Chapter 191
That little mouth—how could Shen Ying resist? She glanced over and saw the junior brother who had spoken, his face shy and youthful.
He didn’t look very old, just fifteen or sixteen, his features still carrying the softness of childhood, yet exquisitely refined, already hinting at the striking beauty he would grow into.
"Quite the bold one," Shen Ying teased, pinching his cheek with a laugh. "Ninth Junior Brother, you’re here too? I thought you’d wait until the next tournament."
Ninth Junior Brother nudged past the other senior brothers and sisters, sidling up to the eldest sister with a pout. "No way! If I waited, I wouldn’t get to compete with you, Eldest Sister. What’s the point then?"
"To join you, I even beat Fourth Senior Brother black and blue to snatch this spot."
Shen Ying laughed even harder. "Oh ho, impressive! Even Old Fourth isn’t a match for you now. No wonder the Sect Master sees you as a prodigy."
Ignoring the murderous glares from the other senior brothers and sisters, Ninth Junior Brother preened. "I’ve already spoken to the Sect Master. After this tournament, he’ll take me as his personal disciple."
"That way, I can stand by Eldest Sister’s side, and even Eldest Brother won’t be able to boss you around anymore."
At this, Ji Liantan couldn’t take it anymore. In the next instant, he appeared behind Ninth Junior Brother.
A terrifying aura pressed down, making the younger boy’s hair stand on end before he even turned around.
Then came Ji Liantan’s voice, dripping with menace. "Boss her around, huh? So you’re the only one who cares about your Eldest Sister?"
Ninth Junior Brother gulped, well aware that when Eldest Brother lost his temper, reason went out the window.
His eyes darted to Ye Qingchen beside Shen Ying, and he barked, "Hey! Who are you? Why are you following my Eldest Sister?"
Ye Qingchen: "..."
He had altered his appearance with a pill before entering. While he was confident in his abilities, illusions alone might not hold up under scrutiny.
After all, plenty in the demonic sects knew his face.
He knew Ji Liantan was aware of his true identity—though the man would pretend otherwise at first.
So he remained calm under the questioning from this Joyous Sect disciple, answering coolly, "I am but a wandering cultivator. While traveling, I found common ground with Fellow Daoist Shen and was fortunate enough to join the tournament at her invitation."
Even in disguise, Ye Qingchen carried himself with an air of dignity, his cultivation clearly profound.
Yet the scrutiny from the Joyous Sect disciples didn’t lessen.
Ninth Junior Brother opened his mouth again, hoping to divert Eldest Brother’s attention, but before he could speak, Ji Liantan flicked him on the forehead, silencing him.
Ji Liantan smirked at Ye Qingchen. "Oh? A wandering cultivator, you say?"
"When my junior sister begged an extra entry token from me, I wondered what kind of person could make her so eager to invite them. Now that I’ve seen you—"
Everyone expected some polite remark, but instead, he said, "—you’re nothing special."
The Joyous Sect disciples weren’t surprised by Ji Liantan’s arrogance, but this was still someone their Eldest Sister had invited.
For Eldest Brother to dismiss him so bluntly was practically spitting on her face.
Yet Ye Qingchen didn’t even blink.
"My talents are indeed mediocre, unworthy of comparison to the Young Sect Master."
Ji Liantan scoffed. "Good that you know your place. Treasure this opportunity."
"You’ve no idea what my junior sister sacrificed to get you that token."
As he spoke, a hint of something suggestive flickered across Ji Liantan’s face.
His gaze locked onto Ye Qingchen, eager to catch even the slightest reaction.
Sure enough, Ye Qingchen stiffened momentarily, then—as if realizing something—his expression darkened with fury.
His eyes sharpened, hostility blazing toward Ji Liantan.
Thrilled, Ji Liantan laughed and clapped Ye Qingchen on the shoulder. "Opportunities like this don’t come often. Make the most of it."
"Don’t leave empty-handed."
Then he turned to Shen Ying, half-tempted to apologize, but with so many juniors watching—and Ye Qingchen present—
Did he look like someone who’d grovel?
So he just snorted and led the other disciples away.
However unwilling they were, the juniors had no choice but to follow under his domineering presence.
Only once they were at a distance did Shen Ying slowly begin to clap.
She looked at Ye Qingchen. "Bravo. With acting skills like that, Elder Brother Ye, if you’d shown even a fraction of this in front of my master, you wouldn’t have spent years in the same sect without exchanging a word."
"And my senior brother—I thought he was all bark and no bite, but he’s got some tricks up his sleeve."
Ye Qingchen stared at her impassively. "And whose fault is that?"
Shen Ying waved a finger. "Now, now, let’s not twist things. You’re the one who made such an unreasonable request. I just refused to take the fall if you got caught."
"Besides, if my senior brother didn’t know your real identity and you were just some random stranger, do you think he’d let you off so lightly?"
"Bringing an outsider into the tournament grounds? If he were in a bad mood, he might’ve just killed you on the spot."
Knowing Ji Liantan, Ye Qingchen had to admit—she wasn’t wrong.
Thus, Ye Qingchen could only say helplessly, "So isn’t this me trying to accommodate his mood?"
"He seems to enjoy flaunting your favoritism toward him in front of me."
Shen Ying smiled and was about to speak when a voice interrupted from the side.
"You’re actually here? Where’s that useless Ji Liantan?"
Shen Ying turned her head and saw several cultivators dressed in blood-red robes. Their auras were eerie, and shockingly, bony spikes protruded from their heads.
They were disciples of the Bone Sect, and the burly one leading them was none other than Gu Lun, the young master of the Bone Sect.
This man had long coveted the original body’s beauty and had repeatedly come to the Joy Sect to propose marriage, seeking to engage in dual cultivation with her.
If it were just aggressive pursuit, it might have been tolerable, but this man was lustful and indulgent, already possessing over a dozen concubines.
His methods were also despicable and underhanded—there had been instances where he schemed to take advantage of the original owner in vulnerable moments.
Fortunately, Ji Liantan had seen through his ploys and thoroughly punished him. The only reason Gu Lun had escaped with his life that time was due to his extraordinary status.
Shen Ying glanced at him and scoffed, "Ah, it’s you, Fellow Daoist Gu."
"You might want to keep your voice down. I understand your reluctance to admit you were beaten to a pulp, but facts are facts."
"If you really summon my senior brother here, you’ll end up humiliating yourself in front of all the rising talents of the demonic path."
Gu Lun’s expression darkened, but he couldn’t help scanning his surroundings. Spotting Ji Liantan watching from a distance, the leg that had once been severed and reattached began to ache.
Unable to save face, he gnashed his teeth and sneered, "Since Junior Sister isn’t welcoming, Gu won’t linger to offend your sight."
"But in this grand competition, Junior Sister should be extra careful."
Shen Ying replied, "How kind of you to worry, Fellow Daoist Gu. Could I trouble you for one thing?"
Gu Lun perked up. "Oh? Does Junior Sister Shen actually have a use for Gu?"
"Speak freely. Gu will obey without question."
Shen Ying waved a hand. "It’s nothing major. Just—could you leave a will? If you die here, I’d like to inherit those eighteen concubines of yours."
Gu Lun, never one for patience, nearly flew into a rage at these words.
Just as he was about to press further, a voice echoed through the surroundings.
The tone was unremarkable, yet it rang clearly in everyone’s ears, impossible to ignore.
"Young ones, have you all entered?"
Everyone in the massive stone chamber fell silent at once, instantly recognizing the owner of the voice.
It belonged to the master of this secret realm—an ancient demonic ancestor.
Perhaps a wisp of consciousness, perhaps a remnant of a soul—such phenomena were not uncommon.
The voice continued, "Three hundred and forty. It seems the demonic path has declined. For a mere competition, so many unworthy participants are allowed."
With a sigh, the voice went on, "My secret realm is simple, unlike the flashy tricks of other old ghosts. Just a few floors of a tower."
"Space is limited on each level. This is the first floor. The second won’t hold so many."
"To be frank, three hundred and forty is far too many."
The moment the words fell, while everyone was still digesting the ancestor’s meaning, Shen Ying suddenly struck.
A bone spike appeared in her hand, and she drove it straight into Gu Lun’s temple, sealing the Bone Sect’s secret techniques.
Then, gripping his head with both hands, she twisted sharply—Gu Lun’s face spun a full circle before returning to its original position.
By the time Shen Ying pulled the Dragon Fang Spike from his temple, the unfortunate Gu Lun—once a strong contender in this competition—had been reduced to a lifeless corpse in a single ambush, without even a chance to fight back.
For a brief moment, silence reigned.
Then the laughter of the secret realm’s ancestor boomed. "Hahahahaha! Excellent! At least there’s one youngster worth watching."
The others, being demonic cultivators after all, quickly grasped the ancestor’s intent. In an instant, the stone hall erupted into chaos.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingchen, standing beside Shen Ying, had already efficiently dealt with the remaining Bone Sect disciples the moment she moved against Gu Lun.
Now, his gaze settled on Shen Ying, a trace of long-suppressed madness finally surfacing in his eyes.