After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

On the sword-practice platform, Li Xunzhen and Ye Chenyan stood facing each other.

Li Xunzhen’s expression was cold and stern. “In the past, you were always talking about someone. I thought that for a child your age to be so obsessed with feminine beauty was far too frivolous. I didn’t expect... you truly brought her back. That can be considered wholehearted devotion.”

Yu Qingtang touched his nose. Under everyone’s teasing gazes, he awkwardly lifted the corners of his mouth and revealed a smile that was polite yet unmistakably awkward.

Li Xunzhen looked back at him, regret in her eyes. “Unfortunately, although she is at Golden Core, her cultivation is unsteady and insufficiently solid, and she has no practical combat experience at all. Let alone compared with the prodigies of the major sects, I fear she would have no chance of winning even against an ordinary Golden Core of the same realm.”

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow and looked at Yu Qingtang.

Yu Qingtang honestly straightened his posture, lowered his head guiltily, and said, “Sorry, teacher. I was lazy in cultivation.”

Li Xunzhen shook her head. “No. To have reached Golden Core at your age can at least be called good natural talent. It is only because your sect has declined, with no resources to replenish you and no external support, that you are so weak.”

The weak Yu Qingtang nodded like a chick pecking rice. “Mm-hm.”

Li Xunzhen shook her head as though furious at iron for not becoming steel. “I heard that if Ye Chenyan had not gone looking for you, you had no intention of coming to this Golden Core Competition at all?”

Yu Qingtang touched his nose guiltily. “I feel that... fighting to prove yourself isn’t very meaningful.”

Li Xunzhen frowned in disapproval. Jiang Xuerou laughed softly and helped smooth things over. “Master, everyone’s Dao is different. Perhaps it is precisely because Junior Sister Yu is indifferent to fame and gain that his Dao heart is steady instead.”

Li Xunzhen considered this briefly, then nodded. “True. I saw a good seedling and became too eager to cherish talent.”

Only then did she beckon Ye Chenyan over, her expression returning to severity. “You. Come forward.”

“Have you neglected your cultivation during this trip?”

Ye Chenyan answered with cupped fists. “I have not.”

“Good.” Li Xunzhen nodded slightly. “Yu Qingtang’s battle strength is low. Since you insist on bringing her into the Golden Core Competition, you must be able to protect her.”

Ye Chenyan nodded. “This disciple will remember.”

“Remembering alone is not enough.” Li Xunzhen swept her sleeve. “You must be stronger than an ordinary Golden Core.”

“One against ten. One against a hundred.”

She stood at the center of the sword-practice platform, and as she spoke, her pressure rose step by step. The Autumn Water Sword left its sheath. Rippling waterlight, carrying invisible currents, circled the sword-practice platform. She gave a low shout. “Attack!”

Ye Chenyan did not dare take this lightly. His silver battle spear appeared in his hand, and he charged into the formation.

Yu Qingtang craned his neck and watched the two of them fight fiercely, special effects flying everywhere in a dazzling blur. He felt that he might need a pair of sunglasses in the future.

It was only Golden Core and already such a grand spectacle. In the future, wouldn’t it blind people outright?

As expected, under everyone’s astonished gazes, Ye Chenyan forced Li Xunzhen’s Autumn Water Sword back three full feet by sheer force.

Li Ling’er let out an admiring cry. “Wow—”

Jiang Xuerou’s eyes shone brilliantly. “As expected of Junior Brother Ye. Master’s Autumn Water Sword is soft on the outside and hard within, and it excels most at defense. Though she deliberately suppressed her cultivation, to be able to force Master back...”

Li Xunzhen looked at her own sword and finally revealed the faintest smile, nodding slightly. “Not bad.”

Ye Chenyan cupped his fists to her. “Many thanks for your guidance, Martial Aunt.”

Li Xunzhen asked him, “Are you truly not learning the sword?”

“Uh—” Ye Chenyan touched his nose.

Yu Qingtang tilted his head. Li Ling’er leaned close to his ear and told him, “Guiyi Sect venerates the sword above all else. Senior Brother originally learned the sword too, and Martial Uncle Tianji Zi personally taught him.”

“But what he taught was a set of ‘Whatever Swordsmanship.’ He said Senior Brother should do whatever felt smoothest. Back during the disciples’ assembly, Senior Brother used that Whatever Swordsmanship to defeat all the newly admitted disciples from every peak and overwhelm the crowd.”

Jiang Xuerou leaned over to Yu Qingtang’s other side and sighed softly. “Unfortunately, the Discipline Elder has always disliked Martial Uncle Tianji Zi’s laxness. When he saw Junior Brother Ye’s completely formless ‘swordsmanship,’ he grew even angrier and said Junior Brother Ye had only relied on his body arts to force a victory, so it did not count as being a sword cultivator. He also...”

Li Ling’er supplied, “Also scolded Martial Uncle Tianji Zi.”

“Senior Brother’s face darkened on the spot. He said that if they could not even beat his body arts, then Guiyi Sect’s sword arts were nothing impressive, and in the future, even without using a sword, he could still become supreme under heaven.”

“He’s still locked in stubborn defiance with the Discipline Elder even now.”

Jiang Xuerou sighed lightly. “Martial Uncle Tianji Zi has always been casual, so he truly let him have his way. He even found him spear arts and forged this silver battle spear for him.”

Li Ling’er’s face was proud. “But Senior Brother killed the fourth-tier Silver Wolf himself!”

Jiang Xuerou’s gaze flickered slightly with worry. “A magical artifact forged from fourth-tier Silver Wolf bones can be considered quite good under ordinary circumstances. But compared with the prodigies every sect has exhausted its resources to cultivate... I fear it does not count for much.”

“If Junior Brother Ye goes one step further and forms a Nascent Soul, this spear will not be very impressive.”

Li Ling’er lowered her voice. “I heard that Jin Yangzi of Golden Light Sect can already drive their sect-protecting treasure, the Golden Light Mirror. That’s a legendary first-rank spiritual artifact with sentience!”

“Golden Light Sect has never gotten along with Guiyi Sect. They’re definitely going to clash this time.”

Yu Qingtang thought of that lecherous qin in his storage ring and touched his nose guiltily.

Who could have thought that an idle cultivator like him would also have a first-rank spiritual artifact?

Although using it once meant fainting for half a day.

The three of them huddled together whispering. Ye Chenyan, watching from above, saw it all. He landed in front of them and smiled. “What are you talking about?”

Yu Qingtang revealed a smile and raised two thumbs. “Praising you. Amazing, amazing.”

“Really?” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow, leaned closer, and asked, “You weren’t speaking ill of me, were you?”

Before Yu Qingtang could answer, Li Ling’er was already waving her hands guiltily. “How could that be! I stand firmly on your side.”

As though trying to make herself seem credible, she nodded solemnly and even gave herself an “Mm.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

What kind of pig teammate was this!

“Oh—” Ye Chenyan pointed at her. “What did you say?”

Li Ling’er’s eyes darted wildly. She bumped Yu Qingtang, asking him to help.

“Huh?” Yu Qingtang widened his eyes in shock, then helped cover for her. “We were talking about...”

Fortunately, Jiang Xuerou gave a soft laugh. “We were only talking about interesting stories from childhood. It feels as though the matter of you first entering the sect was just yesterday, yet Junior Brother Ye has already grown so much.”

Yu Qingtang and Li Ling’er nodded like pounding garlic. “Right, right, right.”

Ye Chenyan made it clear he did not believe them. “What childhood stories?”

He suddenly turned and pointed at Li Ling’er. “Did you start this?”

Yu Qingtang’s heart skipped a beat. This kid even knew to break through from the weakest link. This was bad!

As expected, Li Ling’er was caught off guard and subconsciously answered, “Just—just the thing about you arguing with that old man from the Discipline Hall.”

Her eyes widened as she tried to patch things up. “I didn’t say anything about when you threw that biased old ghost from Mingzhao Peak into a pigsty, or when you kicked that tiger hag from Mist-Trace Peak into an ice spring!”

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Li Xunzhen’s expression was strange. “...You truly did that?”

Li Ling’er quietly took a step back.

Ye Chenyan smiled without warmth. “Don’t move.”

Li Ling’er let out a wail and clung behind Yu Qingtang, using him as a shield. “Save me!”

Yu Qingtang spread his hands in terror, afraid he would have an intimate encounter with the silver battle spear. “Calm down! Stay calm!”

Jiang Xuerou did not know whether to laugh or cry as she tried to break them up. Li Xunzhen cleared her throat helplessly. “Back then... those two elders were also in the wrong. For now, I will pretend I never heard this.”

“All right. Stop fooling around.”

Li Ling’er knew to quit while she was ahead. She poked her head out from behind Yu Qingtang and bargained. “My master said she won’t hold it against you, so you can’t hold it against me either. Otherwise, the two of us will... fight until both fish die and the net breaks!”

Ye Chenyan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “...For Martial Aunt’s sake, fine.”

Jiang Xuerou let out a relieved breath and covered her lips with a smile. “All right, all right. Ling’er, get down quickly. You’ve pulled Qingtang’s clothes crooked.”

She pulled Yu Qingtang over and helped straighten his collar. When her hand was about to smooth down the wrinkles over his chest, before Yu Qingtang could react, Ye Chenyan had already pulled him over in one motion and patted his shoulder.

Jiang Xuerou froze, then gave a low laugh. “Oh my, Junior Brother Ye, you really are...”

Li Ling’er curled her lip in distaste. “Ew.”

“Cough.” To prevent the two of them from starting trouble again, Li Xunzhen stepped between them. “Since you have passed the test, your martial aunt should reward you as well.”

She looked at Ye Chenyan, regret in her eyes—outsiders only knew that Ye Chenyan was famous, the prodigy of Guiyi Sect, but they did not know the sect had actually given him very little support.

Back then, when Tianji Zi brought him back from the ancient battlefield, there had been controversy over it even now.

Just like this Golden Core Competition. The young prodigy Guiyi Sect had exhausted all its strength to cultivate was its first disciple, Wen Rubing, not Ye Chenyan.

The only person Ye Chenyan could rely on was Tianji Zi. Thinking of that unreliable member of the same sect, Li Xunzhen sighed. A small golden sword floated up from her palm.

Yu Qingtang’s eyes lit up. This was the body-protecting golden sword that saved Ye Chenyan’s life in an important later plot!

It was also precisely because of this golden sword that Li Xunzhen happily earned the title of “the most reassuring female character in this novel.”

—“Everyone else cares whether you fly high or travel far. Only Martial Aunt Li cares whether you die.”

Yu Qingtang looked at her shoulders, which were not especially broad, and felt they were so very reliable.

Next, this golden sword should sink into Ye Chenyan...

Yu Qingtang watched the golden sword break through the air, rapidly enlarge before his eyes, and vanish with a whoosh. His smile stiffened on his face.

He spoke in disbelief. “What the heck just went whoosh past me?”

Li Ling’er assumed he had never seen it before and explained with a hint of envy, “That’s a body-protecting golden sword. You’re so weak. If someone beats you to death, this can save your life!”

Yu Qingtang subconsciously looked at Ye Chenyan.

With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Ye Chenyan lowered his head and thanked her. “Many thanks, Martial Aunt.”

“Go on.” Li Xunzhen nodded to Yu Qingtang with a bit of elder-like kindness. “Since you have come to this Golden Core Competition, you should seize the opportunity.”

“In a few days, the Ancient Academy Realm will reappear. Every treasure there is ownerless. How much you can obtain will depend entirely on your opportunity.”

Yu Qingtang nodded blankly.

Ye Chenyan pulled him around and started walking away. Yu Qingtang subconsciously picked at the spot between his brows—could this thing be picked out?

“What’s wrong?” Ye Chenyan looked at him in confusion. “Do you feel any discomfort?”

“No.” Yu Qingtang guiltily lowered his hand and quietly asked him, “This body-protecting golden sword... shouldn’t it have been given to you?”

“Me?” Ye Chenyan rested the spear on his shoulder. “I’m not that easy to kill. You, on the other hand, need to be more careful.”

“It’s fine.” Yu Qingtang looked relaxed. “Although I can’t win fights, my Master taught me a secret technique for staying alive.”

Ye Chenyan looked somewhat curious. “What secret technique?”

Yu Qingtang shook his head and swayed. “It’s a secret technique—”

“Let me see.” Ye Chenyan circled him. “Or describe it.”

Yu Qingtang looked left and right. Seeing that no one was around, he finally cleared his throat and told him in a low voice, “I know how to beg for mercy.”

Ye Chenyan: “...Beg once.”

Yu Qingtang suddenly pressed his hands together and raised them to his forehead, his voice taking on a sobbing tone. “I’m sorry, I’m too weak, I didn’t mean it, please don’t hit me!”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

Yu Qingtang had just raised his head to ask whether that was pitiful enough when a pure white hem suddenly descended before his eyes. The newcomer shouted in a low voice, “Stop!”

“Junior Brother Ye, how can you casually bully the weak!”

Yu Qingtang looked in shock at the white-clothed cultivator blocking the way in front of him, then at Ye Chenyan across from them, whose expression carried a trace of numbness.

Judging by the situation, he had probably acted... quite pitifully.

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