Ye Feifei gazed at Ye Tian with deep affection. She longed to remove her veil and let him clearly see the love that filled her eyes.
"Brother Tian, I'm not that petty. Even if you didn't say anything, I could guess. You wouldn't go all out against me because you love me! If anyone is going to take first place, you'd want it to be me, because you'd let me win. Right?" Ye Feifei said softly.
Ye Tian hadn't expected Ye Feifei to say that. Her words were a perfect match for his own thoughts. 'She really does know me inside and out.' To be honest, he loved it.
"Feifei, you've got it wrong," Ye Tian said with a small smile. "I'm not going to just hand over first place. It's a rare pleasure to get to fight you, and I'm sure many of the clan disciples are hoping to see an exciting match!"
Ye Feifei showed no surprise at his words. "Brother Tian, your eyes have already betrayed you. Did you know you have a very bad habit?"
"What habit? Did I say something wrong?" Ye Tian asked, looking at Ye Feifei in confusion.
"When you lie, you blink a few times, and you don't look the other person in the eye. You were lying just now. In truth, first place can only belong to you. I won't fight you. It's not that you'd let me win, but that I know my own limits," Ye Feifei said.
"Thank you, Feifei," Ye Tian said with great sincerity. "You're so thoughtful. Knowing you is the greatest happiness of my life."
If no one else had been around, Ye Tian wouldn't have been able to stop himself from pulling Ye Feifei into his arms. He would have no regrets, even if it meant being tormented by the Pure Yang Qi. 'Finding one true love in this life is more than enough!'
The two of them went to stand at the back of the line. The tournament continued, and from time to time, the sound of air being torn apart and the thunderous roar of colliding Energy echoed from the stage.
The duels between Core Disciples were on a completely different level, far beyond what Outer Disciples could compare to. It was a real eye-opener for all the clan disciples, inspiring ambition in many who now hoped to one day become a Core Disciple themselves.
Before long, the first round of the Core Disciple competition concluded. The losers were immediately eliminated, and Ye Hu was no exception. Based on his current strength, he should have easily been able to place in the top three.
But he had the bad luck to run into a monster like Ye Tian. Now that he was eliminated, he didn't even qualify for the top ten.
"I trust you all saw how exciting the first round was!" Ye Weitian announced to the crowd. "Now, I'd like the victorious disciples to come on stage for the second drawing! The Core Disciples who were eliminated this round will also receive a reward!"
The disciples who advanced were all overjoyed. They would get a reward even if they were eliminated in the next round, so it was bound to be something good. If they managed to advance again, they would secure a spot in the top ten, and those rewards would be the most enticing of all.
Ye Hu hadn't left after being injured. He swallowed a Healing Elixir and stood silently in the crowd. Normally, he would be surrounded by people, but now, not a single person stood by his side. The sight filled him with hatred and despair. 'People are so fickle.'
In the last drawing, one person had gotten a bye. This round, one person would get a bye again, allowing them to advance to the next stage without a fight. Most of the disciples who had made it this far hoped for that opportunity.
This time, Ye Tian drew number five, and Ye Feifei drew number three. Ye Shixue drew the most enviable number of all—nine. This meant she would advance directly into the top ten, making her the envy of everyone—everyone except Ye Tian and Ye Feifei, of course.
Soon, the matches started again. Ye Feifei, with her One Vein Seventh Layer strength, easily won against her opponent. The crowd was thrilled to see the goddess of Lisha City display her true power.
When it was Ye Tian's turn, it was even more of a breeze. His opponent's expression was grim; without even starting the match, he conceded defeat. Fighting Ye Tian was undoubtedly just asking for humiliation, so surrendering voluntarily allowed him to save a sliver of face.
Before long, the round of matches was over again. There were now nine contestants remaining, meaning nine spots in the top ten were filled. The tenth spot, however, was unexpectedly awarded to Ye Hu. Since everyone acknowledged Ye Hu's strength, there was no dispute over this decision. Everyone simply agreed that he had been unlucky before.
Next up was the third round. This stage of the competition would be fought in three-person groups, determined by drawing lots, to decide the top three finalists. The rankings of the others would be judged based on the proficiency of their Martial Skill execution and the severity of any injuries sustained.
The final three would then face off in one last competition to determine the ultimate winner. This was the only way to ensure fairness. The most exciting moment of the tournament was about to begin.
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei were both lucky not to be drawn together. However, Ye Shixue was drawn into the same group as Ye Tian. This put Ye Tian in a difficult position. He didn't want to hurt Ye Shixue, but he also didn't want to give up easily.
On the tournament stage, Ye Tian stood quietly. Ye Shixue and the other Core Disciple stared straight at him. The two of them seemed to have a tacit understanding, both preparing to team up to defeat Ye Tian first, and then face each other.
"Brother Tian, you'd better be careful!" Ye Shixue said to Ye Tian with a faint smile. It was a dazzling and captivating smile, leaving the clan disciples below completely mesmerized.
After all, Ye Shixue was also stunningly beautiful, only a fraction less so than Ye Feifei. She was considered a great beauty in her own right, and with such a captivating smile, she was fully Ye Feifei's equal.
"You be careful too," Ye Tian said coolly, a Fine Steel Sword appearing in his hand.
After exchanging a look with Ye Shixue, the other Core Disciple's figure flashed as he swiftly executed a Martial Skill. It was a skill Ye Tian had never seen before; it actually allowed the user's Sword to emit a powerful Flame Sword Qi. Even from a distance, one could feel a scorching heat.
Ye Tian was very curious about this clan disciple's Martial Skill and didn't want to clash with it head-on. His figure flashed, leaving an afterimage as he moved rapidly across the stage. The opponent's Sword Qi attacks had no effect on him at all.
After a few breaths, Ye Tian noticed that the Attack Power of the Core Disciple's Martial Skill seemed to be weakening. 'Executing this skill must consume a massive amount of Spiritual Power.' The strained expression on the disciple's face confirmed it.
'It's time!' Ye Tian thought. His figure blurred as he closed in on the Core Disciple, slashing out with his Fine Steel Sword. However, the strike was all form and no substance; he had no intention of actually harming his opponent.
Ye Tian was so fast that the disciple couldn't react at all. Before he knew it, the tip of the sword was at his throat. If Ye Tian had applied even the slightest bit of force, the disciple's life would have been over.
Although Ye Shixue was also attacking Ye Tian, it seemed she was holding back with every move, making it impossible to guess her true intentions.
"I surrender!" the clan disciple said with a sigh of resignation. He had already used up more than half of his Spiritual Power, yet he hadn't even managed to touch the hem of Ye Tian's robes. He was utterly dejected, but it was yet more proof of just how terrifyingly strong Ye Tian was.