All of the protagonist's Daoist partners are mine!

"Ha! You surnamed Lu, why aren't you running away anymore? Since you're not running away, stand still and prepare to die! Ten Thousand Swords Technique!" Wan Tiedan's golden spiritual power swept across the arena, attacking Xing Moxie together with the metal fragments that had been shot in all directions earlier.

This is an all-out attack; we are absolutely certain of success!

Xing Moxie smiled coldly and lit up the storage ring.

In an instant, a clear phoenix cry resounded throughout the entire venue!

A pillar of azure flame shot up from the ground, reaching straight into the sky, and crashed into the top of the barrier, transforming into countless phoenix-feather-like flames that slowly drifted down.

"Impossible, why are you..."

As the fiery feathers faded, Wan Tiedan knelt on both knees, his eyes wide open. Countless metal fragments also scattered across the ground as he lost control.

Holy crap, he took them down in one move?! What happened?!

Almost everyone was shocked by this scene.

It's a sword move imbued with fire elemental power, and it doesn't emit red flames, but rather a higher-level, more intense blue flame.

“Phoenix, Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword… He’s wielding the Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword! How could Xiao Zhenchuan’s natal spirit sword be in his hands?” someone shouted.

The sword in Xing Moxie's hand, still spitting flames, undoubtedly became the focus of the entire arena. It was even more eye-catching than Wan Tiedan, who had been defeated by a single sword strike, suffering severe burns to his front and lying on the ground, unable to get up!

"No, no way!" Yuan Hengchun was stunned, his jaw dropping to the ground. "Why, your sword would..."

The reason he sent Wan Tiedan to fight was because Wan Tiedan had a metal spiritual root that could counter the wood spiritual root.

But fire overcomes metal, and he never expected that his opponent would pull out the Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword, a powerful weapon that could turn the tide of battle.

Xiao Linglong smiled broadly, "I'm worried about my darling's safety. Is there any problem with giving my Daoist partner a magic weapon for protection?"

Treasure, baby? Daoist partner?

“Huh—!?”

The audience gasped in disbelief once again.

Xing Moxie extinguished the flames on the sword and slowly put it back into his storage ring: "Hey hey, even though there was the previous oath to Heaven, this girl really picked a perfect time to announce it."

The crowd exploded like cold water being poured into hot oil!

"The Exquisite Sword Immortal and Lu Renjia have become Daoist partners? Holy crap..."

"Hey buddy, don't faint."

"Oh no, someone here has stopped breathing. Medic! Medic!"

"Help! My senior brother's heart has stopped beating!"

"No...why would Xiao Zhenchuan take a fancy to that ordinary boy?"

"My idol is going to be defiled by a stinky dog. I can't accept it!"

"Oh God, if this is a nightmare, please let me wake up!"

Oh dear, it seems that Xiao Linglong is quite popular in the Xuantian Immortal Sect, while Lu Renjia's reputation within the sect is quite poor.

"Ling, Linglong...you and, Brother Lu...eh?" Xiao Fan's brain was a bit blank at this moment, his eyes darted around like marbles, and his expression had a kind of silly beauty.

Yuan Hengchun was so angry that he snapped his fan in two, his face contorted with rage, veins bulging, and his handsome features completely gone.

"What a joke! How could a proud and arrogant woman like you possibly be interested in him?" Yuan Hengchun didn't believe such a stupid thing.

Who I fancy is none of your business.

"Even if we assume you have a close relationship with him, there's absolutely no way you would hand over something as vital as your natal spirit sword! So there's only one truth." Yuan Hengchun fiercely questioned, "You knew all along that Wan Tiedan would challenge him, which is why you specifically lent out the Flame Sword, which counters metal spirit power, and even deliberately set a trap to trick me, right?!"

Xing Moxie chuckled softly on the stage—"That's exactly what she wanted you to think in this direction, you idiot. You even went out of your way to explain your reasoning; you've really helped us a lot."

Yuan Hengchun's analysis brought everyone back to their senses.

Everyone began to consider this possibility, thus ignoring the fact that Xing Moxie, under the identity of Lu Renjia, had defeated Wan Tiedan despite being outnumbered.

And at the end of this line of thinking lies—

"So, it turns out that Master Xiao schemed against Master Yuan?"

"As expected, Wan Tiedan was sent by Yuan Hengchun. Xiao Zhenchuan saw through his plan beforehand and even used it against him to earn ten years' worth of monthly allowance!"

"The Exquisite Sword Immortal used a scheme to humiliate Yuan Hengchun; the Exquisite Sword Immortal's wisdom is astonishing!"

That's right, that's the reaction. This is exactly the effect Xiao Linglong wanted.

Xing Moxie had guessed her thoughts when he planned to use the Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword.

If Xiao Linglong doesn't make the bet public knowledge, Xing Moxie will become the center of attention after winning, and Xing Moxie doesn't want to become so conspicuous right now.

So what should be done? Xiao Linglong's answer was to cover it up with a more conspicuous brilliance.

So she came up with this plan to kill two birds with one stone, so that she could gain benefits without drawing attention to Xing Moxie.

When people talk about this victory now, they won't say "Lu Renjia's strength is amazing", but will only discuss "Xiao Zhenchuan's foresight is divine and his strategies are outstanding".

These assessments are entirely accurate; however, apart from Xing Moxie, no one can truly grasp Xiao Linglong's intelligence.

—What an interesting fellow! Just how many more abilities do you have that I don't know about? It seems that both "development" and "exploration" must continue.

Having been outmaneuvered, Yuan Hengchun was far from pleased, both in his mood and expression.

The thought that after today, the news of being intellectually humiliated by Xiao Linglong would spread throughout the entire Xuantian Immortal Sect made him want to throw the woman in front of him off the stage and imprison her in a dungeon tailored for her.

"Yuan Zhenchuan, remember to send your monthly allowance later. Just leave it at the door, because I don't want to see you." Xiao Linglong said with a bright smile, words that stirred up murderous intent.

Seeing that the Holy Maiden and Holy Son were present, and so many people were watching, Yuan Hengchun dared not make a scene. He could only snort coldly and walk away.

After announcing the results of the duel, the short, stout elder hurried off to submit official documents.

After the Jin Dingfeng First Aid Team disciples on duty carried away the seriously injured Wan Tiedan, everyone discussed the battle they had just fought, as well as the battle of wits and courage between the two true disciples off the field, with many feelings of emotion.

Just as Xing Moxie was about to turn and leave, Xiao Fan called out from outside the crowd, "Brother Lu, wait!"

Once people start following the "Say Something" campaign, others will naturally follow suit.

"Brother Lu, before congratulating you on winning the life-or-death duel, I have to say that you've been keeping things under wraps."

The onlookers were buzzing with discussion: "They've been keeping it well hidden? What does the Holy Son mean by this?"

"Is Lu Renjia pretending to be weak while actually being strong?"

"No, I should be talking about the fact that he hid the Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword."

While everyone else was making trivial discussions, Xiao Linglong's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that her sworn brother had discovered the villain's true identity? Impossible.

"Everyone was so focused on the Phoenix Feather Spirit Sword and the bet between Linglong and Yuan Hengchun that they didn't notice the sword technique you used to secure your victory. Your secret has been exposed by your sword move."

Sword techniques? The discussion among those around them intensified.

Xiao Linglong gripped the railing tightly, her heart pounding with tension.

How could I not have thought of that? My sworn brother and Xing Moxie are centuries-old rivals, intimately familiar with each other's moves. She should have stopped Xing Moxie from using her sword techniques!

Xing Moxie smiled and turned around: "Well, what is Senior Brother Xiao saying? I don't understand at all?"

Xiao Fan flew onto the stage and walked towards him: "Wow~ This is such a shocking fact that even I didn't expect it. How long have you been hiding it? When did it start? How long did you originally intend to hide it?"

Xiao Linglong also went up on stage and stood in front of Xiao Fan, saying, "Brother, there must be some misunderstanding. Let us hear his explanation first."

"Misunderstanding? Linglong, are you questioning my judgment? I trust what I see more than explanations." Xiao Fan bypassed his sworn sister and walked straight to Xing Moxie: "You rascal..."

The moment Xiao Fan raised his hand, Xiao Linglong thought to herself, "Oh no, this is the end of us." A war was about to begin.

"You've really been working hard behind the scenes! Hahahaha." Xiao Fan patted Xing Moxie on the shoulder, encouraging him happily.

“It’s over…wait, huh?” Xiao Linglong was taken aback.

What's going on? What's with this "working hard silently" nonsense?

Hasn't his identity as a demon been exposed?

"The sword technique you just used, was it the one we found in the ancient ruins murals when we were adventuring in Sword Lake Cave? This sword technique requires extremely high comprehension and tireless effort. Because we hadn't seen you use it until the attack on the Demon Palace, we thought you had given up on studying it long ago. But judging from your training just now, you have been practicing silently for more than a hundred years, haven't you? Hmm, I used to think that you, Brother Lu, were someone who lacked perseverance and willpower, and I must apologize to you for that."

Xiao Fan often reflects on himself and is not ashamed to bow down to those with lower cultivation levels than himself, which is a major reason why he has friends all over the world.

"Huh—!?"

"Linglong, why are you yelling like that?"

"Ah? Uh, no, no." Xiao Linglong breathed a sigh of relief, her legs going weak after she relaxed.

What?! I thought we'd been exposed. That was terrifying! No, it's no coincidence that the evil demon used a sword technique that Xiao Fan could agree with. Could it be that today's off-field battle was also entirely under his control?

Seeing Xing Moxie's unfathomable smile as usual, Xiao Linglong curled her lips, becoming even more certain of her idea.

"As expected of Senior Brother Xiao, you found out?" Xing Moxie did not deny it.

The secret sword techniques of Jianhu Cave were something that the real Lu Renjia naturally didn't have the heart to hone.

But for Xing Moxie, who had been paying close attention to the growth path of the chosen ones and revisiting every place they had ventured to, the secrets of swordsmanship were no secret.

His deliberate choice of this sword technique was a precautionary measure. As long as he left everyone with the impression that he was always working hard in silence, it wouldn't seem out of place if he used other novel techniques in the future.

Xiao Fan nodded in agreement: "It seems that Yuan Hengchun's provocation this time was within your expectations. But to be fair, Linglong has gone too far in her playfulness. Even if it's to annoy Yuan Hengchun, joking about Daoist partners is unacceptable. It will affect both you and Brother Lu."

"A joke? Yes, it's a joke!" Hearing this, the spectators who hadn't yet dispersed breathed a sigh of relief, and even those who had just vomited blood or stopped breathing woke up.

"I knew it! How could Senior Sister Xiao get involved with Lu Renjia?"

"Senior Sister Xiao is a big star in our Xuantian Immortal Sect."

"That's great, I almost shattered my Dao heart."

"You guys are so stupid to believe this. How many years has Senior Sister Xiao been circling around the Holy Son? She has a deep crush on the Holy Son."

Indeed, very few people in the sect dare to confess their feelings to Xiao Linglong, precisely because the fact that this brother-sister couple is already an open secret among everyone.

In the eyes of others, after achieving fame and success, the Holy Son would eventually get together with Xiao Linglong.

However, Xiao Linglong put her hand on Xing Moxie's shoulder and said, "Who's joking with you guys? It's true that we've started dating. Right?"

The entire audience fell silent for several seconds once again.

Then, "Eh—!?"

The admirers, who had just been resurrected, coughed up blood and fainted again. Their Dao hearts were shattered, their immortal paths collapsed, and their lives were shrouded in utter despair.

"Senior Sister Xiao really is with him... No!!"

"Isn't Senior Sister Xiao in love with the Holy Son? If I had known this earlier, I would have tried to pursue him too."

"Have you noticed that the Holy Son's head is glowing green?"

"The Holy Son has been cuckolded, no, he's been cheated on!"

Xiao Fan, one of the parties involved, was once again bewildered, his hair twitching and his eyes swirling like mosquito coils: "Eh? Dating? 'Jiaowang'? Does it mean a net made of glue?"

"Brother, you're out of your mind, are you alright? Hey, you bad guy, say something!"

Xing Moxie instantly switched into her veteran acting form, revealing a timid expression: "Uh, yes, yes, I'm truly flattered by Sister Linglong's kindness. I'm so grateful and happy to be able to associate with Sister Linglong; my life has been pretty much complete..."

Everyone noticed something was wrong: "Huh? Have you guys noticed that Lu Renjia looks like the bullied underling?"

"His stern face showed not a trace of happiness."

"Ah! I know! It wasn't that Lu Renjia caught up with Senior Sister Xiao, but that Senior Sister Xiao bullied Lu Renjia and knocked him down, taking his Star Fury power!"

The case is solved. What man, besides a gay man, wouldn't be happy to date Xiao Linglong?

The fact that he showed such a bullied expression means there's only one truth—Lu Renjia isn't playing the boyfriend role at all, but rather someone who's being bullied and forced into a position!

Even so, some people were still envious and jealous: "Ku~ Even if I'm bullied and trampled, I still want to be stepped on by Senior Sister Xiao."

"Lu Renjia will definitely be bullied terribly, but he doesn't deserve any sympathy at all! He's simply the happiest unlucky guy in the sect."

"Hey! Who bullied him?" Xiao Linglong was furious, glaring at Xing Moxie: "Why are you making that face like I forced you? It was clearly you..."

This wicked woman has committed countless evil deeds, yet now she's playing the victim. Won't this damage her reputation?

Xing Moxie timidly shrank back: "Um, I... I volunteered..."

"you!"

"Linglong!" Xiao Fan finally understood.

His adopted sister's childish temper hasn't improved at all. Don't be fooled by her cheerful demeanor today, seemingly unconcerned about what happened a while ago. She's definitely still holding a grudge because of their argument!

Forcing Brother Lu to become his Daoist partner was also a way to spite his sworn brother. It's downright childish.

Xiao Fan realized that if he reacted too strongly, he would only be going along with Linglong's wishes and encouraging her childish arrogance.