Chapter 177: We Are Not Acquainted

In the crowd, those who knew Yu Qingxue exchanged glances in silence, saying nothing.

The Formless Immortal Venerable's expression was cold, unmoved.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yao focused on the match, unaware that the sword move she had just unleashed would stir up huge waves deep in the hearts of these big shots!

After Yuan Yao unleashed the "One Layer of Drunken Life and Death" sword technique, she shifted her stance and used the Carefree Sword Style against Yan Haonan.

Yan Haonan, wounded by that strike, had specks of blood at the corner of his mouth; he immediately flipped to his feet, raised his sword, and met Yuan Yao's attack.

The two clashed continuously on the platform, neither able to gain the upper hand!

Yuan Yao's swordsmanship was exquisite; every strike aimed straight at Yan Haonan's weak point.

Although Yan Haonan's swordsmanship was not as exquisite as Yuan Yao's, his defensive sword technique was very formidable.

The advancing disciples in the waiting area saw this and chattered: "I think they've been fighting for half an hour already and still no winner—could it end in a draw?"

Dongfangxiu of the Tai Sui Sect heard this and let out a cold laugh.

"That damned Yuan Yao couldn't possibly be that weak! She'll definitely win in the end!"

Zhai Qingye of the Holy Gate chuckled lightly: "They won't draw; you haven't noticed? Yan Haonan's spiritual power is already exhausted—if the fight drags on, he will surely lose to Xiao Yao."

"Xiao Yao?" Ling Huya of the Holy Gate raised an eyebrow at him, "Does she know you call her that?"

Zhai Qingye gave a light smile: "Just a friendly nickname, that's all."

Ying Wuji, sitting not far away, suddenly spoke: "Fellow cultivator Zhai, Yao Yao doesn't know you."

Xiao Zhufeng, seated in the front row, heard this and silently agreed: Exactly.

"We'll get acquainted later." Zhai Qingye wore an unmoving expression, "Ying Wuji, even if you're Xiao Yao's senior brother, you can't restrict her right to make friends, can you?"

"Patron Zhai is right; we can't restrict Little Junior Sister's right to make friends." Cang Li sighed, "But Patron Zhai, you haven't even become Yao Yao's friend—how can you call yourself her friend? Doing so will only annoy her."

"People need face, trees need bark—are you asking to die?" Cang Li retorted without mercy.

He then added: "I also say, Cangaotian will surely become your foster father, Zhai Qingye—Xiao Ye, call me 'Dad' for a test."

He clasped his hands together.

"Xiao Ye, hurry up and pay respects to your foster father?"

Zhai Qingye's mouth twitched violently.

Ling Huya beside him burst into laughter, and others couldn't help laughing too.

"Xiao Ye, I'll also be your foster mother—call me 'Mom' to hear it." Ling Huya laughed until her stomach hurt.

Someone deliberately shouted: "Xiao Ye?"

"That nickname suits you perfectly!"

"Hahaha…"

The surrounding laughter threatened to drown Zhai Qingye.

Zhai Qingye's face turned black.

He stared fixedly at Cang Li: "Cang Li, don't let me run into you on the platform."

Upon hearing this, Cang Li quickly told Song Yan and the others: "He's threatening me!"

"I'm terrified!"

"Afraid of what?" Xiao Lingwei retorted unhappily, "A gentleman's revenge can wait ten days."

Ten days?!

Zhai Qingye's eyelids twitched wildly; he understood Xiao Lingwei's meaning.

If he really had it out for Cang Li, then after the competition the Five Heroes of Thousand Mountain—no, the Six Heroes of Thousand Mountain—would surely gang up on him in secret.

That's a naked threat!

At that moment, Xiao Lingwei turned her head, made a hand motion to loosen her muscles and bones.

Zhai Qingye: "…"

He fell silent.

But others had no intention of letting him off, kept mocking him and shouting "Xiao Ye."

Zhai Qingye silently noted these hateful faces.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yao and Yan Haonan still had no winner!

Both Yuan Yao and Yan Haonan bore injuries.

Yan Haonan knew he had nearly exhausted his spiritual power, so he could not let the stalemate continue.

Next, he must finish it with one move.

Yan Haonan planned to unleash his trump‑card technique; he stepped back, and a mighty pressure of mid‑Golden Core Realm burst from his whole body.

He lifted his sword and rose.

"Seven Layers of the Deep Cloud Shadow!"

Boom—

In an instant, the entire platform was shrouded in his powerful sword qi.

Seven overlapping sword‑blade shadows sliced through the void in mid‑air, carrying terrifying sword momentum as they bore down on Yuan Yao's position.

Yuan Yao's expression tightened; she gripped her sword with one hand, her left fingertip cut by the blade—she offered blood to the sword, and instantly the sword‑formation talisman appeared as she flourished her blade.

"Myriad Blades United Shadow, Slash!"

She thrust her sword forward!

From the white sword‑formation talisman, countless sword shadows condensed into a huge blade that shattered the talisman with a boom—like a mountain, vast shadows like dark clouds surged forward to meet the opponent's sword move!

Bang!

A burst of explosion as the two forces collided in mid‑air!

In the blink of an eye, the huge blade shattered the opponent's seven‑layered shadow layer by layer!

Yan Haonan felt a tightness in his chest, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the powerful impact surged, flipping him onto the ground.

Immediately, a five-colored light flashed before his eyes.

The icy sword tip pressed against his throat.

Yan Haonan's throat moved as he endured the pain, gave a light cough, and said, "I lost."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao raised her hand and summoned the Phantom Spirit Sword back.

"Dao friend Yan, I concede." Yuan Yao clasped her hands.

After the referee announced the match result, the Carefree Sect crowd cheered.

"Junior sister, you're amazing!"

"Junior sister has advanced again!"

"I never expected junior sister to already be in the top seventy‑five—how fantastic!"

Yuan Yao greeted those cheering for her with a beaming smile.

At that moment, a broadcast voice from the 250 System sounded in her sea of consciousness.

They were all reports of the target individuals' Awakening Value increasing.

What shocked her was that, among those targets, a small fraction had actually reached an Awakening Value of 50 because of this.

Her lifespan days were also increasing.

Yuan Yao happily jumped down from the platform and walked back to the waiting area.

Weng Mingshu said to her with an awkward expression, "Congratulations."

Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow, "I beat your eldest senior brother—aren't you happy?"

"Should I be happy?" Weng Mingshu snorted coldly, arms crossed in a tsundere pose.

Yuan Yao couldn't help laughing, "Fine, fine, be happy or not—it's all the same."

After hearing that, Weng Mingshu gave her a glare, then went to tend to her injured eldest senior brother.

After taking her seat, Yuan Yao noticed the surrounding disciples staring at her with strange looks, and she couldn't help asking Cang Li, "Why are they looking at me like that?"

Cang Li explained the whole story to her.

Yuan Yao turned and glared at Zhai Qingye, "Zhai Qingye, who gave you the right to call me Xiao Yao?"

Zhai Qingye coughed awkwardly, "How about calling you Yao Yao?"

"Dao friend Zhai, please call me Dao friend Yuan." Yuan Yao said mercilessly, "We're not acquainted."

Zhai Qingye: "……"