I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

Mingxuan seemed slightly puzzled by Ye Qiao's words. "What do you mean?"

Adding a duck would make it seem more friendly? Was Ye Qiao serious about that?

Ye Qiao smiled slightly: "Guess."

Mingxuan's eyes were filled with confusion; he couldn't understand it.

In the end, the other three sects chose to abstain, leaving only the Changming Sect and the Wenjian Sect to participate in the competition.

The two outfits, one red and one white, were clearly distinguishable.

The young prince looked up, stared at them quietly for a few seconds, and said in a serious voice, "The two strongest sects among the five sects are actually your sect."

As far as he knew, only the strongest sects were qualified to compete to determine a winner; one was the Sword Inquiry Sect, and the other was surprisingly the Everlasting Brightness Sect. This was beyond his expectations.

His father had also said that one should not make enemies of the strong.

"Stop using 'yours' all the time." Mu Chongxi turned her head and corrected him: "We are from the Changming Sect."

The young prince thought for a moment, considering Ye Qiao's words, and nodded to show his friendliness: "I know, duck."

"..." Mingxuan was stunned for a moment, then almost burst out laughing and fell to the ground.

He finally understood the purpose behind Ye Qiao's inexplicable statement: Did she find it so enjoyable to deceive honest people?

The conversation below did not escape the ears of the sect leaders at the head of the table. Qin Fanfan hesitated, "Why does this little prince talk like that...?" Stupid.

The sect leader of the Sword Inquiry Sect twitched his lips, glanced at the group of disciples below, and after a moment of deduction, concluded: "He must have learned it from Ye Qiao!"

If something seems amiss, it must be because Ye Qiao taught me.

The sect leader of the Sword Inquiry Sect solemnly instructed the cultivators beside him, "Tell him to spend less time with Ye Qiao these next few days."

After all, the Dragon Clan's crown prince has been corrupted by Ye Qiao. They won't be able to explain themselves when they return.

Once on the competition platform, the two stood in their respective positions and briefly discussed their partners. The platform was large, providing ample space for them to compete separately.

Surprisingly, in the end, Changming Sect entrusted Xue Yu to Mingxuan for protection.

It should be noted that Ye Qiao or the other two are more suitable to protect Xue Yu than Ming Xuan, a mere talisman cultivator.

"The actions of the Changming Sect are truly always beyond our expectations."

Qin Huai analyzed the situation rationally: "Changming Sect is at a disadvantage this time."

Zhou Xingyun was fighting two opponents at once, Ye Qiao and Ye Qinghan, and Ming Xuan was also dragging along a pill cultivator. Only Mu Chongxi was in a slightly better situation, as he and Chu Xingzhi were evenly matched and neither could gain the upper hand.

Duan Hengdao shook his head, "Not necessarily." Pill cultivation is not the same as being completely useless.

The key point is that weapon crafting and alchemy have similar functions; both provide equipment. Denying the function of alchemy is not the same as weapon crafting, and therefore weapon crafting is useless.

"I wonder what Changming Sect's strategy is this time."

Shen Ziwei stroked her chin. "Based on my observations of them over this long period, they're quite adept at playing the game. I hope they can win this time. At the very least, we can't let this opportunity slip away to the Sword Inquiry Sect."

To be fair, the Sword Inquiry Sect is indeed not as popular as the Changming Sect.

"To entrust a pill cultivator to a talisman cultivator for protection, I don't understand." Song Hansheng's eyebrows drooped as he pondered, "Could it be a deliberate provocation?"

Forgiveness was the only intention he could think of from the Changming Sect.

It's as if they feel uncomfortable if they don't do something disgusting to their opponents.

*

Ye Qinghan made a hand seal, and the advanced sword technique was formed. He held the Broken Water Sword in his hand, seemingly without any effort. He truly deserved to be the number one swordsman of the Sword Inquiry Sect.

"Ye Qiao, your opponent is me." Ye Qinghan lowered his icy blue longsword to block her, his voice indifferent.

The remaining two members of the Sword Inquiry Sect are also difficult to deal with.

Individually, they are quite unremarkable, but when they join forces, they can fight opponents of higher realms.

Even Zhou Xingyun couldn't quickly decide the outcome of a one-on-two battle. Team battles are even more unpredictable, and no one can guarantee what the opponent's next move will be.

Mingxuan walked onto the stage with a pained expression, and his face fell even more when he saw his opponent.

I wish you well.

A protégé whose strength is by no means weak.

Moreover, at times, this junior sister of the Sword Inquiry Sect is quite cold and decisive. When the sword cultivators start fighting, they are still politely probing each other, but Zhu You directly draws her sword and strikes his vital points.

Showing mercy to Fu Xiu is tantamount to sowing the seeds of disaster.

Zhu You knew this principle well: she absolutely could not give Ming Xuan any chance to set up an array. With a flick of her wrist, her sword flashed and her face turned extremely cold.

As the defensive talisman in his hand was shattered by the girl Luo Shui's sword more than a dozen times, Ming Xuan's expression gradually turned cold.

The sword wind pierced through her arm without mercy, but Mingxuan remained calm. With a flick of his finger, six talismans floated from his sleeve, surrounding the girl.

Zhu You's vision was distracted by several talismans. The talismans formed a pale golden halo that suddenly tightened. With quick reflexes, he shattered one of them and used his sword energy to break the talisman in front of him.

Taking this opportunity, Mingxuan and Xue Yu shrank back.

The two exchanged a few words.

As the saying goes, "Better to die a friend than a poor monk."

Mingxuan said sincerely, "Go to hell, Third Junior Brother, I will avenge you."

Xue Yu quickly replied, "Thank you."

But he still wanted to struggle a little.

Moreover, their arrangement wasn't intentional; they weren't trying to court death or provoke the Sword Inquiry Sect. This time, there was a genuine plan.

Ye Qinghan really wanted to win.

He didn't care about manners at all and immediately picked Ye Qiao, whom he wanted to fight the most.

The moment the duel began, the two clashed. The young man's cold, sharp eyes flashed with a chilling light, and with each downward thrust, his sword pressed ever tighter. The force of the blow, combined with the power of his sword technique, caused the ground beneath Ye Qiao's feet to sink slightly.

Ye Qiao activated her precognitive inheritance and took the initiative to defend. Sword energy filled the Unseen Lord in her hand, and black threads invisible to the naked eye intercepted and stopped the sword energy at a vital point.

"It is the sword intent of the founder of the Sword Inquiry Sect."

In terms of sword techniques, the two sects each have their own characteristics. Zhou Xingyun used the sword intent that best suited the founder of the Changming Sect. The young man's sword was as clear as the wind and as bright as the moon, and the light and sharp sword energy knocked the two sword cultivators to the edge.

"It's a bit strange that the founder of Changming Sect didn't choose Ye Qiao?" Chengfeng Sect members clicked their tongues in amazement.

When Qin Huai returned to the sect, he had already told them what had happened at the inheritance site. Ye Qiao had obtained the Precognition system, which was frankly a bit unexpected for them.

"Perhaps it's not necessary."

If the Lord of the Common People truly wants Ye Qiao to bear his will, he should consider whether the Heavenly Dao is willing.

In this situation, Ye Qiao can only be described as both lucky and unlucky, as he couldn't even obtain the inheritance from his own ancestor.

The Luoshui Sword's form is ever-changing, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Zhu You was clearly not a fool; she kept a close eye on Ming Xuan's movements. In their duel, the talisman cultivator was completely one-sidedly controlled. She didn't take Xue Yu seriously. As long as the most troublesome Ming Xuan was out of the game, Ye Qiao, who was classified as a sword cultivator and not allowed to use talismans and formations, would be much easier to deal with.

Xue Yu dodged left and right, avoiding the thrusting swords. The Changming Sect may not be good at much else, but their dodging skills are maxed out.

Stepping lightly on the breeze, her figure ethereal, Zhu You missed several attacks in a row, then turned to attack Ming Xuan.

Mingxuan unfolded his folding fan and swayed slightly at his fingertips, sending out engraved spell seals. The powerful spell seals scattered and injured Zhu You.

Zhu Youwei condensed, and there was even a curse mark.

This is what she dislikes about Fu Xiu; his methods are endless.

She formed a sword incantation, and a white sword shadow materialized, ready to send the two of them on their way at once.

"Xue Yu!" Mingxuan, whose eyes were darting around, suddenly shouted, "Make your move!"

Zhu You was slightly taken aback.

Xue Yu?

What would a mere alchemist like him do? Smash them?

With this somewhat nonchalant attitude, Zhu You was merely alert to the surrounding movements, lest Xue Yu suddenly rush up and smash her head a few times.

It wasn't until a sharp, piercing pain shot through her previously calm consciousness that Zhu You realized something was wrong. She instinctively assumed a defensive stance, only to be met with a barrage of Mingxuan talismans that lashed out at her face. The sharp talismans transformed into several vines that tightened around her wrists.

Zhu You gripped the sword tightly, unleashing a burst of intense light as it broke free from the talisman. Ming Xuan had been waiting for her to use this sword technique. The moment the sword slipped from her grasp, Zhu You realized something was wrong and instinctively turned her head to look. Ming Xuan cheerfully caught the Luoshui Sword and shamelessly tossed it into his storage pouch, right under Zhu You's dumbfounded gaze.

The boy turned his head and smiled, "Thanks."

He was extremely smug.

Zhu You's expression changed slightly as she suddenly understood the purpose of Changming Sect's grouping this time.

Lower their guard, then use a feint to steal their life-saving sword in one fell swoop?

She cursed countless times in her mind, her expression icy as she pulled out the long-lost Xuan Sword from her storage pouch, and said in a cold voice, "You're all dead."

Duan Yu was slightly surprised. "Is this the legendary divine sense attack? This is the first time I've seen it."

Xie Chuxue chuckled, "That's why you shouldn't underestimate alchemists."

The seemingly harmless alchemist possesses a spiritual sense far surpassing that of a sword cultivator.

The alchemists who have reached the Nascent Soul stage possess extremely strong offensive capabilities in their spiritual senses, but since all the disciples present were at the Nascent Soul stage, Xue Yu could only restrain them for a second or two.

For the other four, a second or two would be enough.

If we can't defeat them, can't we at least take their swords?

Ye Qiao remained on the defensive, and Ye Qinghan did not intend to give her much room to maneuver, forcing her to the edge of the arena. The sound of swords clashing and grinding filled the air, and a murderous aura emanated from them.

Just then, a sudden disturbance of consciousness occurred on the arena. The movements of the five members of the Sword Inquiry Sect, including Ye Qinghan, were all disrupted and brought to a standstill. Ye Qiao immediately struck Ye Qinghan in the abdomen, a cold light flashing as spiritual energy poured in and pressed down.

A sharp slash came, the sword aimed at his wrist. The fifth move of the Clear Wind Technique was too fast; Ye Qinghan used his sword to parry, but the power of this sword technique was so great that it caused the Broken Water Sword to slip from his hand.

Ye Qinghan didn't take it seriously and reached out to summon the spirit sword to his palm. Mu Chongxi, who was entangled with Chu Xingzhi, looked up, stepped on the wind, and kicked Chu Xingzhi in the chest with the force of the kick, leaving him halfway in the air. "Goodbye."

Having shaken off her troublesome opponent, Mu Chongxi made an unexpected sidestep towards the Broken Water Sword, sweeping it away with a swift kick and crashing into Ye Qiao in mid-air. Her voice was crisp and clear: "Junior Sister, catch!"

This was the solution they had agreed upon from the beginning.

A spiritual attack requires time to cover and precise control. Only Xue Yu, the only non-combatant, is most suitable to carry out a spiritual attack. Working with Ming Xuan can greatly reduce Xue Yu's threat level.

Ye Qiao snatched the Broken Water Sword and dodged to the ground. Three sword lights fell like thunderbolts, creating a blinding cold light.

A dazzling white sword light flashed as she flicked her wrist, the Water-Severing Sword stopping Chu Xingzhi's domineering sword energy. She sneered, "What? Are you angry now?"

The Broken Water Sword was exceptionally obedient under Ye Qiao's control, and Chu Xingzhi's face darkened when he saw this.

How dare this mere Broken Water Sword betray our senior brother!

After discussing for a long time, these people decided to have Xue Yu and Ming Xuan work together to distract the enemy, but their main goal was actually to steal the other person's natal sword?!

"So, it can be done like this?" The little dragon prince was dumbfounded. He had learned something new and quickly memorized this knowledge.

In team battles, you should first seize the enemy's sword so that the enemy has no sword to use.

"In fact, among our five sects, only the Changming Sect is like this." Fearing that the reputation of the five sects would be harmed again, the sect leader of the Wenjian Sect explained calmly.

Chu Xingzhi cursed, "You are shameless."

"Come here." Mu Chongxi beckoned to him with a provocative smile: "My natal sword is in my hand. Whoever snatches it wins."

He had to keep Chu Xingzhi in check, otherwise Chu Xingzhi would act recklessly like a mad dog, making it difficult for Ye Qiao to perform her duties.

Chu Xingzhi immediately forgot about his senior brother who had lost his natal sword, and pounced on him like a tiger, yelling, "You're asking for death!"

The interplay of snow-white sword light and red sword shadows, the direct confrontation between two disciples with the same lineage and realm, attracted the attention of many elders.

Even the young prince looked over, his chubby face slightly furrowed, "It is the heritage of our dragon clan."

The two fought with relentless force, so intense it made your teeth ache just listening to it.

So it seems that the cultivator's power is not as fragile and vulnerable as he had imagined.

The collision of their forces caused tiny cracks in the barrier, and the resulting devastating attack cracked the arena. The shockwave from the exploding ball of light forcibly separated the two inside, and neither can currently gain the upper hand.

Ye Qiao's actions were all about taking things by surprise. Ye Qinghan could imagine that Ye Qiao would retaliate ruthlessly when attacked by divine sense, and he had plenty of experience with this kind of thing.

Instead of making a move, they chose to join forces with Mu Chongxi to snatch the sword.

Ye Qinghan stared at the empty scabbard at his waist, his natal sword nowhere to be found, and for the first time in his life, he felt an urge to curse: "..."

Damn it, they're bandits.