A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

A torrent of moon-white water surged in from the west side of the square.

Hundreds of female disciples walked forward in a line, their steps light, their clothes fluttering in the morning breeze like butterfly wings.

They were all quite pretty, some with a cool and aloof demeanor and others with a gentle one, but each of them carried a sword at their waist and had a heroic air about them that only those who cultivated Taoism possessed.

The appearance of this team was like a splash of clear water on a dusty square.

The voices lowered, and thousands of eyes were drawn to them.

The male disciples craned their necks, their eyes wide with astonishment.

The female disciples whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with scrutiny and comparison.

Then, a figure walked out from the middle of the line.

Lu Xueqi.

The two words spread softly through the crowd, like pebbles thrown into a still pond, creating ripples in circles.

She walked at the outside of the group, her back ramrod straight, like a pine tree in the snow.

The body, wrapped in a moon-white Taoist robe, possessed breathtaking curves.

Her waist was very slender, and her chest was full; with every step she took, the fabric of her clothes rippled.

But the most striking thing was her face—her skin was as white as snow, and her eyebrows and eyes looked like they were painted on.

Her nose was straight, and her lips were as pale as cherry blossom petals.

The morning light shone on her face, making her skin glow like jade, so beautiful it seemed unreal.

But this beauty is cold and lifeless.

Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her gaze as clear and cold as the water in a mountain pool.

That aloof and unapproachable aura created an invisible wall between her and the noisy crowd around her.

To say she stands out from the crowd is an understatement; Lu Xueqi is practically living in another world right now.

"That's Lu Xueqi..."

"A genius who appears only once every hundred years on Xiaozhu Peak, the master of the Tianya Sword..."

"I heard she reached the ninth level of Jade Purity in just two years..."

A buzzing sound arose, interspersed with the sounds of swallowing saliva.

Some of the younger disciples were stunned, and almost dropped their swords.

Some people started tidying their clothes, trying to make themselves look presentable;

A few of the bolder ones even pushed forward, wanting to get a better look.

Zhang Xiaofan stood in the group at Dazhu Peak, his gaze fixed on Lu Xueqi.

After two years, she has indeed become even more striking.

It wasn't the fiery, vibrant beauty of Tian Ling'er, but rather the cool, aloof beauty of the moon.

This kind of beauty is even more domineering; even if she just stands there quietly, she can draw all the light away from the entire room.

He then recalled the nickname his readers had given her in his past life.

Naiqi.

The way she was addressed was so different from her current demeanor that Zhang Xiaofan almost burst out laughing.

Upon closer inspection, however, the Taoist robe did indeed conceal a figure far beyond that of someone his age.

With that icy face—no wonder he got that nickname.

Just then, Lu Xueqi suddenly turned her head.

Her gaze pierced through the distance of dozens of feet, past the throng of people, and landed precisely on Zhang Xiaofan's face.

Then she smiled.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and the corners of her eyes curved into a very shallow arc.

The ice and snow melt, and spring water begins to flow.

The laughter lasted only a very short time, so short it was like an illusion, but it really happened.

The square was in an uproar.

"She smiled! Lu Xueqi smiled!"

"Who are you laughing at? Are you looking at me?"

"Pah! They're clearly looking this way!"

A heated argument broke out, and the crowd began to stir.

Countless eyes swept across the square, trying to find the lucky guy.

Since Lu Xueqi joined Qingyun Sect, she has never shown a smile in front of others; this is something everyone knows.

But that smile, though it vanished in an instant, truly sent a shiver down the spines of everyone who saw it.

Soon, someone pinpointed the direction.

"It's over at Dazhu Peak..."

"That disciple with the monkey perched on his shoulder!"

"Zhang Xiaofan? The one who went mad from practicing qi deviation?"

The name spread, and the tone of the discussion changed.

What began as amazement and envy quickly turned into confusion and doubt, eventually settling into a sour jealousy.

"Why should I?"

"Someone whose cultivation is almost ruined..."

"Did Junior Sister Lu misjudge her?"

Zhang Xiaofan felt those piercing gazes, but his face remained expressionless.

He raised his hand and waved in Lu Xueqi's direction, the gesture as natural as greeting an old friend.

Lu Xueqi nodded in response, then turned her gaze away and walked towards Master Shuiyue of Xiaozhu Peak, who was already standing in front.

The whole process was very efficient and efficient, without any hesitation, which made everyone's heart skip a beat.

As she walked to Shuiyue Zhenren's side, Xiao Hui on Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder suddenly squeaked and turned into a gray shadow, darting away.

With a few leaps, the monkey landed precisely on Lu Xueqi's shoulder.

Lu Xueqi turned her head and looked at the furry little thing on her shoulder, her cold eyes softening for a moment.

"You still recognize me?"

She said her voice was clear and cold, but it carried a hint of warmth that was almost imperceptible.

Little Grey rubbed against her face.

Lu Xueqi reached out and patted the monkey's head, then looked up at Zhang Xiaofan: "Can I borrow it for a moment?"

"Whatever," Zhang Xiaofan smiled.

"That monkey is a fickle friend; he betrayed us long ago."

Lu Xueqi's lips curved into a smile again, but she didn't reply. She led Xiao Hui towards the back of Xiaozhu Peak's group.

Little Grey perched on her shoulder, grinning smugly at Zhang Xiaofan, as if to say:

Look, I've found a better owner.

Zhang Xiaofan shook his head and looked away.

"Brother Daren."

A gentle, soft female voice came from the side.

Zhang Xiaofan turned his head and saw Wen Min leading several female disciples from Xiaozhu Peak toward him.

Wenmin is quite pretty and has a gentle temperament.

At this moment, she had a faint smile on her face and her gaze was fixed on Song Daren.

Song Daren's body stiffened.

This usually steady and reliable senior brother blushed instantly.

He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, his lips moved, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a few words:

"Wen, Junior Sister Wen... It's been so long..."

He Dazhi was trying so hard to suppress his laughter that his shoulders were shaking.

Lu Daxin scratched his head blankly, not understanding what was going on.

Tian Ling'er's eyes sparkled, and she had an expression that suggested she was looking forward to a good show.

Zhang Xiaofan cleared his throat, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone around to hear:

"Senior Brother, didn't you say you hadn't seen Senior Sister Wenmin for sixty years, and that you missed her so much that you even called her name in your sleep?"

Silence as death.

Then, with a "pfft," someone burst out laughing.

Immediately afterwards, bursts of laughter erupted, even the female disciples of Xiaozhu Peak covered their mouths and chuckled.

Song Daren's face turned a deep shade of liver, and he stammered:

"Xiao Fan, don't talk nonsense! I... when did I..."

"On the fifteenth of last month, you were talking in your sleep, and I heard you."

Zhang Xiaofan said seriously, "You called out 'Wenmin' seventeen times, and 'Minmei' three more times."

"Hahahaha—" Du Bishu laughed so hard he slapped his thigh.

Song Daren wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Wenmin's cheeks flushed red, and she glared at Zhang Xiaofan reproachfully, but her eyes held an undisguised smile.

"Alright, alright, stop teasing him."

Wen Min stepped in to defuse the situation, and when she turned to Song Daren, her tone was very gentle.

"Good luck in the Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament!"

Song Daren nodded vigorously, unable to speak.

Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly came from the east side of the square.

Everyone turned to look.

The disciples of Dragon Head Peak entered.

The hundreds of people, all dressed in identical blue robes, moved in perfect unison, exuding a powerful aura.

The man at the front was tall and quite handsome; it was Qi Hao.

He walked at the front with his head held high and chest out, his gaze sweeping across the entire area, his brows carrying the unique arrogance of the chief disciple of Dragon Head Peak.

Xiao Yicai, who won first place in the previous Seven Veins Martial Arts Tournament, has not yet emerged from seclusion, so Qi Hao has naturally become the most favored favorite in this tournament.

This can be seen from the way the entire audience looked at him when he entered the arena—it was the look of someone looking at a strong person, a potential champion.

Qi Hao's gaze swept across the square and quickly locked onto a direction.

red.

Tian Ling'er's red dress was too eye-catching in the crowd, not to mention that she was already beautiful.

Qi Hao's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace unconsciously, walking straight towards Dazhu Peak.

He put on a polite smile, walked up to Tian Ling'er, and bowed his head slightly:

"Junior Sister Tian, ​​it's been two years, and you've grown even more beautiful..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Tian Ling'er looked up at him, her eyes looking at him as if he were a dirty thing on the side of the road.

"You pervert." Her voice was clear and crisp, with a strong penetrating quality.

"I don't know you, don't talk to me."

The air seemed to freeze.

Qi Hao's smile froze, his lips still curved upwards, but his eyes were completely dazed.

The expressions on the faces of the Dragon Head Peak disciples behind him were priceless.

Some people stared wide-eyed, while others opened their mouths to say something but swallowed their words back.

Many more people were desperately trying to suppress their laughter, their shoulders shrugging.

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment, then burst into suppressed laughter.

"Did you hear that? You pervert..."

"Qi Hao was publicly called a pervert?"

"That junior sister from Dazhu Peak is pretty hot!"

The murmurs and comments came like a tidal wave.

Qi Hao stood in the middle of the tide, his face turning from red to white, and then from white to green.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Tian Ling'er had already turned around and grabbed Zhang Xiaofan's arm:

"Xiao Fan, let's go, the air here doesn't smell good."

She pulled Zhang Xiaofan a few steps to the side, her movements as natural as if she were hiding from something dirty.

Qi Hao stood there, his fists clenched tightly inside his sleeves, his nails digging into his palms.

His gaze shifted from Tian Ling'er's face to Zhang Xiaofan's face.

Those eyes, which always held a gentle smile, were now churning with a chilling hatred.

It's all because of him.

Because of what Zhang Xiaofan said two years ago, because of those slanders,

That's why Tian Ling'er looked at him like that, and that's why she embarrassed him in front of everyone.

Qi Hao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger, and turned to walk back to the group on Dragon Head Peak.

His steps were still steady, and his posture was still upright.

But anyone could see that his composure had shattered into pieces.

Behind him, the disciples of Dragon Head Peak followed with their heads down, none of them daring to utter a sound.

The snickers in the square gradually subsided, but those gazes were still piercing Qi Hao's back like countless invisible needles.

On the Dazhu Peak side, Tian Ling'er released Zhang Xiaofan's arm and snorted, "Toad."

Zhang Xiaofan looked at her profile; the setting sun shone on her cheeks, and the fine downy hairs shimmered with a golden glow.

This senior sister, whom I grew up with, is incredibly protective of her own... showing absolutely no mercy.

He suddenly realized that the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament was much more interesting than he had imagined.