Chapter 164

Chapter 164: Ungrateful and Selfish
The last person who spoke had thick contempt and scorn in her voice, and she instantly drew the gazes of the disciples around her.

Xiu Luo’s expression did not change as she calmly accepted everyone’s stares.

After all, she had not said anything wrong, so she did not feel guilty at all.

The people from Lone Moon Peak should not have let Ye Cong Xin join the team. If they lost, they only had themselves to blame.

Xiu Luo’s nickname as a violent rakshasa was already a bit famous in the Five Elements Dao Sect. The disciples who had wanted to argue with her swallowed their words.

Elder Sun said, “The eight teams for the Selection Trials, step forward.”

Together with Yu Zhao, a total of forty disciples walked in step toward the center of the martial practice field.

Master Guan Yun let out a soft sound of surprise and said, “The female disciple next to Jin Yue looks a bit unfamiliar.”

“When did the sect get a young disciple at the late Golden Core stage?”

“Ah, that seems to be Yu Zhao, the one Master Qing Yan expelled from his tutelage. She actually formed her core?”

The Peak Master elders all looked toward Master Qing Yan, their eyes full of shock.

They had already heard many things about Yu Zhao before. What impressed them the most, of course, was that Yu Zhao had been expelled by Master Qing Yan, and had fallen to the rank of an inner disciple without a master.

Everyone had decided that Yu Zhao must have offended Master Qing Yan, so she was surely stubborn and ill-tempered, someone who could not be trusted with anything important.

Now that they were seeing her in person, they suddenly realized those rumors were wrong.

Just her bearing and manner alone were enough to surpass most of the personal disciples on the field. On top of that, she had the excellent natural talent of a water spiritual root. For Master Qing Yan to be willing to push her outside his door, who knew what things had happened that they did not know about.

Elder Sun and Sect Master Ji Yuan were also shocked when they saw Yu Zhao.

Among the elders present, those two were the ones who had interacted with Yu Zhao a bit more.

When Yu Zhao left Lone Moon Peak, her cultivation level was still at late Foundation Establishment. After only two years apart, she had grown to such a shocking level. It was really unbelievable.

Sect Master Ji Yuan could not stop himself from sighing in regret.

If he had known this would happen, when Yu Zhao was driven out of Lone Moon Peak, he should have done as his eldest disciple wanted and taken Yu Zhao into the Main Peak as his own disciple. He had let a good chance to steal talent slip right past him.

Master Qing Yan sat on the high platform, looking down at Yu Zhao. His eyes, usually as still as a deep well, showed a faint ripple.

So she was relying on her rebuilt Dao Foundation and stronger soul and thought she was untouchable. That was why she dared to openly shout about leaving the sect.

A heartless and ungrateful person like her actually fit quite well with the ruthless cultivation technique she trained in.

Sect Master Ji Yuan shook his sleeve and gave Master Qing Yan a strange look.

Why was this person angry again?

The cold air rolling off him was almost visible. Was he not afraid of freezing an old man like him?

Elder Sun turned to the disciples in the center of the martial practice field and announced in a deep voice, “When the spell formation opens, the selection will begin. If any part of your body leaves the range of the spell formation, you will be eliminated. The last ones remaining inside the spell formation will win for their team. Do you understand?”

“We understand.”

Forty people answered in unison.

“Good, the selection will now…”

“Stop.”

A cold voice, as clear as snow, cut straight over Elder Sun’s words.

Everyone looked over in confusion at Master Qing Yan, who had suddenly spoken to interrupt Elder Sun.

Yu Zhao’s heart went cold. She had a bad feeling.

The next moment, she felt a sharp gaze like the tip of a blade stab into her body.

“Yu Zhao is ungrateful and immoral, selfish and self-serving. She is not worthy to represent the Five Elements Dao Sect in the grand competition. As a Peak Master, I will strip her of her qualification to take part in the Selection Trials.”

In an instant, Yu Zhao felt as if all sound had disappeared.

She raised her head to look at Master Qing Yan, who was as pure and aloof as a green pine under the bright moon. In a daze, she remembered the scene from her last life, when she died under Master Qing Yan’s sword.

Back then, even though she had clearly watched Master Qing Yan stab his sword through her heart, she still stubbornly refused to believe that Master Qing Yan truly wanted to kill her.

She was the disciple he had personally brought back from the mortal world, the closed door disciple he had promised to teach. She had carved respect for her teacher deep into her bones and blood. Even when Master Qing Yan ignored her, she had never given birth to any rebellious thoughts.

Just because she exposed Ye Cong Xin’s true nature, the Master she respected so much had decided to put her to death.

She had not died at the hands of an enemy, but under the sword of the very person who had once saved her from fire and water.

[How ridiculous.]

[How pathetic.]

“Master Qing Yan, watch your words!”

Sect Master Ji Yuan’s angry shout pulled Yu Zhao’s thoughts back to the present.

A warm current spread from her palm through all her limbs.

Yu Zhao lowered her head and saw that Zhou Jin Yue was tightly holding her hand.

On the platform, Sect Master Ji Yuan was still speaking up for Yu Zhao.

“When Yu Zhao left the sect back then, I was there as well. It is not as Master Qing Yan says. Master Qing Yan, there is no need to argue with a disciple.”

He tried hard to hold down his temper. His tiger-like eyes were round and wide.

“She was once my disciple. I am more qualified than you to judge her.”

Master Qing Yan’s tone did not change at all, but an invisible pressure spread out with his words.

All the Peak Master elders on the high platform suddenly felt as if they were under the sea, their chests tight and breath short.

Their eyes flickered, each with their own thoughts.

The disciples below did not have the elders’ worries.

With Master Qing Yan personally giving Yu Zhao such a harsh judgment, all the old rumors seemed to be confirmed.

“No wonder Yu Zhao was driven out of the sect by Master Qing Yan. She is even more annoying than the rumors said.”

“So what if her talents are high? With such a bad heart, she is not worthy to stand with us.”

“I think the sect should not have taken Yu Zhao in at all. We should drive her out of the sect right away, so she does not ruin the name of the Five Elements Dao Sect.”

“Junior Sister Ye has been sick for so long. She must have suffered a lot under Yu Zhao’s hands. She is really pitiful.”

“…”

The one-sided gossip was like a huge wave, drowning out the few voices trying to defend Yu Zhao.

Zhou Jin Yue, Zhang Jun, and Lv Li each took a side, standing in three different spots to block the hostile, hateful gazes being thrown at Yu Zhao from all directions.

Pu Xing He quickly walked off to the side, pulling some distance between himself and Yu Zhao, as if he was afraid of being dragged down with her.

Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, and Su Ming all had pale faces. There was no joy in their hearts at all, only endless fear.

In the cultivation world, Master Qing Yan’s words carried great weight.

What he had just said was almost like announcing Yu Zhao’s death sentence. No one would be willing to deal with someone that Master Qing Yan openly despised.

But they knew that Yu Zhao was not like the person Master Qing Yan had described.

She was just a little stubborn and liked to compete with her junior sister over their Master’s favor.

Besides that, she had no big faults and did not deserve such heavy punishment.

“Mas…”

Su Ming was about to speak up to beg for her when Ye Cong Xin suddenly yanked on his sleeve.

“Third Senior Brother, Master is angry right now. If you speak for Senior Sister Yu, you will only make things worse.”

“Then what should we do?”

Su Ming was so anxious that he looked like he was about to catch fire.

Lan Zi Yu’s face was also very ugly. His eyes kept sneaking glances in Yu Zhao’s direction.

“Why are you so anxious? That Yu Zhao is fake. Master must have seen through her disguise, that is why he spoke like that.”

Quan Ye let out a cold laugh, his face full of joy.

He had said before that this Yu Zhao was fake, but they had not believed him. Now they had to believe, right?

How could the real Yu Zhao dare disobey Master’s orders, leave the sect, and even stand against them?

This was only a fake Yu Zhao. The real Yu Zhao had long since been hidden away by her.

“Master, Yu Zhao is simple and honest, and her heart is loyal. There must be some misunderstanding. Please take back what you said just now!”

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