After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 42 Waiting Quietly

As evening fell, three melodious chimes echoed throughout Fengming Mountain.

Shen Xu knew this was a sign that the competition had temporarily ended for the day; it seemed that the first round of the first day had not been completed.

However, he felt it should be soon, and the later rounds would be faster, enough to determine the top ten before the end of the second day's competition.

Shen Xu had some guesses about why Wu Qi and the others were called away. Wu Qi and Wang Bu should both be from the Wang family of Qingzhu City. Qingzhu City is the largest city under the Qingzhu Sword Sect and the first city in the Qingzhu Mountain Range. Its prosperity is unparalleled in the entire Qingzhu Mountain Range.

The Wang family is one of the two most influential families in the city. Their ancestor was one of the servants of Qingzhu Zhenren and one of the two founding families of the Qingzhu Sword Sect. Many elders of the Qingzhu Sword Sect today are still members of the Wang family.

However, none of this concerns him for the time being. No matter how powerful the Wang family is, they won't help him deal with the Shen family. He can only rely on himself.

As the three morning bells rang, the competition resumed.

In a dense forest in Fengming Mountain, Shen Xu slowly opened his eyes. There were only a limited number of inns in Fengming City, and not everyone had a room to stay in. However, for cultivators, sleeping outdoors in the open was not an unacceptable thing.

When Shen Xu arrived at the Wind Howling Platform, there were already disciples fighting on the platform. The back-and-forth sword moves were quite exciting, and if someone used a powerful sword move, it would draw cheers from the surrounding crowd.

He didn't like the noisy atmosphere, so he found a quiet place to close his eyes and rest. He knew that Shen Guangjian wouldn't be able to wait until tomorrow, so he was sure he would meet Shen Guangjian today, which was exactly what he was looking forward to.

He also spotted Wu Qi and Wang Bu in the crowd, but neither of them came to him. Wu Qi even seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

Shen Xu naturally guessed what had happened yesterday, but he didn't care much. In life, there are always things that are beyond one's control.

A loud bell rang out across the Wind-Sounding Platform. Shen Xu opened his eyes. This was a sign that the first round of the competition had ended, meaning that half of the participants in this outer sect competition had been eliminated.

"The second round of drawing lots will now begin!" The black-robed elder's voice echoed throughout the Wind Howling Platform.

He was the first person drawn in the second round, on the fifth battle stage, facing off against the 74th. However, his opponent posed no real threat to him, and he used the same strategy to send the girl off the stage.

"Fifteen wins!" With the referee's announcement, Shen Xu stepped off the stage and returned to his original position to quietly await the next round.

……

Time passed slowly, the number of rounds increased, and dusk was approaching outside. The atmosphere on site gradually became solemn and quiet, because everyone knew that the next match was the highlight of today's competition.

As the battle on the last arena came to an end, a loud bell rang once again.

The black-robed elder's voice, mixed with the sound of bells, rang out again: "After nearly a day of fierce competition, today's outer sect competition will reach its most exciting part, which is the battle for the top ten."

Instantly, the entire Wind-Sounding Platform seemed to be ignited, and cheers erupted.

After watching so many appetizers for so long, we've finally got the main course to fill our stomachs.

"First of all, congratulations to all the disciples who have made it into the top 40. You only need to win two more rounds to obtain the highest honor in the outer sect, which is to be among the top ten. You will also receive a ticket to compete for the top three in the outer sect tomorrow, where you can demonstrate your strength in front of the sect leader and the elders. Are you ready?"

"Top ten, top ten..."

There was no need for the disciples who had actually made it into the top 40 to answer; bursts of excited shouts came from all directions, pushing the atmosphere of the entire Fengming Platform to a small climax.

Amid the cheers, Shen Xu stood up, his gaze sharp and piercing. He knew that his next opponent would most likely be Shen Guangjian.

"Let's begin the first round of the draw!"

The entire Fengming Platform fell silent instantly. Everyone craned their necks to see which two enemies had met by chance, which two friends were turning against each other, or who had a stroke of good luck.

But either way, it's all very interesting, because no one who gets to this point is mediocre.

But when it comes to which two are the most anticipated to face off, many people's eyes are on Shen Xu and Shen Guangjian.

And those who draw lots never disappoint: "First matchup, fifteen against eighteen."

Fifteen is Shen Xu, and eighteen is Shen Guangjian.

"Roar..." Cheers, jeers, and whistles filled the entire Fengming Platform. Even those who didn't know what was going on would instantly reveal a knowing smile after asking around.

"Well done!! Referee."

"Referee, you know exactly what we want to see!"

"Don't stop, keep smoking at this rate!"

"Silence!" A stern voice echoed across the Wind Howling Platform, instantly bringing everyone to their senses.

Faced with the crowd's commotion, the black-robed elder had to step in to maintain order so that the subsequent drawing of lots could continue.

Faced with this draw result, Shen Xu couldn't help but smile. Shen Guangjian's actions were far too blatant. But it didn't matter; this result suited his taste perfectly. So he strode towards the first battle platform.

The area around the first battle arena was already completely surrounded by disciples, one circle after another.

When everyone saw Shen Xu arrive, they immediately made way for him to walk onto the stage, and watched him walk onto the stage as if they were giving him a salute, as if they were seeing off a warrior who was about to die.

However, this battle was not only being watched by the disciples; some people in the VIP seats on the mountainside were also quietly waiting for the outcome of the battle.

Standing on the stage, Shen Xu scanned the sea of ​​people below. Among them, he spotted Wu Qi, who gave him a fist bump, making Shen Xu smile involuntarily. Then he saw Shen Xian, Mo Da, Mo Shan, and another dashing young man…

The people's expressions, emotions, and feelings varied: some were excited, some questioning, some resentful, some worried, and some indifferent...

All living beings, in their myriad forms, return to their roots.

Finally, Shen Xu's gaze fell on Shen Guangjian, who was saying goodbye to the girl in blue, his eyes filled with affection and tenderness, seemingly not taking the battle to heart.

However, Shen Xu was not in a hurry. He stood with his sword in his arms, quietly watching Shen Guangjian's performance.

Time passed slowly, and most of the battles on the fighting stages had already begun, but Shen Guangjian still hadn't stepped onto the first fighting stage, which caused great dissatisfaction among the surrounding audience.

But Shen Guangjian didn't care about the feelings of those around him and continued chatting with the girl in blue.

"Is Shen Guangjian trying to stall for time to test Shen Xu's mentality?"

"Isn't he afraid of being ridiculed for winning unfairly?"

Shen Xu remained standing with his sword in his arms, eyes closed, unmoved by the surrounding agitation.

Only when the referee began to announce the countdown to forfeit did Shen Guangjian slowly walk onto the fighting stage with his hands behind his back, facing Shen Xu across the distance.

"I apologize, I was chatting with a friend for a while and it took up a bit of time. I hope you won't hold it against me, cousin," Shen Guangjian said with a smile, as if the person in front of him was not his opponent, but a junior who had come to ask him for guidance.

"You're scared!" Shen Xu opened his eyes and slowly spoke.