75. Hearts Determination
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The final stage of the tournament had drawn a sea of spectators, crowding the stone and wooden seats that circled the arena, and the air pulsed with anticipation, the crowd's colorful silks and embroidered robes a blur of vibrant hues.
Flags bearing the sect's Moon and Swallow emblem fluttered in the mountain wind, and excited murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd, as whispered bets and wagers flew around, all trying to determine who might win.
"I'm definitely betting on Xu Weiyan! Ten pieces of gold!"
"Hao! I'll bet on her as well! Thirty gold pieces!"
"Hmph! Who won't bet on her?" One rolled his eyes. "The returns aren't much because everyone is betting on her!"
"How about Xu Haoyuan?" Another asked.
"You might get lucky, but do remember that he only got in because there weren't up to ten finalists!"
"Good Point! I'll bet on Xu Min! Six Gold pieces!"
"No matter what, Xu Haoyuan is still stronger than him! I'll bet Ten Gold pieces on Xu Haoyuan.....!"
It went on and on.
Also, there were a few more new and prominent faces, which heightened the wave of endless whispers...
"Now even the Head of Yunchi Sect is present?!" One pointed to Lord Ju, who sat beside Sect Leader Xu in the Central raised seats, and whose face bore a sour look.
On Sect Leader Xu's other side was an individual in all white robes and a white veiled hat, shrouding him from sight.
"Do you suppose it's another Sect Leader?!"
"Who knows? But those two behind them are the Qingcheng Sect and Jingwei Sect Leaders!"
"Hmm. So many prominent faces..."
The Yunchi Sect was second most powerful, while the Qingcheng and Jingwei Sects were fourth and fifth respectively.
It simply didn't make any sense that so many powerful outsiders were here to watch the Yueyan Sect's 'Junior' tournament!
And then there were the glaringly absent faces...
Lord Zhang didn't dare show his face, Zhang Cheng, or whatever his family name was, still lay too ill to attend, Xu Linhua stayed with him, not daring to show her face either, and more than half of the Xu Elders were absent as well.
The brutal reveal of all Zhang Furen's past actions had indeed affected a lot of individuals!
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Arena, the ten Junior finalists milled around.
Luoyin stood with the other six, Xu Haoyuan stood apart, and the remaining two stood together.
One of them eyed Luoyin. "Yo, someone really believes he's a disciple because he stepped onto this stage."
"Heh! Zhang Luoyin, this stage is a duel." His companion put in. "No more tricks or traps! Today we'll see just what you're capable of!"
"Oh no! I hope I don't pick one of you!" Luoyin replied, fully intending to pick one of them, and he hid a smile when they laughed.
Of the ten finalists, everyone already knew what he was 'capable of', except these foolish two... They were his way out of participating seriously, as the others might be insulted if he lost too easily.
Besides, he had greater worries, and he cocked his head as a sound filtered into his ears.
'Aiya, is something odd destined for every tournament stage?' He wondered on a sigh.
The first stage, he ran into Duan Xiu's ghost.
The second stage, he sensed the killing intent from the Huofeng father-son pair.
And now...
There was an abnormally large number of swallows flying around Yue City this morning, singing a strange song.
Most mortals likely couldn't tell the difference, but after his recent breakthrough, Luoyin's perception was no joke, and there was something about the Swallows' cheerful and melodic calls which made his hairs rise.
It was as if their pleasant chirps were an omen- or a warning- and his irises darted northward to lock on a specific swallow.
It glided towards the Arena, then swooped to land on one of the flag poles, staring straight at him.
A man stared at a bird, and the bird stared at the man for a few seconds, but then...
~"You've got some nerve appearing before me."~ Luoyin discreetly directed a talisman at the swallow, which flew off with a surprised shriek, a few of its feathers burning.
Luoyin turned his attention back to the Arena as Elder Zhou flew up to begin the Final stage.
'Hmph.' Luoyin thought. 'Things will indeed get interesting...'
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A Little later...
The final stage of the Junior Tournament was indeed a duel, and the opponents could use any means except outside help.
This meant they could use their weapons, or seals, talismans, hidden weapons, formations, pills and the like, with the same limit of not harming one's cultivation, or leaving any permanent damage.
With Elder Zhou's direction, they each picked one of ten flat wooden plaques with paired numbers on them.
'Aren't they making it easy for me?' Luoyin thought, using his 'Yuan Jing' technique to quickly pick the same number as his 'chosen' opponent.
His opponent was Li San, the same disciple who had paired with Zhang Cheng in the 1st round, and he shot a cold scowl at Luoyin.
Since Zhang Cheng had cheated in the 1st, Li San had been disqualified as well, but since Zhang Cheng was allowed to compete, it was only fair to let Li San compete as well.
And here they were...
Xu Weiyan picked Xu Lian, Xu Min picked Xu Haoyuan, Xu Wen picked Xu Lin, and Tao Yun picked the second loose disciple.
"We're destined to be rivals!" Xu Lian shot Xu Weiyan a cold, challenging smile. "Big sister, I won't lose to you!"
Xu Wen and Xu Lin shook their heads, but then looked at each other.
"We're destined to be enemies!" They chorused.
The duels began without too much ceremony...
Xu Wen and Xu Lin were the first duelers, one light hearted and comical, the other calm and stoic.
It was a close match, and it was clear almost immediately that Xu Lin was faster than Xu Wen, despite having a slightly lower cultivation level.
One of the most common cores in the Xu Clan was Wind, with more than half of the Xu Clan cultivators possessing a Wind based core.
Xu Lin and Xu Min's parents were the two most powerful Wind Cultivators in the sect, and both brothers had inherited the same Wind powers, down to the same light purple aura, which allowed them to move swiftly through the air and flexibly manipulate it.
But Xu Wen was no easy opponent...
Though his Wood control techniques were not as popular, he was more of a prodigy than Xu Lin, and had mastered using his wooden vines for both offense and defense in a balanced way, as opposed to Xu Lin who primarily focused on offense.
In the end, Xu Wen narrowly won!
"Winner, Xu Wen!" Elder Zhou announced, and Xu Wen didn't hesitate to direct a smug smirk at Xu Lin as he walked off the platform.
"You disrespectful fellow! I'll get you next time for sure! Tch!" Xu Lin petulantly folded his arms as the audience laughed at the spectacle, while a few wept for the precious gold or silver they had bet on Xu Lin!
Meanwhile, Xu Min's eyes automatically sought out his father in the crowd, noting his grim look of disapproval over Xu Lin's defeat.
By all standards, Xu Lin was a genius for his age, but it would never be enough for their father.
'He hasn't learned!' Xu Min thought, turning his gaze to Xu Lin and Xu Wen who still bantered without a care.
To protect Xu Lin in the past, Xu Min had secretly challenged their father, threatening to reveal what he had done to Sect Leader Xu, and then he deliberately sent Xu Lin to live with their uncle, Xu Wen and Xu Lian's father.
So Xu Min couldn't help feeling happy upon seeing Xu Lin's annoyed but carefree expression...
Next was Tao Yun and the second lose disciple, but the match was over a bit too quickly!
Tao Yun's cultivation had grown, and his flaming arrow technique had acquired a unique strain, letting him direct them at a specific target.
Which unfortunately didn't bode well for his opponent, another wind user, and one burned robe later, his opponent surrendered!
"Winner, Tao Yun!" Elder Zhou announced to applause.
"Ei?" Luoyin beamed at the defeated disciple. "Weren't you just taunting me earlier? I thought you were speaking because your victory was assured!"
"How petty!" Xu Lin exclaimed.
Xu Wen shook his head. "He certainly bears a grudge."
Next came Xu Min and Xu Haoyuan, a pair which made spectators sit upright to watch.
Xu Haoyuan had a cold and determined look as he faced Xu Min.
For years, Haoyuan had felt undeserving of the title of Head Disciple.
At first, it had been because of Xu Min. Xu Min was once the strongest junior disciple, yet Haoyuan had been named Head Disciple.
Fortunately, Xu Min's cultivation had slowed, but not long after, Zhang Cheng had arisen, and then Xu Weiyan had arisen, Xu Weiyan being the worst, as she was his little sister.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Luoyin had emerged as a winner in both the First and Second stages, even beating Zhang Cheng to such an extent, whereas Haoyuan had fallen into Luoyin's trap in the Second stage and hadn't even made it into the final ten on his own merit...
"Cousin Min, you might as well forfeit. I won't go easy if you insist on fighting!" Haoyuan warned, releasing his aura, and he swung an arm out, his sword appearing, surrounded by his mild green aura.
He would never be able to hold his head high if he lost here today!
"Wah! Head Disciple Xu has reached Profound Tier Five, stage nine!" A few disciples were discussing, and one nearly fell out of his seat.
"He has caught up to Xu Weiyan!!"
"How do you know?! So many months have passed... We don't know her current level!"
"Still, can Xu Min even touch the Head Disciple?!"
But one side of Xu Min's lips lifted in a sad smile.
He had been at the top for most of his life, but after that qi deviation, his cultivation slowed and he had passed through the constant turmoil of wondering when even the littlest disciples would grow and surpass him.
So he could understand a bit of Haoyuan's frustration...
"Whatever great suffering you think you've faced to wear that expression, I respect it." Xu Min struck a solid stance, one hand behind his back, and one held up in a single-handed seal. "But mine is no less, and I don't intend to lose.
"So let the determination in our hearts do the fighting!" His light purple aura flared and his sword appeared to float before him.
Sect Leader Xu's eyes widened in surprise, and so did the eyes of the many prominent guests present.
"Impossible!" The same disciple exclaimed, this time actually falling from his seat.
"Profound Tier Six!"
"And at stage Seven!"
At the sidelines, Luoyin could not resist a wide smile.
'Hmph. He grew even faster than I realized!'
Xu Lin and Xu Wen began applauding.
Xu Wen, "Hao!"
Xu Lin, "My elder brother is too great!!"
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