The contest between Ye Chen and Yao Xi drew the attention of all. Whether it was the sect leader, the elders, or the disciples, everyone was particularly focused on the outcome. Everyone was curious—would Ye Chen hold back? And if he did, how would he do so?

  On the spectator stands, Gu Yunyun narrowed her beautiful eyes, observing Ye Chen closely. Although Ye Chen had just communicated through voice transmission, assuring her,

  Gu Yunyun still couldn't shake her unease. After all, her disciple had even dared to gift away a spot to the Five Elements Cave. If Ye Chen dared to deceive her, she would definitely make him regret it. He would soon learn why the elders had been so terrified when they had met with her last night.

  ...

  Amidst the eager anticipation of the crowd, the duel officially began.

  Yao Xi, fearful that Ye Chen's act of holding back might be too obvious and that it would make it hard for him to explain himself to his master, decided to make the first move. However, as she began to form the hand seals, her expression suddenly shifted.

  Yao Xi sensed a slight fluctuation of spiritual power from her side. She quickly turned her head, only to discover that, within a mere five meters of distance, a massive hand had materialized, seemingly without notice. It was rapidly approaching her.

  Yao Xi immediately smiled. As expected, Ye Chen wouldn't let things go too obviously. However, this giant hand was clearly much smaller than the ones Ye Chen had used in previous battles. The purple-gold light it emitted wasn't as intense. It was evident that Ye Chen had indeed held back.

  Without hesitation, Yao Xi conjured a protective shield. She was confident that she could easily block the attack.

  The onlookers, however, seemed to have noticed this as well. They shook their heads and sighed. No matter how powerful Ye Chen was, when facing Yao Xi, he still couldn't resist extending his tongue.

  On the stands, the sect leader furrowed his brows. The head of the Magic Peak couldn't hide his gleeful smile. As for Gu Yunyun, her fists tightened.

  ...

  Yet, just as Yao Xi pondered how to counterattack after blocking the massive hand, striking Ye Chen down without harming him, the giant hand swept toward her with tremendous force. In the blink of an eye, the protective shield shattered.

  Yao Xi's complexion changed. But there was no time to act.

  Boom...

  A deafening crash.

  Yao Xi's delicate body slammed hard into the edge of the formation's barrier. She then crashed to the ground. A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips.

  At that moment, the entire arena fell silent. Wasn't he supposed to hold back? How did it end with a single strike? This was not what they had expected.

  Seeing Yao Xi's condition, the crowd winced in sympathy. It was too tragic. But the sect leader's furrowed brows gradually relaxed. The head of Magic Peak, however, frowned deeply.

  As for Gu Yunyun, her lips curled into a smile. Although her disciple had many flaws, he was reliable when it truly mattered!

  ...

  "Senior Sister Yao, are you alright?"

  Dazed and in agonizing pain, Yao Xi felt herself being lifted by strong arms.

  Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

  Cradled in Ye Chen's arms, Yao Xi felt her mind clouded and disoriented. She gazed upward, her large eyes filled with countless questions.

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  Wasn't he supposed to hold back? Why did it turn out like this? Am I really that weak?

  At that moment, Yao Xi began to question her own existence.

  Ye Chen, on the other hand, quickly produced a healing pill and pressed it into Yao Xi's lips with swift yet gentle force. He frowned in confusion as he spoke, "Junior Sister, why did you hold back? Didn't you tell me to go all out? You...you really..."

  Yao Xi suddenly recalled the words she had spoken on the stage. No matter the outcome, she would accept it. She had asked Ye Chen to give his all, for otherwise, she would be upset.

  But…

  Yao Xi couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. And yet, she couldn't deny that it felt as though it had to be this way. Ye Chen, driven by his love for her, had chosen to heed her words and give his all.

  Meanwhile, she had mistakenly believed he would hold back. In truth, she had inadvertently given him the chance to go all out. Thus, all of the issues truly stemmed from her own decisions.

  For a moment, Yao Xi fell into a state of self-reflection. When she finally felt better, she groggily made her way off the stage to receive treatment. Her junior sister, standing beside her, was filled with frustration.

  "Senior Sister, I don't think Ye Chen loves you as much as you think he does! All that talk of being without regrets and asking for nothing in return—it's all lies. When it comes to a Foundation Establishment pill, didn't you see him get serious? He actually hurt you this badly. It's just too much!"

  However, upon hearing her junior sister's words, Yao Xi shook her head gently.

  "No, it's my fault. I asked him to give his all. He did this because he cares too much about my words. It's truly my mistake."

  Her junior sister didn't share this view.

  "Pfft! If he really loved you, Senior Sister, he wouldn't have been so blind to the importance of the Foundation Establishment pill to you. Senior Sister, you're so close to breaking through—just one more pill and you could enter Foundation Establishment! And yet, he took that spot without hesitation. He has a third-grade spiritual root; with a Foundation Establishment pill, he could break through. But it's a waste! It's utterly useless for him. I think he doesn't want you to break through. Once a cultivator enters Foundation Establishment, they're on an entirely different level from us. He just wants to keep you by his side. All that talk of selfless devotion, not caring about worldly rewards, just hoping you'll be better—it was all a lie."

  Her junior sister's words plunged Yao Xi into deep thought. Did Ye Chen not want her to break through to Foundation Establishment because he was afraid of losing her? It seemed... quite likely.

  Realizing this truth, Yao Xi sighed but didn't feel too despondent.

  "If that's the case, then I can accept it."

  Her junior sister's eyes widened in shock...

  What was happening? Had Senior Sister's mind been corrupted by Ye Chen's affections? That was the Foundation Establishment pill, for heaven's sake!

  Seeing her junior sister's confusion, Yao Xi smiled softly. "You're still young, so you don't understand. The essence of love is, in truth, selfish. Ye Chen's selfless wish for me to improve and go further it's because he has conquered his own nature. But his desire to keep me by his side, not wanting me to break through, and hoping I will one day become his Dao companion—that, too, is love. Such love is, in fact, even more genuine. So, I won't blame Ye Chen. On the contrary, I'm rather happy that he made that choice, wanting me to stay with him forever…"

  Yao Xi's words left her junior sister feeling utterly perplexed.

  This was wrong, so wrong. It was Ye Chen who prevented Senior Sister's breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, yet Senior Sister was happy? Could it be that Senior Sister had been infected by this…?

  Yao Xi saw the confusion on her junior sister's face and couldn't help but laugh. "When you find a man as deeply devoted as Ye Chen, you'll understand."

  Her junior sister, hearing this, twitched her mouth. It wasn't just her. What female cultivator wouldn't want that? But a man like Ye Chen, a simp, was probably a one-of-a-kind figure in the entire cultivation world. Where could she possibly find someone like that?

  Yao Xi didn't wish to continue this conversation. Her physical injuries had nearly healed.

  "It looks like the battle on Magic Peak's side has also come to a conclusion. Let's go cheer for Ye Chen! Even if I lose the Foundation Establishment pill, it doesn't necessarily mean I can't break through. But if Ye Chen gets the pill, his chances of breaking through will increase tremendously. I just don't know if he can defeat Magic Peak's direct disciple."

  Her junior sister shook her head upon hearing this. To be honest, Fa Zhen was far too powerful. He was undoubtedly the strongest among this generation of sect disciples. Defeating him would be exceedingly difficult.

  Fa Zhen, without exerting much effort, quickly defeated his opponent. When asked by the steward if he needed rest, he simply replied that he did not, and that he was ready to proceed to the finals.

  On Ye Chen's side, there was no objection. Thus, the final match was about to begin. The smile that had previously disappeared from the face of Magic Peak Master returned once again. Meanwhile, Gu Yunyun, who had been in a good mood moments ago, furrowed her brows slightly.

  Fa Zhen was formidable. His fire-based spells were extraordinarily sophisticated, their power far surpassing that of an ordinary Qi Refining Stage Nine cultivator.

  Ye Chen's chances of victory against Fa Zhen were, to say the least, slim. This was the unanimous thought of nearly every disciple and elder present.

  Yet, Ye Chen himself remained calm, his expression unperturbed.