Gently pushing aside the jade legs that rested upon him, Ye Chen stretched lazily as he rose from his seat. He then took the entrance token to the Five Elements Cave from his storage ring and examined it thoughtfully, his mood lifted in quiet delight.

  At last, the day had come—the day when Yao Xi would vie for the coveted spot. He had paid a great price for this moment. When they met the week before, Yao Xi had worn a skirt that was a little tighter than her usual everyday attire. After kneeling, it clung so tightly to her form, as if the fabric encased a delicate jelly. It was a sight that made it impossible not to wonder about its texture.

  As for Ye Chen, he found the sight quite refreshing.

  After the lecture ended, the two took their customary walk, chatting aimlessly. Yao Xi's attitude toward him was markedly warmer than usual. She even closed the distance between them, drawing nearer than she ever had before, to the point where Ye Chen could smell the unique fragrance that lingered around her.

  Throughout their walk, Yao Xi's mood seemed somber. She spoke of the hardships of cultivation, lamenting that one misstep could lead to a lifetime of regret. She mentioned the strength of Li Xiaoyao and confessed her own lack of confidence. She also spoke of the Five Elements Cave's importance for those at the ninth level of Qi Refining, subtly hinting that perhaps it would be better to wait until her cultivation was higher before entering, as the benefits would be greater.

  As they passed by the Green Cloud Market, Yao Xi casually mentioned her desire to see some defensive magic tools to prepare for Li Xiaoyao. She found one that piqued her interest, but her spirit stones were clearly insufficient. With the same reluctance as before, she cast a longing glance at it and subtly hinted to Ye Chen, urging him to purchase it for her.

  However, this time Ye Chen did not fall for it. It was as if he hadn't noticed Yao Xi's subtle hints at all. He simply followed her out without a word about the Five Elements Cave.

  In the end, as Yao Xi's disappointment flashed briefly in her eyes, they parted ways. Ye Chen certainly couldn't give the spot to Yao Xi now. The Five Elements Cave had the power to expand a cultivator's dantian, making it invaluable for those at the Qi Refining stage.

  Ye Chen had to ensure that, once the gift was given, the recipient would be completely overwhelmed with surprise, that the reaction would be nothing short of explosive. He had already discovered something crucial. The greater the surprise, the higher the reward. Thus, Ye Chen decided to wait until Yao Xi lost to Li Xiaoyao before offering her the spot.

  At that point, when Yao Xi found that the opportunity had been lost and then suddenly returned to her, her mood would swing like a roller coaster. The shock would surely maximize the reward.

  For this reason, Ye Chen pretended not to understand Yao Xi's hints, refusing to buy her the exquisite defensive magic tool. After all, what if Yao Xi, with that tool in hand, managed to pull off a surprise victory against Li Xiaoyao and secured the spot? That would leave Ye Chen in utter confusion. If Yao Xi had the spot, who would he give his own to? He certainly wouldn't use it himself—that would be a waste.

  So, Ye Chen would rather go a week without gifting anything, missing out on reward opportunities and a few precious top-tier spirit stones, than risk Yao Xi winning. Her loss was the most beneficial outcome for him. The more thoroughly she lost, the happier Ye Chen would be.

  The competition for the Five Elements Cave spots among the ordinary disciples naturally depended on strength. The contest would begin at nine o'clock.

  Such competitions in sects were simple—random draws were made, pairing up disciples into matches. After one round, the winners would advance. There were eight disciples in total.

  The first round would determine the four victors. The second round would whittle that down to two. Then, the final showdown. If all went smoothly, the outcome might be decided before noon.

  When Ye Chen arrived at the grand plaza, there was already quite a crowd of disciples gathering to watch. Upon seeing Ye Chen, many of them grinned and whispered among themselves. Everyone knew that their direct disciple, the so-called "simp," was surely here to cheer on Senior Sister.

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  However, most were certain that Senior Sister stood little chance against Senior Brother Li. The real question was whether this direct disciple would shower her with gifts to lift her spirits when she inevitably lost. But no one expected what would happen next. Ye Chen wasn't here to cheer on Yao Xi. On the contrary, Ye Chen was here to cheer for Yao Xi's opponent.

  ...

  The competition was about to start. The participating disciples had all gathered.

  "Senior Brother Li has arrived! He has a ninth-grade spiritual root and exceptional swordsmanship talent. This year, he'll enter the Five Elements Cave, and then, in the sect competition, he'll likely secure a Foundation Establishment Pill. With that, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage is nearly a certainty."

  "Honestly, I think Senior Brother Li should be the direct disciple of Sword Peak."

  "Senior Sister Yao is here too. She's absolutely beautiful!"

  "Look! Our direct disciple has indeed gone over to her..."

  "To think a dignified direct disciple is so obsessed with a female cultivator. It really shames us men."

  The crowd was abuzz with chatter.

  Among the disciples who had signed up, only Li Xiaoyao and Yao Xi were at the ninth level of Qi Refining. The others were all at the eighth level, and to most, they seemed merely filler. So, the attention of the disciples was naturally focused on the two of them.

  Ye Chen approached Yao Xi and, with a smile, said, "I wish Senior Sister Yao great success in defeating your strong opponents on the stage later!"

  Yao Xi also returned a smile, though it seemed slightly strained. "Thank you, Junior Brother Ye. The competition is about to start, so I need to calm my mind and prepare. I won't keep chatting with you."

  Her coldness made Ye Chen secretly curl his lips in disdain. This person sure could change faces quickly. When he had been sending her gifts before, she had been all smiles, answering his questions warmly and eagerly.

  Yet, just because he hadn't given her anything last week, she was now suddenly too busy to talk. Tch, the turnaround was quick, wasn't it?

  Well, Ye Chen thought, I'm curious to see what kind of face she'll make when I present the spot to her later.

  Both Ye Chen and Yao Xi were being closely watched by the surrounding disciples.

  At this moment, seeing Yao Xi's cold attitude, the disciples couldn't help but snicker. After all that time being a simp, giving so many gifts, yet getting nothing in return. A simp was destined to have nothing.

  At a distance, Li Xiaoyao, his sword resting on his back, appeared to be meditating with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was silently observing Yao Xi. When he saw Ye Chen approach, his brow furrowed slightly. But when he saw Yao Xi's indifferent response, the corner of Li Xiaoyao's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

  ...

  Before long, the plaza grew quiet.

  The elder and steward from the Internal Affairs Hall had arrived. The elder was none other than Elder Chen, the one who had first met Ye Chen when he entered the sect.

  With a flick of his hand, Elder Chen threw down a formation plate. In an instant, a large arena, thirty meters in both length and width, rose up from the ground. From his sleeve, eight tokens flew out, each glowing with spiritual light, obscuring whatever was written on them.

  "Now, for the first round, the first group of opponents will select a token each. The names on the tokens will decide the first match."

  "Now, you two choose for the second group."

  "You two choose for the third group..."

  To ensure fairness, the elder instructed the eight participants to draw lots to determine their first-round opponents. When the first person drew a token and the spiritual light faded, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

  The name revealed was none other than Li Xiaoyao's. This immediately made the other disciples uneasy, fearing that they might draw Li Xiaoyao in the first round. The second contestant, tense with anxiety, picked the second token.

  As the name appeared, the murmurs grew louder, and a wave of surprise swept over the crowd. The name on the token was unmistakably Yao Xi! Everyone had considered Yao Xi and Li Xiaoyao the two most likely candidates for the Five Elements Cave spot.

  Though Li Xiaoyao was stronger, anything could happen in battle. Perhaps Li Xiaoyao would exhaust his energy in the earlier rounds or suffer an unexpected injury that would hinder his strength. It wasn't out of the question for Yao Xi to claim victory.

  Yet, no one had anticipated that the two of them would face off so early—right in the first round. The other disciples were overjoyed. With the two most powerful Qi Refining Stage cultivators clashing head-on in the very first round, didn't that give them a chance?

  As for Yao Xi, her face had stiffened, the shock evident. She clearly hadn't expected to face Li Xiaoyao so soon. The situation was dire.

  Meanwhile, Ye Chen couldn't help but grin at her misfortune. The first round was perfect. It minimized any unexpected outcomes and saved him time. It was almost too perfect.

  However, Ye Chen quickly suppressed his smile, his expression turning somewhat peculiar. To the other disciples, though, it appeared that Ye Chen was simply feeling sorry for his Senior Sister. This sight made the disciples sigh in unison. Ye Chen really was deeply infatuated with Senior Sister.