Chapter 1658: Semi-finals

Initially, Wang Wuxie, with immense willpower, had cut ties with his emotional attachments. Even after learning that Yan Xuehen had come to Purple Mountain this time, he maintained a calm demeanor and even restrained himself from seeing her.

However, being on the judging panel together these past few days, seeing her graceful and ethereal figure daily, couldn't help but stir up memories from his youth.

He found Yan Xuehen even more beautiful than she had been back then, and as a result, every time he returned to Pure Yang Hall, her beautiful image filled his mind.

Tonight, he was particularly restless, unable to sleep, so he decided to come and get a glimpse of her.

Of course, he knew his limits and dared not get too close. If he were mistaken for a pervert, he wouldn't be able to clear his name even by jumping into a river. Not only would his reputation be ruined, but his image in Yan Xuehen's heart would likely collapse entirely.

So he thought he would simply glance at the courtyard where she was staying from a distance and sense her presence.

Her presence should be in the wind, and for him, that was enough.

To his surprise, as soon as he arrived, he witnessed this scene: the goddess in his heart secretly meeting a man in the middle of the night?

However, when he recognized the other person as Zu An, his panic-stricken heart gradually calmed down.

How could these two be together?

Xuehen likely viewed him as a nephew or junior.

Still, a strange irritation gnawed at him, and he pricked up his ears, trying to hear what they were discussing.

He discovered they had set up a barrier around themselves, making it impossible to hear anything.

A man and a woman, alone together in the dead of night, shielding their conversation—it was truly suspicious!

But he quickly dismissed this thought. "I know Xuehen's temperament best; she's always been detached and otherworldly. How could she be the kind of woman to meet a man secretly at night?"

It must be related to her disciple, Chu Chuyan. That was probably the only topic they could discuss.

At that moment, Zu An explained the effects of the Lucky Pill to Yan Xuehen, who listened in utter shock. "There's such a pill in this world?"

"It is quite miraculous, but I don't have any more now. If I get the chance to obtain some again, I'll give you one to try," Zu An said with a smile.

"Who cares about that?" Yan Xuehen said nonchalantly, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings at that moment.

"So that's how you won 7.5 million taels in Brightmoon City back then?"

Yan Xuehen was intelligent and quickly put two and two together.

Now it was Zu An's turn to be surprised. "You even know about that?"

Yan Xuehen's face flushed. These past few days, she had been subtly inquiring about him from Chu Chuyan.

To help her master overcome her prejudices against Zu An, Chu Chuyan was naturally very happy to share every detail about him. Over several months, she had told her almost everything, except for intimate bedroom matters.

Yan Xuehen, while feeling guilty, couldn't resist her curiosity and ended up listening to it all.

"You're Chuyan's husband, so of course, I had to investigate your background." As soon as she said this, an inexplicable silence fell between them.

Zu An, at this moment, was utterly overwhelmed. This kind of situation couldn't be resolved by strength alone. He wished some senior transmigrator could offer advice.

Yan Xuehen's mood was also somewhat irritable. She said faintly, "I've agreed to this matter. Just come to me if you need anything."

After a pause, she added, "Don't alarm Chuyan when you do."

Zu An nodded. "Alright."

Then both of them froze simultaneously. It felt as if they were secretly doing something behind Chuyan's back, and the key was how natural and harmonious it all seemed.

Yan Xuehen couldn't stay any longer and turned directly back into her courtyard.

Zu An was also quite flustered at this point and knew there was no point in trying to keep her. So he, too, left, deep in thought.

Seeing that the two had shown no intimate gestures from start to finish, Wang Wuxie breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it," he thought, "how could Fairy Yan have romantic feelings?"

Especially remembering Zu An's troubled expression as he left, a wave of secret satisfaction washed over him. Most likely, Fairy Yan disagreed with his relationship with Chu Chuyan.

"That boy, really. Female disciples of White Jade Capital aren't so easy to pursue. Even someone as outstanding as me back then ended up with nothing."

Whether it was seeing Zu An thwarted or Yan Xuehen remaining as pure as ever, Wang Wuxie felt exceptionally pleased. His steps were even a bit lighter on his way back.

The next day, the highly anticipated finals began. Although there was still one more match to follow, almost everyone believed that Pei Mianman was simply lucky, and her true strength was far inferior to the two current contenders.

Disciples from various sects excitedly took their seats. From Lihentian, Zhao Xiaodie couldn't help but ask Zhi Yin beside her, "Senior Brother, who do you think will win today's match?"

These days, Zhi Yin, who was usually high-spirited, had been very dejected. He hadn't even bothered to shave, his face unshaven. Guan Chouhai was worried about his state, so he instructed his disciples to talk to him regularly, hoping to help him emerge from the shadow of defeat.

"Originally, with Wu Xiaofan's strength, Peng Wuyan wouldn't have had a chance. But Wan Guiyi was unexpectedly strong, leaving Wu Xiaofan severely injured. Although Zheng Yang Sect surely spent great effort and spiritual medicine to help him recover last night, the time was simply too short. It's still unknown who will win today," Zhi Yin explained, feeling even more depressed.

He knew that he should have been the one on stage, chatting and laughing with these people. Ahhh!

Zhao Xiaodie remarked, "Senior Brother's insights are indeed sharp. With one's decline and the other's rise, it truly is an evenly matched contest."

Her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Zu An on the arena. She wondered what had gotten into her these past few days. "That scoundrel bullied me so much back then; someday, I'll definitely give him a good beating."

After Wang Wuxie ascended the high platform, his gaze subconsciously swept over Yan Xuehen and Zu An. Seeing no eye contact between them, he breathed a sigh of relief. After greeting the sect masters from various factions, he cleared his throat, stood up to deliver an opening speech, outlined some precautions for the arena, and finally announced the official start of today's competition.

Qiu Honglei walked onto the stage, twirling a small curved knife between her fingers, her steps light and her mood clearly quite relaxed.

Many in the audience had the illusion that Peng Wuyan exuded immense confidence, as if she should be a vibrant young woman.

In contrast, Wu Xiaofan opposite her appeared much calmer and more serious. The 'toothpick' that had shone brightly before was already conjured, hovering in front of him, ready to attack at any moment.

Seeing this, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but laugh. "Senior Brother Wu, aren't you being a bit excessive? You didn't even use a weapon against Senior Brother Wan at first, but now you've brought it out right at the start. Do you think I'm even stronger than Senior Brother Wan?"

Wan Guiyi of Biluo Palace grunted at her words, his expression somewhat displeased.

However, he held no ill will towards Peng Wuyan; on the contrary, he felt that this woman exuded the beauty of a true powerhouse.

Other contestants often supported those who defeated them, so that if their opponent reached the end, their own strength would be more recognized.

But Wan Guiyi was different. At this moment, he actually wished for Peng Wuyan to win, as that aligned with his ideal of a strong individual.

At this point, Wu Xiaofan slowly replied, "Both you and Brother Wan are very strong. I dare not show any laxity, especially since I'm injured today. I can only go all out, and I hope Junior Sister Peng understands."

Below the stage, Master Mudong couldn't help but slap Shi Dingtian. "Look how others respond! Not like you, who was so foolish back then, directly giving up the use of your weapon."

Wu Xiaofan of Zheng Yang Sect was also known for his dull simplicity. In comparison, their own disciple seemed more foolishly simple.

Shi Dingtian mumbled, "It's easy for me to lose control when I use a weapon, and I didn't want to use one anyway... Besides, the ranking we've achieved this time is the highest in years. I'm already satisfied."

Master Mudong was somewhat exasperated by his lack of ambition, as he truly had a chance to win the championship.

On the arena, Qiu Honglei spoke, "Since you're injured, I'll let you have three moves. You can attack first."

This was also the battle plan Yun Jianyue had devised for her. Since her opponent was injured, the longer the match dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for her. Moreover, when he attacked, he could easily aggravate his injuries and expose weaknesses.

To her surprise, Wu Xiaofan shook his head. "You are a guest from afar. It's already improper for me to use a weapon. How could I let Junior Sister show courtesy again? Junior Sister, please make the first move."

"Everyone says you're dull, but I don't quite see it that way," Qiu Honglei smiled. Seeing that he wouldn't fall for her ploy, she said nothing more. With a delicate shout, another wave of light projectiles was unleashed, large and small light waves intersecting in attack.

"It's that move again," many in the audience grumbled. "Does this woman never get tired of using the same move every time?"

However, Liang Ling and others were watching the arena carefully to see how Wu Xiaofan would deal with it.

Wu Xiaofan watched the massive light orb approaching. Instead of leaping into the air to dodge, he shifted a zhang sideways, directly evading it, and simultaneously neutralized Qiu Honglei's subsequent attacks.

Liang Ling was stunned. Why had he foolishly insisted on jumping into the air back then?

After much thought, he finally understood. It turned out that the previous rapid light bullet attacks, though seemingly chaotic, often blocked lateral dodging paths. After dodging several times consecutively, a subconscious suggestion would form that dodging sideways would lead to an attack. Therefore, when the large light orb struck, he instinctively dodged upwards.

It was simple to understand now, but both he and Shi Dingtian had fallen for it back then. Wu Xiaofan's ability to see through it so quickly was indeed extraordinary.

Seeing her move thwarted, Qiu Honglei temporarily ceased her attack. Looking at the miniature weapon in front of him, she couldn't help but laugh. "Why don't you use that 'toothpick' to attack me?"

Wu Xiaofan's expression was calm. "In my current state, its attack power isn't enough to deal with you."

If he used a sword art similar to the one against Wan Guiyi, even if it hit, it would be difficult to severely injure her and would only needlessly drain his vital energy.

"Since you feel you can't beat me in your current state, why not just concede? That way, you'll avoid further injury from prolonged fighting, which could affect your future cultivation," Qiu Honglei said, habitually trying to undermine his fighting spirit.

Wu Xiaofan shook his head. "It's true that it can't harm you while it's small, but it can also become very large."

No sooner had he spoken than the miniature 'toothpick' in front of him grew against the wind, transforming into an enormous staff.