Chapter 825 - 768: The Hidden Hand

Chapter 825: Chapter 768: The Hidden Hand

Xie Jingshan was transported by the power of the Qingyun Realm to a secluded place to make a breakthrough, while Lu Nanzhi, after resting for a day, finally got to fight Pei Shengyue as she wished.

Originally, Pei Shengyue didn’t want to fight because, to her, anything other than first place was meaningless.

Moreover, she was afraid, afraid of losing once more.

But just when Pei Shengyue was about to leave with a facade of magnanimity, Lu Nanzhi called out, "Pei Yuesheng."

Pei Shengyue was infuriated, drew her sword, and rushed over.

The two of them fought fiercely, neither giving way.

In the end, Pei Shengyue’s bow broke, her blade cracked, and she was defeated by Lu Nanzhi.

Lu Nanzhi was also lightly injured, with a few nicks on her sword. It was really because Pei Shengyue’s offensive power was too strong; there was no helping it.

Jiang Yuebai was curious because of this, wondering if Pei Shengyue’s sword could break Shi Yuming’s Immovable as a Mountain.

Now that the top three were decided, only the final match between Jiang Yuebai and Xie Jingshan remained.

Deep in the grassland, the surroundings were silent and deserted.

Xie Jingshan, with the assistance of Shen Huaxi, smoothly made a breakthrough to the late-stage Nascent Soul, and his mind cleared, realizing that Lu Nanzhi had held back once. His original happiness turned into a sense of defeat, and he even wished to fight again.

Fortunately, having successfully crossed the threshold between mid-stage and late-stage Nascent Soul, no matter how blocked his heart felt, it didn’t affect him much for now.

Shen Huaxi used the Dust Cleaning Technique to clean the blood off their bodies and advised, "Even if you go and ask for a rematch now, Senior Sister Lu won’t pay you any mind. She let you have a move, didn’t you also withhold your Sword Qi at the last moment?"

Xie Jingshan sat back down, his gaze darkened.

"I did that because I knew I was doomed to lose, so I thought it unnecessary to hurt her. She still needs to fight Jiang Yuebai afterward. That Golden Crow Fire of mine is fierce, and if it invades her body, it won’t dissipate in a short time!"

Shen Huaxi laughed, shaking his head, "Sometimes, I really envy the bond among the three of you, always able to consider one another. Senior Sister Lu really racked her brains for you, to help you overcome your fear and purify your Sword Heart, seemingly ruthless but actually thoughtful."

Just as Xie Jingshan was about to speak, Shen Huaxi raised his tone.

"Besides, Senior Sister Lu’s intent wasn’t entirely for you."

Xie Jingshan was puzzled, "What intent?"

Shen Huaxi slowly explained, "During the first round of the Qingyun Conference, we were ambushed by Pei Shengyue. Senior Sister Lu was determined to have a match with Pei Shengyue after that. By losing, she gave herself the chance to face Pei Shengyue, that’s one."

"What’s the second?"

"The second is, Senior Sister Lu is meticulous and thoughtful. The Heavenly Interence Sect is in the spotlight right now, and it’s better for you to win than her. After all, from her perspective, you’re also a disciple of the Heavenly Interence Sect. A win for you could slightly suppress the spotlight on the Heavenly Interence Sect and might also improve your position in the True Martial Immortal Sect."

Xie Jingshan nodded, a warmth spreading through his heart. Lu Nanzhi always treated him like a dear older sister, making him feel respect and awe. Meanwhile, Jiang Yuebai always treated him like a younger brother, despite her age being lesser than his, an audacity he didn’t understand!

"Thirdly, Senior Sister Lu is a Sword Cultivator, a free-willed Demon Cultivator too. She doesn’t care too much about winning or losing. The Heavenly Interence Sect having Senior Sister Jiang seize the laurels of the Qingyun Conference is enough."

"Senior Sister Lu seeks the peak of Sword Dao, not fame and fortune, nor has she needed to compete over such with her sisters. She cultivates Sword Dao, pursuing her true self, always knowing precisely what she wants, unbothered by others’ opinions, staying true to herself."

Shen Huaxi’s analysis lessened Xie Jingshan’s bit of guilt. Since Lu Nanzhi wasn’t entirely acting for his sake, he didn’t feel bad.

But suddenly, Xie Jingshan remembered he’d be facing Jiang Yuebai next. He shuddered involuntarily; that troublemaker Jiang Yuebai wouldn’t be as good-minded as Lu Nanzhi.

Wasn’t he bound to get his head bashed in?

"Ah! Let me die!"

Xie Jingshan lay back in the grass, never feeling life so difficult as now.

Shen Huaxi stood up, gazing into the distance against the wind at the dense crowd, all eager for the final battle between the strongest two.

"Brother Jingshan, you must seek your own blessing."

"Shen Huaxi! You’re heartless!"

"Haha~"

*

At that moment, within the Qingyun Realm, only the final battle between the strongest two remained.

On the Golden Core Stage side, everyone in the Heavenly Interence Sect didn’t expect that Yun Shang could walk all the way to the end, competing for the title with a disciple from the Luofu Sword Sect.

Kong Jingyan fell in the semifinals, unable to reach the top three.

As for the Divinity Transformation Stage, the final bout was between the Golden Wave Sect and the Five Mountains Immortal Sect, with a Divinity Transformation Cultivator from the True Martial Immortal Sect taking third place.

The final showdown was about to begin, and all the sects and families surrounding the Qingyun Realm were filled with anticipation, except for the few who had been quickly defeated and left early, the majority awaited to watch the battle for supremacy.

Zhao Fuyi remained with Li Shen Zhi and Muh Wushuang on the outskirts of the Qingyun Realm, searching for traces of the three from the Demon Clan. However, numerous people reported seeing them leave on their own through a Transmission Array.

Thus, the Star Alliance had no choice but to continue guarding various spots, maintaining order in the Qingyun Realm.

Zhao Fuyi instructed Li Shen Zhi and Muh Wushuang to leave first, keeping herself alone, waiting for the climax battle to end, ensuring Jiang Yuebai’s safety before departing.

Moreover, two Refining Void Ancestors from the Heavenly Interence Sect were invited as guests at the Observatory in the Taibai Realm, engaging in Dao discussions with other Refining Void and Integration cultivators.

If not for the Qingyun Conference, these Refining Void and Integration cultivators would never gather, and the special design of the Observatory, with its Array, could somewhat resist Daoist Erosion.

Should anything actually happen, only Zhao Fuyi had the ability to quickly reach the Observatory to seek help. After all, these concerns were merely Jiang Yuebai’s suspicions and intuition, better to be safe than sorry.

After Li Shen Zhi and Muh Wushuang left, Zhao Fuyi intended to watch the Divinity Transformation Stage battle for supremacy inside the Qingyun Realm. Suddenly, she spotted a stealthy figure in the mountains.

"Iron Palm Master?"

The Fang Family, after being humiliatingly defeated by Jiang Yuebai and failing to qualify in the second round, left early.

Now, with Iron Palm Master suddenly appearing in the mountains, Zhao Fuyi swiftly became vigilant. It was previously reported that Iron Palm Master stealthily followed the trio from the Demon Clan.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fuyi immediately concealed her presence and pursued him.

Soon after Zhao Fuyi departed, a man in a green robe leisurely stepped out from a family’s dwelling at the mountain’s base, reached midway up the mountain, glanced in Zhao Fuyi’s departure direction, and pinched his brow.

"Strange, why was there a flaw? Fortunately, I have a backup plan."

That man was precisely Shen Mingjing, whom Jiang Yuebai was anxious to introduce a good match to. He had a family’s Identity Token hanging at his waist and, while leisurely resting against a tree with arms crossed, gazed into the distance at the Qingyun Realm with his hair gently ruffled by the breeze.

"Heroes emerge in every generation, the Human Clan’s fortune is indeed strong, a single Qingyun Conference, gathering extraordinary talents, each with their merits—such a Human Clan, tsk~"

Shen Mingjing’s gaze swept over Shen Huaxi in the Qingyun Realm, appearing thoughtful and eager to test him, then glanced at Xie Jingshan, Pei Shengyue, and the others, finally settling it on Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi.

Born a fate of demons, but living as a human?

Shen Mingjing shook his head, sighed, knowing oneself and one’s opponents ensures invincibility in a hundred battles. Yet each time he saw the continually emerging outstanding talents of the Human Clan and thought of the war-loving fools of the Demon Clan, Shen Mingjing felt utterly powerless.

When would the Demon Clan produce a true leader to restore the glory of ancient times?

A black-robed man swiftly arrived from the mountain’s base, still in the form of a Human Clan member, with the aura and identity of a Human, coming to Shen Mingjing, with whom he exchanged nods and seemingly spoke of mundane matters but were actually conversing in coded language.

Heiya informed Shen Mingjing that everything was ready. Shen Mingjing once again looked at Jiang Yuebai, prepared to take the stage inside the Qingyun Realm, and chuckled.

"Wait until she seizes the crown, then congratulate her afterward, after all, we’re friends."

Heiya nodded, his entire being tense. People of great power were everywhere, and there were Mahayana Immortal Monarchs watching from behind, leaving him feeling extremely unsafe.

Although the disguise of their Mirage Demon Clan had become very delicate under the Young Master’s improvements, as long as they didn’t reveal themselves, a Mahayana Immortal Monarch’s casual glance wouldn’t spot them, unless thoroughly inspected.

Yet among the Qingyun Realm’s crowd surpassing hundreds of thousands, their actions were normal, and the Mahayana Immortal Monarchs wouldn’t specifically focus on them.

Shen Mingjing, loose and relaxed, patted Heiya’s shoulder, saying, "Relax, it’s just for fun. I’ll step away first, take care." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Shen Mingjing bid farewell with full courtesy, without a hint of a flaw.