Chapter 578 - The Scum Is Cryptic

"Fei Luo is on the lead with seven hundred points. The Shanliangde Sect has a total of two thousand four hundred and eighty points." Fei Yinzi spoke when everyone returned to the base, including Ling Yun and the others who separated from the Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect today.

"Should we use that tactic?" Jing De asked.

"It is not necessary at the moment." Chen Wu answered, confirming everyone's thoughts earlier.

Everyone smiled a meaningful smile. They know how big this tactic would change the leaderboard. They then nodded, showing that they understood Chen Wu's plan.

"Hey. The point threshold was now announced. Did they say when will the first elimination period start and when would it end?" Jing De asked.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent. Then, they all turned to look at Jing De.

"… what?" Jing De asked and suddenly felt conscious when he saw that everyone's eyes are now on him. Even if he is a troublemaker, but he isn't an attention-seeker.

(Jing Rui, Jing Cheng, Jing Bai, Jing Hei, Jing Kang and Jing Xu: … so he is aware that he is a troublemaker.)

Everyone retracted their gazes when they saw that Jing De's face turned red from being too conscious. Although Jing De usually is stupid (Jing De: HEY!), he speaks of crucial things sometimes. For example, when he proposed the alliance to the Xinfaxian Sect and the Youxiwang Sect. Now, he pointed out the matter of the elimination period.

Jing De is right… when will the elimination period start and how long will it last? They thought and looked at each other. Their gazes are speaking. Then, after a while, they retracted their gazes.

"Do you think the first elimination period will start at dawn of the day after tomorrow?" Tang Li asked. The day after tomorrow will be the fifth day of the third stage.

"This is the most logical." Fei Yinzi agreed.

Everyone also thinks this way thus this matter was concluded.

"How are the patients?" Wen Yan asked as they went to Cui Xiang, Cui Xiao and Wen Wen in another tent they set up as the infirmary.

"They volunteered to withdraw, including Lu Xiu." Wen Wen answered with a sigh, feeling that it is a pity.

Everyone nodded in understanding. Not to mention that they are injured, even if they recuperate, they wouldn't earn five hundred points in just a day. Thus, they are bound to be eliminated in the first elimination period. Although withdrawing look shameful, no one would mock Lu Xiu, another disciple participant and the rogue cultivator, for withdrawing from the competition. Everyone witnessed the cause – Ke Lu.

"Then, it would be the Xinfaxian Sect, Youxiwang Sect, Zunjingde Sect, Qianxu Sect, Shanliangde Sect, Huakai Sect, Huli Sect, Yuling Sect, Wuyang Sect, Guhe Sect, Qi Lan-ge and Jin Yu that will be remaining in the competition." Zhu Xi said.

Su Mi nodded. "Eight from our sect, four from the Youxiwang Sect, two from the Zunjingde Sect and the Qianxu Sect, six from the Shanliangde Sect, one from the Huakai Sect, Huli Sect, Yuling Sect, Wuyang Sect and Guhe Sect, and two rogue cultivators." She spoke. "That would be twenty-nine participants left." She said.

"Ugh. It still hasn't even the first elimination period and only a little more than the half of the participants left." Ling Yun frowned.

"It's all thanks to Ke Lu." Qian Jue sarcastically said with a frown.

Everyone's expression turned dull.

"But, if you think about it, Ke Lu unintentionally helped us." Li Yan spoke.

Everyone looked at him.

"You mean, he 'helped' us eliminate our competitors?" Wu Lian directly said.

Li Yan grinned. The others realized it and they don't know whether to laugh or cry. Even if this is beneficial to them, they also want to fight fairly, and definitely don't want to step on others just to rise. Nevertheless, that thanked Li Yan for 'cheering' them up.

…

At noon, the next day, He Shu's points have finally caught up to five hundred – the point threshold. He doesn't need to be worried to get eliminated anymore in the first elimination round!

He looked at the Cleansing Stone as he inwardly cried with tears of joy. "Finally… I won't be a disgrace to dad!" he muttered as he patted his chest in relief.

Sect leader He really cried when he saw that his son reached the point threshold through his painstaking efforts. The other sect leaders patted him on the shoulder to both congratulate him and stop him from crying. Although they are happy for him since his son has now grown, it is still embarrassing to see a sect leader crying.

Back inside the space, Qian Jue saw Qi Lan is silently watching He Shun eat his lunch as everyone formed into groups to help He Shun, Ling Yun and the Qian brothers to farm for points. Wen Wen, Su Yi and Cui Xiang have already had enough points.

"Not happy for him?" Qian Jue silently asked Qi Lan.

"I am." Qi Lan answered.

Qian Jue. "…" 'I am' what? 'I am happy' or 'I am not'? he thought as he looked at Qi Lan's indifferent expression that obviously says he is not happy. But, for the sake of no disagreement, he didn't say anything and resumed eating.

"How about you?" Qi Lan asked back. "Not happy?" he asked Qian Jue as he glanced at Qian Meng who is chatting with Ling Yun and also pulled He Shun with them.

Qian Jue. "…" my bad. I shouldn't have poked your sore spot. He thought and grimaced.

He could see that Qi Lan is unhappy for some sort of reason, but it was definitely related to He Shun. Qian Jue knows that Qi Lan is not narrow-minded and wouldn't pick on the weak. Not to mention that he saved He Shun many times. Thus, Qi Lan should be unhappy not at He Shun himself, but for a different reason, just that it was related to He Shun.

Qian Jue wryly smiled. It is not that he is not happy that Qian Meng finally reached the point threshold. What he is unhappy about is that Qian Meng didn't rely on him to earn those points…

Wait. He thought and his eyes narrowed when he realized something. He turned to look at Qi Lan and saw that Qi Lan is looking at He Shun again. Could it be that Qi Lan wanted He Shun to rely on himself, too, like he wanted Qian Meng to rely on him, too? He thought and suddenly felt enlightened.

Somehow, he felt happy since he has someone that could understand him. "Although it will make him grow, I still want him to continue to rely on me." He said.

"En." Qi Lan nodded in agreement. Then, he paused when he remembered something. "But, this isn't because I wanted to be his elder brother." He told him.

"I don't want to be his elder brother." Qian Jue said.

"What?" Qi Lan muttered and stared at him.

"… what?!" Qian Jue almost raised his voice when he realized what Qi Lan just said. The two of them looked at each other.

"Ge?" Qian Meng called when he heard Qian Jue's voice.

"Qi Lan-ge?" He Shun turned. "Wait… are you two fighting?!" he exclaimed when he saw that Qi Lan and Qian Jue are doing a staring contest.

"No." both men immediately answered.

Qian Meng's panicking heart settled down. "That's good." He said before he turned back to He Shun and Ling Yun to continue their conversation.

Qian Jue and Qi Lan looked at Qian Meng and He Shun, respectively, before they reluctantly retracted their gazes from the two. Then, they turned to look at each other again.

"So, you too?" Qian Jue coughed as he sipped his drink.

"So, that was what you mean." Qi Lan muttered.

"Yeah." Qian Jue answered with a nod.

"En." Qi Lan hummed before the two of them resumed eating.

Tang Li who overheard some of the contents of Qi Lan's and Qian Jue's words when he passed by felt bewildered as he sat beside Li Yan and picked up his bowl and chopstick. But, instead of resuming eating, he looked at the others instead.

"What's wrong?" Wen Yan asked when he noticed that Tang Li's expression didn't look right.

"Say. I think that Qian Jue and Qi Lan are abnormal." Tang Li finally spoke after he carefully thought over his words.

But, no matter how careful he was when choosing his words, it was him who looked abnormal as a result. "Huh?" they muttered. "What do you mean?" they asked as they looked at him as if he has grown an arm above his head.

Tang Li coughed when he thought his words sound ambiguous. "I mean, they are talking cryptically." He spoke. "One says, 'yeah', while the other says, 'en', but they didn't say anything before that." He explained.

The others fell silent.. Then, they turned their heads to look at Qian Jue and Qi Lan who are eating silently on the side.