Bullying the Weak with Strength

The second round of the martial arts test was held again in the training grounds. Since Pei Huiyun was away on a journey, the event was presided over by Gong Yu.

Gong Yu, with a sword at her waist, moved slowly towards the training field. Dressed in red, her brows and eyes sparkled with vitality, alleviating some of the frailness that usually marked her appearance.

However, the disciples watching her take every step with a slight cough couldn't help but feel nervous for her.

Gong Yu's eldest disciple, Lu Yuheng, wore a worried expression and whispered, "I've prepared the medicine. Master, would you like to take it?"

She shook her head. "Yu is fine."

Then, Gong Yu lifted a drumstick and struck the gong with strength, officially starting the free-for-all battle.

The first to compete were the outer disciples, and for Ji Rong, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the outer disciples' contests.

But today was different, as an important character was supposed to make an appearance according to the plot...

Ji Rong scanned the crowded outer disciples, looking for the game's male protagonist.

Yes, Sword God, a popular game with a large following, was designed to appeal to a wide audience. The developers were keen to milk it for all it was worth, and to pass the approval process, they even created a male protagonist who served as a mere plot device.

Anyone who had played the game knew that while Ji Rong, the antagonist, had almost no connection with the heroine, the male protagonist, even though he had a vague connection with her, was essentially just there to support the Bai He couple.

Once Ji Rong activated the assistant hint box, every outer disciple had a large green NPC frame floating above their heads displaying their details.

Amidst all the green, the most eye-catching was a blinding red light.

The red light illuminated a seemingly inconspicuous, yet truly unremarkable young man.

Ji Rong closely observed the boy. He looked no older than the age when a young man first ties up his hair. Dressed in simple black robes, he appeared fairly handsome, though his eyes were slightly lowered, and he clutched his sword with a dull expression.

[Ye Chuyang, early-stage Spiritual Communication, naturally struggles to absorb Qi into his body, cultivation black hole.]

Ji Rong couldn't help but admire: no wonder he was the male protagonist of a cultivation game, clearly just out of the beginner's village with stats that were still pretty weak.

As she thought about this, she watched the male protagonist step onto the stage.

At that moment, Ji Rong didn't notice that someone had already sat beside her.

This person rested his chin on his hand, casually following her gaze toward the stage.

A disciple in extravagant clothes stood opposite Ye Chuyang, speaking mockingly: "Junior Brother Ye! Don't waste your time, you can't beat me, just surrender already."

Ji Rong chuckled. This cannon fodder NPC clearly didn't understand; even though the male protagonist's combat strength was low, defeating a weakling by surpassing levels was still no challenge...

Then she saw Ye Chuyang dumbly nod and say, "Hmm, I surrender."

Ji Rong: "?"

Come on, young man, you're the male protagonist.

She even wondered if it was because she had entered the game that the plot was becoming so absurd.

This was the first time Gong Yu had seen a disciple about to surrender as soon as they stepped onto the stage. She confirmed once again, "Are you sure you want to surrender?"

Ye Chuyang nodded.

The disciple opposite him was stunned for a moment, then arrogantly declared, "What a pity. I thought I'd get to defeat you, but you surrender so quickly. I guess trash is just trash after all."

Ji Rong couldn't help but feel pleased. The keyword "trash is just trash" had appeared, which meant the cannon fodder was about to meet their end...

But unexpectedly, Ye Chuyang's face became serious as he nodded again and said, "Hmm, I am trash."

With that, he calmly turned around, holding his sword as he walked away, not even looking at his opponent.

The entire arena erupted in an uproar.

Ji Rong became numb. She withdrew her gaze, her disappointment barely concealed.

Then she suddenly remembered that the male protagonist, in the original story, had met the heroine at Wan Yao Valley.

At that time, the heroine was still a silly, sweet girl. After hearing about the male protagonist's experiences, she had angrily condemned the actions of his senior brothers, while the male protagonist himself...

He had asked earnestly, "Were they really insulting me?"

The heroine couldn't believe it. They had already used his name to curse his family, didn't that count as an insult?

The male protagonist, looking at the heroine's expression, thought for a moment, then nodded. "I see, I understand."

Ji Rong fell silent.

The truth was simple: because Gu Baiyi hadn't followed the original plot, the male protagonist was still in an undeveloped state.

Just as Ji Rong was reflecting on the bizarre development of the plot, a gentle voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts: "Senior Sister, do you know that outer disciple?"

The voice was pleasant, and the expression was kind, yet something felt off. The person seemed to be on a path toward becoming dark and twisted.

Ji Rong turned to see Gu Baiyi sitting beside her. She shook her head and said, "I don't know him."

[Beep! Gu Baiyi's favorability -10]

Ji Rong: "..."

Was that so obvious?

Gu Baiyi let out a soft laugh and said with a hint of amusement, "Is that so? Senior Sister seemed quite focused on watching that disciple compete, almost like you were paying special attention to him."

"Just looking casually," Ji Rong replied.

"Just looking casually?"

Gu Baiyi watched Ji Rong's furrowed brows, and her tone unintentionally carried a hint of mockery. "I didn't know Senior Sister had such leisure to casually observe others."

Heh, there's much you don't know.

If you knew he was the tool-like male protagonist, you'd probably be watching him more closely.

Ji Rong replied coolly, "Even if I'm observing others, what does it have to do with Junior Sister?"

Gu Baiyi, who was always eloquent, found herself momentarily speechless.

Because Ji Rong was right. Even if she paid close attention to Ye Chuyang, it didn't concern herself.

Besides, Ye Chuyang was a slow-witted fool and not the type Ji Rong would be interested in.

Wait, even if Ji Rong were interested, what difference would it make to her?

Gu Baiyi squinted, a smile in her eyes. "Senior Sister is absolutely right, it really has nothing to do with me."

…

"Match 12: Inner Disciple Gu Baiyi wins!"

After the outer disciples' martial trials ended, it was time for the inner disciples' free-for-all. Ever since that purple shadow had jumped onto the stage, it had never come down.

Gu Baiyi, cutting through her opponents like slicing through vegetables, won twelve consecutive rounds. She had gone into a killing frenzy.

Since the free-for-all's points were doubled, her ranking soared to the top, and the number next to her name made the other disciples feel a sense of dread.

480 points.

A terrifying score that marked her as a relentless point machine.

Ji Rong watched Gu Baiyi, beaming with a smile as she knocked her opponent's weapon away with a single strike. She couldn't shake the feeling that this person's bloodthirst was palpable, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

She glanced at Mo Yan, standing at the edge of the stage, wondering when this little money-hungry disciple had offended the heroine.

Mo Yan was also confused. Participating in the free-for-all would grant 20 points, and she had only planned to earn a few by barely competing in the second round. Who knew it would turn out like this...

She surrendered and left the stage without experiencing much.

Seeing Gu Baiyi storming through the rounds, gaining momentum, Ji Rong wasn't at all worried. As long as she didn't go up against the mad heroine, she'd never lose.

However, since she had violated the rules yesterday and quit halfway through, had Yun Yang not given her a little friendship bonus for participation, she would have had the lowest score in the entire sect.

But Ji Rong was steady. She sat back, waiting for Gu Baiyi to exhaust everyone's energy, and then she would sweep in when the heroine's turn came to take the stage.

However, she didn't expect that the next challenger would be a formidable opponent...

"Hey, are you the one who has been driving Ji Rong back step by step?"

Gu Baiyi raised an eyebrow as she looked at the newcomer, but she didn't respond.

Ji Rong was speechless. This clueless young lady—what does "driving back step by step" even mean?

They'd been going back and forth, equally matched, okay?

Dou Weiyi took off her outer robe to reveal the fur lining beneath, then stood proudly with her sword and said to Gu Baiyi, "That silver-tongued Ji Rong is useless. Let me show you what I've got."

"Oh?" Gu Baiyi smiled and cupped her hands. "Then please enlighten me, Senior Sister Dou."

"The match begins!"

In an instant, the Hanshui Sword clashed with the Yinshuang Sword, and Gu Baiyi's expression remained calm, but the fire of battle burned in her eyes.

Though Dou Weiyi was one year younger than Gu Baiyi, she had already reached the early stage of Heart Seeking.

Silver Frost was a famous sword from the Western Region. When her father gave it to her, he had said, "In the past, your grandfather used Yinshuang to slay enemy generals. You, Weiyi, possess the same potential as our ancestors, so you must make good use of this sword."

Indeed, in her hands, the sword exuded an extraordinary aura. Each strike was sharp and direct, aiming for Gu Baiyi's vital points.

Gu Baiyi had already fought twelve grueling rounds with inner disciples, and her spiritual energy was nearly depleted.

Now, she was struggling, forced to retreat towards the edge of the stage by the relentless sword strikes.

Gu Baiyi's eyes darkened as she raised her sword to block the sword that Dou Weiyi was swinging at her.

Her old injuries hadn't healed, and the pain from the torn wounds caused beads of sweat to form on her forehead. Her purple robes were stained with blood, and her knees were buckling.

Dou Weiyi's gaze was filled with contempt as she looked down at her. "I thought you were impressive, but it seems you're just like the others."

Dou Weiyi was the daughter of Dou Changyuan, a prince of the Western Region. She had access to countless heavenly treasures, and Yinshuang Sword was ranked 17th in the Divine Sword Records.

If Gu Baiyi were at her peak, she could have defeated Dou Weiyi, but in her current condition, she would lose unless she used the Heavenly Demon Scroll or Feiyu.

Crash—

The Hanshui Sword fell to the ground, and as expected, Gu Baiyi was defeated.

Though unwilling, she would never use demonic cultivation techniques in front of so many people.

Her face pale, Gu Baiyi bent down to pick up the Hanshui Sword and calmly cupped her hands. "I lost."

Dou Weiyi's eyes burned with intensity, but she didn't reply. Instead, she bypassed Gu Baiyi and eagerly looked to the back.

Gu Baiyi squinted and turned around, seeing a woman with a calm expression standing behind her.

In silken robes as white as snow, her sleeves fluttering.

Ji Rong, holding the Qinghe Sword, raised her chin slightly and addressed Dou Weiyi, "Fight me."