62: Chapter 62 The Beauty Has Arrived

In the blink of an eye, he saw Liu Weiwei being swept off the stage by the aftershock of Sword Qi from a Foundation Establishment Stage 3 Sword Cultivator.

The Sword Cultivator didn't even look at her properly, just giving a casual wave. She drifted away like a falling leaf, her posture quite graceful—unfortunately, the landing wasn't as elegant, as she hit the ground butt-first.

Liu Weiwei lay below the stage, her face numb.

She hadn't even started to perform; she hadn't even drawn her sword before being sent flying by the aftershock.

What difference was there between this and having your exam paper collected before you'd even written your name?

Her heart was broken.

Along with it, her hopes of Foundation Establishment were shattered.

Just then, a figure appeared before her with a "whoosh," squatting down with a benevolent smile, looking exactly like a shady uncle kidnapping a child.

"Oh my—isn't this Fairy Weiwei!" Xiao Ye patted her shoulder, his tone exaggerated as if he were acting in a play. "What's wrong? It's just a loss in the Inner Sect Competition, is there any need to be so sad?"

Liu Weiwei looked up, her eyes red and her lips trembling, unable to speak.

"So what if you can't get the Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill!" Xiao Ye waved his hand grandly, full of bravado. "It's no big deal! As long as you—"

He paused, leaned in closer, lowered his voice, and the corners of his mouth curled into a meaningful arc:

"If you want to make progress, you can come find me anytime~"

Liu Weiwei stared at him blankly, her mind buzzing.

She had heard these words two years ago as well. Back then, she had cursed "Hooligan!" and flown away.

And now?

She lowered her head and fell silent.

Xiao Ye stood up, brushed the dust off his robes, and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, don't cry. Go back and think it over. Once you've figured it out, come to the Lakeside Courtyard to find me. Remember, spots are limited, first come, first served~"

Having said that, he turned and left with a light step, looking like he had just completed a big deal.

Behind him, Liu Weiwei sat on the ground, watching his back. Her lips moved, but in the end, not a single word came out.

A nearby Disciple leaned in and whispered, "Senior Sister, who is this Elder? Why does he talk like a human trafficker?"

Liu Weiwei didn't answer, only silently clenching her fists.

She missed it two years ago... was she going to miss it again two years later?

Xiao Ye didn't care what Liu Weiwei thought—anyway, the bait had been cast, he just had to wait for the beauty to take the hook.

He turned back to the spectator stand, his gaze scanning the other stages, looking for one person: Luo Zhiyi.

This was his investment project; he had to keep a close eye on it, what if he lost money?

Soon, he found her on one of the stages.

At this moment, only two people remained on the stage: Luo Zhiyi and a male Disciple at Foundation Establishment Stage 3. The two were fighting back and forth, sword against blade, sparks flying, neither giving an inch.

Many spectators were drawn to this stage. After all, a Foundation Establishment Stage 2 fighting on par with a Foundation Establishment Stage 3 was a rare sight.

"Wow, who is this woman? So fierce? She's fought Gou Sen for three hundred rounds at Foundation Establishment Stage 2 without falling?"

"Her? That's Luo Zhiyi. I heard she's been getting very close to that Elder Xiao lately, leaving late and returning early every day..."

"Oh~ I get it, I get it. Then she must be taking a lot of Medicinal Pills, well-nourished, hehehe..."

Xiao Ye sat on the stand, listening to the whispers around him. The corners of his mouth curled slightly as he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Well-nourished? Indeed. As for President Xiao's "nutritional meals," anyone who ate them would know.

As the battle grew more intense, Luo Zhiyi gradually fell into a disadvantage. There was no helping it; she was only at Foundation Establishment Stage 2, and being able to fight Gou Sen at Foundation Establishment Stage 3 until now was already an extraordinary performance.

All of this was thanks to eating well and being nourished enough at Xiao Ye's place recently—Foundation-Stabilizing Pills, Consolidation Pills, Cultivation Base Pills, Essence Pills, she popped them like candy. This resulted in her Foundation being incredibly solid and her combat power being extremely high; she wasn't much weaker than someone like Gou Sen, who had forced his way to Foundation Establishment Stage 3 using Medicinal Pills.

"Luo Zhiyi, I admit you are strong!" Gou Sen shouted while fighting, his breathing already somewhat unstable. "But the gap in Realm is irreconcilable! Get down, don't force me to play rough!"

Luo Zhiyi took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't win by conventional means anymore.

She grit her teeth, sheathed her longsword, and suddenly pulled a long spear from her Storage Pouch—the spearhead was in the shape of a nine-curved plum blossom, silver light glinting, cold air biting.

As she injected her water-attribute Spiritual Qi, the long spear instantly emitted a pale blue light, the tip humming, and Spiritual Qi surging.

Everyone around was instantly shocked.

"Holy crap! A Spiritual Artifact?!"

"Where did she get a Spiritual Artifact? With that in hand, who can beat her?"

"With a Spiritual Artifact in hand, combat power doubles!"

"Now Gou Sen can only 'struggle to survive'..."

"Exactly, even many Core Formation Elders in the Sect don't have a Spiritual Artifact."

Gou Sen on the opposite side was also dumbfounded, nearly dropping the blade in his hand, his voice changing pitch:

"Holy crap! You have no martial ethics! This is just a regular Inner Sect Competition, and you're pulling out a Spiritual Artifact? How the hell are we supposed to fight!"

Below the stage, Liu Weiwei looked at the majestic Spiritual Artifact chrysanthemum spear in Luo Zhiyi's hand. Her heart felt as if it were being fiercely gripped, sour and painful, a mix of complex emotions.

Without even thinking, she knew this Spiritual Artifact must have been given by Xiao Ye.

Originally... this should have been her benefit.

She was the first one!

Liu Weiwei lowered her head, her eyes rimmed with red. In her mind, the melody of an ancient poem involuntarily played, and she even silently hummed it in her heart:

"If I could do it over~ I'd wash myself clean~ Just open my long legs~ and I'd have a bright future~ Oh~ I'd wash myself clean~"

As she hummed, she suddenly froze.

Wait, the original lyrics of this song didn't seem to go like that?

Forget it, it's not important.

What's important is—is it still in time for her to go to the Lakeside Courtyard now?

Sure enough, the moment Luo Zhiyi pulled out the Spiritual Artifact chrysanthemum spear, the outcome of this battle was already decided.

With her combat power skyrocketing, she poked Gou Sen in the belly with one thrust—it wasn't an exaggeration, it really hurt, so much that he rolled around the stage twice clutching his stomach, nearly vomiting out yesterday's dinner. Fortunately, the Elder acted in time, pulling him off the spear tip, otherwise, Gou Sen's life might have ended here today.

Following Luo Zhiyi's victory, the final winners were decided on the other stages one after another. A hundred stages, a hundred people standing, a hundred faces either excited or exhausted.

Next, these people would be led by Xiao Ye and four other Supervisors to the Trial Secret Realm in half a month. This half-month was for the top hundred Disciples to recover, adjust, and achieve a Breakthrough—to put it bluntly, it was a vacation to build up strength while waiting to go in and get beaten up.

After watching the matches, Xiao Ye patted his butt and returned to his small courtyard, lying down on his rocking chair with his legs crossed, starting to wait for the beauty.

The bait was cast, and the fish should be taking the hook.

Sure enough, just as the sun went down, a "thump, thump, thump" knocking sound came from the courtyard gate, light and hurried, as if afraid of being heard.

Xiao Ye walked over slowly and pulled open the door—the beauty had arrived.