Luo Zhuyuan touched the red mark on his face with his index finger in disbelief. The stinging sensation on his cheek told him that what had just happened was not an illusion.
Ji Sui'an frowned slightly, tugged at Yun Luoyu's sleeve, and shook her head at him.
Luo Zhuyuan, that madman, cared most about his image in front of Luo Yun'er. Moreover, he was at the Golden Core Middle Stage—they wouldn't gain any advantage from confronting him now.
As Ji Sui'an had anticipated, after Luo Zhuyuan regained his composure, a faint blush instantly spread across his cheeks.
From anger.
Yun Luoyu met his gaze fearlessly, even offering a provocative, mocking smile.
He had long disliked this brat. Why did he always appear with such a condescending attitude, sneering at the little troublemaker? It was utterly repulsive.
Ji Sui'an rubbed her forehead and was about to speak when the two of them had already summoned their spirit swords.
Her expression changed. "Third Senior Brother…"
Yun Luoyu glanced back briefly, patted the little troublemaker's head, and grinned recklessly. "Wait here. I'm going to beat his mouth to a pulp."
Before Ji Sui'an could even stop them, the two had already flashed into the air, standing with swords drawn.
And Ji Yun'er showed no intention of intervening. She said softly, "Senior Sister, it's just a friendly spar between fellow disciples. Senior Brother won't go too far."
Ji Sui'an shot her a cold glance.
Ji Yun'er smiled even more gently. "Senior Sister, you should understand this well, shouldn't you?"
Ji Sui'an narrowed her eyes slightly. In previous intra-peak competitions, it had always been her against Ji Yun'er.
However, accidents often happened during sparring. Whenever she accidentally injured Ji Yun'er, Luo Zhuyuan would insist on "sparring" with her, deliberately inflicting even worse wounds on the same spots where Ji Yun'er had been hurt.
Suddenly, Ji Sui'an smiled. "Yes, I do understand it well."
With that, she summoned her Moon-Chasing Sword and slowly raised her hand.
Ji Yun'er's expression shifted. "Senior Sister, what are you doing?"
She took two steps back. With Luo Zhuyuan not by her side, she would gain no advantage against Ji Sui'an!
Ji Sui'an chuckled softly. "Why are you retreating, Junior Sister? I'm not going to kill you."
But Ji Yun'er clearly saw murderous intent in her eyes. Clutching her dress tightly, she said, "Senior Sister, don't go too far. I have Soul Imprints left by my father and master on me."
Ji Sui'an naturally had no intention of attacking her now. Ji Yun'er wore a Defensive Dharma Robe, which she couldn't break through at the moment.
However, Ji Yun'er wasn't as confident as she had imagined.
Gripping her sword, Ji Sui'an leaned down slowly and patted Ji Yun'er's cheek. "Junior Sister, have you ever heard a saying?"
Ji Yun'er was taken aback and instinctively asked, "What saying?"
"What goes around comes around."
Ji Sui'an's sword blade brushed past Ji Yun'er's hair, its sharp edge slicing off a strand.
Her voice was soft, yet it inexplicably sent a chill down Ji Yun'er's spine.
"Junior Sister, you must be very careful from now on."
Ji Yun'er's face turned pale as she began to ponder the meaning behind those words.
Could Ji Sui'an have confirmed that she had done something? No, impossible.
If Ji Sui'an had confirmed that she was the one who took what she lost, how could she speak so calmly?
When Ji Yun'er looked up, she saw Ji Sui'an already standing upright, watching her with an air of composure.
Ji Yun'er steadied herself. "Senior Sister, I don't quite understand what you're saying."
Ji Sui'an smiled lightly. "Then, Junior Sister, just keep pretending you don't understand."
At that moment, Luo Zhuyuan's low roar echoed through the air, "How dare you injure my face!"
Yun Luoyu snorted with a laugh and swung his sword once more, adding a fresh scar to his face with another burst of Sword Qi.
"I'm hitting you right in the face!"
Ji Sui'an frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping the surroundings. Sure enough, she saw someone had already rushed into the Duty Hall to fetch the stationed elder.
"Third Senior Brother!" she called out anxiously.
Yun Luoyu naturally sensed the sudden surge of aura emanating from within the Duty Hall—it seemed those troublesome old men were about to arrive.
He curled his lips into a smile. "This young master won't play with you anymore."
With a single Sword Art, he struck Luo Zhuyuan, who didn't even have time to defend himself before being sent flying backward.
Luo Zhuyuan crashed into the wall of the Duty Hall and then tumbled to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Lying prone on the ground, he muttered to himself, "How is this possible… how is this possible!"
Ji Sui'an also widened her eyes in surprise. "Golden Core Great Perfection?!"
Yun Luoyu was only twenty this year, two years younger than Luo Zhuyuan. With such astonishing talent, he was no less impressive than the current Eldest Senior Brother of Qinghua Peak, Yan Qing.
The surrounding crowd erupted into an uproar, but Ji Yun'er's expression turned particularly unpleasant.
To maintain her image within the sect, she hurried over, helped the person on the ground up, and fed him an Alchemy Pill.
"Senior Brother, are you alright?"
Yun Luoyu landed gracefully beside the little troublemaker, crossing his arms and curling his lips slightly. "Well? Isn't your senior brother quite dashing?"
Ji Sui'an blinked. "Senior Brother, were you venting anger for me?"
He could have resolved it with a single move.
Yun Luoyu's lofty demeanor faltered, and he bristled. "I just didn't like the look of him, that's all!"
Ji Sui'an naturally knew her Third Senior Brother often said one thing but meant another. She looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Third Senior Brother."
Yun Luoyu was taken aback, flustered as he pressed her head down, letting out a helpless, light scoff. "How silly."
"Who is it! Who dares to cause trouble in the Duty Hall! All of you, get to the Discipline Hall and receive your punishment!"
An angry shout instantly shattered the slightly warm atmosphere.
Ji Sui'an looked up, her eyes lighting up—it was Qixiazi!
Qixiazi, honored as Zhenren Xiaguang, was an Eighth-Grade Artifact Refiner and an honorary elder of the Lingyun Xianzong. In her past life, she had wanted to take Ji Sui'an as her disciple, but at the time, Ji Sui'an stubbornly recognized only Xuan Xiao as her master and politely declined.
Ji Sui'an pursed her lips slightly. Even after being rejected, in her past life, Qixiazi had still shown her considerable care.
The surrounding disciples, seeing the newcomer, immediately began to gloat.
"It's Elder Xiaguang! She has the worst temper. Ji Sui'an and her senior brother are probably in trouble now!"
Ji Yun'er and Luo Zhuyuan's expressions darkened. These disciples might not know, but they were well aware—
Qixiazi had visited Qinghua Peak multiple times, trying to persuade Ji Sui'an to become her disciple. How could she possibly bring herself to scold her today!
Sure enough, as soon as the initially irritable Zhenren Xiaguang stepped out of the Duty Hall's entrance and saw Ji Sui'an at the center of the crowd, her expression immediately changed.
Her anger dissipated in an instant, replaced by a cheerful smile as she descended. "Sui'an, what brings you to the Duty Hall today?"
Ji Sui'an curved her lips into a well-behaved smile. "Elder Xiaguang, my senior brother and I came to register for the arena competition. What brings you to the Duty Hall?"
Qixiazi was an Artifact Cultivator who rarely spent much time within the sect. On the occasions she was present, she usually remained in the Artifact Pavilion, so it was unexpected to encounter her here today.
A gentle, almost motherly smile graced Qixiazi's beautiful face. "I came here to visit an old friend."
Her gaze swept over Yun Luoyu, who stood beside Ji Sui'an, and she felt a flicker of curiosity. This young man had an excellent physique, yet she had never seen him on Qinghua Peak. Could he be a new disciple taken in by Xuan Xiao?
The surrounding disciples were bewildered. One of them spoke up discontentedly, "Elder! They were fighting and brawling in the Duty Hall—they should be taken to the Discipline Hall!"
What was the point of chatting about trivial matters here?
Qixiazi's eyes turned cold as she followed the voice. "Who gave you the right to speak here?"