The "Minor Competition" concluded, with fifty-seven disciples advancing to the "Major Competition." To their surprise, all four of them from the Dayan Sect had simultaneously qualified for the semifinals, though their scores varied.
The lowest, Fang Rui, had voluntarily withdrawn from further challenges at the ten-point mark. Danyan had the highest score, nearly forty points, followed by Guiying with over thirty. Six Jiang Fusheng, however, had the worst luck. His evenly matched fight with Yan Jiujiao was disrupted by the emergence of demons, leaving him with just over ten points.
All four new talents from the Dayan Sect had made it into the finals. Elder Jiuli was so overjoyed that he penned a lengthy, excited article and sent it via cloud message to the eleven disciples of the Dayan Sect.
Sects whose disciples reached the finals were granted teleportation to the Twenty-Eight Heavens Void Gate to spectate. All travel, accommodation, and sightseeing expenses were covered, a prestigious offer no sect would refuse.
In the west cliff wing, Gu Junshi rose from her bed. She had been awaiting her little husband's return when she saw a streak of purple light flash past her window and land by the door. It was Jiuwei, returning from Elder Jiuli's place.
Gu Junshi was not surprised. After all, Jiuwei was not a true spirit beast and thus could not be confined by a "spirit beast pouch." Elder Jiuli had only collected it initially because it followed him.
"When did you get back?"
Wei Li had transformed back into his human form. Being somewhat flamboyant, he had changed into a new crimson robe.
He asked this because the Void Gate was a city in the sky, unlike the land with its myriad paths. From the peak of the Nine Peaks to the west cliff of Misty City, there was no other way but to fly. How could a mortal like her have returned so easily?
Gu Junshi, guessing his suspicion, replied, "I felt a bit unwell midway and asked a passing disciple of the Void Gate to send me back."
Wei Li, however, looked at her with darkened eyes, as if she were a spirit wearing human skin. "You're quite something, aren't you?"
Before his words had even finished, he flashed in front of her. Gu Junshi slightly furrowed her brow but remained still.
He gripped her shoulder with one hand, applying slight pressure. His beautiful fox eyes curved, and two sharp fangs protruded. "Bitch, stop pretending. I know it's you."
"Hmm?" Gu Junshi looked at him quizzically.
As if impatient with her feigned ignorance, Wei Li grumbled, "Did you think I wouldn't know you switched back with Gu Yi?"
Oh?
Was he testing her, or did he have concrete proof?
Gu Junshi saw his serious and confident expression, but the way he looked at her face was more of inquiry and observation. This indicated he was bluffing; he couldn't actually distinguish between "Gu Yi" and the "bitch" he spoke of. However, he was indeed suspicious.
Gu Junshi sighed, "Sect Leader, you've mistaken me for someone else."
Wei Li reflexively retorted, "Impossible!"
She was too suspicious. He couldn't fathom any disciple being so kind as to help a mere mortal. Not arresting her as a suspicious person was already a good deed. At the very least, they would have gone to the Nine Peaks to verify her identity.
Moreover, the Void Gate was currently in a state of turmoil. Not only was the "Newcomer Ranking" competition underway, but the Sutra Repository had been infiltrated, and a rare demon had been captured. The entire sect was on high alert and busy. And a kind disciple happened to cross her path? She was lying without a second thought.
His beautiful eyes narrowed. "Bitch, don't try to fool me—"
He stared at her face, which belonged to Gu Yi, and a sudden surge of malice arose within him. Didn't she like Six Jiang Fusheng? She liked him so much that she was willing to be a substitute for the real "Gu Yi" to stay by his side. If that were the case, she certainly wouldn't be able to accept another man getting close to her, would she? He would expose her.
His gaze shifted from her face to her pale lips. Her lips were perfectly shaped. His fox eyes held a bewitching softness, full of allure. He would force her to act.
He placed a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. He leaned down, slowly approaching her. He kept reassuring himself, unaware that his pupils were growing brighter, burning like a flame.
At first, Gu Junshi had no idea what he intended. She never dodged an attack. She watched as he, lost in thought, his gaze growing increasingly strange and heated, until his face and even his earlobes flushed a deep red.
She suddenly understood. He wanted to kiss her? Had this flirtatious fox entered its rutting season?
Just as his fragrant breath brushed against her nose, she quickly turned her face away. Consequently, his astonishingly hot and soft lips landed on her cheek.
This was the first time he had done something like this. Even with his playful demeanor in challenging her, Wei Li was inexplicably nervous and shy deep down. After mustering the courage to lean in, he instinctively closed his eyes, his long eyelashes casting beautiful arcs beneath his eyelids.
Hm? That doesn't seem right.
Realizing belatedly that he hadn't kissed the intended spot, Wei Li's long and curled eyelashes trembled. He was flustered and afraid to open his eyes. It was all an impulse, and he hadn't planned for what to do if things didn't go as he expected. In other words, he hadn't thought of a fallback.
Damn it, this bitch didn't push him away, nor did she fly into a rage and attack him for his impertinence. Why was that? That bitch wouldn't endure such humiliation.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind. What if the person before him was truly "Gu Yi" and not the one he suspected? If so, because she couldn't resist and was subjected to the Sect Leader's lewd power, then what had he just done?!
Cold sweat broke out on Wei Li's forehead and down his spine. He dared not think about it. Had he just assaulted a married woman?
Just then, the door to the wing was gently pushed open, and a melodious voice followed, "Ayi, I'm back..."
Six Jiang Fusheng stepped into the room and saw the scene within. He seemed unable to process it, frozen in place, a thin blush appearing in his eyes, transforming him from an immortal into a demon.
"What... are you doing?"
His dry, hoarse voice, turning into a sinister, chilling tone like the arrival of hell, unleashed a wave of madness and killing intent that swept through and shattered everything in the room.
Hearing the unusual commotion, Danyan and Guiying, who were preparing to enter their rooms nearby, also rushed over. Inevitably, they saw everything.
Guiying was stunned, while Danyan's habitually half-smiling face was now as dark as water.
Wei Li, with his back to them, was not seen from the front. Whether it was because he was caught in the act or because he didn't know how to face the embarrassment of mistaking someone, he remained frozen in that ambiguous pose.
Only when Gu Junshi, with a cold and determined face, forcefully pushed him away. He stood with a stiff back, his tall and strong physique suddenly seeming like softened cotton, allowing her, a mortal, to handle him.
The moment they separated.
The other three erupted like a volcano, and with an unprecedented tacit understanding, they attacked simultaneously.