Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

The sunlight shone through the window paper again, grayish-white and soft.

There was a familiar scent in the air, and also... a richer, warmer scent that belonged to another person.

When Jiang Xiaochuan woke up, he felt something was wrong.

His back was pressed against something warm and soft, and an arm was wrapped around his waist. It wasn't heavy, but its presence was very strong, holding him firmly.

The lingering scent around his nose was the warm, sweet fragrance emanating from Xiaobai, now mixed with... a languid warmth that he couldn't quite describe, the warmth of someone who had just fallen asleep.

He could even feel the soft, undulating curves of her skin pressed against his back, and... her steady, long breaths gently brushing against the hair at the back of his neck.

He didn't dare to move.

My mind slowly cleared, and memories of last night came flooding back.

He slept in bed with Xiaobai.

And she was fast asleep, hugging him from behind.

My face started to feel hot uncontrollably again.

But strangely, the dreadful shame and chaos of yesterday morning were gone.

Perhaps it was because I experienced too much yesterday.

Perhaps Xiaobai really did "keep his promise" and just went to sleep last night (although this position doesn't quite look like it now).

Perhaps it was the real warmth and a sense of reassuring dependence brought by this soft body that made his tense nerves relax a little in the morning light.

He lay there quietly, listening to her even breathing, feeling the warmth of her arms around his waist and the softness against his back, and he didn't want to break free immediately.

This moment of peace and warmth is all the more precious after yesterday's hustle and bustle, battles, awkwardness and tug-of-war.

Until the early birdsong outside the window, crisp and clear, broke the tranquility of the room.

Xiao Bai seemed startled as well, tightening her arms around his waist and unconsciously rubbing her cheek against the back of his neck, letting out a muffled whimper like a kitten, her warm breath tickling his skin.

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened, and his heart skipped a beat.

He took a deep breath, gently grasped her hand that was wrapped around his waist, and tried to move it away.

Little White woke up at that moment.

She didn't let go immediately; instead, she tightened her grip, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Her voice, heavy with sleepiness and nasal tone, was languid and hoarse, like a feather scratching her eardrum: "Mmm... Good morning... Little Chuan Chuan..."

"Good morning... Xiaobai, it's time to get up." Jiang Xiaochuan's voice was a little dry. He used a little force to finally pry her hands open. Then, as if she had been burned, she immediately sat up, created some distance, and frantically grabbed the coat scattered on the side of the bed.

Xiao Bai also sat up, her silver hair disheveled and draped over her shoulders. The collar of her plain white inner garment was slightly open, revealing a section of her delicate collarbone and snow-white skin.

She rubbed her eyes, yawned slightly, and watched Jiang Xiaochuan's hurried figure as he put on his clothes with hazy eyes. A smile slowly curved her lips, a smile in the morning light that was less playful than usual and more languid after a satisfying moment.

"What's the rush? It's still early."

She spoke slowly, got out of bed, stepped barefoot onto the cold floor, stretched her body, revealing her curves.

Then I walked to the window, opened it, and let the cool morning breeze and clearer birdsong flood in, dispelling the lingering warmth of the night. "What day is it?"

"The second round." Jiang Xiaochuan, with his back to her, struggled to tie his belt, and his voice finally became a little calmer.

"Oh, who is the opponent?" Xiaobai leaned against the window, looking at the bamboo forest outside bathed in the golden light of the morning sun, and asked casually.

"Dragon Head Peak, there's a senior brother named Lin Xianzhe, who's also at the fifth level of Jade Purity." Jiang Xiaochuan straightened his clothes, turned around, and the heat on his face had subsided somewhat.

Xiao Bai nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She simply walked over and naturally reached out to tidy up his hair, which had sticked up a bit from sleeping, her fingertips brushing against his forehead.

"Be careful, don't act recklessly like yesterday. That method of combining ice and lightning is a trick, but it can harm both the enemy and yourself."

Her movements were natural, and her tone was calm, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.

But the slightly cool touch of her fingertips and the barely perceptible concern in her words still stirred something in Jiang Xiaochuan's heart.

He hummed in agreement, lowered his eyes, and didn't dare to look into her eyes.

"Let's go, I'll take you home." Xiaobai withdrew her hand, turned around, picked up her coat and put it on gracefully.

When Xiaobai "carried" me back to Tongtian Peak and we landed in a secluded spot near Yunhai Square, it was already broad daylight.

The square became lively again, bustling with people and colorful lights flashing by, adding a touch of tension and anticipation compared to yesterday.

Those who survive the second round of competition will all be quite strong.

Jiang Xiaochuan and Xiaobai parted ways, and Jiang Xiaochuan joined the crowd alone, heading towards the "Xun" position arena where the disciples of Dazhu Peak were gathered.

Along the way, I could still feel many eyes on me, some curious, some inquisitive, some envious, and some jealous.

He tried his best to keep his eyes straight ahead and quickened his pace.

When they arrived at the Xunwei Platform, the group from Dazhu Peak was already there.

When Song Daren, He Dazhi, and others saw him, they all gathered around him.

"Seventh Brother, how are you? Is your injury fully healed?" Song Daren asked with concern, his gaze sweeping over his face, where the redness and swelling had mostly subsided.

"Much better, Senior Brother." Jiang Xiaochuan nodded.

"Not bad, Seventh Brother, that was powerful yesterday!" Du Bishu winked.

"You blew Chu Yuhong of Chaoyang Peak up like a burnt-out curly-haired dog? Hahaha!"

Wu Dayi and Zheng Dali also smiled and agreed.

Lin Jingyu gave him a thumbs up without saying anything.

Zhang Xiaofan smiled sheepishly and handed over a still-warm oil paper package: "Senior Brother Jiang, here, these are meat buns I made this morning. Have some, they'll give you energy."

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a warmth in his heart, took the steamed bun, and thanked him.

He glanced around discreetly, but didn't see Tian Ling'er or Lu Xueqi.

I felt a strange sense of relief, but also a vague feeling of emptiness.

Soon, the competition began.

Jiang Xiaochuan's opponent, Lin Xianzhe, was a seemingly composed disciple of Longshou Peak. He wielded a longsword made of green steel, and his swordsmanship was rigorous and his spiritual power was solid. He was clearly following the orthodox Qingyun sword style, and his cultivation was comparable to Jiang Xiaochuan's.

Having learned from yesterday's harrowing experience with Chu Yuhong, Jiang Xiaochuan was much more composed.

He no longer risked using that almost self-destructive ice-lightning hybrid attack, but instead played it safe and steady, relying on the dual ice and lightning attributes of the Snow River Sword to deal with Lin Xianzhi.

The icy energy slowed down the opponent's sword momentum, and the lightning energy interfered with the circulation of his spiritual power. Combined with his increasingly skillful sword control techniques and the increasingly tricky sword moves under Lu Xueqi's guidance, he gradually gained the upper hand.

On the arena, sword energy crisscrossed, the icy blue and silver-white sword light of Xuechuan clashing with the bluish-green sword light, producing crisp ringing sounds. A considerable number of onlookers gathered below, many eager to see the true strength of Jiang Xiaochuan, a figure renowned for both his "scandals" and "explosive" reputation.

After several dozen rounds, Jiang Xiaochuan seized a slight opening in Lin Xianzhi's defenses. The Xuechuan Sword suddenly accelerated, and a condensed bolt of lightning grazed the opponent's sword and struck his wrist.

Lin Xianzhi's wrist went numb, and the longsword almost slipped from his hand, causing him to pause in his movements.

Jiang Xiaochuan immediately lunged forward, the tip of his Xuechuan sword touching three inches in front of the opponent's throat. The icy sword energy caused a layer of goosebumps to rise on Lin Xianzhi's skin.

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Lin." Jiang Xiaochuan sheathed his sword, stepped back, and cupped his hands in greeting.

Lin Xianzhe rubbed his numb wrist, gave a wry smile, and said decisively, "Junior Brother Jiang's swordsmanship is exquisite, and his application of attributes is even more unexpected. I admire you. I lose."

He readily admitted defeat and stepped off the ring.

A round of applause and discussion erupted from the audience.

Jiang Xiaochuan won this match cleanly and decisively. Although it wasn't as shocking as yesterday's victory, it still demonstrated his solid skills and ingenuity, making him a force to be reckoned with.

The elder referee declared Jiang Xiaochuan the winner.

Just as Jiang Xiaochuan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step down from the stage, a clear, melodious voice, tinged with obvious joy, rang out from the east side of the arena, like jade striking stones:

"Ogawa! Well done!"

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look.

Lu Xueqi was already standing there, her moon-white Taoist robe spotless, Tianya sword on her back, her cool face bearing a faint but genuine smile, clapping enthusiastically for him.

Her gaze was fixed intently on him, her eyes brimming with undisguised pride and joy, as if he had not just won an ordinary second round, but had actually claimed the championship.

She had obviously just finished her own competition.

The Qianwei Platform isn't far from here; at her speed, she'll naturally make it in time.

Her opponent just now was a disciple named Duan Lei from Tongtian Peak. He was said to be a skilled fighter, at the peak of the sixth level of the Jade Purity Realm, but under Lu Xueqi's attack... he probably didn't last more than a few moves before being "instantly" killed.

The news had already quietly spread among the crowd since Lu Xueqi's arrival.

Thus, around the Xun position platform, a scene similar to that of the Zhen position platform yesterday appeared again—the protagonist was on the platform, and Lu Xueqi was below, smiling brightly, clapping and cheering, their eyes lingering.

This time, however, the shock and discussion among the onlookers seemed to have subsided somewhat compared to yesterday, carrying a hint of "I knew it" and "I'm used to it." But those gazes remained intense.

Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed again. The joy he felt from winning was made somewhat awkward by the "special cheers" in front of everyone.

But... there also seems to be a hidden sweetness, a feeling of being cared for and affirmed.

He smiled somewhat embarrassedly in Lu Xueqi's direction, nodded, and quickly jumped off the stage.

Almost simultaneously, another fiery red figure pushed through the crowd and rushed over; it was Tian Ling'er.

She had clearly just finished her own competition; her opponent was a disciple from Luoxia Peak, whom she swiftly defeated using her increasingly skilled Amber Crimson Silk.

Her pretty face was slightly flushed from rushing, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes searched anxiously through the crowd. When she saw Jiang Xiaochuan, her eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over.

"Xiao Chuan! You won? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She ran up to Jiang Xiao Chuan, grabbed his arm and looked him up and down, her tone urgent.

"N-nothing, Senior Sister Ling'er, I won." Jiang Xiaochuan felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, especially since Lu Xueqi's gaze was also sweeping over him indifferently.

"It's good that you won!" Tian Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief, then seemed to remember something, glared at Lu Xueqi next to her, and then gave Jiang Xiaochuan a bright smile, her tone full of pride.

"I just won too! So fast! Our Great Bamboo Peak has won everything today! Let's go see how our senior brothers are doing!"

As she spoke, she reached out to take Jiang Xiaochuan's hand again.

Just then, on the outer edge of the crowd, a young female disciple of Luoxia Peak, dressed in a light orange Taoist robe, with delicate features and a somewhat timid appearance, seemed to have mustered up her courage. She lowered her head, took quick small steps, squeezed through the crowd, and stopped a few steps away from Jiang Xiaochuan.

She raised her head, revealing a pretty face now flushed with shyness. Her eyes darted away, avoiding Jiang Xiaochuan's gaze. Her voice was soft and trembling, like that of a startled fawn.

"This...this person...is this...is Senior Brother Jiang from Dazhu Peak?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback and looked at the unfamiliar female disciple.

Is it from Luoxia Peak?

He doesn't know him.

"Yes, that's me. May I ask who you are...?"

The female disciple blushed even more, lowered her head even further, twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and spoke even softer, almost inaudibly:

"I...I am a disciple of Luoxia Peak, my name is...my name is Xiaoyu."

I watched Senior Brother Jiang's competition yesterday and today...

Jiang's posture on stage... was so, so handsome...

The swordsmanship is amazing...

I...I...I'd like to get to know Senior Brother Jiang.

"Is it...okay?"

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have used all her strength to quickly raise her eyes and steal a glance at Jiang Xiaochuan. Her eyes were filled with shyness, admiration, expectation, and a hint of barely perceptible, deep-seated eagerness and desire. Then, as if startled, she quickly lowered her eyes, her ear tips turning bright red.

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned by this sudden, straightforward, and shy "confession".

In all his years, aside from the assertive nature of Lu Xueqi and the close childhood friendship of Tian Ling'er, this was the first time he'd been looked at with such adoring yet shy eyes by a stranger (and quite good-looking at that), who even said, "So handsome..."

His face flushed instantly, the heat that had just subsided instantly surging!

Not knowing what to do with his hands and feet, he stammered, "Ah? Oh... th-thank you... um... I, I was just lucky..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt two icy, bone-chilling gazes, almost freezing him to the bone, piercing him like solid ice spikes!

No, it was stabbed into the body of the female disciple of Luoxia Peak who called herself "Xiaoyu"!

On the left, Tian Ling'er's smile vanished instantly, her pretty face turned frosty, her almond eyes widened, and she stared intently at "Xiao Yu." Her hand gripping Jiang Xiaochuan's arm tightened unconsciously, her nails almost digging into his flesh!

What a vixen! How dare she seduce Xiao Chuan right in front of her! And call herself "handsome"? (Jiang Xiao Chuan: Huh? Aren't I handsome?) Have you no shame!

On the right, Lu Xueqi's faint smile had vanished, her eyes were as cold as ice, and the chill emanating from her made the surrounding temperature seem to drop several degrees.

She stared at "Xiaoyu" quietly, her gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to peel back that shy exterior to see what lay beneath.

The Tianya Sword behind her emitted an almost inaudible yet chilling hum.

"Xiaoyu" (Biyao) seemed to be frightened by the two terrifying gazes. Her body trembled almost imperceptibly, and the color drained from her face, making her appear even paler and weaker.

Like a frightened puppy, she instinctively shrank behind Jiang Xiaochuan, almost hiding behind him, revealing only half of her pale face and a pair of tearful eyes filled with fear and helplessness. Her voice was trembling with sobs, barely audible.

"The two older sisters... they look... so scary..."

Her actions only added fuel to the fire!

Tian Ling'er trembled with anger, and Lu Xueqi's eyes instantly turned even colder.

Jiang Xiaochuan was caught in the middle, with a "shy admirer" in front of him, his childhood sweetheart with explosive anger on his left, and an icy junior sister (who was also a potential suitor) with a murderous gaze on his right. He felt his scalp tingle and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat! What kind of hellish start was this?!