Chapter 180: The Forgetfulness Flower

Song Yan scanned the surrounding Teng Snake shadows without changing expression, and at that moment his figure shifted, instantly disappearing in midair.

When he reappeared, the long sword in his hand pierced the shrunken form of the Teng Snake.

The Teng Snake let out a mournful, harrowing scream.

The sect master and Elders of the Teng Snake Sword Sect saw this, startled enough to nearly jump up, and shouted, "Don't kill the Teng Snake!"

"We concede!"

"We concede!" they shouted urgently, fearing Song Yan would kill the Teng Snake.

Long Yushu stared in disbelief, his eyes wide, thinking, "How could…?"

That's a Fifth‑rank Teng Snake! Its cultivation is equivalent to a human in the Spirit Transformation Realm!

How could it be defeated so easily?!

Long Yushu, with a complicated expression, fixed his gaze on the half‑white‑haired, white‑clothed youth before him, full of confusion, and finally spoke, conceding.

The crowd erupted in a roar.

"Isn't Song Yan only at the mid‑stage of the Golden Core Realm? Why is he so strong?!"

"There is always a higher heaven and a greater man," the Grand Master of the Sacred Gate sighed appreciatively.

The strongest in the cultivation world aren't necessarily those with the highest cultivation; they may be those bearing the Celestial Bloodline.

Those with the Celestial Bloodline have unremarkable cultivation, yet their power is astonishingly terrifying.

They inherit uniquely gifted talents and abilities.

Among those of the same realm, some have extremely poor talent, some extremely strong talent, some progress steadily, some rely on pills to stack cultivation, some have many hidden abilities, and some possess only a single skill...

Hence, the cultivation world has those who can fight across realms.

Moreover, in the cultivation world, everyone on the Heavenly Pride List is a "monster."

After the Referee announced the result, Song Yan sheathed his long sword; the wound on the side of his neck cut by the blade instantly healed, and half of his hair gradually turned black.

He lowered his head, his lips slightly parting.

When he stepped down from the arena, the crowd, still heatedly discussing, suddenly fell silent.

"Who won just now?"

"It seems it was Song Yan."

"Oh, so he won; I think I was daydreaming just now."

Almost everyone present gradually forgot the scene of Song Yan's duel with Long Yushu; even Long Yushu's memory became hazy, unable to recall the crucial events.

On the high platform.

Fan Quan, Immortal Patriarch, wore a complex expression, stroked his beard, and seemed lost in thought.

And Xu Yan Zhi, seated beside Fan Quan, was naturally unaffected by Song Yan's technique.

Xu Yan Zhi's gaze deepened a few degrees.

He hadn't previously expected that Song Yan was actually a member of that clan.

The Seven Great Power Holders, seeing this, understood each other silently and would not expose the matter.

The sect master of the Teng Snake Sword Sect, upon seeing the Teng Snake pierced by a sword, felt his heart chill dramatically and hurried to summon aid.

He was about to scold Song Yan a few times, but couldn't recall what had happened on the arena moments ago.

Realizing something was off, he scanned the surrounding crowd and found their discussion had already shifted to the two contestant disciples now stepping onto the arena.

He blinked, unable to remember what he had just been thinking.

Forget it.

It probably isn't important, right?

After Song Yan returned to the waiting area, Cang Li bandaged his wound.

Yuan Yao witnessed the entire process, shocked, and silently transmitted a voice to ask Song Yan, "Eldest Senior Brother, how did you do that? They all forgot!"

Song Yan said softly, "Our clan possesses a technique called the Forgetfulness Technique. To employ it, one must first plant a Forgetfulness Flower on the caster; once the flower blooms, as long as the caster recites the incantation, every word and deed can be forgotten."

"The Forgetfulness Technique is ineffective against those far stronger than the caster."

Seeing her puzzled eyes, Song Yan anticipated her question, smiled, and explained, "Members of our clan must plant the Forgetfulness Flower before the age of three—don't worry, it doesn't hurt. Also, the appearance you just saw is one of our clan's arts. We prefer to act low‑key; unless absolutely necessary, we never reveal ourselves. Even when we do, we are likely to use the Forgetfulness Technique on those around us."

"Therefore, in the cultivation world, very few people know of our clan's existence."

He patiently explained this to her.

Yuan Yao, after listening, finally understood.

She gave Song Yan a thumbs‑up and sincerely praised, "Eldest Senior Brother, you were truly amazing just now!"

Song Yan, seeing this, smiled gently.

"Did you previously think Eldest Senior Brother was weak?"

Yuan Yao, feeling guilty, let out a dry laugh a few times, her voice as thin as a mosquito, "Not really, because I'm even weaker than you all…"

Song Yan's brows furrowed slightly, self‑reproach flooding his mind like a tide, "Earlier, Eldest Senior Brother failed to protect you properly."

Yuan Yao said, "Eldest Senior Brother, that's not right; don't always blame yourself. Moreover, you must give us a chance to protect you! Whether you're strong or not, I will, in the future, do everything I can to protect you and Second Senior Sister and the others!"

Song Yan heard this and smiled.

"Fine."

Cang Li stared back and forth at their faces, "What are you two whispering about?"

"Anyway, we didn't say anything bad about you," Yuan Yao said coquettishly.

Cang Li narrowed his eyes, humming, "Yuan Yao, remember, you're only ranked sixth; how can the sixth speak to the third in that tone?!"

Yuan Yao immediately complained, "Eldest Senior Brother, he's being harsh to me!"

Song Yan slightly furrowed his brows.

"Then, as the one ranked first, can I punish you?"

Cang Li feigned ignorance and said, "Eldest Senior Brother, what did I just say? I can't remember clearly lately; my mind is getting more and more muddled. It must be someone secretly scolding me, making me like this."

After saying that, he still nodded as if it were a matter of fact.

"Yes."

Yuan Yao: "……"

Match after match was underway.

Shiziwen, who drew number eighteen, faced Dongfangxiu of the Tai Sui Sect and lost.

Xue Jin, who drew number twenty, won.

Lu Xiangxiang, who drew number thirty-five, won.

Cang Li, who drew number thirty-six, won.

Yuan Yao, who drew number thirty-seven, won.

In this round, thirty-eight people advanced.

…

After a fifteen-minute break, the thirty-eight gathered on the platform to draw lots.

Thirty-eight people, a total of nineteen matches.

This round is competing for the top nineteen places!

The people present discovered that among these thirty-eight, eight were disciples of the Carefree Sect.

Among them were the Thousand Mountain Six Disciples, Lu Xiangxiang, and Ao Su.

The crowd murmured in discussion.

"Wow, no wonder he's Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord! His disciples all made it into the top thirty-eight!"

"Is that strange? The disciples personally taught by the number one swordsman of the Ninth Province—how could they be lacking?"

"It seems that in this sect tournament, the sects ranking in the top three will definitely include the Carefree Sect!"

"I still remember that the Carefree Sect used to be just a small sect; without Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord, the Carefree Sect could never have become one of the Nine Province's seven great sects to this day."

"That's all in the past; I predict that for the next hundred years, the Ninth Province will always have a place for the Carefree Sect!"

The surrounding chatter never ceased.

At this moment, Cang Li drew number one.

What a coincidence—the person who also drew number one was none other than Ao Su of the Carefree Sect.

Cang Li and Ao Su exchanged a glance.

Cang Li proposed, "How about rock-paper-scissors?"

Ao Su: "Get lost."

Cang Li: "Then how about seeing who can eat more?"

Ao Su: "You're not well-intentioned; you just want me to get fat. With my slender build, you're actually jealous of me?!"