Chapter 1653: Semifinals

It is said that Wang Wuxie, with immense willpower, had initially severed his emotional ties, maintaining a calm demeanor even after learning of Yan Xuehen's arrival at Purple Mountain and resisting the urge to see her.

However, sharing the referee stand with her for the past few days, and seeing her exquisite, ethereal figure daily, inevitably stirred up memories of his youth. He noticed Yan Xuehen appeared even more beautiful than she had in their younger days. Consequently, after returning to Pure Yang Palace each night, her beautiful image consumed his thoughts.

Tonight, a sudden urge, coupled with his inability to sleep, prompted him to go and catch a glimpse of her. Naturally, he understood the boundaries and dared not approach too closely. Being mistaken for a pervert would be an indelible stain on his reputation, not only disgracing him but likely shattering his image in Yan Xuehen's eyes. He therefore decided to simply gaze at her courtyard from a distance, content to merely sense her presence. The subtle trace of her presence in the air was, to him, sufficient.

To his shock, upon arrival, he witnessed a scene: the goddess of his heart secretly meeting a man in the dead of night? However, once he recognized the man as Zu An, his initial profound shock gradually subsided, and his heart calmed. How could these two possibly be involved? Xuehen, he reasoned, must view Zu An more like a younger relative or a nephew. Nevertheless, a strange annoyance gnawed at him, and he strained his ears, hoping to overhear their conversation. He soon discovered they had erected a barrier around themselves, making it impossible to hear anything. A man and a woman, alone in the dead of night, conversing while also blocking out their surroundings—this was indeed rather suspicious!

Yet, this thought was quickly dismissed by him. "I know Xuehen's character best," he mused. "She's always been serene and detached from worldly desires. How could she be the type of woman to secretly meet a man in the middle of the night?" It must be related to her disciple, Chu Chuyan. That's likely the only subject they could possibly discuss.

At that moment, Zu An was explaining the effects of the Lucky Pill to Yan Xuehen, who listened in utter astonishment. "Such a pill exists in this world?" she exclaimed.

"It is quite extraordinary," Zu An chuckled, "but I'm out of them now. If I ever get more, I'll give you one to try."

"Who needs it?" Yan Xuehen replied nonchalantly, yet the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

"So that's how you managed to win 7.5 million taels in Bright Moon City back then?" Yan Xuehen, being intelligent, quickly put the pieces together.

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

Yan Xuehen's face flushed. Lately, she had been subtly, or not so subtly, asking Chu Chuyan about Zu An. Chu Chuyan, eager for her master to shed her preconceptions about Zu An, was more than happy to share every detail about him. Over several months, she had told her almost everything, save for matters concerning the bedroom. Yan Xuehen felt a pang of guilt, yet her innate curiosity got the better of her, and she listened to it all.

"You are Chuyan's husband, so of course I needed to look into your background." At these words, a strange silence fell between them.

Zu An, at this moment, found himself in a difficult predicament. This was clearly not something that could be resolved by sheer power. He wished some senior transmigrator could offer a tip or two.

Yan Xuehen, feeling somewhat agitated, simply stated, "I agree to this matter. If you need anything, just come to me." After a pause, she added, "Just don't let Chuyan know when the time comes."

Zu An nodded. "Understood."

Then, both of them froze simultaneously, realizing how it felt as though they were secretly conspiring behind Chuyan's back. What was crucial was how naturally and harmoniously it unfolded. Unable to bear it any longer, Yan Xuehen turned and retreated into the courtyard. Zu An, too, felt a surge of uneasiness. Knowing that trying to make her stay would be futile, he also departed, his mind preoccupied.

Observing that the two had shown no intimate gestures from beginning to end, Wang Wuxie breathed a long sigh of relief. "I knew it," he thought. "How could Fairy Yan ever harbor romantic feelings?" Recalling Zu An's troubled expression as he departed, a wave of secret satisfaction washed over Wang Wuxie. "Most likely," he surmised, "Fairy Yan disapproves of his relationship with Chu Chuyan." "That boy is truly naive," he thought. "Female disciples of White Jade Capital are not easily won. Look at me, as exceptional as I was back then—didn't my efforts still come to naught?" Whether it was seeing Zu An's disappointment or Yan Xuehen's continued purity, Wang Wuxie found himself in an exceptionally good mood, even walking with a lighter step on his return.

The following day, the highly anticipated finals commenced. Although another match was scheduled afterward, most people believed Pei Mianman's success was largely due to luck, and her true strength was far below that of the current two combatants.

Disciples from various sects eagerly took their seats. Over in the Li Hentian section, Zhao Xiaodie couldn't help but ask Zhi Yin beside her, "Senior Brother, who do you think will win today's match?"

Lately, the usually energetic Zhi Yin had been quite despondent, even neglecting his appearance, his face unshaven. Concerned about his state, Guan Chouhai had instructed the disciples to talk to him regularly, hoping to help him emerge from the shadow of his defeat.

"Originally, with Wu Xiaofan's strength, Peng Wuyan would have stood no chance," Zhi Yin explained, feeling even more dejected. "However, Wan Guiyi proved unexpectedly powerful, leaving Wu Xiaofan severely injured. Although the Zhengyang Sect undoubtedly expended great effort and medicinal resources to aid his recovery last night, the time was simply too short. Today, it's impossible to say who will emerge victorious." He knew it should have been him on that stage, conversing and laughing with them. Ahhh!

Zhao Xiaodie remarked admiringly, "Senior Brother's insight is truly sharp. With one's strength waning and the other's rising, it promises to be a truly evenly matched contest." Her gaze instinctively drifted towards Zu An on the stage. She wondered what had come over her in the past few days. "That scoundrel bullied me so much back then," she fumed inwardly. "One day, I will definitely give him a thorough thrashing."

Upon ascending the high platform, Wang Wuxie's gaze instinctively swept over Yan Xuehen and Zu An. Seeing no eye contact between them, he finally relaxed. After greeting the various sect masters, he cleared his throat, rose to deliver his opening remarks, outlined the rules and precautions for the arena, and then officially declared the day's matches open.

As Qiu Honglei ascended the stage, her fingers playfully twirled a small curved dagger, her steps light and her demeanor visibly relaxed. Many in the audience had the odd sensation that Peng Wuyan exuded an unparalleled confidence, making her seem more akin to a radiant young woman. In contrast, Wu Xiaofan on the opposite side appeared far more composed and serious. His remarkable toothpick weapon, which had previously shone so brightly, was already summoned and floating before him, poised for attack.

Seeing this, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but chuckle. "Senior Brother Wu, aren't you being a bit too excessive?" she teased. "You didn't even use a weapon against Senior Brother Wan at first, yet you bring it out right at the start now? Do you perhaps think I'm even more formidable than Senior Brother Wan?"

Hearing this, Wan Guiyi of Biluo Palace snorted, his expression slightly displeased. Yet, he bore no ill will towards Peng Wuyan; instead, he found that she exuded the captivating beauty of a true powerhouse. Other contestants often supported the person who had defeated them, hoping that if their opponent reached the finals, it would further validate their own strength. Wan Guiyi, however, was different. At this moment, he genuinely hoped Peng Wuyan would emerge victorious, as that would align with his ideal image of a true formidable expert.

At this, Wu Xiaofan slowly replied, "Both you and Senior Brother Wan are extremely powerful. I dare not show even the slightest bit of complacency, especially since I am injured today. I can only go all out, and I hope Junior Sister Peng understands."

Below the stage, Cave Master Mu couldn't resist giving Shi Dingtian a slap. "Look at how he handles things," he exclaimed. "Not like you, who was so foolish back then, abandoning your weapon altogether!" Wu Xiaofan of the Zhengyang Sect was also known for his straightforward, almost wooden demeanor. Compared to him, their own disciple seemed more genuinely simple-minded.

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 rank I've achieved this time is the highest in years. I'm already content." Cave Master Mu was frustrated by his lack of ambition, knowing he had a real chance to win the championship.

On the stage, Qiu Honglei spoke, "Since you're injured, I'll give you three moves. You may attack first." This was part of the battle strategy Yun Jianyue had devised for her: with her opponent injured, the longer the fight dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for her. Furthermore, an attack might easily aggravate his injury, revealing an opening.

To her surprise, Wu Xiaofan shook his head. "You are our guest from afar," he said. "It's already inappropriate for me to use a weapon. How can I further accept your concession, Junior Sister? Please, you make the first move."

"Everyone says you're dull, but I don't necessarily agree," Qiu Honglei chuckled. Seeing that he wouldn't take the bait, she said no more. With a graceful shout, she unleashed another wave of light projectiles, large and small, in a crisscrossing attack.

"That move again," many in the audience muttered. "Does this woman ever get tired of using the same technique every time?" Liang Ling and others, however, watched the arena intently, curious to see how Wu Xiaofan would handle it.

Wu Xiaofan watched the enormous orb of light hurtling towards him. Instead of leaping into the air to dodge, he shifted a *zhang* to the side, evading it completely and neutralizing Qiu Honglei's subsequent attacks effortlessly. Liang Ling was taken aback. Why had he foolishly insisted on leaping skyward back then? After much contemplation, he finally understood: the previous barrage of rapid light projectiles, though seemingly chaotic, were often designed to block off lateral evasion paths. After dodging sideways a few times, a mental conditioning would occur, suggesting that dodging horizontally would expose him to more attacks. Thus, when a large orb of light approached, he instinctively leaped upwards to avoid it. While it seemed simple now that he understood, both he and Shi Dingtian had inadvertently fallen for the trick back then. Wu Xiaofan's ability to discern this so quickly truly set him apart.

Seeing her move thwarted, Qiu Honglei momentarily ceased her attack. Glimpsing the miniature weapon floating before him, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Why don't you use that toothpick to attack me?" she asked.

Wu Xiaofan's expression remained calm. "In my current condition," he replied, "its offensive power is insufficient to contend with you." Using the sword control technique he had employed against Wan Guiyi earlier, even a direct hit would struggle to inflict significant damage upon her, and would merely deplete his vital energy.

"Since you believe your current condition isn't enough to defeat me," Qiu Honglei said, characteristically attempting to erode her opponent's morale, "why not simply concede? It would save you from further injuries that could hinder your future cultivation."

Wu Xiaofan shook his head. "Indeed, in its current size, it can't harm you," he stated. "But it can also become very large."

No sooner had he spoken than the miniature toothpick before him expanded dramatically in the wind, transforming into a colossal, awe-inspiring staff.