It had already been more than ten days since Xiao Lingyu had gone to Siguo Peak to visit Chu Mingwei. In the meantime, Meng Fan and a few others would occasionally find time to stop by Yilan Peak to see Xiao Lingyu, bringing along small trinkets—allegedly prepared according to Chu Mingwei’s instructions. Each time he saw these childish toys, Xiao Lingyu felt, fleetingly, that Chu Mingwei was treating him like a son. Pah, pah—absolutely just an illusion!
Aside from Meng Fan and the others, Leng Hanyuan would also appear from time to time to kindly check on Xiao Lingyu’s daily life. Xiao Lingyu found Leng Hanyuan’s frequent presence incredibly annoying, but he couldn’t outright express that he didn’t want to see him. So he had to devise ways to avoid him. Unexpectedly, a rumor began circulating in the sect that Xiao Lingyu and Leng Hanyuan were close friends, leaving Xiao Lingyu frustrated and irritated.
Fortunately, with the sectal Grand Competition approaching, Leng Hanyuan had no time to parade his brotherly affection before Xiao Lingyu, as he needed to prepare for the competition.
Xiao Lingyu had a vivid impression of this Grand Competition. In his previous life, it was during this event that Leng Hanyuan rose to prominence. Back then, Chu Mingwei had just suffered setbacks, and those who were close to him were discouraged and uninterested in competing. Leng Hanyuan seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the sect’s need for a new idol to fill the void left by Chu Mingwei, and became the sect’s top disciple.
This time around, Chu Mingwei was still around, albeit punished to remain at Siguo Peak and barred from participating. His friends, however, did not suffer the same heart-wrenching blows as in Xiao Lingyu’s past life; now, they were all eagerly preparing to showcase their abilities in the Grand Competition. Whether Leng Hanyuan could again achieve the same stunning results remained unknown.
On the day of the competition, Wu Yunzi had already taken Xiao Lingyu to Dailuo Peak to watch the matches. Dailuo Peak, situated behind Haotian Peak, had gentle terrain rich with spiritual energy. The peak had been flattened by the sect’s powerful cultivators and paved with pristine jade stones, creating an ideal arena. A few days prior, twenty-six massive platforms had been erected on the peak with spiritual energy, serving as competition venues. Special viewing areas were also prepared for disciples who came to watch.
As a sect elder, Wu Yunzi did not need to mingle with ordinary disciples and had a VIP seat with the best view already arranged. Naturally, Xiao Lingyu, still young, accompanied him.
Since the competitions were happening simultaneously across multiple platforms, spectators could only watch a portion of the events. To remedy this, each sub-arena had a disciple recording the matches with a “Shadow Mirror,” and countless jade slips containing the recordings were sold among the disciples.
In his past life, Xiao Lingyu had been obsessed with one particular person, following every match they participated in and purchasing all the jade slips documenting them. Reflecting on it now, he realized that his obsession wasn’t entirely without merit—it had at least contributed slightly to the sect’s economy.
Now, he shifted his gaze toward the VIP seat where the sect leader sat, smiling and proud. Xiao Lingyu couldn’t help but recall that in his previous life, upon hearing bad news, the sect leader’s face had been sullen throughout the matches, without a single smile—a stark contrast to today.
The first round of matches was uneventful; no extraordinary talents appeared. Meng Fan, Luo Shaohan, and Leng Hanyuan advanced to the next round as expected. Xiao Lingyu, bored, sat in the VIP seat. Having fought often in his previous life, he was accustomed to striking decisively, so these routine matches seemed like a waste of time. His eyes wandered across the arenas, thinking that had he known who would make it to the final rounds, he might have placed bets with his brothers in secret. Yet, this life was different, and the results were likely to change.
The morning passed in Xiao Lingyu’s idle musings. For practitioners, there was no official break for meals, but concerned about his young age, Wu Yunzi had prepared delicate food through Wu Chun. A disciple led him aside to eat. Along the way, Xiao Lingyu looked up and said, “You go watch the matches. I can go on my own.”
The guiding disciple, looking to be in his twenties, hesitated but respectfully addressed Xiao Lingyu as “Little Senior Uncle.” Xiao Lingyu nodded firmly. “Go ahead. I won’t tell Master.”
Once the disciple departed with gratitude, the old ghost chuckled in Xiao Lingyu’s mind: “Xiao Yu, you really are different this time. In the last life, you wouldn’t have cared about such trivial matters.”
Xiao Lingyu replied thoughtfully, “You said it yourself—it’s different this time. My reputation was terrible last life, thanks to them. Since I’ve decided this time to maintain a good reputation, even the small things matter.”
As they walked and chatted, distant shouts of “Stop!” echoed.
Xiao Lingyu ignored them at first, continuing on until the footsteps grew closer and the voice called, “Xiao Lingyu, stop right there!”
Hearing his name, Xiao Lingyu turned, surprised. A young boy in blue silk with a white jade crown was running toward him, panting. Xiao Lingyu’s pupils constricted, and a complex expression crossed his face.
If he had been the biggest cannon fodder in the previous life, this boy could easily rank second. Back then, both of them had constantly contended for Leng Hanyuan’s favor. Xiao Lingyu had ultimately been sent into the Nine Nether Flame Array, barely escaping with his soul intact, while this boy had been handed to an infant-level powerful being and died shortly after. Xiao Lingyu had even taken some pleasure in hearing of his rival’s fate.
Yet, in retrospect, his own ruthlessness had made him indispensable to Leng Hanyuan, so perhaps it wasn’t clear who would have survived otherwise.
Now, the boy arrived, standing before him, squinting with a proud expression. “You’re Xiao Lingyu. Not so great, huh? Not as good as they say. I heard you often meet with Senior Brother Leng—you remember, Senior Brother Leng is mine, and you’re not allowed to compete for him.”
Xiao Lingyu looked at the boy with mixed feelings. In his previous life, he had stood in front of him to declare his possessiveness over that person, tirelessly trying to remain by their side. Alas, the outcome had been as tragic as his own—merely a stepping stone in that person’s rise.
Before Xiao Lingyu could respond, the boy frowned and threatened, “You hear me, country bumpkin? Don’t try to take Senior Brother Leng from me.”
The child’s immature threat had no effect on Xiao Lingyu. Ignoring the boy’s fierce gaze, he simply turned and walked away.
Some fates diverge from past lives, others persist. Without Xiao Lingyu contesting, perhaps Xu Xuan would not become a universal heartthrob this time either. Whether he would get his wish remained to be seen.
Distracted by these thoughts, Xiao Lingyu lost interest in the competition. No matter how well Leng Hanyuan performed, with Chu Mingwei present, he could no longer command attention like he had in the previous life. Everything would be different this time.
Thinking of Chu Mingwei, Xiao Lingyu suddenly felt the urge to go see him. Looking back at the bustling Dailuo Peak, he took a communication talisman to send a message to Master Wu Yunzi, then released the mount he had kept in his spirit beast bag—a flying crane—and soared toward Siguo Peak.
That day, the entire Yun Tian Sect was abuzz with excitement over the once-every-five-years Grand Competition.
Chu Mingwei, standing atop Siguo Peak, gazed toward Dailuo Peak. Occasionally, a flicker of loneliness crossed his face. He wondered how Master Wu was feeling now, how Meng Fan and the others were performing, and whether Xiao Lingyu was enjoying the lively scene, which he had likely rarely seen before.
Having been punished to remain at Siguo Peak for ten years, missing three Grand Competitions, Chu Mingwei could only imagine how his junior disciples would grow. Now, at the tender age of six, Xiao Lingyu was already a炼境 practitioner. Ten years later, he would surely be even more formidable.
As he thought of Xiao Lingyu’s dazzling potential, a gentle smile appeared on Chu Mingwei’s lips. He knew he would not be there to witness Xiao Lingyu in the future. He hoped that fifteen years hence, he might still stand beside his junior.
Halfway through his thoughts, Chu Mingwei frowned—someone had triggered Siguo Peak’s protective seals.
Curious about who it could be, he formed hand seals and opened the barrier. Outside, Xiao Lingyu lay atop the flying crane, grinning radiantly.
Seeing the joyful expression on his junior’s face, Chu Mingwei was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t pinpoint his emotions, but he felt an overwhelming sense of fullness and weight surge through his heart.
After the initial surprise, Chu Mingwei reacted. How could his junior, who should be at Dailuo Peak, appear here alone?
He rushed forward and scooped Xiao Lingyu into his arms, scanning him with his divine sense until satisfied that he was unharmed.
Looking down at the little boy staring up at him, Chu Mingwei tried to mask his joy with a stern expression. “Junior, how did you come to Siguo Peak alone? Did you tell Senior Uncle Wu?”
Though he knew Chu Mingwei was worried, Xiao Lingyu felt misunderstood—he had come with good intentions and yet was being scolded. He lowered his head, silent.
Seeing the boy’s stubbornness, Chu Mingwei’s heart softened. He held him tightly and gently patted his back. “Yu’er, don’t be upset. It’s only because I’m worried. Dailuo Peak is far, Siguo Peak is dangerous. If anything happened to you, I would be very worried. Now, tell me—did you tell Senior Uncle Wu you came here?”
Xiao Lingyu, cozy in the familiar embrace, felt even more aggrieved and refused to answer.
The old ghost in his mind cackled, “Xiao Yu, ha! You really are acting like a spoiled child this time!”
“Shut up!” Xiao Lingyu shot back.
Seeing the boy still silent, Chu Mingwei’s smile softened further. “It’s all my fault. Don’t be angry, alright?”
Xiao Lingyu, nestled in the arms of the person he trusted most, murmured a soft “Mm.”
Chu Mingwei pressed on: “Then tell me, did you inform Senior Uncle Wu that you came here?”
Again, Xiao Lingyu replied with a low “Mm.”
Amused, Chu Mingwei’s grin broadened as he watched his junior playfully act stubborn.
No one knew how much effort Chu Mingwei spent that afternoon ensuring Xiao Lingyu’s happiness. Meanwhile, Wu Yunzi at the VIP seat grew increasingly anxious, ready to leave and search for his young disciple. Just as he worried most, he received a message: the junior had gone to Siguo Peak alone and was with Chu Mingwei.
Relieved yet now flustered, Wu Yunzi felt a new anxiety rise—he had a sudden feeling that his young disciple might be “taken away” by Chu Mingwei.