Chapter 484

Chapter 484: Next Time I Will Definitely Win
After she spoke, everything fell silent.

Whether it was her Sea of Consciousness or the depths of the sea of fire, there was no response.

Yu Zhao faced the depths of the flames and bowed deeply, then strode forward along the chain.

This time nothing distracted her, so her speed was several times faster than before.

At last, she reached the end of the chain.

There lay a wide stone platform. In its center floated ten crimson beads, wrapped in a faint red halo.

This was the greatest treasure of the Bi Fang Realm, the Bi Fang Beads.

Yu Zhao reached out her hand. One Bi Fang Bead flew into her palm on its own, its warm touch spreading through her whole body.

She closed her fingers around it, and a smile could not help curling at her lips.

At last, she had lived up to what Senior Qun Fang had asked of her.

Soon after, Lu Jiu Yuan and the others also passed their trials one after another and arrived at the stone platform where the Bi Fang Beads floated.

Seeing Yu Zhao sitting there cross-legged at ease, their expressions all turned a bit strange.

Especially Lu Jiu Yuan.

He had just thrown harsh words at Yu Zhao earlier, and he never thought he would be slapped in the face so quickly. Right now he wished he could avoid her altogether.

But in front of serious business, all grudges had to be set aside.

They stepped forward one by one to take a Bi Fang Bead.

When everyone was done, one last Bi Fang Bead still floated gently within the halo on the stone platform, as if waiting for its master.

Yu Zhao glanced over them and asked in a low voice: “We are still missing one, right?”

Lu Jiu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then said: “He failed the test while crossing the chain and died in the sea of fire.”

His tone was heavy. He clearly felt regret for that disciple’s death.

Yu Zhao let out a soft sigh. Looking at the lonely Bi Fang Bead, she asked: “What should we do with this one?”

“By custom, we should bring this Bi Fang Bead out and hand it to his sect,” Lu Jiu Yuan said.

Yu Zhao nodded. Since there was a custom, they would follow the rules.

The others had no objections.

Lu Jiu Yuan stepped forward and took down the last Bi Fang Bead.

“The task is done. We can leave now,” he said.

Yu Zhao stood up and said: “Let’s go. This place is not good to stay in for long.”

The instructions were simple: “Hold on to your Bi Fang Beads and leave this place at once.”

Everyone nodded. With a thought, the next moment they appeared outside the cave where they had entered the Eye of Bi Fang.

The sect masters waiting outside saw Yu Zhao, Lu Jiu Yuan, and the others walk out of the Eye of Bi Fang and hurried up to greet them with joy.

“Good, good, good!” One sect master clapped his hands and laughed, patting his own disciple’s shoulder again and again in praise.

The Hengnan Sect Master, clutching his Bi Fang Bead, also did his best to show Yu Zhao his gratitude. For a while, the scene was lively and noisy.

However, in this cheerful atmosphere, one person did not fit in.

The sect master who could not find his own disciple looked a bit stiff. His gaze was locked on the entrance, as if he was still waiting for something.

But after the last person came out and there was no movement inside for a long time, his hope shattered, and the forced curve at the corner of his mouth slowly fell.

Lu Jiu Yuan walked forward, took out the extra Bi Fang Bead from his robe, and held it with both hands in front of that sect master. He said softly: “Sect Master Mu Yang, this is the Bi Fang Bead your sect disciple earned. He unfortunately fell inside the Eye of Bi Fang. Please accept my condolences.”

The Mu Yang Sect Master took the Bi Fang Bead with trembling hands. A trace of sorrow flashed through his eyes, but he quickly forced it down.

“Thank you,” he said.

Lu Jiu Yuan shook his head and stepped back to stand beside the Wending Gate Master.

The Wending Gate Master said in a deep voice: “Now that the Bi Fang Beads are in hand, everyone may return to your own sects.”

As soon as he finished, the Mu Yang Sect Master was the first to leave. The other sect masters exchanged a few words with each other, then led their disciples back to their own camps.

Yu Zhao went back to meet the people of Lingyin Sect and was warmly welcomed again.

Then, just as she was about to leave together with Ancestor Sui Bian and Old Daoist Hei in Lingyin Sect’s flying palace, a voice sounded behind her.

“Wait.”

Yu Zhao turned around and saw Lu Jiu Yuan, Su Qing Wan, and Du Wu Xiang hurrying toward her.

She asked: “What is it?”

“Yu Zhao, you will join the next Great Thousand Alliance Selection, right?” Lu Jiu Yuan asked.

The three pairs of eyes all stared at her, their gazes burning.

Yu Zhao’s lips curved. She said: “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Lu Jiu Yuan clearly was not satisfied with this answer.

But Yu Zhao had already leaped onto the palace.

Lu Jiu Yuan could only shout: “Yu Zhao, I will be waiting for you in the Daqian Alliance. Next time I will definitely win!”

“Oh.”

Inside the palace, the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Yu Zhao and Old Daoist Hei shrank into a corner in tacit agreement, trying to make their presence as small as possible.

Old Daoist Hei secretly glanced at Ancestor Sui Bian sitting in front, then lowered his voice and said to Yu Zhao: “Look at Ancestor. Does he not look like a duck being roasted over a fire?”

Following his gaze, Yu Zhao saw Ancestor Sui Bian sitting upright, a stiff smile on his face.

On his left sat Senior Xiu Yu, and on his right sat Senior Qun Fang.

Ancestor Sui Bian was stuck between the two of them. He did not dare lean left or right. He could only keep his back straight and do his best to stay neutral.

Yu Zhao almost burst out laughing.

Old Daoist Hei chuckled and was about to tease a few more words when he suddenly sensed that something about Yu Zhao’s aura was off.

His eyes widened, and he said in a sour tone: “You little girl, how did your cultivation break through again? Did you sneak some immortal pills?”

Yu Zhao waved her hand, pretending to be modest: “Luck. It is all luck.”

Old Daoist Hei felt even more sour inside.

[Why is this Yu Zhao not a disciple of our Heavenly Sword Sect?]

Suddenly, a bright idea flashed through his mind. He leaned close to Yu Zhao’s ear and whispered: “How about… you come to our Heavenly Sword Sect as a disciple too?”

Yu Zhao had not yet answered when Ancestor Sui Bian’s voice came from the front: “Old Daoist Hei! What sneaky ideas are you plotting now!”

Ancestor Sui Bian seized the chance like grabbing a life-saving straw to escape the “pincer attack” of Xiu Yu and Qun Fang. He strode over to Old Daoist Hei, wrapped an arm around his neck, and shook him hard.

“You stingy old ghost! I did not let you dig at the walls of my palace, and now you want to dig at the walls of my Five Elements Dao Sect! Looking for death, are you!”

Old Daoist Hei also felt he was being wronged. Ancestor Sui Bian was taking advantage and still putting on a show.

So he jabbed back, poking at Ancestor Sui Bian’s eyes and shouting: “You old codger! Your Five Elements Dao Sect already has so many disciples. What is wrong with giving Yu Zhao to me!”

“Give her to you? Keep dreaming!” Ancestor Sui Bian yelled back. “Yu Zhao is the treasure of my Five Elements Dao Sect! Even if your Heavenly Sword Sect’s Ancestral Patriarch comes, he can forget about touching a hair on her head!”

“You are not Yu Zhao. Who are you to decide for her!”

As they fought, the two of them tumbled onto the floor in a heap.

One dug at the other’s nose. The other poked at the other’s lower back.

They were locked in a fight that looked both fierce and ridiculous.

Yu Zhao had wanted to step in and break them up, but Senior Qun Fang and Senior Xiu Yu stopped her together.

Qun Fang said: “It is fine. Let them fight. It would be best if one of them gets beaten to death.”

Xiu Yu added with a gentle smile: “In my view, it would not be bad if they both perish together.”

Yu Zhao was speechless: “[…].”