webnovelfull Chapter 433, Round 1 Ends
Chapter 433, Round 1 Ends
As they were talking, the gazes of other disciples from various sects continued to fall upon them, filled with a variety of complex emotions.
There was admiration, curiosity, jealousy, and also deep awe.
The name Yun Chen, along with that earth-shattering sword strike, has spread like wildfire throughout the entire plaza, becoming the hottest topic of this competition.
The competition continued, but after the epic battle between Yun Chen and Li Yan, the subsequent matches seemed somewhat lackluster.
Many people are still reminiscing about that sword strike that pointed straight to the source, discussing the mysterious golden longsword and Yun Chen's true strength.
This made Lu Beiyou, who had just been eliminated from the match, extremely angry.
"You bastard, just wait... I don't believe you can keep having such a smooth ride. The real show is yet to come."
He stared menacingly at Yun Chen, who was surrounded by the crowd, his eyes practically spitting fire.
He originally thought he was the most dazzling new star in this competition, but Yun Chen's earth-shattering sword strike completely stole all the spotlight, and no one paid attention to the battle he had just won.
With a livid face, Lu Beiyou turned and left the noisy square without saying a word, heading to a quiet corner.
He quickly took out a black jade slip engraved with strange runes from his pocket and immersed his divine sense into it without hesitation.
"Senior brother... I want Yun Chen dead. If we face him, kill him."
Soon, there was a response from the other side.
"He defeated Li Yan, so I'll take care of him even without you saying so."
The voice on the other end of the jade slip was cold and indifferent, carrying a condescending indifference.
Upon hearing this response, Lu Beiyou's face immediately displayed a mixture of ecstatic joy and ruthlessness.
"Thank you, senior brother!"
Suppressing his excitement, Lu Beiyou quickly transmitted his voice: "This kid is very strange, senior brother must be careful, it's best... to finish this quickly and not give him any chance!"
"Are you teaching me what to do?"
The voice on the other end of the jade slip suddenly turned cold.
Upon hearing this, Lu Beiyou's expression changed slightly, and he immediately replied, "I wouldn't dare."
"Do what you're supposed to do... The sect has sacrificed so much for you, so don't make a fool of yourself in this competition like last time."
The person on the other end of the jade slip was rude, even reprimanding.
Lu Beiyou's expression changed upon hearing this: "Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely strive to get us into the top five."
"Alright, you don't need to worry about that kid's matter anymore. Leave it to me. You don't need to worry about the rest."
After saying that, the other end of the call ended.
Lu Beiyou gripped the black jade slip tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
His eyes gleamed with excitement and venom, as if he could already see Yun Chen being blasted to smithereens by that senior brother in the next round of the competition.
"Yun Chen... your glory days are over!"
He chuckled softly, carefully put the jade slip back into his pocket, turned around, composed himself, put on a gentle and refined mask again, and walked back to the square as if nothing had happened.
Yun Chen knew nothing about any of this.
Of course, even if I knew, I wouldn't care.
Accompanied by Zhao Xiruo, Liu Yanran, and Shen Nan, he returned to the rest area.
The surrounding noise and countless focused gazes did not affect his state of mind. He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and focused his mind into his body, carefully sensing the newly born pure sword intent.
This sword intent is like a newly sprouted seedling, tender yet containing boundless vitality and potential.
It meandered through his meridians, merging with the true energy within his dantian. With each flow, it deepened his understanding of the "sword." It was a "principle" that stripped away all external forms, pointing directly to the core; it was the prototype of everything being a sword.
Zhao Xiruo quietly stood guard by his side, protecting him.
Looking at Yun Chen's calm face and feeling the increasingly restrained yet profound aura emanating from him, her worries eased slightly, replaced by a firm sense of support.
No matter what storms lie ahead, she will stand by him and face them together.
Liu Yanran and Shen Nan also stopped joking and became wary of their surroundings.
They all knew that their junior brother was currently enjoying too much popularity, which would inevitably attract the attention of petty people.
Time slowly passed amidst the intense competition and undercurrents.
Soon, the first round of the competition was drawing to a close.
During the match, Shen Nan and Liu Yanran took turns competing. With their strength, the result was obvious: both of them advanced.
"So? The challenge match is coming up soon, junior sister, are you confident?"
Liu Yanran walked over with a smile and raised an eyebrow at Zhao Xiruo.
"Although the challenger is the last place in each region, their strength should not be underestimated. Junior Sister, you should still be careful." Shen Nan nodded in deep agreement.
Zhao Xiruo smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over the participating disciples.
"Don't worry, I know what's going on."
Upon hearing this, both Shen Nan and Liu Yanran wore relieved smiles.
Just then, a clear bell rang out in the center of the square.
The elder deacon slowly stepped onto the stage: "I now announce that the first round of the ranking competition has ended... Now, the list of those who have advanced will be announced."
As soon as the words were spoken, the list of disciples who had advanced was displayed high on the light screen in the center of the square.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Xiruo and the others quickly looked up, but were all stunned the next moment.
"The last place in each region is actually from the Jade Void Palace?"
Liu Yanran looked astonished, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.
Is Jade Void Palace lucky or unlucky?
"The situation isn't very optimistic. The weakest among them are all at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and they're all from the Jade Void Palace." Shen Nan's expression was grave as he turned to look at Zhao Xiruo beside him.
"Junior Sister, how about we let it go this time? Yun Chen just defeated Li Yan of Jade Void Palace, and they are now thinking of avenging Li Yan... If you go, it might be dangerous."
Liu Yanran nodded in agreement: "I agree with Shen Nan. Let's just let it go this time. You're just there to make up the numbers anyway. We can handle the competition for the rankings."
As long as they rank high, they will have a spot when entering the secret realm, and they can still bring Zhao Xiruo in with them.
At this point, she really doesn't need to take any risks.
Yun Chen hadn't expected the ranking competition to have such a high threshold; the threshold for the first wave alone was the Golden Core stage.
He looked at Zhao Xiruo beside him, frowned, and said, "Why don't we listen to them?"
Although he trusted Zhao Xiruo, he couldn't bear the thought of anything actually happening to her.
Zhao Xiruo took a deep breath, a determined glint in her beautiful eyes: "We have to try. I can't just stand behind you and watch forever."
She knew very well that if she wanted to truly keep up with Yun Chen, she had to become stronger, and battle was the best way to hone her skills.
Looking into her determined gaze, Yun Chen opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to refuse her.
"Alright! But you must act within your capabilities. If you can't win, admit defeat. There's no shame in that."
Yun Chen squeezed her hand, conveying his silent support.
Zhao Xiruo smiled slightly.