CH 88

Villainous Master (10)

Zhao Wuyou, the daughter of Zhao Lin, who is now the new head of the Xun Sect, is visiting.

Zhao Lin had been devoted to cultivation in the mountains for several years before suddenly returning ten years ago to assume leadership of the Xun Sect. She had previously been indifferent towards Zhao Wuyou, but has been spoiling her in recent years, perhaps as a result of feeling guilty about her past treatment. Zhao Lin is concerned that Zhao Wuyou might squander her talent, and has therefore been very obedient to her daughter.

With Zhao Lin’s approval, Zhao Wuyou has become a notorious bully in the immortal cultivation world, feared by all.

Song Xu Yi was taken aback by the audacity of the young bully. Had it not been for Ning Jing Yu’s heroic actions, the Three Realms would have been in complete disarray, making Zhao Wuyou’s reckless behavior all the more unacceptable.

While Song Xu Yi may have brushed off any insults directed towards herself, hearing Zhao Wuyou refer to Ning Jing Yu as “old man” was simply intolerable.

With a furrowed brow, Song Xu Yi was just about to confront Zhao Wuyou when Ning Jing Yu appeared from the formation.

At the sight of Ning Jing Yu, Zhao Wuyou was momentarily stunned, and then fell silent, gazing fixedly at her with a blush spreading across her cheeks.

She took two steps forward as if she wanted to stand by her side, and began to introduce herself, “Senior Ning, I am…”

But before Zhao Wuyou could finish, Ning Jing Yu pursed her lips and interrupted her, exclaiming “Noisy!” With a wave of her sleeves, a strong gust of wind blew Zhao Wuyou and her companions out of the house in an instant!

The wind slammed the door shut with a loud ‘clang’.

Unperturbed by the stunned looks of those around her, Ning Jing Yu returned to her room and began to write a message in bold, bright red letters that seemed to leap off the paper:

——”Trespassers will be killed!”

The Xuan Shu Sect’s front door remained adorned with those very words until the Immortal Sect Competition.

It was undeniably effective, as there was a significant decrease in the number of visitors seeking to meet Ning Jing Yu. Some sect members returned to share gossip, revealing that Zhao Wuyou had persistently loitered near the entrance but refrained from creating a commotion like she had done before.

During this period, Song Xu Yi spent most of her days training with Ning Jing Yu and noticed remarkable improvements in her own abilities.

The Immortal Sect Competition was quickly approaching.

The competition would encompass disciples at all levels, ranging from the lowest to the highest.

Due to the varying lengths of time the disciples had spent in building their foundations, those who were still pre-foundation were at a disadvantage against their peers who had achieved Foundation Establishment at a later stage. To offset this disparity, the competition would evaluate the spiritual power levels of each disciple and divide them into several groups accordingly. The strongest disciples in each group would have the opportunity to enter the Secret Realm and search for hidden treasures.

Despite Song Xu Yi’s exceptional talent, her spiritual power level remained the lowest among the competitors.

Interestingly, Ning Jing Yu did not appear to place great emphasis on accumulating spiritual power. Unlike other cultivators who were relentlessly refining pills and consuming them to enhance their spiritual power, Ning Jing Yu did not provide Song Xu Yi with any artificial pills, instead offering natural, non-toxic fruits that could enhance spiritual power.

Ning Jing Yu seemed more inclined to train Song Xu Yi’s reflexes and refine her physique rather than solely increasing her spiritual power.

Song Xu Yi eventually accepted Ning Jing Yu’s method of education, realizing that the immortals’ sole focus on spiritual power without body refinement was a contributing factor to the Immortal World’s downfall. She understood that spiritual power was merely an aid in combat and true cultivation involved being solid and steady, using minimal spiritual power to unleash the strongest skills.

As Ning Jing Yu avoided crowded places, Song Xu Yi accompanied the group to the front gate competition venue to test her spiritual power.

The female cultivator conducting the test appeared surprised at Song Xu Yi’s low levels of spiritual energy and even turned to mutter with the person next to her for a long time.

Despite the strange looks from others, Song Xu Yi paid them no mind and returned with the other disciples after testing her spiritual roots.

However, on her way home, she unexpectedly ran into Zhao Wuyou who insisted on speaking with her. Zhao Wuyou winked at the other disciples and when she saw them go off to report the news, she motioned for Song Xu Yi to step aside with her.

With her usual starry-eyed manner, Zhao Wuyou gathered several people to surround Song Xu Yi, furrowing her brows as she gave Song Xu Yi a scrutinizing gaze. She then gestured to a nearby cultivator to hand Song Xu Yi a storage bag.

“From what I heard, you have a humble background from the mortal realm,” Zhao Wuyou began. “In this storage bag, there are several million spirit stones and small pills. It should be enough for you to start a small sect back home!”

She paused for a moment before continuing with a hint of arrogance in her voice, “But consider it as a deposit. Once the task is done, the other half of the payment will be delivered to your house as well.”

Zhao Wuyou’s reputation as a big spender was true, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

She had to admit that the offer was tempting; as Zhao Wuyou had claimed, the contents of the storage bag were enough for her to start a small sect.

Song Xu Yi saw the offer as a potential way to establish a sect and fulfill her mission of protecting the Song family and the protagonists.

However, she knew that Zhao Wuyou wouldn’t offer such a generous reward without expecting something in return. She wondered what Zhao Wuyou’s true intentions were and what price she would have to pay for the offer.

After all, nothing comes for free, and there must be a catch to such an attractive offer.

Zhao Wuyou didn’t have much patience when Song Xu Yi remained silent, and her eyes showed clear contempt. “I suggest you let go of something that is not meant for you,” she said. “As Senior Ning’s disciple, I thought you were powerful, but I didn’t expect your spiritual energy to be so weak. A single water spirit root is not necessarily outstanding, and having a disciple like you is an insult to Senior Ning’s legacy.”

“If I were you, I would be too ashamed to continue studying under Senior Ning. I would have gone home in frustration and disgrace by now.”

The cultivator beside Zhao Wuyou chimed in, “My young lady’s spiritual power is now almost twice as strong as yours, so you can see the difference.”

Song Xu Yi immediately grasped the meaning behind Zhao Wuyou’s words.

It was a blatant attempt to push her down and elevate herself instead. Perhaps Zhao Wuyou wanted to become Ning Jing Yu’s disciple and was trying to clear the way for herself.

If this had happened during the early days of her training, Song Xu Yi might have backed down in the face of Zhao Wuyou’s aggression. However, after spending years together with Ning Jing Yu, Song Xu Yi was determined not to give way to Zhao Wuyou, whether it was due to personal feelings or personal growth.

As the Xun Sect’s jewel, Song Xu Yi couldn’t be too direct in rejecting Zhao Wuyou’s unreasonable request. She was about to respond in a more tactful manner when she heard a familiar voice break the silence: “My disciple’s inferior spiritual power?”

Ning Jing Yu appeared from the side, and it was unclear how long she had been listening. Though her tone was calm, Song Xu Yi sensed her displeasure.

Ignoring Zhao Wuyou’s pale face, Ning Jing Yu pulled Song Xu Yi and turned to leave——

Ning Jing Yu uttered, “Let me show you what being real trash looks like!” as she pulled Song Xu Yi back to their small courtyard in the Xuan Shu Sect.

It was only then that Song Xu Yi realized the depth of Ning Jing Yu’s anger. Ning Jing Yu then arranged a formation for Song Xu Yi to practice her sword, while she watched her with a stern and complicated expression.

Ning Jing Yu unleashed her full strength in her sparring match against Song Xu Yi, and in just three moves, had a tree branch held up to her throat.

“For the next three days, you will remain in the formation and focus solely on practicing your sword. You are not allowed to leave.”

Ning Jing Yu’s voice was icy as she took a seat next to Song Xu Yi and began meditating with her eyes closed. Over the next three days, Ning Jing Yu rarely left the formation, instead choosing to closely monitor Song Xu Yi’s progress.

Song Xu Yi felt as if she had gone back to the painful period when she first joined the Xuan Shu Sect. At first, she tried to figure out what had displeased Ning Jing Yu. After that, she spent the entire day practicing swordsmanship without any distractions.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t defeat Ning Jing Yu, who was holding a branch and not using any spiritual power.

Song Xu Yi realized Ning Jing Yu’s intention – spiritual power was only an aid, and the most powerful weapon was one’s own reaction time and physical abilities.

Despite her inability to defeat Ning Jing Yu, Song Xu Yi persisted in training, repeatedly improving her swordplay speed.

Even after the three days had passed, Song Xu Yi remained in a daze, lying on the ground disheveled and staring blankly at Ning Jing Yu, who remained pristine despite the dust, appearing like an immortal.

Ning Jing Yu gazed down at Song Xu Yi and extended her hand haughtily, pulling her up and pursing her lips into a straight line. “I still have much to teach you,” she declared.

In hindsight, Song Xu Yi realized why Ning Jing Yu had been so angry. Perhaps her lack of response to Zhao Wuyou’s words had given the impression that she was considering her offer, which was not the case.

“I never intended to leave Master.”

It seemed that her silence had led to a misunderstanding, causing Ning Jing Yu to believe that she had been swayed by Zhao Wuyou’s words, hence her prolonged anger.

Song Xu Yi stood up, her body aching, and looked at Ning Jing Yu with earnest eyes. She let out a sigh and said, “Master, I just thought that since Zhao Wuyou is the daughter of the Xun Sect’s Sect Leader, it might be inappropriate to reject her outright. That’s why I hesitated for a moment.”

“I’m grateful to Master for teaching me. Even if Master doesn’t say it, I know that you’re incredibly talented and strong.” Song Xu Yi glanced at Ning Jing Yu’s expression, which still appeared cold and clear, but she felt like Ning Jing Yu was in a better mood. She held Ning Jing Yu’s hand and continued, “But could you please tell me when you’re angry in the future?”

“I’m not worried about not learning any skills, but I don’t want to make you angry because of me.”

“In the past few years, Master has suffered a great deal,” said Song Xu Yi with sincerity as she looked at Ning Jing Yu. “In my opinion, a hero deserves the best in the world. No matter what others may think, in my heart, Master is a great hero who protects the three realms. All I want is for Master to live a comfortable and happy life every day. I don’t want to be the cause of any worries for Master.”

Song Xu Yi believed that these words would dispel the displeasure in Ning Jing Yu’s heart, but to her surprise, Ning Jing Yu fiercely withdrew her hand and turned her back, refusing to meet her gaze.

It was only then that Ning Jing Yu realized how much she valued this disciple.

After Ning Jing Yu had calmed down, Song Xu Yi had already left the formation.

Knowing that Ning Jing Yu needed some space, Song Xu Yi left without disturbing her.

The next day was the Immortal Sect Competition, and Song Xu Yi greeted her fellow disciples after leaving the formation. She noticed that they were giving her strange looks, but she paid them no mind. Exhausted from her three-day training, Song Xu Yi slept soundly that night, unaware of a figure that had snuck into her room. The intruder’s hands trembled as they struggled with the urge to harm Song Xu Yi, but ultimately refrained from doing so——

——Despite knowing that Song Xu Yi had become her weakness, the figure could not bring herself to harm Song Xu Yi.

The following day, the Immortal Sect Competition commenced as planned.

The tournament stage was expansive and limitless, and all the prominent sect leaders were seated on the elevated platform, observing the battles. Ning Jing Yu was seated at the center, her stunning face chiseled like ice and snow, a sight that left people breathless.

The presence of Ning Jing Yu had a noticeable effect on the competition arena, causing it to fall into a hushed silence. Only when the competition began did the noise return.

Although Song Xu Yi sensed that people were giving her strange looks, she couldn’t ask about it while walking behind Ning Jing Yu.

Despite feeling like she had resolved the misunderstanding between them, Song Xu Yi noticed that Ning Jing Yu still had the same cold and icy demeanor.

As Song Xu Yi set foot on the tournament stage, her heart was filled with an inexplicable unease.

——Her opponent was clearly far more advanced in spiritual power, with a foundation building experience of at least twenty years.

Had there been a mistake in the selection of opponents?

As Song Xu Yi furrowed her brows, about to question the situation, she was interrupted by her opponent’s loud laughter. “I heard that Peak Leader Ning had specially requested to have your bracket changed, claiming that her disciple could triumph over strength with weakness, and placed you in the strongest bracket. So today, I am here to face you!”

Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened in shock as she looked up at Ning Jing Yu on the high platform. But before she could react, her opponent had already launched an attack——