of course. The master must be furious.”

Su Ming shot him a glare. “Fifth Senior Brother, have you forgotten what we taught you yesterday? Do I need to call Second Senior Brother to jog your memory?”

Lan Zi Yu’s icy stare fell on Quan Ye, silencing him instantly. Though he tilted his chin defiantly, he dared not speak further. Among his senior brothers, Lan Zi Yu had the fiercest temper and showed no mercy when disciplining others, making him the one Quan Ye feared most.

“Senior Brothers, stop arguing. Let’s focus on worrying about our eldest senior brother,” Ye Cong Xin interjected, her soft voice laced with concern.

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