Xu Jin, you're just marking your head for sale

The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect.

The team competition had reached its final match. Chu Xingchen leaned leisurely against his chair, his gaze fixed with amused interest on the water-mirror projection before him.

The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s team leader, Xu Jin, was locked in fierce combat against Daoist Yuyang of the Taidao Sect.

Both sides had deployed their full forces, turning the battle into a grand spectacle.

Though Xu Jin held a slight edge in cultivation level, every move he made required him to suppress his spiritual energy, a trade-off that kept the fight evenly matched. For now, neither side had gained a clear advantage.

The Tianyan Sect, with an unbroken streak of victories, had already secured first place.

It wasn’t that Chu Xingchen and Yanyun had single-handedly swept through every opponent. Rather, after their clash with the Xiaoyun Hall, Yanyun had decisively declared, "Fighting two against ten is something we only need to do once. As long as we win every match, our points will naturally be the highest—no need to overcomplicate things."

The true reason behind her stance, however, might have been known only to Yanyun herself.

Lv Xuan had initially wanted to pick another easy opponent to flaunt his skills, but Yanyun’s firm attitude left no room for argument—and her logic was sound.

Thus, for the remaining team battles, the Tianyan Sect filled out their roster, becoming a full squad beyond just Chu Xingchen and Yanyun.

Thanks to the overwhelming combat prowess of Chu Xingchen’s Karmic Nascent Soul manifestation, coupled with Yanyun’s newfound ferocity—seemingly provoked by someone—their fights were swift and brutal.

They practically steamrolled every other sect.

Among their opponents, only Xu Jin had fought with true desperation.

The Taidao Sect, led by Daoist Yuyang, had shown a half-hearted effort, treating the match as little more than a formality.

Xu Jin had given it his all, but even his best wasn’t enough to withstand the might of the Nascent Soul manifestation.

With the Tianyan Sect firmly in first place, the battle for second came down to the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect and the Taidao Sect.

Unlike the Xiaoyun Hall and the Vast Heaven Palace—who hadn’t even fielded their core disciples—these two sects had sent their best.

And when both sides brought their aces, defeat would be all the more humiliating.

Chu Xingchen watched as Daoist Yuyang, now fully unleashed, began hurling divine techniques like they were free.

With a sigh, he remarked, "That divine art of his is downright shameless."

On the water-mirror, Daoist Yuyang’s divine techniques rained down—teleportation, debuffs, area-of-effect attacks—he was both a devastating offensive force and a flawless support, forcing Xu Jin to grit his teeth and endure.

Divine techniques were indeed overpowered at the Nascent Soul level. No wonder Daoist Yuyang had once been hailed as unbeatable within his realm.

Bai Xuanling gave a slight nod. "As the Taidao Sect’s signature skill, it naturally has its merits. In team battles, it’s even more advantageous."

"But there’s a trade-off. In solo fights, it’s less effective. The Taidao Sect only has one true master of divine techniques, and this junior still has a ways to go."

"For the individual matches, the only one to watch out for is Xu Jin. Though he fought hard in the team battle, he likely held back some trump cards, planning to catch you off guard in the solo rounds."

Lv Xuan agreed. "With Chu Xingchen in the team matches, victory was already out of their reach. Winning the solo matches would at least salvage some pride for the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect. Of course, they’d save their best for that."

Yanyun didn’t join the conversation, her eyes locked on the duel between Daoist Yuyang and Xu Jin.

Though this was a team battle, the performance of the core disciples was what truly decided the outcome.

Now was the time to study their techniques, to prepare for the solo matches ahead.

And putting on a good show now would set the stage for what was to come.

Bai Xuanling glanced at the water-mirror again before speaking.

"The winner’s decided. The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect does have some depth. So, who’s going first in the individual matches?"

Chu Xingchen looked at the still-intense battle—he couldn’t see how Xu Jin was about to win, but he smiled and nodded anyway, as if sharing Bai Xuanling’s insight.

After all, copying the top student’s answer was never wrong.

As for who would fight first, Chu Xingchen had his own thoughts—no need to trouble himself with small fry.

If they couldn’t even beat Yanyun, how dare they challenge him?

"I’ll take the last spot," Chu Xingchen said casually.

Bai Xuanling nodded. "That works. Yanyun, prepare yourself."

Yanyun glanced at the two, who had settled the matter in just a few words, then at her master’s calm expression.

Without hesitation, she agreed.

"Understood. I’ll be ready."

If it was for the Tianyan Sect, then any hardship was worth enduring.

Arguing with Chu Xingchen over details would be pointless anyway—she’d never win.

As soon as Yanyun finished speaking—

On the water-mirror, Xu Jin seized the initiative, capitalizing on a momentary lapse from the Taidao Sect to gain the upper hand.

Daoist Yuyang reacted swiftly, but losing the advantage against an opponent of equal strength made a comeback nearly impossible.

The battle dragged on, but the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, despite heavy losses, managed a narrow victory.

The fight had been intense, both sides displaying grit and skill, and the Taidao Sect’s defeat was truly a close one.

If nothing else, Daoist Yuyang’s divine techniques had been a visual spectacle.

Chu Xingchen had enjoyed it like a fine show.

But when Daoist Yuyang was teleported back, his expression was unreadable as he surveyed the ravaged battlefield.

Night fell, the full moon hanging high.

Daoist Yuyang found a quiet rooftop, its green-glazed tiles cool beneath him. He lifted a wine cup, took a sip, and gazed at the moon, his expression tinged with melancholy.

"Well, if it isn’t Yuyang? Drinking alone?"

Without turning, Daoist Yuyang kept his eyes on the moon and set down his cup.

"What brings you here?"

Chu Xingchen sat across from him as if it were the most natural thing, pulling a table and a bowl of peanuts from his spatial ring.

"To drink with you, obviously."

Daoist Yuyang straightened slightly, finally looking at him.

"I thought you came to mock me."

Chu Xingchen smirked. "Oh, I am. Couldn’t even beat Xu Jin? Pathetic."

Daoist Yuyang studied Chu Xingchen’s teasing grin, expecting anger but feeling none.

Instead, he nodded. "You’re right. As I am now… I’m no match for Xu Jin. In the solo matches, I’ll likely lose again…"

Before he could finish, Chu Xingchen punched him in the shoulder.

Daoist Yuyang frowned.

Chu Xingchen cut him off. "If you admit defeat, you’re truly worthless."

Daoist Yuyang blinked in surprise.

Chu Xingchen said nothing more, downing his wine in one gulp before turning his gaze to the moon.

Though they’d once been rivals, their later interactions had revealed Daoist Yuyang’s genuine, untainted nature—at the very least, he wasn’t a bad person.

Most importantly, he bore no grudges. He’d never once brought up their past conflicts.

As far as friends went, he was a decent one.

In recent days, whenever Chu Xingchen had free time, he would share a drink or two with Daoist Yuyang, finding their conversations quite pleasant.

Suddenly, Daoist Yuyang let out a soft chuckle, his gaze drifting toward the bright moon overhead.

As a core disciple of the Taidao Sect, the word "defeat" had always weighed heavily on him.

After all, he had earned the title of Daoist Yuyang by winning every step of the way—defeat had always been a distant concept.

And he had worked tirelessly to keep it that way.

The more one carried on their shoulders, the less they could afford to lose.

The more one carried, the more devastating defeat became.

But Chu Xingchen was right—to admit defeat would be the mark of a true fool.

Daoist Yuyang raised the wine jug and took a fierce swig before suddenly laughing.

"That Xu Jin? Nothing more than a showy pretender!"