“What? Jiang Yao! You’re saying you’re Jiang Yao?!”
Yu Lekang had broken through to Qi Refining level four the day before the advancement matches, while his description in 《New Disciple Xiaosheng's Remarks》 still listed him at level three.
He had originally hoped to use this information gap to win a few more matches, but he never expected that in his very first fight, he would encounter Jiang Yao, whose strength was second only to those with a natural talent for the Sword Dao.
Jiang Yao performed a casual behind-the-back flourish, resting the long spear against his back with one hand.
Hearing the disbelief in his opponent’s voice, his hand tightened around the spear shaft. He tried his best to furrow his brows and maintain a cold, stoic expression. “What? Is my name that strange?”
Yu Lekang’s eyes went wide, but he didn't say a word. His saber technique didn't stop for a second; in the blink of an eye, he swung three times at Jiang Yao.
The red, fire-attribute blades seemed to scorch the very air, one strike following another, layer upon layer.
Jiang Yao stood his ground, tilting his head as he watched the layers of blades stack up.
Though he hadn't moved yet, any disciple watching closely could see the gold spirit energy surging around him. It was like a taut spear, waiting for the perfect moment to pierce through the clouds.
The moment the blades drew near, Jiang Yao swung the spear to his front. He thrust, pushed horizontally, and leaned back into a cloud spear movement.
The sharp gold spirit energy at the spear's tip swept in a circle, shattering the heavily layered fire blades into pieces.
The moment the fire blades were destroyed, before Yu Lekang could make another move, Jiang Yao spun toward him. A rising strike hit Yu Lekang in the abdomen, knocking him clean off the arena.
“Good match, Junior Brother Yu.”
Yu Lekang clutched his stomach, waiting a moment before picking himself up from the ground.
He had already performed an internal inspection; although his abdomen hurt immensely, his internal organs were unharmed.
He looked at Jiang Yao with a face full of lingering fear, his voice still trembling slightly. “Thank you for holding back, Senior Brother Jiang.”
Once the winner of the duel was decided and the two participants left, the spectator stands erupted into a frenzy.
“Two moves. In just two moves, he swept Yu Lekang—who has the same cultivation level—off the arena. He even controlled his power so as not to cause serious injury.”
“Is this the strength of the person ranked sixth in 《New Disciple Xiaosheng's Remarks》? Utterly terrifying!”
“He’s from Ruiyu Pavilion, isn't he? Do we even have a chance in the team competition?”
“It’s fine. They still have three others who are just dead weight. The group we really need to watch out for is Si Puyu’s; everyone in that group is strong. We’ll stick to the original plan we made for them. Aim for first, but secure second.”
Jiang Yao put away his spear and, keeping his face cold and ruthless, returned to the Ruiyu Pavilion seats.
The group left early, so they didn't run into anyone else on the way to the dining hall.
Mu Chenze slapped his left hand onto Jiang Yao’s shoulder, mimicking the expression and tone Jiang Yao had used in the arena. “What? Is my name that strange?”
Wen Xuan joined in. “Is it that straaaange~?”
Instantly, Gu Ningyun saw the color flush from Jiang Yao’s neck to his ears, eventually covering his entire face like a ripe tomato.
Seeing him glaring at the ground as if looking for a crack to crawl into, Gu Ningyun held back her laughter and came to his rescue. “This was part of the plan, after all. Jiang Yao did a great job.”
“Exactly! I was just following the plan!”
Jiang Yao seemed to grab onto her words like a lifeline, his voice a bit rushed. “You guys are being so slow. Do you want to eat or not? I’m starving.”
Mu Chenze seemed to let him off the hook and didn't say anything more.
Jiang Yao stayed on edge for a long while, finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
A moment later, Gu Ningyun saw Mu Chenze lean toward Wen Xuan and whisper loudly, “Don't you think Jiang Yao looks a bit like a...”
He seemed to lose his train of thought, forgetting what he was about to say just as he was sharing it.
Wen Xuan asked, “Like what?”
“Like a bristly puppy,” Gu Ningyun chimed in, unable to help herself.
The sunny golden retriever turned into a cold guy, then turned into a bristly puppy. Hehehe!
Mu Chenze clapped his hands. “Right! That’s exactly what I wanted to say!”
Wen Xuan looked carefully at Jiang Yao’s stiff back and his slightly messy hair, nodding in agreement. “Hmm, he is a bit cute.”
The redness spread to his ears once again. Jiang Yao turned around with a flushed face. “You three! You think I can't hear you?!”
He grabbed Jun Luo, the only person present who hadn't teased him, and accelerated toward the dining hall without looking back.
“Jun Luo, let’s go eat. Ignore them.”
Jun Luo, his arm being tugged, gave the other three a helpless look but didn't pull away.
Following Jiang Yao’s lead, the two sat on one side during the meal, far away from the other three.
Realizing that things had taken a turn, the three friends felt a pang of guilt. Uh-oh, they’d teased him too much!
Gu Ningyun and the others exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked away and hurried to finish their food.
After eating, they packed a few boxes of snacks. They waited until Jiang Yao and Jun Luo had cleared their trays before catching up with them.
The three of them stayed a step behind Jun Luo and Jiang Yao, remaining silent as they walked toward the Qixia Peak transmission hall.
Gu Ningyun nudged Wen Xuan and handed her a box of snacks.
Wen Xuan opened the lid to reveal sweet, soft pear blossom cakes.
Since they often ate together in the dining hall, they naturally knew each other’s food preferences. Knowing these were Jiang Yao’s favorite, Wen Xuan understood the plan.
She poked Mu Chenze and held the open box under his nose.
Mu Chenze was walking directly behind Jiang Yao, absentmindedly picking at the ribs of his folding fan, occasionally glancing up at the back of Jiang Yao’s head.
Seeing the cakes, his long eyelashes flickered.
Gu Ningyun whispered, “The three of us upset him, so we’re responsible for winning him back.”
“You were the worst. The puppy is definitely most annoyed with you, so you go first,” Wen Xuan whispered back, leaning toward Mu Chenze.
Gu Ningyun nodded frantically at Mu Chenze. “Don't say we didn't give you a chance. If the two of us go first and you go last, he’ll probably think you aren't being sincere.”
Mu Chenze acted as if he had found his savior. He immediately put away his folding fan and cast two Cleaning Techniques on his fingers.
Then, he gently picked up a piece of cake, walked up to Jiang Yao’s right side, and held it to the boy's lips.
“Um... I remembered you like these cakes.”
Jiang Yao’s footsteps faltered. After a moment of silence, he reached out, took the cake, and took a bite.
Jun Luo stepped back a few paces, giving them some space.
Wen Xuan hurried forward and tucked the box of snacks into Jiang Yao’s arms. “Actually, the way you use your spear is really cool.”
Gu Ningyun added, “Like a young general.”
Mu Chenze finished, “Defeating an opponent in two moves? Brother, you’re awesome!”
As the three of them chimed in together, Jiang Yao held the box, his face heating up slightly.
However, unlike the previous embarrassment from being teased, he now felt more warmth and happiness than awkwardness.
“Ahem... Anyway, let’s get to the Fighting Peak arena. Jun Luo has a match this afternoon.”
Rate on N.U.
