Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 559 Elder Nie's First Contest: The First Embrace of the First!
The Star-Picking Competition will officially begin shortly after noon today.

Disciples from all peaks have received their arena assignments and are heading to their designated arenas to prepare. Only in the final battle will they return to the "Fangcun Temple" on Qiyun Peak.

After Yang Chen left, Lin Shuang and her group naturally approached.

Lin Shuang laughed, "Senior brother, it seems we've already been targeted. An opponent has come knocking so quickly."

"This Senior Brother Yang Chen is quite famous on Qiyun Peak."

Just as you were about to respond, you suddenly felt two piercing gazes from behind, like thorns in your back.

【Oops! 】

[You silently thought to yourself, having just glanced at the list on the roulette wheel: the nine contestants from Xiaoqing Peak, Xiao Wan'er from Dayuan Peak, and Lü Qingyu from Longlin Peak.]

They are not in the same place!

The owners of the two pairs of gazes had already approached. Lü Qingyu asked with a smile, "Junior Brother, which peak are you planning to go to watch the competition?"

Xiao Wan'er also crossed her arms and leaned closer.

You felt that one was twice as big as two, and secretly lamented that Senior Brother Yang Chen had left at the worst possible time.

[Lin Shuang and the others were all women, so they naturally noticed the unusual attitude Xiao and Lü had towards you.]

The Xue sisters glanced discreetly at their two senior sisters' profiles, their delicate noses swaying in unison. They sighed simultaneously, yet, as if on cue, whispered words of encouragement to each other.

[Your eyes suddenly lit up as you noticed a sprightly old man at the front of Xiao Qingfeng's group. You quickly sent a telepathic message away.]

[When Lü Qingyu saw that you didn't answer for a long time, her delicate hand was about to tug at your sleeve.]

A deep, dry cough suddenly rang out. "Zhou Jing, come with me."

Everyone turned to look, and saw an old man with his hands behind his back and his head held high walking towards them; it was none other than Nian Wubei.

Feeling as if granted a pardon, you approached the elderly woman and said, "Senior Sister Xiao, Senior Sister Lü, I wish you both great success."

After bowing to the old man, Lü Qingyu and Xiao Wan'er said no more and went to their respective arenas.

You silently exhale.

The old man said mischievously, "Young Zhou is not bad; he has quite the flair of my younger days."

You chuckled, "Old age, it seems the days are numbered, now I'm all alone."

"What do you know?" the old man said proudly. "I'm just passing through a flower garden without a single petal clinging to me."

["So, it means either they didn't catch a single one, or their eyesight has improved..."]

The old man waved his hand, too lazy to argue with you anymore, and strode forward with his hands behind his back.

Lin Shuang and her group watched with curiosity as you and the old man left.

[This Senior Brother Zhou seems to be quite familiar with Elder Nian; at least, no disciple of Xiaoqing Peak would dare to make such a joke.]

The crowd in the square gradually dispersed, and disciples from each peak made their way in twos and threes to their preferred competition venues.

The members of Xiao Qingfeng also followed their favorite senior brothers and sisters—Lu Qingyu, Xiao Wan'er, Qi Ling, Shen Qingxue, and others were all followed by many fans.

[Nie Qingzhu was about to leave when she caught a glimpse of you walking with Nian Wubei. She stopped in her tracks, her black hair swaying slightly, and with a few light steps, she was already close by.]

You bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Elder Nie."

Nie Qingzhu's eyes flickered slightly as she looked you up and down, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "Zhou Jing, is this the only blue robe you own?"

"Elder, I'm used to wearing it," you replied frankly.

Nie Qingzhu nodded slightly, but the image of you in your moon-white robe floated into her mind; you must look extremely beautiful. This thought startled her slightly, and she quickly composed herself.

She turned to Nian Wubei, her tone returning to its usual coolness: "Which competition does Senior Brother Nian intend to observe?"

[Nian Wubei stroked his beard and pondered: "I wanted to see what this Tianfu Star was like, but in today's preliminary round, the opponent of this Tianfu Star, Sun Miao, was too weak; I couldn't discern anything from him."]

[This person, almost universally considered the designated successor to Fangcun Mountain from Tianfu Star, has been in seclusion for many years. Everyone on the peak is curious about the extent of Sun Miao's cultivation.]

Nie Qingzhu's gaze fell on the four names on the published list: "Yaohua Peak. Feng Qingge," "Longlin Peak. Cangsong," and so on.

"Dragon Head Peak - Yuan Shujian", "Flying Peak - Chen Shichen."

These four are all top performers in their respective factions and have long been considered favorites for the top nine in this year's Star Picking Competition. Ironically, the draw resulted in these prodigies making their debut in the preliminary rounds.

Your gaze lingered for a moment on the names "Yuan Shujian" and "Feng Qingge"—when you first entered Xiaoqing Peak, it was these two peaks that came to provoke you, and they were among them. Especially Yuan Shujian, whose connection to you runs deep.

[And then there's Feng Qingge, who, despite only having been a disciple for a year, defeated Lü Qingyu with astonishing skill, ultimately forcing Qi Ling to reveal her Fire Phoenix bloodline in order to barely secure a victory.]

That battle is still a topic of conversation among the disciples of Xiaoqing Peak.

Nie Qingzhu smiled slightly, "Senior Brother Nian, why don't we go to Dragon Head Peak? These four outstanding talents are competing there today."

There is nothing wrong with having no sorrow in the year.

You originally planned to wander freely through the various mountain ranges.

Nie Qingzhu said, "Zhou Jing, you should come too."

You had no choice but to follow along.

The disciples along the way couldn't help but turn their heads, seeing you walking side by side with the two elders, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.

Seeing this, Lin Shuang and her group followed them to Dragon Head Peak.

Dragon Head Peak stands majestically in the southeast of Fangcun Mountain, ranking among the top of the eighteen mountain ranges.

Legend has it that the founder of this school had the character "dragon" in his name, hence many of the eighteen lineages are named after dragons. This peak is formed by three precipitous peaks, rising abruptly from the ground in a "凸" shape, resembling a giant dragon raising its head when viewed from afar, hence its name.

[You and your party arrived, riding your magical artifacts, breaking through the clouds.]

[On Dragon Head Peak, twelve arenas were arranged according to the Heavenly Stems, named "Jia," "Yi," "Bing," and "Ding" in sequence. Clouds and mist swirled around the arenas, and the faint outlines of sword energy could be seen, indicating that a contest was already underway.]

The arena is surrounded by two tiers of viewing platforms: the upper jade platform is reserved for elders to watch the battles; the lower stone steps serve as a viewing area for disciples.

[Nie Qingzhu landed directly on the "C" shaped arena, which was the most crowded and lively compared to the other eleven arenas.]

[There were very few seats left on both the upper and lower levels, yet many disciples continued to arrive—for this competition was no ordinary event.]

Above the arena, two jade tablets floated in mid-air, each inscribed with one of the following: "Yaohua Peak - Phoenix Song" and the other "Dragon Scale Peak - Azure Peak."

The duel between these two top disciples from their respective lineages drew a large influx of disciples from their respective peaks.

The disciples of Yaohua Peak are mostly sword cultivators, dressed in plain clothes and jade belts, carrying long swords on their backs; while the disciples of Longlin Peak are all accompanied by a spirit beast.

The disciples of the two peaks each occupied one side, their gazes meeting and sparks flying, gradually escalating the tension in the arena.

You followed Nian Wubei and Nie Qingzhu up the steps to the second-floor viewing platform.

More than ten elders were already seated on the platform, most of whom were from the two peaks.

[One of the beautiful women, dressed in a crimson gauze skirt, paused slightly upon seeing your arrival, then immediately greeted you with a smile.]

"Senior Sister Nie, what a coincidence! It's been so long!" [You recognize this as Elder Tian Ru of Yaohua Peak, who accompanied Feng Qingge to Xiaoqing Peak to provoke them that day.]

Nie Qingzhu merely nodded slightly, not even giving him a proper look.

Tian Ru, however, was not offended; her eyes swept over you all with a quick glance.

Her gaze lingered on Nian Wubei for a moment longer, then she parted her lips slightly: "This must be Senior Brother Nian. It's truly a case of 'seeing is believing'."

[Nian Wubei seemed not to hear, standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed directly on the arena.]

Tian Ru turned to look at Nie Qingzhu, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Senior Sister Nie, have you come in person today to investigate the strength and weakness of my Yaohua Peak?"

She shook her head, feigning concern, "There's really no need to go to such lengths. After all, in our eyes, Aomine has never been any real opponent."

[At this moment!]

[A person walked quickly up behind Tian Ru, looking surprised and excited.]

"Yes, Junior Sister Nie."

Nie Qingzhu raised her eyes to look at the newcomer, giving him a brief, indifferent glance: "Senior Brother Chu Qiu."

The man strode forward; he was a tall, middle-aged man with a resolute appearance and an imposing presence that commanded respect even without anger.

This person is an elder of Dragon Scale Peak, possessing the Dragon Court Realm, and his name is Chu Qiu.

At this moment, Chu Qiu was somewhat flustered. "Junior Sister Nie, it's been years since we last met, and you're even more beautiful than before."

Nie Qingzhu said coldly, "Senior Brother Chu is the same."

"Really?" Chu Qiu's eyes lit up, and a smile bloomed on his usually resolute face. "I'm truly delighted to hear this from you, Junior Sister."

[As you followed behind Nie Qingzhu and the old man, you witnessed this scene and felt a strange sense of familiarity; it seemed as if that elder from Qiyun Peak was right before your eyes.]

[You've probably heard that Elder Nie has many suitors from various branches over the years, but she's always been focused on her sect's affairs and has never paid any attention to them.]

It seems that Elder "Chu Qiu" in front of us is one of them.

However, what would these elders think if they knew that Elder Nie liked to leave his clothes lying around?

After being snubbed, Tian Ru finally couldn't hold back and sneered, "Senior Brother Chu, you'd better not rush into reminiscing. Your Dragon Scale Peak's star disciple is likely to return defeated soon."

Upon hearing this, Chu Qiu's earlier unease vanished, replaced by a sharp look in his eyes: "The outcome is still undecided; Junior Sister Tian's words are premature."

He then changed the subject, "I've long heard about how you've repeatedly made things difficult for Junior Sister Nie. If it weren't for the sect rules..."

Tian Ru's eyebrows shot up in anger. "I'm making things difficult for her?"

She and Nie Qingzhu entered the mountains together as children and were originally close friends. However, every senior or junior brother she had even the slightest affection for treated Nie Qingzhu with the same devotion. This resentment had long since fermented into an unresolved knot in their hearts.

[Nie Qingzhu said calmly, "Junior Sister Tian and I are simply acting on behalf of our respective lineages; we have no personal grudges."]

Chu Qiu immediately chimed in, "Junior Sister Nie is right; you've always been so kind and generous."

Turning to Tian Ru, he put on a stern face: "Junior Sister Tian should really learn more from Junior Sister Nie."

Tian Ru turned pale with anger, snorted coldly, and stormed off. Nie Qingzhu watched her departing figure and gently shook her head.

Before long, several elders from Dragon Scale Peak also gathered around.

[Nie Qingzhu and Nian Wubei took their seats in the prepared chairs, while you stood quietly behind them.]

Chu Qiu bustled about, asking with concern, "Junior Sister Nie, is this seat suitable? If not, there are better seats in the middle."

"This is a specialty of my Dragon Scale Peak, the Green Spirit Fruit. Junior Sister, would you like to try it?"

"Junior Sister Nie, here are some local snacks. Do you see if they interest you?"

"Thank you, senior brother, but it's not necessary."

The elders of Dragon Scale Peak exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions all strange. Elder Chu, usually known for his serious demeanor, impassive nature, and decisive actions, was a prime example.

He busied himself around Nie Qingzhu, looking completely satisfied; he was a different person altogether.

[Nie Qingzhu suddenly looked up at you, her tone softening unconsciously: "Zhou Jing, you don't need to stand, go find a seat."]

You bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Elder, but this disciple does not need it."

Seeing you still standing quietly behind her, dressed in a simple blue robe, Nie Qingzhu recalled how you used to massage her shoulders to relieve her fatigue every time she went to the back mountain, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

In a daze, she had a ridiculous thought: Perhaps it would be time to give you a shoulder massage.

However, thinking of the undergarment she had lost, her ears suddenly turned slightly red.

Thinking this, she was completely unaware that Chu Qiu was still trying to win her over.

Suddenly, a clear and melodious bell sound was heard.

[A commotion also arose on the arena, where a Dragon Court Realm elder stood solemnly as the presiding officer.]

To prevent his disciples from losing control of their strength during the fight, the elder's expression was exceptionally solemn. After all, the two on the stage were both direct disciples treasured by their respective lineages.

On the eastern steps, Feng Qingge's fiery red hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her figure graceful, and she held a slender longsword in her right hand.

[On the west side steps, Cang Song, dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, strode forward, a majestic eagle perched on his shoulder.]

As soon as the two appeared, cheers erupted from the stands.

The lower-level disciples' seats were already packed, and those who arrived later could only squeeze into the aisles, craning their necks to watch. Some even flew in mid-air on their magical artifacts, just to catch a glimpse of the battle.

The two stood facing each other, performing the proper courtesies.

"Yaohua Peak, Phoenix's Clear Song."

"Dragon Scale Peak, Azure Mountain."

On the arena, which was five zhang in diameter, the presiding elder flicked his sleeves and announced, "The competition begins!"

[The thunder falcon on Cang Song's shoulder suddenly took flight, its sharp talons tearing through the clouds, unleashing a torrent of lightning like a waterfall.]

He slapped his storage bag with his backhand, and a crimson mountain demon leaped out, sword in hand. Wherever the sword pointed, spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the ground.

Feng Qingge's slender fingers lightly caressed the sword hilt, her posture as elegant as if she were tuning a musical instrument.

Your eyes flickered as you looked at the slender, strange longsword—the very same "Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique" that had brought Lü Qingyu to her death.

In an instant, the spiritual energy in the arena froze, then surged wildly towards the still-unsheathed sword.

Feng Qingge took only half a step forward, her sword not yet drawn, yet the air on the entire arena seemed to solidify.

[The sword is about to be drawn!]

P.S.: I'll update more tomorrow and speed up this part of the story.

(End of this chapter)