Volume 7, Chapter 458 – The Fifth Round Draw

During the competition, Elder Zuo’s outrageous act of changing the rules mid-match spread throughout the entire prefecture within a single day. Anyone with half a brain could tell who this was targeting. Some reacted with scorn, while others remained silent.

Those who scorned were the common folk. Qi Huang had become their spiritual pillar. The cultivators, however, were the opposite. They eagerly wished for Qi Huang to be eliminated as soon as possible, so they turned a blind eye.

That said, whether silent or scornful, everyone questioned Elder Zuo’s methods. After all, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Qi Huang could no longer be defeated by mere numbers alone.

Because of this, the Juying Sect’s stance remained unchanged: if they drew Qi Huang, they would forfeit.

Meanwhile, the Immortal Alliance was already selecting their pawns. Naturally, they could only choose from the remaining Longchang Sect and Juying Sect.

“If both sects agree to cooperate with us, we’ll have room for error,” Steward Cai fantasized.

“Stop daydreaming. The Longchang Sect is out of the question. That Sixth Princess is dead set on a fair fight with Qi Huang. She’d never allow outside interference,” Elder Zuo immediately pointed out.

“Master, I’m not so sure. If she loses in front of everyone, it won’t just be her face at stake, it’ll be Poyun Peak’s, even the entire imperial family’s. So, no matter what method she uses to win, it’s better than losing. Should I go and try to persuade her?” Steward Cai still clung to hope.

“You really don’t understand Lin Ran. If she knew how to compromise, she wouldn’t have joined the Longchang Sect alone in the first place. If you try to persuade her, not only will you fail, but you’ll also expose our plans. For her own goals, she might even turn around and leak everything to the Honghua Sect.”

Elder Zuo, with his petty mindset, assumed Lin Ran would act the same way.

“Master’s foresight is impeccable.” Steward Cai had an epiphany, then asked, “Then our only hope is the Juying Sect? What if they get a bye next round? That little brat will just get another free pass to gloat.”

“Then make sure they don’t get a bye. Have them face the Honghua Sect. As the one in charge of the draw, can’t you even manage that?” Elder Zuo frowned.

“Understood.” Steward Cai nodded in acceptance.

Two days later, the fifth-round draw commenced.

The Juying Sect drew number 1, the Honghua Sect number 2, and the Longchang Sect number 3. According to the Evergreen Conference rules, the Longchang Sect became the lucky ones with a bye.

The Longchang Sect erupted in celebration, as if it were New Year’s. The reason was simple, they were a minor sect that had only made it this far thanks to Lin Ran. Now, they had advanced even further, it was as if the heavens had smiled upon them.

What they didn’t know was that this wasn’t divine favor, it was the Immortal Alliance’s deliberate arrangement.

On the other hand, the Juying Sect was the exact opposite. They had gotten exactly what they feared, leaving them disheartened and devoid of fighting spirit.

“The Juying Sect is screwed, they drew the Honghua Sect.”

“Can’t be helped. A one-in-three chance, either them or the Longchang Sect.”

“If I were them, I’d forfeit immediately. That demoness Qi Huang is ruthless. Last round, she sliced off the fingers of two Immortal Seeds from the opposing sect.”

“Exactly. Sacrificing the sect’s future for a bit of reward isn’t worth it.”

“But if they withdraw, the only ones left to stop Qi Huang will be the Longchang Sect. If Qi Huang takes first place, how are we cultivators supposed to face ourselves?”

Rеαԁ οn ΚаtRеαdіոɡСαfе

“What, you still believe in miracles? Have you seen Qi Huang’s previous performances? Who can possibly deal with her? Just wait until those low-blooded commoners start trampling all over us!”

“Not necessarily. I believe the Immortal Alliance will have a plan.”

“What plan? Increase the number to thirty? Even if you tied up every Immortal Seed here, Qi Huang would still thrash them like children. They’re just flailing in desperation.”

Cultivators from various sects pointed and gossiped, already writing off the Juying Sect before the match even began.

“Forget it. I’ll go tell Steward Cai we forfeit.”

Elder Ren of the Juying Sect grew increasingly disheartened by the chatter. In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and went straight to Steward Cai with the draw slip.

Qi Huang had been watching the Juying Sect from the shadows. Seeing this, the corners of her lips curled slightly. ‘It seems my ‘ruthlessness’ has indeed had a deterrent effect.;

“Look! The Juying Sect’s leader went to see Cai De!” Ruan Lingyu cheered at the perfect moment.

“He must be forfeiting. That means Juinior Sister Qi Huang can skip a round, and we can return to the Honghua Sect sooner.” Shen Yuan’s face lit up with joy.

“Junior Sister, weren’t you the one crying and begging to come to the Evergreen Conference? Now you want to go back already?” Yun Fei teased.

“I’m just worried about our friends from Shuiyu Valley! They’ll be arriving soon, we can’t afford to be impolite!” Shen Yuan quickly defended herself.

“Shuiyu Valley has no men. No matter how polite you are, it won’t help.” Su Qingying sneered from the side.

“You—! Looking for a beating, aren’t you?!” Shen Yuan flushed with embarrassment and immediately gave chase.

Meanwhile, Elder Ren had already found Steward Cai and stated his intentions.

“Elder Ren wants to forfeit? Have you considered this carefully? This is the fifth round. If you defeat the Honghua Sect, you’ll advance to the finals.”

Steward Cai feigned ignorance as he tried to persuade him.

“But how can we possibly defeat the Honghua Sect? A man must know his limits. Rather than humiliate ourselves, it’s better to forfeit early and cut our losses.”

Elder Ren spoke with clear rationality.

“Elder Ren, there’s no need for such despair. There is a way to defeat Qi Huang.”

Steward Cai spoke vaguely.

Reaԁ оn KatReаⅾіոɡCαfe

“What way?”

Elder Ren’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Have you forgotten my position? Even if I knew, I couldn’t possibly tell you.”

Steward Cai wasn’t foolish enough to openly reveal his schemes.

Elder Ren’s face fell with disappointment. After a moment of thought, realization dawned on him, and his eyes brightened again.

“My apologies, Steward Cai. I’ve changed my mind, I no longer wish to forfeit.”

“That’s more like it. The Evergreen Conference is a solemn event, how can you forfeit so casually?”

Steward Cai smiled in satisfaction.

Elder Ren clasped his fists in salute, then hurried away with the lot, his demeanor completely different from when he arrived. As if afraid Steward Cai might change his mind.

“Strange. That Juying Sect leader didn’t hand over the lot to Cai De.”

Ruan Lingyu spoke up, she had been keeping a close eye on them.

“Oh?”

Qi Huang was surprised and turned to look. The rest of the Honghua Sect followed suit.

“The lot is still in his hand.”

Xu Mei observed for a while before concluding.

“Weird. Why would he go back on his word?”

Wang Zong frowned.

“What’s even stranger is that Cai De actually allowed it.”

Cheng Hongling smirked, her tone laced with implication.

“No need to guess, Cai De must have fed him some nonsense to make him think he stands a chance.”

Yun Fei cut straight to the point.

“But what kind of nonsense could make him believe his Immortal Seeds can defeat someone with Divine Sense at the mid-stage Divine Realm?”

Ruan Lingyu glanced around inquisitively.

Rеαⅾ oո ΚatRеαԁiոɡCаfе

“No idea. But we’ll find out soon enough.”

Qi Huang took out her Shadow-Retaining Mirror and discreetly observed the Juying Sect. The scene inside immediately displayed their current situation.

“Elder Ren, did you return the lot to Steward Cai?”

Han Yu, the Juying Sect’s top Immortal Seed, asked.

“No. I brought it back.”

Elder Ren spoke while tightly gripping the slip, as if afraid someone might snatch it.

“Why? Did you also feel forfeiting would be too much of a waste?”

Han Yu assumed he was being clever.

“Yes, but more importantly, Steward Cai told me there’s a way to defeat Qi Huang.”

Elder Ren explained.

Hearing this, the Honghua Sect members all turned to Qi Huang, their faces filled with concern.

“What way?”

Han Yu asked excitedly. The surrounding disciples also crowded around, their expressions hopeful.

“He didn’t tell me!”

Elder Ren answered truthfully.

“Huh?!”

The Juying Sect disciples exchanged bewildered glances. ‘If he didn’t tell you, why even bring it up?’

“Tch!”

The Honghua Sect members all rolled their eyes.

“Steward Cai is an Immortal Alliance official, of course he couldn’t tell me directly. But you all know his grudge with Qi Huang. Since he said so, he’ll definitely find a way to let me know.”

Elder Ren elaborated further.

“That makes sense.”

The Juying Sect disciples nodded inwardly.

Reαԁ оո ΚаtReaⅾіnɡCаfe

“Elder, is it possible he’s just using us as tools against Qi Huang? Maybe he’s lying to trick us.”

One disciple voiced his unease.

“It’s fine. Let’s wait and see. If we still haven’t heard anything by the day of the match, we can forfeit then.”

Elder Ren reassured them.

Qi Huang put away the Shadow-Retaining Mirror. Scanning her surroundings, she noticed the worried expressions on the Honghua Sect members’ faces.

“Don’t worry. I’ll investigate this beforehand. I want to see what other tricks that old bastard has up his sleeve.”

She quickly reassured them.

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Chief Steward Zhong was reporting the Evergreen Conference’s developments to Emperor Lin Tu.

“Your Majesty, the fifth-round draw results are out. The Longchang Sect, where Her Highness the Sixth Princess is, received a bye.”

“Oh? Little Ran’s luck isn’t bad.”

Lin Tu’s lips curled slightly before he ordered, “But she’ll still have to face that Imperial Consort candidate in the end. Deliver my decree: in the final round, she is only permitted to win. If she disgraces the imperial family, she need not return to the palace.”

“Uh…”

Chief Steward Zhong hesitated before mustering the courage to remind him, “Your Majesty, forgive this old servant’s impertinence, but judging by Qi Huang’s displayed strength, the Sixth Princess stands no chance.”

“It doesn’t matter. With her intelligence, she’ll find a way.”

Lin Tu remained unmoved. The Imperial Consort selection had already humiliated him, he couldn’t possibly tolerate his daughter losing to Qi Huang as well.

“But what if she can’t? This concerns the imperial family’s dignity.”

Chief Steward Zhong pressed cautiously.

“If she can’t… then you’ll help her. Do you understand what I mean?”

The smile vanished from Lin Tu’s face, replaced by a sharp glint in his eyes.