After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 23

“The winner of this match is, Ye Jin Yue!”

Ji Xun Yue sheathed her sword and cupped her hands in a salute. “Brother, thank you for the match.”

Her opponent, however, wore a complex expression. Overwhelmed by frustration, he ignored the courtesies and stormed off the stage.

Ji Xun Yue had fought her way through the ranks, defeating several disciples from prestigious sects, and had already become the focus of the entire venue.

Although the Yunxing Sect had been established back when Xuan Huai ascended to immortality, he had never recruited disciples and kept a low profile; consequently, very few people knew the name of the Yunxing Sect.

Ji Xun Yue lifted her head, looking at the crowd on the stands, accepting their speculative gazes with a smile.

She glanced toward Xuan Huai’s position. Even at a great distance, she could feel his gaze resting upon her.

She gave Xuan Huai a deep look before following the master of ceremonies to the edge of the arena to wait for the other group’s match to conclude.

Two winners from the previous round were already standing there. Including Ji Xun Yue and the winner of the current match, four people would compete for the top spot.

Seeing Lu Yi staring intently at her every move as she approached, Ji Xun Yue ignored her murderous expression and spoke familiarly, “Senior Sister Lu, what a coincidence.”

“Coincidence?” Lu Yi sneered. “I relied on strength. What kind of trickery did you rely on?”

“Senior Sister Lu, those words truly break my heart. Didn’t I tell you? I am exceptionally gifted; I attained enlightenment quite by accident.” Ji Xun Yue smiled brightly, her gaze shifting to another finalist.

The man had a cold, stern face. He stood with his arms crossed, watching the two people still competing on the field without blinking. His gaze was calm yet held a hint of sharpness.

Ji Xun Yue vaguely remembered his name was Yu Zai Ye, a disciple of the prestigious Fenglan Sect, who also used a sword.

Having watched several of his matches, she noticed his moves were concise and practical, devoid of reliance on flashy tricks.

Sometimes, one can discern a person’s character from their combat style.

Yu Zai Ye looked like a man of few words who focused solely on cultivation, likely an outlier among the status-seeking prestigious sects.

Sensing her gaze, Yu Zai Ye looked over. Though his expression was cold, it was merely the indifference of a man of few words.

Ji Xun Yue ignored Lu Yi’s mockery and walked over to greet him. “Greetings, Brother Yu.”

Yu Zai Ye nodded slightly. “I watched your match.”

“And what did you think, Brother?”

“Your moves are seasoned. You don’t look like a novice.”

“You are the one, Brother Yu. Every strike aims straight for the opponent’s weak points, always finding the next point of attack instantly. You never defend; you are always on the offensive.”

Yu Zai Ye’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly, his expression softening a fraction. “You indeed have some skill.”

Ji Xun Yue smiled. “Then I look forward to our encounter.”

Hearing this, Lu Yi said disdainfully, “You’d better pray you aren’t matched against me next. I won’t go easy on you.”

Ji Xun Yue acted as if she had heard a joke, laughing twice before saying, “Senior Sister Lu, I’ll give you a piece of advice upfront. You’d better take off those hair ornaments. It’ll look even worse when you’re covered in dirt later.”

“What did you say!” Lu Yi’s voice rose.

Lu Yi had indeed dressed up meticulously today. Although she hadn’t reached the Third Realm, she wasn’t far off, and she had won her several rounds of matches with ease.

At that moment, the match on the field ended.

The winner was Song Ming from the Red Shadow Sect. She was short with a baby face that always wore a smile, looking entirely non-threatening. Her weapons were spiritual needles as thin as gossamer, as hidden as her ambition.

Ji Xun Yue and the other three returned to the center of the training platform.

The four stood in the center, enduring the scrutiny of the crowd above.

The master of ceremonies introduced each person’s name and sect once more. Ji Xun Yue’s background stood out like a sore thumb among the other three.

It was rare for someone outside the prestigious sects to enter the finals. This unusual turn of events made the match much more interesting.

Perhaps because some spectators sent word to their sects to watch the fun, even more viewers arrived. With no seats left, they summoned their flying mounts and sat in the sky to watch.

The game was becoming more interesting.

Ji Xun Yue drew her lot and saw her opponent was Song Ming, and their match was up first. She smiled at Lu Yi. “Senior Sister Lu, don’t let me down.”

Lu Yi rolled her eyes. “Worry about yourself first.”

A moment later, only Ji Xun Yue and Song Ming remained on the platform.

Song Ming smiled cutely. “Sister, you have to go easy on me.”

“Sister?” Ji Xun Yue summoned her sword. “Did you get something wrong?”

Song Ming continued to smile, summoning a row of spiritual needles that hovered in the air. She tapped them one by one with her fingertip. “What’s wrong?”

A smile played on Ji Xun Yue’s lips. “I’ve only been cultivating for a month. I am the junior here.”

Song Ming’s smile vanished, caught off guard. “What?”

“I’ve only been cultivating for a month, so I ask for Senior Sister Song’s guidance,” Ji Xun Yue said with an inviting gesture. “Also, I don’t like it when people call me ‘sister’ so casually.”

Song Ming didn’t have time to overthink it. Her eyes sharpened as she took a battle-ready stance. “Little sister, I’m afraid of pricking you and ruining your pretty face. You should just surrender.”

“Trash talking? What should I say in return?” Ji Xun Yue feigned deep thought. “How about, I’ll take your embroidery needles as a trophy.”

“Embroidery needles?” Song Ming’s face darkened.

Ji Xun Yue had lost patience for idle chatter. Injecting spiritual power into her sword, she sent several waves of sword qi toward Song Ming.

The spiritual needles in front of Song Ming linked together, forming a barrier under the fusion of spiritual power that easily blocked the attack.

Quick reflexes and polished moves, Song Ming’s cultivation was very solid.

“Is this all the skill you have?” While defending, Song Ming manifested even more spiritual needles, which flew toward Ji Xun Yue in a dense swarm.

A sword couldn’t possibly block them all. Ji Xun Yue used a one-handed seal, condensing spiritual power into a shield that blocked all of Song Ming’s attacks.

“You can defend without using a spiritual tool!” Song Ming was shocked. “Are you truly only in the Second Realm?”

Ji Xun Yue said innocently, “Is it that hard?”

Seeing that Ji Xun Yue clearly possessed Second Realm strength yet could use techniques only understood by middle-tier disciples, Song Ming focused entirely, no longer joking as she unleashed stronger moves.

Ji Xun Yue simply stood her ground, neutralizing Song Ming’s attacks with casual waves of her hand.

She remained effortless throughout, even showing a strong sense of teasing her opponent, which caused a stir and much discussion among the spectators.

Seeing her attacks feeling like they were hitting cotton, Song Ming grew frantic, blindly injecting more spiritual power to boost the strength of her moves.

Ji Xun Yue felt this was somewhat unfair to Song Ming. Out of respect for her dignity, it was better to end it quickly.

“Senior Sister Song, my apologies.”

“What?” Song Ming frowned. “You,”

Before Song Ming could react, Ji Xun Yue rushed toward her with her sword. Song Ming’s attacks were completely unable to slow Ji Xun Yue’s pace.

Song Ming retreated repeatedly, forced to reinforce the barrier in front of her.

“It’s useless.”

With Ji Xun Yue’s cold remark, a flash of cold light struck. For a moment, Song Ming could see nothing. A piercing chill shattered her meticulously placed barrier, and the tip of Ji Xun Yue’s sword, carrying a freezing wind, came to a steady halt at her throat.

Her spiritual tool, losing its flow of power as she panicked, could no longer be maintained and scattered into a rain of needles.

Song Ming bit her lip hard, staring blankly at the opponent who had defeated her, not yet recovered from the shock of the match ending in an instant.

The gasps from the stands pulled her back to reality.

“I, I lost?” Song Ming couldn’t believe it, but under the gaze of the crowd, she couldn’t afford to look too pathetic.

Though still trembling, she forced a smile and beckoned her spiritual tool back.

Ji Xun Yue flicked her wrist and lowered her sword. “Thank you for the match, Senior Sister Song.”

The master of ceremonies approached them to announce the result.

Song Ming was still unwilling. “You, what kind of monster are you? How can a Second Realm cultivator know so many techniques? How could you break through my barrier?”

“Yes, I wonder why?” Ji Xun Yue said slowly. “Why was I able to break through a barrier infused with the spiritual power of your master or some other immortal?”

Song Ming’s eyes widened. Just as she was about to speak, the master of ceremonies reached them.

“Senior Sister Song, why don’t we both take a step back? Let’s not speak a word about the details of this match.” Ji Xun Yue gave her a friendly smile.

Song Ming opened her mouth, looked at the master of ceremonies, and then at Ji Xun Yue. Finally, she remained silent, giving her tacit consent.

After the winner was announced, the two left the field, passing Lu Yi and Yu Zai Ye as they walked toward the stage.

Having witnessed the match, Lu Yi looked at Ji Xun Yue with significantly more wariness.

Ji Xun Yue smiled. “A pity, Senior Sister Lu. We won’t get to face each other.”

“You!” Seeing her insolence, Lu Yi was on the verge of an outburst.

But Ji Xun Yue had already walked several paces away, turning back to wag her index finger at her.

Lu Yi ground her teeth in rage, but with her match imminent, she could only swallow her resentment.

Ji Xun Yue and Song Ming stood by the side to watch the next match.

Song Ming had regained her composure. Her baby face wore a faint smile, but her eyes were cold. “Good sister, did you truly just enter the Immortal Realm last month?”

“The genuine article.” She was indeed telling the truth.

Song Ming let out a light laugh. “Why are you so eager to show off? No matter how much talent you have, the Immortal Realm is full of people who could crush you like an ant right now.”

“Thank you for the concern, Senior Sister. But I, am here specifically to stand out.”

“I’ve seen people with that mindset before. As for the ending, some are good and some are bad. I’m curious to see which one you’ll be.”

Ji Xun Yue glanced at Song Ming.

Song Ming used her gentle, harmless appearance as a cover, but she was actually quite shrewd. At the moment, her stance was hard to read.

Song Ming glanced back. “What? Trying to get close to me?”

Ji Xun Yue smiled slightly. “Friends are made through conflict. We have a destiny, Senior Sister.”

“Heh,” Song Ming scoffed. “Once you actually make a name for yourself, don’t forget me. But if you end up with a miserable finale, I wouldn’t dare claim to know you.”

Ji Xun Yue said, “I understand. We share the blessings, but we face the hardships alone.”

The conversation ended as the match between Lu Yi and Yu Zai Ye officially began.

“Who do you think will win?” Song Ming asked.

“Brother Yu,” Ji Xun Yue said. “But if Senior Sister Lu has some secret weapon, it’s hard to say.”

Yu Zai Ye didn’t look like someone who would use underhanded methods.

Song Ming knew she was mocking the prestigious disciples for cheating and simply smiled. “Those are the unspoken rules. In the end, the longer people live, the only things they care about are power and fame.”

“But the disciples from ordinary sects don’t know these hidden rules.” Ji Xun Yue stared at the initial testing between the two on the field. Thinking of Chu Nian’s injury, her gaze turned cold.

With Chu Nian’s strength, he shouldn’t have stopped there.

“Well, after suffering once, they’ll be more careful in the future,” Song Ming said indifferently. “I actually envy you all; you don’t have much pressure.”

Yu Zai Ye’s initial probes were all sensed and blocked by Lu Yi.

Lu Yi had some skill, but unfortunately, her combat experience was lacking. As Yu Zai Ye’s offensive grew more fierce, she gradually became frantic, her moves full of holes.

“If Lu Yi doesn’t have a trump card, she’s definitely going to lose,” Song Ming said calmly.

“I hope Brother Yu doesn’t make her lose too embarrassingly.”

Ji Xun Yue looked closely. Yu Zai Ye’s sword seemed to be just an ordinary weapon, with no spiritual power attached to it.

Did he not have a spiritual tool yet?

While she was wondering, she saw Yu Zai Ye seize a flaw in Lu Yi’s defense and strike directly. However, he pulled his move in time, avoiding injuring her.

Lu Yi turned pale, and tears immediately began to fall. She covered her face and ran off the competition platform.

She usually acted so haughty, yet she was so fragile inside. One could only hope she would use this to temper her mind.

“Go on, good sister. Who do you think I should bet on to win?” Song Ming didn’t have much of a reaction to Lu Yi making a fool of herself.

Ji Xun Yue chuckled. “Me, of course.”

With that, she stepped onto the stage under the eyes of the crowd.

Ji Xun Yue saluted Yu Zai Ye. “Brother Yu, please guide me.”

Yu Zai Ye returned the salute.

Once the master of ceremonies announced the start of the match, Ji Xun Yue summoned her sword, only to see Yu Zai Ye standing perfectly still.

What kind of tactic was this?

She asked in confusion, “Brother Yu?”

Yu Zai Ye threw his sword to the ground.

” ”

What was he trying to do?

Yu Zai Ye looked at her, his gaze resolute.

“I forfeit.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the front rows to hear clearly.

“What?” Ji Xun Yue was stunned; even she hadn’t anticipated such a turn of events.

“Yu Zai Ye, are you crazy!”

“What are you trying to do!”

On the stands, the people from the Fenglan Sect tried to stop him from speaking further.

“I want you to win,” Yu Zai Ye said, enunciating every word. “Furthermore,”

He looked up at his sect again, as if he had made some sort of decision.

“I voluntarily withdraw from the Fenglan Sect.”