The next day.
Xu Yi was refreshed and full of fighting spirit, causing Elder Qingfeng to keep glancing at her in surprise.
On the way, Xu Yi was surrounded by disciples who came to encourage her.
Xu Yi pulled Lu Zaiye to her side, letting him feel the fervent expectations of the disciples and perform exceptionally in the upcoming match.
"Xu Yi."
As soon as she stepped onto the competition arena, Xu Yi heard someone call her name. She turned her head, exchanged a word with a disciple from the Xuanji Sect, and went to greet them.
"Xiao Yu."
Yu Xiaoyu nervously fiddled with her hands, her face flushed, and she whispered, "Good luck in today's match."
After speaking, without waiting for Xu Yi's reply, she shyly ran away.
Xu Yi was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, "Xiao Yu, you should also work hard!"
Yu Xiaoyu's footsteps faltered, and she ran even faster.
Xu Yi shook her head and was about to leave when she saw Xiong Zhuangzhuang striding towards her, forcing her to stop.
"Xu Yi, you will definitely win the championship this grand competition!"
Xiong Zhuangzhuang had a simple and honest smile, and his words conveyed a sense of certainty.
Xu Yi smiled and cupped her fists, "Then thank you for your auspicious words."
After seeing Xiong Zhuangzhuang off, Long Haotian and the other two arrived.
Xu Yi raised an eyebrow, "Are the three of you here to wish me success?"
The three were momentarily choked by her direct words, and all their prepared speeches became useless.
Finally, Long Haotian, as their representative, expressed his blessings to Xu Yi, but he did not go as far as Xiong Zhuangzhuang in predicting her championship.
After all, their Xuanqing Sect also had Bei Xinghan, who had won five consecutive matches and was equally outstanding. No matter how much Long Haotian disliked him, he would not humiliate him in front of Xu Yi.
Xu Yi thanked the three. After taking a few steps, her gaze met Hong Jing's, whose face was as pure as a sacred being, as if a golden halo surrounded him.
"Buddha Son."
This time, Xu Yi greeted him first, feeling a little surprised. Could it be...
"Fellow Daoist Xu, you are a distinguished guest of the Myriad Buddha Sect. Your wishes will surely come true and your aspirations will be fulfilled."
Hong Jing clasped his hands in prayer, his tone sincere.
"Thank you."
Xu Yi was flattered and thought that the Myriad Buddha Sect really valued her, but she wondered what connection she had with the Myriad Buddha Sect.
After Hong Jing walked away, Xu Yi cautiously scanned her surroundings, ensuring no acquaintances were near, and then, with a heavy heart, headed to the competition platform to gather.
By the time she stood before the competition platform, Xu Yi had suppressed all her thoughts. Now, she could only focus on one thing: winning this grand competition.
Whether it was for the honor of the Xuanji Sect or for her spirit stones, she would go all out for the first place.
"The sixth round of the points match begins."
At the command, Xu Yi stepped onto her designated competition platform.
Her opponent in this round was Bai Shan from the Wufu Sect, the round-faced youth who used silk threads as his magical artifact.
As Xu Yi was sizing up Bai Shan, he suddenly raised his head and said excitedly to Xu Yi, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I am Bai Shan from the Wufu Sect. You are very powerful, and it is my honor to compete with you today!"
If Bai Shan were described using the words of elders, he would be fair, plump, and fortunate. When he got excited, two distinct blushes appeared on his face, making them clearly visible.
Xu Yi was a little surprised, "Fellow Daoist Bai, you are too kind."
"I, I am telling the truth." Seeing Xu Yi's disbelief, Bai Shan quickly added, "When you first started competing, I noticed you. I believe you will win first place this time!"
Xu Yi chuckled.
She had heard this sentence from many people today.
However, Bai Shan was the first stranger to say such a thing.
"Thank you, I hope I won't disappoint you."
"You definitely won't!" Bai Shan affirmed with a blush.
"Then you should be careful."
Although Xu Yi felt that Bai Shan was likely speaking the truth, she dared not be careless on the competition platform. As her voice fell, a faint light instantly appeared beside Bai Shan.
Bai Shan also composed himself. With a thought, fine and tough silk threads appeared before him, blocking the attack.
It was only upon observing at close range that Xu Yi recognized the origin of these silk threads.
She had initially thought they were spider silk, but she was wrong; they were silkworm silk.
If she guessed correctly, this was the silk from a Silkworm of Silver Snow Crystals, a demon beast that was almost extinct on the Jiuzhou Continent.
The Silkworm of Silver Snow Crystals grew in extremely cold regions and was the larval stage of the Ice Mountain Double-Faced Butterfly. It consumed extreme cold ice crystals and spun silk. It took five hundred years to form a cocoon and another five hundred years to break out of it.
Due to its extremely long growth period and the extreme toughness and rarity of its silk, not many survived.
Xu Yi had rarely seen the silk of the Silkworm of Silver Snow Crystals even two thousand years ago, let alone two thousand years later.
Xu Yi's eyes flashed with a moment of doubt that Bai Shan, from a minor sect, possessed such a precious treasure.
However, she quickly shook her head and dismissed the thought.
If she could receive guidance from an ancient artifact refining master in a secret realm, why couldn't Bai Shan encounter an opportunity?
The Jiuzhou Continent was vast, and in ancient times, powerful beings were numerous. Perhaps the inheritance of some mighty figure was hidden in some corner. It was not surprising that Bai Shan could seize an opportunity.
Xu Yi had a general understanding of Bai Shan's attacks from watching his previous matches.
Half an incense stick later, Xu Yi used her admonition ruler to attract Bai Shan's attention, then covertly trapped the silkworm silk within the formation she had set up, and subsequently swept Bai Shan off the competition platform.
Bai Shan, having lost the match, showed no signs of dejection. Instead, he kept smiling foolishly at Xu Yi.
Xu Yi shook her head helplessly.
When the seventh points match began.
A commotion erupted among the cultivators on the competition arena, and the atmosphere grew more heated.
This was because Lu Zaiye and Bei Xinghan were standing on one of the competition platforms.
Lu Zaiye, Bei Xinghan, and Xu Yi had maintained an undefeated record until this point.
The person who lost in this match meant they were no longer eligible to become the champion of the grand competition. Therefore, their match attracted the attention of almost all the cultivators present.
As for Xu Yi's match with Yu Xiaoyu, no one paid attention except for the disciples of their respective sects.
"Xu Yi, I, I can't beat you. I concede."
As soon as she stepped onto the competition platform, Yu Xiaoyu's timid voice echoed in Xu Yi's ears. Xu Yi frowned severely, her expression suddenly turning solemn.
"Xiao Yu, we haven't even started fighting yet. You shouldn't give up."
Xu Yi had thought Yu Xiaoyu was merely shy due to her personality, but now it seemed the flaw in her personality was more severe than she had imagined.
Cultivation was inherently going against the heavens, which was why heavenly tribulations would descend during each breakthrough.
To pursue the path of eternal life and transcend reincarnation, one must experience countless hardships. If one feared tribulations, how could they ascend to immortality?
"Pick up your magical artifact and don't make me look down on you."
Xu Yi's face was stern, and her voice was cold.
Yu Xiaoyu's face instantly lost all color, and she looked at Xu Yi in disbelief.
She considered Xu Yi a friend and knew she couldn't defeat Xu Yi, so she wanted to avoid a confrontation. That's why she conceded voluntarily.
Not only did Xu Yi not appreciate her gesture, but she also spoke such cold and heartless words. Had she never considered her a friend at all?