Chapter 236: Winning Without a Fight?
Among the nine Dojos in Xianxian Garden, Cangwu Dojo received the least attention.
Therefore, only a small number of people saw those who left there today, all looking disheartened, and even fewer saw the two people who emerged from there, after much hesitation, walk towards Taiping Garden with complicated expressions.
The affairs of the Tiandao Conference have always been handled by the Master Jian, and they reside in Taiping Garden, so many event processes are also conducted there.
Before long, as the two young men left, news began to spread from within.
After the Tiandao Conference concluded each day, there would always be some discussions: who won, who lost, who displayed unexpected methods, and who was unworthy of their reputation. Such scenes were not uncommon in Xianxian Garden.
In fact, when some Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect collected information about their opponents, one source of information came from here.
However, the most discussed news today was exceptionally different, surprising everyone.
Many people, upon hearing this news on their way back from the Dojo, would reveal a puzzled expression, unable to help but widen their eyes slightly, “Lou Wanpeng withdrew from the competition? Why?”
“I only heard this news, but the specific reason is still unknown.”
“There’s such a thing—where did you hear it from?”
“Just now on the road, I heard it from someone who lives in the same garden as the Lou Family.”
The opponent Lou Wanpeng defeated in his first battle was a Disciple from the Zeng Family in Liang Province, named Zeng Hui. It was precisely because of that battle that the Zeng Family paid close attention to Lou Wanpeng.
People say that there is no first in literature, and no second in martial arts. A win is a win. So, despite the defeat, the Zeng Family was actually convinced by Lou Wanpeng’s victory.
This could not be faked; in a real clash of swords, being even a little stronger was indeed stronger.
But what they never expected was that after only one day, they heard the news of Lou Wanpeng’s withdrawal.
The Lou Family Head shook his head at this time, and after careful analysis, he felt it was impossible.
Xianxian Holy Land is a place every cultivator dreams of, even worth suppressing one’s Realm for a year to pursue. Even if one knows the chances of winning are not high, no one would easily give up.
It is not strange for rumors to spread in a densely populated area.
In fact, many people’s first thought upon hearing this news was the same as his; they felt it made no sense.
However, by the morning of the second day, as the morning glow filled the sky, everyone saw an official from the Master Jian arrive at the south side of the lake island.
A tall bulletin board stood there, with a blank bulletin posted on it, and the top few squares already had some names.
This was a rule of the Tiandao Conference: whenever a group stage concluded and a winner emerged, they would add names to the bulletin list.
This list was actually very detailed, not only including the groups and the winners of each group, but also the order of battles between the groups and the names of the opponents.
At this time, the Master Jian official held a cinnabar pen and wrote the name Ji You on the bulletin list in front of him, filling in the few blank spaces behind him.
As the writing was completed, the Master Jian official put away the pen and then drifted away. What followed was a swarm of cultivators from the courtyard, their gazes constantly scanning the list above.
Some of the battle sequences behind names were not full, but had a blank space in the middle, which meant it was a bye, with no opponent, winning without a fight.
But the battle chart behind the newly written name was exceptionally different.
There was also a blank space behind this name, the difference being that its middle was not empty, meaning he did not have a bye, yet he had no opponent for his last battle in the group stage.
“Winning without a fight, because the opponent withdrew?”
“News came last night, it’s said to be a Disciple from the Lou Family in Liang Province. At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn’t expect it to be confirmed today.”
“Could this Lou Family have sent a Disciple just to make up the numbers? How can they be so capricious in such an important competition? One must know that there are countless people in this world who cannot even find an opportunity due to their cultivation or background.”
“I don’t know why, I only know that before he withdrew, he went to watch the matches within their group, and after returning, he gave up.”
Discussions were rampant in front of the bulletin board, with countless people expressing their opinions.
At this point, someone looked at the newly written name again: “Is this the rustic private cultivator from Tianshu Academy?”
“Brother Liu, you’ve been in secluded cultivation for years, seeking the supreme Dao with a clear Dao Heart, yet you also know this Ji You?”
“After I came out of seclusion, I heard some things about him. I know his reputation has been quite significant in the past two years. Some things, though unverified, sound terrifying. But since this Lou Wanpeng has already come to the Tiandao Conference, why would he withdraw? It’s a competition of the same Realm after all; he should at least try it. That’s Xianxian Holy Land.”
“I don’t think Lou Wanpeng’s actions are wrong. This year’s competition is much more intense than previous ones, with several casualties already. Even if he could defeat this Ji You, he probably wouldn’t go too far.”
“This—that’s also true.”
“Oh, look at that Fat Man opposite.”
“What’s so good about a Fat Man?”
“That Fat Man’s chest is really big, I wonder what evil Cultivation Technique he cultivated.”
Everyone participating in the Tiandao Conference lived in the same garden, so some news would naturally spread quickly, especially since Lake Island was the only way to the nine Dojos, with a large flow of people, so it could naturally be noticed at a glance.
At this time, Princess Changle Zhao Yunyue also stood in front of the bulletin board, staring at the battle situation of Ji You’s group for a long time.
A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.
She hadn’t had time to watch Ji You’s first two matches, but she had decided to watch his last battle in the group stage.
However, only after arriving at Cangwu Dojo today did she hear about this matter, feeling a bit confused.
Not far from her, Qiu Hanyue was also looking at this bulletin, her expression blank.
Actually, she didn’t pay much attention to the duels, and even less to Ji You.
In her opinion, she had only met this man, who had been exceptionally admitted to Tianshu Academy, once. After she and Ji You had agreed, her father had once sought out Fairy He, and after receiving her promise that “this matter is dropped,” she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had originally thought she would never hear that name again.
But for some reason, since early this morning, she had heard that name from many people’s mouths.
Not only were the elders in her family discussing it, but even her close friend Huang Rou had mentioned it several times, so she came to take a look.
Although she didn’t know much about the people on the list, she knew that Xianxian Holy Land was a place all cultivators yearned for. It was said that cultivating there for one year was equivalent to ten years of effort, and she didn’t understand why this Lou Wanpeng wasn’t even willing to try.
Also gathered in front of the bulletin board were He Lingxiu and others from Tianshu Academy.
Last night, they returned from the Dojo and then heard the news brought by Gu Zetao, saying that Ji You’s last opponent had withdrawn before the match.
Like the Lou Family Head, they also didn’t quite believe it, as the allure of Xianxian Holy Land was self-evident to them, the participants.
But it wasn’t until they saw this list that they confirmed the matter, but what followed was even greater confusion.
Because they knew that besides this suddenly withdrawn Lou Wanpeng, Junior Sister Yu Shiliu had also gone to watch the match, and her state upon returning was also very unusual.
Initially, they hadn’t paid much attention, especially He Lingxiu. She even thought that someone had torn Ji You’s clothes, revealing something inappropriate, causing Junior Sister Yu to be briefly flustered out of fear.
But later, when they heard that Lou Wanpeng had withdrawn, they vaguely felt something was wrong.
Because Lou Wanpeng couldn’t possibly have been scared into withdrawing by seeing something inappropriate; that wasn’t logical.
Equally perplexed was the Lou Family.
Xianxian Garden has eight great Immortal Gardens. Among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, excluding Dan Sect, the remaining six are paired up, occupying three gardens.
The remaining five gardens are inhabited by Worldly Sect from within the Nine Provinces.
At this time, in the Lou Family’s pavilion, located in the west side of Lianxing Garden, the Lou Family Head sat with a gloomy expression on a grand armchair. On the ground were shattered pieces of a teacup, and in front of him sat the silent Lou Wanpeng, along with several speechless Lou Family elders.
Lou Wanpeng had not informed them of his withdrawal; everything was decided privately.
Lou Family Head learned of this news even later than others.
Like those who were baffled, Lou Family Head felt that since there was an opportunity to get close to Xianxian Holy Land, even if there was no certainty of victory, how could he not even try?
Lou Wanpeng remained silent after hearing this, merely in deep thought.
He was not afraid of losing, nor was he afraid of getting injured.
Cultivators' self-healing speed was quite good; even the most severe injuries could be saved as long as a breath remained.
Lou Wanpeng was never the type to be timid and cowardly, because a cowardly Dao Heart could never support him in cultivating to the Profound Connection Realm.
But cultivators spoke of a Dao Heart that was clear and free of distractions, so there were some things he could not think about again, because he knew that
It would plant a demon in his Dao Heart.
Ji You also learned of this news only this morning.
Because he had entered meditation after returning last night, Body Refining until late into the night, and then fell into a deep sleep. When Wen Siyuan knocked on his door in the morning, he had already finished washing up and was preparing for today's final battle, only then did he learn that his opponent had withdrawn.
Ji You was indeed somewhat surprised by this news.
He didn't actually know Lou Wanpeng; after all, a private cultivator from the countryside didn't have such extensive connections.
So, when he fought Xiang Hui, even if he had seen Lou Wanpeng, he wouldn't have known that was his next opponent, and thus wouldn't have known that Lou Wanpeng had gone to watch his sword.
However, this was a good thing, because no matter what, it meant less effort was expended.
After all, Ji You didn't particularly enjoy battles that didn't develop clients, so one less was always a good thing.
Moreover, after these few days of duels, Ji You found that the sword he was currently using couldn't withstand his strength. After two matches, his iron sword was already somewhat deformed, and he didn't know how much silver it would cost by the end.
Ji You saw Wen Siyuan off, then stretched lazily.
Since there was one less battle, he had time to go out for a walk.
He left the courtyard into the faint morning light and went to the county seat of Zhongxing County, visiting Cao Instructor and their residence,
He mooched a breakfast, then went to Taiping Garden to visit Kuang Cheng.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Ji You couldn't help but question him, asking why he didn't come to watch his matches, and said that he would only forgive him if he was busy making Wei Rui pregnant during this time.
It turned out that Kuang Cheng had been busy with matters concerning the first round of group matches these past few days, needing to relay messages daily and handle mundane affairs in the garden.
According to Ji You, Kuang Cheng was definitely being manipulated; this was not the Head of the Reception Office at all, but rather the Head of the Labor Office.
However, the good thing was that the people from the Si Xian Jian and the Great Xia Dynasty all lived in the same garden. Wei Rui would secretly come to accompany him every day, making him both pained and happy.
Although Kuang Cheng didn't go to watch the battle, he was aware that Ji You's last opponent had withdrawn.
After all, the matter itself was handled by the Si Xian Jian, and he was present at the time.
At first, Kuang Cheng was also somewhat surprised, because he had previously reviewed the past records of the Tiandao Conference and had never seen anyone withdraw midway.
However, after learning that Lou Wanpeng was going to duel Ji You, Kuang Cheng was not surprised at all, thinking it was only natural, and cast a look of admiration for intelligent people at Lou Wanpeng.
Kuang Shusheng didn't understand cultivation, but in his heart, Brother Ji was the best in the world.
After chatting for a while, Ji You returned from Taiping Garden, and as he passed by the Lake Heart Island, many gazes, filled with scrutiny, appraisal, doubt, and curiosity, gathered upon him as people came and went.
Amidst the whispers, his and Lou Wanpeng's names filled the air.
Some said that this was the private cultivator from the countryside.
Some said he was extremely lucky to encounter a withdrawn opponent.
Some of them came from Shengjing City, watching Ji You walk gracefully in white robes along the white marble path, their eyes flickering with various thoughts.
What they noticed was not why Lou Wanpeng withdrew, but rather that Ji You seemed to be an Innate famous Holy Body.
Whether it was Tianshu Academy or Shengjing City, he always managed to become the focus of everyone's attention, and unexpectedly, this trend continued even after arriving at Xianxian Garden.
Ji You returned from Taiping Garden to Rusheng Garden, stepped into his residence, and upon pushing open the door, he saw a splash of red skirt draped over the tea mat.
As the sound of the door opening echoed, the owner of the skirt couldn't help but raise her eyes. There was no sense of being an uninvited guest; her beautiful eyes fixed on him, watching him walk step by step towards her.
Lingjian Mountain's Little Master Jian had rarely sought him out recently, probably to allow him to compete in peace.
However, this self-discipline only lasted two days before she reappeared.
Ji You actually suspected that Yan Shuyi had secretly gone to watch his matches, because he saw Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu from the window last night and noticed that their eyes were more intense than each other's.
So, if Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu had both gone to watch, he didn't believe Yan Shuyi could resist staying home alone.
Ji You sat down and asked what Master Jian had been busy with these past two days, as she hadn't appeared.
Yan Shuyi, with a cold and arrogant expression, said that she had been cultivating, wandering, and meeting guests.
Ji You then asked her if she had gone to watch the battle, and she immediately said no.
Then the two stared at each other, and after a short while, Yan Shuyi gently opened her mouth and ate the pumpkin seeds that a stranger had peeled and handed to her.
"What did Master Jian do?"
"Master Jian said that the son-in-law's duel didn't use Spiritual Sword Mountain Sword Dao, and she didn't know if he looked down on it or what, so she went to teach him a lesson. If he looked down on it, she would just cripple him."
"I don't believe it."
"Me too—"
Zhuo Wanqiu echoed, thinking that Master Jian must have gone to find the son-in-law, after all, the combat power displayed by Young Master was truly beyond their expectations.
After all, Master Jian was inherently loving, and the stronger Young Master became, the more naturally Master Jian could love him.
After all, no matter why a woman initially fell in love with a man, she always hoped that he would be stronger, even stronger than herself.
As the group battles of the Nine Great Dojos continuously began and ended, more and more names appeared on the announcement list.
Zhu Yao, Wei Bo, Zhuang Zixin, Yan Hao—
Countless familiar names successively appeared on the list, advancing to the next round.
Among these individuals, every single one was a Prodigy with exceptional combat power, undefeated, and each possessed an extraordinary background and profound connections.
This result was not unexpected.
In fact, the results of the Tiandao Conference battles in previous years were almost identical to the current ones.
Some said that the Tiandao Conference truly began at this point.
Because among the previous participants, there were indeed cases where Worldly Family obtained spots, but lacked sufficient foundation, thus forcing people to join.
However, after this large-scale screening, every subsequent participant was no ordinary person.
Direct Disciples of Immortal Sects, descendants of powerful beings, only sons of Worldly Family, and private cultivators from the countryside.
All eight people from Tianshu Academy were undefeated and qualified for the second round. The only one who had a bit of a close call was Yu Shiliu.
She was still a bit out of sorts and was dragged to the last match by her opponent, but she ultimately secured the victory.
This was not surprising, as Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Lingjian Mountain, Chen Clan, and Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion were also undefeated, which demonstrated the foundation of an Immortal Sect.
As dusk approached, the participants gradually returned to Rusheng Garden. He Lingxiu was the first, and as she entered the garden, a figure seemed to flash past the opposite small building, but she wasn't sure if she had misseen it.
And before they could rest for too long, the people from Si Xian Jian delivered the list for the second round of duels.
Unlike the first round, cultivators who received the list clearly felt that their opponents in this round were much stronger.
Wang Gaocen and Yu Shiliu both encountered Disciples from Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Asked the Dao Sect respectively. Only Gu Zetao encountered a Worldly Family Disciple, which seemed luckier, but the millennium Worldly Family represented by that surname still made him somewhat dare not underestimate.
Everyone looked at their opponents on the list, and after long contemplation, their eyes began to shift downwards, moving in unison to Ji You's name.
In the second round of the Tiandao Conference, Ji You's opponent was no longer a Worldly Family Disciple.
This person came from the Chen Clan and was named Chen Ruiyang.
