Sect Tournament

But then something occurred to Lou Yunxiao, and he added, "Zhuang Yusheng is actually a decent person."

"Lying to him might... not be right."

"So you want me to accept him?"

"No!"

Lou Yunxiao answered so quickly that even he was surprised.

But he soon added, "I just can't quite understand two men becoming cultivation partners, so I do think you should consider it carefully."

"..." Ning Ke couldn't help laughing.

He lay there with his legs crossed and said, "I can't understand it either."

"But I think Zhuang Yusheng was just taken in by my looks."

"After all, this face of mine really is deceptive. And with Senior Hong Yao as his master, it's only natural that he'd be impulsive."

"..." This time, Lou Yunxiao paused for a long time before speaking softly.

"If my eyes recover someday, I want you to be the first person I see, junior brother."

"I want to know what you truly look like, just as they do."

Ning Ke froze. He could feel the heart in his chest beating noticeably faster.

He lowered his eyes, swept the blanket over Lou Yunxiao, and hugged his human body pillow tight.

He told a lie he didn't even believe himself. "All right. On the day you can see again, senior brother, I'll be the first person standing before you."

This time, Lou Yunxiao didn't deliberately keep his distance from Ning Ke.

Instead, he relaxed into his embrace and closed his eyes.

He knew regaining his sight would most likely be extremely difficult. Once a cultivator had a physical disability, even reaching an immensely powerful realm rarely restored it, especially when it came to the eyes.

But A Ke's promise gave him something to look forward to.

How strange...

In the silent room, Xiao Yuan said to Ning Ke, [You lied to him again.]

[By the time he regains his sight, this identity of yours will be dead. How could you let him see you?]

Ning Ke replied, It's hardly the first time I've lied to him. At least this one gives him something to hope for.

After staying in Ning Family Village through the New Year, the three of them set off for the Sword Sect.

Before leaving, Ning Ke pulled the wolf cub Silver Gray aside for a private word.

"Silver Gray, I'll remind you one more time. You absolutely, absolutely must not let my identity slip. Understand?"

Silver Gray sat there wagging his tail. "Rest assured, Demon Venerable! I won't say a word, even if they beat me to death!"

Ning Ke couldn't resist patting his head, then pressed his right index and middle fingers together against Silver Gray's brow.

"I've left a strand of divine consciousness in your Sea of Consciousness. Protect the villagers here for me. If anything happens, activate it, and I'll come as quickly as possible."

"Understood!"

After Ning Ke and the others returned to the Sword Sect, they began cultivating in preparation for the spring Sect Tournament.

This time, Ning Ke didn't slack off either. He had to fully master all the talismans and formations in the wooden plaque within his limited time, then teach them to the female lead!

Damn it, I don't get it. Wasn't the female lead supposed to be the one grinding away? How did I get dragged into it too?

He'd had to work in the modern world, and now he had to cultivate in the cultivation world.

A slacker's life was out of reach. Ning Ke was forced to become the Sword Sect's second-biggest workaholic, behind only Lou Yunxiao!

In just a few short months, Lou Yunxiao broke through to the late Golden Core stage, while Ning Ke followed close behind, reaching the peak mid Golden Core stage.

Bang-

The ground of the training grounds burst apart, and dozens of golden ropes spiraled upward, tightly binding Lou Yunxiao's hands and feet.

Lou Yunxiao gripped his sword backhanded, its tip pointing down. As though he had anticipated this, he bent his knee and drove it fiercely into a particular spot!

Boom-

The formation's core shattered, and the chains vanished. Yet in the next instant, the Red Cloud Sword thrust straight at his face through the dust!

The sword energy sent his silk blindfold fluttering backward.

Ning Ke stood before the young man kneeling on one knee. He turned his blade from vertical to horizontal and lifted Lou Yunxiao's chin with a flippant motion, teasing, "Senior brother, thank you for letting me win."

"Ahhh, second senior brother finally won!"

"Come on, pay up, pay up! I won the bet!"

"Aw, how did eldest senior brother lose this time? He usually wins."

The disciples beside them chattered as they settled their bets, while Ning Xiaoxiao shook her head with a knowing expression.

Honestly, these disciples don't get it. Eldest senior brother was going easy on him.

Although her brother was indeed impressive, she had noticed some time ago that eldest senior brother had developed sword intent.

Sect Master Gao had even summoned him away for a period of secluded cultivation.

After all, comprehending sword intent on one's own at the Golden Core stage was almost unheard of among the younger generation.

Yet eldest senior brother hadn't used his sword intent in this match.

He had unquestionably held back!

"Yes, I lost." Lou Yunxiao stood and cast a Cleansing Spell on himself, then heard Ning Ke say, "Are you keeping your tricks from me, senior brother, so you can shock everyone at the Sect Tournament?"

If Ning Xiaoxiao could notice it, how could Ning Ke not know?

"...Yes." Lou Yunxiao was too embarrassed to admit that he actually wanted to save his sword intent for his match against Zhuang Yusheng, so he could defeat him in front of Ning Ke.

As for why he was so determined to beat Zhuang Yusheng, even he wasn't quite sure.

"Heh, you're not the only one holding something back, though." Ning Ke chuckled. "I held back too. You'll find out at the Sect Tournament."

During this time, he had already comprehended most of that five-meter-tall talisman and learned the knack of combining formations.

After all, although he was only a tail, his comprehension was at the Demon Venerable Realm, equivalent to that of a Human Clan cultivator at the Tribulation Stage.

After working so hard for several months, it would have been humiliating if he still hadn't learned it.

"All right. I'll look forward to it."

The Sect Tournament was an important way for the Human Clan's sects to "build relationships."

In plain terms, it was shameless showing off-a chance to see whose youngsters were the strongest.

Along the way, they would select youngsters capable of protecting themselves to enter the Secret Realm, gain experience, hunt for treasures, seek opportunities, and grow stronger.

The Sect Tournament wasn't limited to the Four Great Sects. Smaller sects could participate too, so the crowds were enormous and the atmosphere lively.

The Sword Sect's new generation of disciples were brimming with anticipation. Aboard the Flying Ship, they excitedly discussed all the things they wanted to do once they reached Zhongdu City.

With all their racket, Ning Ke naturally couldn't sleep well.

He sat up, leaned bonelessly against the ramrod-straight Lou Yunxiao, and yawned.

Lou Yunxiao couldn't help reminding him, "Junior brother, sit properly."

"Senior brother, you need to relax when it's time to relax. Life is so long. If you're always as tense as this, how can you get through it?"

Ning Ke poked Lou Yunxiao's cheek and smiled. "Come on, don't be so serious. Give me a smile."

"...Stop fooling around." Despite saying that, Lou Yunxiao couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting, betraying his true feelings.

Living with a blood feud weighing on him, he found it difficult to truly relax.

But whenever he was with Ning Ke, the man always found a way to cheer him up.

"Oh, right, senior brother. Once we reach Zhongdu City, is there anywhere you want to go?"

Lou Yunxiao paused briefly.

He was blind. Wherever he went, he wouldn't be able to see anything...

But he didn't want to dampen A Ke's enthusiasm, so he said, "Wherever you want to go, junior brother, I'll go too."