After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 22

The next day, when they met, Xuan Huai did not ask about the matter with Shi Yuan.

Shi Yuan also came to visit her. Avoiding Xuan Huai, he pulled her aside and asked vaguely about the nonsense he might have babbled the previous day.

Looking at Shi Yuan, the man who had nearly become her husband, she still found it impossible to accept the fact that they had been engaged.

Upon learning that he had let the secret slip, Shi Yuan felt a wave of regret. “You absolutely must not tell anyone about this.”

She had been wondering why no one had ever mentioned this matter to her, given that she couldn’t erase everyone’s memories. It seemed those who knew had intentionally remained silent.

Her entanglement with Shi Yuan should have ended when she sealed her own memories. She hadn’t expected it to cause so many ripples thousands of years later. Naturally, she had to put a stop to Shi Yuan’s actions.

Thus, she advised Shi Yuan to talk to the Demon Sovereign again, suggesting there might be a misunderstanding.

Shi Yuan left with her suggestion, looking deep in thought.

She intended to find Yu Qian Chan and her subordinates to get the full story, but with the competition approaching, she had to set it aside for now and handle it properly later.

Over the next two days, Xuan Huai taught her several sword techniques.

Each time, Ji Xun Yue would clumsily imitate them a few times before pretending to have a sudden moment of realization and mastering them.

Since no one knew her true identity, she could be as exaggerated as she liked. However, Xuan Huai never showed any surprise, which often made her feel a bit guilty.

The day before the competition arrived.

After mastering another sword move taught by Xuan Huai, Ji Xun Yue sheathed her sword and waited for his critique.

The sword Xuan Huai had given her was a low-grade spiritual tool allowed in the competition. When spiritual power was injected into the blade, it emitted an icy light, which suited her tastes perfectly.

“Are you certain you want to participate in the competition?”

Xuan Huai asked the question once more.

He knew she had her own plans, but her identity was unique. A single misstep in the Immortal Realm could trigger a crisis.

He also worried that once she resolved her business and returned to the Demon Realm, they would become strangers again.

Ji Xun Yue, unaware of his inner thoughts, assumed he was worried she would be defenseless if she drew someone’s resentment, as the Second Realm was considered the bottom tier in the vast Immortal Realm.

“I’ve made up my mind,” she said seriously. “Master, do not worry. I know what I am doing.”

These words sounded somewhat unreliable; how could a “common” disciple know what they were doing?

Xuan Huai gave a soft acknowledgment. “Then let us end it here for today. Rest early; we have to rise early tomorrow.”

Ji Xun Yue nodded. “Okay.”

Having reached the Second Realm, Ji Xun Yue could have used a hand seal to ride the wind down from the Falling Star Terrace, but she still preferred walking down step by step at a leisurely pace to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

Xuan Huai walked beside her, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Ji Xun Yue tilted her head to look at him.

His features always caught her attention first, and then her vision would gradually zoom out from his handsome eyes.

She found it hard to look away from his face.

Noticing her gaze, Xuan Huai looked over.

The corners of her mouth turned up. Instead of feeling the embarrassment of being caught staring, she simply smiled.

Xuan Huai was slightly taken aback. “What is it?”

Ji Xun Yue shook her head, her smile growing wider.

She simply thought he was good-looking, and the thought of causing a scene tomorrow put her in an excellent mood.

With the knot in her heart gone, she could now interact with him naturally.

“By the way, Master, since I am in the Second Realm, can you take me to the Mortal Realm now?”

“Mmh.”

“Then let’s wait for Junior Sister to return and go to the Mortal Realm for training together,” Ji Xun Yue said with a beaming smile, full of anticipation.

Only twenty more days until she could see her Junior Sister.

Xuan Huai’s expression softened, a smile playing on his lips. “Alright.”

The first day of the fourth month, Taiwei Isle.

It was the same training platform in the east.

Ji Xun Yue looked at the massive crowd. “So many people?”

Three realms made up one grade. For a mere competition of low-level disciples, the spectator stands were nearly full.

Xuan Huai said, “The last batch of cultivators numbered nearly a thousand. Including their sects, more people have come.”

Each Immortal Selection Ceremony recruited anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand people. Ji Xun Yue’s batch had only four or five hundred, which was considered relatively small.

This competition was split into two groups. Those in the Third Realm were fewer in number, so they competed first, followed by the Second Realm.

As for those in the First Realm, their numbers were too vast and their skills weren’t comparable, so no competition was held for them.

In principle, only disciples from the most recent batch were allowed to compete, but eligible disciples from previous batches could also sign up.

However, those people generally didn’t participate. After all, remaining in the Second or Third Realm after six hundred years was somewhat embarrassing.

The prize for the Second Realm was Qushan Grass, which could regulate the flow of spiritual power. The prize for the Third Realm was a spiritual tool that could summon lightning to aid in battle. These prizes were extremely useful for low-level disciples.

Ji Xun Yue and Xuan Huai found their seats and waited for the competition to begin.

People from the Six Great Immortal Sects sat in the front rows. There were four to five hundred cultivators alone.

Ji Xun Yue scanned the crowd briefly, deducing their strength and status from their expressions and posture.

This competition was hosted by the Red Shadow Sect. The Sect Leader of the Red Shadow Sect, Immortal Wen Zhu, was the disciple of Elder Weng Ying. Although it was unknown how many hidden experts existed in the Immortal Realm besides the Six Great Sects and the Four Elders, it was said that Wen Zhu’s cultivation had even surpassed that of his master.

Immortal Wen Zhu stood upon the Green Cloud Seat, looking down at everyone. He gave a speech about his experience in training disciples and then encouraged them to strive for progress. His words left many in the audience feeling fired up.

Ji Xun Yue watched coldly. If only his actions were as pleasant as his words.

“Now, let the first round of the competition begin!” Wen Zhu waved his sleeve, and the Green Cloud Seat carried him steadily to the ground.

The master of ceremonies waited for him to be seated before announcing the first round of participants.

Chu Nian would probably participate too, right?

Sure enough, Ji Xun Yue heard his name.

Out of nearly a thousand disciples, only sixty-eight had reached the Third Realm after three hundred years of cultivation.

And among those sixty-eight, fifty-six came from the Six Great Immortal Sects.

This was partly because the Six Great Sects were extremely strict when selecting disciples, and partly due to their rich cultivation experience and resources.

The sixty-eight disciples drew lots and were divided into pairs to duel in sequence, stopping when the victor was decided.

As the matches went on, some disciples were good at surprise attacks, while others were skilled at seizing opportunities to counter-attack while defending. Unless there was a massive disparity in power, the matches mostly tested their ability to adapt on the fly. In terms of actual cultivation, there wasn’t much difference between them.

Compared to the previous competition for high-level disciples, this one had more highlights in terms of technique.

Ji Xun Yue watched casually, occasionally discussing the battles with Xuan Huai and predicting the results.

When it was Chu Nian’s turn, she sat up straight, quite expectant.

His opponent was Li Kangming, a disciple from the Nine Pillars Sect, one of the Six Great Sects.

“Let the match begin!”

With the master of ceremonies’ command, the match officially started.

Chu Nian manifested a longsword from his spiritual power, drawing praise from many.

Many people could only manifest spiritual power into solid form once they reached the Fifth Realm.

Li Kangming, on the other hand, pulled out a spiritual tool gifted by his sect. It was exquisitely crafted but within the permitted rules.

The two first tested each other, blocking each other’s moves. After several attempts, Li Kangming believed he had grasped Chu Nian’s combat habits, and his attacks became more aggressive.

Although there were gaps in Chu Nian’s moves, he was always able to block just as his defenses were about to be breached, causing Li Kangming to grow quite impatient.

Ji Xun Yue nodded repeatedly, looking at Chu Nian with admiration. “Master, Brother Chu looks like he’s about to win.”

Xuan Huai remained non-committal. “Not necessarily.”

“What?”

In the next instant, Chu Nian moved to block Li Kangming’s attack, but the latter’s spiritual tool suddenly flashed with light.

In a split second, Chu Nian’s defense was shattered. Before he could react, Li Kangming followed up with another move. Chu Nian could not dodge in time and was sent flying backward by the impact. A look of pain crossed his face; his internal organs were likely injured.

Ji Xun Yue stood up abruptly, drawing strange looks from those around her.

She clenched her fists and sat back down.

“So blatant?” she whispered.

Xuan Huai nodded, but since there were many people around, he didn’t elaborate.

Ji Xun Yue watched as Chu Nian stood up in pain and limped off the stage, her heart filled with both shock and anger.

That was definitely no ordinary low-grade spiritual tool. Unfortunately, the spectator stands were too far away, making it impossible to see exactly what Li Kangming had done in secret.

It was likely that the Six Great Sects had reached an agreement to eliminate disciples from other sects first. Otherwise, letting a disciple from a minor sect take the top spot would be too embarrassing.

Ji Xun Yue stared fixedly at the next pair of disciples. Her brows were tightly knit as the competition began to feel tedious.

The morning matches ended with a disciple from the Red Shadow Sect taking first place.

Because there were more participants for the Second Realm competition, the venue was split in two, with two matches occurring simultaneously.

Ji Xun Yue left her seat, and Xuan Huai accompanied her to the entrance to sign up.

She asked casually, “Master, how long did it take you to reach the Second Realm back then?”

“I don’t remember clearly. Perhaps six or seven years.”

“Huh?” Ji Xun Yue was stunned.

She remembered Shi Yuan saying that it took Xuan Huai two thousand years to cultivate into an immortal. Had he progressed that quickly in the early stages?

Xuan Huai saw her doubt. “I had a foundation, so I was naturally faster than ordinary disciples.”

That made sense.

“Ye Jin Yue, Yunxing Sect, Second Realm.” The celestial lady at the registration desk sized her up and verified her strength with an immortal stone. “Go over there to draw lots.”

Ji Xun Yue smiled at Xuan Huai and turned to leave.

After drawing her lot, she waited in the waiting room.

Just then, a familiar woman ran in, panting as she called out to someone, “Senior Sister, I brought the things for you.”

Seeing the woman’s cautious and flattering tone, Ji Xun Yue couldn’t help but chuckle. “Shen Zhi Yao? This is the first time I’ve seen you being so polite.”

Shen Zhi Yao looked over at the sound of the voice and stared at her in disbelief. “Ye Jin Yue, why are you here?”

Ji Xun Yue shook the paper lot in her hand. “I should be asking you that. I am here for the competition. What is a bystander like you doing here?”

“You are participating in the competition?” Shen Zhi Yao’s voice rose, drawing many gazes. “What kind of joke is this?”

“You’ll see when the time comes,” Ji Xun Yue raised her eyebrows provocatively.

“Impossible. You are in the Second Realm?” Shen Zhi Yao was both shocked and suspicious. “You must have cheated!”

But her Senior Sister glared at her with dissatisfaction. “Shen Zhi Yao, what are you making a scene for? Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?”

Shen Zhi Yao’s face stiffened, but she quickly forced a polite smile. “I’m sorry, Senior Sister. I’ll leave right now!”

With that, Shen Zhi Yao slinked away, but she kept looking back every few steps, glaring at Ji Xun Yue with resentment.

Ji Xun Yue shrugged. Shen Zhi Yao would probably go complain to Fang Qing Chen again.

Regardless, she hadn’t faked anything. It suited her just fine if things blew up.

Shen Zhi Yao’s Senior Sister walked over. She was tall and graceful, with seductive peach-blossom eyes.

She sized up Ji Xun Yue. “Your name is Ye Jin Yue? I am Shen Zhi Yao’s Senior Sister, Lu Yi. You know my Junior Sister?”

Ji Xun Yue gave a polite smile. “Greetings, Senior Sister Lu. Shen Zhi Yao and I are merely acquaintances.”

Lu Yi asked, “Which sect are you from? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you.”

Ji Xun Yue understood that Lu Yi was judging her based on her background.

“Yunxing Sect.”

As expected, Lu Yi frowned, her expression instantly turning much colder. “Never heard of it.”

Ji Xun Yue didn’t mind. “It’s just a small sect. It can’t compare to the Yanming Sect.”

Lu Yi let out a soft huff. “You have a grudge with Shen Zhi Yao?”

Ji Xun Yue nodded.

Lu Yi said disdainfully, “She really is a troublemaker. She hasn’t stopped causing problems since she arrived a month ago.”

It seemed Shen Zhi Yao was quite disliked within the Yanming Sect.

Lu Yi’s eyes suddenly filled with suspicion. “Yunxing Sect wasn’t the one who followed their Master to the Mortal Realm and broke the celestial rules a few days ago.”

Ji Xun Yue said calmly, “Yes, that was my Junior Sister.”

“I see. Wait, no. The Yunxing Sect only has two disciples from the same batch as Shen Zhi Yao. Are you lying to me?”

Ji Xun Yue looked innocent. “No.”

Lu Yi showed an expression of shock identical to Shen Zhi Yao’s. “You have only been cultivating for a month. How could you possibly be in the Second Realm?”

“Senior Sister Lu, haven’t you ever seen a genius?”