The explosion of the talisman paper was not about its form, but the curse inscribed upon it. Thus, talisman cultivators are essentially a branch of witch cultivators, just as our talisman doctors are a type of witch doctor. You should study that knowledge.”
Zhu Yanyi seemed to still have the mood to teach others.
Shen Yang nodded slightly after listening, then turned to the judge beside him. “I lost.” He stepped aside.
“Very well. Rest for thirty minutes, then proceed to the second match: Zhu Yanyi versus Ouyang Tianyun,” the judge announced.
Ouyang Tianyun spoke slowly from the side. “My match with Zhu Yanyi need not happen. Skip it directly. I concede this round. So, after the thirty-minute break, I will face Shen Yang in the final match.”
Zhu Yanyi sighed. “I knew it. You people are irresponsible, pushing me forward while you hide. You heartless ones.” Her tone and expression were pitifully aggrieved.
Ouyang Tianyun grinned. “Fifteen, one must have a conscience. Who told you to shine so brightly in the preliminaries? So, let you take the champion title. See how good your senior brother is to you.”
“Heh, why not you take it?” Zhu Yanyi asked back.
Ouyang Tianyun sighed. “Because I am old. For people like us, participation is what matters.”
Zhu Yanyi: (⊙o⊙)…
Why did she find Ouyang Tianyun so annoying? Could she go over and beat her up?
If they were truly fighting, she could beat her openly. But now, it seemed unlikely. They simply didn’t want the championship and had given up directly.
Seeing their surrender, Zhu Yanyi sighed, said nothing, and waved her hand weakly. She moved to the side, pulled out a reclining chair, and lay down, humming softly, “Little cabbage, yellow in the field…”
The judges, seeing the Sage Academy had decided among themselves, raised no objection. They were tired of watching rock-paper-scissors anyway. Direct concession was fine.
Zhu Yanyi rocked in her chair, eating spirit fruits. When half an hour passed, Ouyang Tianyun and Shen Yang began their duel.
Their fight was interesting—one used talisman paper, the other kitchen utensils. However, Ouyang Tianyun’s cultivation was slightly higher, so he won.
Thus, Zhu Yanyi became the champion, Ouyang Tianyun the runner-up, and Shen Yang the third place. The competition concluded. After the awards ceremony, the specialty competition would begin tomorrow, where participants would compete using their unique skills.
Zhu Yanyi received her prize without much thought. As she prepared to leave, she sensed a disturbance in the air. She casually stuffed the prize into her storage ring, grabbed Ouyang Tianyun and Shen Yang—one by each hand—and flew backward rapidly. As she retreated, the podium behind them exploded with a loud boom.
“Damn, who is so wicked as to bury explosives under the podium?” Elder Wu said speechlessly.
Guan Feng and others rushed over. Fortunately, no one was on the podium, and Zhu Yanyi had been quick, so the three students were unharmed.
“Are you all right?” Elder Yi asked with concern.
“We are fine,” Zhu Yanyi replied. She looked up at the sky, sneering. “Do you think I am dead?”
She reached out and grabbed. With each grab, she pulled people down from the air, throwing them onto the ground.
“Come out yourselves, or I will catch you. Although I am impatient to catch these people, if you do not come out collectively, I will have to catch them one by one,” Zhu Yanyi said, seeming tired, addressing the sky.
A black flying boat appeared in the air, filled with black-clad figures. These people were wrapped tightly from head to toe, hiding their true faces. However, the black smoke emanating from their bodies indicated they were no good.
“Evil demons,” Elder Yi stated.
Zhu Yanyi complained disdainfully. “Why do evil cultivators always like black clothes? Can’t you change? Look at you, wrapped in black. It’s hard not to know you are black inside and out.”
“What does ‘black inside and out’ mean?” Cui Chang’an asked, not understanding.
Zhu Yanyi explained enthusiastically. “Outside black, no need for explanation. You see their black clothes, black head coverings, and black smoke. That is black. Inside black means they have black hearts and livers, no human appearance. Basically, they are bad people. ‘Black inside and out’ means they are all villains. Only villains like to be covered in black.”
“Oh,” Cui Chang’an nodded, understanding.
“Are you Zhu Yanyi?” One figure stepped out from the black-clad group. Her attire was identical to the others, except for two red threads embroidered on her black outer robe. She appeared to be the leader.
“Wow, my fame is so great? Even you black-clad people know me. It seems I am truly famous,” Zhu Yanyi said, her mind seemingly elsewhere.
“Zhu Yanyi, you have ruined our plans many times. Today, I will capture you and take you back for our Demon King to teach you a lesson,” the leader said.
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head. “You say capture, and I am captured? That depends on whether you can catch me. Besides, if I am caught so easily, I would lose face.”
“Do you think the people here can protect you? I admit you have experts here, but the people we brought are all at the late stage of Void Transformation. How many of you can handle us?” The leader’s tone was arrogant, as if he had already calculated their cultivation levels.
“Void Transformation? Indeed, a good cultivation level,” Zhu Yanyi sighed. “I always thought I needed a quiet place to advance. But now, it seems unnecessary.”
Zhu Yanyi stepped forward. Her fingers moved rapidly, tapping various points on her body. Finally, she slapped her own Heavenly Gate. Everyone was startled. They noticed a powerful aura beginning to radiate from beneath Zhu Yanyi’s feet.
“Fifteen is advancing,” Yi Yunfei said urgently, arranging everyone to gather around Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi closed her eyes. She no longer concealed her cultivation. Everyone could clearly see her true level.
“She is a Martial Cultivator and a Heart Cultivator. She truly advanced through internal energy. She is at the peak of Approaching Dan stage. Now, she is breaking through to Void Transformation.”
Only then did Guan Feng and others realize Zhu Yanyi’s true cultivation.