Chapter 99

That's for sure.

Shiziwen has a boundless future.

You say, between Shiziwen and Senior Sister Chen, who will win?

Upon hearing this, others spoke up, some believing Shiziwen would win, others believing Chen Yi had the advantage.

Yuan Yao lifted her gaze to the two combatants on the platform.

Anyone could tell that Shiziwen's attacks were rather vicious.

Chen Yi also seemed to have gotten serious, not daring to underestimate her opponent.

Both are disciples of Heaven Inquiry Peak, and both are spell cultivators.

Meanwhile, Ying Wuji, seated in the audience, gazed at Shiziwen with a hint of scrutiny and inquiry.

Cang Li tilted his head, smiling at Xiao Lingwei, 'Second Senior Sister, do you think Senior Sister Chen or Shiziwen is stronger?'

Hearing Cang Li's question, Xiao Lingwei didn't answer immediately; instead, she fixed her gaze on Chen Yi and Shiziwen, whose fight was hard to tell apart, hoping to find a clue in their every move.

After a moment, Xiao Lingwei said, 'Senior Sister Chen is soft-hearted.'

Hearing that, Cang Li knew Senior Sister Chen would surely lose to Shiziwen.

Cang Li gave Shiziwen a couple more looks, then turned his gaze to the white-clad girl standing among the many participating disciples below the platform.

Seeing the girl's familiar expression, Cang Li's eyelid twitched.

"Do you believe it or not, once Senior Sister Chen and Junior Brother Shi's match ends, your little junior sister will immediately jump onto the stage?"

Xiao Lingwei, Xue Jin, and Ying Wuji, upon hearing this, fell into silence.

At that moment, one of the people sitting below them suddenly turned his head, and a handsome face, as if carved, appeared before everyone's eyes.

A faint worry seemed to linger between his brows and eyes as he softly murmured, "If the little junior sister were to face that Junior Brother Shi, wouldn't it be like a lamb entering a tiger's mouth, walking straight into a trap?"

The girl sitting beside the handsome young man also turned her head; her face was like a round, cute apple, her eyes like big, round gems, and she immediately echoed, "Yes, I see that Shiziwen's strikes are truly vicious to the extreme—though we are from the same sect, I feel he wants to tear people apart limb from limb, leaving them for dead."

"Don't worry, who's the lamb isn't certain yet," Cang Li said, pressing his palms together and letting out a soft sigh.

"Could it be that the little junior sister has recently been working hard and training diligently?" The cute girl blinked slightly; earlier she had taken a sect mission, been away for only a short two months, and upon returning she heard everyone praising the little junior sister for no longer being lazy, but instead becoming even more diligent.

"Yeah." Xiao Lingwei laughed.

Upon hearing the definite answer, the cute girl froze for a moment, then immediately stroked her chin and said with a smile, "Well, that's really something to look forward to."

The girl was precisely the sect master's third disciple, Yao Linglong.

And the young handsome man sitting beside her was none other than the son of the Elder of the Astral Peak, Lin Xuechen.

Yao Linglong raised her eyebrows, "I heard the little junior sister is going to participate in the quota competition, so I came especially to have a look."

Having said that, she looked at Xue Jin and Ying Wuji and teased, "Usually, you two are like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail, rarely appearing in such occasions; I suppose today you're also here for the little junior sister, right?"

"Mm." Ying Wuji nodded.

Xue Jin had no reaction.

Only when Xiao Lingwei reached out and tapped the back of his head did he reluctantly utter an "uh".

Seeing Xue Jin being reprimanded, Yao Linglong felt delighted in her heart.

At that moment, Cang Li asked, "Linglong, on this outward mission, did you happen to find any rare spiritual herbs or medicines along the way?"

"Yes." Yao Linglong replied.

Cang Li reached out his hand toward her.

Yao Linglong whistled, "One hand for spirit stones, the other for the goods."

"Let me first look..." goods.

Before his words had even faded, a rumbling sound came from not far away at the stage.

Everyone followed the sound and saw Chen Yi being blasted away by Shiziwen's palm strike; Chen Yi fell in a sorry state onto the stage, tilted his head, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his face turned deathly pale.

Just as Shiziwen was about to condense another palm, Chen Yi slowly lifted his eyes and said, "I concede."

Chen Yi had not never considered going all out in a fight with him, but once she went all out, the battle would inevitably descend into a death struggle.

By then, either Shiziwen would be seriously injured, or she would be.

So, how would she then face the other challengers?

Why not end this battle early to avoid both sides suffering losses?

Upon hearing that, Shiziwen's spiritual power in his palm dissipated, and he expressionlessly bowed his hands toward Chen Yi.

Chen Yi stood up, and as she passed Shiziwen, she said, "Junior Brother Shi, even though we are from the same sect and are sparring, there's no need to strike so heavily."

Shiziwen lowered his eyes, without responding.

After Chen Yi stepped down from the stage, for a while no one challenged Shiziwen.

Seated on the high platform, Elder Lin Yongping stroked his black beard, tilted his head slightly toward Zong Rao, and asked, "What do you think of this disciple?"

"This disciple is filled with hostility; his temperament is likely obstinate," Zong Rao said without glancing sideways.

Elder Lin Yongping also deeply agreed, "Do you think the sect master will accept him as a disciple?"

Zong Rao analyzed, "This disciple possesses extraordinary talent; if his future performance is good, he will undoubtedly become the sect master's fifth disciple."

"It is said that this disciple was blind in one eye from birth, abandoned by his biological parents in Stone Village, and later picked up by an old man with a limp. When he was ten, the old man died, leaving him without support, after which he went to the mountains to hunt for a living," Elder Lin Yongping said slowly.

Zong Rao was not surprised that the elder knew Shiziwen's background, after all this year's recruitment examination was overseen by the elder.

For every new disciple's background, it must be investigated thoroughly.

So as to avoid unnecessary trouble later.

Zong Rao: "What does the elder mean?"

"Perhaps we can cultivate him a bit," the elder sighed lightly.

"The elder is kind-hearted," Zong Rao glanced at him; she knew that Elder Lin Yongping had also been an orphan, and after joining the Carefree Sect, he had come to regard the sect as his home.

From disciple to instructor, then to elder.

The Carefree Sect has only three elders in total: Elder Lin Yongping, Second Elder Zong Rao, and Third Elder Qian Jueshan.

However, there are seventy-six instructors.

These instructors vary in strength.

Besides that, the Carefree Sect also venerates several Grand Elders.

Those Grand Elders are currently in closed-door cultivation and rarely intervene in the affairs of the Carefree Sect.

Just as the two were talking, suddenly, a commotion was heard.

Zong Rao and the Elder followed the sound and saw a white-clad figure leap up and land steadily on the arena.

Upon closer look, it was——

Yuan Yao!

Now, almost everyone present changed their expressions.

"Junior Martial Sister, hurry down!" someone shouted anxiously.

"Junior Brother Shiziwen, you must not hurt the Junior Martial Sister!"

"Junior Martial Sister, before the match is announced to start, come down quickly." Even the participating disciples couldn't help urging her.

Elder Lin Yongping furrowed his brow slightly; he had watched Little Yuan Yao grow up, and he did not want to see Little Yuan Yao injured by Shiziwen.

"Little Yao, come down." The Elder spoke, putting on a stern façade.