I Didn't Cheat, Okay, I Did

“Who are you talking about? I didn’t!” Su Luo reacted defensively.

“I’m talking about you. I wasn’t going to say anything, but what you just said was too much. Who isn’t working hard? You’re the one who’s not putting in any effort!” Lin Xuan stepped forward, locking eyes with Su Luo.

“Don’t spout nonsense. What cheating? I don’t know anything about it.”

“I don’t know about other things, but when we were climbing the ravine, I saw you come out of the cave entrance with clean clothes. You must have taken some shortcut to get up so easily.”

“I... I didn’t! You’re lying!”

“And that strike just now—I’m certain it was just an ordinary strike. If you don’t believe me, ask the other disciples of the Seven Stars Sword Sect. See if they have a different opinion.”

Lin Xuan had specifically asked Elder Yan Xi, and the answer was still the same: it was just an ordinary strike.

However, the other disciples of the Seven Stars Sword Sect remained silent. Although they also thought it was just an ordinary strike, since the elder had already spoken, it would be foolish to contradict him now.

At this point, some people began to realize what was going on.

“Come to think of it, during the enlightenment phase, I saw him wake up, but he wasn’t expelled. So he was cheating then too.”

“Yeah, he talked so big earlier, but it turns out he has no real skill. He’s just barking like a dog.”

Su Luo, furious and embarrassed, retorted, “So what if I cheated? I still passed the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s trial. That makes me better than all of you.”

“I can’t accept that. How about we settle this with a fight?”

“Yeah, are you man enough?”

For a moment, everyone was criticizing Su Luo.

“Hmph, so what if I cheated? I’m now a disciple of the Seven Stars Sword Sect. You losers can go home and cry. Stop barking here.” Su Luo pretended not to care, but his expression was starting to crack.

Though, deep down, he felt nothing.

“He just admitted it? That’s shameless.”

“No way, don’t stop me. I’m going to beat him up.”

“Who’s stopping you? Count me in.”

Just as the candidates were about to lose control, Elder Yan Xi’s voice rang out, calming them down instantly.

“Enough. The trial is over. Those who should leave, leave. Those who should stay, stay. Don’t cause trouble for yourselves.”

“Lin Xuan, right? As for the ravine incident, your word alone isn’t enough evidence. Even if Su Luo admits to cheating, it could just be anger talking. In any case, Su Luo passed the trial and is now a disciple of the Seven Stars Sword Sect.”

Elder Yan Xi was clearly speaking nonsense, but given his strength, no one dared to contradict him.

Except for Lin Xuan.

Even under Elder Yan Xi’s gaze, Lin Xuan didn’t back down. “What about that strike just now?”

“Are you doubting me?”

“I’m confirming that you’re blind!”

Wow, is he really that bold?

The candidates looked at Lin Xuan in disbelief. Who is this guy? He dares to challenge an elder at the Nascent Soul stage? He’s truly a role model. We’ll remember to burn paper for you next year.

Elder Yan Xi stared at Lin Xuan, and the pressure from a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly forced Lin Xuan to his knees.

But Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, using all his strength to lift his head and meet Elder Yan Xi’s gaze, showing no intention of backing down.

Even though Elder Yan Xi didn’t like bullying others, he was now angry. He raised his hand, preparing to press Lin Xuan’s head into the ground.

A small crater formed.

Lin Xuan wasn’t in any real danger, though. After all, the Seven Stars Sword Sect was a righteous sect and wouldn’t kill someone over something like this.

“Enough. This ends here.”

Another elder, Elder Xuan Ying, suddenly arrived. He placed a hand on Elder Yan Xi’s shoulder, simultaneously dissipating the pressure around Lin Xuan.

“I’ve also heard about what happened. But Su Luo passed, and that’s that. There should be no further discussion. This is the decision of the Seven Stars Sword Sect.”

“Disperse. Anyone who continues to discuss this will be expelled.”

With another elder speaking, the matter was even more settled.

Lin Xuan knew there was nothing more he could say. He silently resolved to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only by becoming stronger would he have the right to speak.

...

The cheating incident came to an end, but anyone with a brain knew that Su Luo had only gotten in through cheating.

Naturally, from that moment on, no one approached Su Luo. Even their glances carried hints of disdain and contempt.

Su Luo didn’t care at all. He preferred being alone. So he found a quiet spot to rest and continued writing the diary entry he hadn’t finished earlier.

[Perfect performance. My position in the sect is now secure—well, as a disciple, at least.]

[That’s not important. What comes next is the real focus.]

[After this break, a true expert will arrive. I’m talking about the pinnacle of combat strength—Nangong Xiyun.]

[As everyone knows, the Four Heavenly Kings actually have five members. Similarly, the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s Seven Peaks have eight peak lords.]

[And the eighth is Nangong Xiyun. The sect gave her an independent peak because she’s just that strong—stronger than anyone else.]

[This isn’t an exaggeration. It’s just how the story is set. So she’s a powerful ally, and she’ll also become Lin Xuan’s future master.]

[As for why she’s here, it’s because of the classic “abandoned peak” trope. Simply put, Nangong Xiyun’s Cloud-Reaching Peak has no disciples.]

[The sect leader has issued her an ultimatum: if she continues to laze around, the Cloud-Reaching Peak will be removed from the Seven Stars Sword Sect.]

[Nangong Xiyun naturally doesn’t want that. This is where she grew up, and it’s a great place to laze around.]

[But under pressure, she’s come down the mountain to look for disciples.]

[During this recruitment trial, Nangong Xiyun has priority in selecting disciples. No one dares to compete with her, which shows her status and strength within the sect.]

[What, you say she’s arriving last? The trial’s already over, so what’s there to see?]

[Of course, it’s because she’s not really interested in taking disciples. She’s only coming now to pick someone at random and get it over with.]

[There’s still a bit of the trial left. Recently, the Seven Stars Sword Sect discovered that the demon beast army has been unusually active. They’ve decided to clean them up and let the candidates get a taste of their real enemies.]

[The so-called demon beast army is different from wild demon beasts. They don’t act purely on instinct and are extremely hostile to humans, viewing them as their greatest enemies.]

[At the same time, the demon beast army is also more intelligent—though only slightly.]

[Nangong Xiyun plans to choose her disciple during this battle against the demon beast army.]

[Nangong Xiyun doesn’t reveal her true appearance. This time, she’s disguised as an ordinary, unremarkable disciple of the Seven Stars Sword Sect. She’s just following along, blending in completely without drawing any attention.]

[Of course, spotting her is ridiculously easy—she’s the only one with a token hanging from her waist.]

[During the battle against the demon beast army, Nangong Xiyun finds Lin Xuan’s performance acceptable and chooses him as her disciple.]

[As for what Lin Xuan did? Well, with a protagonist around, there’s bound to be some unexpected twist.]

[On the surface, the Seven Stars Sword Sect is fighting the demon beast army, but this time they’ve encountered a special group—Fierce Bear Demons disguised as Pig Demons.]

[These two races aren’t even in the same league in terms of combat power. An average Fierce Bear Demon is three to five times stronger than an average Pig Demon.]

[As for why they’re disguised, the demon beast army is setting a trap, playing the pig to eat the tiger.]

[And they’ve caught a big fish—the Seven Stars Sword Sect. Demon beasts aren’t afraid of powerful human sects. In fact, they’re even more excited, as killing strong humans is a great achievement.]

[If Nangong Xiyun hadn’t been here, all of us would have been wiped out. Even with two elders present, we wouldn’t have survived, because the demon beasts also have powerful fighters.]

[During the battle, Lin Xuan sensed something was off and warned the other candidates that these demon beasts weren’t ordinary.]

[His warning gave the others a chance to prepare. Otherwise, they would have charged in blindly, only to be slaughtered like pigs.]

[In the chaos of battle, Lin Xuan also displayed remarkable combat talent. While everyone else was flustered, he immediately took charge and started giving orders.]

[Under his command, the surrounding candidates formed an effective defense. Even against such strong enemies, they weren’t instantly wiped out. Holding out long enough would allow reinforcements from the Seven Stars Sword Sect to arrive.]

[At the same time, Lin Xuan wasn’t just giving orders. He often struck at the perfect moment, dealing heavy blows to the demon beasts.]

[This greatly reduced the pressure on the other candidates.]

[Compared to the other candidates, Lin Xuan was undeniably impressive. He could support others while also carrying the team. Truly an all-rounder.]

As for me? Oh, I hid within Lin Xuan's defensive circle, cowering and shivering on the side. It's hilarious—my performance remains consistently pathetic.

As long as the protagonist is around, my treatment gradually worsens. Once the protagonist leaves, I get a boost, only to be harvested by an even stronger protagonist later.

What a fantastic villain I am, hahaha, damn it!

Back to the topic, where is Nangong Xiyun? She’s so powerful, how could she let things deteriorate like this?

Of course, she would. She also enjoys playing the fool, otherwise she wouldn’t disguise herself so plainly and blend into the crowd. This time, she only intervenes during critical moments, which is somewhat malicious behavior.

Wait, it seems I’m also playing the fool. Well, never mind then.

Once Lin Xuan had shown enough prowess, and when Xuan Ying and Elder Yan Xi were on the verge of collapse, Nangong Xiyun resolved the situation with a single sword strike.

That’s right, it was that simple. While others fought tooth and nail, she effortlessly ended it all. Such is the power of true strength.

So, the entire latter part of the event was just to set up Nangong Xiyun’s appearance and give Lin Xuan a mentor who stands at the peak of power.

For a moment, even the previously domineering Elder Yan Xi had to show some respect when facing Lin Xuan.

This scene left everyone else green with envy.

As for me, I was held accountable afterward, accused of only hiding behind others and being utterly useless. The contrast between my treatment and Lin Xuan’s shining moment was stark.

Thus, my hatred for Lin Xuan grew. As a villain, I now had yet another reason to take action against him.

After finishing his diary, Su Luo lay back comfortably.

“It’s him, right? The one who cheated his way in.”

“He’s completely shameless as a cultivator. I look down on him.”

“If I get the chance, I’ll teach him a lesson myself. I just can’t stand him.”

Su Luo didn’t care at all about the bad reputation others were spreading about him, because he had already secured his reward.

[Diary completed. Reward: Constitution +3, Strength +4.]

[Special ability upgraded: My Pain Surpasses Yours.]

[When attacked, 30% of the damage received can be transferred to a designated target.]

Looking at the rewards, Su Luo couldn’t help but laugh.

“Wow, look, he’s laughing. What’s that supposed to mean? A failed candidate laughing at us, the qualified ones? Does he look down on us?”

“Exactly, what gives him the right? I can’t hold back anymore.”

“Don’t forget Elder Yan Xi. Once we enter the sect, there will be plenty of opportunities.”

However, after a while, Li Siyi approached Su Luo with a smile.

Su Luo was puzzled: “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

“You’re the one who’s sick. How does it feel to be insulted by everyone?”

“Not at all. I couldn’t care less about them.”

“Tch, as expected. Your mindset has improved a lot.” Li Siyi had read the diary and knew that Su Luo simply didn’t care about anything as long as it served his so-called plot.

“What are you talking about? My mindset has always been this good.”

“Really? You used to be so quick to anger.”

“And you never used to talk to me before.”

“Well, you did save me, after all.”

Li Siyi was referring to the incident with Hong Guang of the demonic path. Back then, Su Luo had been disguised in a black robe, but during the Hong Guang incident, he had shown his true face.

“Now that you mention it, it feels fake. Did you set that up?”

Su Luo was just saying it casually. He didn’t really think Li Siyi had orchestrated it, as it was part of the plot. He just didn’t understand why Lin Xuan hadn’t shown up and why Hong Guang had dug his own grave.

“Yeah, I set it up.”

Faced with Li Siyi’s playful grin, Su Luo instantly didn’t believe her: “You never used to lie before.”

“What’s wrong with lying? I’ve recently come to think lying isn’t so bad.”

“Lying...”

Su Luo wanted to say it was wrong, but then he remembered that he often lied for the sake of the plot. Never mind, then.

“Lying is wrong, isn’t it?” Li Siyi seemed to see through Su Luo’s thoughts.

But Su Luo would never reveal his true feelings: “No, lying is fine.”

While Su Luo and Li Siyi were chatting, the other candidates who had been watching Su Luo felt as if they had eaten something disgusting.

Why was Li Siyi, the most outstanding candidate in the assessment, talking to Su Luo?

And laughing with him?

“What’s going on? What’s their relationship?”

“I’m grinding my teeth in frustration. Doesn’t Li Siyi know that Su Luo cheated?”

“There’s no way she doesn’t know—she’s too smart for that. But why? Every single one of us here is better than Su Luo.”

Lin Xuan, who was nearby, also saw and heard the comments.

In his heart, Lin Xuan became even more certain of one thing: the relationship between Li Siyi and Su Luo was definitely not simple. Even though Su Luo was despised by everyone else, Li Siyi didn’t seem to care at all.

He just couldn’t understand—what was so great about Su Luo?

Elder Yan Xi spoke highly of him, but in Lin Xuan’s impression, Su Luo had no redeeming qualities. His reputation in Autumn Wind City was poor, his cultivation was mediocre, and even if he had some hidden strength, it couldn’t be much. Lin Xuan was confident he could easily defeat him.

And just now, Su Luo had cheated his way into the Seven Stars Sword Sect and even mocked others. What gave him the right?

Lin Xuan despised people like Su Luo the most.

But why would someone as talented as Li Siyi be so close to Su Luo?

Was it deep affection?

But as far as Lin Xuan knew, before Su Luo’s engagement was broken off, Li Siyi had hated him. Where did this affection come from?

Women are so complicated.

Lin Xuan decided not to dwell on it. All he knew was that he and someone like Su Luo would never be friends.

After a brief rest, it was time to set off.

And among the crowd, an ordinary-looking person with a token hanging from their waist had quietly appeared.