Chapter 160: Not Yet Left

Yuan Yao couldn't help but picture Xie Yan's appearance in her mind after hearing Shiziwen's current Awakening Value.

Xie Yan's initial Awakening Value was -100.

Shiziwen's initial Awakening Value was -10.

Could there be some connection between them?

However, Shiziwen's Awakening Value has already increased by 40 over time, while Xie Yan's has only risen by 20!

This guy Xie Yan is really hard to win over.

Yuan Yao recalled that she had beaten Shiziwen senseless on the night of the forbidden land theft, which led to his great change.

It seems sometimes you just have to beat someone.

…

Noon.

It was Yuan Yao's turn, the one who drew the number two hundred fifty slip.

Before Yuan Yao even stepped onto the stage, she was greeted by the deafening cheers of the Carefree Sect crowd.

"Junior Sister, add oil!"

"Junior Sister!"

"Junior Sister!"

The young lady smiled, her eyes curved, and enthusiastically waved back.

"This Yuan Yao is truly beautiful!" someone said.

"The people of the Carefree Sect seem to really like her! Previously, Cang Li and the others didn't receive such treatment when they appeared; it seems not only does the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord dote on her, but the entire Carefree Sect, up and down, dotes on her!"

"Hmph, where in the world is there such a perfect person?"

"I heard that a few days ago, Yuan Yao even drove a Carefree Sect disciple to death!"

"What? No way, why would she do that to someone?"

"I heard she was arrogant and domineering, falsely accusing that Carefree Sect disciple of stalking her and being detrimental to her, so she beat that disciple in front of everyone, ultimately driving him to suicide. Moreover, I heard Yuan Yao doesn't like her junior sister Lu Xiangxiang, often verbally humiliating her lightly and beating her severely."

"Really?"

"It must be Yuan Yao's jealousy of Lu Xiangxiang!"

"I heard Lu Xiangxiang still hasn't been officially named by the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord because of Yuan Yao's interference. I truly feel indignant for Lu Xiangxiang!"

"The Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord is so biased; it's really tough on Lu Xiangxiang."

The crowd's discussion gradually took a strange turn.

The Carefree Sect leader frowned, secretly thinking: Who exactly spread this rumor? How did it get so outrageous?

Zong Rao suddenly received a voice transmission from Qianjue Mountain; she immediately stood up, bowed to Immortal Venerable Fan Quan, and said, "Immortal Venerable, may I say a few words?"

Immortal Venerable Fan Quan nodded upon hearing her.

Zong Rao faced the crowd and then used her spiritual power to transmit her voice throughout the entire Grand Competition venue.

"A few days ago, our Carefree Sect did have a disciple die, but he did not commit suicide; he was killed by a forbidden technique. Furthermore, before his death, this disciple harbored ill intentions and had stalked our Carefree Sect disciple Yuan Yao. After Yuan Yao discovered this, the disciple was silenced by the hidden mastermind."

"This matter is very strange, and now there are also extremely unfavorable rumors circulating about our Carefree Sect disciple Yuan Yao. We have reason to suspect that someone is deliberately targeting Yuan Yao."

"As for the alleged discord between Yuan Yao and Lu Xiangxiang, that is merely a rumor."

Upon hearing this, the Carefree Sect disciples immediately spoke up to testify.

"We have never seen Junior Sister bully Seventh Sister!"

Lu Xiangxiang, sitting in the waiting area, showed no change on her face, but her mood had already sunk.

She never expected Qianjue Mountain would, in order to uphold Yuan Yao's reputation, secretly instruct Zong Rao to publicly clarify this matter.

This clarification instantly disrupted her original plan.

Lu Xiangxiang's mood plummeted to the extreme.

She lowered her eyes slightly.

To onlookers, her appearance clearly indicated she had suffered a great injustice.

This inevitably made people think more.

Seeing her like this, Song Yan and the others were also furious and couldn't figure out what to do.

This appearance, clearly telling everyone: she indeed is not on good terms with Yuan Yao, yet she wants to maintain decorum and not expose it.

Xiao Lingwei chuckled lightly, "Seventh Sister, how? Do you think you and Yao Yao are not on good terms?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiangxiang bit her lip and only shook her head.

"Speak up." Xiao Lingwei saw her adopting a victim's posture and couldn't help but feel a surge of disgust.

Lu Xiangxiang looked innocently at Xiao Lingwei, "Second Senior Sister, what do you want me to say?"

Seeing this, Xiao Lingwei almost couldn't restrain herself from wanting to pull out her long whip and lash her hard.

However, Cang Li promptly said, "Seventh Sister has always been like this; we shouldn't demand too much of her."

Xiao Lingwei's brows slightly furrowed, but after seeing Cang Li give her a meaningful glance, she then stopped paying attention to Lu Xiangxiang.

Lu Xiangxiang's lips curled up with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Let's first watch Junior Sister's match." Ying Wuji spoke up.

At this moment, on the stage.

Yuan Yao's opponent was a young man from a minor sect.

"I am Qi Yu of the Establishing Soul Sect."

"Yuan Yao of the Heavenly Martial Peak, Carefree Sect." Yuan Yao smiled in response.

Qi Yu was swayed by her smile, and after he regained his composure, he quickly recalled the rumors circulating these days; they all said that although Yuan Yao of the Carefree Sect was extremely beautiful, she had an extremely perverse quirk.

She likes others to confess to her.

Many young disciples encountered her Dao, and they revealed many secrets to her.

Qi Yu felt wary, thinking he definitely could not beat Yuan Yao, so before she could make him repent, he would surely admit defeat first.

He took a deep breath, preparing for everything.

After the referee announced the start of the match.

Qi Yu gripped his weapon tightly and attacked toward Yuan Yao's direction.

Clang—

At the moment Yuan Yao drew her sword, a flash of colored sword light passed, and Qi Yu was directly cut down, flying off the stage.

"I accept your loss." Yuan Yao put away her Phantom Spirit Sword and said.

The crowd: "?"

The referee also froze for a moment, but he quickly reacted and announced Yuan Yao's victory!

The Carefree Sect's crowd cheered incessantly.

After stepping down from the stage, Yuan Yao yawned, her demeanor lazy.

It seemed she was completely unaffected by the recent rumors.

Qian Jueshan saw the situation, his lips curling slightly, so fast that one could hardly see.

After returning to the waiting area, Yuan Yao sat in the middle position between Lu Xiangxiang and Ying Wuji.

At that moment, many people were paying attention to the two senior sisters.

From afar, their faces actually resembled each other by about twenty to thirty percent.

However, upon closer look, there were differences.

Their temperaments were completely different.

In Yuan Yao's every gesture, she bore an innate nobility and confidence; when she did not smile, she gave off an unapproachable, aloof aura, but when she smiled, she was warm like a little sun.

Lu Xiangxiang's eyes always carried a hint of sorrow, her gentleness like water, yet she retained a steadfast resilience.

Yuan Yao tilted her head to look at Lu Xiangxiang, "Junior Seventh Sister, they just said I'm not on good terms with you—what do you think?"

Lu Xiangxiang lowered her eyes, "How they feel is their own business."

"Then what do you think?"

"Senior Sixth Sister, why ask again?"

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao sighed, "Alright, I won't ask then."

Lu Xiangxiang snorted coldly in her heart.

Another day passed.

Ying Wuji took the stage and won the match.

And only then did the first round of disciple finals finally end.

Immortal Venerable Fan Quan rose and announced, "Everyone, the second round of disciple finals will be held in one day."

The teams from various sects successively left the grand competition venue.

Yuan Yao also left with the Carefree Sect team.

As they walked, the teams from various sects gradually split, heading toward different academies.

Yuan Yao caught a glimpse of a familiar white figure out of the corner of her eye, flashing past a nearby street corner.

Xie Yan?

He hasn't left yet?