When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

As dusk fell, Chu Xianlan ran wildly back to Yujing Pavilion under the cover of night.

He was so busy selling magical artifacts that he had no idea how far the rumors had gone.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, a pale blue spirit butterfly flew past him, its transparent wings trembling slightly, leading him toward the spiritual platform high above.

A faint mist drifted around the spiritual platform. The moon was bright and the wind was gentle. Night fell, and the fragmented spiritual light condensed into flowing water, moving endlessly in the air. The rhythm was peaceful and serene, like a tranquil galaxy that passed through the scars on the fingertips.

Yi Chen sat quietly under the moonlight, a sword beside him.

Chu Xianlan's eyes lit up immediately; it was her master's natal sword—Bu Xi Zhou!

Suddenly, the sword beside Yi Chen trembled violently, floated in the air on its own, and circled around Chu Xianlan lightly. The flickering spiritual light around him also gathered around him.

Chu Xianlan stared at the sword, and obediently said, "Master, I'm back."

Yi Chen hummed in response. When he turned around, the white hair draped over his shoulders fell back, shining like the moonlight.

The Untethered Boat was swaying right in front of them. Chu Xianlan, who had always loved famous swords, was itching to touch it and couldn't help but ask, "Master, may I... touch the Untethered Boat?"

Before Yi Chen could answer, Bu Xizhou shamelessly thrust himself into Chu Xianlan's arms.

Yi Chen: "..."

To be honest, sometimes he couldn't understand what his natal sword was thinking.

Unfortunately, before Chu Xianlan could even sense the majesty emanating from the ancient sword, the light of the Unbound Boat flickered and gradually faded in his hand, becoming like a lifeless object devoid of all spiritual energy.

Chu Xianlan immediately released her grip.

In just a moment, the boat without moorings came back to life and lit up.

Noticing the fleeting disappointment in his disciple's eyes, Yi Chen softened his voice, "Come to my side."

Chu Xianlan understood that this meant she was being guided in her cultivation.

Immediately sit cross-legged, calm your mind, close your eyes and practice the exercises. After a few breaths, you will enter a meditative state.

Unseen by him, Yi Chen silently raised his finger, and the spiritual energy of most of the surrounding world was instantly gathered and surged towards the young man.

The boat, now untied, trembled even more wildly and stealthily moved a little closer to Chu Xianlan.

Yi Chen frowned: "Quiet."

The boat, which had been tethered, slammed heavily onto the ground and flew away in a huff.

Unaware of the situation outside, Chu Xianlan felt completely refreshed after several cycles of energy circulation, as if her meridians had been cleansed.

He exhaled slowly, opened his eyes, and was about to marvel at how abundant the spiritual energy was today when he saw Yi Chen staring at him quietly, his usually calm expression showing a rare hint of hesitation.

Chu Xianlan felt uneasy under that gaze and asked, "Master, is there anything wrong with me today?"

"..." Yi Chen was silent for a moment, then asked directly, "Are you going to compete against Ji Cheng'an in the arena tomorrow?"

Chu Xianlan was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes."

The news spread so fast? How did even Master know?

Immediately afterwards, Yi Chen's expression became even more complex and subtle.

His reaction left Chu Xianlan somewhat puzzled. She thought to herself, "It's just a proper sparring match, not a public brawl. Master shouldn't need to stop it, right?"

However... Ji Cheng'an is now Pei Fang'an's disciple. The two of them, his personal disciples, were robbing things in the street and going to the arena, and they were also stirring up trouble in public. The scene was quite ugly.

He immediately took the initiative to state his position, his eyes burning with determination: "Master, my mind is made up. There is only this matter that I will absolutely not give up."

"No matter what, this disciple is determined to win in the arena; it must belong to me!"

Chu Xianlan, with her thick skin, put on a passionate performance. After all, people become more skilled with each occasion and stop being so restrained.

He thought his master would get to the bottom of things, but Yi Chen just stared at him blankly.

Yes, empty your mind.

Chu Xianlan was shocked. What happened?

What he didn't know was that, to him, "absolutely will not let go" referred to the Soul-Eating Powder, but these words had a completely different meaning in Yi Chen's ears.

...Never let go?

Yi Chen initially thought Wei Jin was exaggerating and talking nonsense, but to his surprise, his disciple admitted it directly to his face, and in such a resolute and frank tone.

Immortal Lord Jixue was briefly puzzled.

Is this also a manifestation of acting impulsively?

There's really no need to make a fuss about this. They're right here, they've never left... and there's no need to talk about "fighting" for them.

but……

Looking into those bright, sparkling eyes under the moonlight, he couldn't bring himself to dampen her spirits. Chu Xianlan rarely showed such stubbornness in front of him, making it hard for anyone not to be moved.

Considering Chu Xianlan's current situation and her previous fear of Ji Cheng'an, Yi Chen understood that Chu Xianlan had truly developed a mental block. The one who tied the knot must untie it; only by letting the disciple solve the problem herself could her mind be stabilized.

If it were someone else, being used as a bargaining chip would inevitably make them unhappy, but Yi Chen was completely unaware of this problem.

When will the competition begin?

Chu Xianlan: ? ? ? How did the topic change so quickly?

He was still trembling with fear when, before he could even slide to his knees, his master's expression had already returned to normal.

"It should be tomorrow at noon."

"I'll stay with you."

"Yes... um???" Chu Xianlan was completely bewildered, her mind filled with questions. "Master, it's just a small competition for show, you didn't need to come down the mountain specifically for that."

It's not like it's an inner sect competition!

"It's alright." Yi Chen got up and left, but turned back before leaving and said, "Get some rest."

What's going on? Chu Xianlan was dumbfounded.

Wait, how did things turn out this way?

The next day, Sifangping was filled with onlookers from all walks of life.

The publicity effect of the two disciples was enormous. The two sides had a long-standing grudge. Amidst the flying rumors, a small arena match successfully escalated into the heat of the inner sect competition.

Qionglan allocated funds overnight to build the arena, with remarkably high efficiency, resulting in a scene that was absurdly grand.

The Sifangping Square was paved with several high platforms. Several elders sat on the lower platforms, while three seats were placed on the highest platform, where Pei Fang'an and Wei Jin had already taken their seats.

"Senior Brother, have some tea," Wei Jin said with a smile.

Last night, Pei Fang'an was dragged around by Yuan Hou and drank tea all night long. Now he couldn't drink a drop. He was fanning himself and shaking his head, looking very worried.

Seeing his reaction, Wei Jin casually reassured him, "Sparring between disciples is perfectly normal, why are you so worried, Senior Brother?"

"I'm not worried." Pei Fang'an turned to look at Wei Jin with a quiet gaze.

"Um?"

"I am heartbroken."

With elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, Pei Fang'an would be eternally grateful to Heaven for any single person in the entire Taiyi Sect who was not a troublesome figure.

If these two ancestors go to the ring, regardless of who wins or loses, who gets injured or is unharmed, the outcome will be very troublesome.

Even without any prizes, the disciples couldn't suppress their excitement and the entire Sifangping was bustling with noise, but the two main characters never showed up.

"Haven't Senior Brother Chu and the Fourth Prince arrived yet?"

"What's the rush? It's still early. Hey, look over there..."

Just then, a blue and white arc pierced through the clouds, its trajectory completely out of sight. In an instant, the sword light hovered on the outer edge, the spiritual power of the natal sword was thick and surging, and the oppressive feeling made everyone breathless.

As the dust settled, two figures stood in the morning light. One was dressed in flowing white robes, pure as snow, as if he were about to melt into the boundless sea of ​​clouds and sky behind him. The other had long, dark hair that reached his waist, full of youthful spirit, like ink splashed on a painting.

Everyone was stunned.

"That's... Immortal Lord Jixue? And Senior Brother Chu, they're riding the same sword!?"