Junior sister, is this the Xiao Rui you mentioned?

Ye Xing held his breath, unsure whether to react or not, feeling utterly uncomfortable.

Thinking back on the past month of their interactions, which had consisted solely of sword practice, and how Xia Wantang hadn't been willing to say more than a few words, Ye Xing couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

It's all my fault for stirring up trouble and saying those hurtful things!

What he didn't know was that Xia Wantang was quite pleased with how things had turned out.

Xiao Rui and Ye Xing were bound to meet during the Grand Competition. If she showed favor to both of them, they would inevitably see through her intentions.

Fortunately, Ye Xing had directly addressed the issue, otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to handle it.

Ye Xing sighed.

"Junior Sister, I was merely saying that now is not the time to find a cultivation partner; we should prioritize cultivation."

"It's not that we'll never speak again. We should at least be good friends, right?"

Xia Wantang: ? No one said anything about being your cultivation partner.

Ye Xing must be the most narcissistic of all the Sons of Destiny.

Xia Wantang also sighed.

"Senior Brother, Wantang is not one to dwell on romantic matters. I have always been diligently cultivating, and you've seen it yourself."

"My previous actions caused you trouble, Senior Brother. Let's just be ordinary friends from now on."

Ordinary friends, but you can't control who I hang out with~

Hearing that Xia Wantang was still willing to be his friend, Ye Xing felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

He was relieved that they wouldn't become strangers.

He was disappointed because it seemed his junior sister had truly given up on him, the shy blush no longer present in her eyes.

"By the way, Junior Sister, in your opinion, who is superior between me and that Xiao Rui I mentioned?"

Ye Xing's dark eyes fixed on Xia Wantang. If his gaze had any warmth, she would have been burned through by now.

Xia Wantang pondered for a moment.

"In terms of familiarity with techniques, their sharpness, and foundation, Senior Brother is naturally superior."

"However, Junior Brother Xiao has a certain fighting spirit. His sword style is sharp and unyielding, making him a formidable opponent."

Seeing her serious expression, Ye Xing couldn't help but become serious as well.

To receive such an evaluation from Junior Sister Xia, it seems this Xiao Rui is indeed a strong rival.

Although my cultivation is far superior to his, to avoid arousing suspicion, I can only suppress my cultivation to the peak of the Mystic Martial Realm. If he's truly that difficult to deal with, I might struggle even at the peak of the Mystic Martial Realm.

Originally, Ye Xing wouldn't have cared about such trivial matters and wouldn't have insisted on winning first place in the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

But since Junior Sister Xia thought so highly of and defended this Xiao Rui, he was determined to defeat him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Junior Sister. I will be mindful of that."

Xia Wantang: ...Who asked for your reminder?

Too lazy to deal with Ye Xing, she estimated the time and said, "Senior Brother, the Sect Grand Competition is about to begin. Let's head to the front mountain quickly."

With that, she took out the Jianjia Sword and began sword riding.

Seeing this, Ye Xing quickly followed.

On the front mountain, the Outer Sect disciples' Grand Competition was already in full swing.

The morning was for the Outer Sect Grand Competition, serving as a warm-up. Everyone knew it was just a minor affair; the Inner Sect disciples' Grand Competition in the afternoon was where the real show would be.

Xiao Rui stood alone in a corner, watching the outer disciples engage in their amateurish squabbles, not joining the fray.

He leaned against the wall, holding his sword, and rested his eyes, conserving his energy for the afternoon's matches.

But even though he wasn't looking for trouble, trouble found him.

Luo Ao, leading a group of his lackeys, swaggered over to Xiao Rui and surrounded him.

"Well, well, isn't this Xiao Rui, the utility disciple who's been missing for two months?"

"Last time the Saintess protected you, I haven't bothered you for so long. Are you feeling empty and lonely?"

Xiao Rui opened his eyes, his rugged features etched with impatience. His sharp gaze fell upon Luo Ao.

"Luo Ao, we've always kept to ourselves. Why do you keep coming to bother me?"

As he spoke, he completely ignored Ye Yilan, who was beside Luo Ao, his childhood sweetheart.

Hearing this, Luo Ao simply didn't respond. Instead, he looked at Ye Yilan, his tone dripping with mockery towards Xiao Rui.

"Little Sister Yilan, why do you think Xiao Rui isn't participating in the Grand Competition? I see all the other junior brothers eager to compete, yet he's just standing here alone, spacing out. Tsk."

Over the past two months, Ye Yilan had gained access to many cultivation resources she had never dared to dream of, thanks to Luo Ao. Her cultivation had also advanced to the peak of the Human Martial Realm.

She was quite proud of this and, seeing Xiao Rui's current dejected state, felt even more fortunate that she had chosen to align herself with Luo Ao early on.

With that thought, Ye Yilan chimed in with her own mockery:

"Brother Ao, that's naturally because Xiao Rui's cultivation is just too low. He probably can't even beat any of his fellow disciples."

Luo Ao was very pleased with Ye Yilan's cooperation and let out a laugh:

"Hahahaha, yes. Fortunately, he has some self-awareness and knows to hide in a corner instead of jumping out to show off."

Xiao Rui looked at Luo Ao and his group with a somber gaze.

The one who disappointed him the most was Ye Yilan.

Whether it was luck or misfortune, Ye Yilan had chosen to defect to Luo Ao and come to bully him just as he was about to share the good news of his recovered cultivation with her.

Otherwise, he might have been deceived by her for his entire life.

Thinking that the Inner Sect Grand Competition was this afternoon, he had already hidden his strength for long enough.

Now, there was no need for him to endure their taunts anymore.

So, he spoke coldly, his eyes sharp:

"Try saying that again."

Upon hearing this, Luo Ao laughed even harder:

"Hahahaha, has this Xiao Rui gone mad? Daring to challenge me, his senior brother."

"Then today, I will teach you what seniority and respect mean on behalf of the Palace Lord!"

As he spoke, he drew a long sword and attacked Xiao Rui directly.

In his memory, Xiao Rui was still that good-for-nothing at the late Human Martial Realm. Even when he made a move, it seemed careless.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Rui not only dodged the attack but also drew his long sword, unleashing a sharp sword energy that struck directly at him!

"Bang!"

In just a second, Luo Ao fell to the ground, a bloody gash on his shoulder.

"Cough, cough, cough, that doesn't count. I wasn't even serious yet!"

Luo Ao's face was filled with disbelief, but inwardly he was shouting that it must have been because he hadn't performed well, which allowed this brat Xiao Rui to seize an opportunity.

However, the outer disciples around him had all noticed something was wrong:

That strike from Xiao Rui just now could absolutely not have been made by a cultivator at the Human Martial Realm!

While everyone was stunned, Luo Ao had already charged at Xiao Rui again.

Xiao Rui, as before, used only one move to send him crashing to the ground:

"Luo Ao, just because I didn't pursue this with you before doesn't mean I'm easy to bully."

"Now that I have reached the peak of the Mystic Martial Realm, you are no match for me!"

Upon hearing this, the outer disciples were silent for a moment, and then an unbelievable discussion erupted:

"How is that possible? Wasn't this Xiao Rui only at the late Human Martial Realm two months ago?"

"Could it be that he's been hiding his strength all along, and his cultivation has actually reached the Mystic Martial Realm?"

"I knew it. Xiao Rui's talent is so good, how could his cultivation have remained unchanged for so long?"

When Xia Wantang and Ye Xing arrived, they happened to witness this scene of discussion.

Seeing this, Ye Xing raised an eyebrow and looked at Xia Wantang with a half-smile:

"Junior Sister, is this the Xiao Rui you were talking about?"