The Immortal Games were held every two years with great fanfare. When news spread that the Tai Chu Sword Sect would participate, it caused an unprecedented sensation.
The Games would be hosted at the Xuanling Sect, and all the major sects would gather at that time.
Tang Jie rushed to the Tai Chu Sword Sect to meet Lin Wanyu.
"Master, everything is prepared according to plan. At the Immortal Games, we'll eliminate those meddlesome old fools in one strike. They haven't fully recovered from their injuries at the Ling Wang's Tomb, and their remaining juniors are worthless - annihilating them will be a piece of cake. Tang Jie said fiercely, but then his expression turned worried. "However, Song Juyao and the Tai Chu Sword Sect are the biggest variables in our plan. We may need to deal with them first."
When they had made their plans earlier, they hadn't anticipated the Tai Chu Sword Sect would suddenly rise, and rise so thoroughly, especially Song Juyao. She was so scary. With her around, their plans might not succeed so easily. She had already cut down their previous evil qi dolls.
Lin Wanyu wheeled himself to the window. Tang Jie stood behind him, not noticing his fingers fidgeting anxiously.
Tang Jie continued, lost in his own thoughts, "You're already inside the Tai Chu Sword Sect, and they're completely off guard around you. Perhaps you have an opportunity to make some moves?"
Lin Wanyu looked at Tang Jie. "What do you want me to do?"
"Master, our secret agent has received some news." Tang Jie leaned in to whisper in his ear.
Lin Wanyu frowned. "Absurd."
"I also find it absurd, but the various sects seem quite convinced and are preparing to take action at the Immortal Games."
"Heh, righteous sects indeed." Lin Wanyu sneered, his eyes cold as ice.
"Indeed. These supposedly orthodox sects commit just as many dirty deeds behind closed doors as the unorthodox paths - they just pretend to be loyal and righteous on the surface. But if this is true, it can only benefit us. Master, perhaps you can fan the flames when the time comes."
"National Teacher." Song Juyao's voice came from outside the courtyard.
Lin Wanyu immediately looked at Tang Jie, who quickly took his leave.
Song Juyao watched the middle-aged man leave, then turned and entered the courtyard with Jiang Baiqi.
Lin Wanyu was brewing tea under the corridor, his movements were elegant, and his downcast face beautiful and enchanting. Song Juyao sat across from him. "He left so quickly?"
"Just reporting some trivial matters." Lin Wanyu smiled, placing a jade-green glass teacup before Song Juyao. His gaze swept over the Jianxue sword at her side.
"Oh." Song Juyao passed the tea to "Jiang Baiqi" beside her.
The fox, putting on a well-behaved look, held the teacup and sipped slowly.
Song Juyao sat very close to the body, unconsciously displaying intimacy. Thighs touched thighs, shoulders brushed against shoulders. Watching this, Lin Wanyu suddenly felt extremely irritated and uncomfortable. She had no idea who really shared her bed every night, doing those unspeakable things... He also couldn't understand what Song Juyao saw in Jiang Baiqi's body, or perhaps it wasn't attraction at all, but some other motive.
Recently, countless orthodox practitioners had shamelessly come asking to borrow Jiang Baiqi, from Master Qiu to Master He, even sending important figures as mediators - all were flatly rejected by Song Juyao. Though she invited them to the Wellness Hall instead, those people must harbor resentment, thinking this junior was too arrogant and disrespectful.
Lin Wanyu watched from the side, sometimes feeling that she truly liked him, until the sensation of his body sinking uncontrollably startled him awake.
Being able to spot Jiang Baiqi at a glance didn't mean he was special to her. Her Jianxue sword could naturally detect evil energy, and since the evil energy in Jiang Baiqi's body couldn't be purified even after a year, finding him wasn't difficult with Jianxue around.
Lin Wanyu lowered his eyes and said, "You seem unusually interested in Jiang Baiqi, not like someone who's just watching over him."
"You noticed?" Song Juyao showed no sign of embarrassment.
"I'm probably not the only one. Everyone in your sect must have noticed. I don't quite understand - what do you like about him?" The people of Tai Chu Sword Sect just didn't dare to say it, and her Second Senior Brother had been giving Jiang Baiqi's body the cold shoulder for a long time.
"You don't need to understand that." Song Juyao handed over her empty teacup, gesturing with her eyes for him to refill it.
Lin Wanyu poured her another cup, "I'm curious about Jianxue. May I take a look at it?"
Song Juyao: "No, this is my life sword. How could I casually let others examine it?"
Lin Wanyu: "..."
That evening, when Lin Wanyu returned to his own body, he asked Song Juyao if he could look at Jianxue.
Song Juyao: "What's wrong with that? Look all you want."
"..." How can she be so hypocritical? But the feeling of frustration disappeared, suddenly replaced by sweetness.
The CP fans were also moved to tears by the sweetness.
【She refuses everyone else everything, but gives Qiqi anything he wants】
【The empire's famous double standard, haha】
Lin Wanyu examined Song Juyao's sword and discovered it was indeed unusual. The materials used included expensive and rare spirit-absorbing stones, and it was embedded with the Qi Zong Sect's unique technique—a spirit-absorbing array formation. As the name suggests, Song Juyao's sword could automatically absorb spiritual energy from the air, making it practically a divine weapon.
Thinking back to how Song Juyao had been criticized for spending money like water during her ten years at Tai Chu Sword Sect, if the money was used to create this sword, it was understandable. Without spirit mines, these materials had to be sought out individually, and the Qi Zong Sect would certainly charge an astronomical fee for such a commission.
Those orthodox sects were secretly plotting to make Song Juyao reveal her true colors at the Immortal Games in front of the whole country. They would likely try to make her lose Jianxue.
Lin Wanyu thought about this. He frowned and a trace of hostility flashed in his eyes. These so-called righteous sects really deserved to die.
Song Juyao reached out, took the sword from his hands, put it aside, and pulled him up from the bed, "Ah-Qi, let's take a bath together."
Lin Wanyu's ears immediately turned red, and he struggled slightly, "Don't be like this..."
Song Juyao raised an eyebrow, her eyes curved in a smile. "Like what?"
"... Indulgence hurts the body."
"...Ah, you have a point." Song Juyao paused, nodded, "Then I'll go by myself."
She let go of him and went into the bathroom.
Song Juyao's quick acceptance left Lin Wanyu feeling somewhat disappointed. After a while, he stood up, shuffled over, and opened the unlocked bathroom door, slipping inside.
And then it was mosaic time again.
The audience was used to this, though some felt Song Juyao and Jiang Baiqi's relationship was developing too quickly. But they rationalized it themselves.
In this season, Song Juyao grew up in a different environment and was so strong. In this world where the strong reign supreme, Song Juyao was naturally more domineering and straightforward than in the previous two seasons. What's wrong with going for what she likes? Never mind in a virtual world like this, in the real world, wealthy women pursuing young attractive men with money happens all the time, let alone someone as beautiful and powerful as Song Juyao.
Song Juyao ao was still so loyal, exclusively doting on Jiang Baiqi, making others incredibly envious and jealous.
Little did they know that Song Juyao hadn't lost her memories. Her relationship with Jiang Baiqi was continuous from her perspective; they had been together for two seasons. This time, with Jiang Baiqi by her side so early, it would have been difficult to start from the ambiguous phase again, so it made sense that her character setting allowed her to get straight to the point.
The third season didn't leave her much time. She wasted a lot of time after several restarts. Now the livestream was already in its latter half.
After turning off the lights, Song Juyao fell asleep using her arm as a pillow.
Jiang Baiqi returned to Lin Wanyu's body, suppressing the restless soul inside. In the cold room, his passionate feelings gradually subsided, and the feeling that he might really be loved by Song Juyao, which he had allowed himself to indulge in, was denied again.
If Song Juyao truly had a dead spirit root, then her wanting his heart made more sense. With his heart, she could become a true cultivator.
Once this speculation arose, his heart suddenly felt both lost and at ease. Compared to Song Juyao loving him unconditionally, her having a purpose for loving him seemed to give him more security.
The fox's voice was somewhat weak: [If you had come back any later, I wouldn't have been able to hold him back]
If you can't suppress him, then don't suppress him...
This thought suddenly appeared in his mind - after all, as long as he had his heart, Song Juyao would continue to love him. But he quickly came to his senses.
[You absolutely cannot drop the ball at the crucial moment. How many years have we planned? Think about how those famous and upright sects treated you?]
Lin Wanyu closed his eyes, hatred surged in his heart, and he clenched his fists tightly.
……
Two days before the Immortal Games began, various sects gathered at Xuanling Sect, with reporters from major news stations arriving and helicopters filming from above.
When the sword cultivators from Tai Chu Sword Sect flew in, all cameras turned to them at once, showing how much attention they were getting. However, Song Juyao was not seen, which disappointed many people.
"Isn't Goddess Yao coming?"
"With her strength, I don't think anyone is qualified to compete with her."
"She could at least come as a spectator..."
"Suddenly lost interest in the Immortal Games without seeing her..."
Fortunately, they soon saw Song Juyao and the others arrive by bus.
When Song Juyao and Lin Wanyu appeared, they immediately drew everyone's attention. When photos were posted online, netizens began shipping them.
[What a divine couple!]
[They match so perfectly!!!]
[The Song family seems to really like the National Teacher. Could they already be... in private?]
Jiang Baiqi was actually present in all those photos, but netizens completely ignored him.
Lin Wanyu sat in his wheelchair, reading these comments, his face cold as ice.
"Juyao, I'll lead the way for you." Qin Mei came to receive Song Juyao and Bei Jiayuan, all smiles, seemingly having forgotten the embarrassment Song Juyao had caused them when they met last time.
Naturally, Song Juyao wouldn't bring it up either. As a big shot, she didn't need to remember such trivial matters.
Qin Mei watched Song Juyao's proud, straight back and thought: Just you wait and cry!
Lin Wanyu looked up to find himself being wheeled in a different direction, separating from Song Juyao. "What's happening?"
The Xuanling Sect disciple leading the way was confused. "National Teacher, we are taking you to your residence."
"What about Miss Song?"
"Miss Song is arranged in the female disciples' dormitory area."
Lin Wanyu fell silent.
The Xuanling Sect was vast and wealthy. Though Song Juyao had split one of their peaks, they still had enough space to accommodate so many people and host the Immortal Games. Of course, this was also because there weren't as many cultivators as there were ordinary people. Unlike sporting events in the ordinary world, there weren't that many spectators, so the venue didn't need to be particularly large.
Song Juyao was naturally arranged in the same courtyard with her family members Bei Jiayuan and Jiang Baiqi. Bei Jiayuan excitedly circled around Song Juyao. "Yaoyao, so this is the world of immortal cultivation! It's so magical - the air feels so good, my mind is so clear. You're also a cultivator, how does it feel to you?"
"I don't feel anything special." Song Juyao said.
"How can you not feel anything? Ah, I understand. You're a heavenly spiritual root. For a genius like you, everything comes naturally, so you don't feel anything special, right?" Bei Jiayuan said while studying Song Juyao's expression.
But Song Juyao's expression remained calm, showing no reaction at all.
Two nights before the Immortal Games began, the Xuanling Sect was very lively with various sects visiting and mingling with each other. Only the Tai Chu Sword Sect was isolated. No one played with them, since they refused to join the Immortal Alliance.
The senior and junior brothers of the Tai Chu Sword Sect were also indignant, rolling their eyes repeatedly as if they couldn't care less about playing with the others. They simply rode their swords flying through the sky, even starting to play football in the air, causing the netizens watching to exclaim in amazement. Meanwhile, the other sect disciples laughing and chatting below suddenly found themselves unable to laugh anymore.
Why? Why is there such a huge gap between cultivators? Why can sword cultivators fly? They also really wanted to join the Tai Chu Sword Sect and become sword cultivators! Unfortunately, their sects wouldn't erase their imprints to let them join other sects.
"Hey, Ah Mao, you used to be from the Tai Chu Sword Sect, right?" Suddenly, a Tai Zhen Sect disciple asked a young man.
Others looked over and recognized him as Mao Yuan, one of Tai Zhen's famous disciples. Mao Yuan was good-looking with decent talent, considered one of relatively outstanding disciples in the Tai Zhen Sect. These days, major sects would promote their good-looking and capable disciples, and Mao Yuan was one of those being promoted.
Being looked at like this, Mao Yuan felt extremely embarrassed. A flash of hatred for that senior brother flashed through his heart, and he also blamed his parents.
It turned out Mao Yuan was that disciple whose parents had come making a fuss when Song Juyao first returned to the sect with the First Senior Brother, demanding the sect erase his imprint and pay compensation.
Originally, he didn't feel he owed the Tai Chu Sword Sect anything. After spending so many years at the Tai Zhen Sect, whenever he thought of the Tai Chu Sword Sect, he felt fortunate to have left - otherwise, how could he have such good days now.
However, who would have thought the Tai Chu Sword Sect would suddenly rise up, becoming an existence that all disciples of the Immortal Alliance secretly envied, just couldn't say it out loud. They could fly and were incredibly powerful, using killing to stop killing - damn, they were so cool!
Mao Yuan's past was also dug up, and he suddenly became the target of group mockery. Before, others said he was smart for cutting his losses early, running away after discovering he'd been deceived by the Tai Chu Sword Sect. Now, it became a case of him being blind to Mount Tai, lacking the fortune to be part of it.
Just then his phone rang. He saw that it was a voice message from his mother. Opening it, he heard her telling him to take the opportunity to build a good relationship with the Tai Chu Sword Sect and see if he could secretly learn something from them.
He angrily turned off his phone. If not for their shortsightedness, he would be flying in the sky now too, an envied member of the Tai Chu Sword Sect!
Soon after, another group of people as regretful as Mao Yuan arrived - the other sword sects. They were too weak to qualify for the Immortal Games and came as spectators, as the Games welcomed all the righteous cultivators as audience members.
Back then, the Tai Chu Sword Sect had planned to help them all fly together, but they refused and even blamed Song Juyao for being too arrogant and dragging them down, causing them to be scolded as well. Now, they finally understood and could only weep.
The Tai Chu Sword Sect's lodgings finally became lively, though they didn't dare disturb Song Juyao - her temperament was well-known by now, and word had quietly spread about her splitting the Xuanling Sect's peak. Who would dare provoke this boss?
But there were exceptions - several female sword cultivators came. Song Juyao ignored them, playing with Jiang Baiqi inside. Bei Jiayuan enthusiastically went to receive them, then came back saying. "Yaoyao, you should still go meet them, otherwise they'll say we're too arrogant."
"I don't have the qualification to be arrogant?" Song Juyao said, applying lipstick on Jiang Baiqi's lips while he wore a look of resignation. The fox had called him back, but he wouldn't listen.
"Well, not exactly, but you know what they say about not hitting a smiling face. Just go meet them, okay?"
Bei Jiayuan kept insisting until Song Juyao looked at her and stood up, instructing Jiang Baiqi: "Wait for me here, don't run around."
Song Juyao turned and left, and only then did Jiang Baiqi switch back with the fox.
When Song Juyao wasn't going out, her sword, Jianxue, would always be placed on the sword rack. Now, going out to the living room to meet people, she didn't bring her sword with her.
As Bei Jiayuan slowly walked out, she kept staring at that sword, her throat bobbing nervously. The fox watched her eyes and suddenly realized what she wanted to do. It immediately stood up, passing Bei Jiayuan to chase after Song Juyao.
Bei Jiayuan felt a gust of wind pass by, and when she looked again, she found that Jiang Baiqi had left. She immediately turned and ran to the sword rack to take down Jianxue.
"Bang!" Unexpectedly, though Jianxue looked light and delicate, seeming as effortless as chopsticks in Song Juyao's hands, it was actually incredibly heavy - it immediately hit the ground, nearly breaking Bei Jiayuan's arms. "Oh my..."
She simply sat on the ground, gripping the scabbard between her legs, and used all her strength to pull out Jianxue. From her pocket, she took out a small bottle and poured a water-like liquid onto the blade and into the scabbard before inserting Jianxue back.
The audience had already learned through Zeng Can's livestream what the Immortal Alliance planned to do, and also knew why Song Juyao could be a genius despite having a dead spirit root. Now they were making a fuss again - some thought Song Juyao was a fraud, while others argued how could she be considered a fraud when she achieved everything through her own abilities?
【Without the sword she's nothing special, what kind of genius is that? Isn't it just a RMB player?】
【Remember how you all used to worship Song Juyao? Feeling embarrassed now?】
【Song fans were so arrogant before, "my Yaoyao is amazing, my Yaoyao is invincible" - I'm disgusted】
【Waiting for the embarrassing moment. She's been so arrogant this season, let's see how arrogant she stays after her equipment is stripped】
【RMB players buying equipment doesn't change the fact that they're noobs. We'll know soon enough if Song Juyao is a RMB player or not. Although it seems like she's doomed this time, I advise the haters to hold their tongues. Haven't you been slapped in the face enough?】
【I bet my head that Song Juyao won't be able to make a comeback this time!】
Song Juyao's fans were also anxious, but fortunately Jiang Baiqi must have noticed something was wrong, which was why he ran out so quickly - he must be going to tell Song Juyao about this, warning her to be careful of these people.
Liang Qiao was also worried about this, slightly blaming Bei Jiayuan for not being more careful - knowing Jiang Baiqi was there, she should have been more cautious.
However, they discovered that Jiang Baiqi only followed Song Juyao without saying anything. They thought maybe it wasn't convenient to speak with others around and he would surely tell her later, but he didn't.
???
Why???
They were confused.
Jiang Baiqi had just returned to Lin Wanyu's body and was busy suppressing that restless soul in his body, not noticing Bei Jiayuan's suspicious behavior. The fox had noticed, but it wouldn't say anything - Song Juyao was their obstacle, and if the Immortal Alliance wanted to deal with her, they should help push things along.
Song Juyao hastily dealt with the people in the front hall and returned with the fox. Bei Jiayuan wanted to see if Song Juyao would notice anything wrong, so she followed back too.
"Yaoyao, you didn't bring your sword when you went out just now?" Bei Jiayuan said as if just noticing.
"Mm." Song Juyao said, then turned to look, pausing slightly.
Bei Jiayuan's heart suddenly lifted up. Has she noticed?
Song Juyao walked to the sword rack and took down Jianxue, and looked at the scabbard.
Bei Jiayuan ran over to look, wondering if that bump had left a mark.
But no, not only was there no mark, but due to Jianxue's material properties, it didn't even collect dust. Jianxue still maintained its cold beauty appearance.
"What's wrong?" Bei Jiayuan asked nervously. Qin Mei said that under normal circumstances, Song Juyao would not find out.
"Nothing, she's just too beautiful. I want to take a look." Song Juyao said. She drew Jianxue to look, then as if noticing nothing wrong, sheathed it and put it back on the rack.
Bei Jiayuan sighed in relief. "Then I'll head out first, you two rest early."
As Bei Jiayuan turned to leave, she didn't notice Song Juyao staring at her back, then glancing at Jianxue.
She slightly curved her lips. Now all three real NPCs were here, they had plenty of opportunities to connect. It seemed they had finally found a way to bring her down.